Baka-Tsuki - User contributions [en]

Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume19 Chapter11

2019-01-26T01:47:00Z

Windsgrace: /* Part 8 */

==Chapter 11 - Terminus Est==

===Part 1===

The top-tier wide-area destructive magic of the darkness element.

The jet-black magic lightning released by the Demon King kept destroying buildings in the town.

The ground was punctured and left with countless craters.

"...Damn it... Are you okay, Claire!?"

"Y-Yes... Why is this so crazy...?"

Kamito and Claire crawled out from the collapsed debris.

Were it not for the Vorpal Sword, whose darkness element allowed it to act as a lightning rod to absorb the magic lightning, the two of them would likely have been scorched to ash in an instant.

Although Hell Blast was also a type of spirit magic that Restia used—

The firepower demonstrated here far surpassed what the top-tier spirit could use.

"...Living up to his name as the most powerful elementalist in history, the real Demon King himself."

Muttering, Kamito wiped fresh blood off a corner of his lip. The amount of divine power was extraordinary.

"How do we handle that monster...?"

"Just go all out and take a gamble. The enemy looks all fired up."

Kamito poured divine power into his two swords and stood up.

(...Est has finished analyzing. At least, there won't be any nullification again.)

The Demon King extended both hands this time. The skull mask glowed with eerie light.

"...!"

Hastily, Kamito and Claire jumped to the sides.

"Eternal... sleep—Cocytus."

One could hear air freezing.

Shrouded in white mist, everything within a radius centered on the Demon King was frozen—

From the ground, countless arms of ice reached out for Kamito and Claire.

"Incinerate until nothing remains, O scorching conflagration—Fireball!"

With the sound of an explosion, Claire chanted flame spirit magic, shattering the generated ice.

However, the endlessly appearing ice covered the flames, surging towards them like a giant wave.

"Absolute Blade Arts, Third Form—Shadowmoon Waltz, Double Moon Turn!"

With a mighty shout, Kamito released divine power all at once.

Countless black and white flashes of the sword.

Leaving sword afterimages one after another, Kamito rushed in as a whirlwind.

Confronted with ice arms attacking from all directions, he shattered, severed or broke them with his every motion.

Stepping on a giant piece of ice fallen on the ground, he leaped into the air and—

"Absolute Blade Dance, Second Form, My Style—Double-Hit Comet!"

A dual-sword move of the Absolute Blade Arts, modified from Comet, was unleashed against the Demon King.

BOOOOOOOM!

The impact of the comet crash shook the air.

Together with the black garment, the Demon King's body was sliced into two. A gigantic crack appeared on the ground.

"...!"

Kamito did not feel the move connect.

He immediately jumped to the side. At the same time, a black blade swept by, just above his head.

(...Shadow spirit magic, huh?)

That magic was Ms. Freya's specialty.

The Demon King lifted a skinny black hand.

The golden ring on his finger instantly glowed ominously blue.

(...That ring is!?)

'—Kamito, beware. He is about to summon a spirit!'

Restia issued a warning.

That ring was the Ring of Solomon.

A legendary artifact capable of controlling seventy-two archdemon-class spirits.

(The spirit magic earlier was just a welcome greeting, huh?)

A terrifying voice sounded under the Demon King's mask.

"From underground, come... My minion—Midgardsormr."

Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble...!

"W-What's going on!?"

Accompanied by a violent earthquake, the land on Ragna Ys split opne.

Appearing out from the crevasse in the shattered and frozen ground—

A gigantic serpent all covered in countless steel-like scales. Compared to the Holy Kingdom's militarized spirit, Kerykeion, which was also a snake, it was several times larger.

'Earth dragon spirit Midgardsormr. It is the prototype for the strategic-class militarized spirit Jormangand that was sleeping in the mining town of Gado, you know—'

"...What did you say!?"

The gigantic earth dragon spirit opened its jaws and crushed buildings in the street.

"...Even the Demon King's contracted spirits can materialized?"

'Yes, what the angel summoned are the Demon King's complete powers—'

To this, Est replied.

"Kamito, I will come up with a way to handle this spirit!"

Claire shouted.

Kamito took a closer look and saw that Flametongue had entangled Midgardsormr's horn.

"Don't overdo it, Claire!

"Don't worry and focus on the Demon King, kyahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The enraged giant serpent rampaged, causing Claire's petite figure to get thrown around in circles.

The gigantic writhing body swept across the land of Ragna Ys.

(...At this rate, the whole underground will be all dug up!)

Kamito jumped aside, dodging a strike from the tail.

He rushed up the earth dragon's back in one go, pouring all of his divine power into the swords in his hands.

His left eye began to hurt again.

He remembered Rubia's warning to him, but—

"Absolute Blade Arts, Destructive Form—Bursting Blossom Spiral Blade Dance, Eighteen Consecutive Strikes!"

Unleashing numerous slashes simultaneously, he destroyed Midgardsormor's scales of steel.

'It's not over, Kamito—!'

Restia called out.

Midgardsormr raised its head and widened its jaw.

(...! I can't believe it can still move after taking an Absolute Blade Arts move for countering archdemon-class spirits!)

Kamito kicked the ground and jumped, evading the attack, then plunged the jet-black demon sword into the monster's eyeball.

"O darkness, pierce—Vorpal Blast!"

The magic lightning of darkness erupting from the demon sword's blade shattered Midgardsormr.

However...

"From the ends of the sky, respond to my call... Minion—Fafnir."

The Demon King's ring glowed and summoned a spirit from thin air.

It was a dragon spirit with jet-black wings.

The dragon's claws attacked from overhead. Kamito blocked the attack with the Demon Slayer.

The heavy attack almost dislocated his shoulder—

"Absolute Blade Arts, Seventh Form—Biting Dragon, Double Strike!"

With a back handed strike of his sword, Kamito decapitated the dragon spirit.

"Huff, huff, huff...!"

He panted and pressed his hand against his aching left eye.

(If he keeps summoning archdemon-class spirits...)

"From the dimensional gate, respond to my call... Minion—Ymir."

"...!

"You wish—Flame Chain!"

Claire swung Flametongue.

Enveloped in a conflagration, the long whip immobilized the Demon King's right arm.

Instantly, the Demon King's right arm carbonized and turned into ash.

"Kamito, do it now!"

Accompanied by Claire's shout—

Kamito dashed in one breath, executing a violent slash.

However—

It was easily deflected.

A jet-black demon sword appeared in the Demon King's hand and blocked the attack.

"What!?"

Kamito was speechless.

The demon sword held in the Demon King's hand was almost like—

"...I see. Indeed, ''that'' is the strongest spirit employed by the Demon King."

With anger in his voice, Kamito spoke.

Feeing the pain in his left eye, Kamito gripped the Vorpal Sword tightly.

"But, ''that's my sword'', Demon King Solomon!"

Kamito stepped forward and slashed.

The demon sword of darkness clashed violently with the Vorpal Sword.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The Demon King roared.

It was a howl of joy for encountering a formidable foe.

===Part 2===

"Pierce, freezing fang of ice—Freezing Arrow!"

The magic ice projectile fired by Rinslet pierced three hounds simultaneously.

However, the fire hounds created by the flame sword Ragnarok immediately resurrected and kept narrowing the encirclement.

"...! Why will their numbers not decrease!?"

Rinslet shouted anxiously.

"The Fire Elemental Lord's fire is fire that burns eternally."

Reicha said.

"That is too unreasonable!"

Standing in the front to protect the Queens, Rinslet glared at her surroundings.

The fire hounds appeared one after another from the shadows of the collapsed building.

Even for Fenrir, running at full speed while carrying four people was a stretch.

Rinslet expected the hounds to catch up to them soon.

...Still, even with her defending as best as she could, the situation will only worsen eventually.

She could not expect the Queens to help out on the combat front. After all, they were princess maidens cultivated to serve the Elemental Lords.

(...All is lost, it seems.)

Rinslet poured power into her hand, drawing her bow.

(At least, I must create an opening for Reicha-sama and the others to escape—)

The fire hounds all pounced at them together.

In that instant...

An intense blizzard blew, turning the hounds into ice sculptures—

"...! W-What is going on!?"

Still with her bow drawn, Rinslet was instantly speechless.

===Part 3===

"—I will make you recall my name, Volcanicus!"

With her militarized spirit armament—Kagutsuchi—held at a mid-level stance, Rubia kicked the ground.

The cursed armament seals branded all over her body gave off intense sparks. Her figure instantly vanished.

"...What!?"

Millennia Sanctus' violet eyes widened in shock.

Leaving far behind the sound of her boots kicking the ground—

Rubia instantly closed in and executed a slash with lightning speed.

Imbued with flames, the tip of the blade brushed across Millennia's throat, leaving faint burns on her pure white vestments.

"—Tsk!"

Millennia leaned back, turning into particles of light and vanished, performing a spatial leap towards the back.

However, Rubia predicted that move.

She forcefully turned her arm that was wielding the blade and charged in one go.

Clang!

With the ear-splitting sound of metallic friction, sparks flew all around.

Kagutsuchi's blade had sliced into Ragnarok's body.

"What is with your movements...!?"

"Do not look down on me, cardinal. Although this power is borrowed, do know that I do not wear the name of Ren Ashbell, the Strongest Blade Dancer, in vain."

Saying that, Rubia attacked with even greater speed.

The flaming slash sliced across air.

Branded upon her body were simply cursed armament seals for physical enhancement.

However, Rubia Elstein was a princess maiden famed as the greatest Queen in history. When her astounding divine power was completely converted into physical ability, her movements were just like a master swordsman's.

Using the power of a militarized spirit, she overwhelmed the Ragnarok-wielding Millennia.

Even though Ragnarok's flames threatened to devour Rubia, she skillfully evaded every time.

"Rubia-sama's swordsmanship is so exquisite—!"

Ellis could not help but exclaim.

"Yes, but if she keeps using cursed armament seals like that—"

Nevertheless, Fianna murmured with worry.

Although Rubia's blade dance was aggressive—

At this rate, even for Rubia, her body would probably collapse from the strain in another minute or two.

Of course, she understood this all too well.

She must have planned from the start to conclude the match in a few dozen seconds.

Perhaps, even end the enemy in the first few seconds—

Rubia's Kagutsuchi sliced through Millennia's shoulder.

However, it was not fatal. A sword spirit with the attribute of steel had resistance to both cuts and fire.

Meanwhile, Ragnarok's flames could turn an enemy into ash with just a minor brush of the sword against the skin.

"Fufu, looks like it is checkmate, Calamity Queen!"

Millennia Sanctus grinned and swung Ragnarok.

Intense flames spewed out, turning into a gigantic fire dragon that lunged at Rubia.

"—Hah!"

With a mighty shout, Rubia swung Kagutsuchi.

Blue flames surged from the blade, instantly freezing the fire dragon into ice.

"Impossible, how could the strongest flame in Astral Zero end up like this, by the fire of a mere human's!?"

"You do not know?"

Seeing Millennia's fluster, Rubia spoke coldly.

"What!?"

"Unlike the fire of Astral Zero, the Elstein flames are not governed by natural law. Their true nature is similar to the Otherworldly Darkness you possess. Hence—"

Holding Kagutsuchi with blue flames over its blade, Rubia approached, step after step—

"Even the strongest flame can be frozen!"

Releasing power from the cursed armament seals, Rubia charged all at once.

"...! Then how about this?"

Rumble rumble rumble rumble—!

Millennia raised Ragnarok high above her head.

A vortex of crimson flames surged from the blade, piercing the high heavens.

This was a scorching conflagration, enough to burn the entire sky.

Next—

"Day of wrath, bring salvation to the foolish and punishment to the saints—Calamity Disaster!"

Generated from the vortex of flame, countless fireballs rained down from the sky!

"Ahaha, turn into ash from the flames that destroyed your homeland!"

"Rubia-sama!"

Fianna screamed.

However, Rubia remained where she stood without moving.

Holding Kagutsuchi, which was enveloped in blue flames, she stared straight at Ragnarok.

"—Do you see my blade dance, Fire Elemental Lord!?"

Her entire body was surrounded by blue flames of absolute zero.

The pouring rain of fire vanished as soon as it touched the blue flames.

"Have you forgotten the flames of the Queen who had served you, this brilliance!?"

The fire spirit seal branded on her right hand glowed crimson.

Just then, as though in response to her voice—

"...Wh...at...?"

The fire pillar piercing the sky began to shake violently.

"...! Could it be that Ragnarok has gone out of control?"

Fianna murmured in shock.

"...! What have you done, Calamity Queen!?"

"Surely I must have warned you. You are unworthy of controlling those flames—"

The flames of Ragnarok in Millennia's hand began to rampage.

"Damn you, calm down, calm dowwwwwwwwwwwn!"

Millennia's screams were heard from the flames.

The crimson conflagration incinerated Millennia Sanctus in an instant.

With nowhere to go, the blaze of punishment devoured the surrounding rubble, expanding endlessly.

"Rubia-sama, hurry and run!"

Ellis shouted, hastily planning to hurry over.

However, Rubia slowly shook her head as she stared intently at the fire.

"—Now I shall liberate you, Volcanicus!"

With her body shrouded in blue flames of absolute zero, Rubia plunged herself into the flames of crimson conflagration.

===Part 4===

"Absolute Blade Arts, Sixth Form—Crushing Fang!"

Confronted with Demon King Solomon, who was wielding a demon sword of darkness—

Kamito mercilessly executed an Absolute Blade Art specialized for destroying weapons.

However, it failed.

With the persisting sound of metallic impact, violent sparks flew out from the clashing blades of demon swords of darkness.

(—How dare you use ''that'' in front of me!?)

Glaring angrily at those crimson glowing eyes behind the mask, Kamito roared in his heart.

(...Sorry, you have really pissed me off with this, Demon King Solomon!)

The Demon King had summoned another Vorpal Sword.

The moment he saw it, Kamito felt his blood boil.

What a childish feeling, wanting to monopolize. With self-awareness, he could not help but smile wryly.

However, despite knowing he was being too emotional, Kamito still could not stop this impulse.

Perhaps the divine power of darkness also played a role in causing his emotions to turn violent—

"Ohhhhhhh!"

With a great shout, Kamito swung his two swords.

With the flashes of light, he struck the body of the demon sword of darkness.

His left eye kept hurting.

Ren Ashdoll's spirit seal was projected onto his retina.

'—Kamito, I'm sure you are aware, right?'

Restia's solemn voice warned him.

(Yeah—)

He answered in his thoughts.

As soon as he ran out of divine power, Kamito would be devoured by Darkness Elemental Lord's power.

Using the Absolute Blade Arts, intensely draining in divine power, was suicidal given his situation—

But the enemy was the legendary Demon King after all. The most powerful elementalist in history.

Naturally, this was not an opponent he could defeat with his hands tied.

(In that case, I have to go for a quick kill!)

Kamito stepped forward in one breath, penetrating the enemy's attack range.

Since Demon King Solomon was both the most powerful elementalist and an outstanding warrior. But purely in the realm of swordsmanship, he was beneath Kamito who had mastered the Absolute Blade Arts.

Using unlimited divine power to invoke powerful spirit magic and to summon spirits.

This was the source of the Demon King's power.

Kamito would be uncertain of victory if he allowed the Demon King to launch attacks of that sort one after another, but—

(That's why I can't let him have things his way!)

The two swords swinging through the air glowed with blinding brilliance.

"Absolute Blade Arts, Introductory Form—Bursting Cherry Blossom Flurry!"

This was an anti-personnel Absolute Blade Art exclusive to dual wielding.

Kamito's arms turned into a mirage, executing consecutive thrusts like falling petals.

However—

"...What!?"

The godlike speed of Absolute Blade Arts failed to reach the Demon King's heart. All strikes were deflected by the black garment.

Glowing with dark luster, the cape's shifting form was like a shadow.

(...! Oh right, this black garment—)

The Garb of the Lord.

He had accepted it from the spirit Iris, a legendary artifact that allowed the wearer to convert divine power into defensive ability.

Although when Kamito wore it himself, it turned out to hinder the flow of divine power—

But right now, supported by Demon King Solomon's massive divine power, it was showing its true worth.

Seizing the momentary opening right after Kamito had executed the Absolute Blade Arts...

The Demon King laughed in mockery from behind his mask.

The demon sword of darkness swept horizontally with lightning.

Although Kamito hastily used the Demon Slayer to block the incoming sword, the dark lightning still pierced his right arm.

"...!?"

He barely managed to hold on to his sword.

Thanks to Est's powerful magic resistance, his arm avoided a fate of carbonization.

However, even a brief moment's delay in attacking could prove fatal in battle.

Glowing runes appeared over the stump of the left arm severed by Claire.

Within the blink of an eye, the left arm was restored together with the Ring of Solomon.

(...! The angel's authority!?)

That being said, Kamito had considered the possibility of him using that move.

The Demon King extended his right hand at Kamito, who did not get a chance to follow up his attack.

"Dance, crimson flames summoning destruction—Hell Blaze!"

The Demon King chanted the ultimate fire spell.

Taking this move at close range would turn a person into ash completely.

"—Scarlet!"

Kamito heard Claire shout.

At the same time, the hell cat wrapped in flames raised sharp claws and pounced on the Demon King.

The Demon King easily swatted Scarlet away with a single hand—

While unleashing the flames of spirit magic with the other hand.

In response, Kamito—

"Absolute Blade Arts, First Form—Purple Lightning!"

With a mighty kick against the ground, he dashed straight towards the Demon King's chest.

Thanks to the brief opening created by Scarlet, the activation of spirit magic was delayed slightly.

With godlike speed, the Absolute Blade Art connected in the nick of time just before the Demon King's magic activated.

This was a dangerous gamble that Kamito had made the call to take.

If his judgment was off, Kamito would be the one with his body turned to ash.

Like lightning, his attack pierced the Garb of the Lord.

With the Vorpal Sword still deeply embedded, Kamito unleashed his divine power.

"—Vorpal Blast, Vorpal Blast, Vorpal Blast!"

He mercilessly blasted three consecutive attacks with the darkness element.

Every magic attack caused the Demon King's massive body to convulse violently.

Almost in a pleading manner, Kamito released the magic lightning of darkness for the fourth time.

His left eye burned as though it was on fire. His view had almost turned completely red.

'Kamito, this is no good... At this rate, even I cannot suppress the power of darkness any longer...!'

(...I know, but—!)

He had to take care of this monster right here.

The fifth Vorpal Blast was released.

But Demon King Solomon still remained active.

With his heart still pierced, he grabbed Kamito's neck with a bony right arm.

"...! Cough... Gah...!"

Next—

As retaliation, he plunged his demon sword of darkness into Kamito's belly.

"Guh... Ah... Ahhh, ahhhhhhhh!"

Just like that, Kamito was thrown to the ground.

"...Guh, ooh... Ooooh...!"

Crimson blood dripped on to the rubble.

Holding the demon sword of darkness that had drank this blood, Demon King Solomon began to step forward.

(...! Damn... monster...!)

Kamito cursed in his thoughts and smiled wryly.

It was self-mockery.

—''Directed at himself, who had likewise become a monster''.

Thump, his heart throbbed.

Black miasma surged out. The hole in his belly punctured by the demon sword instantly healed.

He could no longer hear the voices of his two contracted spirits.

Only her soft laughter echoed in his mind.

(I... am—)

His consciousness was gradually turning all black.

''He''—

Slowly stood up.

Demon King Solomon halted.

It was unclear whether the emotion of fear still existed within him, but presumably he instinctively sensed danger.

Boundless divine power of darkness filled ''his'' body.

With every footfall, the ground was shattered. Dark miasma was generated.

Oh, ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!

The Demon King roared and swung his demon sword of darkness.

"..."

But the jet-black lightning erupting from his demon sword's blade was effortlessly crushed in ''his'' hand.

Of course. After all, ''he'' was synonymous to darkness itself now—

That being said, magical attacks of any other element would have ended up the same way.

It was as though time had frozen.

Step by step, ''he'' approached the Demon King.

Demon King Solomon activated the Ring, intending to summon spirits.

So slow. Those movements were truly too slow.

No, it was only in ''his'' eyes that things seemed this slow.

''He'' raised the Demon Slayer simply—

Whoosh—The Demon King's heart was pierced.

That was all.

That was all, and the Demon King's body turned into glowing runes and vanished into the air.

With that, ''he'' stood there.

===Part 5===

Amid all-incinerating fire, ''she'' saw fragments of lost memories.

How long ago was it when that young little girl had arrived at the shrine for the first time to seek an audience—?

In front of her, whose sanity was corroded by Otherworldly Darkness, about to succumb to impulses of hatred and destruction—

The girl had arrived as Queen.

"—Today onwards, I shall serve at your side."

So nervous that she was trembling, the princess maiden knelt before the altar, introducing herself with the name of Rubia.

The girl's face was more beautiful than any princess maiden ''she'' had seen before.

...But that was all.

As Queen, she would serve for a mere few years then leave.

This girl was nothing more than one of those princess maidens.

—That was what ''she'' thought at the time.

"T-Today, I have learned a new dance to offer to you, Elemental Lord!"

"I saw some beautiful flowers blooming in the Divine Ritual Institute's courtyard and picked some to bring along."

"I wrote a story for you, Elemental Lord. Would you like to listen?"

"I received a letter from my younger sister, Elemental Lord. May I read it out?"

Perhaps being young and naive, she was fearless.

Unlike the Queens before, the girl did not focus single-mindedly on pleasing her.

That girl's attitude made her feel confused, agitated, and a little intrigued.

—What was up with this human?

—Why does she not fear the revered Elemental Lords?

One day, the girl came before the shrine and said.

"U-Uh, today I have a favor to ask of you, Elemental Lord."

—Permission granted to ask.

She replied solemnly,

The petitions of Queens were mostly concerned with bringing prosperity to the human realm.

She thought the girl's request would fall along those lines too.

However—

"—Uh, Elemental Lord, umm..."

—What is it? Be quick. My patience has limits.

She had a flame surge from the altar in a threatening manner.

"I-I am sorry! U-Umm, ''I would like us to become friends''!"

That was what the girl had said.

Had the elders of the Divine Ritual Institute heard this, they probably would have fainted on the spot.

—What?

Her angry voice echoed throughout the entire shrine.

The girl jumped in fright, her shoulder trembling in fear.

Nevertheless, she looked up with great fortitude—

"I-I have been very lonely ever since I separated with my sister. Lately, it has been hard for me to see my juniors in the Divine Ritual Institute such as Fianna and Reicha. Uh, and so—"

The girl explained awkwardly.

Of course, ''her'' wrath was implacable.

—A mere human princess maiden dares to call herself my friend, such insolence against an Elemental Lord such as I!

"Uwah, p-please forgive me!"

When ''she'' vented her angry flames on the altar, the girl fled in panic.

...Perhaps she was scolded severely by the elders of the Divine Ritual Institute after that.

The girl never brought up anything similar again.

This was ''her'' final memory as an Elemental Lord with sanity.

A small flame lit up in the darkness.

===Part 6===

In the flames of purgatory, Rubia gripped the Fire Elemental Lord's sword.

Using the Absolute Flame, she suppressed the rampaging ultimate flame of Astral Zero.

Freezing flames were exuded from all over her body.

Were they to interrupt for but an instant, her physical body would have been annihilated within an eye's blink

"—Remember, Elemental Lord Volcanicus!"

While shouting, Rubia hugged the blade of Ragnarok to her chest.

"Remember the name of Rubia Elstein, the Queen who serves you!"

In that instant, the spirit seal branded on her right hand shone with blinding brightness in the flames.

Ragnarok's blade glowed as though in resonance, then turned into particles of light and vanished.

The howling flames of purgatory—

Instantly vanished without a trace.

"...Ugh...!"

Rubia collapsed on the spot like a marionette whose strings had been severed.

"Rubia-sama!"

Fianna and Ellis hastily rushed over to her side.

Just then, a fire lit over Rubia's head.

That flame, appearing out of thin air, flickered and gradually took on human form.

Landing softly on the rubble was—

A beautiful girl with curving horns, a head of crimson hair and ruby-like eyes.

Fire Elemental Lord Volcanicus.

With her ruby-like eyes widened, she looked down at Rubia who was on her knees.

"...Ru... bia?"

She murmured in a daze.

"..."

With her head down, Rubia did not respond at all.

It was as though this girl's voice had not reached her ears.

"...I remember you."

With a trembling finger, Volcanicus touched Rubia's shoulder.

"You are my—"

Rubia's body instantly shook.

Surprised, Volcanicus hastily tried to help her up.

The color of blood swiftly left Rubia's face.

"R-Rubia! Someone, someone come cast healing magic—"
[[image:STnBD V19 BW08.jpg|thumb]]

"Elemental Lord, allow us to—"

Fianna and Ellis replied while hurrying over.

Just then...

The sky glowed from over at the distant holy capital.

===Part 7===

Having destroyed Demon King Solomon, Kamito was surrounded by dense miasma of darkness.

It looked like it was about to transport Kamito to somewhere unknown—

"—Kamito!"

While calling out, Claire ran over.

(...! I must save him!)

Est and Restia were probably dominated by that power of darkness.

Right now, Claire was the only one who could save Kamito.

Suppose she used that method that her sister had taught, she might still make it in time—

Just as she stepped over rubble, about to reach Kamito's side...

The distant sky glowed with blinding light.

(...What!?)

She had a bad feeling about what was coming. Based on her instincts as a princess maiden, she understood this much.

"...! Kamito!

Claire jumped without hesitation.

She plunged headlong into the dark miasma shrouding Kamito.

"...Guh, ah, ughhh...!"

In that instant, Claire felt searing pain as though being burned.

Submerged in the divine power of darkness, her skin was tormented mercilessly.

For a princess maiden with pure divine power, this was excruciating pain.

"...! Damn... it... Give Kamito back...!"

Even so, Claire still did not let go of Kamito's hand.

''This guy has saved me so many times.''

''He always came for me, no exceptions.''

"This time, I will be the one to save Kamito—"

The massive light produced in the sky over the holy capital was released.

"Kamito!"

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!

With the frightening sound of an earthquake, Ragna Ys' ground split open.

"W-What, kyahhhhhhhhh!"

Hugging tightly Kamito's body that was devoured by the divine power of darkness...

The two of them fell into the vast forest of Astral Zero.

===Part 8===

The fractured ground of Ragna Ys turned into gigantic rock fragments, crashing down into the great forest below.

The town created by humans for the Blade Dance was wiped out without a trace by that strike.

"—Hmm, impressive as ever, Est."

In the sky over the holy capital of Alexandria.

Under the rotating gate in the air, Sacred Maiden Areishia exclaimed in admiration.

Howling wind blowed that beautiful blonde hair.

Slowly, she returned the sacred sword in her hand, Terminus Est, to her scabbard.

The ultimate spirit weapon that had annihilated numerous spirits.

"—After a thousand years, you have finally returned to my side."

Giving a light kiss to the sacred sword's hilt, the Sacred Maiden looked up at the rotating gate to the Otherworld.

In a little while, the road leading to paradise would open completely.

—''By then, the existence guarded by angels would come within reach''.

"Yes, very soon, the world we dreamed of shall come true—"

Looking at the sacred sword in her hand, Sacred Maiden Areishia smiled.
<noinclude>
{{SeireiDance Nav|prev=Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume19 Chapter10|next=Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume19 Epilogue}}</noinclude>

Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume18 Chapter11

2018-09-16T13:13:23Z

Windsgrace: /* Chapter 11 - Angel of the Otherworld */

==Chapter 11 - Angel of the Otherworld==

===Part 1===

"...Ah, ooh, ahhhhh... Ahhhhhhhhh!"

The darkness dripping out from Millennia Sanctus' left eye was spreading out on the ground.

This dense darkness was able to corrupt Elemental Lords and render them insane—

Millennia writhed in pain, tearing at her left eye.

The spilled darkness stained her pure white vestments, gradually swallowing her.

"...! What the heck are you doing—"

Faced with the girl who was being devoured by the darkness that she herself was generating, Kamito had no idea what to do.

...Was she unable to control the Otherworldly Darkness?

No. No way in hell—

This cardinal had controlled the Otherworldly Darkness many times before.

"Kamito, be careful."

Gripped in his right hand, Est spoke.

"—There is something inside."

"...What!?"

"Fufuf, so you sensed it, my little sister—"

With half her body swallowed by Otherworldly Darkness, Millennia jeered.

"The Otherworldly Darkness within me is a catalyst for opening a gate—"

"Did you say gate?"

"To summon... The Otherworld..."

The restless Otherworldly Darkness completely swallowed Cardinal Millennia.

Turned into a hovering black sphere in the air, it started vibrating with an earsplitting sound.

"What is going on...?"

"Kamito, hurry, destroy it—"

"...! Got it!"

Hearing Est's urgent voice, Kamito instantly reacted.

"Absolute Blade Arts, Seventh Form—Biting Dragon!"

He unleashed all the divine power gathered in his feet in one go and flew to the air to execute an anti-air interception Absolute Blade Art.

The glow of divine power left a trail of light in the night, dashing through the air like a long dragon.

However—

Wwwwwn!

An invisible barrier appeared around the sphere, deflecting the silver-white blade.

(...What!?)

Almost like bouncing away, Kamito was sent flying to crash into the ground.

Kamito landed.

(...What the heck was that just now!?)

Was it a wall generated by a barrier, or spirit magic—

"...! I can't believe it deflected the Demon Slayer...?"

Kamito looked up and stared into space.

Just then, a crack suddenly appeared in the center of the dark sphere that had swallowed Millennia—

In the next instant, ''the sphere was ripped apart from within''.

Spurting out like blood, Otherworldly Darkness fell all at once, dyeing the ruins black.

Next, two glowing arms emerged from the center of the torn open sphere.

"...!?"

Kamito instantly felt his hairs stand on end with goosebumps.

He felt it instinctively.

This was something that did not belong in this world—

The dark sphere was shredded then ''it'' appeared in this world.

An effigy of a warrior, three times a human's height, with golden glowing wings.

The beautiful face formed from pure white stone looked both masculine and feminine.

Glowing with bright light, the jewel-like eyes looked down coldly at the earth.

(...A spirit?)

Muttering in his thoughts, Kamito decided no and shook his head.

(...No. I've seen something similar to it before—)

At the Forest of Ice Blossoms in Laurenfrost, merged with the dominating ice spirit Zirnitra.

The thing possessing Rinslet's younger sister Judia Laurenfrost—

Inside the Otherworldly Darkness surging in the Elemental Lord's shrine, Kamito had seen it.

"...An angel."

Cold sweat slowly dripped down the back of his hand.

The Demon Slayer in his hand likewise shook slightly.

Millennia Sanctus had said that she was the gate for summoning it.

To summon this visitor from the Otherworld, neither the human realm nor Astral Zero—

The angel slowly descended to the ground and manifested a single-edged sword in its hand.

The sword's length was twice that of the Demon Slayer.

Facing off against it, Kamito readied the Demnon Slayer and poured divine power into his sword.

"Kamito—"

Just then, the glowing silver-white sword spoke.

"Yes, I know. It's—"

"I was created for the purpose of destroying them."

"Huh?"

Hearing what Est said, Kamito asked in return.

"Est, you know that thing?"

"Yes. The primordial memories sleeping inside me told me. I am—No, the original purpose of every spirit weapon created in this world was to destroy such angels."

Held in his hand, Est was exuding an astounding amount of hostility from her blade.

It was like a beast facing a natural enemy with an unforgivable grudge—

"Spirit weapons huh—"

That term had been uttered by Est herself a number of times before.

They were powerful weapons used to annihilate spirits during the Spirit War. Like her, Ortlinde the Scarlet Valkyrie was also a spirit weapon.

If their original purpose was to fight angels from the Otherworld—

(...Then who was it that created them?)

As though to interrupt Kamito's thoughts—

Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin—

The angel made a sound in a strange pitch.

"—Kamito, it is coming."

The angel acted.

It slid over like gliding on the ground. In the next instant, it suddenly disappeared fro sight.

"...!"

Immense mass, moving with subsonic momentum—

In response, Kamito used the Demon Slayer to block.

Mustering his entire body's divine power, he strained his hardest to resist the earth-shattering impact.

"Kamito, I need even more divine power—Or else we will be overwhelmed."

"...! I'm already doing my best!"

Even though he had drawn upon such a massive amount of divine power in one breath, Kamito was still pushed back.

With his feet scraping against the ground, Kamito was pushed against a building in the training ground.

"Cough... Huff—!"

His breathing stopped momentarily, Kamito spat out blood.

Without Est's Protection of Steel, he might have been crushed to death.

In front of his eyes was an eerie beautiful face carved from pure white stone.

Without any expression, it kept muttering strange notes the whole time.

(...! What is with this brute strength... Ah...!)

Compared to the graceful looking appearance, its strength far surpassed even that of large militarized spirits.

"Combat memory domain connection established. Analysis complete—Kamito, this is Dunamis."

"What? That's this thing's name?"

"No, a classification to distinguish type. The ones seen before were reconnaissance type, but this one is—"

Just then, the angel's shoulders split open to sprout multiple arms wielding swords of light.

"A pure combat type—"

"...! Ohhhhhhhh!"

Kamito shouted. Kicking against the wall in the training ground with one put, he allowed the gathered divine power to explode.

"Absolute Blade Arts, Seventh Form—Biting Dragon Revised!"

The power of this anti-air Absolute Blade Art was supposed to be directed vertically, but he unleashed it towards the front.

Boom—

With a sound like a cannonball, the wall was instantly blown away. The surging divine power dug up a huge hole in the ground.

The contact point of the blade erupted with violent sparks. The angel's gigantic body was pushed back for an instant.

In that instant, Kamito deflected an incoming blade and swiftly turned around. Lowering his stance, he lunged at the enemy's chest.

"Absolute Blade Arts, First Form—"

Just then, the angel's two wings resonated together to produce strange noise.

Instantly, something resembling tiny glowing runes kept appearing, deploying around the angel.

(...Defense magic!? It's not gonna work!)

Unfazed, Kamito unleashed his sword move.

"—Purple Lightning, Flare!"

The sword traveling with godlike speed at pointblank range erupted with lightning as it struck the angel squarely in belly.

However, the sacred sword's tip, concentrated with divine power, was blocked by the barrier of glowing runes.

(...What!?)

Those runes, swiftly rotating around the angel, seemed to resemble High Ancient a little.

(...! What, so it isn't spirit magic!?)

"Anti-field—this rejection barrier has nullified my steel attribute ''on a conceptual level''."

"What the heck!?"

"Not spirit magic. A rewriting of rules. A phenomenon not of this world—"

A halo appeared on the angel's head.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiii—

Making a howl resembling supersonic waves, it blew Kamito away.

"Guh—"

Kamito somersaulted while regaining balance then immediately readied his sword.

"...Did you say your steel attribute has been nullified? What do you mean?

"Reconnecting to combat memory domain—Begin analysis."

While Est said that, words of High Ancient appeared on her blade and flowed swiftly.

"Est? What the heck are you doing—"

"Due to contact with natural enemy, part of the spirit weapon's memory domain has been released. Kamito, I will analyze the barrier. Until that is done, please buy time for now."

He heard Est's calm voice in his mind.

"If I buy time, you'll have a way to deal with that cheating barrier?"

"Yes, Kamito. Upon the name of Terminus Est—"

The Demon Slayer held in his hands glowed with silver-white light.

In front of the enemy, Est's original combat mode seemed to be awakening.

"...I got it. I'm counting on you, Est."

While creating distance to face off, Kamito cautiously bided his time.

Although the subsonic movement was a threat, it was not impossible to evade as long as he discerned the activation time of the movement.

(—Ren Ashbell isn't gonna lose in contest of speed.)

The angel spread its wings of light and raised one hand to the sky.

Instantly, runes of light turned into countless rings, capturing several demon spirits floating in the air.

(...What the heck is going on this time?)

With the Demon Slayer readied, Kamito remained alert.

As though issuing an order, the angel swung a giant sword forcefully down.

In the next instant, a demon spirit roared and charged at Kamito.

The demon spirit opened their jaws to reveal terrifying teeth and flew at him like a cannonball.

(...Don't tell me it can take control of demon spirits!?)

It was different from how elementalists employed spirits.

It was almost like the spirit's existence itself was rewritten—

Kamito instantly reacted and swung his sword—

"Absolute Blade Arts, Third Form—"

"Kamito, no!"

Est's voice rang out. In the nick of time, Kamito chose evasion instead.

Next, the demon spirit exploded.

"...!"

The violent explosion continued to ring in his ears. Kamito rolled on the ground, dodging the heat wave.

If he had struck the demon spirit directly instead of evading, he would have been blown to bits.

"Spirits can become suicide bombers?"

"Yes. It overwrote the demon spirit's nature to launch a suicide attack."

"It can even do that!?"

While dodging the demon spirits that kept flying over to attack, Kamito muttered to himself.

The angel raised its hand again, seizing control of the demon spirits that kept flowing through the crack in space.

"Damn this—"

Heat waves from the explosions were scorching Kamito's skin.

It was like using the massive divine power possessed by spirits, turning it into the energy for an explosion.

For example, this would be like nonstop creation of small auto-tracking spirit detonations.

Using an elemental waffe specialized for close quarters combat against them would be really poor compatibility.

(...It's not like I can summon Restia back, right?)

If he called Restia back now, Claire would have to fight alone.

Aiming at Kamito who had evaded the bombardment, the angel shot a new demon spirit projectile.

(...Infinite ammo!?)

He looked up at the reddened sky and grumbled in his thoughts. Just then...

Suddenly, Kamito noticed a change in the surrounding scenery.

"...Two moons?"

Hanging in the sky over the Academy was Astral Zero's moon.

===Part 2===

"...W-What is going on!?"

In front of the collapsed ruins, Claire looked around in astonishment.

Like a mist of blood, the demon realm's miasma was hanging all around, greatly decreasing visibility.

...The familiar environment of the Academy was practically a different scene.

"—Astral Shift has happened."

Restia spoke softly and calmly.

"...Astral Shift?"

Even an honors student like Claire had never heard of the term.

"It's a phenomenon when the human realm and Astral Zero temporarily overlap. Although it occasionally happens inside the Spirit Forest, I have never seen one on such a large scale."

"W-What is that..."

Claire spoke with an unsettled look.

"Isn't the point of creating the gate is to summon demon spirits?"

While Claire was in confusion, a great number of demon spirits were still pouring through. The crack slicing through the air became even larger. Large demon spirits started to show up.

"I clearly destroyed the ruins here—"

"Looks like the Astral Shift is limited to the Academy's premises. Had these ruins not been destroyed, perhaps the entire Academy town would have been superimposed with the demon realm."

"Then that means there must be a set of ruins yet to be destroyed."

"Yes—"

Restia's sunset-colored eyes stared into the distance.

Claire noticed a measure of worry in those eyes.

(The darkness spirit is worried about Kamito.)

She must want to hurry over to Kamito's side.

Claire gripped Flametongue tightly.

"Go, darkness spirit—"

"Huh?"

"Leave this place for Scarlet and me to handle. You go back to Kamito's side—"

"Claire Rouge..."

Restia thought for a while—

"Unacceptable. I promised Kamito to protect you."

She soon shook her head.

"After Scarlet's true name release, your divine power must be depleted."

"Uh..."

Claire bit her lip.

She was right, Claire had definitely consumed quite a lot of her energy.

But even so—

"I will protect myself. After all, I am Kamito's teammate."

"..."

Hearing such words from Claire—

Restia shrugged and sighed lightly.

"...Fine. Claire Rouge, I have revised my opinion of you a bit."

Saying that, she plucked a few feathers from her black wings and handed them to Claire.

"...These are?"

"Talismans of Darkness. They will surely protect you."

The feathers of darkness spirit Restia were commonly known as Blessings of Darkness.

They were supreme talismans that could not be bought from any shop no matter how much one desired them. In the past, there was even one time when a major nation's royal family started a war because of them. Legendary artifacts indeed.

However, Claire had no idea the priceless value of the gift.

"...Th-Thank you."

She obediently accepted them.

"—I entrust Kamito to you."

"Of course—"

Restia nodded then spread her jet-black wings and flew into the night sky.

===Part 3===

Two moons, red and white, were hanging in the sky over the Academy.

Looking at Astral Zero's moon, Kamito was rooted to the spot in astonishment.

"What's happening, Est?"

Even though he asked his partner, she did not reply.

She was evidently focusing her full attention to analyzing the Dunamis angel.

(—Millennia said it was to make the human realm and Astral Zero overlap.)

Astral Shift referred to such a phenomenon?

(What's the purpose of doing that...?)

But wait, the enemy in front of him was more important right now.

The Dumanis kept rewriting the demon spirits flowing out of the gate to become spirit detonations.

Perhaps due to the Astral Shift's effect, the surroundings were gradually corrupted by the demon realm—

The demon spirits serving as raw materials became much larger than before.

...Kamito dared not imagine their firepower.

The angel's wings glowed with blistering light.

—At the same time, it swung down its massive sword like an executioner.

Seven spirit detonations formed from large demon spirits instantly rushed at Kamito in a charging attack.

Since their firepower had increased, Kamito concluded that dodging them by paper-thin margins like earlier would not work.

He had no method of handling suicide bombs coming from seven different directions at the same time.

(What can I do? Should I use steel magic to create daggers out of divine power and pierce all seven at the same time?)

No good. The demon spirits were all mid-level or above.

Using spirit magic to create improvised weapons would not be enough to cause damage, probably.

(I have to take a gamble and use Purple Lightning's godlike speed to race against the explosions—)

Kamito concentrated a great amount of divine power at his feet.

Failure meant getting blown to bits.

"Absolute Blade Arts, First Form—"

"O black lightning, even capable of incinerating souls to oblivion—Hell Blast!"

—A second just before Kamito released his divine power...

Raging jet-black lightning pierced the seven large demon spirits.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

Deafening explosions. A terrifying chain reaction took place. Heat from the scorching flames made Kamito's skin hurt.

"...!?"

While shielding his eyes from the flying sparks, Kamito looked up.

Only to see amid the blazing flames that seemed to incinerate the night sky—

Flapping her jet-black wings, the darkness spirit slowly descended.

"Restia!?"

"Fufu, looks like you are in quite a tough battle, Kamito—"

The spirit seal on his left hand glowed especially brightly.

Landing on the ground, Restia raised her hand lightly and extinguished the blazing flames.

"Restia, why—"

"The ruins over there have been destroyed by Claire Rouge."

Restia replied to the surprised Kamito who was inquiring about what had happened.

"Claire is fine, right?"

"I have her some feathers to serve as talismans. She should be able to endure until she converges with her companions."

Restia chuckled.

"You go back to Kamito's side—That was what she said. What an adorable child."

"Really—"

Claire's feelings warmed Kamito's heart.

"If you're worried about little miss hell cat, hurry up and defeat that thing."

"Yeah, you're right—"

Kamito nodded boldly and took Restia's hand immediately.

"Come, ruler of the night. O merciless goddess of darkness—

Thou art the sword of wisdom, the piercer of truth—!"

He chanted the words of release for an elemental waffe.

—The Demon Slayer and the Vorpal Sword.

Wielding the ultimate sacred and demon swords, Kamito faced the Dunamis angel again.

"—Sorry for making you wait. I am Ren Ashbell, the Strongest Blade Dancer."

The angel's wings of light flashed. That sculpture-like beautiful face still showed no expression—

But it looked confused, apparently.

"Kamito, analysis of concept barrier is complete—"

Words of High Ancient appeared on Est's blade.

"—There is nothing which the ultimate steel cannot cut."

"Well done, Est."

"Yes, Kamito."

An image of Est puffing out her chest with pride appeared in his mind.

"Let's go, you two—"

"Yes." "I am your sword, your wish is my command—"

The two spirit swords replied at the same time.

Despite bickering frequently, the two of them were very in sync when taking action.

The Dunamis raised its great sword. Emitting strange noise, it created bombs out of demon spirits.

"—Stop thinking you'll win by repeating the same old move!"

Kamito took a deep breath and kicked the ground hard.

While shouting, he aimed at the demon spirits raining down on him.

"O darkness, go and pierce—Vorpal Blast!"

Using Ren Ashbell's signature move, he annihilated them in one strike.

Between the flames and heat waves, Kamito enveloped himself in divine power and charged in one go.

"Absolute Blade Arts, First Form—Purple Lightning Revised!"

Drawing the Demon Slayer, he released divine power.

Instantly, Kamito closed in on his target, stabbing the silver-white sword into armor that resembled a breastplate.

Runes of light appeared in front of the sword's tip to form a barrier, but—

At the same time, runes of light likewise appeared on the Demon Slayer and neutralized the generated barrier.

The silver-white blade pierced the breastplate, shattering that marble-like body.

(The attack worked!)

Kamito cheered in his thoughts. Immediately...

Aiming at the angel's massive stumbling body, he unleashed a series of sword moves in continuous succession—

"Absolute Blade Arts, Third Form—Shadowmoon Waltz!" "Absolute Blade Arts, Sixth Form—Crushing Fang!" "Absolute Blade Arts, Fourth Form—Blaze Slash!" "Absolute Blade Arts, Introductory Form—True Bursting Cherry Blossom Flurry!" "Absolute Blade Arts, Third Form, Alpha Variant—Shadowmoon Waltz, Major Double Turn!" "Absolute Blade Arts, Seventh Form—Biting Dragon Double Blossom!"

Every strike of the Absolute Blade Arts, each capable of a one-hit kill, connected—

The armor covering the angel began to flake off and crumble.

Then—

"Absolute Blade Arts, Second Form—Obverse Meteor, Peerless Zetsura!"

A dual-wielding technique using his entire body, he sent the Dunamis' massive body flying.

Crash!

Smashing against the ruins, the angel lost an arm that snapped off tragically.

<—La—La...>

The angel seemed unable to comprehend the phenomenon before its eyes.

Expressionlessly, it looked down at its damaged part.

"...What now? First time getting hurt?"

Kamito grinned savagely.

He could feel a violent power that was sleeping inside him gradually awaken.

The divine power's glow covering his entire body had turned black in color.

After he had exhausted his own divine power, Ren Ashdoll's power was starting to surge.

Just then, the angel's massive body slowly stood up.

It swung its sword to point straight up at the sky, rewriting the demon spirits that were flying to and fro.

"...Ha, don't you remember anything at all—"

Kamito used the Vorpal Sword to summon jet-black demon lightning. However—

Instead of charging at Kamito, the demon spirits gathered around the injured angel.

"What the...?"

As soon as the strangely shaped cluster of demon spirits touched the angel's armor—

They were absorbed like melted ice.

The angel's damaged body began to gradually regenerate—or rather, reconstruct itself.

"...What the heck, are you kidding me?"

Kamito groaned.

"—It is rewriting the demon spirit's structure to meld with itself."

"Where does it get so many cheating skills from..."

Hearing Est's voice in his mind, Kamito could not help but exclaim in despair.

The angel's entire body was covered by armor resembling a hard shell.

(...Come to think of it, the angel at Laurenfrost also merged with spirits and ice dragons.)

Just then, Kamito recalled that incident.

It was like they had the authority to freely write this world's existence.

That was practically...

"...Damn it. Looks like it's a waste of effort I don't finish it off in one attack."

Kamito shrugged and laughed.

...Confronted with such an absurd being, his only choice was to laugh.

(—Bursting Blossom Spiral Blade Dance, I guess?)

Kamito regulated his breathing while readying his two swords in a stance.

The most destructive of the Absolute Blade Arts, meant to be used against large spirits.

If even this move failed to work—

"Then we're dead meat—"

Kamito muttered to himself sardonically. Just then—

"—Decisiveness is a virtue, but there is only a fine line dividing it from recklessness, lad."

A voice spoke to him from across the sea of fire.

"...!?"

Kamito looked back, only to see a petite girl in a gray overcoat appear before him.

Carrying an ominous demon sword with the color of blood, the girl was making her way towards him.

Under the hood, he could catch glimpses of gray eyes, glimmering faintly in the darkness.

"...! You—"

Speechless, Kamito widened his eyes.

The girl took off her hood, her gray hair instantly fluttering in the wind.

"Greyworth!"

Kamito's shout echoed all around.

Yes, she was none other than—

The Greyworth who had gone missing after falling down the canyon in Dracunia.

Having regained her youth as well as her peak capabilities, she had become an assassin for the Holy Kingdom—

"Greyworth, I knew it, you're still alive!"

"Of course. How could the Witch be dead?"

Saying that, the youthful Greyworth grinned.

Seeing that especially nostalgic expression, Kamito understood.

"...You've regained your memory?"

"—Yes. I remember everything. Everything."

Greyworth nodded and looked towards the angel that kept absorbing demon spirits.

"Twenty-four years ago, I saw it too."

"Twenty-four years ago—"

It was the year when Greyworth Ciel Mais had won the Blade Dance.

"However, let us leave that story for later. We must end this before it finishes reconstructing itself."

"Yeah, you're right—"

The Dunamis angel's armor was bulging. Its weight was enough to crush the ground underfoot.

In addition to the demon spirits, it was even starting to absorb the ruins sustaining the gate.

Greyworth drew a blood-colored demon sword—the elemental waffe Vlad Dracul.

Likewise, Kamito readied his two swords and stood beside her.

Ren Ashbell, the Strongest Blade Dancer, and the Dusk Witch—

"—Can you keep up with me, lad?"

"I was gonna ask you the same thing. By the way, didn't I win that blade dance at Dracunia?"

"I had lost my memory then. Doesn't count."

"...You're going with that excuse? Whatever. I'd win no matter how many times we tried again."

"Oh? You've upgraded your mouth, the boy who used to work as a maid in my mansion."

"...Do me a favor and lose your memory again."

The two bickered while amplifying their divine power.

"—End the battle in one strike. It'll be bad if Ren Ashdoll's power continues to eat away at me."

"My intention all along—"

Both of them kicked the ground at the same time.

Like a flash of purple lightning, they instantly rushed to to the gigantic Dunamis angel to engage in close quarters combat.

The angel raised four arms and entered a defensive stance.

"—Can you break them, Greyworth?"

"Hmph, who do you think you're talking to?"

The angel roared. Against the slashing attacks that were like a storm—

With fluid motions to evade, Greyworth delivered heavy blows aimed at the joints.

"Absolute Blade Dance, Alternate Form—Ice Storm Rakshasa!"

A vine of ice shot out from the demon sword's blade to entangle the angel's entire body.

This was an Absolute Blade Art unique to the Witch, a combination of spirit magic and sword technique.

The angel's movements stopped.
[[image:STnBD V18 BW10.jpg|thumb]]

—However, runes of light immediately appeared, taking only an instant to erase the magical ice that rivaled Rinslet's Ice Nein.

"Oh?"

"Instant disintegration of constitutional elements. All magical effects will be neutralized."

Est explained in Kamito's mind.

"Suits me just fine. Let's see how many times you can neutralize!"

Enveloped in demon lightning, the Vorpal Sword smashed the angel's enlarged legs. Greyworth's demon sword deflected a great sword that was approaching Kamito, then spun around to amputate that arm.

Flash after flash of swords tore through the night—

These movements of swords were almost like a blade dance offered to spirits.

(So this is the Dusk Witch in her prime, huh—)

Kamito clicked his tongue mentally. He was lucky to have won the duel at Dracunia.

"Absolute Blade Dance, Flash Form—Death Butterfly Flash Dance!"

Dodging a storm of violent attacks, Greyworth launched a counterattack. Even though the angel tried to deploy a rune barrier, Est erased it.

Two arms were chopped off. An opening appeared in the enemy's secure defense. In that very instant...

There was no need to signal.

As though they had agreed beforehand...

The two of them unleashed the ultimate Absolute Blade Art at the same time.

" "Absolute Blade Arts, Destructive Form—Bursting Blossom Spiral Blade Dance, Hundred Combination Ashura!" "

Innumerable flashes of the sword criss-crossed and overlapped, turning into a rain of light, flooding the entire space.

It was an ultimate sword technique that originally existed in theory only.

With the Demon King and the Witch performing the strongest Double Absolute Blade Arts together—

—The Dunamis angel was pulverized.
<noinclude>
{{SeireiDance Nav|prev=Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume18 Chapter10|next=Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume18 Epilogue}}</noinclude>

Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume17 Chapter8

2018-05-13T12:33:32Z

Windsgrace: /* Part 5 */

==Chapter 8 - The Queen of the Demon King City==

===Part 1===

"—Say, this place is crazy huge."

This was the first thing Kamito said.

Looking up from the base, he realized the pyramid was much bigger than he had imagined. Its size with put it on the same scale as Nefescal Palace in the Ordesia Empire.

The pyramid was surrounded by a large garden, which served as evidence to support what Restia had said—This used to be the location of a palace.

This raised the question, who was in charge of maintaining the garden? Keeping such a huge garden in good condition should require substantial manpower. Or perhaps the plants in this Demon King's Capital did not grow?

"The material... Metal?"

Touching the wall of pure white, Kamito felt a cold texture.

It did not feel like stone or tiles, at least.

(...That Zohar merchant said there was no entrance.)

Kamito walked around in the surroundings, but let alone an entrance, he could not even find a single crack in the wall.

Although he could not be certain unless he went a full revolution around the perimeter, but the lack of an entrance was probably true.

"Okay, what should I do then...?"

Confronted with this excessively huge building, Kamito did not know how to approach the problem at all. The last time he felt this lost was when Greyworth sent him to tidy and clean a massive mansion.

However, there should be no mistake that this pyramid was the Demon King's Tomb.

"Is there a password...? Or certain conditions need to be met in order to enter?"

Kamito had wondered if the Sphinx might reappear to test him for worthiness to enter the Tomb. However, this guess evidently was off the mark.

(...It'd save so much work if the Sphinx came.)

Thinking that, Kamito turned to Est.

"Est, can you ''take care'' of this?"

"Yes, I am your beloved sword, Kamito. As such, there is nothing in the world that I cannot cut open."

"What's with this reasoning that I can't understand... Anyway, might as well give it a try."

"Leave it to me."

Est puffed her chest out slightly and nodded.

Hence, Kamito held Est's hand and poured divine power into her.

"Dispassionate Queen of Steel, the sacred sword that destroys evil—

Now form a sword of steel and be the power in my hand!"

Est's body immediately vanished into thin air. At the same time, the Demon Slayer appeared in Kamito's hand.

'—Kamito, allow me to demonstrate my power of demon slaying to you right now.'

Even though he had not poured much divine power into the sword, the silver-white blade was glowing brilliantly.

...Est seemed to be in a good mood today.

"Then let's go—"

Kamito took a step towards the wall.

"Haaaaaaah!"

He mustered his strength and swung the Demon Slayer forcefully.

Claaaaaaang!

With an ear-splitting sound—

Est's blade, glowing silver-white, sliced into the pyramid's wall.

(Great!)

The attack worked. At least this was not indestructible.

'How is that, Kamito?'

Est's voice sounded a little proud.

"Yeah, that's my Est... Hmm, eh?"

At this moment, Kamito noticed something.

"E-Est... Y-You're stuck!"

'...!?'

With half its blade embedded in the wall, the sacred sword could not budge the slightest.

"I-I hope we're not in trouble..."

'...Kamito, save me.'

In a rare moment, Est's voice sounded a little anxious for once.

"H-Hold on, I'll pull you out right away... Here, heave ho!"

Kamito placed one foot on the wall and pushed hard, mustering his entire body's strength to pull the sacred sword out.

At that moment, his foot on the wall suddenly lost its footing.

(...Huh?)

Before he could savor this sense of dissonance...

"...! Uwahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Suddenly, the wall cracked open to reveal a hole. Kamito fell as though being sucked in.

===Part 2===

"—! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Swallowed by the pitch-black vertical hole, too deep to fathom, Kamito kept falling.

The wind rushed past his ears. The air pressure was making Kamito breathless.

(...! I'm in big trouble now!)

Unlike last time when falling down an ice valley in Laurenfrost...

Even if he wanted to use his sword to slow down, there were no walls around him to stab at the moment.

(Releasing divine power is possible to slow my descent—)

But doing that would only delay the inevitable.

(...Tsk, what should I do!?)

'Kamito, please summon the darkness spirit—'

"...! R-Right—!"

Kamito raised his left hand and poured divine power into it.

"—Come, Restia!"

The spirit seal on his left hand, featuring a moon crest, glowed brilliantly in the darkness.

"..."

...However, there were no signs that the gate of summoning would open.

(...Gah, th-that selfish spirit!)

Kamito shouted in his heart.

On further thought, she had been absent from his side at every critical moment. For example, three years ago, during Greyworth's training when an archdemon-class spirit was chasing him, she was in Astral Zero, enjoying snacks while taking a leisurely break.

However, there was no time for complaining right now. Although Kamito had no idea where this hole led, if he fell to the bottom like this, surely what awaited him was...

(...Crap, this might be the end of me.)

Just as he thought that—

"...!?"

Suddenly, his body floated up lightly.

"...W-What's going on?"

His weight seemed to vanish all of a sudden.

Floating in the darkness, Kamito slowly descended.

"...I-I'm saved...?"

Slowly descending in the bottomless darkness—

After a while, Kamito's feet finally touched the ground.

"..."

Silence all around. Apart from his own noise, he could not hear any other sound.

Kamito took a breath then had Est's blade glow.

The brilliant light from the silver-white blade instantly lit up the surroundings.

Kamito had expected to be surrounded by inorganic metal—

"...! What is this place!?"

But illuminated by the sacred sword's light, what entered his view was—

A scene completely different from Kamito's imagination.

Before him was a ceiling with countless spirit crystals embedded and a huge temple hall. Heavy stone columns lined the center while intricate relief sculptures were carved on the walls.

It did not look like a "tomb" from a thousand years ago at all.

The impression was like a king's palace.

'—Kamito, ''I know this place''.'

Est's blade flashed.

"...Est, don't tell me you regained your memory?"

'No, I did not. But this place is—'

"—The Great Temple of the Celestial Demon. A thousand years ago, this was where the Demon King and the Sacred Maiden had their final battle."

"...!?"

Hearing the voice coming from above...

Kamito jerked his head up.

With jet-black feathers floating down, a girl in a night-colored dress appeared out of thin air.

"Restia—!"

Kamito exclaimed in surprise as the darkness spirit girl slowly descended in front of him.

"Kamito, did you enjoy sightseeing outside?"

"...Come on, I called you so many times."

Kamito glared at her.

"In that case, my apologies. Inside this Tomb, connections to the outside world are not very smooth. However, I did hear your calls just now."

"If that's the case, you should've come as soon as possible."

"After all, I knew you wouldn't fall to the very bottom. Was it exciting?"

Seeing Restia's adorable smile, Kamito sighed.

"...So, what is this place? The extravagant decoration doesn't look like a tomb—"

"This is the Demon King's palace. Or more precisely, this is a place reconstructed with the palace as the model."

Looking up at the Great Temple's ceiling, she explained.
[[image:STnBD V17 BW08.png|thumb]]

"Are there any differences?"

"The real palace is long gone. This is only a place ''she'' created inside the Demon King's Tomb, modeled on the original palace."

"—''She''?"

Kamito asked.

"Yes, the master of this Demon King's Tomb."

"What?"

Restia chuckled then looked towards a door that led to the depths of the hall.

"Follow me, Kamito. The Queen of the Demon King City wishes to meet you."

===Part 3===

"...Say, are we there yet, Restia?"

"Almost—"

While using the sacred sword's blade for illumination—

Kamito walked along what seemed to be an endless corridor.

The master who had invited Kamito into the Tomb was apparently located in the deepest part of this pyramid.

What kind of being was the ruler of this city?

Restia had used "she" to refer to the ruler—

After walking for another ten minutes or so, a stone gate appeared before them.

Embedded in the center of the gate was a large spirit crystal. Restia placed her hand on top and the gate slowly opened, its two doors opening to the sides.

Inside the gate was darkness.

"Here, Kamito."

"Is it safe to go in?"

Kamito asked a little nervously. Restia nodded silently.

Lowering the faintly glowing sacred sword's blade, Kamito slowly stepped in.

Instantly—

"—I have waited a long time for you, Demon King's successor."

"...!?"

He heard a voice, as clear as glass. A blinding light then appeared.

Kamito could not help but block the light with his hand.

What appeared overhead of Kamito was—

A transparent crystal pillar was hovering amid darkness in the air above.

The pillar shone with iridescence, spinning slowly.

"Is this actually a spirit crystal?"

Kamito widened his eyes, exclaiming in surprise.

The iridescent glowing crystal was undoubtedly a single spirit crystal.

However, the largest spirit crystal ever unearthed on the entire continent was small enough to hold in two hands. This kind of pillar could not possibly exist.

Kamito was stunned, his entire body frozen—

Soon, there was a change in the iridescence.

In the center of the transparent crystal, a figure appeared.

(...What?)

Kamito focused his eyes on the iridescent glow.

Only to see, emerging from the light—

A beautiful woman, her complexion as white as snow, wearing a dress of thin fabric.

She looked slightly older than Kamito. Her pale and beautiful face was framed by a head of green hair evocative of emerald.

Her eyes were as red as blood. The graceful lines of her ears ended in a pointed shape.

Her beauty, sacred and inviolable, made Kamito hold his breath.

"...A spirit?"

He muttered, but no sooner had he spoken, he realized how stupid his words were.

—A being of this sort could only be a spirit.

This was the sixth completely humanoid spirit that Kamito had encountered.

Est. Restia. Iseria Seaward, the Water Elemental Lord's incarnation whom they had met on Ragna Ys. Scarlet's true form, Ortlinde. Finally, there was Bahamut, Dracunia's Dragon King. Each and every one of them was a top-tier spirit with immense power.

In that case, the spirit in front of him right now too—

Inside the shining crystal, her lips moved gently.

"—Demon King's successor. I have been waiting all along for your arrival."

Her voice was as tender as a mother's, yet as innocent as a young maiden's at the same time.

Hearing this voice, which plucked at one's heartstrings, Kamito involuntarily lowered his guard.

"...Waiting for me?"

He asked honestly.

"Yes, in this Tomb, for a thousand years—"

"A-A thousand years...?"

What on earth was she talking about?

Kamito turned his head back to look at Restia behind him.

"...Uh, could you explain in simpler terms?"

He asked for help.

"...Say, do you two know each other?"

"Know—I suppose it counts, if it's to the extent of knowing."

Restia tilted her head, somewhat perplexed.

"That sounds so vague."

"Yes. In fact, she and I had never exchanged many words."

"Huh..."

"—There was no helping it."

Just then, the spirit in the crystal spoke.

"After all, she was the most excellent of weapons employed by ''him'', spending the majority of her time on the battlefield. In contrast, I was the opposite, staying in this palace always—"

"...Him?"

"Demon King Solomon."

Hearing Kamito's question, Restia replied.

"...What!?"

Hearing that, Kamito widened his eyes. Restia shrugged and drew near to his ear.

"Didn't I mention it at Mordis? The one and only spirit who had formed a contract with Demon King Solomon—"

"Oh..."

Kamito remembered.

Before setting off on the ship, he had definitely heard her mention it.

"Then she's—"

"Yes, indeed. She is the spirit Iris. The Queen of the Demon King City, watching over this Demon King's Tomb for a thousand years all this time."

===Part 4===

"The spirit Iris—"

The only spirit trusted by Demon King Solomon, forming a spirit contract with him—

(...So that's her?)

Kamito stared intently at the spirit crystal floating in the air.

The spirit referred to as Iris simply smiled calmly, gazing downwards at Kamito.

"...Wait a sec. I remember you telling me that the spirit disappeared somewhere in Astral Zero after the Demon King's death, right?"

"Yes. That was what I honestly believed."

Restia nodded.

"However, I was wrong. She neither stayed in the human realm nor went to Astral Zero. Instead, she stayed here, watching over the Demon King's Tomb—"

"In that case..."

Saying that, Kamito took a breath then asked the spirit in the crystal.

"Are you the one who created this Demon King's Capital? Uh, and the residents here..."

If that were true—

Her power would rival that of the Elemental Lords.

But—

"No. The city was not created by my power."

The Queen of the Demon King City shook her head slowly.

"This city is a memory fragment, anchored to a gap between the human realm and Astral Zero by the Demon King's power. I am simply using the Tomb's power to maintain the status quo."

"...Memory fragment?"

The term used by the queen made Kamito especially curious.

...Coincidence? He remembered the merchant of Zohar saying the same thing.

"The truth of the Demon King's Capital consists of the Demon King's memories from a thousand years ago, anchored in a dimensional gap. And the pyramid is a gigantic magic device for maintaining the city, right?"

"Yes, this city, the people living here, I included... are all akin to illusions, only capable of existing in a dimensional gap."

"...I'll be frank. I don't understand anything about magic."

Kamito spoke while scratching his head.

If Fianna were here, she probably could give him a detailed explanation.

"This city is a legacy of the Demon King who was vanquished a thousand years ago. And you're the one maintaining this city, is that right?"

"Essentially. This understanding is correct."

The city's residents, disappearing when they exited the city walls, no different from living humans in appearance, were actually created according to the Demon King's memories.

Also, this place was apparently not the human realm familiar to Kamito.

Demon King Solomon's contracted spirit.

For as long as a thousand years, she had kept watch over the Demon King's coffin and his memories.

Was it out of loyalty to the Demon King, or perhaps—

Thinking that, Kamito noticed he had not asked about the key point.

"So why have you invited you here, my queen?"

Logically speaking, she would not want anyone to know of the existence of this Demon King City.

However, the Sphinx had judged Kamito's worthiness, then led him to this dimensional gap.

For what purpose?

"Because there are matters I must convey to his successor."

The queen spoke.

"You have things to tell me?"

"Yes. I simply wish to convey the truth to you. I hope you will not make the same mistake as he did—"

(...Mistake?)

Kamito wondered in his mind.

What mistake was she talking about as the Demon King's contracted spirit?

"Please touch the crystal, Kazehaya Kamito."

Just then, the queen called out Kamito's name for the first time.

"Don't worry, it's only temporary, to synchronize your minds together."

Kamito looked at Restia.

Restia gave him a light nod.

"..."

After some brief hesitation, Kamito slowly reached up above his head.

To be honest, he was still a bit on guard—

But he chose to trust Restia's judgment.

When his fingertips touched the crystal's surface the iridescent light instantly glowed brighter.

(...!?)

At that moment, Kamito's vie turned pure white.

At the same time, massive memories rushed into his mind.

(This is...!)

"Please understand. What exactly happened a thousand years ago—"

The spirit Iris' voice echoed in his ear—

Kamito's consciousness then flew far away.

===Part 5===

A thousand years ago—

Back when Ghul-a-val was still a place of fertile land.

A boy was born in a small village near the Zoldia Kingdom's border.

"The boy's name was Solomon Yelsion. Although male, he was able to use spirits just as princess maidens could—"

Images of of the boy employing all kinds of spirits appeared in Kamito's view.

The images were not clear, but Kamito could see that the boy was similar to him in age. He had long black hair. Quite tall. He seemed more strongly built than Kamito.

(...So this is Demon King Solomon?)

Kamito stared intently at the image.

Possibly because he had seen himself wearing that skull mask at Mordis, Kamito's image of the Demon King did not match this boy at all.

"He was a kind-hearted young man both wise and brave. He never used spirits for personal desires. Instead, he used his power to fight magic beasts and spirits that threatened humans—"

The images projected in Kamito's mind kept changing like flowing water.

The young man saved human villages, vanquished malicious spirits, and protected his country from greedy conquerors.

Finally, he began to be known as a hero, obtaining status only second to the king. Commending him on his achievements, the king even gave his only daughter's hand in marriage to him.

The people of the kingdom praised the hero, hoping for him to become the next king.

So long as the hero Solomon lived, the kingdom's prosperity would continue. That was what everyone believed.

However—

"Some people were jealous of his exploits and felt deeply offended. They were retainers and generals who had served the kingdom since antiquity, as well as elders of the princess maidens who commanded spirits—"

(...All too natural.)

Kamito silently muttered in his thoughts.

Whether a thousand years ago or now, human nature was not much different. The coup d'etats occurring Ordesia and the Theocracy earlier were proof of that.

"They used all kinds of underhanded plots, trying to bring down the hero, hoping to uncover his crimes. However, they did not succeed. Because they could not find a single flaw in the noble and virtuous hero—"

The king's retainers fabricated unfavorable reports about the hero, but their plans were foiled one after another by the hero's own actions and behavior. Someone even tried to send assassins to kill the hero, but they soon realized it was futile. The hero Solomon was protected by the blessing of spirits at all times.

In the end, the villains' nefarious schemes were exposed to the king.

"Enraged with his scheming retainers, the king ordered them to be sent to spirits as live sacrifices. However, Solomon pleaded with the king to be lenient. Thus, the villains' lives were saved by the hero they hated."

The hero generously forgave them. No one never made mistakes. Everyone had times of mental weakness. He hoped they could all work together for the kingdom's prosperity, that was what he said—

"The people who tried to harm him felt deeply ashamed and repented. However, a small minority hated him even more after this incident—"

These retainers acted repentant on the surface but secretly watched the hero eagerly in hopes of finding any misstep. Some people became the hero's loyal subordinates while others maintained friendly ties with him.

Thus, a few years later, the chance they were waiting for finally arrived.

"Favored son of the spirits, Solomon Yelsion. Pure, virtuous and flawless, he who held the title of hero, committed a great taboo—"

Saying that, the queen sighed deeply.

"...Taboo?"

"He fell in love with a girl of the Elfim race, the kingdom's enemy—"

The scenery before Kamito's eyes changed.

Next to appear was an image of a forest maiden with green hair and crimson eyes.

"...An Elfim?"

"Apparently that is the name nowadays."

The spirit Iris smiled.

"They were early humans who migrated from Astral Zero during the ancient past. Their descendants were known as the Elves back then. A thousand years ago, the Elves allied with the spirits to oppose the human kingdom in order to protect the Primordial Forest."

Several battles had taken place between the Zoldia Kingdom and the Elves. Although the Elves lacked numbers, the forest spirits wielded formidable powers, hence they were able to put up a stalwart resistance over many years.

The hero and the forest maiden fought many times on the battlefield—

Over this process, they fell in love.

The girl had betrayed the forest village that had raised her, whereas Solomon had betrayed the kingdom.

Even though he had married the king's daughter, he still fell in love with an Elf and even had a child with her.

Find out this had happened, the villainous retainers were overjoyed and secretly reported to the king.

They claimed the hero was scheming with the Elves and was preparing to sell out the kingdom—

"Hearing that the hero was a traitor, the king flew into a wild rage. Then he ordered his generals to set out on a punitive expedition to the Elven village where the forest maiden lived—"

A scene of the forest, burning in a crimson blaze, was played before Kamito's eyes.

Voices of the Elves, filled with sorrow and hatred, echoed in his ears.

"The village was burned down. The forest maiden and the hero's child... were killed."

That day, the young man formerly known as the hero turned into the incarnation of wrath.

He raised a manner of rebellion against the kingdom, fighting alongside the forest spirits.

Against the former hero who singlehandedly fought across many battlefields, the royal army fought a difficult campaign.

But after months of battle, in the end—

The hero fell into a trap and was arrested at last.

He was subjected to harsh torture. His throat was crushed, his entire body was stripped of the spirit seals, and his power completely taken away—

Then in such a powerless state, he was dragged before the kingdom's people.

The populace, who used to praise him nonstop as a hero, used their same mouths to curse him and throw rocks at him.

At this time, the young man formerly known as the hero despaired for the first time, lamenting his own stupidity.

What was it that he had spent his life protecting?

On the execution platform, he turned to the heavens and cursed mankind.

"—At that moment, a voice responded to him."

"...A voice?"

Kamito suddenly an alarming thought, about the voice the Demon King had heard. Was it the same voice that had called to Kamito before, the voice of the Darkness Elemental Lord?

But Restia had previously told Kamito at Mordis.

The Demon King I knew had not awakened the Darkness Elemental Lord's power—

"—No, it was not the Darkness Elemental Lord's voice."

The queen refuted the idea.

"Huh?"

If the voice heard by the hero Solomon did not come from the Darkness Elemental Lord—

Whose voice was it...?

"It was one of the Elemental Lords, rulers of this world, that made contact with him—"

The spirit Iris spoke the name in a whisper.

''Holy Lord Alexandros''—Leader of the Five Great Elemental Lords.

"...!?"

Hearing such unexpected words, Kamito gasped.

Alexandros.

The Lord of Light, considered the greatest out of all the Elemental Lords.

Also the Elemental Lord who was somehow absent when Kamito won the Blade Dance three years ago.

—That name, why did it come up now?

"The Holy Lord offered some sort of contract to him at the verge of death who had cursed the world—"

The spirit Iris continued.

"...Contract?"

"The Holy Lord told him that his beloved maiden could rise from the dead if he used the power of miracles beyond the human world. And that power would also bring him strength—"

On the execution platform, the hero Solomon asked the voice.

'One who offers me temptation, what is the price?'

The Holy Lord answered him.

—Thou shalt become the Demon King to bring chaos and destruction to the world.

(...!?)

Kamito felt confused. Countless questions arose in his mind.

The Holy Lord should know that Solomon was the reincarnation of the enemy, Darkness Elemental Lord.

Why would an Elemental Lord, supposed to maintain order in the world, hope for chaos and the world's destruction?

"He formed a contract with the Holy Lord and accepted the miracle transcending the human world. What transpired afterwards is as recorded in history and passed to the present day—"

Having obtained the power of miracles, he slaughtered all the kingdom's people who were present.

Then he killed the king, killed the retainers, killed the princess who used to be his wife—

Inside the incinerated palace of the Zoldia Kingdom, he gave a mighty roar.

Thus, the young elementalist, formerly known as the hero—

He was reborn as the most terrifying Demon King in history.

===Part 6===

—His view turned blank.

Kamito opened his eyes, only to see before him the crystal where the spirit Iris was sealed.

"—This is the truth that I hoped to convey, successor."

"..."

Kamito gently drew back his fingers from the crystal's surface and gazed at her face.

Green hair, reminiscent of the fresh verdure of forests. Crimson eyes, as red as blood.

The graceful lines of her ears were characteristic of ''that race''.

"Looks like the Holy Lord kept his promise with the Demon King—"

With mixed feelings on his face, Kamito whispered.

He realized her true identity... In other words, ''that'' happened.

"Your guess is correct. The Holy Lord granted him the power of miracles and resurrected me. I lived again, but this time as an imperishable being that would never know death again—a spirit."

Resurrecting the dead—there was only one power in this world, capable of such a miracle.

—The boon awarded by the Elemental Lords, to each winner of the Blade Dance.

"—Having obtained power from the Holy Lord, lost in his hatred for the world, he launched a war that swept across the entire continent. I failed to stop it. His heart was already corrupted by destruction. All I could do was face destiny together with him, to accompany him until the end of his life as the Demon King's one and only contracted spirit."

The Queen of the Demon King City looked squarely into Kamito's eyes and said.

"I only invited you here to tell you the truth. I hope you will not make the same mistake as him—"

Demon King Solomon was the young man formerly known as the hero.

But lost in hatred, he fell to become the one known as the Demon King.

...No one could guarantee that the same would not happen to Kamito.

Putting aside the incomprehensible Holy Lord for now—

Kamito had almost gotten swallowed by the Darkness Elemental Lord's power on several occasions now.

"...I understand things now, but what should I do?"

Kamito asked the queen.

He did not think he would end up like Demon King Solomon, but—

"—I have a suggestion, successor."

The spirit Iris replied calmly.

"Suggestion?"

"Have you ever thought about living here in this Demon King's Capital?"

"—Huh?"

Kamito involuntarily made a stupid sound.

"...Uh, what do you mean?"

...The leap of logic was too great. His mind could not keep up.

Living in this city?

"This is a dimensional gap isolated from both the human realm and Astral Zero. Neither the Elemental Lords nor your enemies should be able to find you here. In that case, there would be no need for you to fight. The Darkness Elemental Lord's power would not awaken and you shall be able to live in peace, at this eternal city where time repeats for perpetuity—"

"..."

After listening to Iris—

Kamito took a breath and looked towards Restia.

"Indeed, this could very well be the safest place on the continent. At the very least, it might be better than being on the run from the Ordesia Empire."

"...! Restia!?"

"I am just stating facts, Kamito. No matter where you go, be it to the ends of the world, I shall always stay by your side—"

Restia's dusk-colored eyes were gazing at Kamito.

"If it is your wish, the concubines you have brought could also live here too."

"...They're not my concubines."

Correcting the queen, Kamito looked down at his feet.

A place of serenity, where time was eternal.

Indeed, staying here might be safe. Whether the Darkness Elemental Lord or the Holy Kingdom, he could forget them all and live in peace.

That being said, Kamito had absolutely no wish to become the Demon King—

...But suppose Claire or any of the girls in his company were to be killed in front of him?

To be honest, Kamito could not be sure he would be able to control himself then.

Then there was the fact that he had forsaken everything in the past for the sake of finding Restia—

"I..."

Just as Kamito clenched his fist hard.

There was a noise from above. The pyramid shook slightly.

"...What the heck?"

"...! Could it be!?"

The spirit Iris exclaimed in shock.

"What happened?"

"—Intruders. Someone has destroyed the pyramid's barrier."

<noinclude>{{SeireiDance Nav|prev=Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume17 Chapter7|next=Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume17 Chapter9}}</noinclude>

Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 12 Chapter 3

2016-07-29T03:47:57Z

Windsgrace: /* Chapter 3 – Revolt */

== Chapter 3 – Revolt ==

The moon rose highly with stars shining coolly as the background.

The night also wore on, there were no longer figures of people in the royal palace’s hall and only soldiers standing guard could be seen in the corridor. It was to the point that only a civil official who worked very rarely until late could be seen walking out.

This night, the first unusual event occurred in the pillared corridor on the royal palace’s first floor.

One man suddenly appeared before the soldiers standing guard. Although it was a strange thing to say he suddenly appeared, their eyes could only see it as such.

That man who was illuminated by the flames of the torches hung on the wall was small-sized. To the extent that one would think that he was a young boy if seeing only his shadow. The man wore good-quality silk clothes and put on a small hat on his bald head. His eyelids were big and his eyes were so thin as to make one wonder whether or not they were opened.

One of the soldiers, while setting up his short spear, raised a challenging voice. Those became the last words that the soldier emitted.

The next moment, the helmet that the soldier wore got squashed and its interior was reduced to a bloody lump of meat. The small-sized man jumped, caught the soldier’s head and crushed it from over the helmet.

The man, not exulting in his victory, attacked the other soldiers one after another.

Six soldiers were standing guard in this pillared corridor, but their heads were crushed with none of them able to understand exactly what was happening, and without even having room to call their comrades. Not even about ten seconds had passed before the one-sided massacre ended.

“I guess I’ll destroy one other place and then go.”

As he wiped his hand covered with blood and pieces of meat with a soldier’s clothes, the man left the pillared corridor.

The man’s name was Maximilian Bennusa Ganelon.

Although Tigre had long been in bed, he was not able to readily fall asleep. Though there was the fact that it was because he went to bed with his leather armor still on him, it was not only that.

After having left the bathhouse, Tigre returned to his room. And he engaged in idle talk with Gaspar, who showed up with a bottle of wine in one hand, and Rurick.

That was something of one koku ago. Rurick moved to the neighboring room, and Gaspar spread out a blanket on the floor of this room and was sleeping on it.

Gaspar was the guard that Mashas sent over as a precaution, just in case something was to happen to disturb the atmosphere in the royal palace. And Rurick came on his own will after having gotten permission from Elen.

By the way, Titta was not in a nearby room. Being called by Regin who said she wanted to hear about when she (Titta) was in Zhcted, she went to the princess’s room. The chestnut-haired maid was honestly happy that the blond-haired princess remembered her.

Looking up at the ceiling covered with a very dim light, Tigre was absentmindedly thinking about something. While recalling Regin’s talk, he was pondering what to do after this war was over.

He made the resolution to leave Alsace. He would be lying if he were to say that it wasn’t painful, but above all he had no choice but to do it in order to protect the land where he was born and raised.

If Brune itself was wrapped in war, a small land like Alsace would probably turn into ash in an instant. Tigre was made to realize it all too well in the civil war two years ago. After all, if he wasn’t able to get Elen’s cooperation, the youth’s hometown would have been burnt and destroyed.

If Brune was at peace, Alsace would be able to pursue its peace as well.

Of course, there was the thought of wanting to support Regin and also the feeling of being able to help Mashas, Augre, Gerard and company.

''---But, as expected it’s quiet far from the capital……''

The question to answer “which place is?” was very clear for the youth. He would probably think about it many times all this night. And, he would probably not reach a conclusion.

While understanding that he would not reach a conclusion, Tigre pondered about it for the Nth time──.<ref> N representing a number here </ref>

Or so it should have been, but he instantly erased it from within his head. The sound of armor rubbing mixed with the sound of multiple footsteps could be heard from outside the room. His instincts and experience as a warrior and also as a hunter appealed to Tigre for danger. There was no way that only mere suspicious people would go out in groups in the dead of night like this.<ref> meaning that people won't go out in groups at this time if they were only suspicious so implying they’re dangerous/a threat. By dualxblades </ref>

Though there should be a soldier standing guard outside the room, it was also strange to not hear his voice.

As Tigre quickly got up, he stretched his hand under the bed. There was his black bow and a quiver there. There were 30 arrows in the quiver. It was something which he asked Viscount Augre about at the place of the banquet and had it prepare.

When he turned his gaze to Gaspar who was sleeping on the floor, he too was already awake. A long sword pulled out of its sheath was grasped in his hand. This was something he secretly brought with him.

Though their eyes got used to the darkness, just in case, Gaspar drew a candlestick put nearby and lighted it quickly.

The sound of footsteps stopped before Tigre’s room.

Immediately after, a hard crushing sound resounded and blades protruded from the door one after another. The lock was destroyed.

The door was vigorously opened and multiple figures of people with swords jumped in the room. At that time, Tigre had already nocked arrows to the black bow and drew the bowstring.

Three arrows flew, cutting the night air. Three of those figures, who vigorously invaded the room, were respectively struck by an arrow to the forehead and loudly fell down.

''---Brune soldiers……?''

Tigre knitted his brows. The intruders’ outfits that were illuminated by the fire of the candlestick were the same as those of soldiers working in the royal palace. However, Tigre could not afford to brood over it now.

Even if the intruders were surprised at the fact that Tigre was awake, their movements did not stop. Pushing aside the three people who fell down, the men who were behind entered the room. They drew close before Tigre could shoot an arrow and intended to cut him down.

But, Gaspar jumped in there from the side. The sword grasped in his hand glittered dark gray as it reflected the fire of the candlestick.

When Gaspar cut down the enemy who stood at the vanguard, he returned his wrist and greatly mowed down his sword to the side. It was not to cut down the remaining enemies, but to prevent them from coming any closer. As planned, the men stepped back.

“What are you doing? Sneak around him!”

One of the intruders issued instructions while clicking his tongue. Only that man did not wear a soldier’s outfit; he wore silk clothes. And he, who wore silk clothes, slashed at Gaspar from the front.

Gaspar barely repelled the strong blow. From both sides of Gaspar who wasn’t able to move in the face of a powerful enemy, the men raised their swords and approached Tigre.

Tigre fired two arrows while kicking the bed and jumping. The two enemies who were approaching from the right respectively had their nose and throat pierced and fell down. Tigre also lost his balance and rolled on the floor. The blade of the enemy who sneaked around from the left approached.

“Tigre!”

Gaspar shouted as his face turned pale. But, if he were to turn his back on the enemy in front of him, he would be slain at that moment. He ground his teeth while stopping the slash of the man in silk clothes.

Tigre rolled again on the floor while holding his bow and barely avoided the sword swung down at him. The enemy’s blade grazed the youth’s leather armor.

At that time, when the enemy raised his sword again, a short scream was raised at the doorway. It was the scream of a comrade of the intruders. For a moment, their attention was directed there.

“Good grief. To think that men would creep into his room at night, I feel sorry for Lord Tigrevurmud.”

The one with a sword covered with blood and having cracked such a joke was the bald-headed Knight, Rurick. When he once again swung his sword and cut down one enemy standing stock still, he aimed at the man in silk clothes. To the appearance of an unexpected enemy, the man in silk clothes also turned his gaze there.

Using that opportunity, Gaspar moved. He fiercely charged at the man who was going to swing down his sword at Tigre. The man shrank as he was more overwhelmed by Gaspar’s spirit than the iron blade.

Along with a battle cry, Gaspar raised his sword and swung it down. A muddy voice along with fresh blood leaked from the man’s mouth. He dropped his sword and fell down on his back motionless.

Gaspar stabbed his sword at the man’s chest for caution’s sake<ref> meaning just in case the enemy wasn’t dead </ref>. Though it seemed to be cruel, it was a fight within a very dim light. He could not possibly feel relieved if he did not surely kill him.

“Are you all right, Tigre?”

Then, Gaspar went down on a knee on the floor and held out his hand to Tigre.

“You saved me, Gaspar-niisan……”

While breathing heavily, Tigre borrowed his hand and got up. At that time, the fight between Rurick and the man in silk clothes was settled. His sword being knocked down and the tip of a blade thrust at him, the man in silk clothes hung down his hands as he gave up.

“But well, it’s quite something.”

While picking up the candlestick on which fortunately the fire didn’t go out yet and confirming that the intruders were certainly dead, Gaspar spoke in an amazed voice. Perhaps because the fierce battle with the Sachstein army was still fresh in his mind, he showed no signs of faltering even after seeing the corpses. Tigre asked with a wondering face.

“What is?”

“I’m talking about your bow skill. Although your eyes got used to the darkness and there was the light from the candlestick, is it that easy to splendidly aim at the forehead of someone, who suddenly entered, like this? And three people all at once at that.”

“I’ll say this for the honor of all archers, but I want you to think it’s a skill that only Lord Tigrevurmud can do.”

Rurick said so in a somewhat proud tone.

“By the way Lord Gaspar, are you familiar with these scoundrels?”

When Rurick asked that, Gaspar cocked his head in puzzlement as he groaned.

“I don’t really remember their names, but there are some young people of nobility of somewhere among them. Lord Gerard would probably recognize them immediately, but……”

As he spoke up to there, Gaspar’s eyes became sharp. He knew the man in silk clothes whom Rurick thrust his sword at. Not only Gaspar, but also Tigre knew him.

“Baron Celpet, right?”

With a bitter expression, Tigre called out to Celpet, the man in silk clothes. Celpet moved only his neck and glared at Tigre hatefully.

“Were you aware of our plan? No, you probably were. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have prepared comrades and weapons so conveniently and well.”

“If we weren’t prepared even without being aware of it, we wouldn’t have been able to survive on the battlefield.”

Rurick said so in an indifferent voice and Gaspar nodded. In fact, the three of them were not aware at all of their plan.

“Could you tell me? Why did you try to kill me?”

When Tigre asked so with a severe expression, Celpet arrogantly stuck out his chest and sneered.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s because you bastard tried to sell this country over to Zhcted. In fact, isn’t that one of your Zhcted subordinates there?”

Celpet glared at Rurick. Tigre exchanged glances first with Rurick, then Gaspar. As he tore the clothes of one corpse, made it into a belt-shaped and tied both of Celpet's hands on his back, Gaspar asked.

“Did these soldiers also think that Tigre betrayed Brune?”

“That’s precisely why we took action. In order to protect this country’s justice and peace.”

Celpet’s suntanned youthful face was distorted because of hatred. Gaspar criticized the young baron in a voice repressing his anger.

“Justice, huh. Is banding together and attacking someone asleep in his bed this late at night your so-called justice?”

“Are you trying to say it’s cowardly? Isn’t it something trivial compared to betraying your country?”

“I know several people who called things inconvenient for them trivial and played it off. Such people are called small villains without exception.”

The bald-headed Knight spitted out because of too much scorn. Tigre slipped through their side and went outside the room. He remembered that there was a soldier standing guard. If he was injured, they had to treat him.

However, what Tigre saw was an unexpected scene. The soldier who stood guard had dropped his buttocks onto the floor and was sleeping like a log, leaned against the wall.

''---he was just shifted, so he should have been fine, but……''

Tigre thought ‘maybe he might have not ended up sleeping, but was made to sleep’.

When Tigre looked back inside the room, he turned his gaze to the swords scattered on the floor. When looking closely, many of the swords that the enemies were holding had traces of blood roughly having been roughly wiped off on them. In the fight just now, no one among Tigre and company got injured.

In the first place, although they had disguised themselves as soldiers, there was no way that a group of ten people would arrive until here without being questioned by other soldiers.

Tigre suddenly shifted his gaze. He stared at Celpet and asked in a sharp tone.

“I wasn’t the only one being targeted, right? You have other comrades, right?”

“We don’t”, Celpet replied so; but his voice sounded hollow as he was daunted by the youth’s sharp gaze and tone of voice.

That reaction instead made the youth convinced he hit bull’s eyes. If they were going that far with their outrageous act, then it would be necessary to have someone to supplant Regin and allow all their acts.

Tigre did not question Celpet any further. He picked up his quiver containing arrows and called out to the two men.

“Let’s hurry to Lord Mashas’s room! Gaspar-niisan, please lead the way.”

Tigre did not know at all the structure of the royal palace. If it was the audience room and the banquet hall, he might go alone if it was daytime. He did not feel like being able to go to another place without a guide. All the more, in a situation where the royal palace was wrapped in the night’s darkness.

If it was Gaspar, naturally he would know the place where Mashas’s room was. He intended to head to Mashas’s room and then after having joined him, head to Regin’s bedroom.

With the voice of Celpet, who shouted in frustration, behind them, Tigre and company began to run to the corridor.

The room where Melisande was confined in was in the basement of the royal palace.

It was not small, but not wide, either. There was only the bare minimum like a table, a chair and a bed as furniture put in there; and there were not furnishings at all. As for the window, there was only a small hole which was near the ceiling in order to take in the outside light.

From the day when the Halo Festival was held, Melisande spent her days in this room.

Food, clothes, hot water for bathing and the like were carried in without problem. However, she was not allowed to go outside or call people close to her; when there was something she wanted, she would have to request for Prime Minister Badouin’s permission.

Considering what she has done, it was too lenient a treatment; but for Melisande, it was nothing other than humiliation. In her daydreams, who knows how many times she strangled Regin and Badouin to death. Probably 100 times would not be enough.

While burning with tremendous hatred inwardly, ostensibly Melisande spent her days quietly. She understood that the opportunity was not yet lost.

And that opportunity finally came.

Melisande just woke up to sounds which could be heard from outside the door.

Though she was 35 years old, she looked about five years younger than her actual age. Even within an unwilling, and inconvenient livelihood, her long golden hair did not lose its gloss; and without her well-ordered features collapsing, her beauty was not spoiled in the least.

What she wore were not night-clothes, but plain hemp clothes. Since those were given to her by the royal palace, she had no choice but to wear them.

As she got up from the bed, she haughtily glared at the door. If a subordinate of Regin or Badouin were to show up, she intended to shout, ‘what is it at such a time?’ at him. Though she was slightly scared and anxious, her pride painted over these feelings.

Following the unpleasant sounds of armor rubbing was a dull sound of something heavy being flung against the floor. And then before long, the locked door was slowly opened from outside.

“──Melisande-sama”

At the doorway stood a big man wearing silk clothes and holding a large sword covered with blood. His voice mixed with great joy and tension called out to Melisande. It was a familiar voice for her. This time, Melisande was finally convinced that she was going to be rescued.

“Armand, huh.”

“Yes. I am sorry to have kept you waiting.”

The big man put his sword on the floor, went down on a knee and bowed his head as he desperately contracted his big frame. Then, three soldiers could be seen standing behind him. Among them, two were holding torches.

As Melisande left the bed, she walked until before Armand and haughtily declared.

“I forgive you.”

As far as she was concerned, this was quite a tolerant correspondence<ref> meaning here that she dealt with him quite tolerantly </ref>. After all, she directly addressed him without blaming him or giving him punishment. If the other party was not Armand, she would have reprimanded him as a matter of course.

Going through the side of Armand who stood up, Melisande went out to the corridor. The smell of blood assailed her nose and she frowned.

When looking, the abdomen of the soldier who was standing guard was dyed with blood and he was lying down on the floor. He was already dead. As she glanced at the corpse with eyes as if looking at a pebble on the roadside, she moved her gaze to Armand.

“How is the situation?”

Armand nodded as he shrugged his thick neck and briefly explained.

That they were a group of a little more than 60 people. That 50 people headed towards Regin’s bedroom in order to capture her and 10 people went for Tigrevurmud Vorn’s assassination. And that Armand himself accompanied by the remaining three people came for Melisande’s rescue.

Melisande who finished hearing the details pursed her lips in displeasure.

“There’s no way that only 50 people would be able to capture that fake, right?”

By ‘fake’, she meant Regin. Armand eagerly answered without being daunted by his master’s irritation.

“Though few, the majority of the 50 people are former knights who wielded a sword under Lord Steid. The soldiers working in the royal palace will not be a match for them.”

Steid was the knight who was Duke Thenardier’s close aide. He was a man in whom Thenardier had a deep trust in for both military arts and generalship on the battlefield, but he lost his life in the civil war two years ago.

“In addition, we poisoned the soldiers’ meals. Though, it was not a lethal poison, but the kind that causes headaches and stomachaches and puts one to sleep.”

Regarding the dishes provided in the banquet, the people supporting Regin strictly monitored it. It was a thorough enforcement where not to mention the kitchen, they posted soldiers even in the corridor connecting the kitchen and the banquet hall and any people trying to enter the kitchen, even if they were noble feudal lords, were driven away.

Thus, they<ref> people of Melisande’s faction </ref> were unable to bribe cooks or the people who carried the completed dishes until the banquet hall.

Therefore, they aimed for the soldiers’ meals. The soldiers’ meals were cooked in another kitchen. Naturally there were no poison tasters, too. And in this case, the fact that they were few worked in their advantage and they were able to made instructions spread out beforehand.

“We will now head to Regin’s bedroom. No matter what happens, I will protect you, Melisande-sama.”

As Armand said so, he took a torch from one of his comrades and began to walk down the corridor at the vanguard. Melisande followed behind him with calm steps. The three soldiers followed after.

In a place where the smell of blood faded, Melisande tasted the feeling of freedom as she breathed in the cold night air to fill her chest and then grandly breathed it out. At last, she revealed a smile full of confidence.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

With Gaspar standing at the vanguard, Tigre and company ran in a corridor of the royal palace wrapped in a very dim light.

On the way, they saw several soldiers who were sleeping like logs lying down on the floor like the soldier who was standing guard for Tigre’s room. Though there were also soldiers not sleeping, they didn't seem to know how to act when they saw some of their colleagues falling asleep and the others unable to move as they had a stomachache.

As for Tigre, while feeling apologetic to them, he had no other choice other than shouting like this.

“Her Highness the Princess is in danger! Hurry to her Highness’ bedroom.”

Tigre judged that their greatest priority was definitely Regin. Shouting so as to invite some confusion should have been effective in appealing to them.

“This man is Tigrevurmud Vorn! He is the hero who defeated the Sachstein army! Believe his words!”

Gaspar also shouted so in a loud voice. Though the soldiers’ reaction was slow, even so some of them followed Tigre and company. There were also those who went to call their comrades.

“Lord Gaspar. How many knights and soldiers are there in this royal palace?”

Rurick asked while being out of breath. Gaspar's breathing, who answered, was also rough.

“It should exceed 10,000, but the royal palace is vast, so……”

With some important places as an exception, soldiers were posted sparsely and widely within the royal palace. Were something to happen, they would be contacted by a bell, chime or a shout and gathered.

If one was to cause confusion by poisoning the soldiers and divided them, it is possible to penetrate through the gap even if small. Moreover, the enemy knew very well the royal palace’s structure and acted under the cover of the night's darkness.

When the passage divided into two, Tigre had the soldiers following them go the other pathway. He had to increase their comrades and have many people know about this abnormal situation.

They came out of the pillared corridor, turned at the corner, ran up or down the stairs.

“We’ve almost reached the room where Father is.”

When they came out to a wide corridor, the three people stopped all at once.

At the center of the corridor, the figure of a small-sized person stood there alone. The three people halted because an out of the common blood lust was released by that figure. A torch was hung on the wall and its fire was calmly burning, but its light did not reach that figure.

“Who is there?”

Gaspar set up his sword and sharply asked. Tigre stepped forward while nocking an arrow. The youth did not take his eyes off the figure. No, he could not take them off.

''---This guy is……''

Sweet oozed on Tigre’s forehead. Tigre felt an atmosphere similar to the one, which the inhuman beings ── demons such as Vodyanoy, Torbalan and Baba Yaga that he encountered and fought before were clad in, from that figure.

The light of the torch illuminated the figure who took about two steps forward.

It was a man. He wore silk clothes and put on a small hat on his bald head. His thin eyes under big eyelids were tinged with an indescribable eeriness and were staring at Tigre. Behind him, soldiers who were probably the guards of this corridor were lying down on the floor.

“Hi.”

The man raised his right hand and smiled at Tigre and company. Tigre, not answering, drew his bowstring and aimed at the man.

“Who are you?”

It was quite similar to Gaspar’s question a while ago. But, the premise was totally different.

Although Gaspar asked thinking that the man was human, Tigre did not think so.

“That reminds me, this is the first time we're meeting each other from the front like this, huh.”

The man happily shook his shoulders, laughed and named himself.

“I’m Ganelon, Maximilian Bennusa Ganelon. I know who you are, so there’s no need for you to name yourself. Tigrevurmud Vorn.”

“Ganelon……?”

As he muttered that name, about the time of two breaths was necessary for Tigre to remember the other party. Ganelon. The great noble who competed against Duke Thenardier in the civil war two years ago.

“Impossible.”

The one who shouted so was not Tigre, but Gaspar.

“Ganelon should have died two years ago! He lost to Thenardier and set fire on his own town.”

Ganelon just revealed a faint smile and did not answer. For him, both Gaspar and Rurick were existences not worth considering. Ganelon turned his very thin eyes to Tigre.

“Today, I came to have you show me your power.”

Tigre’s face was tightened in strain. He strongly pulled the bowstring further and the distance between Tigre and Ganelon did not reach 10 Alsins (about 10 meter). It should have definitely been a sure kill arrow.

A surprising scene appeared before the three people’s eyes. Ganelon caught the arrow shot by Tigre. By pinching the sickle with his fingers.

“Vorn. I didn’t come to see such child’s play.”

Ganelon revealed a cold-blooded smile on his lips and slightly moved the fingers pinching the sickle.

The arrow separated from Ganelon’s fingers and fell to the floor. The sickle was lost. Ganelon crushed it with his fingers. An iron sickle.

Tigre gave a small groan and newly nocked two arrows. He quickly shot them.

However, as expected the arrows did not reach Ganelon. When one thought that Ganelon had lightly waved his hand in front of his face, the next moment the two arrows were grasped in his hand. Tigre had also once grasped with his bare hand an arrow that came flying, but this was clearly in a totally different dimension from that.

“I guess I must somewhat have you go through a painful experience.”

Ganelon broke the arrows and threw them away. He kicked the floor.

Tigre stared wide-eyed. Before he knew it, there was Ganelon’s face before his eyes.

Ganelon raised up his hand. Tigre frantically threw himself onto the floor; something passed by next to his left ear.

The breathing of Tigre who rolled on the floor was awfully disturbed. Although he promptly raised his body, sweet didn’t stop gushing out from his face, streaming down his chin and making many black stains on the floor. His left ear ringed with heat and pain.

“You dodged it well.”

Ganelon who got down before Tigre threw words of praise. Two men slashed at him from behind. They were Gaspar and Rurick. Though the two men weren’t able to move even a finger as they were overwhelmed by Ganelon, they mustered up their courage and drove in a slash.

Ganelon did not even look back towards them. He just raised his right and left hands behind as if doing “banzai”.

A high-pitched crushing sound resounded and the sword blades which turned into countless iron scraps danced in the air. The two men’s swords were each blown into pieces from under the sword guard. The shock was so tremendous that the two swordsmen staggered as if being struck by something and fell down on their backs.

“Won’t you reveal your power?”

The youth silently glared at Ganelon who made a puzzled face. He was unable to answer.

The current Tigre could use the black power on his own will. But, he needed some time in order to shoot an arrow wrapped with the “power”.

There was no way he could talk about such a weakness of his. Besides, even if he talked about it, he did not possibly think that this man, who was in front of him, would give him enough time.

“In that case, it means that you’re of no use. It’s boring, but I guess I’ll kill you.”

Ganelon raised his right hand. Tigre set up the black bow and nocked an arrow. But, it was just the admirable intimidation of a pitiful small animal towards a ferocious wild animal.

The next moment, feeling a sense of discomfort at the back of his ear, the youth stopped. Ganelon also ran his gaze to the surroundings with the posture of his right hand raised as is. They felt with their skin that a foreign substance had stepped into this space where they were.

“──Void Corridor (Vol Dole)”

The calm voice accompanied with the distortion could be heard overhead the two of them. Faster than that could voice disappear, Ganelon kicked the floor and leapt back. A high-pitched sound similar to the clashing of a metal and rock echoed in the corridor. And a pure white cloth gently swooped down in front of Tigre.

“It’s been a long time. Duke Ganelon.”

It was a beautiful clear voice as if rolling a bell.

Being illuminated by the torch’s flame, her bluish-black long hair and white dress emerged in the darkness. A scythe with an ominous molding colored in red and black emitted a dull radiance.

The “Illusory Princess of the Hollow Shadow” Valentina Glinka Estes stood there as though to protect Tigre from Ganelon.

“Good grief, we meet in a strange place, eh.”

Seeing Valentina, Ganelon revealed a light smile.

“Why do you protect that boy? He won’t be a necessary piece for you, will he?”

“I was ordered by His Majesty King Victor to cooperate with Earl Vorn. So as a Vanadis, I have no choice but to obey a royal order.”

Valentina replied without erasing her smile, which made Ganelon smile wryly. He knew well that the black-haired Vanadis did not care at all about the order from the king. But, it seemed to be a fact that she intended to protect Tigrevurmud Vorn.

“I understand. Then, I’ll play with you for a little while.”

As soon as he finished saying that, light was born in both of Ganelon’s hands. The light swelled up in an instant and changed into fireballs as big as a human’s head, tinged with crimson flames.

Tigre who was watching their conversation behind Valentina held his breath. When he fought the demon called Baba Yaga in Lebus, the youth witnessed the same scene as now. That demon (Baba Yaga) too made a mass of flame appear in an empty space.

''---As expected, this man too……''

When Ganelon stuck out both his hands in front, the fireballs were released; they described an arc in the air and swoop down on Tigre and company. Tigre unintentionally faltered, but Valentina stared at the fireballs with a cool expression. Without even trying to dodge them, she raised the scythe, Hollow Shadow which she held in her right hand.

“──{{furigana|Black Haze|Tinker}}”

Valentina made the Hollow Shadow flash. For an action which aimed at the fireballs approaching, it was too fast a swing. The curved huge blade made the atmosphere howl, and passed through the empty space.

However, it was not like the black-haired Vanadis had failed. Along the orbit of the scythe that she swung, a black fog-like thing gushed forth in the air. It spread in a blink of an eye and blocked the two fireballs.

The moment when they crashed into the black fog, the fireballs vanished while emitting a sound like when fire disappeared when sprinkled with water.

“Hou.”

Ganelon raised a voice of admiration. With a sweet smile, Valentina received the dark glare of the small-sized former duke.

Ganelon stepped forward. At that moment, the smile disappeared from Valentina’s face; and the black-haired Vanadis set up her scythe with both hands and vigorously swung it out.

A dreadful clashing sound harking back to a thunderbolt roared in the corridor. The right hand of Ganelon who attacked from overhead of Valentina was blocked by the Illusory Princess of the Hollow Shadow’s Dragonic Tool. Ganelon, not taking pursuit, kicked the scythe, danced in the air and landed on the floor.

While breathing on his right hand unnaturally, Ganelon took a sidelong glance at Valentina.

“As expected, I have bad affinity with you. A very bad one.”

“If your body was a little bigger and your arms a little longer, it’d have been dangerous.”

Valentina recovered her smile and replied so. She was going to speak further, but she held her tongue after noticing the change on the scythe in her hand.

The Hollow Shadow, which should be her Dragonic Tool, independent of her will, wore a black brightness on its curved blade. Then, that brightness drew a gentle spiral and streamed behind Valentina through her side.

There was Tigrevurmud Vorn there. He stood up, stepped firmly to the floor with both his feet, set up the black bow and has nocked an arrow. The bowstring has already been drawn to the maximum.

The youth was not just silently watching the fierce fight between Ganelon and Valentina. He had fixed his breathing while being captivated by the crimson fireballs and the Vanadis’ Dragonic Skill, braced up his body and called out to the black bow.

And then, the black bow answered its master’s appeal. Valentina’s Dragonic Tool similarly consented to help Tigre. Black brightness flowed into the tip of the arrow nocked by the youth, and an extremely strong power to the extent that even Valentina and Ganelon opened their eyes wide, was born.

“It’s that. What I wanted to see.”

Ganelon’s voice trembled with delight.

“Although your father might have been good, he was an ordinary man. Even your mother was also an ordinary woman. Since a person like you was born from those two, it’s really interesting.”

Spinning words as he was somewhat excited while laughing loudly, the former duke with an atmosphere looking more like that of a demon stuck out both his hands in front. As if trying to block with his hands the arrow which would be shot.

“Come, Vorn!”

Tigre did not answer. The power of the Dragonic Tool was still pouring into the sickle. He intended to concentrate the black brightness until just before the arrow became unable to bear it. Burden was put on the youth’s body accordingly, but he could not compromise here.

''---I’ll bring him down with this attack……!''

If he did not shot with that intention, it would probably not work on Ganelon.

One. Two. Three. And when the time passed through the count of 4, Ganelon slightly moved his right foot. Along with a cry of fighting spirit, the arrow left Tigre’s right hand. These two actions occurred exactly at the same time.

Ganelon opened his eyes wide. The arrow shot by Tigre disappeared without sound.

Even if the small-sized former duke felt confusion, it was just an instant. But faster than he could recovered from confusion, the arrow, which should have disappeared, appeared immediately near him.

At one point of the space on Ganelon’s left, darkness was born. The darkness spread in a perfect circle and an arrow was shot out from inside it. Of course, the sickle wore black brightness.

Tigre’s and Valentina’s field of vision was filled with black brightness. Then, an earsplitting roaring sound similar to that of a sandstorm was mercilessly struck in their hearing. Although the black brightness disappeared almost instantly, a cloud of dust densely whirled up this time.

When that cloud of dust too cleared away and their field of vision finally opened up, what the two people saw were a horrible ceiling as if having been gouged by a dragon’s claws, stone pavements turned up, the floor where countless rubble rolled, and a huge hole opened on the wall of the left side. A cloud of dust fell clatteringly from the ceiling.

“……Oh my.”

Valentina put her hand on her lips and finally said only that. As for Tigre, just standing was painful and just fixing his breathing was the best he could do.

When the black-haired Vanadis looked back towards Tigre, she inclined her head to the side and frankly asked.

“Was having the arrow bound/jump on the left side your aim?”

Although Tigre frowned to the sudden question, he gave a small nod while breathing heavily. He turned his black eyes to the large hole in the wall. Ahead of the hole was a garden blown off by the power of the black bow, and further ahead the night’s darkness lurked in deep (pitch) blackness.

Having made the arrow teleport was of course to take Ganelon by surprise. On top of that, Tigre considered it so that serious damage would not be given to the royal palace.

A smile appeared on Valentina’s lips. She seemed on one hand to be amused at the youth’s judgment, and on the other hand, admire it.

At that time, a groan was heard behind Tigre. Gaspar and Rurick woke up. While raising her scythe, Valentina said to Tigre.

“Earl Vorn. I’ll chase him, so I leave the rest to you.”

While Tigre was thinking about the meaning of her words, the black-haired Vanadis used a Dragonic Skill.

“Space Corridor.”

Like a ripple spread on the surface of water, the space around Valentina was distorted. The black-haired Vanadis’ figure became blurred as it melted into the distortion, and lost its colors and outline. Tigre had no leisure to stop her, either.

Just like when she suddenly appeared, the Illusory Princess of the Hollow Shadow suddenly disappeared.

Though Tigre stood stock still as he was dumbfounded, he came to his senses as he heard Mashas’ voice. When he looked ahead in the corridor, there was the figure of the old earl with a sword in his right hand and a lighted torch in his left hand. He had probably heard the roaring sound caused by the black bow’s attack.

Though Tigre was concerned about Ganelon and Valentina, there was a more important thing to do now. He briefly explained that they were attacked by Celpet and others. Mashas’ expression became serious.

“I understand. Let’s hurry to her Highness’s bedroom now.”

Gaspar and Rurick borrowed swords from the dead soldiers. The two men shortly prayed to the gods.

With Mashas standing at the vanguard this time, the four men hurried to Regin’s bedroom.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

When the uproar occurred, Regin was in her bedroom. She was sleeping along with Titta in her luxurious bed with a canopy. This was the best method of listening to Titta’s story without being disturbed by people protecting her.

“──Your Highness. I am sorry to interrupt your sleep.”

Having brought back the Princess from the sleeping world was the voice of a tensed Auguste. He seemed to have called her over the canopy several times. When Regin replied, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“I am sorry. Please, change into easy to move clothes immediately.”

Regin knitted her brows. Was there ever a time when she heard his voice tinged with so much tension? But, she understood well that she should not asked questions at such time.

“Where is Serena?”

She asked about the woman knight acting as her guard. The canopy was turned over as if substituting for a reply and Serena, who held something like clothes under her arm, appeared. She already wore her silver breastplate with a sword at her side.

“Please, put on this quickly.”

As she shortly said that, she pushed the clothes to Regin. There were not only clothes for her, but also maid clothes for Titta to wear.

Regin woke up Titta who was sleeping next to her and handed the clothes to the girl with still half-asleep eyes. She took off her night-clothes on the bed and quickly changed herself. The consciousness of Titta became immediately clear as she was also changing her clothes. Meanwhile, Serena explained.

“It is a revolt.”

She briefly asserted. She said that dozens of soldiers were heading here while killing the soldiers standing guard one after another.

“Just to be on the safe side, please leave from here before it is too late.”

Regin was shocked. Because of too much shock, words did not come out at once. She greatly opened her eyes wide, half-opened her mouth and looked at Serena with a face which seemed like she would cry at any moment.

She had carefully listened to the words of people who held dissatisfaction and harbored animosity towards her. She had refrained from giving severe treatments and extreme instructions, and planned to settle it with time. She believed that it was for Brune.

But now, they were trying to eliminate her by sword. Was her way of doing things wrong? Or, was her existence itself not accepted?

“──Regin-sama.”

Having called out to her with a voice containing determination was Titta who changed into maid clothes. Shutting up the uneasiness inside her hazel-colored pupils, she, the chestnut-haired girl revealed a smile to the best of her ability.

“Surely…… Tigre-sama will surely come. So, let’s escape for now.”

Regin came to her senses at Titta’s voice and Tigre’s name. That’s right. I’ll think and worry about it later. We must escape for now.

As she eagerly mustered her feelings that almost lost strength, Regin went out of the bed.

Auguste clad in a dark gray armor stood at the doorway and inquired about the situation of the corridor with a stern face. His splendid beard which grew from his cheeks to his chin slightly shook due to tension.

“Auguste. How is the situation in the corridor?”

“It will hold out for now.”

Judging from Auguste’s words and expression, the enemy has probably come quite close. Regin looked back towards Serena.

“Serena. Please lend me a hand. We will move this.”

What Regin indicated with her gaze was the bed where she and Titta were sleeping until a while ago.

“There is a path under this.”

Serena understood with these words. The three people Regin, Serena and Titta moved the heavy bed. Then when Regin touched the floor and strongly pressed a certain place, a square hole opened in a part of the floor while emitting a creaking sound. The hole stretched straight below and several iron handles were attached on the wall surface.

At that time another guard Claude, entered the bedroom. Similarly to Serena, he also wore a silver breastplate and a sword to his waist. He seemed to have grasped the situation while looking around the faces of Regin and company and then looking at the hole.

“I will stand at the vanguard. After me will be her Highness and I will have Serena protect the rear.”

“We will also take Titta along. Stay behind me.”

Serena revealed a perplexed face as Regin said so. This was because the reason she gave maid’s clothes to Titta was because she intended to have her (Titta) pretend to be a maid working in the royal palace and have her escape into the maids’ room.

Serena exchanged looks with Claude, and then looked at Titta. The chestnut-haired girl strongly nodded.

“If you do not mind it, I-I will go together with you.”

There was no time to persuade her. Claude began to go down the hole as quickly as possible.

“Understood. We will also protect you as much as possible.”

Serena said so after reconsidering it. She knew neither the enemy’s numbers nor their character. For Titta, it might not be necessarily safe to have her go to the maids’ room.

At that time, Auguste walked to their direction.

“Titta. I leave her Highness the Princess to you.”

With a smile, Auguste put a hand on Titta’s shoulder. As this time, he was not a knight of the Calvados Knight Squadron, but has returned to the young man who took care of children in the land of Alsace. Titta looked up at Auguste and strongly nodded.

“Let’s meet again later, Auguste-san. Without fail.”

Regin also looked up at Auguste and said.

“Auguste. Fight in order to survive.”

This knight would by no means listen to her even if she asked him to surrender or run away. Though she was to the bitter end in the relation of master/servant with Auguste and they did not have so close an interchange, she understood at least this much. That this man was such a man.

“As you will” Auguste shortly answered. This was this man’s good faith/sincerity.

The sound of weapons was subtly heard. Fighting spirit flickered in both of Auguste’s eyes and it pressed Regin and company to act. When Regin crouched down on the edge of the hold, she placed her feet on the handles of the wall surface and went down carefully.

After Regin and company entered the secret passage, Auguste moved the bed with a canopy and covered the hole. He might earn some time with this.

''---If only it was perfect, it would’ve proceeded without problem. ''

Auguste tightly grasped his fist and strongly gritted his back teeth.

The knights of the Calvados Knight Squadron serving as the Princess’ guards numbered 29 including Auguste. But among them, more than half were not available due to headaches or stomachaches<ref> due to the poison </ref>. Far from holding a sword, it was doubtful whether they could even stand on their feet.

The enemy had numerical superiority and among them, there were more than ten people with ability equal to Auguste’s side.

“Those guys aren’t ordinary soldiers. They are knights who received training.”

He remembered his subordinates’ words. In short, the enemy had used the same move as them. Like when they were asked by Badouin and came into the royal palace, the enemy had also dragged knights into the royal palace.

When he received a soldier’s report that a great number of men with swords had appeared, Auguste gave up the plan of meeting the enemy in Regin’s bedroom which he used until now. He considered the situation that that couldn’t protect the princess.

He posted subordinates who could still move in the long and narrow corridor outside the bedroom. He tried to prevent the enemy from making use of their strong point which was their great numbers. But, by just assaulting them in the princess’ bedroom, the enemy would by no means become weak.

His subordinates were gradually forced to retreat, and fell one after another until Auguste remained alone.

When he shot a crossbow and killed one of the enemies, Auguste threw away the crossbow.

He set up his sword and shield.

“Come at me, small fries. I, Auguste of the Calvados Knight Squadron, will cut you down.”

The enemy raised their swords and jumped at him. Auguste cut down the first one and blocked the second person’s sword with his shield. He dodged the sword of a man approaching climbing over the first person’s corpse. The blade, which was already covered with blood, grazed Auguste’s armor.

He swung his sword and pierced the enemy’s abdomen. But, it was a failure. The man whose abdomen was pierced fell while holding Auguste’s sword. The sword came out of Auguste’s hand.

He bashed one of the approaching enemies with his shield. Immediately after that, the enemy slashed at Auguste with the momentum of bumping into him with their body. A dull pain ran through Auguste’s abdomen. He hardened his clenched fist and hit the man. There, a new enemy raised his sword and attacked him.

The pain on his abdomen made Auguste’s action dull. Though he avoided a direct hit, the man’s sword struck Auguste’s armor. Auguste broke his balance. Deep red blood spilled from his injured abdomen.

His body was heavy. His breathing was disturbed. The men charged at Auguste while raising shrieks.

Auguste bent his body with all his strength and cried as loud as possible. He struck sideway his shield on the enemy who drew the closest. That enemy was flung against the wall as he was sent flying and collapsed trailing. His face covered with blood deformed.

The men faltered and stopped their advance. As Auguste revealed a ferocious smile, he picked up the sword that a man had dropped. Even that movement alone was something extremely painful for this man now. His view shook and his breathing was disturbed.

''---I have let all my subordinates die. ''

Auguste apologized to his subordinates who died. They should have been able to play a more active role in a battlefield more suitable for them. He inwardly muttered “I’m sorry for being a worthless superior/boss”.

He similarly apologized to his friends, colleagues and superiors who were at the Calvados Fort. But, he reported that he behaved like a knight until the end and did not stain the Knight Squadron’s honor.

''---I wonder whether Titta was able to safely escape. Tigre-sama is……''

Within his hazy consciousness, the two people’s faces floated in Auguste’s mind. However, it disappeared at once and the figure of one man appeared.

''---Urz-sama……''

For Auguste, speaking of Alsace’s feudal lord, it was Urz after all.

It wasn’t like Tigre wasn’t suitable. Only four years have passed since Tigre became Alsace’s feudal lord succeeding his father. For Auguste, Tigre would truly become Alsace’s feudal lord after another ten years.

It was Urz who had written a letter of recommendation so that Auguste became a knight and it was also Urz who was happy that he (Auguste) was able to become one.

''---I am sorry, Urz-sama. ''

While wielding a sword and bashing with the shield, Auguste apologized.

''---As a knight, as a person from Alsace, I intended to serve Tigre-sama for a long time, but it seems like……''

Auguste was not able to say more than that. Blood loss robbed him of his consciousness.

To Auguste who stopped moving, swords were stabbed one after another.

Auguste fell down, still tightly grasping the sword and shield.

The men did not immediately approached Auguste. They were afraid that he might immediately get up and swing the sword around.

When they were finally convinced that he‘d died after more than 20 seconds had passed, the men stepped over the fallen Auguste and achieved their invasion into the princess’ bedroom.

In a place quite far away from Regin’s bedroom, Melisande received a report. It said that although they defeated the enemy, Regin’s figure was no longer there.

“Our comrades have already gone ahead to the path leading to the back corridor. However, they said that she did not escape to there. I don’t want to imagine it, but I can only think that she ran from the window.”

To the subordinate who reported hesitantly, Melisande revealed a scornful smile.

“Let’s head to the audience room.”

To her words, the men looked at each other with wonder. Melisande said.

“There is a hidden passage leading from the bedroom to the audience room. Regin had definitely used it.”

It was something that Melisande was taught by her father before as a secret handed down only to royalty. She had not told this even to her husband Thenardier.

Melisande’s father probably told her for her sake. After all, depending on a change of the situation, there was also a future where Melisande might become the Princess. He must have not even thought that she would use it in order to corner the ruler.

Leaving behind a little less than 30 comrades’ bodies and the enemies’ corpses which were less than half of that, Melisande and company headed to the audience room.

Regin and company were advancing through the long and narrow passage with little light and touching<ref> they advanced while touching the wall so as not to fall since there wasn’t that much light </ref>.

Only Claude standing at the vanguard held a light. He was holding a sword in his right hand and a torch in his left hand.

Suddenly, Claude stopped and looked back to Regin.

“Your Highness. The path is divided into two……”

Regin looked over his shoulder ahead of the passage. The passage was certainly split or into left and right.

''---If I remember correctly, we could go outside of the audience room if we go left and outside the royal palace if we go right……''

It was one of the secrets taught only to the royalty that her father Faron told her. Now, they should leave the royal palace as soon as possible.

“To the right……”

When Regin said up to there, Titta, who was behind her, called out to her with a trembling voice.

“U-Um, Regin-sama…… I think that you should avoid going to the right.”

Regin looked back towards Titta with a dubious face. The chestnut-haired maid’s face turned white due to tension and fear. While looking at the passage to the right with eyes as if seeing something frightening, Titta said.

“I get the feeling that something really scary is waiting ahead of this side……”

Regin hesitated just for an instant, and then lightly tapped Titta’s shoulder as to let her feel relieved.

“I understand. Let’s go to the left.”

It is said that Titta has acquired the ascetic practices as a shrine maiden. She might have felt some kind of danger. And above all, there was no guarantee that it was absolutely safe to go to the right.

Regin and company went ahead through the left passage. There was another secret passage in the audience room. If they moved from a secret passage to another secret passage, they would probably drift away from the enemy.

It was something that Regin and company had no way of knowing, but Titta’s intuition proved right. At the exit of the passage to the right, Ganelon who disappeared before Tigre was waiting there. If they were to moved that way, Regin and company would probably not have escaped from death.

After having turned several times to the left passage, they hit its end. Handles instead of a ladder were buried in the wall and they extended to the top. Claude handed the torch to Regin and climbed up. Regin and company followed him, too.

They finished climbing the ladder of handles. When they looked around while raising the torch, the throne was immediately nearby. There was also the fake Durandal.

“We seem to have properly come out in the audience room.”

Regin heaved a sigh of relief. It was the first time that she’d used the secret passage, so she was anxious. Following her, Titta and Serena also came out of the passage.

Behind the throne, there was a long and narrow corridor leading to the balcony. Though she thought about hiding there, Regin shook her head and turned her gaze to the wall of the left side viewing from the throne. There was a hidden passage leading to outside of the royal palace there.

“We do not have time to rest. Let’s hurry.”

It was at that time when Regin was about to begin to walk to the left wall.

The door leading to the corridor was vigorously opened, and men armed with swords and armor rushed in. Raising voices of surprise, Regin and Titta stood petrified. Claude and Serena quickly stood before them and set up their swords.

The intruders raised the torches and candlesticks which they had in their hands. The figures of Regin and company were illuminated.

“She’s there; it’s the Princess.”

Someone shouted and the intruders made a stir. There was not even an ounce of respect for the Princess in their voices. A shadow of despair floated across Claude and Serena’s faces. Though it was hard to understand in the darkness, the enemy numbered about 20. It was not a number that only the two of them could do something about.

“Regin-sama, I am sorry……”

Titta said with an expression like she would burst into tears at any moment.

“It’s because I said that we should take this way that……”

“You’re wrong, Titta. It’s me who decided to advance to this way.”

Regin turned gentle blue pupils to Titta and stroked her head to comfort her. The existence of someone whom she should protect made Regin recover herself, encouraged her and made her hold the determination to fight.

Regin and company were in a place one level higher than the soldiers. The blond-haired Princess coolly looked down at the intruders who stuck out their swords in the front and slowly shortened the distance and sharply roared.

“Know your place.”

The intruders stopped their movements as they were surprised. Regin continued.

“If you are also people who were born and raised in Brune, do you not feel ashamed to trample down the royal palace?”

Her voice was by no means loud, but it resounded in the audience room with reliable dignity and made the soldiers stagger. Although cornered, Regin showed no signs of being daunted at all. Judging that it was a good opportunity after seeing the soldiers faltering, Serena whispered to Regin.

“Your Highness. We will gain time. Please, go back to the passage and escape.”

“I will say this just in case, but you should not think about escaping by going back to the passage.”

But, Serena’s words were dispelled by a triumphant, loud laughter. Multiple figures of people entered the audience room from the corridor. The number of lights illuminating the large hall increased, and the figure of one woman was picked up. It was Melisande. Next to her, there was also a big man carrying a large sword on his shoulder, Armand.

“It’s been a long time. I wanted to see you, Regin.”

In a voice kneaded with a sense of superiority, Melisande smiled at Regin.

“Do you know why I am here? When I received the report that your figure was nowhere to be found, this place immediately came to mind. I thought that you, who are far from the words ‘fair and square’, would definitely run away shamelessly by using a hidden passage.”

Regin did not return any words. She couldn’t hide her surprise at the fact that Melisande knew about the existence of this passage. And, she also thought that her way of retreat was completely cut off.

Since she had anticipated this, it would be a fact that Melisande knew about the structure of the secret passage. Even if Regin went back to her bedroom, Melisande’s subordinates would be definitely waiting for her there.

But, she did not think that Melisande put this royal palace completely under her control.

''---I must not give up. ''

There were Badouin, Mashas, Augre and Tigre. They would surely act in order to save her. Believing that, she gained time even if a little.

With sadistic feelings flickering in her blue pupils, Melisande said.

“I won’t kill you immediately. I will torture and thoroughly humiliate you to the extent that you will regret having been born in this world.”

“Isn’t it rather because I have value as a hostage that you won’t kill me immediately?”

Regin resolutely retorted. What was important was to not let them hurt Serena, Claude and Titta. In addition, Melisande must not realize that she was buying time.

“That’s right. It’s just as you say. I must take you as a hostage.”

Melisande put on a serious expression and easily admitted to Regin’s indication. However, she immediately revealed a cruel smile.

“But, it’s fine if the hostage is alive. I wonder if I should cut one of your arms or feet and show it to them. Scooping out your eyeballs wouldn’t be bad, too. That’s right; I might also demand Badouin’s head. Whenever they refuse it, I will cut your body little by little and give each part to them. I’m looking forward to which time Badouin’s head would be sent.”

“I wonder about that. Badouin is a firm person after all. He might think that dying would be better than the Princess of a country being thoughtlessly disgraced.”

While enduring the fear and chill running down her spine, Regin obstinately warded it off. Though Melisande turned an annoyed gaze, she sank into silence. Her reaction made Regin hold a conviction.

As expected, they did not reach the point of controlling the royal palace.

“Melisande. I would like to ask you something.”

While being careful not to break her dignified stance, Regin carefully spun her words. There was only one thing she was concerned about.

“After having killed me and becoming Brune’s ruler, what do you intend to do?”

Melisande frowned. There was also the fact that Regin’s stout-hearted attitude irritated her, but Melisande did not understand the meaning of that question. Regin further said.

“I’m asking about how you will govern Brune.”

“Ah, you mean that? Isn’t it obvious? I will restore things which should return to their original state and change everything to the right direction.”

Seeming to want to say that it was natural, Melisande scornfully laughed.

“I will break the alliance with Zhcted and take back Agnes. I will purge all the fools who toady to you and infest the royal palace, and take away the territories from the feudal lords who followed you and Ganelon. I will appoint the people with a right heart who truly pledge allegiance to the royal family and give them new territories.”

Regin held her breath. What Melisande was trying to do was only the folly of making enemies inside and outside the country. If she made an enemy out of Zhcted, the ones who would be happy would be the neighboring countries such as Muozinel. The noble feudal lords, whose territories would be taken, would probably raise a revolt. And Brune would definitely be destroyed.

But as if to say that her thoughts were not wrong, Melisande loudly said.

“Brune will regain its power. A fake like you would never be able to do that.”

“Do you think that such a thing will really go well……?!”

Regin’s voice was filled with anger. Melisande responded with a sneer.

“Please, don’t lump me together with a fake like you. I have been raised as a woman who inherited the royal family’s blood. Oh, speaking of fake……”

Melisande’s gaze was turned to Durandal leaned beside the throne.

When she called Armand’s name, the viscount with a big body began to walk with a ferocious smile. Regin’s face turned pale, but she had no way to stop him. One wrong move and the soldiers would probably attack her. Neither Claude nor Serena could move, too.

When Armand who stopped near the throne put the large sword, which he carried on his shoulder, on the floor, he grasped Durandal. He raised it with both his hands and slapped it onto the floor.

A metallic crushing sound resounded and Durandal’s blade was broken from the middle.

The blade’s broken pieces flew in the air while rotating and fell down on the floor. Melisande’s eyes shone tinged with a wild enthusiasm and her loud laughter echoed in the audience room.

“As expected…… As expected, it was fake! How dare you deceive me with boring tricks at that time, Regin! What will you do about this humiliation, this anger?”

Regin could not return any words. Her heart was also about to break. Just supporting her body was the best she could do.

Having been stirred were her guards Serena and Claude. Both of them looked up to Roland and they also knew the circumstances that there was no choice but to make a fake Durandal. With that alone, they could not forgive Melisande’s and Armand’s action.

“You bastard……!”

“──Stop it.”

Regin calmly held back Claude, who was about to charge into the enemy camp, with her hand. Tears slightly blurred on her pair of blue eyes. But, she softly wiped the tears with a fingertip.

It was certainly a shock that Durandal was broken. But, the act just now was proof that Melisande and company attained self-conceit beyond tolerance. No matter what they were up to, if she could gain time even a little depending on that, she would have endured it.

“Well then, let’s already go to the main issue. We will kill your guards one by one and finally cut off both your hands and feet.”

Melisande emitted cruel brightness and her soldiers began to move. Serena and Claude set up their swords, but however bravely they were to fight, it would be impossible to break through a thickness of nearly 20 people and come close to Melisande.

“Melisande. I haven’t yet finished talking.”

Regin said. She intended to let this situation drag on no matter what kind of humiliation she would received.

It was at that time. Cutting the air, something flew over Regin’s head. When Regin noticed the sound, it hit the face of a soldier of Melisande and came out to the back of his head.

It was one arrow. Although their attention was turned to Regin and Melisande, even Serena and Claude were not able to react at once.

The soldier whose face was pierced by the arrow fell while emitting a low groan. A high-pitched metallic sound resounded as his armor crashed into the floor. While the echo made the night air shake, silence containing a lot of surprise filled the place. No one understood what on earth had happened.

[[File:MnOtV vol12 160 - 161.png|thumb]]

From behind Regin and company, footsteps were drawing closer vigorously. At the same time as the footsteps stopped, the atmosphere howled and a new arrow came flying and pierced through the nape of another soldier of Melisande. The soldier fell down and the sound of his armor striking against the floor once again shook the atmosphere.

A person’s black figure stood in front of Regin.

Everyone held their breath and gazed at that person. It was darkish red-haired youth holding a black bow. He wore leather armor and hung a quiver on his waist. Fighting spirit shone in his black pupils, he held an arrow in his mouth and stared at the large number of enemies without showing any signs of fear.

The youth’s name was Tigrevurmud Vorn.

We go back a little while ago.

It was about a quarter koku ago when Tigre and company entered the Princess’ bedroom. What the youth saw were many corpses lying down in a heap and walls covered with blood. He felt uneasiness since the smell of thick blood drifted in the corridor, but a ghastlier scene than what he imagined was spread out.

And then, Tigre came across Auguste’s figure, which completely changed, among the many corpses.

“Auguste……!”

Tigre, without minding that his clothes would get dirty with blood, rushed over to Auguste and held him up in his arms. It looked like Auguste was already dead, but when Tigre repeatedly called out to him, he thinly opened his eyes. When his eyes met the youth’s, he subtly moved his lips.

That became the last action that he did in this world. Auguste’s eyes closed again and despite the youth’s desperate appeal, they never opened again.

“──Tigre.”

Mashas called out to him. Tigre looked up at the old Earl with a suspicious face. Though a color of compassion appeared on both of Mashas’s eyes, the old Earl shook it off and said to the youth with a severe look.

“The figure of her Highness the Princess is nowhere to be found. She has probably escaped somewhere without a hitch.”

About several seconds was necessary before Tigre understood Mashas’s words. When the youth gritted his teeth in vexation, he softly lay down Auguste’s corpse on the floor.

Tigre knew what he had to do now.

“Sorry. I lost my composure.”

“Don’t mind it; anyone would be surprised after seeing so many corpses. Since there isn’t Titta’s figure, she has probably escaped with her Highness, but……”

“However, father. Where on earth is her Highness the Princess……?”

Impatience floated on Gaspar’s face.

It was then that Elen showed up accompanied by Lim.

“Tigre, huh. Looks like you’re safe.”

Seeing the figures of Elen clad in her blue battle outfit and Lim, Tigre breathed a sigh of relief. He asked them whether they saw Regin and Titta. Although Elen and Lim puzzled themselves about the sudden question, they seemed to have roughly guessed the situation after seeing the floor covered with corpses and dark red blood. Elen answered.

“Which reminds me, on the way to coming here, I saw nearly 30 soldiers. They were saying something about the audience room.”

It was Melisande and company that Elen saw. Though the fact that she didn’t attack them was partly because she was outnumbered, it was also because she wasn’t able to grasp the situation at that point. Both of them (Elen and Lim) were people from Zhcted, so it might become a problem if they imprudently fought against people from Brune.

“The audience room, huh…… If it’s there, it’ll take time to go there from here.”

Mashas shook his gray beard in vexation.

“Lord Mashas. Where is the audience room?”

Lim asked. Mashas indicated the floor at his feet with his finger.

“You could say that it’s right below us. But, all the stairs leading underneath are in quite remote places, you see……”

Even so, they could not help but hurry anyway. When Mashas was about to start running to the corridor, Tigre called out to the silver-haired Vanadis.

“Elen, I have a request.”

Tigre’s gaze was directed towards the window close by. Thinking ‘maybe’ to Mashas’s words “right below”, putting his hands on the edge of the window and leaning forward, the youth looked closely at the night darkness.

With the night sky as the background, the capital’s cityscape stood out as it became a jet black shadow. The outline was the same as the scenery from the balcony that he saw along with Regin on past noon of today. If not for today’s call by Regin, Tigre would not have immediately recalled it.

While holding onto the edge of the window, the youth looked around. Diagonally below, the balcony at the back of the audience room could be seen. Elen stood next to the youth and similarly leaned forward.

“What is it? Shouldn’t we hurry?”

“Launch me there.”

Tigre pointed at the balcony with a finger. His voice slightly shook.

Elen’s Dragonic Tool Arifal had the power to manipulate wind. I might be able to jump from here to there in one go if she used it. Tigre thought so.

“Are you serious?”

As expected, even Elen looked at Tigre with a face which couldn’t hide the tension.

“There’s nothing other than the balcony that you can grasp. So if you fail to grasp it (balcony), you’ll immediately fall, you know? There’s also the fact the sensation may be slightly off in the night darkness, and Arifal isn’t almighty. It isn’t as if its power can get through anywhere.”

The balcony was at a height of about 15 Alsins (about 15 meter) from the ground. In other words, if he failed, Tigre would be flung against the ground from that height. He would not escape from death.

“In the first place, there’s no guarantee that Regin is in the audience room, right?”

“I know. But in that case, I’ll know that she isn’t there. And I’ll also be able to send a signal.”

Tigre desperately appealed to her. There was no time to argue. Elen sighed and accepted the youth’s request.

“──I got it. But, it’ll be only you. I don’t have confidence to be able to launch many people there after all.”

Carrying the black bow on his shoulder and passing the quiver around his waist, Tigre stood on the window frame. The night wind which blew from below gently brushed the youth’s chin. Thanks to the light of the torches held the soldiers standing guard, he could vaguely saw the situation of the ground. How high is this place from the ground? He wondered.

“Let’s go!”

He cried in order to encourage himself. Tigre stared at the balcony, kicked the window frame and let his body dance in the empty sky. Strong wind blew against his back and brought Tigre close to the balcony.

But, the fall was faster than that<ref>wind bringing him close the balcony</ref>. Did he perhaps make a wrong measurement with his eyes because of the darkness?

The balcony approached under his eyes. He stretched out his hands. He felt like he would slightly not reach. His fingers touched the top of the fence of the balcony. And they were flicked.

''---I’ll fall……!''

His heart was grabbed by fear. Still, he stretched out a hand hard. His fingers reached under the fence.

Tigre narrowly held onto the fence and hung from it. Sweat suddenly gushed out and his breathing was rough.

But now that he was able to grasp it, it was his. When Tigre stretched out his other hand and firmly held onto the fence, he fixed his breathing and raised himself to the balcony.

When he got down from the balcony, he subtly heard a voice from the audience room. Tigre tightly grasped his black bow, took an arrow and jumped into the audience room.

With a dumbfounded face, Melisande was staring at Tigre who suddenly appeared. But, when she recognized Tigre accurately, her complexion completely changed.

“You’re……!”

With a face so tinged with anger that she did not turn even to Regin, Melisande cried.

“So, you’re the enemy of my son and my husband!”

Tigre opened his eyes wide. Be it the fight against Zion or the fight against Duke Thenardier, there was for him no place to feel ashamed. But, Melisande’s cry surprised Tigre.

“Kill him!”

Throwing away her composure until now, Melisande shouted. The soldiers brandished their swords and started moving.

“Regin, Titta, step back!”

While shouting, Tigre nocked arrows to the black bow. He shot them. Although three soldiers fell down after receiving each an arrow to the forehead from a short distance, the other soldiers attacked like surging waves without being daunted.

Claude and Serena stood in front of Tigre and swung their swords. Two enemies were killed at once and sank in a spray of blood.

But, they were outnumbered. Even if they defeated one or two people, three or four enemies would rush. Claude and Serena stood in a line so as to protect each other and swung their swords devoting themselves to defense, but even so several blades grazed the two people’s bodies.

When they were forced to retreat, Tigre could no longer step back; and the five people were cornered in no time.

Suddenly, wind passed. Letting silver hair brighten within the very dim light, a new intruder jumped into the battlefield.

“Elen!”

Tigre raised a voice of delight. As if to answer it, Elen also raised her voice.

“I’m one of Zhcted’s Vanadises, Eleonora Viltaria! Is there anyone who is going to challenge a Vanadis?!”

The names ‘Zhcted’ and ‘Vanadis’ made the soldiers falter for an instant. And for Elen, that instant was enough. The Wind Princess of the Silver flash boldly jumped among the enemy and mercilessly swung her long sword.

The number of Melisande’s soldiers was decreasing one by one. Melisande stood stock still with a pale face. Until just a little while ago, she was unmistakably the victor. Or so it should have been.

Who would have imagined that only one Vanadis would literally completely change the battle’s progress?

“You bastards! What did you do to Melisande-sama?!”

Armand raised his large sword and attacked Elen. But, before he entered Elen’s range, the arrow which Tigre shot pierced Armand’s forehead. The viscount with a big body uttered a short scream as if his breathing was clogged up and fell forward and died as is.

There were people who somehow tried to aim at Regin, but Claude and Serena who fixed their breathing stood in their way. The two knights perfectly understood their role. They just had to leave the offensive to Tigre and Elen, and devote themselves to protecting Regin.

Regin held a torch, stood so as to protect Titta and watched over the battle’s progress. Though the spectacle, where bloodshed and death followed the sound of arms, was ghastly and it was hard to look straight at it, she did not avert her eyes.

“Fight! Do you think that we can surrender after coming so far?!”

Melisande desperately shouted at her subordinates who faltered. Just as she said, even if they surrendered now, there was no way that they would be forgiven.

The soldiers, who resolved themselves, attacked Claude and Serena all at once. There was no other way to survive than trying to hold the Princess hostage.

Claude and Serena respectively swung their swords and cut down Melisande’s soldiers. Aiming at that moment, Melisande moved. When she picked up a fragment of Durandal scattered on the floor, she attacked Regin with the momentum to bump into her.

Regin reflexively stuck out the torch to Melisande. Though Melisande did not falter, her view was burnt and she missed her aim. The fragment of Durandal only made a straight red wound on Regin’s flank. The two women fell down as they got entangled.

The first one to get up was Melisande, but she screamed and staggered. Fire coiled about on her clothes. When she fell down again, the flame of the torch spread.

Tightly grasping the fragment of Durandal as is, Melisande violently twisted her body. There was a hole immediately next to her. The hole of the hidden passage connecting the Princess’ bedroom to the audience room.

Breaking her posture, Melisande fell. The ears of Regin who finally got up heard a heavy sound as if something was flung.

Though not to the extent of Melisande, fire also spread on Regin’s clothes. After putting it out while strongly tapping it with her hands, Regin picked up the torch. She was so tense that she did not feel the pain of the burn.

When she looked into the hole, darkness was spreading. The flame of the torch did not reach to the bottom of the hole. Even the fire sticking to Melisande’s clothes seemed to have vanished due to the shock of the fall.

“──Your Highness. I will go look.”

Serena approached. The battle was over and there were only the six people of Tigre’s side in the audience room

Although she fell in the hole, it was not certain that Melisande had died. Considering that, what Serena said was right. But, Regin shook her head.

“Serena. I will go down, too.”

She said so in a strong tone in a way of saying that only that she could not yield. Serena consented on the condition that she got down first.

While the four people Tigre, Claude, Elen and Titta watched over, Serena and Regin went down to the hole using the handles. The two women reached the bottom of the hole before long.

Melisande had fell down to the bottom of the hole. Serena and Regin who saw her figure held their breath.

Her neck was twisted in a strange direction and her chest has been pierced by the fragment of Durandal. The blood which flowed out dyed her clothes red and spread even to the floor.

Melisande was not yet dead. While her hands shook and her lips convulsed, she moved her eyes and looked up at Regin.

“I, I……”

In a blurred voice, Melisande continued.

“I…… just, wanted…… to return. In, those days……”

“In those days” probably meant the days when her husband and son were in good health and the Thenardier House built an unwavering position/status as a great noble of Brune.

Regin did not say anything. She just slightly moved her lips and uttered soundless words.

Me, too.

Regin, too, if she could rewind time, she would like to do so. To return it to the time when her father King Faron was still in good health.

To the time when there was no problem even though she lived as an inconspicuous Prince.

But, the deceased can’t be brought back to life. Even if one got back what was lost, it would never be as it was originally. The breath of many people are carved into it and become something different. Above all, now she had an ideal she wanted to accomplish.

She could only look forward and advance; even if it was a path full of hardships.

Melisande’s eyes were to the wrong direction and lost strength.

The revolt was over.

In a place after going down the slope a little from the royal palace, which was halfway up the Luberon Mountain, there was one man. It was Maximilian Bennusa Ganelon.

The slant of the area, where he was, was steep; it was a place where the foothold was also unstable because it was covered by trees and strangely twisted and tall grass, and thus no one, even the soldiers working in the royal palace, approached there. After having received the attack by Tigre’s black bow, he came straight here.

When looking up, there was the royal palace which did not lose its splendor even in the night’s darkness.

“Well then, how will it turn out?”

Ganelon bragged with an expression like an angler who hung down a fishing rod.

“How will what turn out?”

The question to his soliloquy was emitted from the side of Ganelon. Ganelon, showing no behavior of being cautious, turned only his gaze there. Space soundlessly warped before his eyes and Valentina carrying a scythe on her shoulder appeared.

When she got down on the ground while letting her skirt lightly flutter, she unusually frowned.

“My clothes got dirty.”

“Weren’t they already dirty?”

The outfit of Ganelon, who said so while laughing, was awful. His silk clothes were stained with black soot and were ripped here and there; especially the side from the left shoulder was completely blown off and his left arm became bare. His splendid bald head was laid bare without his hat. His trousers and shoes were visibly spoiled.

Seeing Ganelon’s appearance, Valentina funnily smiled.

“Your hand has been awfully burnt, eh.”

“Yea. It was more than expected. By the way, why did you chase me? Do you want to engage in small chats?”

“Something like that. Honestly, I didn’t think that you were there.”

Holding the scythe behind her back, Valentina bent her head slightly to one side. And she revealed a charming smile which would probably captivate most men. But, Ganelon only lifted the edge of his mouth.

“If you talk, I’ll also talk. How about it?”

“I understand.”

Valentina easily consented and explained the reason why she helped Tigre.

Since the time when ten people including Baron Celpet attacked Tigre’s room, she has been watching the youth’s state.

After Celpet and his men were defeated, she followed Tigre and company while keeping a certain distance. The riot was not yet over. Tigre might use the black bow’s power somewhere.

Then, Ganelon appeared.

Ganelon who finished hearing her talk laughed while shaking his shoulders.

“Is it so funny?”

“Of course it is”, as he replied so, Ganelon revealed the smile of an accomplice.

“I came here for the same purpose after all. In order to see Vorn’s power.”

“But considering it was only for that, I feel like you went around killing soldiers more than necessary though.”

While looking up at the night sky, Valentina pointed out in an indifferent tone. Ganelon also smiled wryly as she seemed to have noticed him. He did not particularly intend to hide it. He only didn’t say it since it was an extra.

“It’s just a little help to Melisande. ──That I’m also here.”

“Help, is it? From you, who is always thinking about himself?”

“Next time, I’ll send you a mirror of good quality to Osterode.”

After returning sarcasm with irony, Ganelon asked.

“This revolt ── though it’s too small to call it a revolt. Do you think it’ll succeed?”

“I don’t know the concrete plan, but currently, judging only from what is happening in the royal palace, I’d say that either side has the possibility to fall down.”

“It’s as you say.”

Ganelon unnaturally sighed while being impressed by the black-haired Vanadis’ sense of observation.

“I rampaged just slightly in two places of the royal palace. It was in order to make it hard for the soldiers to contact their comrades while attracting their attention. If not for that, Melisande and her men would have been suppressed long ago.”

Having poisoned the soldiers’ meal was certainly an effective move. Having taken action tonight was also right. But still, Ganelon judged that they would fail. They are too few in number. At that rate, there would have probably been not even one person who would be able to reach Regin.

“So, I’ve connected their wish just a little.”

“You personally killing Princess Regin might have as well been fast/simple, right?”

“I have no reason to go so far as to kill her.”

Ganelon plainly said so.

Whether Regin survives or dies, either was fine for him. That’s why, even when Regin escaped from the battlefield to Agnes two years ago, he did not assertively chase her; and also the trap which he had set in the underground of Artishem was not something meant to certainly kill her.

“If she comes rolling before me, I’ll kill her; but there’s no need for me to bring myself to expressly go to visit her. After all, that girl is concerned with neither you Vanadises, nor those guys, nor the goddess.”

By “those guys”, he meant the beings called demons. If there was something which Ganelon were to think seriously and act about, then it would be only about something related to these three parties.

“You said that the fact that you’re also here was to help Melisande though.”

To Valentina’s words, Ganelon indicated with a finger a thicket in a slightly remote place.

“There are many secret passages in that royal palace, you see? Like one connecting from the Princess’ bedroom to here.”

“So, will you ambush them?”

“I wonder. As I said, there’re many passages. There’s no guarantee that they’d definitely come out from here.”

This meant there were plenty of possibilities that they would come out to a place, which was not here, using another passage. When Valentina nodded as she consented, she changed the topic.

“At any rate, your coming to check his power means…… that it’s near, right?”

Ganelon’s both eyes, which were so thin that one didn’t know whether or not they were opened, emitted a whitish light. But, he immediately released his caution and smiled.

“It’s soon. If you can bring Vorn in, I'll protect him for you.”

“They are plenty enough of Vanadises who want to protect him.”

Letting her black hair flutter in the night wind, Valentina chuckled. Ganelon was about to return words, but she suddenly looked up at the royal palace. He boringly knitted his brows.

“Damn Goddess. She butted in……”

Ganelon sighed. As if seeming to have suddenly lost his motivation, he turned his back on Valentina. And he soundlessly walked away within the darkness.

<noinclude>

==References==
<references/>

{{SimpleNav}}
</noinclude>

Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 11 Chapter 4

2016-07-26T08:00:22Z

Windsgrace: /* References */

== Chapter 4 – The {{furigana|Illusory Princess of the Hollow Shadow|Shervid}} ==

It was a half koku after the war council barrenly ended that Tigre was called to Elen’s tent. In the sky, the veil of darkness went down and only the moon and countless stars were shining.

It was when the youth had just finished eating his evening meal with Titta, Mashas and Gaspar.

He came to her tent as he was led by Rurick. A carpet was spread out, and there, where a lamp with a firm structure was put, was one woman other than Elen and Lim.

“I have kept you waiting, Earl Vorn.”

Her bluish black hair was long enough to reach up to her waist and her hair ornament of a white rose shone. Red and purple roses also garnished the coloring of the pure white dress which she wore. Coupled with her transient smile, that gave her a graceful impression.

She was the Vanadis Valentina Glinka Estes with the nickname of “{{furigana|Illusory Princess of the Hollow Shadow|Shervid}}”. Though there was an ominous long-handled scythe composed of red and black in her hand, it mysteriously looked good with her.

“It looks like she arrived just a while ago; by carriage.”

Elen sitting down next to Valentina explained with a frown. Lim was quietly sitting a step away. Porcelain cups were put respectively in front of each of them; they seemed to contain wine.

Tigre looked back towards Rurick, unable to hide his confusion. When the bald headed knight revealed a wry smile as he was troubled, he bowed and walked away. His action was very correct, but only this time did Tigre feel like Rurick ran away from him.

''---So, this is the reason why Elen went back at the time of the war council, huh.''

If a Vanadis came, then a suitable person would have to receive her.

Anyway, he couldn’t go back to his tent now that he was here. Tigre turned around to face Valentina, sat down on the spot and bowed his head again.

“Lady Valentina. I thank you again for having come.”

“I’m an allied army, so please do not be so stiff. I will be glad if we are able to speak in a more relaxed way. Also, when calling me, just Valentina is fine.”

“Yea”, Tigre raised his face while giving a nonchalant reply. Although Valentina revealed a happy smile, he did not know at all what she was thinking about.

“By the way, how did you know that we were here?”

As he asked what was bothering him, Valentina bent her head slightly to the side and answered.

“That was a coincidence. I didn’t know that you people were here.”

Valentina briefly explained the sequence of events until she arrived here.

After having parted from Tigre and company in the capital Silesia, Valentina sent a messenger to Osterode which she governed and she herself headed to Legnica.

“After boarding a ship from the port town of Prepus, I arrived at the north of Brune. Afterwards, I was supplied with a carriage and went ahead through the highway. Because I knew that Sachstein attacked from the west and the south, I decided for the time being to go to the south where there were fewer enemies.”

She told that as such, she heard that the Sachstein army and the Brune army were in Plainville and had the carriage proceed there.

While she was talking, Lim prepared a new ceramic cup. When she opened the wine bottle put in a corner of the tent and poured its contents into the cup, she put it before Tigre.

While Tigre thanked her and received the ceramic cup, he asked Valentina. He was able to mostly consent with her story, but there was something which bothered him.

“Um, where are your soldiers…?”

Valentina put a thin finger on her shapely chin and wandered her gaze in the air.

“I think that at about this time, they are probably boarding ships heading towards Brune.”

Tigre stared at Valentina with a dumbfounded face. He had never thought that only she would go ahead. Although a Vanadis was famed for being a match for a thousand, he had heard that she had a weak constitution. Even at the time of the {{furigana|Sun Festival|Maslenitsa}}, he had rarely seen her.

''---She’s different from Elen after all. She only came here by order of the King, so…''

I should be thankful just for the fact that she showed up here. Tigre decided to think so.

“I understand. You must be tired, so please rest properly for today.”

“I will do so; but if you are fine with it, could you tell me about the present situation?”

To Valentina’s words, Tigre revealed a wondering face and looked at Elen. Elen folded her arms and answered with a face which was unable to clear away her irritation.

“You’re the supreme commander after all. So you should talk up to where you think it’s good.”

When she finished saying that, Elen gulped down the porcelain cup at a stretch. What she said was reasonable, but there were probably parts where she was flabbergasted at Valentina. Tigre nodded and turned to the black-haired Vanadis. He talked about the Sachstein army as far as he knew.

“Currently, we’re having a hard fight. The enemy is strong, so we cannot find any means of escape.”

“That looks tough, eh.”

Valentina said so in a calm tone which did not let one feel seriousness. Tigre could not help but feel spent, but she patiently continued her words.

“If it is fine with you, could I lend you my wisdom?”

“Rather than wisdom, you want to borrow your {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}’s power, right?”

Elen butted into the conservation. She turned a dangerous gaze to Valentina.

“Valentina. I heard that your {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} has the ability to travel far distances in an instant. With that power, can’t you do something like jumping to where the enemy General is, and take his head and come back here?”

In a provocative tone, the silver-haired Vanadis grinned at the black-haired Vanadis. There were only Tigre, Elen, Lim and Valentina in this place, so although there was the fact that she spoke of it, she also said it with the intention of sounding Valentina out.

Elen had always thought that Valentina would not come to Brune. This was because with this much distance, there was room for making up plenty of reasons not to come. Besides, the first time Valentina met Tigre was at the {{furigana|Sun Festival|Maslenitsa}}, so she has no reason to actively lend him her help.

Elen wanted to know how far Valentina intended to fight seriously. Moreover, she also wanted to know whether her {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} really had such a terrifying ability.

Valentina lovely tilted her head to the side and answered.

“Certainly, this {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} Ezendeis of mine has such a power; but unfortunately I cannot satisfy Eleonora’s expectation.”

“Hou. Why is that?”

Tigre and Lim were silently watching the two Vanadises’ exchanges. This was because both of them understood Elen’s intention. Besides, they were definitely anxious about Valentina’s ability.

“I get extremely tired when I use that power just once; to the extent that I can’t stand on my feet. Eleonora, is it not also the same for your {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}?”

“I certainly have such a {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}.”

Elen reluctantly admitted. The silver-haired Vanadis’ Ley Admos greatly consumed physical strength. If she fired it successively two or three times, she wouldn’t be able to stand on her feet.

“But, there’s something we can do. Do you want to hear it?”

Saying so, Valentina meaningfully stared at Tigre. Although the youth made a wondering face, he urged her to continue by nodding.

“First, please propose a talk to the enemy General in Earl Vorn’s name.”

Tigre perceived a disquieting shadow flashing in Valentina’s purple pupils. While tracing the handle of the scythe which she put beside her, the black-haired Vanadis happily continued her words.

“At that moment, we will establish the conditions. That only two persons such as attendants or guards shall escort each commander──”

“That’s a severe condition. Won’t the other party be cautious?”

Tigre frowned. For such a talk, the enemy would carefully investigate about the place and the number of attendants. This was because dragging out the other party under the pretext of a talk and committing assassination was not that rare an occurrence.

“They will certainly be cautious, but do you think that they will decline?”

Tigre pondered as he was asked by Valentina.

“That’s right. If the other party feels inclined to do negotiations, I guess they’ll accept. But, they’ll set the condition of letting them choose the place though.”

“Indeed. Then, if the other party doesn’t feel inclined to do negotiations?”

“Although it’ll depend on the other party and the situation, it can’t be said that there isn’t any possibility that they’ll accept. Like gaining time, for example.”

“Or, in the case that they thought that we’ll use the pretext of a talk and kill them.”

As Tigre faltered, Valentina continued her words then. As if she had completely seen through what the youth would say.

Tigre stared at her, unable to hide his surprise; Elen and Lim too. Tigre, with a face devoid of interest, accepted Valentina’s words.

“That’s right. There is also the way where they might break the two conditions and have many soldiers hide around.”

“Yes. What’s important is that.”

Valentina happily nodded. Tigre was puzzled by that reaction of hers. He did not understand at all what she wanted to say. Elen said, not hiding her irritation.

“Don’t keep him in suspense. Tigre is serious.”

“I know, Eleonora. Then, I shall answer. We will propose a meeting with their conditions. Let’s suppose that the other party consents and really shows with more than two attendants. In that case, we’ll kill the three of them.”

Valentina said with her smile as is as if it was nothing.

The atmosphere of the place froze. Tigre gulped and stared at the black-haired Vanadis with a pale face. Elen and Lim also revealed expressions as if they had forcibly swallowed something bitter.

Valentina continued her words without breaking her smile.

“Suppose that the other party consents, but appeared accompanied not with two, but many soldiers. In that case, we kill only the enemy General and escape far away with my {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}’s power. Afterwards, we will blame the other party that they didn’t follow the conditions. ──something like this.”

Valentina traced the scythe’s curved blade with a finger. Reflecting the light of the lamp, the scythe quietly emitted a shine.

“This is the way in which my {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} will be able to be helpful to you, Earl Vorn.”

“…In the case that the other party follows the conditions, how will we gloss it over?”

Tigre somehow managed to squeeze out his voice and asked only that.

“After annihilating them, we can prepare as many reasons as we like. For example, we can claim that because the other side flew into rage and drew their swords, we had no other choice but to respond to their attack.”

“But, can we kill the other party so easily?”

“I think that it would be fine if the three of us, Earl Vorn, Eleonora and me were to go. There are not that many people who can match Eleonora’s sword skill and I heard that you are a master with the bow that can hit a target about 300 Alsins away without erring.”

Once again, silence descended into the place. Nobody issued any words.

After about ten seconds, Tigre finally opened his mouth.

“Valentina, did you make that suggestion to other people so far?”

“This is the first time.”

As she answered so, the black-haired Vanadis sweetly smiled. Tigre sighed.

“Then, it’s fine.”

Tigre answered briefly and shook his head. It was a declaration of his intention not to accept Valentina’s suggestion.

“Although it’s something we asked you, you shouldn’t use such a power in the battle and just keep it to protect yourself. As we talked about in Zhcted’s royal palace.”

To Tigre’s words, Valentina fixedly stared at the youth with her eyes wide opened.

“You are a strange person. I thought that you would think this and that about whether there is not a more effective way to use it.”

“I’m not good at using my head for such things.”

Tigre laughed as he said so in a joking way. While laughing, he inwardly asked himself.

Am I naïve? If it’s to win a battle, should the choice of the means matter?

The people whom he brought from Alsace. The people whom he brought from LeitMeritz. The people who gathered from various places in order to protect Brune.

If he could avoid battle by dirtying his hands and save as many of their lives as possible, wouldn’t that be rather the right method?

Thinking up to there, Tigre shook his head.

''---It’s no good after all.''

There was something that he had said to Ludmila Lourie once. That he did not want to do something which would make him unable to face those important to him.

He might be selfish. But, in order to continue being who he is, it was a line that he could not cross.

“──Then, I shall make another suggestion.”

Valentina said with a smile, and Tigre stared at her with a surprised face.

After the four people ended their talk, Valentina elegantly bowed and left for her tent. By the way, because she did not prepare even a tent, Elen lent her a spare tent.

Elen returned her gaze to Tigre and revealed a wry smile.

“Tigre. Why didn’t you accept her first suggestion?”

The youth frowned and looked at the silver-haired Vanadis.

“There’s no way I’d accept such a thing.”

“But, it’s effective. In order to investigate our intention, there’s probably someone who will respond to the discussion.”<ref> the discussion here is referring to the possible talk between the two armies </ref>

Tigre frowned. He agreed with Elen’s words. And precisely because he agreed with them, he was irritated.

As she seemingly had no intention of ending the talk, the silver-haired Vanadis’ ruby-colored pupils stared straight at Tigre. The youth turned to Lim seemingly requesting her help. However, Lim too requested an explanation from Tigre with her gaze. Tigre answered as he gave up.

“It’s because I didn’t like it. It doesn’t match my nature. Are you dissatisfied with this reply?”

“No, it’s enough.”

Rather, as she greatly nodded as that was exactly what she thought, too, Elen stood up and went around behind Tigre. She sat down so as to lean her back against the youth’s. Her warmth and weight were transmitted to Tigre through his clothes.

“Even I didn’t like her suggestion. Though there’s also the fact that it runs against my principles, more than that, I can’t trust her. For example, supposing that the enemy has prepared 100 soldiers, there’s no guarantee that Valentina would escape with you and me after I killed the enemy General.”

“As expected, I don’t think that she’d do something so vicious, wouldn’t she?”

Although Tigre said that, he had no confidence. He knew nothing about her after all.

“And in the case that that came to light, the honor of Lord Tigrevurmud and Eleonora-sama would be ruined as despicable persons. The reason of the winner may get by for a time. There’ll be also people who will shout that the victor is definitely right. However, such a thing will by no means last for long.”

Lim unusually raised her voice. Quiet anger was dwelling in her blue pupils.

“The terror of a bad reputation will become a fatal blow not when one wins, but when one leaves an opening. As for me, I do not want you two to be burdened with something like that.”

At the same time as Lim finished speaking, Elen pushed her back.

“Honestly, I’m glad that you rejected her suggestion.”

After saying so, Elen smiled at her blond adjutant.

“Come on Lim, how about you show your feelings with action? Since your words from just now were plentiful after all.”

Lim did not return Elen’s words, but she quietly stood up and walked up to Tigre. She went down on her knees there and patted the youth’s head. As to say “you did well”.

While his face turned bright red, Tigre however stayed as is between the two girls.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

The day dawned. The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army did not move out of their camp, nor showed any signs of moving.

On the hilltop, Kreuger who received that report from his adjutant lost himself in thought.

''---Does this mean that they’re waiting for reinforcements while letting the soldiers rest?''

“Shall we try to go on to the enemy?”

The adjutant asked. By that, he meant to provoke the enemy by stone-throwing, crossbows, abuse and the like. However, Kreuger shook his head.

“Let’s watch the situation for the time being. Don’t neglect the check and watch.”

By check, he meant the checking of all the equipment/devices inside the Hill Fort. The adjutant responded with a bow.

At this time, Kreuger had not yet made up his mind.

That day, not even one skirmish occurred sunset.

When the day was about to go down, Tigre left the camp and walked towards the river nearby.

He intended to bathe. Valentina’s suggestion last night still left a heavy feeling of antagonism in Tigre’s heart. Although afterwards, an alternate plan was presented by her and he accepted it.

If he drank alcohol and got drunk, he might feel refreshed to some extent; but a supreme commander could not afford to get drunk in the face of an enemy. In that case, he thought that he should take a bath; he had told Titta and Mashas about it.

''---It’d be good if I were to consult with Lord Mashas, but…''

Tigre, Elen and Lim were the only persons who knew about Valentina’s first suggestion. It was not something that could be told to anyone with only the {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}’s power as the reason why.

The river could be seen. Although a grassy plain was spread in this area, there were shrubs and bushes near the river. In order to avoid public gazes, Tigre set foot in the area with shrubs.

Suddenly, Tigre knitted his brows. He heard the sound of water. It’d be fine if it was a beast’s doing, but there was also the possibility that someone has come to bathe just like him.

Tigre quietly left the place. He went about 20 Alsins (about 20 meter) downstream.

When he confirmed that he did not hear the sound of water, he took off his clothes. After undressing, he sat down on the riverside. When he scooped up water and poured it on his chest, it was cold, but not to the point where he could not endure.

After having sprinkled water on his body several times, Tigre set foot in the river. He let his body sink little by little and was soaked until his shoulders. He often swam and dove in rivers even in Alsace.

When he put water on himself from head to toe, stretched out his body and swam, he finally felt refreshed.

He then raised his body. He did not swum for that long, but it was probably enough given his current position.

Suddenly, an especially strong wind blew. The water’s surface made a boisterous noise and Tigre couldn’t help but curl himself up. The youth noticed that something white was washed away from upstream. It was one size smaller than a clenched fist.

As Tigre pushed his way through the water and approached it, he casually picked it up.

“A rose…?”

As he observed it thinking that it was rare, it was an artificial flower. Many petals made of something appearing to be silk were attached on a thin flat stone.

“Why is such a thing…”

Tigre cocked his head in puzzlement. Although the fact that an artificial flower was washed away was strange, it had a structure that Tigre did not know of. Titta had made an artificial flower before, but it was not like this. Though this was made using stone, it was light enough to float on water.

Though he thought about what he should do, Tigre got out of the river holding it. It was then that the sound of footsteps as someone was running was approaching.

One woman appeared from the shade of the shrubs. Tigre stood stock still on the spot with his eyes wide opened. Although he was also surprised that the woman was Valentina, she was not wearing anything. The black-haired Vanadis’s white naked body was exposed before the youth’s eyes.

Her wet long hair clung from her shoulders to her chest and two hills were bouncing under there. Her waist was thin and her legs which extended from her round buttocks gave a flexible impression.

Her perfectly balanced beauty could be found there.

“Oh my”

Similarly, Valentina seemed to be also surprised by Tigre’s presence. But, earlier than being bashful, she was looking at the youth’s body with admiration. Tigre was also naked.

Tigre hurriedly turned his back on Valentina. However, it was too late in various ways. Her naked body has already been etched into his mind and did not look like it would easily disappear. In addition, the various reactions that Tigre’s body showed have also been reflected in Valentina eyes.

“S-Sorry…! I didn’t mean to do such a thing…”

Before he finished speaking, Tigre felt the sensation of a cold metal on the nape of his neck. As he moved only his gaze, a huge red and black curved blade came in from the side and touched his chest.

“…Did you see?”

A stifled low voice could be heard from behind. Tigre answered “yes”. His body has already answered honestly after all, so he had no other choice but admit it.

“It’s good that you’re honest. Now then, what should I do?”

The scythe went down little by little while keeping a distance at whether it would touch Tigre’s skin or not. It stopped at the area of his waist.

“Whatever the circumstances, a punishment is necessary after all; so shall I cut down here?”

Tigre’s whole body grew pale. Nonetheless, a part of his body was tinged with heat.

One wrong move and it might really be cut with the scythe. As he could not move at all, the scythe suddenly went away.

“It’s only a joke. Please, give me what you hold in your hand.”

A bright voice reached his back. As Tigre held the artificial flower in his right hand, he carefully turned behind.

The artificial flower parted from the youth’s hand. Tigre then asked as he regained his composure to some extent.

“Was it yours?”

“Yes. The wind blew and it had inadvertently dropped into the river… And I came to pick it up in a hurry. I did not think that you would possibly be there.”

After apologizing once again by saying “sorry”, Tigre realized a certain thing and asked.

“Um, where did your {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} come from…?”

After a slight pause, Valentina answered. Rather than having thought about something, she did not seem to be able to guess the meaning of the question.

“I had explained it in the war council, hadn’t I? If the Vanadis calls for it, the {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} will appear in her hand no matter how far it is.”

Now that she mentions it, she did say that; Tigre remembered. Precisely because Elen also confirmed it, he accepted Valentina’s second suggestion.

“Still, I guess that artificial flower is very important to you…”

Tigre’s words paused there. This was because he felt that the presence behind him had gone away.

“I guess there’ll be no problem if I dry it. As thanks for having picked it up, I will leave this matter as is without question.”

Along with her voice, the sound of footsteps faded away little by little. Tigre unintentionally asked.

“I am thankful for that, but are you fine with that…?”

“Let’s both keep silent about it. It’s enough like that, isn’t it? Since similarly to your body, you are someone who cannot tell lies.”

Tigre blushed as he was teased.

“I'm counting on you to properly take care of the rest.”

Leaving behind a bright voice as if it was nothing, Valentina walked away. After her presence completely disappeared, Tigre once again soaked in the river for the time being.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

It was about when the day had gone down that a messenger of the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army showed up in the Hill Fort. At this time, Kreuger was having a slightly early evening meal. His meal’s contents were: bread, dried meat and wheat rice porridge with dried vegetables.

As he had eaten about half of the wheat rice porridge, Kreuger stopped his hand which moved the wooden spoon.

This wheat rice porridge was made using the wheat harvested in Brune. When he ate it for the first time, Kreuger was assailed by a fresh surprise.

Wheat could hardly be harvested in Sachstein. Instead, oats could be harvested abundantly.

Oat rice porridge had a bitter taste. Even when one ground them and ate them with bread, the bitter taste would not disappear. But, Kreuger had been eating it as if it was something natural.

When he emptied the wooden bowl containing the wheat rice porridge, Kreuger received a report from his adjutant. At this time for the first time, he got to know the official name of the enemy army which he was fighting.

However, for Kreuger, such a thing did not matter. He was attacked by a surprise that was far more incomparable than that.

“Vanadis…?”

He said that it was a young, beautiful girl who came as a messenger. And that she had long black hair reaching to her waist, and wore a white dress not suitable on a battlefield and carried a scythe with red and black colors on her shoulder.

“Except the ominous scythe, she looks like a noble lady.”

Was the report of the soldier who interacted with her. Kreuger frowned.

“Wasn’t there another girl, one with silver hair?”

“There was, but…”

There was clear confusion in the adjutant’s voice.

It was said that two girls had appeared in a place about 200 Alsins away from the Hill Fort. Both were on horseback and the soldiers who saw them could not uniformly hide their surprise.

Regarding Elen, there were many soldiers who had seen her figure on the battlefield. However, it was the first time for them seeing Valentina.

Unlike Elen who wore armor, although a light one, Valentina wore a white dress. She also rode her horse sideways<ref> http://875357559f655c0fd9842374.eventingnation.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/DSC_0148.jpg looks something like this – DualxBlades </ref> and even the weapon she carried on her shoulder was a boorish scythe which was puzzling.

Elen did not move from the spot; only Valentina got down from her horse and walked. And, she announced that she was a messenger.

''---So, the silver-haired girl acts as the guard, huh.''

It was a common thing, secretly killing a messenger who was inconvenient for his army and burying their corpse, and then insisting towards the other party that no messenger came. The silver-haired girl watching from a distance probably meant that they would not forgive such a means.

''---Which means that if I do something careless, I will completely make an enemy out of Zhcted, huh?''

Kreuger lost himself in thought while rolling the dices in his hand. He hesitated to send the messenger away without meeting her. Above all, he was concerned about the fact that not a Brune person, but a Zhcted person showed up as a messenger. He was interested in what they would say in the war of another country.

“Fine. Keep hold of her weapon and let her through here.”

Kreuger waited for the other party in a tent stretched at the hilltop.

The black-haired Vanadis appeared before long. Kreuger fixedly stared at her. Though there was also the fact that he was captivated by her beauty, he was dumbfounded by the fact that she was really wearing a dress.

“Did you perhaps sneak out of a dance party?”

“You may find it surprising, but this is my military outfit. I would choose a more gorgeous dress for a dance party. Should an opportunity arise, I would like to show it to you.”

She answered without erasing her smile and introduced herself as Valentina Glinka Estes; that she was a Vanadis of Zhcted. By the way, the conversation was carried out in Brune’s language.

''---I have heard about that name.''

Kreuger had actually never seen Valentina.

The reason why he thought Elen was a Vanadis was because he saw her way of fighting. However, a warrior-like atmosphere could not be felt at all from Valentina. Even regarding the weapons, in contrast with Elen’s weapon which was a long sword, it was said that Valentina’s was a scythe.

''---Isn’t a large sickle (scythe) a farm tool?''

Hiding his doubt and suspicion behind a smile, Kreuger asked in a casual tone.

“I saw a beautiful silver-haired woman in the battlefield the other day though.”

“She is called Eleonora Viltaria, also a Vanadis of my country.”

“Then, are you saying that out of the proud Vanadises of Zhcted, two are actually in Brune?”

“We two are indeed here.”

Kreuger deliberately showed that he was surprised, but Valentina did not fall for it as she broadly smiled as is.

''---She’s really something being able to smile without breaking her calm attitude while being in the midst of the enemy.''

Whether or not Valentina was a Vanadis aside, Kreuger recognized only that point.

“I am sorry for not being able to provide a decent hospitality as we are in such a place. Though it may be sudden, may I ask for what kind of business you have come here for?”

“I came to advise you people to surrender.”

Valentina answered. She insisted as to persuade him that because they were many brave soldiers in Brune that blame the Sachstein army’s injustice and loved justice and peace, they should hurriedly withdraw.

Though Kreuger did not change his facial expression, he could not inwardly suppress his disappointment and sneer.

He mocked Valentina about whether she came all the way here just to say such foolish things. He even wondered whether she was an insolent noble lady with just beauty as her redeeming feature.

As he waited for Valentina to finish speaking, Kreuger answered with a smile.

“I have heard your valuable words, but we also have our own troubles. You should go back.”

“Those troubles, may I ask what they are?”

Valentina asked. Rather than doggedly opposing it, it seemed that she asked it as she really did not know. Even so, Kreuger, not immediately replying, thought for a short while.

“Among those from the royal family, there is someone called Melisande. If times had not changed, she might have succeeded the previous King, His Majesty Faron and be governing this country.”

“Lady Melisande? What kind of relationship does she have with Princess Regin?”

Kreuger frowned. Valentina’s way of asking questions was too innocent and she really did not seem to know.

But, that rather aroused Kreuger’s wariness. Be it her white dress or her way of talking, he doubted whether all of that was not an act.

“She is Lady Regin’s cousin, and was the late Duke Thenardier’s wife.”

“Was Sachstein relied on by that person?”

“That’s right. Lady Regin governs Brune, but there are many mysterious points about her. For example, the fact that she was brought up as a Prince until two years ago. Also that she was recognized as a Princess by an oracle or something to succeed this country as King Faron’s successor.”

“When you say oracle, I cannot say anything. Especially since my country and Brune believes in the same gods.”

A smile appeared on Kreuger’s lips. It was not a bad way of escaping. He would probably say the same thing even if he was in her position. There was nothing as convenient to use as the gods.

“However, Lady Melisande was suspicious of it. As I said just now, Lady Melisande has legitimacy for sure. Precisely because we believe so, we have moved soldiers for her. In order to expel Princess Regin and make Lady Melisande Brune’s true ruler.”

“I see. So that’s it.”

Valentina struck her hand as to say that she understood. Kreuger was going to call a soldier to make her return. However, the black-haired Vanadis opened her mouth earlier than that.

“I have another thing I would like to talk about, but could you hear it?”

Kreuger squinted his eyes and returned his gaze to her.

“What is it?”

“It is a talk as a messenger of Zhcted.”

Valentina answered without erasing her smile. Kreuger frowned once again.

Her smile did not change even one bit, too. However, a clear change occurred in the atmosphere she was wearing. Kreuger inquired the other party’s reaction by playing dumb.

“If it is about the advice of surrender, I have just listened to it though.”

“That was the message as the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army’s messenger.”

To Valentina’s reply, Kreuger rebuild his posture. He stared at her.

“Let me hear it.”

“I will go right to the point. Could my country and Sachstein share Brune’s land?”

Kreuger opened his eyes wide. He did think about it as one possibility, but he did not think that they would really do that suggestion.

“Isn’t Zhcted a friendly country to Brune?”

“Of course. But regarding the friendship, if there are the ones which last long, there are also those which doesn’t. Especially between a country and a country.”

“What is the reason for you to join hands with my country?”

“There are too many obstacles for Zhcted alone to cut Brune’s territory. Of course Brune will resist; but including your country, the neighboring countries such as Muozinel and Asvarre will interfere right? In that case, it would be better for us to join forces with one of those countries. Am I wrong?”

“Why with my country and not with Muozinel or Asvarre?”

“We are fighting Muozinel on land and we have trouble with Asvarre in the sea. Fortunately, we have no antagonism with your country. There is also the fact that we do not share a border.”

Kreuger took a small breath. He poured forth questions in succession, but Valentina answered all of them without faltering. And all her answers had a persuasive power at that.

''---So this out-of-place dress and her large sickle are things to deceive the beholder, huh.''

“Which means that you’re betraying Tigrevurmud Vorn?”

As Kreuger said as to make sure, Valentina shook her head.

“No, Earl Vorn is already a Zhcted person, after all.”

Kreuger raised a “hou” voice as he seemed to be surprised.

“This is the first time I’ve heard about that.”

“Ostensibly, he is still a Brune noble after all. I have no evidence that I can show, but I can explain it.”

Kreuger urged her to go on by nodding.

“Two years ago, after this country’s civil war ended, Earl Vorn stayed in Zhcted as a guest General and Alsace that he’s governing became a condominium of Brune and Zhcted. Do you know about that?”

Kreuger nodded. He had investigated about it to that extent.

“At that time, the preparations for welcoming him as a person of my country have already been done. Just like how you people had your troubles regarding Lady Melisande, we have planned to shave off Brune little by little as a state ceremony of Earl Vorn’s existence.”

Tigrevurmud Vorn was a man with a strong sense of justice and a person who loved his homeland. He was a man who could not help taking action if danger fell upon Brune.

And, if he asked, Zhcted was ready to move as mercenaries. Of course since they are mercenaries, they would not just work for free.

Valentina talked fluently and added.

“We were also planning to step onto the stage and make Alsace a territory of our country. After all, if we were to immediately make it a territory of our country, it would cause a backlash. In addition, as expected Earl Vorn also has a profound attachment to the land where he was born and raised.”

“I see. It’s an interesting talk.”

It was a talk that Kreuger could consent with.

In the first place, in the civil war two years ago, why did a Vanadis of Zhcted lend her power to a small noble who had only a territory in the frontier? He could only think that she used Tigre as an excuse to intervene. In fact, Zhcted obtained the land of Agnes and jointly manages Alsace.

He could also understand if thinking that Tigre also staying in Zhcted as a guest General was a foundation made so that he became a person of Zhcted.

“Do you know of this? Last year, Earl Vorn was requested by His Majesty King Victor and proceeded to Asvarre who was in the midst of a civil war.”

Of course, Kreuger knew of it. For Sachstein, the Asvarre Kingdom was an opponent whom they had a deep connection with. Regarding the civil war in that country, there was no one among the Generals of Sachstein who did not try to investigate about that.

“Although a request of a King of one country, why do you think that Earl Vorn, who is a person of a foreign country, had undertaken it? It was in order to prove that he is a person who pledge allegiance to Zhcted. To that end, the more dangerous the duty, the better. Earl Vorn had always wished for such a duty.”

When Valentina finished speaking, silence fell within the tent. But, it was just for a really short time. The gray-haired Sachstein General looked at Valentina.

Kreuger inspected in his head what she told one by one. There was no contradiction with what he knew. Rather, he was able to understand the reason why Zhcted lent their power to Tigre and why Tigre cooperated with Zhcted and proceeded to Asvarre.

He jumped to Asvarre which was in chaos and ran through battlefields. If he went to such an extent, even the people of Zhcted would recognize Tigre. There was also a rumor that he rescued a Vanadis.

“So that’s why Zhcted taking advantage of this opportunity and is trying to shave off Brune’s territory, huh.”

In that case, he could also understand why they were two Vanadises here.

“As I said just now, it’ll depend on how you will move.”

Valentina revealed a smile.

“If what Sachstein sets up were to be just skirmishes, you will make Brune indebted to you. In case that I judge that it is a full-scale invasion and that Brune cannot resist, I will take back this proposal.”

Kreuger hesitated. Valentina’s proposal was attractive. Certainly, if he were to obtain Zhcted’s cooperation, the future battles would become favorable.

“I would like to confirm it once more. Do you people intend to destroy Brune?”

“As I’ve also said a while ago, we intended to go little by little. I wondered whether you people also do not intend to destroy it.”

“For the time being, we intended to take the west and the south.”

This was because if they were to extend their hands to the north and the east, they would share borders with the two countries Zhcted and Muozinel. It was not that good a thing for Sachstein. Until they held down/controlled Asvarre, they did not want to have their enemies increase too much.

“We are demanding the north and the east.”

If they got their hands on the northern part, Zhcted would get a hold of their long-cherished port which did not freeze even in the winter. The eastern part’s fertile earth was also precious.

“Wouldn’t it better for us to leave you some parts just to the extent where both our national borders do not come in contact without whittling off the whole Brune? In so doing, you will be able to achieve your duty towards Lady Melisande.”

“That’s an interesting suggestion.”

Kreuger laughed in a low voice. But, he immediately returned to a serious expression.

“However, I wonder whether your words are to be trusted. If I believe what I’ve just heard, I cannot find a lie in them.”

If Valentina’s words were true, accepting this proposal would be the greatest achievement for Kreuger. For that reason alone, he had to deal with this carefully.

“Well then, how about we do like this? ──Tomorrow night, I will cause a commotion in the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army’s camp. I can even give rise to flames.”

Valentina was saying that she would create confusion in her ally camp.

“May I make another demand?”

“Please, go on.”

“Before that confusion, could I have you, the other Vanadis or Earl Vorn come to my army?”

“Then, I will come.”

Valentina easily consented.

Thus, the black-haired Vanadis returned to the camp of the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

The following day, too, there was not a big fight. It was to the degree of a skirmish set by Sachstein side. The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}}’ forces were going to fight back immediately, but because the Sachstein side immediately pulled back, it had ended with only them growing irritated.

There was no conspicuous movement from the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army. It was only to the extent that cavalrymen who, were probably sent for reconnaissance, were going around the Hill Fort. They were probably searching for whether there was an opening somewhere.

The sun passed the zenith and went down to the west, and the sky was covered with darkness little by little. It was about one koku after the day had set that Valentina showed up at the Hill Fort.

“Thank you for waiting.”

“You must be tired, right? How about you take a rest on the hill?”

Kreuger finally trusted the black-haired Vanadis. Even if this night attack ended in failure, he would still have a Vanadis in his hands. Wasn’t it enough of a harvest?

Suddenly, Kreuger took out the two dices that he kept inside the sleeve of his clothes.

Should he try rolling them here and now? He understood that it wouldn’t necessarily be exactly as what was wanted. His feelings were the problem.

He held his breath. His heartbeat could be heard awfully greatly.

Making up his mind, Kreuger rolled the dices on the ground. The numbers which appeared were 2 and 3. It was an odd number.

Kreuger took a small breath. Before he had noticed, sweat was blurred on his forehead. It looked like he was fairly tense.

''---But, like this it’ll go smoothly.''

Kreuger put the dices back inside his sleeves. He called his adjutant and ordered him to increase the guard of the place where Valentina was.

“Have 100 people stand guard. Deploy them in every key point so that she doesn’t escape.”

“Is it necessary to go to such an extent? Even though we keep her weapon.”

The adjutant looked puzzled. What he was skeptical about was the fact that, in addition to Valentina’s attire which was a dress treated with flowers, he has not seen her fighting style. The adjutant was thinking that even if an unexpected situation occurred and she was to resist, they might hold her with even ten people.

“It’s just to be safe. Perhaps she might be an excellent warrior at the same level as that silver-haired Vanadis. Even if it isn’t the case, that girl has that much value.”

Afterwards, Sachstein soldiers came out of the Hill Fort one after another under the cover of darkness. So as to not be seen by the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army, other than those for Valentina’s lookout, they left 500 soldiers and made them stand in a conspicuous place.

After nearly half a koku, a little over 18000 Sachstein soldiers unfolded around the Hill Fort. Their helmets, chain mails, spears and short swords were also covered with mud; their faces, too.

Because chain mails made noise, they were not suitable for a night attack. Aware of that, Kreuger let the soldiers put on chain mail. This was because on this occasion, he did not intend to let the soldiers attack.

The plan was that after confusion occurred in the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army’s camp, the Sachstein army would take that opportunity and charge. There was the calculation that the fact of hearing a sound would be able to give fear to the enemy.

When about half a koku had passed, the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army’s camp suddenly became bright; that it was in flames could clearly be seen. Several screams of confusion resounded and dancing shadows of people could be seen.

“Charge!”

In the center of the Sachstein army, Kreuger shouted. If things went well, they might be able to annihilate the enemy in this one night. In doing so, they might abandon the Hill Fort and even join with Schmidt.

The Sachstein soldiers raised battle cries, tightly grasped their spear or short sword and ran through the grassy plain at night. It was expected that the combined chorus of more than 18000 chain mails echoing would spread a new confusion in the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army’s camp.

It was at that time that an unusual phenomenon occurred ahead of their gazes.

From within the camp, battle cries not at all inferior to those of the Sachstein army were raised. The Brune soldiers who should have been in confusion had spears and set up shields, ambushing the Sachstein soldiers.

Holes were dug in the ground, oil was scattered and the Sachstein soldiers who rushingly charged faltered as they received a severe surprise attack.

“Shoot!”

The Zhcted soldiers, who were lying hidden in the darkness away from the camp, poured down arrows on the Sachstein soldiers. Because they shot them low so as not to roll up their allies, there were more arrows that dropped on the ground than the ones that hit. However, it was enough to let the Sachstein soldiers fall into chaos.

While the flames flickered, the Brune soldiers fiercely attacked the Sachstein soldiers. They slashed at them with swords, stabbed them with spears and struck with maces to the best of their power. There were also those who hit them with clubs lit with fire.

The Sachstein soldiers desperately fought back, but because they hadn’t yet recovered from their agitation, there was no force in their counterattack. When it comes to crossing swords, they were being pushed back. Meanwhile, arrows flew from the side and the rear.

While being illuminated by the fire, the Sachstein soldiers were falling down one after another.

“We’ve been tricked, huh…!”

To the ghastly situation unfolding before his eyes, Kreuger made a low groan. He had been deceived by Valentina.

Angry roars, screams, and the sound of swords crossing were sucked up within the night’s darkness together with the smoke. There was a silver-haired girl boldly riding a horse within the flames and cutting down the Sachstein soldiers one after another. It was Elen.

''--- Vanadis…!''

While wielding her long sword, Elen looked around. Her eyes met with Kreuger. Suddenly, the silver-haired Vanadis fiercely rode her horse.

Elen did not know Kreuger’s face. However, she noticed that soldiers were standing so as to protect him. It was enough to judge that he was someone in a high position.

“Your Excellency. Please escape.”

When the adjutant said so, Elen was shortening the distance. Before her slash, spears and chain mails looked like a child’s toy. The tips of spears were sent flying and chain mails were cut and torn down along with the bodies. It looked like there was no one able to stop her now.

Kreuger had no choice but to draw his sword. Elen narrowed down the distance.

Silver sparks scattered along with a shock. Kreuger repelled the blow brought down from horseback. Numbness remained in his hand and the gray-haired General, although he dipped his body in tension, shouted to Elen.

“It looks like in Zhcted a Vanadis’ life is quite light! To think that one would be used and then thrown away in such a battlefield.”

“That’s just your belief.”

Elen heartily laughed without being shaken.

“Man of Sachstein! My name is Eleonora Viltaria. With my name and LeitMeritz’s military power as a souvenir, you should run back to your native land!”

They clashed swords once again. A shrill metallic sound resounded in the depths of Kreuger’s ears. Kreuger was forced to recognize Elen’s ability.

A Sachstein soldier raised a wordless cry and attacked Elen. At that opportunity, Kreuger went away from Elen. He desperately ran in the darkness.

At that time, an arrow flew from somewhere. The arrow bounced back as it hit Kreuger’s helmet. Kreuger’s body staggered. But, he did not fall to the ground.

Kreuger kept running as is and succeeded in withdrawing from the battlefield.

The Sachstein army which found itself in a pincer attack from the front and rear was torn asunder and stampeded. The enemy’s numbers from the front and rear, even if summed up, were fewer than theirs; but those who understood that were a small fraction.

When Elen made Kreuger take flight, Tigre hurried to the Hill Fort leading 2000 horsemen of the Scheie Knight Squadron.

They had to rescue Valentina who was left as a hostage.

“Charge!”

To Tigre’s shout, the Scheie Knight Squadron answered with angry roars. They galloped letting the horses’ hooves roar.

There was only a sporadic resistance from the Hill Fort. Although there were people who were hit by bolts from crossbows and fell from their horses, the majority destroyed the fences and jumped into the Hill Fort. Tigre also rushed into the Hill Fort while being protected by the Knights.

Bonfires were lit in various places of the Hill Fort and the shadows of people were busily moving around them. It was a suitable situation for Tigre. Whenever the sound of the bowstring resounded, Sachstein soldiers fell down on the hill one after another.

The Scheie Knight Squadron showed ferocity as to release their anger of these past several days. When they went down from their horses, they brandished their swords in spite of their armor’s weight and ran up the hill. They cut down the Sachstein soldiers.

“It looks like the enemy is quite confused.”

While going up the stairs of earth and approaching the top, Tigre knitted his brows. He was worried about the fact that the hilltop was in flames.

“Valentina!”

He shouted the name of the girl who should have been held hostage.

“Yes.”

Tigre was surprised at the fact that a reply came immediately near him. When he looked back, Valentina wearing a dress covered in mud was standing there.

She had said that she would safely sneak away, but he did not think that she would have already gone down to such a place.

“Don’t tell me you use your {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}…?”

When he asked that in a low voice, Valentina cutely tilted her head to the side.

“I said that that is very tiring, right? I did not use it.”

The black-haired Vanadis approached Tigre and whispered in his ear.

“I will specially tell you. I set it on fire.”<ref> ‘it’ refers to the Hill Fort </ref>

“Set fire? How?”

There was no way that Sachstein would allow her to be in possession of something that can ignite.

“Haven’t you noticed something when looking at me?”

When she said that, Tigre fixedly stared at her face. He shook his head. Then, Valentina chuckled and said.

“Please, look at my whole body.”

Tigre carefully looked at Valentina from head to toe. Although his eyes have long since gotten used to the darkness, it was hard to tell in a situation where there was only the light of the moon, the stars and the far-off fire. Even so, Tigre noticed a certain thing. There weren’t any roses decorated on her dress.

“No way, did you use those artificial roses?”

“That’s correct.”

As she chuckled, Valentina pointed at her dress with a finger.

“With two cores, that burns well when you place it between petals and rubbed them together.”

Tigre was dumbfounded. When he had picked up that artificial flower, he had thought that it was something unusual; but he did not notice it at all.

Valentina who was led inside the Sachstein army’s camp entrusted the scythe, which was her {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}, to them and was taken into a tent on the hill. Although she was not restrained, she was told to wait for Kreuger’s return there.

There was only a chair, a table and wine in the tent. Outside the tent, ten soldiers alternately stood guard over her, and moreover another 90 soldiers were on alert in various places of the Hill Fort. Valentina had taken off the roses from her dress with a casual gesture and rubbed them together in her skirt.

“There were things such as a pillow and a chair which seemed to be able to burn, so I started smoke with them. I slipped out of the tent under the cover of the commotion and went down the slope. I also have the possibility to summon my {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} at hand, but then I will have to literally cut my way through.”

The fact of having put 100 people standing watch was a misfortune for the Sachstein side. The sudden fire and smoke accelerated their confusion.

As she finished explaining, Valentina stared at Tigre with a wondering face.

“Still, you really came to rescue me.”

“Obviously!”

Tigre had promised to Valentina that he would immediately rush to the Hill Fort as soon as they defeated the Sachstein army. At that time, the black-haired Vanadis laughed and nodded; but judging from her way of talking now, she did not seem to expect him to really do it.

After Valentina smiled with one not knowing what she was thinking, she suddenly leaned coquettishly against the youth. Tigre asked her in panic.

“What’s the matter? Are you injured somewhere──”

“I’ve gotten tired.”

In a tone which did not sound that way, Valentina answered.

“I have talked about the fact that I have a weak constitution, right? Please, carry me on your back.”

“…Could we leave it for later?”

Tigre asked her with a troubled face. There were still arrows remaining in his quiver. The fight between the Scheie Knight Squadron and the Sachstein soldiers was also going on. It didn’t look like he would take a breather until they made them (Sachstein soldiers) surrender or wipe them out.

“Snatching your subordinates’ achievements? I cannot say that you are a good commander, eh.”

While coiling her thin arms around Tigre’s neck, Valentina argued vehemently. In fact, the fight was proceeding in favor of the Scheie Knight Squadron.

“…I got it.”

Tigre could not help but carry Valentina on his back. He thought that it might not look like it but she might really be tired. He thought that he must take her to a safe place for the time being.

''---Speaking of the nearest safe place from here, it would be the top…''

There were still enemies in the top’s vicinity, but there were many allies, too. On the other hand, if leaving the Hill Fort, the whole area was wrapped in darkness. There was also the possibility that Sachstein soldiers who did not lose their fighting spirit were lying hidden.

Because she wore only a dress, Valentina’s soft body was pressed onto his back. Though Tigre wore leather armor, he could feel elasticity even from above it.

When they arrived at a place only slightly away from the top, Valentina suddenly asked.

“By the way, why did you accept my second suggestion?”

“Because I thought it’d go well.”

Tigre answered with a serious face. Then he added “however” with a difficult expression.

“If I didn’t know about your {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}’s ability, I’d have probably rejected it.”

The problematic point in this plan was the part where Valentina said that she would remain in the Sachstein’s camp as hostage when the other party requested a compensation to merited their trust. Of course, there was no guarantee that she would have come back safe from there. Not to mention that she could have been killed; there was no doubt that she would have thoroughly been put to shame if she got caught right.

But, Valentina had Ezendeis with which she could travel to another place in an instant. Although her safety was guaranteed, even with that Tigre thought that he might at least bet on it.

“But, this is the last time I accept this kind of plan. It’s dangerous judging from the way how you escape.”

“How rude.”

Valentina lifted her right arm and pinched Tigre’s ear.

The youth raised a short scream.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

The darkness covering the sky gradually faded and the day was about to dawn.

Under the indigo blue sky, Sachstein soldiers dragging their exhausted bodies looked like black shadows.

While reorganizing his army’s troops, Kreuger chose soldiers who still had a lot of physical strength, and organized reconnaissance units and sent them one after another. He was covered with blood and mud and was exhausted; but there were a lot of things he had to do before taking a rest.

Currently, Kreuger’s army was to the south about 10 Belsta (about 10 km) away from the battlefield. The number of soldiers following Kreuger was approximately 13000. Which meant that he lost 30% of his soldiers in one night.

''---No, it’d be better to think that it was somewhat larger than approximately 1000.''

Adding in those who had fled during the night battle, the soldiers who lost sight of their allies within the darkness and confusion should have not been small in number. Because a grassy plain with gentle ups and downs was spread in this area, it would not be difficult to find their figures.

Even if they suffered a crushing defeat, the soldiers still followed Kreuger. There was probably the fact that it was because they were in a foreign land, but this General with a commoner origin had earned popularity from the soldiers.

The reconnaissance units returned before long. According to their reports, it seemed that the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army had hardly moved from the battlefield. Looking up at the east sky which had turned grey, Kreuger began to ponder.

“Now then, I wonder how the enemy will move. Will they come chasing us, or head to the capital? Or will they go to the west in order to stop Schmidt-dono…?”

They would probably come chasing after them. Although their number was reduced, the number of Sachstein troops present here exceeded 10000. There was no way that the Brune army would leave them as is.

Kreuger had long since decided about his army’s action.

“We will go to the south.”

Kreuger’s army existed at the south side in order to attract the enemy. If the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army went south as they pursued Kreuger’s army, the enemy would become more distant from Schmidt’s army.

Besides, for Kreuger, there was a problem which he couldn’t ignore. They left food and fuel in the Hill Fort. Thus, by abandoning the Hill Fort, they lost it.

To satisfy the hunger of about 10000 soldiers, just attacking villages and towns would not be enough. It would probably last one or two days, but it would quickly run out. They only had two choices: either waiting for it to be sent by Nemetacum and the port towns group, or defeating the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army and taking it back.

While looking up at the sun which gradually rose, Kreuger’s army advanced to the south through the highway.

As they entered a region called Bauval plain, Kreuger stopped the march. Other than one small, flat hill, it was a ground where a grassy plain was spread as far as one looked around. He decided to wait for the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army in this place.

As they checked their weapons, there were enough spears and short swords; but the number of crossbows did not reach 1000. Bolts were even fewer as their number did not reach even 500. As they were heavy, many crossbows were thrown away during the flight.

As expected, Kreuger was depressed, but they could not afford to go recover them. They would have probably been picked up already by the enemy. He only had to think about how to fight in this situation.

The soldiers that he could deploy on the hill were at most around 500. Kreuger set up camps respectively on the top and the foot of the hill. He once again sent reconnaissance units to the north and south.

''---As scheduled, food should arrive from Nemetacum tomorrow.''

Then today, a group of horses loaded with food and water should arrive at this place which was to the south nearly 20 Belsta (about 20 km) away from the Hill Fort.

However, Kreuger did not inform the soldiers of that. In case an accident occurred and they were late, the soldiers’ morale would fall at a stretch.

While letting the soldiers rest at the foot of the hill, the gray-haired General called two subordinates.

“I will give each of you funds, food and soldiers.”

He ordered one to head to Schmidt’s army and tell him about the current situation.

“Listen well. You should absolutely report that the Zhcted army is participating in the war and that they are two Vanadises.”

Then, he ordered the other subordinate to head to the Capital Nice.

“I don’t mind what kind of means you use. Spread the rumor that ‘Tigrevurmud Vorn is a puppet of the Zhcted Kingdom and he intends to hand over Brune’s territory to Zhcted’ in the Capital. Make it so that it reaches the ears of every person from royalty and titled nobility to commoner.”

Valentina’s scheme made Kreuger come up with this plan. If a crack arose between the Capital and Tigre, the future battles should become advantageous.

As he sent his subordinates as such, Kreuger looked up at the clear blue sky. He talked to himself.

“One day…”

Just one day is fine. Food, time and enough material for one day.

If only he had that, he could make even this small hill into a strong fortress. There were many drawings in accordance with the size and shape of the hill in Kreuger’s head. If he was able to build up a Hill Fort, there was no way that he would lose whether the enemy was Brune’s Knight Squadrons or the Zhcted army.

However, there were no materials. Even if there were, he couldn’t make the soldiers work in this situation. They were tired, and it would be the wrong cause of their demise if they could not move when they had to fight.

After about half a koku, the reconnaissance unit sent to the south returned.

“A unit with food and water from Nemetacum are heading this way!”

A smile giving way to joy appeared on the face of the soldier who made the report. Although Kreuger stopped at only nodding composedly, he inwardly shared the same feeling, too.

However, he couldn’t just be happy. The reconnaissance unit which headed to the north also returned, but they reported as followed.

“The enemy is heading this way. We estimate their number to be less than 10000.”

Kreuger who received that report on the hill looked hard at the north direction. Far away in the distance, something like a lump of black cotton could be seen. It was probably the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army.

“They came, huh. But, it’s not bad.”

As Kreuger muttered, he issued instructions so that the soldiers were told that food and water would arrive before long. And also that the enemy was approaching.

“The Brune and Zhcted people (army) probably wouldn’t give us time to eat a meal. Tell all the soldiers. ──Win and survive; in order to satisfy your hunger and thirst and to dispel the humiliation.”

Before long, ferocious battle cries were raised from the camp of Kreuger’s army.

The Sachstein army’s battle cries reached up to the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army as they (cries) rode upon the winds.

After having taken the Hill Fort, the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} had rest and food by turns. Then, they reorganized the troops, left the Hill Fort to 1000 soldiers and pursued the Sachstein army. Although they took a rest, the soldiers were dirty with mud, sweat and blood as they didn’t have any room to take a bath or wipe their bodies.

“Their morale is quite high.”

Tigre who rode a horse at the vanguard of the army knitted his brows. It was not that welcomed a thing that the enemy still had fighting spirit. Regarding the numbers, the Sachstein army was still superior.

Elen who was riding her horse next to Tigre looked at the youth.

“I can’t imagine that they were tormented and became enraged, but… what do we do?”

“We’ll fight here.”

Tigre’s voice was filled with an unshakeable determination. They must not give any more time than this to Kreuger.

The Hill Fort which they succeeded in capturing had a structure so wonderful that Mashas and Scheie were struck with admiration.

“One can’t win against this if he doesn’t use a clever scheme.”

The old Earl nodded as he let his gray beard shake, and Scheie shivered as his stern face stiffened.

“It’s irritating, but it’s really well made.”

The structure, which was fixated on the fine details such as stairs to move quickly from the top to the bottom, walls to block the enemy movement, fences and pathways to divide the enemy and the like, was something that even the Brune people who were made to have a hard fight could not help but recognize it.

“Does it look like it can be useful to us?”

When Tigre asked, the Lutece Knight Squadron’s commander shook his head.

“That's not possible. The walls and stairs which are on this hill can’t be fully put into practical use if they aren’t built in a place with the same form as this hill. We have no choice but to abandon this.”

He did not doubt that the Hill Fort was something born from the brain of the General called Kreuger. As for the Brune army, they had to eliminate him before he built up a new Hill Fort.

The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army stopped their advance and formed their ranks. They distributed the soldiers, whose number did not reach 8000, to the central main force, the right wing and the left wing.

The central main force was about 4000 that was composed of the private troops of the Brune nobles. The right wing was the Zhcted army of about 2000. And the left wing was the lineup of the Lutece Knight Squadron of about 2000.

Tigre commanded the central main force and Mashas assisted him. Elen commanded the Zhcted army of the right wing and Lim assisted her. Scheie took command of the Knight Squadron of the left wing.

“Lord Mashas. So to be prepared just in case, there is something I want you to prepare.”

When Tigre explained what he was thinking about, Mashas revealed a grim face. But, he did not reject it. The enemy had the numerical superiority, so even one extra trick was necessary.

Like that, when Tigre adjusted the battle formation of the main troops, Elen’s figure similarly on horseback appeared from between the soldiers. Letting her silver hair flutter to the wind, she rode her horse until before Tigre.

“My side is already ready.”

She said with a brilliant smile. Tigre revealed a bitter smile. That was the duty of a messenger, not something a commander should do. Even knowing that, Elen came to report personally.

“Thank you.”

Tigre answered with a smile, too. He was happy about her feelings.

“By the way, I think we should talk about it, but…”

As her smile suddenly became gloomy, Elen brought her horse near Tigre’s.

“It’s about Valentina. She said that her physical condition is bad and is waiting on standby in the rear of the right wing. She has gotten on a two-horse carriage, you see?”

Even Tigre was dumbfounded by this. He had met with the black-haired Vanadis two koku before, but she did not look at all like she was in a poor condition.

However, he could not ask her, either. He did not have such a time, and in the case that Valentina was really sick, he would not get off with just an apology.

“Well, whatever. She has already worked enough.”

Tigre cheered up Elen as he said so. But, the silver-haired Vanadis glared at the youth with half-opened eyes.

“I heard that you walked around the Hill Fort carrying her on your back.”

Tigre stared wide-eyed. Someone of the Scheie Knight Squadron probably talked about it. To the flustered youth, Elen said with a face which did not hide her displeasure.

“Don’t tell me you possibly got ensnared by her?”

“I swear to the gods and also you that it isn’t the case.”

As he promptly answered as such, Elen looked at Tigre with a face mixed with admiration and amazement.

“You don’t have to go to such lengths. It will also be a nuisance for the gods that you mention them for such a thing.”

“If it’s to have you believe me, then it’s worth incurring the displeasure of the gods.”

When the youth shrugged his shoulders and returned these words, Elen laughed. She seemed to have cheered up.

“Tigre. Leave the right wing to Lim and me, and focus on the command overall. Lord Mashas is there, so I think you’ll be all right; but don’t overdo it.”

To these words, Tigre answered back with a smile.

“You too, be careful so as to not do something like leave the rest to Lim and jump right into the midst of the enemy.”

“How unexpected. I only do that so to not let go of a chance of victory.”

“It’s the same for me, too.”

Tigre stretched out his hand. Elen held that hand. There were places of the silver-haired Vanadis’ hand which became hard/stiff as she has continued holding a sword. And, it also had warmth which made the youth feel calm.

The youth thought that he wanted his hand to be like that for her, too.

Without either noticing, they released their hands. The youth’s black pupils and her red pupils intersected.

“See you again later.”

The two people uttered the same words. And, Elen turned her horse.

Around when the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army finished adjusting their battle formation, the Sachstein army similarly finished their lineup.

Kreuger divided the soldiers, who numbered about 14000 adding those who joined his army late<ref> as in the ones who were lost after the night battle – DualxBlades </ref>, into five groups. The main force of 500 on the hill. The central unit before the hill with 7000 soldiers. The right wing was 3000. The left wing was also 3000. Furthermore, he let 500 spare troops in the rear.

The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army was approaching the Sachstein army little by little which did not move from the top and the surroundings of the hill. Under a cloudless sky, wind blew and the three countries’ battle flags fluttered. Slightly before the sun reached the zenith, both armies confronted each other.

“Oh King of Gods Perkūnas, God of War Triglav. Witness our battle!”

“Oh God of Thunder Sor, God of Wisdom Wotan. Oh maidens whom possesses wings. Grant us your divine protection!”

The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army and the Sachstein army respectively began to advance.

The Zhcted army poured a rain of arrows on the enemy. The Brune soldiers too, those who had a bow fired arrows and those did not attacked by means of stone throwing. The Sachstein army held up their shields and defended against the arrows and stones which swooped down on them.

As the arrow battle completed the battle’s first stage, the Sachstein army’s central unit began their advance.

It would be more accurate to call it a charge. Raising beast-like roars and holding either a spear or a short sword in their hands, the Sachstein soldiers ferociously rushed onto the Brune soldiers.

Pushed by their force, the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army’s central force was about to collapse. From the start, the Sachstein army had the numerical superiority. The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army quickly retreated while losing soldiers.

In the rear of the main force, Tigre was watching the lead group’s fight while gritting his teeth. Although they were putting up a hard fight, they were falling one after another in a spray of blood.

“Tigre. It’ll be soon.”

Mashas who was beside him said. Tigre nodded and gave an order.

Receiving it, about 200 soldiers who were waiting in the rear of the central main troops moved. They did not even wear armor, but they were holding crossbows in their hands. Commanding them was Mashas’ son, Gaspar.

The 200 people led by Gaspar moved in a form depicting an arc. They set their aim at the Sachstein army’s right side. Gaspar himself set up a crossbow, too.

“Fire!”

Bowstrings snapped and 200 bolts went straight through the empty sky. Screams broke out from the Sachstein soldiers.

“…This is really amazing.”

While feeling the crossbow’s recoil throughout his body, Gaspar leaked a breath of admiration.

After the battle of the Hill Fort was over, it was him who proposed whether they could use the crossbows and bolts that the Sachstein soldiers had abandoned. Precisely because he had a good relationship with Tigre and he did not hold that much prejudice to bows and crossbows, he was able to think like that and proposed it.

As Tigre and Mashas approved it, Gaspar eagerly acted and gathered 200 people who did not mind using crossbows in only half a koku. It was this military unit.

The crossbows’ volley/fusillade slightly stopped the Sachstein army’s fierce attack. Soldiers whose arm or foot was shot by a bolt fell on the ground and writhed in pain and agony. But, there was no one to listen to their screams. Even their allies advanced stepping over them.

Then, the 2000 cavalrymen led by Earl Bouroullec charged. They were similarly a unit which was waiting in the rear. The moment when Gaspar’s unit moved that became the signal to him (Bouroullec).

“Don’t always let the Zhcted people look cool! Show the power of the Brune people!”

Bouroullec’s unit attacked the Sachstein army’s left side. Bouroullec shook his curly chestnut-colored hair, wielded a hatchet-like sword and cut down the Sachstein soldiers one after another.

Receiving attacks from two directions, the front and the left side, as expected the Sachstein soldiers stopped their charge. As for Tigre, he thought that it would be good for the time being if he could take/bring the battle at the center into a stalemate. At that opportunity, the right and the left wings would break through both flanks of the enemy and eventually intend to surround and exterminate them.

But, a miscalculation arose here. The Sachstein army’s right and left wings showed an extraordinary tenacity. When the Lutece Knight Squadron attacked, they would retreat; and when the former tried to reform their ranks, the latter would advance. Even against the Zhcted army which constituted the right wing, the Sachstein army moved in the same way.

Elen who wielded the Silver Flash at the Zhcted army’s vanguard cursed them saying “they’re an enemy hard to handle”.

The movement of both wings of the Sachstein army was due to the command of Kreuger standing at the hilltop.

Actually, his true value as a General was in his flexible manipulation of troops. Precisely because he had that, the Hill Fort was not an impromptu stronghold, but he changed it into a fearsome fortress to drag the enemy in and exterminate them.

“Did you think that the Brune knights were the strongest if it’s a grassy plain?”

At the hilltop, Kreuger spitted so out. The reason why he concentrated 7000 soldiers in the center was from his conviction of being able to take charge of the command of the left and right wings.

“We’ll push our way through as is.”

The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army was gradually pushed.

In the rear of the central main force, Tigre was desperately racking his brains. Even if he jumped out to the vanguard and shot all his arrows, it would be almost impossible to change the flow. Gaspar and Bouroullec were respectively attacking the Sachstein soldiers from the right and left, but they were unable to force the enemy back.

''---In that case…''

Tigre’s eyes were turned towards the hill where the Sachstein army’s main troops were. The hill’s defense was insufficient. In order to change the flow, he could not help but aim at the supreme commander Kreuger.

“Lord Mashas. I’m sorry, but…”

When he turned to look at the old knight beside him, Mashas ostentatiously grieved.

“In the end, you really aren’t suitable to be a supreme commander, eh. I had wanted you to follow Her Highness Regin’s example.”

“I, too, if I could rest at ease, there’ll be nothing better than that.”

The old Earl scornfully laughed at the youth’s words. He immediately returned to a serious expression and said.

“It would probably be useless even if I say it, but… if you fail, come back even if you have to use the soldiers as a shield.”

They were severe words considering it was Mashas, but he was serious. The youth’s existence was that much important for the whole {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army. Tigre nodded as tension filled his whole body.

When Tigre finished the preparations, he started to move leading 300 soldiers from the rear of the central main force.

He had to hurry. If he was to hesitate, the central main force would end up being destroyed. As he passed the side of Earl Bouroullec’s unit, the 300 cavalrymen with Tigre at the vanguard ran through the battlefield.

Agonizing screams echoed here and there and when looking around, corpses were scattered about. If there were corpses of Brune soldiers, there were also ones of Sachstein soldiers.

The Sachstein army’s central main force went away from the hill by repeated dashes. There was an opening there for Tigre’s unit to get in.

Suddenly, Tigre looked towards his right side. There was one horseman’s shadow which parted from the Zhcted army and was running to this place. Silver hair and ruby-colored pupils; it was Elen.

“What are you doing?!”

Tigre shouted at her. With a calm face, Elen lined up next to the youth.

“I left the rest to Lim and came; same as you.”

Tigre was at a loss for words. But, he immediately changed his thoughts. He took his gaze off her and stared at the front; more precisely, at the hilltop.

“Crossbows are probably lying in wait for an ambush. I think that I can defend against them with Arifal to some extent, but”

To Elen’s words, Tigre shook his head.

“No, I won’t depend on Arifal here.”

He didn’t know whether or not Kreuger had a move other than using crossbows. If he had, he should then use Arifal’s power against it. Tigre explained so. While letting her silver hair flutter, Elen turned wondering eyes to Tigre.

“I understand your thoughts, but do you have any other way?”

Tigre nodded.

Kreuger, who was at the hilltop, calmly looked down at the group of about 300 cavalrymen heading towards the hill. Among them, there was also that silver-haired Vanadis.

The outcome would probably be decided on whether or not he could repel them.

Kreuger made the 500 soldiers on standby set up crossbows. Bolts had already been loaded. It was a battle formation where they could ambush the enemy no matter which direction they came from.

''---No matter where you go up from, several hundred bolts will attack you if you step on this hill.''

But, the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army did not step onto the hill. While riding their horses along the foot of the hill, they gradually slow down the speed letting the horses’ legs loosen.

Tigre nocked three arrows to his black bow. Fire was burning on each of the three sickles.

The other cavalrymen set up strings for stone-throwing, but what were inserted in the strings were not stones. But bags filled with oil. Both fire and oil were the things which Tigre had Mashas prepared.

Tigre let the bowstring vibrate. The three fire arrows which were shot, while letting fire flicker, flew in the empty sky as they drew a splendid parabola.

''---300 Alsins…!''

Kreuger inwardly raised a scream of surprise.

The number which he thought was exaggerated. But, the reality was more than that.

The fire arrows which flew high in the sky dropped in accordance with gravity and struck around the hillside.

The season was spring. This hill was likewise covered with lush flowering plants. They were wrapped in fire.

Next, the cavalrymen threw the oil bags. As expected, they did not fly as high as Tigre’s fire arrows, but they were thrown around the hillside.

“Do they intend to attack with fire? Well, that’s if fire reaches up to here…”

Tigre had a soldier running alongside him prepare fire and nocked a new fire arrow. Each time the youth shot a fire arrow, fire spread to the hill. Seeing several lines of black smoke rising up, Kreuger guessed Tigre’s purpose.

“So, it isn’t fire, but rather smoke that’s his aim, huh…”

Kreuger groaned. Although he was confused, and he rebuked the soldiers in dismay, it wasn’t as if there were no means against fire and smoke. He was unable to come up with a means other than leaving this hill, and also unable to issue instructions to the spare military forces in the rear. Smoke obstructed the soldiers’ view and mercilessly harmed their eyes and noses.

While running at the foot of the hill, the 300 cavalrymen led by Tigre threw bags of oil. The fire spread more and more and the quantity of smoke increased, too.

From the top of the hill wrapped in smoke, bolts were shot all at once. However, they were shot in a completely wrong direction.

“Charge!”

Tigre shouted. Elen and the cavalrymen raised battle cries. The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army ran up the slope wrapped in smoke at a stretch.

There, the Sachstein soldiers set up spears and short swords from within the smoke ad swooped down on them. But in a clash from the front, infantrymen cannot beat cavalrymen. They were sent flying by the swarm of men and horses and fell down onto the ground. There were also people who jumped into the fire.

Tigre and company ran up to the top without stopping their horses’ feet and run down the slope of the opposite side as is.

Since it was wrapped in fire and smoke, they couldn’t stop.

And, Tigre and company finally caught sight of Kreuger.

''---It’s him, huh…!''

Kreuger was running down the slope away from Tigre and company as he was protected by about ten soldiers. Tigre silently took out an arrow and nocked it to the black bow.

Wind blew scattering the smoke just for an instant. At that instant, the youth shot the arrow.

The arrow flew as it drew a curve and pierced Kreuger’s throat.

The gray-haired General of Sachstein staggered and fell down to the ground.

When he thought that he’d received a shock to the back of the neck, Kreuger’s body fell down to the ground.

He did not utter his voice. His body rapidly became cold.

He wondered whether he was dying. When he wandered his gaze, his dices fell. They seemed to have jumped out of his sleeve due to the shock of him falling down to the ground. He could not see the numbers of pips well.

Kreuger stretched out his hand to pick up the dices, but it did not reach. Even though they fell to a distance three or four steps away if one stood up and walked, he felt as if they were beyond the horizon.

“Uh huh”, such a blurred sigh leaked out from his mouth.

He did not realize his dream of building a castle fort that he had pictured. He was frustrated.

The faces of his family that he left behind in his homeland floated in his mind. He wanted to tell them goodbye.

He once again stretched out his hand towards the dices.

Unable to reach them as is, Hans Von Kreuger gave his last breath.

With Kreuger’s death marked the end of the battle of Bauval Plain.

The Sachstein soldiers who learned of their supreme commander’s death threw away their weapons one after another and surrendered. There were also those who still continued resisting, but were either persuaded by their comrades to surrender or they were knocked down by the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army.

The number of Sachstein soldiers who surrendered amounted to 6000. Their mediator was the person who acted as Kreuger’s adjutant.

Tigre looked down at him and plainly said.

“I won’t take you guys as prisoners. You may go to a port town along the coast after burying your comrades’ corpses.”

“What do you mean?”

Perhaps because he took it as an insult, the adjutant’s voice was trembling.

“If you mean to say that prisoners will be a hindrance, shouldn’t you just kill us? If you set us free, we might join with our allies who are in the west.”

“If you want to fall down on the battlefield, you should just do it. But, I want to ask you. Is it really all right for you not to send your supreme commander’s corpse to your country?”

To Tigre’s words, the adjutant dropped his shoulders and hung down his head. Several lines of tears streamed down his blood- and mud-stained face. And so, they followed Tigre’s advice.

It would have been very troublesome for the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army to cope with 6000 prisoners.

Taking prisoners meant that they would have to give them food. They would also have to worry about escape. If they half-heartedly discard them, there was the fear that they would become bandits.

If they sold them to Muozinel slave merchants as slaves in some big city, not only would they immediately dispose of them, they would also obtain funds. But for Tigre who had the experience of having become a prisoner before, it was something he did not want to do if possible; even if it was self-satisfaction.

Therefore, Tigre recommended for them to return to their country.

The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army and the Sachstein army cooperated in order to put out the fire wrapping the hill by covering it with soil. Afterwards, the Sachstein army buried their comrades’ corpses in the south side of the hill, and the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army buried their comrades’ corpses in the north side.

Although the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army’s casualties did not reach 1000, three soldiers who came from Alsace lost their lives. While ostensibly, Tigre dealt with it silently, he asked Titta to send words to mourn over their death to the Alsace soldiers.

After having finished the burial, the rest and the reorganization of the army, Elen asked.

“Now then, what do we do from here on Tigre?”

There were four courses of action that Tigre could take.

Either heading to the port towns of the coast or going to Nemetacum

Or heading to the west and fighting the other forces of the Sachstein army

Or heading for the capital.

“──Let’s go to the capital.”

Tigre calmly said. If they were to report that they repelled the Sachstein army of the south and made them flee, the capital would liven up. Princess Regin would definitely feel relieved, too. Besides, he had to give rest to the soldiers. At this rate, they could hardly fight against an army of 50000.

Tigre did not know.

About the plot that Kreuger threw to the capital Nice.

“Looks like it’s over.”

While lightly stretching herself inside the carriage, the black-haired Vanadis muttered with a yawn.

During the time from when the battle of Bauval began until it ended, she was sleeping buried in the cushions that she piled up inside the carriage. Although her pure white dress grew wrinkly, Valentina did not really mind such a thing.

“As I thought, when I act together with him, he’s really a fun person.”

As she looked at the outside scene from the small window of the carriage, Valentina muttered.

She did not know the real intention of King Victor who dispatched her to this land.

Because it was slightly different from the harassing, the dispatch of troops that happened quite often up until now, he might intend to interfere with something in Osterode during her absence.

''---If that happens, then so be it; afterwards I can make time to talk with His Majesty King Victor just the two of us, so I don’t mind.''

For the time being, her interest was in the outcome of the battle between Brune and Sachstein. Then, in how Tigrevurmud Vorn would move.

“I expect a lot from you. Earl Vorn.”

After muttering so, she suddenly remembered about the fact that Elen called the youth ‘Tigre’. Moreover, also about the fact that Elen’s adjutant called him ‘Tigrevurmud Vorn’.

''---Shall I tease him on that point the next time?''

She intended to fully make use of this opportunity.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

Around the midway point between Zhcted’s capital and Legnica, a wasteland was spread out.

There was one woman there.

There was a vermillion short blade in her right hand and a golden one in her left.

“This is a {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}…”

With a surprised face, the woman stared at the twin swords in her hands.

Those twin swords appeared just now before her eyes. And, it calmly called out to her consciousness.

Saying “Thou will become a Vanadis. If thou accept it, take us into your hands”.

The woman was an itinerant mercenary. Since it wasn’t as if she travelled assertively looking for a battlefield, it should be correct to call her a former mercenary. Although there was the fact that she was hired by a small village to drive away bandits who settled in the forest and mountain nearby, she was not that much in need of money, so she was not desperate.

“Which reminds me, was she called Eleonora? That girl whom Vissarion took good care of that became a Vanadis.”

She muttered as she recalled.

There once existed a mercenary group called “Silver Gale”. It wasn’t like the woman had belonged to the mercenary group. It was just that she strangely got along well with the man called Vissarion who was the leader of the “Silver Gale”, she had helped him with work several times and conversely, she had had him help her.

In the “Silver Gale”, there was one girl, something which was unbecoming of a mercenary group. It was said that she, who was named Eleonora, was a child who had been picked up by Vissarion.

The “Silver Gale” no longer existed. Vissarion was no longer in this world, either.

Several years ago, she had heard that the girl called Eleonora had become a Vanadis. When she thought “no way” and inquired about her features to those who saw her, it seemed that there was no mistake.

''---To think that I’ll become a Vanadis like that girl…''

When the woman put the twin swords into the belt of her waist, she began to walk towards the capital.

Her name was Figneria. She was a former mercenary once called by the nickname “Finé of the War Blade”.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

Ludmila Lourie received in the Imperial Palace of Olmutz the report that the Muozinel army had appeared near the border of Zhcted. About ten days have passed since she returned from the capital Silesia.

At that time, the blue-haired Vanadis was in her office. Since it was right at the time when she was putting in order some troublesome documents, she listened to the soldier’s words with an expression somewhat showing her bad mood.

“It is a report from Fort Fordney. Near the Molave River, approximately 5000 Muozinel troops showed up.”

Fort Fordney was at the south end of Olmutz. Although small, it was known for the fact that its defense was solid. The Molave River which was to the south about 5 Belsta (about 5km) farther away from this fort substituted for the borderline of Zhcted and Muozinel.

“Thank you for your work. Take a rest for today.”

As she gave words of thanks to the soldier, Mila rang the bell on the desk and called one civil official. She issued instructions to give a room to the soldier and then added to bring a map.

''---Now then, I wonder which it is.''

Since the time when she heard that Sachstein had invaded Brune, Mila believed that Muozinel would probably move. The problem was Muozinel’s aim.

Either a full-scale invasion; or would they wait and see like last year?

Before long, the civil official brought a map. Mila took it and spread it on the work desk.

''---The soldiers protecting Fordney number less than 2000. The enemy is 5000.''

Fort Fordney towered halfway up a mountain and there was a range of steep mountains to the north and west. Even if they gathered five times the number of soldiers, it would be difficult for them to attack. That said, she could not let her guard down.

''---If they intend to attack, there’s no way they will with only 5000. Let alone five times, there’s also the possibility that ten times the number of soldiers are lying in wait.''

After a half koku, the {{furigana|Snow Princess of the Frozen Wave|Michelia}} gathered the chief Knights in one room and held a war council. When she explained the situation, she told very naturally to the knights.

“I will head to Fordney with 2000 soldiers. You too should prepare yourselves so you can deploy at any time.”

“Vanadis-sama. I do not think that it’s necessary for you to personally depart for the front for such a battle.”

“Could you give us the opportunity to distinguish ourselves here? Please, Vanadis-sama. Just wait for the report of victory here in the Imperial Palace.”

The knights unanimously showed disapproval, but feelings of worrying about their lord overflowed in their eyes and voices. If Mila who was their princess and Vanadis personally proceeded to the fort, the soldiers’ morale would rise and they would definitely easily triumph no matter if it was the Muozinel army.

However, not knowing what might happen was what a battlefield was. They wanted Mila to remain in the Imperial Palace.

To her subordinates’ words, the blue-haired Vanadis shook her head.

“I am thankful for your courage and loyalty. But, it is not yet certain that we will fight against Muozinel. That’s why I will go; in order to ascertain it.”

Then, Mila ordered to send messengers to the neighboring nobles and Sofy who was in Polesia. It was also likely that the troops which appeared near Fort Fordney were a diversion and that they were aiming for another place. She invited caution and that they should make preparations for cooperating with each other when necessary.

Moreover, she sent messengers to the various cities along the highway. This was in order to have them prepare food, fuel and the place where the soldiers would stay at. By doing this, she could raise the March speed in her territory.

Early morning of the next day, Mila left the rest to the knights and civil officials whom she trusted and left the Imperial Palace with 2000 infantrymen.

Even if spring came, snow still remained at the surroundings of the castle town. But when going ahead on the highway to the south, snow gradually became invisible. In the grassy plains spreading right and left of the highway, flowers indicating the coming of spring displayed a vivid color.

The 2000 soldiers hung a small sword to their waists and held either a spear or a bow. They wore leather armor reinforced with iron scraps and also put on hats reinforced with iron scraps. There was a shroud/hood on both sides of the hat and that protected their ears and cheeks from the cold.

Their gloves and shoes were also made with fur. Although Fort Fordney was to the south, it was still cold even in the mountains. Mila took that into account.

Mila herself only wore a silver breastplate on top her blue clothes, and covered around her white skirt with a piece of metal and put on leg protectors. The Frozen Wave in her hand protected her from the cold.

''---Muozinel soldiers should be weak in the cold. Also taking that into consideration, is them appearing at Fordney a diversion after all…?''

Four days later, Mila and the 2000 soldiers arrived at the foot of a mountain where Fort Fordney was. When they took a rest, a little less than 100 soldiers ran down the slope of the mountain. They were floating the {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}} and Olmutz’s battle flag. The flag which depicted a plain, blue spear diagonally fluttered in the wind.

They were soldiers of Fordney. While letting the soldiers rest, Mila was waiting for them to show up.

“We did not think that Vanadis-sama would come.”

When the commander of the Fordney’s soldiers came until before Mila, he went down on a knee and bowed his head. Mila placidly nodded.

“I was waiting. Well then, let’s go to Fordney.”

Led by the Fordney soldiers, Mila and the 2000 soldiers went up the mountain which had snow remaining. In about a half koku, the fort could be seen with the white sky and the ashen mountains in the background.

“Vanadis-sama. I am glad that you have come safely.”

When she entered the fort, the chief of the fort Rezanov appeared to greet her. Though he was 35 years old, in addition to his white hair, his beard covering his chin harked back to an old man. His voice was low and strengthened the impression that it was hoarse.

But, just from the fact that his voice was usually like this, Mila knew that he was a man who could raise a loud voice in a battlefield. That was why she left this fort to him.

“I feel relieved to see that you and the soldiers seemed to be fine. How is the situation?”

Returning a smile for just an instant, Mila immediately returned to a serious expression.

“For the moment, they’re staying near the Molave River. A few numbers of people have crossed the river, but they immediately returned to the other side of the river.”

“Did you do something?”

“I had the soldiers go out only once, and then asked them what the Muozinel soldiers were doing. They answered that it seems to be a training march.”

Rezanov answered with an indignant tone. His snorting shook his white beard.

Together with the white-haired commander, Mila went out onto the castle wall of the south side. A cold wind rustled her blue hair and white ribbon. When she smoothed her ribbon upwards with her hand, she turned her gaze to the south. She could overlook the Molave River from here.

[[File:MnOtV vol11 290.png|thumb]]

On the other side of the river which glittered reflecting the spring sunlight, 5000 soldiers were hovering in a deep black background. What was drawn on the fluttering flag was the golden helmet of the horned ox and a sword. It was Muozinel’s battle flag.

“From here, we can only see those people, but I do not think that that is all of them.”

Rezanov standing next to Mila said while exhaling a white breath. Mila nodded without taking her eyes off the Muozinel army.

“I agree with you, too.”

Two years ago, when the Muozinel army attacked Brune, they were composed of an advance party of 20000 and the main force of 30000. This time, too, they might intend to watch the situation with 5000 soldiers.

Lavias was quietly clad in a chill; as if to respond to the fighting spirit of the {{furigana|Snow Princess of the Frozen Wave|Michelia}}.

Would it be over as is with just facing each other? Or would they clash?

Nobody could tell.

<noinclude>

==References==
<references/>

{{SimpleNav
|b=Volume_11_Chapter_3|bn=Chapter 3
|f=Volume_12_Illustrations|fn=Volume 12}}
</noinclude>

Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 12

2016-07-26T07:54:51Z

Windsgrace: /* Translator's Notes and References */

{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_12_Illustrations}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_12_Prologue}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_12_Chapter_1}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_12_Chapter_2}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_12_Chapter_3}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_12_Chapter_4}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_12_Chapter_5}}
==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>
<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 [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_11|Volume 11]]
| Return to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis|Main Page]]
|-Forward to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_13|Volume 13]]
|}
</noinclude>

Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 11

2016-07-26T07:53:33Z

Windsgrace: /* Translator's Notes and References */

{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_11_Illustrations}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_11_Prologue}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_11_Chapter_1}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_11_Chapter_2}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_11_Chapter_3}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_11_Chapter_4}}
==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>
<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 [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_10|Volume 10]]
| Return to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_12|Volume 12]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 10

2016-07-26T07:52:09Z

Windsgrace: /* Translator's Notes and References */

{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_10_Illustrations}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_10_Chapter_1}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_10_Chapter_2}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_10_Chapter_3}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_10_Chapter_4}}
{{:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_10_Epilogue}}
==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>
<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 [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_09|Volume 09]]
| Return to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_11|Volume 11]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 11 Chapter 4

2016-07-26T07:47:51Z

Windsgrace: /* References */

== Chapter 4 – The {{furigana|Illusory Princess of the Hollow Shadow|Shervid}} ==

It was a half koku after the war council barrenly ended that Tigre was called to Elen’s tent. In the sky, the veil of darkness went down and only the moon and countless stars were shining.

It was when the youth had just finished eating his evening meal with Titta, Mashas and Gaspar.

He came to her tent as he was led by Rurick. A carpet was spread out, and there, where a lamp with a firm structure was put, was one woman other than Elen and Lim.

“I have kept you waiting, Earl Vorn.”

Her bluish black hair was long enough to reach up to her waist and her hair ornament of a white rose shone. Red and purple roses also garnished the coloring of the pure white dress which she wore. Coupled with her transient smile, that gave her a graceful impression.

She was the Vanadis Valentina Glinka Estes with the nickname of “{{furigana|Illusory Princess of the Hollow Shadow|Shervid}}”. Though there was an ominous long-handled scythe composed of red and black in her hand, it mysteriously looked good with her.

“It looks like she arrived just a while ago; by carriage.”

Elen sitting down next to Valentina explained with a frown. Lim was quietly sitting a step away. Porcelain cups were put respectively in front of each of them; they seemed to contain wine.

Tigre looked back towards Rurick, unable to hide his confusion. When the bald headed knight revealed a wry smile as he was troubled, he bowed and walked away. His action was very correct, but only this time did Tigre feel like Rurick ran away from him.

''---So, this is the reason why Elen went back at the time of the war council, huh.''

If a Vanadis came, then a suitable person would have to receive her.

Anyway, he couldn’t go back to his tent now that he was here. Tigre turned around to face Valentina, sat down on the spot and bowed his head again.

“Lady Valentina. I thank you again for having come.”

“I’m an allied army, so please do not be so stiff. I will be glad if we are able to speak in a more relaxed way. Also, when calling me, just Valentina is fine.”

“Yea”, Tigre raised his face while giving a nonchalant reply. Although Valentina revealed a happy smile, he did not know at all what she was thinking about.

“By the way, how did you know that we were here?”

As he asked what was bothering him, Valentina bent her head slightly to the side and answered.

“That was a coincidence. I didn’t know that you people were here.”

Valentina briefly explained the sequence of events until she arrived here.

After having parted from Tigre and company in the capital Silesia, Valentina sent a messenger to Osterode which she governed and she herself headed to Legnica.

“After boarding a ship from the port town of Prepus, I arrived at the north of Brune. Afterwards, I was supplied with a carriage and went ahead through the highway. Because I knew that Sachstein attacked from the west and the south, I decided for the time being to go to the south where there were fewer enemies.”

She told that as such, she heard that the Sachstein army and the Brune army were in Plainville and had the carriage proceed there.

While she was talking, Lim prepared a new ceramic cup. When she opened the wine bottle put in a corner of the tent and poured its contents into the cup, she put it before Tigre.

While Tigre thanked her and received the ceramic cup, he asked Valentina. He was able to mostly consent with her story, but there was something which bothered him.

“Um, where are your soldiers…?”

Valentina put a thin finger on her shapely chin and wandered her gaze in the air.

“I think that at about this time, they are probably boarding ships heading towards Brune.”

Tigre stared at Valentina with a dumbfounded face. He had never thought that only she would go ahead. Although a Vanadis was famed for being a match for a thousand, he had heard that she had a weak constitution. Even at the time of the {{furigana|Sun Festival|Maslenitsa}}, he had rarely seen her.

''---She’s different from Elen after all. She only came here by order of the King, so…''

I should be thankful just for the fact that she showed up here. Tigre decided to think so.

“I understand. You must be tired, so please rest properly for today.”

“I will do so; but if you are fine with it, could you tell me about the present situation?”

To Valentina’s words, Tigre revealed a wondering face and looked at Elen. Elen folded her arms and answered with a face which was unable to clear away her irritation.

“You’re the supreme commander after all. So you should talk up to where you think it’s good.”

When she finished saying that, Elen gulped down the porcelain cup at a stretch. What she said was reasonable, but there were probably parts where she was flabbergasted at Valentina. Tigre nodded and turned to the black-haired Vanadis. He talked about the Sachstein army as far as he knew.

“Currently, we’re having a hard fight. The enemy is strong, so we cannot find any means of escape.”

“That looks tough, eh.”

Valentina said so in a calm tone which did not let one feel seriousness. Tigre could not help but feel spent, but she patiently continued her words.

“If it is fine with you, could I lend you my wisdom?”

“Rather than wisdom, you want to borrow your {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}’s power, right?”

Elen butted into the conservation. She turned a dangerous gaze to Valentina.

“Valentina. I heard that your {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} has the ability to travel far distances in an instant. With that power, can’t you do something like jumping to where the enemy General is, and take his head and come back here?”

In a provocative tone, the silver-haired Vanadis grinned at the black-haired Vanadis. There were only Tigre, Elen, Lim and Valentina in this place, so although there was the fact that she spoke of it, she also said it with the intention of sounding Valentina out.

Elen had always thought that Valentina would not come to Brune. This was because with this much distance, there was room for making up plenty of reasons not to come. Besides, the first time Valentina met Tigre was at the {{furigana|Sun Festival|Maslenitsa}}, so she has no reason to actively lend him her help.

Elen wanted to know how far Valentina intended to fight seriously. Moreover, she also wanted to know whether her {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} really had such a terrifying ability.

Valentina lovely tilted her head to the side and answered.

“Certainly, this {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} Ezendeis of mine has such a power; but unfortunately I cannot satisfy Eleonora’s expectation.”

“Hou. Why is that?”

Tigre and Lim were silently watching the two Vanadises’ exchanges. This was because both of them understood Elen’s intention. Besides, they were definitely anxious about Valentina’s ability.

“I get extremely tired when I use that power just once; to the extent that I can’t stand on my feet. Eleonora, is it not also the same for your {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}?”

“I certainly have such a {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}.”

Elen reluctantly admitted. The silver-haired Vanadis’ Ley Admos greatly consumed physical strength. If she fired it successively two or three times, she wouldn’t be able to stand on her feet.

“But, there’s something we can do. Do you want to hear it?”

Saying so, Valentina meaningfully stared at Tigre. Although the youth made a wondering face, he urged her to continue by nodding.

“First, please propose a talk to the enemy General in Earl Vorn’s name.”

Tigre perceived a disquieting shadow flashing in Valentina’s purple pupils. While tracing the handle of the scythe which she put beside her, the black-haired Vanadis happily continued her words.

“At that moment, we will establish the conditions. That only two persons such as attendants or guards shall escort each commander──”

“That’s a severe condition. Won’t the other party be cautious?”

Tigre frowned. For such a talk, the enemy would carefully investigate about the place and the number of attendants. This was because dragging out the other party under the pretext of a talk and committing assassination was not that rare an occurrence.

“They will certainly be cautious, but do you think that they will decline?”

Tigre pondered as he was asked by Valentina.

“That’s right. If the other party feels inclined to do negotiations, I guess they’ll accept. But, they’ll set the condition of letting them choose the place though.”

“Indeed. Then, if the other party doesn’t feel inclined to do negotiations?”

“Although it’ll depend on the other party and the situation, it can’t be said that there isn’t any possibility that they’ll accept. Like gaining time, for example.”

“Or, in the case that they thought that we’ll use the pretext of a talk and kill them.”

As Tigre faltered, Valentina continued her words then. As if she had completely seen through what the youth would say.

Tigre stared at her, unable to hide his surprise; Elen and Lim too. Tigre, with a face devoid of interest, accepted Valentina’s words.

“That’s right. There is also the way where they might break the two conditions and have many soldiers hide around.”

“Yes. What’s important is that.”

Valentina happily nodded. Tigre was puzzled by that reaction of hers. He did not understand at all what she wanted to say. Elen said, not hiding her irritation.

“Don’t keep him in suspense. Tigre is serious.”

“I know, Eleonora. Then, I shall answer. We will propose a meeting with their conditions. Let’s suppose that the other party consents and really shows with more than two attendants. In that case, we’ll kill the three of them.”

Valentina said with her smile as is as if it was nothing.

The atmosphere of the place froze. Tigre gulped and stared at the black-haired Vanadis with a pale face. Elen and Lim also revealed expressions as if they had forcibly swallowed something bitter.

Valentina continued her words without breaking her smile.

“Suppose that the other party consents, but appeared accompanied not with two, but many soldiers. In that case, we kill only the enemy General and escape far away with my {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}’s power. Afterwards, we will blame the other party that they didn’t follow the conditions. ──something like this.”

Valentina traced the scythe’s curved blade with a finger. Reflecting the light of the lamp, the scythe quietly emitted a shine.

“This is the way in which my {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} will be able to be helpful to you, Earl Vorn.”

“…In the case that the other party follows the conditions, how will we gloss it over?”

Tigre somehow managed to squeeze out his voice and asked only that.

“After annihilating them, we can prepare as many reasons as we like. For example, we can claim that because the other side flew into rage and drew their swords, we had no other choice but to respond to their attack.”

“But, can we kill the other party so easily?”

“I think that it would be fine if the three of us, Earl Vorn, Eleonora and me were to go. There are not that many people who can match Eleonora’s sword skill and I heard that you are a master with the bow that can hit a target about 300 Alsins away without erring.”

Once again, silence descended into the place. Nobody issued any words.

After about ten seconds, Tigre finally opened his mouth.

“Valentina, did you make that suggestion to other people so far?”

“This is the first time.”

As she answered so, the black-haired Vanadis sweetly smiled. Tigre sighed.

“Then, it’s fine.”

Tigre answered briefly and shook his head. It was a declaration of his intention not to accept Valentina’s suggestion.

“Although it’s something we asked you, you shouldn’t use such a power in the battle and just keep it to protect yourself. As we talked about in Zhcted’s royal palace.”

To Tigre’s words, Valentina fixedly stared at the youth with her eyes wide opened.

“You are a strange person. I thought that you would think this and that about whether there is not a more effective way to use it.”

“I’m not good at using my head for such things.”

Tigre laughed as he said so in a joking way. While laughing, he inwardly asked himself.

Am I naïve? If it’s to win a battle, should the choice of the means matter?

The people whom he brought from Alsace. The people whom he brought from LeitMeritz. The people who gathered from various places in order to protect Brune.

If he could avoid battle by dirtying his hands and save as many of their lives as possible, wouldn’t that be rather the right method?

Thinking up to there, Tigre shook his head.

''---It’s no good after all.''

There was something that he had said to Ludmila Lourie once. That he did not want to do something which would make him unable to face those important to him.

He might be selfish. But, in order to continue being who he is, it was a line that he could not cross.

“──Then, I shall make another suggestion.”

Valentina said with a smile, and Tigre stared at her with a surprised face.

After the four people ended their talk, Valentina elegantly bowed and left for her tent. By the way, because she did not prepare even a tent, Elen lent her a spare tent.

Elen returned her gaze to Tigre and revealed a wry smile.

“Tigre. Why didn’t you accept her first suggestion?”

The youth frowned and looked at the silver-haired Vanadis.

“There’s no way I’d accept such a thing.”

“But, it’s effective. In order to investigate our intention, there’s probably someone who will respond to the discussion.”<ref> the discussion here is referring to the possible talk between the two armies </ref>

Tigre frowned. He agreed with Elen’s words. And precisely because he agreed with them, he was irritated.

As she seemingly had no intention of ending the talk, the silver-haired Vanadis’ ruby-colored pupils stared straight at Tigre. The youth turned to Lim seemingly requesting her help. However, Lim too requested an explanation from Tigre with her gaze. Tigre answered as he gave up.

“It’s because I didn’t like it. It doesn’t match my nature. Are you dissatisfied with this reply?”

“No, it’s enough.”

Rather, as she greatly nodded as that was exactly what she thought, too, Elen stood up and went around behind Tigre. She sat down so as to lean her back against the youth’s. Her warmth and weight were transmitted to Tigre through his clothes.

“Even I didn’t like her suggestion. Though there’s also the fact that it runs against my principles, more than that, I can’t trust her. For example, supposing that the enemy has prepared 100 soldiers, there’s no guarantee that Valentina would escape with you and me after I killed the enemy General.”

“As expected, I don’t think that she’d do something so vicious, wouldn’t she?”

Although Tigre said that, he had no confidence. He knew nothing about her after all.

“And in the case that that came to light, the honor of Lord Tigrevurmud and Eleonora-sama would be ruined as despicable persons. The reason of the winner may get by for a time. There’ll be also people who will shout that the victor is definitely right. However, such a thing will by no means last for long.”

Lim unusually raised her voice. Quiet anger was dwelling in her blue pupils.

“The terror of a bad reputation will become a fatal blow not when one wins, but when one leaves an opening. As for me, I do not want you two to be burdened with something like that.”

At the same time as Lim finished speaking, Elen pushed her back.

“Honestly, I’m glad that you rejected her suggestion.”

After saying so, Elen smiled at her blond adjutant.

“Come on Lim, how about you show your feelings with action? Since your words from just now were plentiful after all.”

Lim did not return Elen’s words, but she quietly stood up and walked up to Tigre. She went down on her knees there and patted the youth’s head. As to say “you did well”.

While his face turned bright red, Tigre however stayed as is between the two girls.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

The day dawned. The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army did not move out of their camp, nor showed any signs of moving.

On the hilltop, Kreuger who received that report from his adjutant lost himself in thought.

''---Does this mean that they’re waiting for reinforcements while letting the soldiers rest?''

“Shall we try to go on to the enemy?”

The adjutant asked. By that, he meant to provoke the enemy by stone-throwing, crossbows, abuse and the like. However, Kreuger shook his head.

“Let’s watch the situation for the time being. Don’t neglect the check and watch.”

By check, he meant the checking of all the equipment/devices inside the Hill Fort. The adjutant responded with a bow.

At this time, Kreuger had not yet made up his mind.

That day, not even one skirmish occurred sunset.

When the day was about to go down, Tigre left the camp and walked towards the river nearby.

He intended to bathe. Valentina’s suggestion last night still left a heavy feeling of antagonism in Tigre’s heart. Although afterwards, an alternate plan was presented by her and he accepted it.

If he drank alcohol and got drunk, he might feel refreshed to some extent; but a supreme commander could not afford to get drunk in the face of an enemy. In that case, he thought that he should take a bath; he had told Titta and Mashas about it.

''---It’d be good if I were to consult with Lord Mashas, but…''

Tigre, Elen and Lim were the only persons who knew about Valentina’s first suggestion. It was not something that could be told to anyone with only the {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}’s power as the reason why.

The river could be seen. Although a grassy plain was spread in this area, there were shrubs and bushes near the river. In order to avoid public gazes, Tigre set foot in the area with shrubs.

Suddenly, Tigre knitted his brows. He heard the sound of water. It’d be fine if it was a beast’s doing, but there was also the possibility that someone has come to bathe just like him.

Tigre quietly left the place. He went about 20 Alsins (about 20 meter) downstream.

When he confirmed that he did not hear the sound of water, he took off his clothes. After undressing, he sat down on the riverside. When he scooped up water and poured it on his chest, it was cold, but not to the point where he could not endure.

After having sprinkled water on his body several times, Tigre set foot in the river. He let his body sink little by little and was soaked until his shoulders. He often swam and dove in rivers even in Alsace.

When he put water on himself from head to toe, stretched out his body and swam, he finally felt refreshed.

He then raised his body. He did not swum for that long, but it was probably enough given his current position.

Suddenly, an especially strong wind blew. The water’s surface made a boisterous noise and Tigre couldn’t help but curl himself up. The youth noticed that something white was washed away from upstream. It was one size smaller than a clenched fist.

As Tigre pushed his way through the water and approached it, he casually picked it up.

“A rose…?”

As he observed it thinking that it was rare, it was an artificial flower. Many petals made of something appearing to be silk were attached on a thin flat stone.

“Why is such a thing…”

Tigre cocked his head in puzzlement. Although the fact that an artificial flower was washed away was strange, it had a structure that Tigre did not know of. Titta had made an artificial flower before, but it was not like this. Though this was made using stone, it was light enough to float on water.

Though he thought about what he should do, Tigre got out of the river holding it. It was then that the sound of footsteps as someone was running was approaching.

One woman appeared from the shade of the shrubs. Tigre stood stock still on the spot with his eyes wide opened. Although he was also surprised that the woman was Valentina, she was not wearing anything. The black-haired Vanadis’s white naked body was exposed before the youth’s eyes.

Her wet long hair clung from her shoulders to her chest and two hills were bouncing under there. Her waist was thin and her legs which extended from her round buttocks gave a flexible impression.

Her perfectly balanced beauty could be found there.

“Oh my”

Similarly, Valentina seemed to be also surprised by Tigre’s presence. But, earlier than being bashful, she was looking at the youth’s body with admiration. Tigre was also naked.

Tigre hurriedly turned his back on Valentina. However, it was too late in various ways. Her naked body has already been etched into his mind and did not look like it would easily disappear. In addition, the various reactions that Tigre’s body showed have also been reflected in Valentina eyes.

“S-Sorry…! I didn’t mean to do such a thing…”

Before he finished speaking, Tigre felt the sensation of a cold metal on the nape of his neck. As he moved only his gaze, a huge red and black curved blade came in from the side and touched his chest.

“…Did you see?”

A stifled low voice could be heard from behind. Tigre answered “yes”. His body has already answered honestly after all, so he had no other choice but admit it.

“It’s good that you’re honest. Now then, what should I do?”

The scythe went down little by little while keeping a distance at whether it would touch Tigre’s skin or not. It stopped at the area of his waist.

“Whatever the circumstances, a punishment is necessary after all; so shall I cut down here?”

Tigre’s whole body grew pale. Nonetheless, a part of his body was tinged with heat.

One wrong move and it might really be cut with the scythe. As he could not move at all, the scythe suddenly went away.

“It’s only a joke. Please, give me what you hold in your hand.”

A bright voice reached his back. As Tigre held the artificial flower in his right hand, he carefully turned behind.

The artificial flower parted from the youth’s hand. Tigre then asked as he regained his composure to some extent.

“Was it yours?”

“Yes. The wind blew and it had inadvertently dropped into the river… And I came to pick it up in a hurry. I did not think that you would possibly be there.”

After apologizing once again by saying “sorry”, Tigre realized a certain thing and asked.

“Um, where did your {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} come from…?”

After a slight pause, Valentina answered. Rather than having thought about something, she did not seem to be able to guess the meaning of the question.

“I had explained it in the war council, hadn’t I? If the Vanadis calls for it, the {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} will appear in her hand no matter how far it is.”

Now that she mentions it, she did say that; Tigre remembered. Precisely because Elen also confirmed it, he accepted Valentina’s second suggestion.

“Still, I guess that artificial flower is very important to you…”

Tigre’s words paused there. This was because he felt that the presence behind him had gone away.

“I guess there’ll be no problem if I dry it. As thanks for having picked it up, I will leave this matter as is without question.”

Along with her voice, the sound of footsteps faded away little by little. Tigre unintentionally asked.

“I am thankful for that, but are you fine with that…?”

“Let’s both keep silent about it. It’s enough like that, isn’t it? Since similarly to your body, you are someone who cannot tell lies.”

Tigre blushed as he was teased.

“I'm counting on you to properly take care of the rest.”

Leaving behind a bright voice as if it was nothing, Valentina walked away. After her presence completely disappeared, Tigre once again soaked in the river for the time being.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

It was about when the day had gone down that a messenger of the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army showed up in the Hill Fort. At this time, Kreuger was having a slightly early evening meal. His meal’s contents were: bread, dried meat and wheat rice porridge with dried vegetables.

As he had eaten about half of the wheat rice porridge, Kreuger stopped his hand which moved the wooden spoon.

This wheat rice porridge was made using the wheat harvested in Brune. When he ate it for the first time, Kreuger was assailed by a fresh surprise.

Wheat could hardly be harvested in Sachstein. Instead, oats could be harvested abundantly.

Oat rice porridge had a bitter taste. Even when one ground them and ate them with bread, the bitter taste would not disappear. But, Kreuger had been eating it as if it was something natural.

When he emptied the wooden bowl containing the wheat rice porridge, Kreuger received a report from his adjutant. At this time for the first time, he got to know the official name of the enemy army which he was fighting.

However, for Kreuger, such a thing did not matter. He was attacked by a surprise that was far more incomparable than that.

“Vanadis…?”

He said that it was a young, beautiful girl who came as a messenger. And that she had long black hair reaching to her waist, and wore a white dress not suitable on a battlefield and carried a scythe with red and black colors on her shoulder.

“Except the ominous scythe, she looks like a noble lady.”

Was the report of the soldier who interacted with her. Kreuger frowned.

“Wasn’t there another girl, one with silver hair?”

“There was, but…”

There was clear confusion in the adjutant’s voice.

It was said that two girls had appeared in a place about 200 Alsins away from the Hill Fort. Both were on horseback and the soldiers who saw them could not uniformly hide their surprise.

Regarding Elen, there were many soldiers who had seen her figure on the battlefield. However, it was the first time for them seeing Valentina.

Unlike Elen who wore armor, although a light one, Valentina wore a white dress. She also rode her horse sideways<ref> http://875357559f655c0fd9842374.eventingnation.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/DSC_0148.jpg looks something like this – DualxBlades </ref> and even the weapon she carried on her shoulder was a boorish scythe which was puzzling.

Elen did not move from the spot; only Valentina got down from her horse and walked. And, she announced that she was a messenger.

''---So, the silver-haired girl acts as the guard, huh.''

It was a common thing, secretly killing a messenger who was inconvenient for his army and burying their corpse, and then insisting towards the other party that no messenger came. The silver-haired girl watching from a distance probably meant that they would not forgive such a means.

''---Which means that if I do something careless, I will completely make an enemy out of Zhcted, huh?''

Kreuger lost himself in thought while rolling the dices in his hand. He hesitated to send the messenger away without meeting her. Above all, he was concerned about the fact that not a Brune person, but a Zhcted person showed up as a messenger. He was interested in what they would say in the war of another country.

“Fine. Keep hold of her weapon and let her through here.”

Kreuger waited for the other party in a tent stretched at the hilltop.

The black-haired Vanadis appeared before long. Kreuger fixedly stared at her. Though there was also the fact that he was captivated by her beauty, he was dumbfounded by the fact that she was really wearing a dress.

“Did you perhaps sneak out of a dance party?”

“You may find it surprising, but this is my military outfit. I would choose a more gorgeous dress for a dance party. Should an opportunity arise, I would like to show it to you.”

She answered without erasing her smile and introduced herself as Valentina Glinka Estes; that she was a Vanadis of Zhcted. By the way, the conversation was carried out in Brune’s language.

''---I have heard about that name.''

Kreuger had actually never seen Valentina.

The reason why he thought Elen was a Vanadis was because he saw her way of fighting. However, a warrior-like atmosphere could not be felt at all from Valentina. Even regarding the weapons, in contrast with Elen’s weapon which was a long sword, it was said that Valentina’s was a scythe.

''---Isn’t a large sickle (scythe) a farm tool?''

Hiding his doubt and suspicion behind a smile, Kreuger asked in a casual tone.

“I saw a beautiful silver-haired woman in the battlefield the other day though.”

“She is called Eleonora Viltaria, also a Vanadis of my country.”

“Then, are you saying that out of the proud Vanadises of Zhcted, two are actually in Brune?”

“We two are indeed here.”

Kreuger deliberately showed that he was surprised, but Valentina did not fall for it as she broadly smiled as is.

''---She’s really something being able to smile without breaking her calm attitude while being in the midst of the enemy.''

Whether or not Valentina was a Vanadis aside, Kreuger recognized only that point.

“I am sorry for not being able to provide a decent hospitality as we are in such a place. Though it may be sudden, may I ask for what kind of business you have come here for?”

“I came to advise you people to surrender.”

Valentina answered. She insisted as to persuade him that because they were many brave soldiers in Brune that blame the Sachstein army’s injustice and loved justice and peace, they should hurriedly withdraw.

Though Kreuger did not change his facial expression, he could not inwardly suppress his disappointment and sneer.

He mocked Valentina about whether she came all the way here just to say such foolish things. He even wondered whether she was an insolent noble lady with just beauty as her redeeming feature.

As he waited for Valentina to finish speaking, Kreuger answered with a smile.

“I have heard your valuable words, but we also have our own troubles. You should go back.”

“Those troubles, may I ask what they are?”

Valentina asked. Rather than doggedly opposing it, it seemed that she asked it as she really did not know. Even so, Kreuger, not immediately replying, thought for a short while.

“Among those from the royal family, there is someone called Melisande. If times had not changed, she might have succeeded the previous King, His Majesty Faron and be governing this country.”

“Lady Melisande? What kind of relationship does she have with Princess Regin?”

Kreuger frowned. Valentina’s way of asking questions was too innocent and she really did not seem to know.

But, that rather aroused Kreuger’s wariness. Be it her white dress or her way of talking, he doubted whether all of that was not an act.

“She is Lady Regin’s cousin, and was the late Duke Thenardier’s wife.”

“Was Sachstein relied on by that person?”

“That’s right. Lady Regin governs Brune, but there are many mysterious points about her. For example, the fact that she was brought up as a Prince until two years ago. Also that she was recognized as a Princess by an oracle or something to succeed this country as King Faron’s successor.”

“When you say oracle, I cannot say anything. Especially since my country and Brune believes in the same gods.”

A smile appeared on Kreuger’s lips. It was not a bad way of escaping. He would probably say the same thing even if he was in her position. There was nothing as convenient to use as the gods.

“However, Lady Melisande was suspicious of it. As I said just now, Lady Melisande has legitimacy for sure. Precisely because we believe so, we have moved soldiers for her. In order to expel Princess Regin and make Lady Melisande Brune’s true ruler.”

“I see. So that’s it.”

Valentina struck her hand as to say that she understood. Kreuger was going to call a soldier to make her return. However, the black-haired Vanadis opened her mouth earlier than that.

“I have another thing I would like to talk about, but could you hear it?”

Kreuger squinted his eyes and returned his gaze to her.

“What is it?”

“It is a talk as a messenger of Zhcted.”

Valentina answered without erasing her smile. Kreuger frowned once again.

Her smile did not change even one bit, too. However, a clear change occurred in the atmosphere she was wearing. Kreuger inquired the other party’s reaction by playing dumb.

“If it is about the advice of surrender, I have just listened to it though.”

“That was the message as the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army’s messenger.”

To Valentina’s reply, Kreuger rebuild his posture. He stared at her.

“Let me hear it.”

“I will go right to the point. Could my country and Sachstein share Brune’s land?”

Kreuger opened his eyes wide. He did think about it as one possibility, but he did not think that they would really do that suggestion.

“Isn’t Zhcted a friendly country to Brune?”

“Of course. But regarding the friendship, if there are the ones which last long, there are also those which doesn’t. Especially between a country and a country.”

“What is the reason for you to join hands with my country?”

“There are too many obstacles for Zhcted alone to cut Brune’s territory. Of course Brune will resist; but including your country, the neighboring countries such as Muozinel and Asvarre will interfere right? In that case, it would be better for us to join forces with one of those countries. Am I wrong?”

“Why with my country and not with Muozinel or Asvarre?”

“We are fighting Muozinel on land and we have trouble with Asvarre in the sea. Fortunately, we have no antagonism with your country. There is also the fact that we do not share a border.”

Kreuger took a small breath. He poured forth questions in succession, but Valentina answered all of them without faltering. And all her answers had a persuasive power at that.

''---So this out-of-place dress and her large sickle are things to deceive the beholder, huh.''

“Which means that you’re betraying Tigrevurmud Vorn?”

As Kreuger said as to make sure, Valentina shook her head.

“No, Earl Vorn is already a Zhcted person, after all.”

Kreuger raised a “hou” voice as he seemed to be surprised.

“This is the first time I’ve heard about that.”

“Ostensibly, he is still a Brune noble after all. I have no evidence that I can show, but I can explain it.”

Kreuger urged her to go on by nodding.

“Two years ago, after this country’s civil war ended, Earl Vorn stayed in Zhcted as a guest General and Alsace that he’s governing became a condominium of Brune and Zhcted. Do you know about that?”

Kreuger nodded. He had investigated about it to that extent.

“At that time, the preparations for welcoming him as a person of my country have already been done. Just like how you people had your troubles regarding Lady Melisande, we have planned to shave off Brune little by little as a state ceremony of Earl Vorn’s existence.”

Tigrevurmud Vorn was a man with a strong sense of justice and a person who loved his homeland. He was a man who could not help taking action if danger fell upon Brune.

And, if he asked, Zhcted was ready to move as mercenaries. Of course since they are mercenaries, they would not just work for free.

Valentina talked fluently and added.

“We were also planning to step onto the stage and make Alsace a territory of our country. After all, if we were to immediately make it a territory of our country, it would cause a backlash. In addition, as expected Earl Vorn also has a profound attachment to the land where he was born and raised.”

“I see. It’s an interesting talk.”

It was a talk that Kreuger could consent with.

In the first place, in the civil war two years ago, why did a Vanadis of Zhcted lend her power to a small noble who had only a territory in the frontier? He could only think that she used Tigre as an excuse to intervene. In fact, Zhcted obtained the land of Agnes and jointly manages Alsace.

He could also understand if thinking that Tigre also staying in Zhcted as a guest General was a foundation made so that he became a person of Zhcted.

“Do you know of this? Last year, Earl Vorn was requested by His Majesty King Victor and proceeded to Asvarre who was in the midst of a civil war.”

Of course, Kreuger knew of it. For Sachstein, the Asvarre Kingdom was an opponent whom they had a deep connection with. Regarding the civil war in that country, there was no one among the Generals of Sachstein who did not try to investigate about that.

“Although a request of a King of one country, why do you think that Earl Vorn, who is a person of a foreign country, had undertaken it? It was in order to prove that he is a person who pledge allegiance to Zhcted. To that end, the more dangerous the duty, the better. Earl Vorn had always wished for such a duty.”

When Valentina finished speaking, silence fell within the tent. But, it was just for a really short time. The gray-haired Sachstein General looked at Valentina.

Kreuger inspected in his head what she told one by one. There was no contradiction with what he knew. Rather, he was able to understand the reason why Zhcted lent their power to Tigre and why Tigre cooperated with Zhcted and proceeded to Asvarre.

He jumped to Asvarre which was in chaos and ran through battlefields. If he went to such an extent, even the people of Zhcted would recognize Tigre. There was also a rumor that he rescued a Vanadis.

“So that’s why Zhcted taking advantage of this opportunity and is trying to shave off Brune’s territory, huh.”

In that case, he could also understand why they were two Vanadises here.

“As I said just now, it’ll depend on how you will move.”

Valentina revealed a smile.

“If what Sachstein sets up were to be just skirmishes, you will make Brune indebted to you. In case that I judge that it is a full-scale invasion and that Brune cannot resist, I will take back this proposal.”

Kreuger hesitated. Valentina’s proposal was attractive. Certainly, if he were to obtain Zhcted’s cooperation, the future battles would become favorable.

“I would like to confirm it once more. Do you people intend to destroy Brune?”

“As I’ve also said a while ago, we intended to go little by little. I wondered whether you people also do not intend to destroy it.”

“For the time being, we intended to take the west and the south.”

This was because if they were to extend their hands to the north and the east, they would share borders with the two countries Zhcted and Muozinel. It was not that good a thing for Sachstein. Until they held down/controlled Asvarre, they did not want to have their enemies increase too much.

“We are demanding the north and the east.”

If they got their hands on the northern part, Zhcted would get a hold of their long-cherished port which did not freeze even in the winter. The eastern part’s fertile earth was also precious.

“Wouldn’t it better for us to leave you some parts just to the extent where both our national borders do not come in contact without whittling off the whole Brune? In so doing, you will be able to achieve your duty towards Lady Melisande.”

“That’s an interesting suggestion.”

Kreuger laughed in a low voice. But, he immediately returned to a serious expression.

“However, I wonder whether your words are to be trusted. If I believe what I’ve just heard, I cannot find a lie in them.”

If Valentina’s words were true, accepting this proposal would be the greatest achievement for Kreuger. For that reason alone, he had to deal with this carefully.

“Well then, how about we do like this? ──Tomorrow night, I will cause a commotion in the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army’s camp. I can even give rise to flames.”

Valentina was saying that she would create confusion in her ally camp.

“May I make another demand?”

“Please, go on.”

“Before that confusion, could I have you, the other Vanadis or Earl Vorn come to my army?”

“Then, I will come.”

Valentina easily consented.

Thus, the black-haired Vanadis returned to the camp of the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

The following day, too, there was not a big fight. It was to the degree of a skirmish set by Sachstein side. The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}}’ forces were going to fight back immediately, but because the Sachstein side immediately pulled back, it had ended with only them growing irritated.

There was no conspicuous movement from the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army. It was only to the extent that cavalrymen who, were probably sent for reconnaissance, were going around the Hill Fort. They were probably searching for whether there was an opening somewhere.

The sun passed the zenith and went down to the west, and the sky was covered with darkness little by little. It was about one koku after the day had set that Valentina showed up at the Hill Fort.

“Thank you for waiting.”

“You must be tired, right? How about you take a rest on the hill?”

Kreuger finally trusted the black-haired Vanadis. Even if this night attack ended in failure, he would still have a Vanadis in his hands. Wasn’t it enough of a harvest?

Suddenly, Kreuger took out the two dices that he kept inside the sleeve of his clothes.

Should he try rolling them here and now? He understood that it wouldn’t necessarily be exactly as what was wanted. His feelings were the problem.

He held his breath. His heartbeat could be heard awfully greatly.

Making up his mind, Kreuger rolled the dices on the ground. The numbers which appeared were 2 and 3. It was an odd number.

Kreuger took a small breath. Before he had noticed, sweat was blurred on his forehead. It looked like he was fairly tense.

''---But, like this it’ll go smoothly.''

Kreuger put the dices back inside his sleeves. He called his adjutant and ordered him to increase the guard of the place where Valentina was.

“Have 100 people stand guard. Deploy them in every key point so that she doesn’t escape.”

“Is it necessary to go to such an extent? Even though we keep her weapon.”

The adjutant looked puzzled. What he was skeptical about was the fact that, in addition to Valentina’s attire which was a dress treated with flowers, he has not seen her fighting style. The adjutant was thinking that even if an unexpected situation occurred and she was to resist, they might hold her with even ten people.

“It’s just to be safe. Perhaps she might be an excellent warrior at the same level as that silver-haired Vanadis. Even if it isn’t the case, that girl has that much value.”

Afterwards, Sachstein soldiers came out of the Hill Fort one after another under the cover of darkness. So as to not be seen by the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army, other than those for Valentina’s lookout, they left 500 soldiers and made them stand in a conspicuous place.

After nearly half a koku, a little over 18000 Sachstein soldiers unfolded around the Hill Fort. Their helmets, chain mails, spears and short swords were also covered with mud; their faces, too.

Because chain mails made noise, they were not suitable for a night attack. Aware of that, Kreuger let the soldiers put on chain mail. This was because on this occasion, he did not intend to let the soldiers attack.

The plan was that after confusion occurred in the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army’s camp, the Sachstein army would take that opportunity and charge. There was the calculation that the fact of hearing a sound would be able to give fear to the enemy.

When about half a koku had passed, the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army’s camp suddenly became bright; that it was in flames could clearly be seen. Several screams of confusion resounded and dancing shadows of people could be seen.

“Charge!”

In the center of the Sachstein army, Kreuger shouted. If things went well, they might be able to annihilate the enemy in this one night. In doing so, they might abandon the Hill Fort and even join with Schmidt.

The Sachstein soldiers raised battle cries, tightly grasped their spear or short sword and ran through the grassy plain at night. It was expected that the combined chorus of more than 18000 chain mails echoing would spread a new confusion in the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army’s camp.

It was at that time that an unusual phenomenon occurred ahead of their gazes.

From within the camp, battle cries not at all inferior to those of the Sachstein army were raised. The Brune soldiers who should have been in confusion had spears and set up shields, ambushing the Sachstein soldiers.

Holes were dug in the ground, oil was scattered and the Sachstein soldiers who rushingly charged faltered as they received a severe surprise attack.

“Shoot!”

The Zhcted soldiers, who were lying hidden in the darkness away from the camp, poured down arrows on the Sachstein soldiers. Because they shot them low so as not to roll up their allies, there were more arrows that dropped on the ground than the ones that hit. However, it was enough to let the Sachstein soldiers fall into chaos.

While the flames flickered, the Brune soldiers fiercely attacked the Sachstein soldiers. They slashed at them with swords, stabbed them with spears and struck with maces to the best of their power. There were also those who hit them with clubs lit with fire.

The Sachstein soldiers desperately fought back, but because they hadn’t yet recovered from their agitation, there was no force in their counterattack. When it comes to crossing swords, they were being pushed back. Meanwhile, arrows flew from the side and the rear.

While being illuminated by the fire, the Sachstein soldiers were falling down one after another.

“We’ve been tricked, huh…!”

To the ghastly situation unfolding before his eyes, Kreuger made a low groan. He had been deceived by Valentina.

Angry roars, screams, and the sound of swords crossing were sucked up within the night’s darkness together with the smoke. There was a silver-haired girl boldly riding a horse within the flames and cutting down the Sachstein soldiers one after another. It was Elen.

''--- Vanadis…!''

While wielding her long sword, Elen looked around. Her eyes met with Kreuger. Suddenly, the silver-haired Vanadis fiercely rode her horse.

Elen did not know Kreuger’s face. However, she noticed that soldiers were standing so as to protect him. It was enough to judge that he was someone in a high position.

“Your Excellency. Please escape.”

When the adjutant said so, Elen was shortening the distance. Before her slash, spears and chain mails looked like a child’s toy. The tips of spears were sent flying and chain mails were cut and torn down along with the bodies. It looked like there was no one able to stop her now.

Kreuger had no choice but to draw his sword. Elen narrowed down the distance.

Silver sparks scattered along with a shock. Kreuger repelled the blow brought down from horseback. Numbness remained in his hand and the gray-haired General, although he dipped his body in tension, shouted to Elen.

“It looks like in Zhcted a Vanadis’ life is quite light! To think that one would be used and then thrown away in such a battlefield.”

“That’s just your belief.”

Elen heartily laughed without being shaken.

“Man of Sachstein! My name is Eleonora Viltaria. With my name and LeitMeritz’s military power as a souvenir, you should run back to your native land!”

They clashed swords once again. A shrill metallic sound resounded in the depths of Kreuger’s ears. Kreuger was forced to recognize Elen’s ability.

A Sachstein soldier raised a wordless cry and attacked Elen. At that opportunity, Kreuger went away from Elen. He desperately ran in the darkness.

At that time, an arrow flew from somewhere. The arrow bounced back as it hit Kreuger’s helmet. Kreuger’s body staggered. But, he did not fall to the ground.

Kreuger kept running as is and succeeded in withdrawing from the battlefield.

The Sachstein army which found itself in a pincer attack from the front and rear was torn asunder and stampeded. The enemy’s numbers from the front and rear, even if summed up, were fewer than theirs; but those who understood that were a small fraction.

When Elen made Kreuger take flight, Tigre hurried to the Hill Fort leading 2000 horsemen of the Scheie Knight Squadron.

They had to rescue Valentina who was left as a hostage.

“Charge!”

To Tigre’s shout, the Scheie Knight Squadron answered with angry roars. They galloped letting the horses’ hooves roar.

There was only a sporadic resistance from the Hill Fort. Although there were people who were hit by bolts from crossbows and fell from their horses, the majority destroyed the fences and jumped into the Hill Fort. Tigre also rushed into the Hill Fort while being protected by the Knights.

Bonfires were lit in various places of the Hill Fort and the shadows of people were busily moving around them. It was a suitable situation for Tigre. Whenever the sound of the bowstring resounded, Sachstein soldiers fell down on the hill one after another.

The Scheie Knight Squadron showed ferocity as to release their anger of these past several days. When they went down from their horses, they brandished their swords in spite of their armor’s weight and ran up the hill. They cut down the Sachstein soldiers.

“It looks like the enemy is quite confused.”

While going up the stairs of earth and approaching the top, Tigre knitted his brows. He was worried about the fact that the hilltop was in flames.

“Valentina!”

He shouted the name of the girl who should have been held hostage.

“Yes.”

Tigre was surprised at the fact that a reply came immediately near him. When he looked back, Valentina wearing a dress covered in mud was standing there.

She had said that she would safely sneak away, but he did not think that she would have already gone down to such a place.

“Don’t tell me you use your {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}…?”

When he asked that in a low voice, Valentina cutely tilted her head to the side.

“I said that that is very tiring, right? I did not use it.”

The black-haired Vanadis approached Tigre and whispered in his ear.

“I will specially tell you. I set it on fire.”<ref> ‘it’ refers to the Hill Fort </ref>

“Set fire? How?”

There was no way that Sachstein would allow her to be in possession of something that can ignite.

“Haven’t you noticed something when looking at me?”

When she said that, Tigre fixedly stared at her face. He shook his head. Then, Valentina chuckled and said.

“Please, look at my whole body.”

Tigre carefully looked at Valentina from head to toe. Although his eyes have long since gotten used to the darkness, it was hard to tell in a situation where there was only the light of the moon, the stars and the far-off fire. Even so, Tigre noticed a certain thing. There weren’t any roses decorated on her dress.

“No way, did you use those artificial roses?”

“That’s correct.”

As she chuckled, Valentina pointed at her dress with a finger.

“With two cores, that burns well when you place it between petals and rubbed them together.”

Tigre was dumbfounded. When he had picked up that artificial flower, he had thought that it was something unusual; but he did not notice it at all.

Valentina who was led inside the Sachstein army’s camp entrusted the scythe, which was her {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}, to them and was taken into a tent on the hill. Although she was not restrained, she was told to wait for Kreuger’s return there.

There was only a chair, a table and wine in the tent. Outside the tent, ten soldiers alternately stood guard over her, and moreover another 90 soldiers were on alert in various places of the Hill Fort. Valentina had taken off the roses from her dress with a casual gesture and rubbed them together in her skirt.

“There were things such as a pillow and a chair which seemed to be able to burn, so I started smoke with them. I slipped out of the tent under the cover of the commotion and went down the slope. I also have the possibility to summon my {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} at hand, but then I will have to literally cut my way through.”

The fact of having put 100 people standing watch was a misfortune for the Sachstein side. The sudden fire and smoke accelerated their confusion.

As she finished explaining, Valentina stared at Tigre with a wondering face.

“Still, you really came to rescue me.”

“Obviously!”

Tigre had promised to Valentina that he would immediately rush to the Hill Fort as soon as they defeated the Sachstein army. At that time, the black-haired Vanadis laughed and nodded; but judging from her way of talking now, she did not seem to expect him to really do it.

After Valentina smiled with one not knowing what she was thinking, she suddenly leaned coquettishly against the youth. Tigre asked her in panic.

“What’s the matter? Are you injured somewhere──”

“I’ve gotten tired.”

In a tone which did not sound that way, Valentina answered.

“I have talked about the fact that I have a weak constitution, right? Please, carry me on your back.”

“…Could we leave it for later?”

Tigre asked her with a troubled face. There were still arrows remaining in his quiver. The fight between the Scheie Knight Squadron and the Sachstein soldiers was also going on. It didn’t look like he would take a breather until they made them (Sachstein soldiers) surrender or wipe them out.

“Snatching your subordinates’ achievements? I cannot say that you are a good commander, eh.”

While coiling her thin arms around Tigre’s neck, Valentina argued vehemently. In fact, the fight was proceeding in favor of the Scheie Knight Squadron.

“…I got it.”

Tigre could not help but carry Valentina on his back. He thought that it might not look like it but she might really be tired. He thought that he must take her to a safe place for the time being.

''---Speaking of the nearest safe place from here, it would be the top…''

There were still enemies in the top’s vicinity, but there were many allies, too. On the other hand, if leaving the Hill Fort, the whole area was wrapped in darkness. There was also the possibility that Sachstein soldiers who did not lose their fighting spirit were lying hidden.

Because she wore only a dress, Valentina’s soft body was pressed onto his back. Though Tigre wore leather armor, he could feel elasticity even from above it.

When they arrived at a place only slightly away from the top, Valentina suddenly asked.

“By the way, why did you accept my second suggestion?”

“Because I thought it’d go well.”

Tigre answered with a serious face. Then he added “however” with a difficult expression.

“If I didn’t know about your {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}’s ability, I’d have probably rejected it.”

The problematic point in this plan was the part where Valentina said that she would remain in the Sachstein’s camp as hostage when the other party requested a compensation to merited their trust. Of course, there was no guarantee that she would have come back safe from there. Not to mention that she could have been killed; there was no doubt that she would have thoroughly been put to shame if she got caught right.

But, Valentina had Ezendeis with which she could travel to another place in an instant. Although her safety was guaranteed, even with that Tigre thought that he might at least bet on it.

“But, this is the last time I accept this kind of plan. It’s dangerous judging from the way how you escape.”

“How rude.”

Valentina lifted her right arm and pinched Tigre’s ear.

The youth raised a short scream.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

The darkness covering the sky gradually faded and the day was about to dawn.

Under the indigo blue sky, Sachstein soldiers dragging their exhausted bodies looked like black shadows.

While reorganizing his army’s troops, Kreuger chose soldiers who still had a lot of physical strength, and organized reconnaissance units and sent them one after another. He was covered with blood and mud and was exhausted; but there were a lot of things he had to do before taking a rest.

Currently, Kreuger’s army was to the south about 10 Belsta (about 10 km) away from the battlefield. The number of soldiers following Kreuger was approximately 13000. Which meant that he lost 30% of his soldiers in one night.

''---No, it’d be better to think that it was somewhat larger than approximately 1000.''

Adding in those who had fled during the night battle, the soldiers who lost sight of their allies within the darkness and confusion should have not been small in number. Because a grassy plain with gentle ups and downs was spread in this area, it would not be difficult to find their figures.

Even if they suffered a crushing defeat, the soldiers still followed Kreuger. There was probably the fact that it was because they were in a foreign land, but this General with a commoner origin had earned popularity from the soldiers.

The reconnaissance units returned before long. According to their reports, it seemed that the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army had hardly moved from the battlefield. Looking up at the east sky which had turned grey, Kreuger began to ponder.

“Now then, I wonder how the enemy will move. Will they come chasing us, or head to the capital? Or will they go to the west in order to stop Schmidt-dono…?”

They would probably come chasing after them. Although their number was reduced, the number of Sachstein troops present here exceeded 10000. There was no way that the Brune army would leave them as is.

Kreuger had long since decided about his army’s action.

“We will go to the south.”

Kreuger’s army existed at the south side in order to attract the enemy. If the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army went south as they pursued Kreuger’s army, the enemy would become more distant from Schmidt’s army.

Besides, for Kreuger, there was a problem which he couldn’t ignore. They left food and fuel in the Hill Fort. Thus, by abandoning the Hill Fort, they lost it.

To satisfy the hunger of about 10000 soldiers, just attacking villages and towns would not be enough. It would probably last one or two days, but it would quickly run out. They only had two choices: either waiting for it to be sent by Nemetacum and the port towns group, or defeating the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army and taking it back.

While looking up at the sun which gradually rose, Kreuger’s army advanced to the south through the highway.

As they entered a region called Bauval plain, Kreuger stopped the march. Other than one small, flat hill, it was a ground where a grassy plain was spread as far as one looked around. He decided to wait for the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army in this place.

As they checked their weapons, there were enough spears and short swords; but the number of crossbows did not reach 1000. Bolts were even fewer as their number did not reach even 500. As they were heavy, many crossbows were thrown away during the flight.

As expected, Kreuger was depressed, but they could not afford to go recover them. They would have probably been picked up already by the enemy. He only had to think about how to fight in this situation.

The soldiers that he could deploy on the hill were at most around 500. Kreuger set up camps respectively on the top and the foot of the hill. He once again sent reconnaissance units to the north and south.

''---As scheduled, food should arrive from Nemetacum tomorrow.''

Then today, a group of horses loaded with food and water should arrive at this place which was to the south nearly 20 Belsta (about 20 km) away from the Hill Fort.

However, Kreuger did not inform the soldiers of that. In case an accident occurred and they were late, the soldiers’ morale would fall at a stretch.

While letting the soldiers rest at the foot of the hill, the gray-haired General called two subordinates.

“I will give each of you funds, food and soldiers.”

He ordered one to head to Schmidt’s army and tell him about the current situation.

“Listen well. You should absolutely report that the Zhcted army is participating in the war and that they are two Vanadises.”

Then, he ordered the other subordinate to head to the Capital Nice.

“I don’t mind what kind of means you use. Spread the rumor that ‘Tigrevurmud Vorn is a puppet of the Zhcted Kingdom and he intends to hand over Brune’s territory to Zhcted’ in the Capital. Make it so that it reaches the ears of every person from royalty and titled nobility to commoner.”

Valentina’s scheme made Kreuger come up with this plan. If a crack arose between the Capital and Tigre, the future battles should become advantageous.

As he sent his subordinates as such, Kreuger looked up at the clear blue sky. He talked to himself.

“One day…”

Just one day is fine. Food, time and enough material for one day.

If only he had that, he could make even this small hill into a strong fortress. There were many drawings in accordance with the size and shape of the hill in Kreuger’s head. If he was able to build up a Hill Fort, there was no way that he would lose whether the enemy was Brune’s Knight Squadrons or the Zhcted army.

However, there were no materials. Even if there were, he couldn’t make the soldiers work in this situation. They were tired, and it would be the wrong cause of their demise if they could not move when they had to fight.

After about half a koku, the reconnaissance unit sent to the south returned.

“A unit with food and water from Nemetacum are heading this way!”

A smile giving way to joy appeared on the face of the soldier who made the report. Although Kreuger stopped at only nodding composedly, he inwardly shared the same feeling, too.

However, he couldn’t just be happy. The reconnaissance unit which headed to the north also returned, but they reported as followed.

“The enemy is heading this way. We estimate their number to be less than 10000.”

Kreuger who received that report on the hill looked hard at the north direction. Far away in the distance, something like a lump of black cotton could be seen. It was probably the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army.

“They came, huh. But, it’s not bad.”

As Kreuger muttered, he issued instructions so that the soldiers were told that food and water would arrive before long. And also that the enemy was approaching.

“The Brune and Zhcted people (army) probably wouldn’t give us time to eat a meal. Tell all the soldiers. ──Win and survive; in order to satisfy your hunger and thirst and to dispel the humiliation.”

Before long, ferocious battle cries were raised from the camp of Kreuger’s army.

The Sachstein army’s battle cries reached up to the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army as they (cries) rode upon the winds.

After having taken the Hill Fort, the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} had rest and food by turns. Then, they reorganized the troops, left the Hill Fort to 1000 soldiers and pursued the Sachstein army. Although they took a rest, the soldiers were dirty with mud, sweat and blood as they didn’t have any room to take a bath or wipe their bodies.

“Their morale is quite high.”

Tigre who rode a horse at the vanguard of the army knitted his brows. It was not that welcomed a thing that the enemy still had fighting spirit. Regarding the numbers, the Sachstein army was still superior.

Elen who was riding her horse next to Tigre looked at the youth.

“I can’t imagine that they were tormented and became enraged, but… what do we do?”

“We’ll fight here.”

Tigre’s voice was filled with an unshakeable determination. They must not give any more time than this to Kreuger.

The Hill Fort which they succeeded in capturing had a structure so wonderful that Mashas and Scheie were struck with admiration.

“One can’t win against this if he doesn’t use a clever scheme.”

The old Earl nodded as he let his gray beard shake, and Scheie shivered as his stern face stiffened.

“It’s irritating, but it’s really well made.”

The structure, which was fixated on the fine details such as stairs to move quickly from the top to the bottom, walls to block the enemy movement, fences and pathways to divide the enemy and the like, was something that even the Brune people who were made to have a hard fight could not help but recognize it.

“Does it look like it can be useful to us?”

When Tigre asked, the Lutece Knight Squadron’s commander shook his head.

“That's not possible. The walls and stairs which are on this hill can’t be fully put into practical use if they aren’t built in a place with the same form as this hill. We have no choice but to abandon this.”

He did not doubt that the Hill Fort was something born from the brain of the General called Kreuger. As for the Brune army, they had to eliminate him before he built up a new Hill Fort.

The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army stopped their advance and formed their ranks. They distributed the soldiers, whose number did not reach 8000, to the central main force, the right wing and the left wing.

The central main force was about 4000 that was composed of the private troops of the Brune nobles. The right wing was the Zhcted army of about 2000. And the left wing was the lineup of the Lutece Knight Squadron of about 2000.

Tigre commanded the central main force and Mashas assisted him. Elen commanded the Zhcted army of the right wing and Lim assisted her. Scheie took command of the Knight Squadron of the left wing.

“Lord Mashas. So to be prepared just in case, there is something I want you to prepare.”

When Tigre explained what he was thinking about, Mashas revealed a grim face. But, he did not reject it. The enemy had the numerical superiority, so even one extra trick was necessary.

Like that, when Tigre adjusted the battle formation of the main troops, Elen’s figure similarly on horseback appeared from between the soldiers. Letting her silver hair flutter to the wind, she rode her horse until before Tigre.

“My side is already ready.”

She said with a brilliant smile. Tigre revealed a bitter smile. That was the duty of a messenger, not something a commander should do. Even knowing that, Elen came to report personally.

“Thank you.”

Tigre answered with a smile, too. He was happy about her feelings.

“By the way, I think we should talk about it, but…”

As her smile suddenly became gloomy, Elen brought her horse near Tigre’s.

“It’s about Valentina. She said that her physical condition is bad and is waiting on standby in the rear of the right wing. She has gotten on a two-horse carriage, you see?”

Even Tigre was dumbfounded by this. He had met with the black-haired Vanadis two koku before, but she did not look at all like she was in a poor condition.

However, he could not ask her, either. He did not have such a time, and in the case that Valentina was really sick, he would not get off with just an apology.

“Well, whatever. She has already worked enough.”

Tigre cheered up Elen as he said so. But, the silver-haired Vanadis glared at the youth with half-opened eyes.

“I heard that you walked around the Hill Fort carrying her on your back.”

Tigre stared wide-eyed. Someone of the Scheie Knight Squadron probably talked about it. To the flustered youth, Elen said with a face which did not hide her displeasure.

“Don’t tell me you possibly got ensnared by her?”

“I swear to the gods and also you that it isn’t the case.”

As he promptly answered as such, Elen looked at Tigre with a face mixed with admiration and amazement.

“You don’t have to go to such lengths. It will also be a nuisance for the gods that you mention them for such a thing.”

“If it’s to have you believe me, then it’s worth incurring the displeasure of the gods.”

When the youth shrugged his shoulders and returned these words, Elen laughed. She seemed to have cheered up.

“Tigre. Leave the right wing to Lim and me, and focus on the command overall. Lord Mashas is there, so I think you’ll be all right; but don’t overdo it.”

To these words, Tigre answered back with a smile.

“You too, be careful so as to not do something like leave the rest to Lim and jump right into the midst of the enemy.”

“How unexpected. I only do that so to not let go of a chance of victory.”

“It’s the same for me, too.”

Tigre stretched out his hand. Elen held that hand. There were places of the silver-haired Vanadis’ hand which became hard/stiff as she has continued holding a sword. And, it also had warmth which made the youth feel calm.

The youth thought that he wanted his hand to be like that for her, too.

Without either noticing, they released their hands. The youth’s black pupils and her red pupils intersected.

“See you again later.”

The two people uttered the same words. And, Elen turned her horse.

Around when the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army finished adjusting their battle formation, the Sachstein army similarly finished their lineup.

Kreuger divided the soldiers, who numbered about 14000 adding those who joined his army late<ref> as in the ones who were lost after the night battle – DualxBlades </ref>, into five groups. The main force of 500 on the hill. The central unit before the hill with 7000 soldiers. The right wing was 3000. The left wing was also 3000. Furthermore, he let 500 spare troops in the rear.

The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army was approaching the Sachstein army little by little which did not move from the top and the surroundings of the hill. Under a cloudless sky, wind blew and the three countries’ battle flags fluttered. Slightly before the sun reached the zenith, both armies confronted each other.

“Oh King of Gods Perkūnas, God of War Triglav. Witness our battle!”

“Oh God of Thunder Sor, God of Wisdom Wotan. Oh maidens whom possesses wings. Grant us your divine protection!”

The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army and the Sachstein army respectively began to advance.

The Zhcted army poured a rain of arrows on the enemy. The Brune soldiers too, those who had a bow fired arrows and those did not attacked by means of stone throwing. The Sachstein army held up their shields and defended against the arrows and stones which swooped down on them.

As the arrow battle completed the battle’s first stage, the Sachstein army’s central unit began their advance.

It would be more accurate to call it a charge. Raising beast-like roars and holding either a spear or a short sword in their hands, the Sachstein soldiers ferociously rushed onto the Brune soldiers.

Pushed by their force, the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army’s central force was about to collapse. From the start, the Sachstein army had the numerical superiority. The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army quickly retreated while losing soldiers.

In the rear of the main force, Tigre was watching the lead group’s fight while gritting his teeth. Although they were putting up a hard fight, they were falling one after another in a spray of blood.

“Tigre. It’ll be soon.”

Mashas who was beside him said. Tigre nodded and gave an order.

Receiving it, about 200 soldiers who were waiting in the rear of the central main troops moved. They did not even wear armor, but they were holding crossbows in their hands. Commanding them was Mashas’ son, Gaspar.

The 200 people led by Gaspar moved in a form depicting an arc. They set their aim at the Sachstein army’s right side. Gaspar himself set up a crossbow, too.

“Fire!”

Bowstrings snapped and 200 bolts went straight through the empty sky. Screams broke out from the Sachstein soldiers.

“…This is really amazing.”

While feeling the crossbow’s recoil throughout his body, Gaspar leaked a breath of admiration.

After the battle of the Hill Fort was over, it was him who proposed whether they could use the crossbows and bolts that the Sachstein soldiers had abandoned. Precisely because he had a good relationship with Tigre and he did not hold that much prejudice to bows and crossbows, he was able to think like that and proposed it.

As Tigre and Mashas approved it, Gaspar eagerly acted and gathered 200 people who did not mind using crossbows in only half a koku. It was this military unit.

The crossbows’ volley/fusillade slightly stopped the Sachstein army’s fierce attack. Soldiers whose arm or foot was shot by a bolt fell on the ground and writhed in pain and agony. But, there was no one to listen to their screams. Even their allies advanced stepping over them.

Then, the 2000 cavalrymen led by Earl Bouroullec charged. They were similarly a unit which was waiting in the rear. The moment when Gaspar’s unit moved that became the signal to him (Bouroullec).

“Don’t always let the Zhcted people look cool! Show the power of the Brune people!”

Bouroullec’s unit attacked the Sachstein army’s left side. Bouroullec shook his curly chestnut-colored hair, wielded a hatchet-like sword and cut down the Sachstein soldiers one after another.

Receiving attacks from two directions, the front and the left side, as expected the Sachstein soldiers stopped their charge. As for Tigre, he thought that it would be good for the time being if he could take/bring the battle at the center into a stalemate. At that opportunity, the right and the left wings would break through both flanks of the enemy and eventually intend to surround and exterminate them.

But, a miscalculation arose here. The Sachstein army’s right and left wings showed an extraordinary tenacity. When the Lutece Knight Squadron attacked, they would retreat; and when the former tried to reform their ranks, the latter would advance. Even against the Zhcted army which constituted the right wing, the Sachstein army moved in the same way.

Elen who wielded the Silver Flash at the Zhcted army’s vanguard cursed them saying “they’re an enemy hard to handle”.

The movement of both wings of the Sachstein army was due to the command of Kreuger standing at the hilltop.

Actually, his true value as a General was in his flexible manipulation of troops. Precisely because he had that, the Hill Fort was not an impromptu stronghold, but he changed it into a fearsome fortress to drag the enemy in and exterminate them.

“Did you think that the Brune knights were the strongest if it’s a grassy plain?”

At the hilltop, Kreuger spitted so out. The reason why he concentrated 7000 soldiers in the center was from his conviction of being able to take charge of the command of the left and right wings.

“We’ll push our way through as is.”

The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army was gradually pushed.

In the rear of the central main force, Tigre was desperately racking his brains. Even if he jumped out to the vanguard and shot all his arrows, it would be almost impossible to change the flow. Gaspar and Bouroullec were respectively attacking the Sachstein soldiers from the right and left, but they were unable to force the enemy back.

''---In that case…''

Tigre’s eyes were turned towards the hill where the Sachstein army’s main troops were. The hill’s defense was insufficient. In order to change the flow, he could not help but aim at the supreme commander Kreuger.

“Lord Mashas. I’m sorry, but…”

When he turned to look at the old knight beside him, Mashas ostentatiously grieved.

“In the end, you really aren’t suitable to be a supreme commander, eh. I had wanted you to follow Her Highness Regin’s example.”

“I, too, if I could rest at ease, there’ll be nothing better than that.”

The old Earl scornfully laughed at the youth’s words. He immediately returned to a serious expression and said.

“It would probably be useless even if I say it, but… if you fail, come back even if you have to use the soldiers as a shield.”

They were severe words considering it was Mashas, but he was serious. The youth’s existence was that much important for the whole {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army. Tigre nodded as tension filled his whole body.

When Tigre finished the preparations, he started to move leading 300 soldiers from the rear of the central main force.

He had to hurry. If he was to hesitate, the central main force would end up being destroyed. As he passed the side of Earl Bouroullec’s unit, the 300 cavalrymen with Tigre at the vanguard ran through the battlefield.

Agonizing screams echoed here and there and when looking around, corpses were scattered about. If there were corpses of Brune soldiers, there were also ones of Sachstein soldiers.

The Sachstein army’s central main force went away from the hill by repeated dashes. There was an opening there for Tigre’s unit to get in.

Suddenly, Tigre looked towards his right side. There was one horseman’s shadow which parted from the Zhcted army and was running to this place. Silver hair and ruby-colored pupils; it was Elen.

“What are you doing?!”

Tigre shouted at her. With a calm face, Elen lined up next to the youth.

“I left the rest to Lim and came; same as you.”

Tigre was at a loss for words. But, he immediately changed his thoughts. He took his gaze off her and stared at the front; more precisely, at the hilltop.

“Crossbows are probably lying in wait for an ambush. I think that I can defend against them with Arifal to some extent, but”

To Elen’s words, Tigre shook his head.

“No, I won’t depend on Arifal here.”

He didn’t know whether or not Kreuger had a move other than using crossbows. If he had, he should then use Arifal’s power against it. Tigre explained so. While letting her silver hair flutter, Elen turned wondering eyes to Tigre.

“I understand your thoughts, but do you have any other way?”

Tigre nodded.

Kreuger, who was at the hilltop, calmly looked down at the group of about 300 cavalrymen heading towards the hill. Among them, there was also that silver-haired Vanadis.

The outcome would probably be decided on whether or not he could repel them.

Kreuger made the 500 soldiers on standby set up crossbows. Bolts had already been loaded. It was a battle formation where they could ambush the enemy no matter which direction they came from.

''---No matter where you go up from, several hundred bolts will attack you if you step on this hill.''

But, the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army did not step onto the hill. While riding their horses along the foot of the hill, they gradually slow down the speed letting the horses’ legs loosen.

Tigre nocked three arrows to his black bow. Fire was burning on each of the three sickles.

The other cavalrymen set up strings for stone-throwing, but what were inserted in the strings were not stones. But bags filled with oil. Both fire and oil were the things which Tigre had Mashas prepared.

Tigre let the bowstring vibrate. The three fire arrows which were shot, while letting fire flicker, flew in the empty sky as they drew a splendid parabola.

''---300 Alsins…!''

Kreuger inwardly raised a scream of surprise.

The number which he thought was exaggerated. But, the reality was more than that.

The fire arrows which flew high in the sky dropped in accordance with gravity and struck around the hillside.

The season was spring. This hill was likewise covered with lush flowering plants. They were wrapped in fire.

Next, the cavalrymen threw the oil bags. As expected, they did not fly as high as Tigre’s fire arrows, but they were thrown around the hillside.

“Do they intend to attack with fire? Well, that’s if fire reaches up to here…”

Tigre had a soldier running alongside him prepare fire and nocked a new fire arrow. Each time the youth shot a fire arrow, fire spread to the hill. Seeing several lines of black smoke rising up, Kreuger guessed Tigre’s purpose.

“So, it isn’t fire, but rather smoke that’s his aim, huh…”

Kreuger groaned. Although he was confused, and he rebuked the soldiers in dismay, it wasn’t as if there were no means against fire and smoke. He was unable to come up with a means other than leaving this hill, and also unable to issue instructions to the spare military forces in the rear. Smoke obstructed the soldiers’ view and mercilessly harmed their eyes and noses.

While running at the foot of the hill, the 300 cavalrymen led by Tigre threw bags of oil. The fire spread more and more and the quantity of smoke increased, too.

From the top of the hill wrapped in smoke, bolts were shot all at once. However, they were shot in a completely wrong direction.

“Charge!”

Tigre shouted. Elen and the cavalrymen raised battle cries. The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army ran up the slope wrapped in smoke at a stretch.

There, the Sachstein soldiers set up spears and short swords from within the smoke ad swooped down on them. But in a clash from the front, infantrymen cannot beat cavalrymen. They were sent flying by the swarm of men and horses and fell down onto the ground. There were also people who jumped into the fire.

Tigre and company ran up to the top without stopping their horses’ feet and run down the slope of the opposite side as is.

Since it was wrapped in fire and smoke, they couldn’t stop.

And, Tigre and company finally caught sight of Kreuger.

''---It’s him, huh…!''

Kreuger was running down the slope away from Tigre and company as he was protected by about ten soldiers. Tigre silently took out an arrow and nocked it to the black bow.

Wind blew scattering the smoke just for an instant. At that instant, the youth shot the arrow.

The arrow flew as it drew a curve and pierced Kreuger’s throat.

The gray-haired General of Sachstein staggered and fell down to the ground.

When he thought that he’d received a shock to the back of the neck, Kreuger’s body fell down to the ground.

He did not utter his voice. His body rapidly became cold.

He wondered whether he was dying. When he wandered his gaze, his dices fell. They seemed to have jumped out of his sleeve due to the shock of him falling down to the ground. He could not see the numbers of pips well.

Kreuger stretched out his hand to pick up the dices, but it did not reach. Even though they fell to a distance three or four steps away if one stood up and walked, he felt as if they were beyond the horizon.

“Uh huh”, such a blurred sigh leaked out from his mouth.

He did not realize his dream of building a castle fort that he had pictured. He was frustrated.

The faces of his family that he left behind in his homeland floated in his mind. He wanted to tell them goodbye.

He once again stretched out his hand towards the dices.

Unable to reach them as is, Hans Von Kreuger gave his last breath.

With Kreuger’s death marked the end of the battle of Bauval Plain.

The Sachstein soldiers who learned of their supreme commander’s death threw away their weapons one after another and surrendered. There were also those who still continued resisting, but were either persuaded by their comrades to surrender or they were knocked down by the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army.

The number of Sachstein soldiers who surrendered amounted to 6000. Their mediator was the person who acted as Kreuger’s adjutant.

Tigre looked down at him and plainly said.

“I won’t take you guys as prisoners. You may go to a port town along the coast after burying your comrades’ corpses.”

“What do you mean?”

Perhaps because he took it as an insult, the adjutant’s voice was trembling.

“If you mean to say that prisoners will be a hindrance, shouldn’t you just kill us? If you set us free, we might join with our allies who are in the west.”

“If you want to fall down on the battlefield, you should just do it. But, I want to ask you. Is it really all right for you not to send your supreme commander’s corpse to your country?”

To Tigre’s words, the adjutant dropped his shoulders and hung down his head. Several lines of tears streamed down his blood- and mud-stained face. And so, they followed Tigre’s advice.

It would have been very troublesome for the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army to cope with 6000 prisoners.

Taking prisoners meant that they would have to give them food. They would also have to worry about escape. If they half-heartedly discard them, there was the fear that they would become bandits.

If they sold them to Muozinel slave merchants as slaves in some big city, not only would they immediately dispose of them, they would also obtain funds. But for Tigre who had the experience of having become a prisoner before, it was something he did not want to do if possible; even if it was self-satisfaction.

Therefore, Tigre recommended for them to return to their country.

The {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army and the Sachstein army cooperated in order to put out the fire wrapping the hill by covering it with soil. Afterwards, the Sachstein army buried their comrades’ corpses in the south side of the hill, and the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army buried their comrades’ corpses in the north side.

Although the {{furigana|Moonlight Knights|Lune Lumen}} army’s casualties did not reach 1000, three soldiers who came from Alsace lost their lives. While ostensibly, Tigre dealt with it silently, he asked Titta to send words to mourn over their death to the Alsace soldiers.

After having finished the burial, the rest and the reorganization of the army, Elen asked.

“Now then, what do we do from here on Tigre?”

There were four courses of action that Tigre could take.

Either heading to the port towns of the coast or going to Nemetacum

Or heading to the west and fighting the other forces of the Sachstein army

Or heading for the capital.

“──Let’s go to the capital.”

Tigre calmly said. If they were to report that they repelled the Sachstein army of the south and made them flee, the capital would liven up. Princess Regin would definitely feel relieved, too. Besides, he had to give rest to the soldiers. At this rate, they could hardly fight against an army of 50000.

Tigre did not know.

About the plot that Kreuger threw to the capital Nice.

“Looks like it’s over.”

While lightly stretching herself inside the carriage, the black-haired Vanadis muttered with a yawn.

During the time from when the battle of Bauval began until it ended, she was sleeping buried in the cushions that she piled up inside the carriage. Although her pure white dress grew wrinkly, Valentina did not really mind such a thing.

“As I thought, when I act together with him, he’s really a fun person.”

As she looked at the outside scene from the small window of the carriage, Valentina muttered.

She did not know the real intention of King Victor who dispatched her to this land.

Because it was slightly different from the harassing, the dispatch of troops that happened quite often up until now, he might intend to interfere with something in Osterode during her absence.

''---If that happens, then so be it; afterwards I can make time to talk with His Majesty King Victor just the two of us, so I don’t mind.''

For the time being, her interest was in the outcome of the battle between Brune and Sachstein. Then, in how Tigrevurmud Vorn would move.

“I expect a lot from you. Earl Vorn.”

After muttering so, she suddenly remembered about the fact that Elen called the youth ‘Tigre’. Moreover, also about the fact that Elen’s adjutant called him ‘Tigrevurmud Vorn’.

''---Shall I tease him on that point the next time?''

She intended to fully make use of this opportunity.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

Around the midway point between Zhcted’s capital and Legnica, a wasteland was spread out.

There was one woman there.

There was a vermillion short blade in her right hand and a golden one in her left.

“This is a {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}…”

With a surprised face, the woman stared at the twin swords in her hands.

Those twin swords appeared just now before her eyes. And, it calmly called out to her consciousness.

Saying “Thou will become a Vanadis. If thou accept it, take us into your hands”.

The woman was an itinerant mercenary. Since it wasn’t as if she travelled assertively looking for a battlefield, it should be correct to call her a former mercenary. Although there was the fact that she was hired by a small village to drive away bandits who settled in the forest and mountain nearby, she was not that much in need of money, so she was not desperate.

“Which reminds me, was she called Eleonora? That girl whom Vissarion took good care of that became a Vanadis.”

She muttered as she recalled.

There once existed a mercenary group called “Silver Gale”. It wasn’t like the woman had belonged to the mercenary group. It was just that she strangely got along well with the man called Vissarion who was the leader of the “Silver Gale”, she had helped him with work several times and conversely, she had had him help her.

In the “Silver Gale”, there was one girl, something which was unbecoming of a mercenary group. It was said that she, who was named Eleonora, was a child who had been picked up by Vissarion.

The “Silver Gale” no longer existed. Vissarion was no longer in this world, either.

Several years ago, she had heard that the girl called Eleonora had become a Vanadis. When she thought “no way” and inquired about her features to those who saw her, it seemed that there was no mistake.

''---To think that I’ll become a Vanadis like that girl…''

When the woman put the twin swords into the belt of her waist, she began to walk towards the capital.

Her name was Figneria. She was a former mercenary once called by the nickname “Finé of the War Blade”.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

Ludmila Lourie received in the Imperial Palace of Olmutz the report that the Muozinel army had appeared near the border of Zhcted. About ten days have passed since she returned from the capital Silesia.

At that time, the blue-haired Vanadis was in her office. Since it was right at the time when she was putting in order some troublesome documents, she listened to the soldier’s words with an expression somewhat showing her bad mood.

“It is a report from Fort Fordney. Near the Molave River, approximately 5000 Muozinel troops showed up.”

Fort Fordney was at the south end of Olmutz. Although small, it was known for the fact that its defense was solid. The Molave River which was to the south about 5 Belsta (about 5km) farther away from this fort substituted for the borderline of Zhcted and Muozinel.

“Thank you for your work. Take a rest for today.”

As she gave words of thanks to the soldier, Mila rang the bell on the desk and called one civil official. She issued instructions to give a room to the soldier and then added to bring a map.

''---Now then, I wonder which it is.''

Since the time when she heard that Sachstein had invaded Brune, Mila believed that Muozinel would probably move. The problem was Muozinel’s aim.

Either a full-scale invasion; or would they wait and see like last year?

Before long, the civil official brought a map. Mila took it and spread it on the work desk.

''---The soldiers protecting Fordney number less than 2000. The enemy is 5000.''

Fort Fordney towered halfway up a mountain and there was a range of steep mountains to the north and west. Even if they gathered five times the number of soldiers, it would be difficult for them to attack. That said, she could not let her guard down.

''---If they intend to attack, there’s no way they will with only 5000. Let alone five times, there’s also the possibility that ten times the number of soldiers are lying in wait.''

After a half koku, the {{furigana|Snow Princess of the Frozen Wave|Michelia}} gathered the chief Knights in one room and held a war council. When she explained the situation, she told very naturally to the knights.

“I will head to Fordney with 2000 soldiers. You too should prepare yourselves so you can deploy at any time.”

“Vanadis-sama. I do not think that it’s necessary for you to personally depart for the front for such a battle.”

“Could you give us the opportunity to distinguish ourselves here? Please, Vanadis-sama. Just wait for the report of victory here in the Imperial Palace.”

The knights unanimously showed disapproval, but feelings of worrying about their lord overflowed in their eyes and voices. If Mila who was their princess and Vanadis personally proceeded to the fort, the soldiers’ morale would rise and they would definitely easily triumph no matter if it was the Muozinel army.

However, not knowing what might happen was what a battlefield was. They wanted Mila to remain in the Imperial Palace.

To her subordinates’ words, the blue-haired Vanadis shook her head.

“I am thankful for your courage and loyalty. But, it is not yet certain that we will fight against Muozinel. That’s why I will go; in order to ascertain it.”

Then, Mila ordered to send messengers to the neighboring nobles and Sofy who was in Polesia. It was also likely that the troops which appeared near Fort Fordney were a diversion and that they were aiming for another place. She invited caution and that they should make preparations for cooperating with each other when necessary.

Moreover, she sent messengers to the various cities along the highway. This was in order to have them prepare food, fuel and the place where the soldiers would stay at. By doing this, she could raise the March speed in her territory.

Early morning of the next day, Mila left the rest to the knights and civil officials whom she trusted and left the Imperial Palace with 2000 infantrymen.

Even if spring came, snow still remained at the surroundings of the castle town. But when going ahead on the highway to the south, snow gradually became invisible. In the grassy plains spreading right and left of the highway, flowers indicating the coming of spring displayed a vivid color.

The 2000 soldiers hung a small sword to their waists and held either a spear or a bow. They wore leather armor reinforced with iron scraps and also put on hats reinforced with iron scraps. There was a shroud/hood on both sides of the hat and that protected their ears and cheeks from the cold.

Their gloves and shoes were also made with fur. Although Fort Fordney was to the south, it was still cold even in the mountains. Mila took that into account.

Mila herself only wore a silver breastplate on top her blue clothes, and covered around her white skirt with a piece of metal and put on leg protectors. The Frozen Wave in her hand protected her from the cold.

''---Muozinel soldiers should be weak in the cold. Also taking that into consideration, is them appearing at Fordney a diversion after all…?''

Four days later, Mila and the 2000 soldiers arrived at the foot of a mountain where Fort Fordney was. When they took a rest, a little less than 100 soldiers ran down the slope of the mountain. They were floating the {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}} and Olmutz’s battle flag. The flag which depicted a plain, blue spear diagonally fluttered in the wind.

They were soldiers of Fordney. While letting the soldiers rest, Mila was waiting for them to show up.

“We did not think that Vanadis-sama would come.”

When the commander of the Fordney’s soldiers came until before Mila, he went down on a knee and bowed his head. Mila placidly nodded.

“I was waiting. Well then, let’s go to Fordney.”

Led by the Fordney soldiers, Mila and the 2000 soldiers went up the mountain which had snow remaining. In about a half koku, the fort could be seen with the white sky and the ashen mountains in the background.

“Vanadis-sama. I am glad that you have come safely.”

When she entered the fort, the chief of the fort Rezanov appeared to greet her. Though he was 35 years old, in addition to his white hair, his beard covering his chin harked back to an old man. His voice was low and strengthened the impression that it was hoarse.

But, just from the fact that his voice was usually like this, Mila knew that he was a man who could raise a loud voice in a battlefield. That was why she left this fort to him.

“I feel relieved to see that you and the soldiers seemed to be fine. How is the situation?”

Returning a smile for just an instant, Mila immediately returned to a serious expression.

“For the moment, they’re staying near the Molave River. A few numbers of people have crossed the river, but they immediately returned to the other side of the river.”

“Did you do something?”

“I had the soldiers go out only once, and then asked them what the Muozinel soldiers were doing. They answered that it seems to be a training march.”

Rezanov answered with an indignant tone. His snorting shook his white beard.

Together with the white-haired commander, Mila went out onto the castle wall of the south side. A cold wind rustled her blue hair and white ribbon. When she smoothed her ribbon upwards with her hand, she turned her gaze to the south. She could overlook the Molave River from here.

[[File:MnOtV vol11 290.png|thumb]]

On the other side of the river which glittered reflecting the spring sunlight, 5000 soldiers were hovering in a deep black background. What was drawn on the fluttering flag was the golden helmet of the horned ox and a sword. It was Muozinel’s battle flag.

“From here, we can only see those people, but I do not think that that is all of them.”

Rezanov standing next to Mila said while exhaling a white breath. Mila nodded without taking her eyes off the Muozinel army.

“I agree with you, too.”

Two years ago, when the Muozinel army attacked Brune, they were composed of an advance party of 20000 and the main force of 30000. This time, too, they might intend to watch the situation with 5000 soldiers.

Lavias was quietly clad in a chill; as if to respond to the fighting spirit of the {{furigana|Snow Princess of the Frozen Wave|Michelia}}.

Would it be over as is with just facing each other? Or would they clash?

Nobody could tell.

<noinclude>

==References==
<references/>

{{SimpleNav
|b=Volume_11_Chapter_4|bn=Chapter 4
|f=Volume_12_Illustrations|fn=Volume 12}}
</noinclude>

Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume15 Chapter5

2016-03-12T06:38:15Z

Windsgrace: /* Part 3 */

==Chapter 5 - Temple of the Dark Dragon==

===Part 1===

Riding on the flying dragon controlled by Leonora, Kamito went to the trading port of the dragon capital of Grand Dracunia. The long journey on the dragon carriage was covered within the blink of an eye by riding a flying dragon.

After tying the flying dragon to a plaza specialized for dragons, Leonora walked towards a bustling marketplace.

"Such a busy place..."

"Because the Kelbreth Mountain Range is a major source of spirit crystals. Even without ships, it is very common here to use flying dragons to engage in trade."

Just as Leonora said, while Kamito was walking through the market, flying dragons carrying wooden crates of goods kept flying overhead in criss-crossing directions.

"Won't they crash into one another?"

"Experienced flying dragon riders won't have those type of accidents. Novices do drop goods occasionally, but the local residents are used to it."

"This isn't a matter of getting used to it or not, right?"

The reason why the buildings here looked sturdier than those in the imperial capital or the Academy town was hopefully not as a precaution against objects dropped from great heights.

"This amount of air freight is already relatively low. On one hand, the Theocracy's civil war has interrupted trade. On the other hand, trade with Ordesia will probably be put on hold for the near future."

"You call this relatively low..."

Looking at the unceasing flow of dragons overhead, Kamito stared in amazement with his mouth open.

Seeing that, Leonora laughed proudly.

"You are overreacting if you get shocked by something of this level. During the annual Flying Dragon Dance Festival, the entire sky will be blotted out by dragons. Now that is what I call spectacular."

"Eh, I'd really like to see that..."

...What kind of scene would that be like? For some reason, Kamito imagined a large swarm of locusts.

"Great, let me be your guide on that occasion as well."

"Sure, thanks."

"Fufu, it is a promise."

—Thus they walked for a while, sometimes looking up at the dragons overhead, other times checking out goods in the market. The two of them ten came to a large road under a giant canopy.

On the two sides of the road were shops with fancy signs. The road was crowded with people.

"This is the Dragon's Street—the biggest entertainment district in the dragon capital. You can buy anything you want from general merchandise, craft products to dragon eggs. Apparently, there are also tools for sale for nighttime fun."

"What tools for nighttime fun?"

"Who knows? I don't have a clear idea either..."

Saying that, the two of them strolled casually through Dragon's Street. At a open-air stall on the side of the road, Kamito saw many rare items for sale that could not be found in the Academy town.

"Say, what's that?"

Kamito pointed to a blue egg, large enough for a person to wrap their arms around in a hug.

"A drake egg—a type of small dragon."

"Can you eat it?"

"Of course not. Nobles use them as interior decoration. However, it's possible to make them hatch by using a blazing furnace. Newly hatched drakes are quite cute."

"Small dragons huh? Now I kind of feel like raising one."

Kamito imagined a palm-sized fire-breathing dragon.

"Yes, juvenile drakes are roughly the size of horses and very easy to take care of."

"That's plenty large already."

"Really? I have seven of them at home."

...As expected of a princess of the Dragon Nation. Her standards were completely different.

"If it's no longer possible to keep them, what happens when they go feral?"

"The majority of feral drakes return to the Kelbreth Mountain Range. However, it's just that most of them turn into prey for the bigger dragons."

"What a cruel world..."

Just as the two of them were chatting in front of the shop...

"Oh, are you looking for drake eggs? Excellent taste, good sir."

Smiling cordially, the shopkeeper came outside.

"Oh no, I'm just looking, I don't plan on..."

"What a kidder you are, good sir, amazing. I can't believe you are aiming that high."

Checking out Kamito and Leonora, the shopkeeper smiled suggestively.

"What do you mean?"

"Drake eggs are good luck charms. Rumor has it that a single touch could ensure swift conception."

"What...!?"

Kamito hastily backed away. He glanced around, only to see the surrounding people smiling at the two of them as though they were newlyweds.

"You didn't know?"

"O-Of course I didn't. L-Let's go..."

"Oh...!

Kamito grabbed Leonora's hand and hastily left that place.

Only after leaving Dragon's Street did Kamito finally stop walking. Leonora glared at Kamito with her face bright red.

"Y-You, do you always go around holding girls' hands this casually!?"

"S-Sorry..."

Kamito let go in a panic.

"Oh no, it's not like I mind continuing like this..."

Leonora instantly stammered.

"Uh, after running around, I feel a little hungry..."

"Hmm? Oh, that's true... How about finding a place to have lunch?"

"W-Would you like to go there?"

Leonora pointed to a shop whose sign depicted a gigantic dragon.

"Dragon steak... Don't tell me they sell dragon meat?"

"Of course not. They use cattle raised on mountain ranches."

"I see..."

Kamito breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's just that they grow to the size of dragons."

===Part 2===

—While Kamito and Leonora were casually sightseeing in the dragon capital...

Claire and company were walking up a mountain path leading to Dragon's Peak.

Although the flying dragons of the Knights of the Dragon Emperor gave them a lift until the middle of the mountain, the rest of the way to the pinnacle had to be journeyed on foot because of the thick mist as well as the large number of violent dragons living there.

...After a while of walking up this steep mountain path, the surrounding mist started to thicken gradually.

It was clearly daytime yet visibility was extremely poor. It was hard to see even a couple of steps ahead.

"...Next up, which way should we go?"

Claire looked around.

"Although Nee-sama said that what I need is here—"

At that moment, Scarlet suddenly meowed then ran off in a certain direction.

"Wait, Scarlet! Going off on your own is dangerous!"

Chasing after Scarlet's tail, waving in the mist, Claire followed.

Soon, she found a set of stone steps in front of her.

"There are steps in this kind of place?"

Claire cocked her head and looked up.

"What happened, suddenly running out... Hmm?"

At this moment, Ellis and the others caught up and noticed the steps too.

"Where does this lead?"

"I am very curious..."

"Let's go up to have a look."

Chasing after Scarlet, Claire and company began to climb the steps.

After ascending roughly three hundred steps—

"...W-What is this place?"

The group had arrived at a stone temple covered in moss.

The architectural style was different from what was commonly seen all over the continent. It looked very ancient.

At the temple's entrance, Scarlet was sitting still.

"The air is very murky..."

Fianna frowned. With especially keen senses as a princess maiden, she was particularly sensitive to impure air.

"Leonora-dono did not mention this place—"

"Scarlet, how did you know about this place?"

Claire asked Scarlet at her feet.

Scarlet's behavior just now as almost like she was leading the way for Claire's group.

However, logically speaking, this should be Scarlet's first visit to this place too.

"—Let's check out the inside."

Claire stepped into the temple apprehensively.

—At that moment...

"What fools dare to disturb my peaceful slumber—"

"...!"

Suddenly, something's shadow appeared before her eyes—

Frightened, Claire pounced onto Rinslet beside her.

"W-What, w-w-what!?"

"—O light!"

Fianna hastily recited spirit magic to illuminate the surroundings.

What they saw before them was—

"...Huh?"

Claire could not help but freeze in surprise.

That creature(?) was hovering at Claire's eye level.

It was a palm-sized round black creature.

On the ball-like body were round limbs and a horned lizard's face.

...On the back was something that might count as a tail.

The mysterious creature crossed its arms and puffed out its chest in midair.

"...W-What is this weird creature!?"

Claire cried out with her twintails standing up. Since a deep voice with great solemnity had sounded in the dark, she was expecting something far more terrifying.

"You are the fools who are disturbing my peaceful slum—Hey, what are you doing? Stop that!"

"What the heck is with you? How dare you scare me!"

Claire grabbed its tail hard, instantly causing the strange creature to make lot of noise.

"Let go, Claire. It is definitely this place's guardian spirit or something."

"Bullying spirits will bring bad karma."

After Fianna and Ellis said that...

"Ehhh, what kind of joke is that!? I am not some kind of guardian spirit!"

The weird creature struggled free of Claire's hand and roared angrily.

"I am the dark dragon Vritra who used to rule this Kelbreth Mountain!"

"...Hmph."

Claire and company showed eyes of despise at the same time.

"...W-Wait, aren't you surprised? This is the legendary dark dragon, you know!?"

Probably failing to get the expected reaction, the weird creature began to panic.

"Say, could you be realistic if you're going to lie? Who's going to believe an unbelievable claim that a weird creature like you is actually the legendary dark dragon? If you don't explain honestly, I'll roast you into charcoal."

While lighting flames of spirit magic on her palm, Claire glared at the mysterious creature.

(Well, now that it's mentioned, it does look a bit like a dragon...)

This creature might be what a black dragon looked like if you shrunk it to a small size then kneaded it like clay.

"I-I am not lying! This is merely a false appearance I use to deceive perceptions. If I were to recover my former power, I could swallow you lot whole in one bite!"

The mysterious creature roared in anger.

"...Sigh, whatever."

Claire shrugged and answered. Just as Fianna pointed out, this was probably something like a dragon spirit that lived in the temple. There was no time to waste on humoring it.

(I have to find the way to become strong as soon as possible...)

Ignoring the mysterious creature that kept causing a ruckus, she was just about to leave when—

"...Curse you, foolish lower lifeforms. The Fire Queen who came before you knew her manners much better."

"...!?"

Suddenly hearing that, Claire and the girls could not help but halt in their steps.

"You... What did you just say?"

"Foolish lower lifeforms—"

"After that. You said something about a Fire Queen coming here?"

Claire pursued the matter.

"...How long ago was that?"

"U-Umm, roughly three years ago. No, it might have been four..."

"Three or four years ago..."

Claire rested her chin against her hand in contemplation. The timing matched the period when Rubia had betrayed the Elemental Lords and was working secretly behind the scenes as the Cardinal.

"Nee-sama came here...?"

Claire's murmurs leaked out.

"Did you say 'Nee-sama'?"

Hearing that, the mysterious creature went "hmm" and examined Claire's face.

"Yes, you are that girl's sister! I see now, there is definitely a resemblance. I remember her saying that you are going to visit one day, sooner or later—"

Bouncing around while circling Claire unceremoniously, muttering to itself.

Claire looked down at Scarlet by her feet.

...Speaking of which, what had her sister been doing with Scarlet on the Revenant's deck that time?

(...Could it be that she was telling Scarlet about this place?)

Hence, Scarlet had led Claire and company to here?

...Indeed. Even Leonora, who had trained before on Dragon's Peak, did not know of this location. Then surely, this was not somewhere that could be reached by chance.

In that case—

"Uh... Are you seriously the dark dragon Vritra of legend?"

"I already said so just now!"

"But—"

Claire recalled how Leonora had said that the dark dragon Vritra ruling the Kelbreth Mountain Range was exterminated by Sacred Maiden Areishia a thousand years ago.

(...Wait, did I remember wrong?)

In fact, yes. What Leonora had said was:

—Vritra was defeated by Sacred Maiden Areishia and sealed in a temple on the peak.

"...Then could this temple be—"

"Indeed, this is precisely the temple where my mortal enemy Areishia sealed me."

The dark dragon Vritra crossed its arms conceitedly and replied.

===Part 3===

"Yes, it happened a thousand years ago—"

The creature calling itself the legendary dark dragon looked out into the distance and began to recount.

"Why is it narrating when no one asked...?"

"Shush, just listen and don't interrupt."

Rinslet silenced Claire.

"As a powerful dragon spirit, I led the dragons and spirits of Kelbreth Mountain to bring wanton destruction upon the lower realm. Back then, Demon King Solomon had brought virtually all lands under his rule but no army of the Demon King could ever defeat me—"

"Ehhhh, that's amazing—"

While eating snacks that Rinslet had prepared in advance, Claire concurred.

—However, what then appeared was precisely the Salvation Army led by Sacred Maiden Areishia. The Salvation Army routed the dragon army and ascended the Kelbreth Mountain peak, Vritra's stronghold. The people of the lower realm all rejoiced to see the notorious dark dragon coming to an end.

However, Areishia's power was not that strong at the time, hence the powerful Vritra defeated her army and succeeded in capturing her.

"Are you really speaking the truth? The Divine Ritual Institute never taught this."

Fianna asked skeptically.

"Guaranteed. During my prime, even that Dragon King took care not to offend me."

Vritra answered with overwhelming vigor.

"However, I made a grave mistake at the time."

"...Mistake?"

"Yes, meeting defeat at my hands, the sacred maiden depleted her divine power and the sword turned back into its original form as a spirit. Intending to take the powerful sword spirit into my possession, I touched her foot."

"Oh..."

Hearing that, Claire and the girls looked at one another.

"For some reason, that seemed to incur the sword spirit's wrath. In the next instant, my arm and a wing had been sliced into two—"

The dark dragon Vritra began to shudder.

"I do not remember clearly what happened next, except that I was thoroughly beaten up, escaping back into this temple of my residence, barely alive. However, that was a poor decision. An isolation barrier was deployed around the temple. In my weakened state, I was sealed by the sacred maiden."

"So that was how you became like this."

Rinslet said with pity.

Its appearance was supposed to be more humongous and terrifying originally. However, after being sealed in a de-powered state, Vritra turned into this strange dragonoid shape.

"...Well, I understand the story now. What an ordeal."

Saying that, Ellis patted Vritra's head.

...It looked like this was the temple where the dark dragon was sealed, no mistake.

However, there was no point in dwelling on the details of what happened to the dark dragon—

"Then why did Nee-sama come here?"

Claire asked.

"Hmm, that Fire Queen arrived here on a certain stormy night. Due to the mist barrier deployed by the sacred maiden, ordinary people usually cannot find this place. However, through her unusual intuition, she found the location of this temple."

"Rubia-sama used to known as the top Queen of all age—"

Fianna murmured quietly.

"The Fire Queen had suffered severe injuries and was apparently under pursuit."

"Back then, both the Divine Ritual Institute and Ordesia's knights were searching for Nee-sama. So it was because she hid in this place, protected by the sacred maiden's barrier, that they lost her trail..."

"That girl stayed here for many months to undertake princess maiden training. As it so happened, I was lacking a conversation partner too. Those days were such a delight..."

—The dark dragon kept nodding as though remembering that time fondly. Although spirits had no concept of time, after being sealed in this kind of place for as long as a thousand years, it was probably hard not to feel lonely.

"I see..."

Claire murmured with a complicated expression.

The past Rubia in Claire's memories was very gentle, considerate and approachable. Back when she was staying at this temple, it was possible that she had yet to become the current Cardinal, consumed in her quest for carnage.

"So Nee-sama trained here..."

Saying that, she looked around the temple's dim interior.

However, this decrepit temple did not look suitable for a princess maiden's training no matter what.

What exactly did her sister do to obtain such potent power...?

"How did Nee-sama train? We want to become stronger."

Claire approached Vritra and said with a pleading expression.

"...Hmm, become stronger huh?"

Vritra mused.

"Indeed, I cannot sense power from you on that girl's level. The hellcat seems to be a powerful spirit, but has not released its rightful power at all."

"..."

Hearing the same thing as what her sister had said, Claire was instantly plunged into despair.

Seeing like that, Vritra closed its eyes for a while before—

"You lot, follow me—"

It turned and moved deeper into the temple.

"...?"

Claire and company looked at one another.

===Part 4===

"Say, where are we going...?"

Following the hovering Vritra in the lead, they walked along a passage leading to the depths of the temple—

Then they encountered a square room with High Ancient carved all over the floor in front of them.

"...This place is?"

"An ancient historical site. I've read about similar ones in the library of the Divine Ritual Institute..."

Fianna murmured in interest.

"Indeed. This historical site dates back to antiquity as a device for Elfim princess maidens to increase their ability to commune with spirits."

Vritra nodded proudly.

"Then Nee-sama was training here?"

"Yes. Her goal was probably this historical site from the start."

"What kind of training did Rubia-sama do exactly?"

Ellis asked. A training enthusiast, she looked like she could hardly contain her excitement.

"I do not know the details. However, the girl said it was not ordinary training. This is a place for people to confront the value of their own existence—"

"The value of your own existence..."

Claire murmured with a wondering look.

"Uh, Mr. Dark Dragon, may we use this place?"

Rinslet asked.

Next, Vritra looked away as though embarrassed.

"Hmph, in recognition of the Fire Queen who stands as the only one in this era to establish ties of friendship with me, I shall lend this place to you. After all, it was part of the contract with that girl—"

"...Contract?"

"None of your business. Very well, how about it? Use it if that is your wish, otherwise, leave this temple immediately!"

Vritra snarled angrily.

"Then we will use it with graititude. You are surprisingly nice."

"...What? I-I am the evil dark dragon!"

Claire patted it on the head, prompting Vritra to open its mouth and breathe small flames.

"Fine, make haste and enter the room!"

At Vritra's urging, Claire and the others stepped into the square-shaped room.

Instantly, reacting to the divine power of princess maidens, the High Ancient covering the floor began to glow.

"...W-What is this!?"

In the next instant—

Claire and everyone else turned into particles of light and vanished.

===Part 5===

That dream, encountered again.

Inside darkness, I am alone with my jet-black wings closed, waiting for a certain person the whole time.

I—

No, ''her''—

A duration hundreds, thousands of years long, like an eternity—

Have I been waiting in this darkness the whole time?

The seal branded on the left hand.

Glowing faintly in the darkness, it was her last remaining hope.

(...Who on earth are you waiting for?)

Inside the dream, I asked her—

As one might expect, I did not receive an answer.

"...Mm, mm..."

At that moment, Restia woke up.

(That dream again...)

...Recently, she frequently had this dream about waiting for a certain person in the darkness the whole time, ''her'' dream.

It was clearly a dream but preserved especially vividly in her memory...

—Suddenly, Restia noticed an alarming change.

(...Where is this?)

She had clearly opened her eyes but her surroundings were shrouded in darkness, just like the dream.

She remembered she had been taken to a room in the castle, to lie down on the bed and sleep.

This place had neither windows nor glowing orbs hovering at the ceiling for illumination. Instead of a soft bed's mattress, her back was resting against an entangled mess of tree vines.

(...Why am I in this kind of place!?)

Restia frantically tried to get up, but—

"...Ah, ow...!"

Her arms and legs were immobilized. Vines were restraining her body.

The more intensely she struggled, the tighter the vines bound her.

"...Kami... to..."

Restia called his name hoarsely.

<noinclude>
{{SeireiDance Nav|prev=Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume15 Chapter4|next=Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume15 Chapter6}}</noinclude>

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou

2016-02-05T07:10:40Z

Windsgrace: /* Volume 11 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou */

{{Status|Active}}

[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.08_000.jpg|300px|thumb|Cover of Volume 8]]
'''Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou''' (魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王) is a Japanese light novel series written by Mihara Mitsuki (三原みつき) and illustrated by CHuN which is published by MF Bunko J (Media Factory).

''Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou'' is also available in the following language(s):
*[[Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou (Indonesia)|Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)]]

== Story Synopsis ==

Because of a Diva governing summoning Magic awarding a stigma, the Sword Division’s expert – Kazuki entered the National Knight’s Academy’s Magic Division. Even though he should be honing the sword skills inherited from Hayashizaki-Ryuu, Kazuki began his unsure Magic training in the Magic Division, which was filled with girls. As Kazuki’s sister, Kanae, the current student president of Sword Division, was extremely unsatisfied about Kazuki entering Magic Division to study. And the Magic Division Student President was overly close to Kazuki made Kanae extremely unhappy——? Kazuki stands inside the crevice between the two conflicting Student Presidents! With the proof of a Summon Magic User – Stigma, the academy’s battle arena targeting both Sword and Magic, is about to begin——!!

== Updates ==
*March 23, 2015 - Volume 1 Completed
*May 16, 2015 - Volume 2 Completed
*June 30, 2015 - Volume 3 Completed
*August 25, 2015 - Volume 4 Completed
*October 2, 2015 - Volume 5 Completed
*November 3, 2015 - Volume 6 Completed
*December 2, 2015 - Volume 7 Completed
*December 21, 2015 - Volume 8 Completed
*January 6, 2016 - Volume 9 Completed
*January 26, 2016 - Volume 10 Completed

'''Past updates''' can be found [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Updates|here]]
== Translation ==

=== Format Standards ===

'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
* [[Format guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

=== [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Registration Page|Registration page]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Registration Page|Register]] the chapters they want to work on.'''

=== Feedback ===
If you enjoyed the translation, why don't you tell us in the [https://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5975 Feedback Thread]

'''The series is currently hosted and translated [https://bakapervert.wordpress.com/ HERE].'''
'''Future updates will also be posted here on Baka-Tsuki.'''
== ''Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou'' by Mihara Mitsuki ==
=== Volume 1 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/77ekdvo8bwv8cao/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+1.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/6r2wxhjuzssxbdk MOBI] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/w483tx6oz1ltg89 EPUB]) ===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Swordsman in Magic Division]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Witch's House]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Amasaki Mio]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Love Simulation]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Corrosion of God]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Epilogue|Epilogue - The Shore between Dreams and Myth]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 2 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/7lcjke1w00zjrsk/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+2.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/nzv9qh4qw2jlonq MOBI] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/abd1u82dhhcrpx0 EPUB]) ===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.02_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Before the Storm]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Visitor from the Outside World]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Quest, Re-challenge!]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Love Simulation]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Qualification of The Living]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - {{furigana|Raid Night|Nightmare Comes}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Intermission|Intermission - The Qualification of a King]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 3 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/dp3sp87rknq20m0/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+3.pdf PDF])===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.03_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - {{furigana|The Night of Beginning|Tonight's the Night}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Legend of Sword]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Silver Girl and Plan of Darkness]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Escape ~Love Simulation~]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Faceless God]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Epilogue|Epilogue - The Witch Mansion's Daybreak]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 4 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/2e5c3ayilc3lzgd/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+4.pdf PDF])===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.04_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - To the End of the Peaceful Day]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Prologue of the Election Tournament]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Secret Special Training and, Secret Assault and, Secret Sweet Night]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Cooperation Attack]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Love Simulation]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Trial of Moon]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Intermission|Intermission - Renewing Determination]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 5 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/x56lvl7aqhnuvc7/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+5.pdf PDF])===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.05_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - {{furigana|Strength, the Time When It Should be Shown|Knuckle Time}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Discarded Fox Diary]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Tally of Votes]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Love Simulation]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Outbreak of War]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Surprise Attack Tactic ―Magic War・Okehazama]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Intermission|Intermission - To the Journey of Pilgrimage]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 6 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/79ix4o342z7jf6n/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+6.pdf PDF]) ===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.06_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - To the Beach of Abundant Land]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - {{furigana|Enemy Territory Infiltration|Sneak Mission}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave ~Love Simulation~]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Descent of God's Descendant]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Head-on Collision ~Magic War・Sekigahara~]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Epilogue|Epilogue - Archipelago of Chaos]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 7 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/3u8oe5pl2jkkm5g/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+7.pdf PDF]) ===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.07_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - {{furigana|Transient Wartime Fire|Last Chance}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - {{furigana|Knight Academy|Caryatid}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Behind the Scenes]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - {{furigana|The Only Darkness in the World|Dead Angle}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The {{furigana|Kings|Basilleus}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Epilogue|Epilogue - Night of Heart]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 8 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/3mmslucd09bv276/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+8.pdf PDF]) ===
[[File:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.08 001.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Best Shortcut to Become Strong]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Forest of Bewilderment]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - War Front’s Continual Change]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Verge of Death]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8 Intermission|Intermission - Dwelling Power]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 9 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9|Full Text]]) ===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.09_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - White and Black]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Sky of End]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Male and Female]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Epilogue|Epilogue - Cradle]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 10 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10|Full Text]]) ===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.10_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - King Sailing Out]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Sea Route in Full Bloom (Harem Cruise)]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Encounter]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Country of Freedom and Prosperity (Utopia)]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Foreign Country Baring Its Fang (Dystopia)]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Truth and Judgment]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Epilogue|Epilogue - Objective]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 11 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ===
 
[[File:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.11 000|thumbnail]]

== Project Staff ==
* Supervisor:
* Project Manager:

==== Translators ====

'''Active'''
* [[User:Bakapervert|Bakapervert]]
'''Inactive'''
*jn19930

==== Editors ====

'''Active'''
* Belatkuro
* Hiro Hayase
* Charasu (Image Editor)
*[[User:Winlex|Winlex]]
*[[User:OmegaWeaponZ|OmegaWeaponZ]]
* [[User:Windsgrace|Windsgrace]]

'''Inactive'''
* Armando99

==Series Overview==
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス> (April 25, 2013, ISBN 978-4840151627)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>2 (July 25, 2013, ISBN 978-4840152525)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>3 (October 25, 2013, ISBN 978-4040660318)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>4 (January 25, 2014, ISBN 978-4040662114)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>5 (April 25, 2014, ISBN 978-4040667164)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>6 (July 25, 2014, ISBN 978-4040669144)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>7 (November 25, 2014, ISBN 978-4040671710)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>8 (February 25, 2015, ISBN 978-4040674025)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>9 (June 25, 2015, ISBN 978-4040676500)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>10 (October 25, 2015, ISBN 978-4040679396)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>11 (February 25, 2016, ISBN 978-4040681092)

[[Category:Light novel (English)]]

[[Category:Genre - Action]]
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]
[[Category:Genre - Ecchi]]
[[Category:Genre - Fantasy]]
[[Category:Genre - Harem]]
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]
[[Category:Genre - Supernatural]]

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou

2016-02-05T07:03:23Z

Windsgrace: /* Volume 11 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou */

{{Status|Active}}

[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.08_000.jpg|300px|thumb|Cover of Volume 8]]
'''Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou''' (魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王) is a Japanese light novel series written by Mihara Mitsuki (三原みつき) and illustrated by CHuN which is published by MF Bunko J (Media Factory).

''Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou'' is also available in the following language(s):
*[[Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou (Indonesia)|Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)]]

== Story Synopsis ==

Because of a Diva governing summoning Magic awarding a stigma, the Sword Division’s expert – Kazuki entered the National Knight’s Academy’s Magic Division. Even though he should be honing the sword skills inherited from Hayashizaki-Ryuu, Kazuki began his unsure Magic training in the Magic Division, which was filled with girls. As Kazuki’s sister, Kanae, the current student president of Sword Division, was extremely unsatisfied about Kazuki entering Magic Division to study. And the Magic Division Student President was overly close to Kazuki made Kanae extremely unhappy——? Kazuki stands inside the crevice between the two conflicting Student Presidents! With the proof of a Summon Magic User – Stigma, the academy’s battle arena targeting both Sword and Magic, is about to begin——!!

== Updates ==
*March 23, 2015 - Volume 1 Completed
*May 16, 2015 - Volume 2 Completed
*June 30, 2015 - Volume 3 Completed
*August 25, 2015 - Volume 4 Completed
*October 2, 2015 - Volume 5 Completed
*November 3, 2015 - Volume 6 Completed
*December 2, 2015 - Volume 7 Completed
*December 21, 2015 - Volume 8 Completed
*January 6, 2016 - Volume 9 Completed
*January 26, 2016 - Volume 10 Completed

'''Past updates''' can be found [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Updates|here]]
== Translation ==

=== Format Standards ===

'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
* [[Format guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

=== [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Registration Page|Registration page]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Registration Page|Register]] the chapters they want to work on.'''

=== Feedback ===
If you enjoyed the translation, why don't you tell us in the [https://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5975 Feedback Thread]

'''The series is currently hosted and translated [https://bakapervert.wordpress.com/ HERE].'''
'''Future updates will also be posted here on Baka-Tsuki.'''
== ''Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou'' by Mihara Mitsuki ==
=== Volume 1 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/77ekdvo8bwv8cao/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+1.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/6r2wxhjuzssxbdk MOBI] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/w483tx6oz1ltg89 EPUB]) ===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Swordsman in Magic Division]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Witch's House]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Amasaki Mio]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Love Simulation]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Corrosion of God]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Epilogue|Epilogue - The Shore between Dreams and Myth]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 2 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/7lcjke1w00zjrsk/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+2.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/nzv9qh4qw2jlonq MOBI] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/abd1u82dhhcrpx0 EPUB]) ===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.02_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Before the Storm]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Visitor from the Outside World]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Quest, Re-challenge!]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Love Simulation]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Qualification of The Living]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - {{furigana|Raid Night|Nightmare Comes}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Intermission|Intermission - The Qualification of a King]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 3 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/dp3sp87rknq20m0/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+3.pdf PDF])===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.03_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - {{furigana|The Night of Beginning|Tonight's the Night}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Legend of Sword]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Silver Girl and Plan of Darkness]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Escape ~Love Simulation~]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Faceless God]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Epilogue|Epilogue - The Witch Mansion's Daybreak]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 4 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/2e5c3ayilc3lzgd/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+4.pdf PDF])===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.04_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - To the End of the Peaceful Day]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Prologue of the Election Tournament]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Secret Special Training and, Secret Assault and, Secret Sweet Night]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Cooperation Attack]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Love Simulation]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Trial of Moon]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Intermission|Intermission - Renewing Determination]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 4 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 5 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/x56lvl7aqhnuvc7/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+5.pdf PDF])===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.05_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - {{furigana|Strength, the Time When It Should be Shown|Knuckle Time}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Discarded Fox Diary]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Tally of Votes]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Love Simulation]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Outbreak of War]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Surprise Attack Tactic ―Magic War・Okehazama]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Intermission|Intermission - To the Journey of Pilgrimage]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 6 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/79ix4o342z7jf6n/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+6.pdf PDF]) ===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.06_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - To the Beach of Abundant Land]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - {{furigana|Enemy Territory Infiltration|Sneak Mission}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave ~Love Simulation~]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Descent of God's Descendant]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Head-on Collision ~Magic War・Sekigahara~]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Epilogue|Epilogue - Archipelago of Chaos]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 7 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/3u8oe5pl2jkkm5g/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+7.pdf PDF]) ===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.07_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - {{furigana|Transient Wartime Fire|Last Chance}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - {{furigana|Knight Academy|Caryatid}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Behind the Scenes]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - {{furigana|The Only Darkness in the World|Dead Angle}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The {{furigana|Kings|Basilleus}}]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Epilogue|Epilogue - Night of Heart]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 8 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/3mmslucd09bv276/Magika+No+Kenshi+To+Shoukan+Maou+Volume+8.pdf PDF]) ===
[[File:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.08 001.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Best Shortcut to Become Strong]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Forest of Bewilderment]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - War Front’s Continual Change]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Verge of Death]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8 Intermission|Intermission - Dwelling Power]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 8 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 9 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9|Full Text]]) ===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.09_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - White and Black]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Sky of End]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Male and Female]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Epilogue|Epilogue - Cradle]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 10 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ([[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10|Full Text]]) ===
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.10_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - King Sailing Out]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Sea Route in Full Bloom (Harem Cruise)]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Encounter]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Country of Freedom and Prosperity (Utopia)]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Foreign Country Baring Its Fang (Dystopia)]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Truth and Judgment]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Epilogue|Epilogue - Objective]]
* [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Afterword|Afterword]]
 

=== Volume 11 - Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ===
 
[[File:Magika_No_Kenshi_To_Shoukan_Maou_Vol.11_000.jpg|thumb|x200px]]

== Project Staff ==
* Supervisor:
* Project Manager:

==== Translators ====

'''Active'''
* [[User:Bakapervert|Bakapervert]]
'''Inactive'''
*jn19930

==== Editors ====

'''Active'''
* Belatkuro
* Hiro Hayase
* Charasu (Image Editor)
*[[User:Winlex|Winlex]]
*[[User:OmegaWeaponZ|OmegaWeaponZ]]
* [[User:Windsgrace|Windsgrace]]

'''Inactive'''
* Armando99

==Series Overview==
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス> (April 25, 2013, ISBN 978-4840151627)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>2 (July 25, 2013, ISBN 978-4840152525)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>3 (October 25, 2013, ISBN 978-4040660318)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>4 (January 25, 2014, ISBN 978-4040662114)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>5 (April 25, 2014, ISBN 978-4040667164)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>6 (July 25, 2014, ISBN 978-4040669144)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>7 (November 25, 2014, ISBN 978-4040671710)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>8 (February 25, 2015, ISBN 978-4040674025)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>9 (June 25, 2015, ISBN 978-4040676500)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>10 (October 25, 2015, ISBN 978-4040679396)
# 魔技科の剣士と召喚魔王<ヴァシレウス>11 (February 25, 2016, ISBN 978-4040681092)

[[Category:Light novel (English)]]

[[Category:Genre - Action]]
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]
[[Category:Genre - Ecchi]]
[[Category:Genre - Fantasy]]
[[Category:Genre - Harem]]
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]
[[Category:Genre - Supernatural]]

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Epilogue

2016-02-04T02:36:32Z

Windsgrace: /* Epilogue – Plan */

==Epilogue – Plan==

===Part 1===

In the end they returned back here.

After all the cleaning up afterwards ended―Ginny called Mary and her other comrades that would lend a hand, where they carried back the weakened children and the several restrained cyborg soldiers from the hidden path―Kazuki and co. returned back to the hotel [Yggdrasil].

The overwhelming night view from the window felt like just an empty light right now.

Stella was gone, and it took time until Kaguya-senpai stopped crying.

Kazuki, and Kaguya-senpai who came along into his room were on top of the bed in their sleep-wear.

“…Tonight, I want to kiss all night long.”

When she stopped crying, Kaguya-senpai said that while directing a lonely and wanting face to Kazuki.

When he responded while hugging each other tightly, they fell on the bed just like that.

Kaguya-senpai went into his mouth. Kaguya-senpai’s greedy kiss made him unable to think that this kiss was practically her first kiss. Once, when their faces separated, before he had his attention diverted by her tears all along that he didn’t notice, but because they had wielded the power of Asmodeus together, her eyes had changed color faintly.

But Kaguya-senpai who usually always gave the excuse that [it’s Asmodeus’ fault that I have lewd feeling], now she was seeking Kazuki with a different ferventness and loneliness.

“Kazuki-kun…”

After kissing many times over, they were staring at each other during a breather. Kaguya-senpai let her words escape her mouth.

“Someday, I want Kazuki-kun’s child…”

As if trying to fill the gap that was born in the heart from somewhere of the body, Kaguya embraced him tightly and she rubbed that soft body to him. Otonashi Kaguya―150

Kazuki answered that with loving caress and spent a long night.

===Part 2===

Dawn finally came to the night of Las Vegas.

“Have you decided what you are going to do?”

Inside Kazuki’s room, Mary and Ginny, and then Arthur, Beatrix, and Shouko, the alliance members were gathering. Mary was the one who began the talk.

“I’m going to side with American Justice and defeat the Indians.” (TN: It’s unclear whether Kazuki speak for the group or for himself here)

Kazuki answered―while remembering the matter they had observed at the Indian’s settlement and the truth of what happened on the slave ship.

Under the name of mother nature, they were trying to erase the civilization and history that human race had piled up until now. They have to stop that even if its a second faster.

And then there was no way he could live in harmony with the Great Spirit that made death its source of power.

Ginny and Arthur, also Beatrix directed surprised looks at him. ‘Then are you going to endure yourself regarding this slavery?’, they gazed at him with such a question. But before they could give voice to that question, Kazuki answered the question faster.

“While being an ally of American Justice, I’ll also look for an opening to defeat the <King>.”

Hearing those words that overturned the premise, the four people had their breath taken away and were at a loss of words.

He denied everything in this country―that was the conclusion he was led to from his honest feelings.

“The fate that is waiting for the weak people in this country is only death or slavery, nothing else.”

He recalled the last moment of Stella. Stella had taught him everything that happened in this country…

“It’s no good for this country to stay on its course. It has to be changed.”

“You are going to say that far about other people’s country…”

Mary talked with a frail voice. Beside her, Ginny who was looking at Mary, shook her head.

“…I too think so. The current America is not justice. But… what about Japan, what are you planning to do with this country?”

“The slavery in this country is done in order to oppose the threat right before your eyes because there isn’t any other way. If the threat of the Indian’s civilization destruction can be removed and this country can obtain an [ally] for the sake of resisting other Magic Advanced Countries, such thing would be unnecessary. Japan will become that ally. If this country potential sense of justice is really true, then this country should reject things like slavery.”

If they could just have an ally where they could help each other, then this cruel reality could be avoided.

“All of you were learning Japanese because you supposedly have the wish of looking for help from Japan. We will answer that feeling. …However the current King that you have was borrowing the power of the Chaos Side’s Diva, a King that became the accomplice of Red. That’s why I will cooperate, but I’ll defeat the King.”

Ginny and Mary were looking at each other with anxious faces.

“All that you say is coming from someone looking down from an above standpoint, but… the thing that you are trying to do right now, isn’t it just the same like the American people of the old that ruled over the indigenous people of this country under the pretext of advancing civilization and giving religious guidance?”

“After you defeat the King… are you saying that you are going to turn this country into your vassal state?”

‘That’s not it’, Kazuki thought. They had to trust him just in that alone.

“Whether I’m going to rule this country or not, whichever doesn’t matter. Stealing something by force is not something I think about. That’s… the thinking of Loki and Kaya. I came to this country in order to deny that.”

Kaya and Loki adopted an ideal where the strong ruled over the weak in a world of chaos. Denying such an ideal was his start as a Basileus(King)―from now on too he had to consistently persist in his ideal.

“The strong have to exist in order to protect the weak. As the Basileus of Japan, I will persist in this [way of mine].”
==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>

{| 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 [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]
| Return to [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Afterword|Afterword]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Epilogue

2016-02-04T02:35:22Z

Windsgrace: /* Epilogue – Cradle */

==Epilogue – Cradle==

===Part 1===

An unconventional mock battle was held in Asaka Garrison.

On the other side is a two-man team of police knights that were stationed in this garrison. Both of the women had been given the seal of approval by Vice Chief Yamagata as Magika Stigmas that possessed above average ability.

The mock battle was already over, these two women had yielded while falling on their knees.

On the other side were students of the Magic Division―Amasaki Mio and Hiakari Koyuki.

This two-man team didn’t even breathe hard.

This mock battle was for the sake of ascertaining the true power of the <Chouki Magician>, it was performed in front of the eyes of a lot of knights and the top brass of the Knight Order.

And the result – the confidence of many knights that possessed an abundance of experience were smashed into pieces.

Inside the hearts of the knights they still didn’t believe about the special existences like [the King and his favored princesses]. Those kind of fellows made light of such thing saying that it was not a big deal.

Being favored by the King gave birth to this much power―witnessing that in practice with their own eyes, for the first time they clearly understood how special the existence called as King is.

From this day on, the organization called the Knight Order underwent a complete change.

The knights lost their self-awareness that they were government workers with the leadership of the Knight Order as their superiors.

The knights were now being self aware that they were subordinate that could be used by the [symbol of power] that was the King.

―However, Kazuki’s daily life didn’t change. He was just having a special power, in the time of need that power would protect those important to him, he was just a student with that determination.

“And so this is Amasaki Mio, the new version! Ehehe, Kazu-nii, how is it!?”

In the dead of night just before going to sleep, Mio visited Kazuki in his room.

Mio who defeated veteran knights at Asaka and proved her ability went back to the Witch’s Mansion in a good mood and even put down three bowls of rice at dinner.

The girl named Amasaki Mio that was full with bright energy was the cutest when she was getting carried away like this.

And then Mio twirled and twirled on the spot to flaunt off her new appearance.

“It becomes even more gorgeous than before. But as I thought the exposure is a lot and looking at it makes my heart throb.”

“Heheh, Kazu-nii you pervert~”

Mio who was in an appearance that looked half naked sat on top of the knees of Kazuki who was sitting on the bed.

He hugged that body tightly from behind. Thereupon for some reason, Kazuki recalled the rotting bones of his mother inside his arms, that lightly dry and sorrowful touch.

There was the elasticity of meat at Mio’s skin, there was the warm pulse, and a sweet fragrance that was like flowers from her blond hair.

“…Kazu-nii, aren’t you hugging me stronger than usual?”

While Kazuki was burying his face into Mio’s blond hair, it seemed he didn’t notice that he put too much strength into his arms that were hugging Mio.

“Sorry, does it hurt?”

“No, I feel happy somehow. It’s fine even if you are not overly gentle you know?”

When Kazuki relaxed the strength of his arms, Mio half rotated on top of Kazuki’s lap and faced him face to face with the posture of straddling Kazuki’s lap.

“Kazu-nii, I love you-“ She hugged him tightly from the front and kissed him.

Lips and lips touched each other. It felt like their hearts overlapped with the other.

“Kazu-nii, I love you. I love you so much.” The lips separated and she whispered, then she kissed again.

“Ehehe, I love you.” She repeated it many times while kissing.

“You say love so many times.”

Kazuki made a wry smile and retorted during the spare moment where their lips separated.

“Because, I saw the recent Kazu-nii sometimes looked a little lonely. Kazu-nii showed the surrounding of your confidence, but it’s somewhat painful to watch instead.”

His heart ached pricklingly.

He had no intention to act brave. He didn’t even feel nervous in the duel with Ikousai that would decide the fate of Japan. Somehow, he felt something bulky and heavy attached to him inside himself.

However certainly―there were moments where he succumbed to loneliness as if suddenly a draft was blowing inside his heart. Just like before when he recalled the feel of a bone inside his palm.

In a corner of his heart, a part that was dyed with loneliness, that forever couldn’t be wiped off, had been created.

“That’s why Kazu-nii, let’s sleep together tonight-!”

Mio said that with a bright voice and pushed Kazuki down. Kazuki didn’t resist it and collapsed together with her while hugging her back.

“Hey, Kazu-nii. A long time ago, do you remember, the time when we slept together at the orphanage?”

“I remember. Mio was always clinging to me when it became night.”

Mio had the habit to cry at night that she couldn’t fix no matter how long time had passed and she always clung to Kazuki when it was time to sleep. Of course, the two at that time didn’t have any awareness as man and woman at all though.

“Ehehe. Then, then, you remember when we woke up in the morning? I mean did you notice?”

“Morning?”

“Right. At night it was always me that clung to Kazu-nii, but when the morning came it was Kazu-nii that clung to me before you noticed, our posture became hugging each other you remember. It always became like that you know?”

Kazuki had the feeling of knowing a completely new fact, he peered into Mio’s face staringly.

“…I did that?”

“That’s right. Even Kazu-nii was lonely that time. But Kazu-nii would immediately act tough. You did that without even being aware yourself.”

―Kazuki remembered about his mother again.

Thinking of it thoroughly, what was the first thing he was going to convey if he met his mother was that [he was not unhappy]. However if he conveyed that now, those were words that didn’t ring true in some parts.

Just before his mother disappeared… he sobbed [something like this is unreasonable]. Those words were exactly his true feeling.

Even he himself was unaware that he was feeling this lonely.

“Kazu-nii is by no means alone okay? We too didn’t have a papa or a mama. That’s why, hey, Kazu-nii.” Mio repeated the same words many times over, and made Kazuki listen.

“Kazu-nii, I love you. I think it’s really, really important, telling that I love you like this properly. I once again think so.”

“…Mio, thank you. For always staying beside me.”

‘She is someone that understands me, even more than myself.’

“Ehehe. I’m just clinging like this to Kazu-nii every time.”

“I too love Mio you know.”

“I know tha~t♪”

Both of them hugged each other tightly on top of the bed. The soft, pulsing, warm skin brought tranquility to Kazuki’s chest.

He repeatedly kissed with Mio with some noise. The warm tranquility was mixed with a heated urge.

He wanted to taste Mio’s skin more strongly. And then Mio’s bare plain reaction toward that and also her figure in rapture accepting him, he wanted to see that he thought.

His emotional and lonely and instinctual urge wanted the girl named Mio without any contradiction at all.

“Mio. I want to touch your breasts.”

Kazuki boldly said. Mio’s slightly surprised face reddened.

“I too… want to touch.”

Koyuki wanted to feel love for real, Kaguya-senpai received Asmodeus’ influence, both of them proactively came at Kazuki and tempted him. However Mio whose positivity level was the highest didn’t do any such thing. Mio put a break of any improper thing, she was a girl that stopped until the level of a sweet kiss.

From Kazuki himself until now, the time when he was touching a girl, rather than asking it himself he was going along with the other party’s feelings.

But quite strangely, right now, he felt an urge toward Mio.

Mio separated her body slightly from him and presented her breast. The part of the Magic Dress there was faintly disappearing.

Kazuki didn’t say that he wanted to touch only her breast, he crept his palm all over Mio’s smooth skin, caressing dearly with his finger tips. Immediately Mio’s voice turned stimulated and heat ran throughout her whole body.

He wanted to delight Mio. Kazuki recollected his experiences until now, he searched through Mio’s whole body while paying careful attention to the minute change of her positivity level.

Mio directed a reproachful eye to him while her body was trembling from the sensation.

“Kazu-nii… somehow you are really skillful in this…?”

“Sorry.”

“Buu―” Mio pouted her lips.

But the expression of Mio that was like that was immediately repainted with a different color.

He reached out his hand to the improper spot where a girl was the most shy. Mio opened her legs in order to receive Kazuki’s hand. A split was running on the beautifully smooth skin, something that looked similar with a lip was peeking out. That place was wet with secret fluid.

“…I too want to make Kazu-nii feel good.”

Mio’s palm was caressing all over Kazuki in opposition. Her palm was lowering down little by little from his chest, toward his lower body. With a bright red face, Mio’s breathing turned rough.

“…Kazu-nii’s here too, looked painful.”

Mio’s palm gently caressed the part of the sensitive thing that became bared. He felt numbness like electricity that ran from his spine into his head.

Kazuki too similarly touched Mio’s sensitive spot gently. Mio too tensed from her spine until the tip of her toes as is she was struck by electricity.

Both of their sensitive spots that were as if the most directly connected with the heart and emotion which were the most sensitive throughout the body were exposed, they mutually caressed each other dearly at those spots.

“Mio, it feels good.”

“Ehehe, it’s the same for me.”

―From there on both of them said “I love you” to each other many times over. Both of their feelings swelled out together with how much they expressed themselves to each other, Mio reached the height many times over. For the last, Kazuki too reached the end simultaneously, both of them were drained of their strength on top of the bed as if they were drifting inside a dream.

“Kazu-nii…”

Mio whispered dreamily while using Kazuki’s arm as a pillow.

“I, want to give birth to Kazu-nii’s child.”

She was just saying something extraordinary but Kazuki didn’t feel that it was something extraordinary. He felt like it was really natural words.

“Someday for sure, you will.”

Embracing a repose as if the consistency of the whole world was here, Kazuki caressed Mio’s blond hair.

Mio went “Goronyaa~” and fawned at Kazuki.

===Part 2===

Inside that room, the rough breathing of a woman was leaking out.

The woman was doing muscle training. She was performing the training with all her might.

“…By any chance, are you using gravity strengthening magic at the same time?”

Kazuki who was visiting that room was amazed and asked that.

Beatrix who was bathing in her own flowing sweats while doing one-handed push-up was,

“That voice is Kazuki!?” She raised her face in fluster, her hand that was wet with sweat slipped and slid sideways before she crashed to the ground with a bang.

“Fu, fufufu.” Beatrix chuckled with her face still planted on the ground.

“But of course. After all doing training with your own weight normally won’t become any training at all.”

“Just for the sake of normal muscle training, you will go as far as laying out an advanced general magic like using gravity…”

“Even when there is no tool like dumbbell or barbell, I can do muscle training anytime and anywhere.”

Beatrix’s body that was slowly raising up was by no means filled with excessive muscle mass.

Rather than calling it muscle, what she tempered was her Enchant Aura.

“It seems that I have been completely asleep for quite long, getting entered into this kind of place is a one way road of getting my body dull.”

―What she called as this kind of place was the cell she was in. When he heard that Beatrix and her team had awakened from their magic intoxication, Kazuki went to the isolation cell at Asaka garrison.

“It can’t be helped that you got put into an isolation cell right? How we are going to treat you after this is still not decided yet.”

Kazuki sat down while subtly avoiding Beatrix’s sweat that wet the floor.

“…Why are you bathing in your sweat like that? You can do something about something like sweat somehow with magic right?”

“Because sweating like this feels good don’t you agree?”

Beatrix sat down on the floor that was wet from sweat with a thump and faced Kazuki. She was not even wearing a prison uniform, but for some reason she was wearing a pastel pink pajama that was pointlessly cute.

“However this is really a generous treatment huh. It won’t be strange even if I get a death sentence after that.”

The foreign knights that were staying in Japan in a set-up of a cooperative relationship, of all things disturbed Japan’s tactical operation that was in the middle of progression by picking a fight, they had assaulted Japan’s knights. Certainly it wouldn’t be strange even if they send back the dead bodies of Beatrix and her team back to Germany as a protest.

But with Kazuki’s own discretion, the matter was halted where they would first wait for Beatrix to wake up.

“Explain the circumstance. What in the world were you planning that you did that kind of thing?”

Beatrix had her eyes turn round from Kazuki’s way of talking―it was a way of speaking as if it was Kazuki that had grasped the full authority of how to deal with Beatrix.

“Explain the circumstance… huh. The circumstance you ask?”

Beatrix’s eyes wandered around and she crumpled her eyebrows.

“…Eeerr, why was I doing that kind of thing again?”

Kazuki who was inquiring with a serious expression reflexively hung his head down in a slump.

What the hell was this girl saying?

It appears that rather than an action that she had done after a deep thought, it was an action that was done really impulsively instead. After Beatrix tried to recall the matter of that time with far away eyes, she suddenly went red with a puff.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 178.jpg|thumb]]

“Wa, wait! Kazuki! You are telling me to talk of the circumstance!? That’s something really embarrassing to say to you, you know!!”

“What’s with that. There is no way you can be let off without telling me the story here. Do you really understand the gravity of the situation here?”

After Beatrix groaned “gununu” she confessed.

“It was in order to bring you back home!”

“Ha? …Haa?”

“If Yamato wins you are just a low commoner, so I think with that I can bring you back home then!”

“…I seriously don’t understand at all what you are talking about.”

“No wait… in the first place I got that idea because… certainly… that’s right! I remember the crucial thing!! I found the data of the strange experiment that Japan is secretly conducting. It was a data of a gory human experiment. After reading that there is no way that can be allowed.”

“Human experiment?”

When Kazuki asked in detail, Beatrix start to talk about the details of a repulsive experiment with anger mixed in her tone. The data was about the experiment that Naiarlatoteph was doing in the underground of the Knight Academy.

“That’s old data you know. The guy that did the experiment was already judged as a criminal. Who in the world gave you that data?”

Beatrix’s noble face went blank with her mouth hanging open.

Kazuki was glad that they had waited before deciding how to deal with them.

This was a scheme for the sake of inviting antagonism between Japan and German. Someone that would profit if a confrontation between fellow Magic Advanced Countries was deepened―Loki’s face easily emerged to the surface inside Kazuki’s brain.

When Kazuki explained to Beatrix that all of it was a big misunderstanding, Beatrix was astonished saying “What the…” and her shoulders dropped in a slump from their own misunderstanding.

“That careless idiot Erii… no, that girl went that far to get between me and Kazuki to…”

“And then, what are you planning to do from now on?”

“What are we going to do… you ask? Don’t tell me, you are planning to just overlook this?”

“You too had just gotten tricked after all. Also about that, whether I’m going to overlook this or not, that depends on what you guys are going to do from now on.”

“It’s hard you know, thinking something like that without Erii. Eerrr… the first thing is I got to go back to my home country to report for the moment.”

It was the proper answer, but Kazuki pondered that.

“There is no need for all three of you to go back to report right?”

“Mu? That’s true but”

For them to go back to their own country meant a suspension of the cooperation set-up between Japan and Germany.

…Even if he had to act half-coercively, he wanted to preserve the cooperation between Japan and Germany.

Of course to cooperate with German in the true meaning from hereon was depending on the decision of their home country after receiving the report though.

“Loki is supposed to be the common enemy of Japan and the Einherjar. We who have defeated Yamato will take action to defeat Loki next, Beatrix, leave the report to Eleonora and you stay in Japan to continue the cooperation. For you yourself this should not be an odd decision.”

“….u, mu…” Beatrix hummed.

“Even so, if the one that go back to report is not me myself that is the captain… there is also that consideration.”

“That’s no good. If your home country decide to stop the cooperation, it’s fine for you to go back at that time. However until that happens you are going to take joint action with me.”

He had given them some favor because of the case this time. Beatrix couldn’t reject.

For some reason Beatrix’s face reddened.

“I, if you said it so pushily like that, then… it really can’t be helped…”

Kazuki who left behind the isolation cell next headed to the room of the headquarter chief.

“When your interview with Beatrix is over, please bring yourself to the headquarter chief room. There is something I have to tell you and also to the Knight Order’s leadership.

Vice Chief Yamagata that informed him of Beatrix waking up also passed the verbal message of Arthur that was saying that to Kazuki.

When he knocked and entered the room―inside there were Vice Chief Yamagata, Arthur, and then Shouko-san of Ryouzanpaku was also there.

“Russia declared their cooperation relationship with China.”

With Kazuki entering the room, Vice Chief Yamagata said that without even a greeting first.

Kazuki answered after thinking for a little. “In other words, they are joining hands with Loki then.”

“The one that draw this scheme is without a doubt Loki.”

“After the duel with Ikousai, Loki suddenly launched a surprise attack, and yet they immediately retreated, that was for the sake of creating an established fact I guess. It was for the sake of making Ilyailiya unable to play both sides.”

Kazuki recalled about the happening at Sekigahara and said that.

“Oo, so you properly noticed that.” Shouko-san raised the corner of her mouth in a grin.

“Hmm, I see, so it’s for that kind of thing.” Arthur hit his palm with his fist.

“It seemed that Ilyailiya had told Regina that Russia Mythology can attach themselves freely to Cosmos Side or Chaos Side. So it’s this kind of thing.”

Loki made Ilyailiya’s position fixed in place conclusively. He wouldn’t let Ilyailiya got off with just a verbal promise. He deliberately made her exchanged hostility with Arthur and Regina.

“However right now that Yamato is gone, does Russia and China still have any just excuse?”

“For now… they are demanding us to hand over Aisu Ikousai who is contracted with Susanoo as the one with the true qualification to rule over Japan.”

“Aren’t they completely ignoring the conclusion and all now? Perhaps as long as Ikousai is not killed then they will keep being persistent like this.”

“Naturally this is a matter that has to be considered I think. About Ikousai’s execution.” Shouko-san interjected.

“Just killing Ikousai won’t crush the other side’s just cause. If you do that then they surely will once again make up another excuse and come picking a fight, so perhaps it’s pointless doing that, anyway for the time being there is no harm putting aside killing her.”

“You, saying for the time being like that…” Yamagata-san frowned.

“’Perhaps it’s pointless but for the time being’, in Japan human life is not so light that we can kill someone just from mood like that.”

Kazuki rejected that clearly. “Ikousai didn’t really have any malice in her, she was just a maniac of strongest sword art that was lifted up by Yamato’s government as a symbol.”

Kazuki recalled the first time he met Lotte. Because of the judgment between countries, the life of a human was treated so lightly. That kind of judgment was clearly overflowing with malice.

“I don’t mind even if they are finding fault with us. It’s just what we wish for to continue our battle with Loki. …Arthur-san, you are also going to lend your hand in this aren’t you?”

Kazuki turned his sight to Arthur. But, why was Regina not here?

“The conflict between Japan and Yamato about the seat of the legitimate ruler was over already. It ended in the manner that all of you recognized. And then Loki, Russia, and China that even now want to continue the fight… fighting against them in other words mean a battle for the sake of protecting the world’s order. This battle should be something that all of you have to fight too.”

Arthur rounded his eyes listening on Kazuki’s decisive way of talking.

However he nodded as if saying that it was only natural.

“Of course I called you with that kind of intention. I wanted you to pass that judgment. But your way of saying that is more decisive than I imagined. It appears that you are… getting accustomed as King.”

‘I wanted you to pass that judgment’ ―Arthur who called to Kazuki to talk about this matter was intentionally ignoring Japan’s government.

“…I’m going to convey this to the top so that they can act in accordance with Hayashizaki-kun’s will.”

The way Arthur was developing the matter made Vice Chief Yamagata say that with a troubled face.

“What about Regina? It seems that she is not in this place though.”

“She is… I brought the matter about the danger of {{furigana|the Chaos Side Diva|Loki}} colluding with China and Russia to her attention, but she said that she has no obligation to fight and went home to Italy. If she said that then I cannot detain her. That’s also a King’s judgment.”

If Germany gave their cooperation to Japan then their side would be Japan-Britain-Germany while the other side was China-Russia-Loki.

“A confrontation structure has been created in the world with this…”

Vice Chief Yamagata said so with a bitter expression. Confrontation structure―of all things there were Magic Advanced Countries that appeared as Loki’s ally, with that the order between the Seven Great Magic Advanced Countries was breaking down.

“For that I have a proposal. Hayashizaki-kun… won’t you go with me to America.”

“…America?”

It was a word that he didn’t anticipate. Kazuki spontaneously asked back.

“That’s right. The one that will become the key person in this situation is America. If America stood as our ally… Regina surely won’t jump ship to the other side, that’s why we can stand in the superior position with number. On the contrary we cannot let even America to get sweet talked by Loki’s cajolery.”

America―they were the country that evaded involvement with other countries the most among the Seven Great Magic Advanced Countries, a country that persisted in their isolationism. Could they do something about such actual state of affairs, not to mention Japan but most likely there was no doubt that the other countries also didn’t understand the situation there.

“Certainly… it’s a country that we don’t know what they are thinking but it’s important who they are going to side with.”

“By some chance, just like all of you in Japan, perhaps a King has also still haven’t been born yet in America.”

“Because they don’t have a King, that’s why they aren’t getting involved with other countries and their standing point is unclear, is that it?”

“Our Britain is the land where magic was first born in this world, the land where Basileus Basilleon put the headquarter of <{{furigana|Libel Mundi|Dawn’s Omnipotent}}>. The history of alchemists is the oldest there. That was why there is a lot of record about Basileus Basilleon left there.”

“The alchemist Basileus Basilleon?”

Why did that name suddenly appear here?

No, perhaps it was obvious why.

That name was the root of everything of this era of magic. It was a name that was connected with everything.

“He left behind these words. ‘The time when all the Kings are standing in a complete set, the battlefield of the Kings will rise from the depth of the sea. A treasure existed there’.”

“Treasure you say?” Kazuki knitted his eyebrows dubiously.

“The Divas know about the treasure’s true form. They said that they will surely talk about it when the suitable time arrives.”

Arthur said that unhesitatingly as if delivering an oracle.

“I expected that it’s most likely―the Philosopher Stone.”

No, wait. A treasure that the Divas knew about… Hearing those words, Kazuki remembered something that was stuck in his mind. He had the feeling that before this there was someone saying something like that.

The thing that the Divas fought each other to try to get their hands on it…

“I predicted that the King in America has still haven’t been determined yet because there is this kind of legend. The instant you defeated Ikousai, I thought that perhaps there is going to be an unusual phenomenon happening in this world. But nothing happened.”

That meant Arthur had expected him as the last King. Kazuki made a bitter face.

However the world’s unusual phenomenon. What in the world it meant that a battlefield would surface from the bottom of the sea?

Like how a Haunted Ground was generated… would there be an island or even a continent created from the Astrum then?

“…What I have misgivings for is that the American continent which is shrouded in darkness is currently just like this Japan and Yamato, perhaps right now they are also embroiled in a conflict between order and chaos there.”

If there was a conflict like that and Loki intervened…

“And so my proposal. We should head to America and know more about them. The darkness shrouding that continent has to be removed.”

…Kazuki nodded. There was also the factor that he couldn’t see Arthur as a human that would deceive others.

“Understood. Let’s do that.”

“…Hmm. I will take this to the top so that they can go act in accordance with Hayashizaki-kun’s will.”

Vice Chief Yamagata also said half-resigning himself.

“Roshouko. What are you and your group going to do?”

After they finished hearing Arthur’s story, each of them left the room―in that timing, Kazuki picked the time where Arthur had gone and caught Shouko’s shoulder.

Kazuki called Shouko without any honorific.

“What we are going to do you ask… of course we are Japan’s ally obviously.”

Shouko said that while making a buttering up smiling face.

“It’s just that we cannot just leave our hideout alone so there is no way we can go along to America. We are going to remain in Japan and cooperate in Japan’s defense ‘kay.”

Suddenly in Kazuki’s mind, an image of their back stabbed by Shouko flashed.

Hearing that this Shouko would cooperate with Japan’s defense during the time he would be in America, that she would continue to stay in Japan, an uneasiness that couldn’t be explained was welling up in him.

No, this anxiety meant this kind of thing…

“Shouko, I cannot approve that.”

“Ah?” Shouko opened her eyes wide in shock from Kazuki’s rumination.

“Why is that? You are saying that you cannot really trust us? Listen here, mister. I’m really troubled here. You guys cannot get all buddy-buddy with us on the surface, but a force that matched Japan’s interest the most is us Ryouzanpaku. For Japan that is in conflict with China we are the ally that you can trust the most yeah?”

With a condemning tone like when before this he prioritized Germany’s Beatrix, Shouko-san was talking calmly however her tone was sharp.

“No, your objective is China. Our objective is Loki.”

Kazuki decisively rebutted. Their interests didn’t match each other.

“You guys are by no means belong to Order. From what I can gather of [Taikoubou’s will] that you talked about before, I can surmise that. Your group’s objective is to first overthrow China to guarantee your own safety. If it’s for that sake… then you won’t mind whether you join hands with Order or with Chaos, whichever is fine.”

Taikobou’s will. That will was―to prevent the arrival of the age where the Mythology was ruling over humans.

Rather it was a thinking that opposed the Cosmos Side.

“And then Loki and China’s alliance will surely breakdown someday.”

Shouko’s eyes shook with slight agitation.

Not only the objective right before the eyes, he also had to think about the true objectives of each force.

“And when that happens, you will come running to Loki bringing a nice present… maybe.”

Kazuki pulled Shouko’s shoulder closer to him and whispered on her ear.

“Perhaps that nice present, is going to be this country and my head.”

This woman named Roshouko was a woman that might have went that far.

Shouko caught her breath and stared back at Kazuki’s expression.

“What are you talking about rabbit-san. We are your ally you know.”

“It will be great if it turns out like that in the very end. But in the current stage I can trust you as an ally only as long as Loki is still in an alliance with China. During the time until that happens…”

Kazuki pushed aside Shouko’s shoulder and high-handedly said.

“Just as you said we will accept Ryouzanpaku’s force to be added in Japan’s defense. But I’ll have both Shouko and Silirat to accompany me to America.”

The forces that Ryouzanpaku could ally themselves with in the very end were only between Japan or Loki.

But ultimately Japan too was incompatible with the Order. That was why certainly Shouko’s interest was close to Japan.

―Therefore Kazuki pressed a choice to her.

“Come with me, and then whether you should side with me or with Loki, make sure of it with your own eyes.”

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

{| 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 [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Afterword|Afterword]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 1

2016-01-28T11:12:28Z

Windsgrace: /* Part 2 */

==Chapter 1 – King Sailing Out==

===Part 1===

Everyone wanted to know about [Hayashizaki Kazuki]―.

Carrying a lofty mission inside their chest, a group of three people were lurking inside a forest. While being wrapped inside the chorus of the crickets and the grassy-smelling greens, they were squatting inside a thicket.

Their figures with their eyes sparkling fiercely even while avoiding people’s eye was endlessly close with that of criminals.

“Even if he is hiding inside the toilet, I’m not going to let even a hair of his ass escape and make the article for sure.”

A man wearing a worn out shirt and chino pants murmured with a low voice that sounded sticky.

His alias was <Turtle Oota>. He chased around people that were famous in society vindictively, if he didn’t see any smoke then he would fabricate the source himself, even people in the same profession called him [Information Pyromaniac] in dislike, he was a [scandal specialist journalist].

“The glimmer of my lens cross over the far away space and cut through an instant…”

Beside the Turtle, a man that was setting up an old fashioned film camera murmured.

This man’s alias was <Simo Heyhe Iijima>. With his telescope lens and magic reinforced eyesight he caught his target accurately from extraordinary distance, he then burned that perception sight into his {{furigana|Psychofilm|Magic Impression Heat Film}} like a sniper, he was a [peeping photo specialist cameraman]. <ref>Simo Hayha, a legendary Finnish marksman</ref>

“It’s in that direction see. I caught wind of information that says if Hayashizaki Kazuki is staying in that lodging house.”

The one who was pointing at the sea from between the trees and saying that to Turtle and Simo Heyhe was the woman that was the third person of the group.

The woman’s alias was <Anal Kirishima>. She retired from the Knight Order due to a mental injury from her battle against the Demon Beasts, besides using her experience for military analyst activity, she also sold the Knight Order’s secret information to the mass media and made a killing in profit, she was a [former knight with a lax mouth].

Journalist, cameraman, informant, the group of three were hiding their body inside the national forest that spread along the coastline. There was a cove ahead of the forest. It was a calm natural harbor without any wave.

Any kind of large-type ship surly could anchor there.

“A hidden cove in the forest that is forbidden to enter… it’s completely a [hidden harbor] isn’t it?”

Turtle murmured. Anal was “Right, it’s a hidden harbor” and nodded.

“When the knight order received people and material from a foreign country, they secretly used this cove. Even if there is no diplomacy, we are still rarely exchanging things with the outside. This is made a secret from the people by them.”

Anal once again leaked out an important secret of the Knight Order.

Talking about the recent happenings, the Einherjar―Beatrix and her team that came to Japan for the sake of temporary cooperation was also entering this country from this cove with the Knight Order’s guidance.

“But why does… Hayashizaki Kazuki that just became this country’s {{furigana|King|Basileus}} and his companions had come to this kind of place, I wonder.”

Kirishima narrowed her lip. Turtle’s thick lip warped in a grin and he laughed.

“Exposing those guys is our job here. Maybe it’s a secret meeting with an important person from abroad, perhaps even a secret transaction for suspicious things from abroad that came here. By chance it’s Hayashizaki Kazuki himself that is going to a foreign country?”

After Turtle said that out loud, “No way though…” he immediately denied it himself.

Ten-odd years had passed since Japan severed diplomatic relations with all foreign countries, for the Japanese people that lived in an island country, the place beyond the sea had naturally turned into something like an alternate world for them. It was an unimaginable place that was full of the unknown.

Stepping out into the unknown world―it was unthinkable for a person who had just become a King to brave that kind of danger. He didn’t really understand in truth just what was this existence called as King, but… they were big shots right?

What a human thought of the first thing when they rose to a seat of power was [their own self-preservation]. As a journalist, the [big shots] that Turtle had observed until now were all like that.

Turtle held hatred towards influential people. When he heard that a high school student, a young boy named Hayashizaki Kazuki obtained a seat of power, that hatred of his flamed up especially fierce.

He was going to put that guy in an article and make him into his own source of income, he couldn’t help but think that reflexively.

“Well, if he is really here than anything he does is fine. If it’s material about Hayashizaki Kazuki, then any kind of article will sell at a high price. And if that happened to be a scandal than that’s just the best. If we can just get his figure having an affair with a woman in a photo then…”

The facts that were understood about Hayashizaki Kazuki were few. At best there was the graduation album from his middle school period or the interview of his schoolmates of that time, the scoop the public got was just around that much. But something like that wouldn’t satisfy the curiosity of society. Everyone wanted to know more in regards to [Hayashizaki Kazuki].

Society sought stimulation, but the Knight Order was strictly protecting that young man’s privacy.

That incurred the anger of Turtle.

What <King>. This country is a Democratic Country. The people were exactly the King, wasn’t that it?

Things that the people wanted to know had to all be reported.

If they were trying to hide information, then that was evil. To expose that was a journalist’s justice.

A single small article would blaze up society. A single small article would throw down the fame of an influential person to the ground. To be able to achieve that was exactly the happiness of a journalist.

The public would surely snap at it just like Turtle… he would exaggerate even trivial thing into something grand… he would mislead… stir up society… he was going to cause a large blaze.

Oops, he must not become only too heated up, he also had to be vigilant of the surroundings calmly.

Turtle lowered his breathing and concentrated Enchant Aura into his ear to search for sounds. The danger detection ability that he cultivated from his long journalism activity. Even in the case that the Knight Order was putting up security, Turtle had the confidence to succeed in escaping before he was discovered.

“Can you see something even from here, Simo Heyhe? Something like a strange movement of human shadow or…”

“If I don’t get a little closer… No wait… that’s! That’s!?”

Simo Heyhe that was kneeling on the wet ground and peeking into his finder passionately, aimed his shutter with raging vigor.

“What, did you find something, Simo Heyhe!?” Turtle’s voice reflexively turned loud.

“You uncles, what are you all doing in this kind of place?”

―Suddenly a voice came from behind them.

The group of three had their hairs stand on end from shock while turning back.

A girl that looked like an outdoor type with her short-cut lively hair style was tilting her head with her eyes wide open.

“Si, since when!? There were no footsteps at all!”

“I don’t sound off any footsteps after all.”

No, not only her footstep. There was not a single sound coming from the girl. Even when Turtle fully strengthened his hearing with his magic power, whether it was her heartbeat, or her blood flow, even the creak of her bones or muscles were not audible.

The membrane of magic power that faintly covered the girl’s whole body was erasing all vibrations.

It was an advanced magic technique he had never even seen before.

It was exactly a modern ninja. But a long sword was holstered on the girls’ waist, he also had seen the uniform she was wearing before. This uniform was―the uniform of the Knight Academy’s Sword Division.

“Wh, why is a student, in this kind of place”

“That’s my line you know. Eerr… this place is a state-owned land where entry is forbidden. I am a student but I received a quest for the security of this place and I am given with the rights to apprehend or forcefully expel any suspicious person.”

The girl talked with an awkward way of speaking and took out her student identification from her skirt’s pocket. [Sword Division Second Year・Tsukahara Kazuha] was written there.

No matter how her atmosphere felt like she was not used to dealing with adults, but―she had no opening.

The girl’s stance was always prepared to draw out her katana anytime. If they tried to run they would immediately get cut down.

“Thi, this child, I’m sure she is the <King>’s close associate. You know, that [Chouki(Favored Princess)].”

Kirishima who was a military analyst was trembling. She had heard that right now in the Knight Academy there were special students. The King’s close associates, several people that were Chouki… It was a phrase that was not suitable for this democratic country.

“I, I’m not one of the Chouki. …Not yet.”

A bitterness ran through the expression of the girl named Kazuha for an instant.

“Not yet?”

The instant the three’s awareness reacted to Kazuha’s reply, all of a sudden Kazuha’s hand reached out smoothly. Her thin fingers entwined around the camera and took it from Simo Heyhe’s hands. “Ah” He leaked out a foolish voice.

It was a move that was like a wind that blew through the opening of the awareness. As if they were facing against a master of martial arts.

“Errr, so all of you are journalist? I’m confiscating the film.”

Kazuha’s expression relaxed when she understood that she was not facing dangerous opponents. She was a beautiful girl. But with a forcibly manner she pulled away the film from the camera and crushed it in her grips.

So the elite cadet of the Knight Academy was this kind of monster.

“WHY-!” Turtle turned desperate and yelled.

“Why is the King concealing himself!? The people have the right to know!”

“That’s, because even the King has privacy.”

Kazuha huffily scowled. “He is also a normal student besides being a King you know?”

“This country is a democracy! We the people cannot just go along with this just because suddenly we are told that a young boy is a King! Everyone wants to know about the King! Being a spectacle like a panda is also included among the duty of someone like a King!!”

“…Even though Loki and his comrades might still conceal themselves in this country, there is no way we can just publicized his every single action like that don’t you think. Besides even if he is called the King, he already fights without asking for any reward already, asking him to be like a panda or whatever is just too much.”

The three snorted their nose ”fun” all at once. Whether Turtle, Simo Heyhe, or Kirishima, all of these three didn’t think of anything at all except for their own profit.

A King that continued to fight without asking anything back, such thing couldn’t possibly be true. Besides that kind of person wouldn’t become an interesting article. He undoubtedly had a hidden side. They came here fishing for that hidden side.

“Mentioning the King… there is the rumor that every holiday he was walking around the town with a different girl each time. If you are also a girl, what do you think about that kind of thing?”

Turtle inquired expecting a bitter reaction from a fastidious girl at that age.

If this girl was hiding even a little antipathy towards the King… he was going to pull that story out of her, stir her up, until she was ablaze with fury from his prided smooth-talking. And then if he could record that, he could turn it into an article just with that. Turtle shrewdly pressed the switch of the recorder he hid inside his pocket.

“Eh? That’s… i, isn’t that just fine? There is a circumstance that can’t be helped and all. Also… he faced all of them sincerely with all that he got, those of us around him properly understand that… even me, that…”

Kazuha looked down while her cheeks reddened with a puff, she defended the King while her body was fidgeting around.

“…As I thought, this child is the King’s Chouki. She is completely making a face of a maiden in love.”

“It’s no good, seems like she is not holding even a single speck of antipathy for the King.”

Kirishima and Turtle exchanged words with each other secretly with small voices.

Those voices were clearly captured by the ears of Kazuha that had been reinforced with magic.

“…I’ll cut and kick out all of you.”

Kazuha put her hand on her katana and a threatening tone entered her voice. The three panicked while saying “Wait, waiit!”

“What are you all doing since a while ago-! All of you have no intention at all to lend your ear except for the story that you want to hear! Writing with that kind of self-important behavior is just going to create a crazy article!! With what kind of feelings do you think Kazuki became the King in that snowy mountain…!!”

Right there, a footstep that parted through the grass and came closer could be heard.

“Tsukahara Kazuha. It’s going to be the guard shift soon. Go eat some breakfast, it’s the navy curry.”

“Eh, curry straight since the morning?” Kazuha looked back to the voice.

“Nn? Who are those guys?”

The one that appeared was a small statured girl that was wearing a similar Sword Division uniform. She had the cherubic face like a kitten with her hair tied into a ponytail that resembled a cat’s tail.

“Ah, Kanae-san. These people, they are gossip reporters that want to write bad articles about Kazuki.”

Kazuha talked with an expression of anger that she was unable to clear away.

“WHHAATT?” The cherubic face of the ponytail girl underwent a complete change into that of a Hannya.

Sharp sounds rang out from the mouths of the sheath that were at their waists.

“Let’s cut them down.” “I too think so.”

Both of them faced each other and nodded.

But that act became an opening for an instant. Turtle yelled “We are escaping!!” and pulled the hands of Simo Heyhe and Anal, then they dashed away at full speed.

“Oi, they escaped.”

“It’s fine even if we don’t purposefully chase them, that kind of people. It looks like they are unrelated to Loki.”

Even though violence seriously appealed to her but Kazuha felt a hesitation, she released a deep sigh while being disgusted.

―After running back until the entrance of the forest, Turtle and the others finally noticed that they were not pursued and stopped their feet.

But they already didn’t have the mood to enter the forest once more.

“Simo Heyhe, in the end what picture did you managed to take just now?”

“A ship.”

Simo Heyhe murmured with a tone as if he had even seen a ghost.

“…An extravagant and shiny ship like the [Titanic] at the movie a long time ago was peeking out from the gap between the trees. This is the first time I saw that kind of amazing ship.”

“Amazing ship…? Is it for the King…?”

Turtle who was supposedly a man who thought of nothing else other than his own profit was taken aback.

“The King… is he seriously going outside the country? Isn’t that something amazing?”

If this was really true, then it overturned the common sense. Due to the King that ignored the danger, the relationship between Japan and the foreign country―namely the [world] was going to shake and move on a grand scale, there was no mistaking it.

This was not a scandal or anything. But…

===Part 2===

The pure white ship that was floating on the secret cove was sparkling radiantly from being bathed in the morning sun of summer.

It was as if a holy woman was bathing in cold water in the spring inside a forest.

“What do you think, Hayashizaki-kun. This is what the Knight Order gambled their dignity to construct―[Solomon the 2nd].”

Kazuki and all the others were lining up on the wharf that was sticking out from the cove. Vice Chief Yamagata puffed out his chest proudly.

Kazuki and the others were staying at the small lodging house of the Knight Order that was hidden inside the forest.

Solomon the 2nd was constructed in a certain workshop and then it was transported here during the night into this cove. And then this morning, it was making its debut in front of Kazuki and the others who just woke up.

Kazuki and co. would traverse across the sea towards the mysterious continent―<America> with this ship.

Rather than feeling shocked, Kazuki felt astonished instead.

“Should I say it’s amazing… Or perhaps I should say that it’s fine even if you didn’t go this far…”

Looking at the really wide gap compared to the first [Solomon] that time when he was infiltrating the Ise Imperial Shrine, he reflexively lost his words.

This ship was truly an [extravagant passenger ship]. But Vice Chief Yamagata was from ''the generation where traveling abroad was still done'', a generation that Kazuki couldn’t even imagine.

With the people of the country becoming unable to travel overseas, the culture called a cruise travel also went through a decline.

The very concept of [extravagant passenger ship] itself―it already didn’t exist inside Kazuki and co.’s common sense.

They couldn’t see this ship with the total length of 100 meters and total mass of 10000 tons other than a gigantic monster of the sea.

It was just too overdone. In the first place, Kazuki had a sincere and healthy poor person mentality that was fine with anything as long as it had the minimum ability. He didn’t get what need there was to make the ship until this gigantic. To say nothing of why inside this gigantic ship there was a pool, a fitness room, a movie theater, a dance ballroom, a sushi shop, and a burger joint wholly installed, he didn’t get the meaning at all.

“Is there any meaning in all of these?” ―His frank impression was all expressed in that one sentence.

“After all, now is different than when you went to Ise, you have no need to escape or hide. And above all you are different than at that time, now you are the official [King] of the country. Moreover Arthur and the others that are honored visitors from another country are going together with you to America, there is no way we can make you all ride a poor looking ship.”

“So it’s concerning the honor of Japan.”

“I know you don’t really want to be extravagant or anything, but we want to have you who is the King of this country to ride the best ship there is. That’s how it is. This is service.”

“…I really can’t calm down at all.”

“Actually I’m also thinking of doing something about that student uniform but…”

Vice Chief Yamagata made a wry face at Kazuki’s outfit.

“There’s just no way, wearing something that looks really like a king is just too much. On the other hand, I’m not at the age of wearing suits, a student uniform is the proper attire for a student, don’t you agree?”

There was no summer or winter arrangement with the uniform of the Knight Academy, but Kazuki was matching the feel of the season and took off his jacket and turned out with his light shirt appearance. Because he was the only male in the Magic Division, his shirt that was an order-made was hand-sewn with smooth alchemic threads, a definite article of rare beauty even if it was worn out of shape.

But it was undeniable that its base design was really like a student.

But before he was a King he was a student first, Kazuki thought. It didn’t mean that he really liked to study, but he had the feeling that he wouldn’t become a respectable adult if he neglected his duty as a student too much.

Kanae came close to Kazuki’s side and pulled lightly at his sleeve.

“If it’s Nii-sama then you will be fine even if you are completely naked, you are the pride of Japan no matter where you go.”

“Don’t think that everyone in the world is a brocon like you, you idiot.”

“Fufu-, but Otouto-kun is a King of Magika Stigma. You should be at the top in exposure rate too.”

Kaguya-senpai hugged his back tightly. Her thin fingers moved swiftly and unfastened the buttons of his shirt in turn from the top. “Wa, wait senpai…”

“That’s right―! I too think so―!!”

Hikaru-senpai crouched and tackled Kazuki’s legs, she then tried to pull down his trousers.

“Senpai!? Hey, senpai!”

Kazuki held his shirt with both his hands and his knee was pushing back Hikaru-senpai’s face.

Kaguya-senpai was smiling while cheering “Eei pull~, eei pull~”, Hikaru-senpai too whose face was quite roughly kneed was happily laughing “Ahaha!”

“Certainly it’s unfair that it’s only us whose appearance has a high exposure rate. I too want to see Kazuki naked.”

With a passionate gaze, Koyuki was staring at Kazuki whose clothes were in a half opened state.

“Ye, yeah, Kazuki’s naked body… as expected the charm of a warrior dwells inside the physical beauty…”

Beatrix’s cheeks were slightly reddening. She who was an Einherjar(Norse Knight) of Germany was also here in order to go together to America as the representative of the cooperation set-up between Japan and Germany.

“You are just going to approve this? Wait, stop it, don’t look at me with those hungry eyes of a predator, don’t blush on your cheeks.”

Kazuki felt a terror that was like a fear of a prey in front of a predator while holding back and fixing his shirt.

“Something like getting naked is no good. I’m going to design a King’s clothes that will bring out Kazu-nii’s coolness into prominence!”

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.10 019.jpg|thumb]]

Even Mio came butting in. Her skill in sewing shamed even a professional but…

“I’m getting anxious that you will make something sparkling that strangely looks like shoujo manga style here…”

It felt like she would make him wear a shirt made from gold and silver thread attached full of frills. He wanted frills to be attached only to maids.

…Was it really that selfish to want to wear a normal male uniform just like this?

“Kazuki-oniisan, I want you to appear like [Muscle King Sugure] desu!”

“That’s a cosplay then. Isn’t that a King of a different world already.”

Although he said that but he really wanted to listen to Lotte’s request whatever it was for her. Kazuki took that character’s cool pose while yelling a cool line of the character, “Worthless punk is not needed here…!” The eyes of the otaku Lotte and Kamimura-san were shining, even Kazuha-senpai had a heart mark flying from her while saying “I don’t really understand the meaning of the sentence but maybe it looks cool…”

“I see…” The King of Britain, Arthur, nodded.

“Please wait, what are you understanding from that exchange just now?”

Kazuki became worried about the honor of Japan but Arthur was “Hahaha” laughing largeheartedly.

“Well, it’s just as Vice Chief Yamagata said. It seems in Japan modesty is included among the virtue, but a King also has the dignity that is demanded from a King. Your retainer will be self-aware as a retainer with your king-like behavior which in turn will make them offer their allegiance even more.”

Arthur looked up at the extravagant passenger ship and nodded in satisfaction.

“It’s a beautiful ship. Once there were also famous ships in my Britain that were called The Britannia and The Queen Elizabeth. After all, Britain is a similar island nation―an oceanic country like Japan.”

“Leme too is pleased with this ship! An idiotic name like Solomon the 2nd doesn’t suit this elegant ship! Just name it as the Queen Lemegeton!!”

Leme materialized beside Kazuki and hopped up and down even though her appearance was already an adult.

“Your character is just not fitting a queen’s character. Arthur-san, don’t you feel uncomfortable riding a ship that moves using an engine?”

Kazuki became slightly worried and sneaked a look at the true feeling of Arthur who looked largehearted.

This person was also accompanying them to America. Rather, this person was the one who proposed the idea in the first place.

“Of course I don’t like it. But you have your own culture, I’m the guest here. And then thinking from the view point of your culture, I can understand that this ship is something reasonable. Though if Queen Regina also comes with us, she will surely turn angry without doubt though.”

The Magic Advanced Countries other than Japan really put their faith in their Mythology. They possessed the creed that rejected science civilization.

But it seemed the degree of that rejection was different for each Mythology. Germany and Italia were really fierce in their rejection, but Arthur‘s Britain seemed comparatively lenient.

Surely the reason why Arthur was more friendly to Kazuki compared to the other Kings was also because of that.

―On the other hand, they had no idea what would happen in America where they were going to head to.

By any chance, perhaps they were worshiping a Mythology that was even stricter in this respect.

If they flew carelessly using an airplane to that kind of place, they might be shot down by magic.

Therefore this ship. Further they were going to efficiently use engine to advance until halfway and when the land was near they would unfold the sail, this was a ship that adopted hybrid form that could also become a sailing ship.

“…An engine ship huh. I wonder if I’m better off swimming…”

Beatrix murmured with a real determination in her voice.

Kazuki caught the scruff of her neck forcefully.

“Don’t you separate from me for even a moment.” When he whispered that, Beatrix’s cheeks reddened with a puff once more.

“…I, if Kazuki said until that far then…”

“After all you are a dangerous character that I cannot take my eyes off carelessly.”

Beatrix fell down on top of the wharf in great shock. And then “Don’t you toy around with the pure heart of a war maiden!”, saying that she kicked and struggled while rolling over on the ground.

“Besides no matter how much you swim it’s impossible to cross the Pacific Ocean like that don’t you think? We are the ones who forcefully dragged you to go so you are not going against your faith at all.”

Civilization was the symbol of arrogance. But Kazuki was using cooperation as an excuse to forcefully make Beatrix board the ship, so it couldn’t be said that Beatrix was being arrogant. She was just a victim.

“This ship, was it constructed just in one week?” Kazuki turned back to Vice Chief Yamagata asking that.

They decided that they were going to America using ship one week ago.

“No, this is a small-type passenger ship of the old era that is not used anymore now that we thoroughly repaired. After all there is no time. This ship is quite small to be called as extravagant.”

“Whaaat, so this is not its maiden voyage then.”

Roshouko butted in and chuckled ‘kishishi’. The leader of the anti-China resistance organization <Ryouzanpaku>, Roshouko too also going together with them to America by Kazuki’s ''order''. She turned to Leme.

“Queen Lemegeton, it’s old y’know. Yaa―ii, old, old.”

“Gu, gunu―! What a humiliation to call a woman old!! As I thought this ship is just Solomon the 2nd!!”

Leme kicked and struggled vexedly and stamped her foot in frustration.

Beside her Beatrix was still rolling around kicking and struggling on the wharf.

Even though these girls had the appearance of beautiful lady…

One more person, Silirat who was the combat specialist of Ryouzanpaku’s leadership was also going with them. The girl with features that looked like a boy, Silirat was “Awesome shipp―!” Her eyes were honestly turning round in admiration.

'''BOOOOOOOOOOOOO-''' The steam whistle was sounding. With consideration so it wouldn’t be audible outside, its reverberation was low-key. The steam whistle made them feel the beginning of the journey.

“Yosh, the time for sailing out has come! Now, please get on aboard!! And then sweep away the darkness of the enigmatic America!!”

Vice Chief Yamagata yelled in great mood. He was a honest uncle.

The door in the flank of the pure white ship opened, from there a ramp was coming down to the wharf.

With that stair, Kazuki and the others went up with a certain stride.

“Please take care of Japan!” He looked back for the last time.

Vice Chief Yamagata was not going together with them. Just like that he saw off Kazuki and co. from the wharf.

Another person was taking the duty as the [ship captain] and that person had already been waiting for Kazuki and co. inside the ship.

The spacious and wide corridors inside the ship looked completely like a high grade hotel.

“ “Awesome―!!” “ Karin and Silirat let out their voices together and ran around like kids.

They really couldn’t think that currently they were inside an engine vehicle, it made them doubt whether they were really floating on top of the sea.

A red carpet was spread out at their feet, the mahogany wall and ceiling emitted a mature gloss, handrails of marble metal with gold blended into it were continuing ahead.

It was an overwhelming splendor but―at the same time it was also a decoration he had seen somewhere before.

“This, isn’t this ship renovated based on the image of the Witch’s Mansion-!?”

Kaguya-senpai immediately noticed and raised an excited voice. Kazuki too was thinking of completely the same thing.

Surely this was the tasteful discretion of Vice Chief Yamagata.

“Then this ship is Queen Kaguya isn’t it? Talking about the Witch’s Mansion means Kaguya-senpai after all.”

“Queen… but the King is Otouto-kun. I’m not the queen though.”

“The word Queen doesn’t only mean a female ruler of the country, it can also be used to refer to the King’s empress so it’s fine. The word queen by no means is referring to someone that is aiming for the throne.”

When Arthur pointed out, Kaguya-senpai’s expression brightened “That’s it!” and she hugged at Kazuki’s neck. “Queen Kaguya! Otouto-kun… ehehe, I’m Kazuki-kun’s wife-♪”

Kaguya-senpai was a person that had acted a lot like a big sister as a senior student council president, but she was hiding a feeling of wanting to rely on someone and getting spoiled.

Kazuki stroked gently the head of Kaguya-senpai as if treating his little sister. He had become able to do that even more naturally compared from before. Kaguya-senpai narrowed her eyes and moaned “nn~” pleasantly.

Kaguya-senpai stared at Kazuki ecstatically. Her expression told him her desire to kiss. A charming soft and full lips. For the sake of preserving the level 10 magic that could be used just once from kissing… Kazuki had never kissed Kaguya-senpai with whom he felt a bond this deep. Kazuki had never kissed with her. He really wanted to do it.

“Now that I remember, America where we are going is perhaps using English language right? Arthur-san, can you teach us English during the voyage?”

The Knight Academy―not only there but the school education of this generation’s Japanese had few classes about foreign language.

Because they lost diplomatic relations, the classes about that area decreased little by little.

Having said that, now that he thought back, not to mention the Kings that were Arthur and Regina, even Roshouko and Beatrix were really fluent in Japanese that made him feel the difference in their international awareness.

He was told that Lotte learned the Japanese language in three days using the power of Telepathy. Even though that was a prodigious act, it was possible for Kazuki and co. too to learn the fundamental speaking ability during this long voyage.

“That’s fine. Before I came to Japan I too was cramming Japanese language, but it was very useful when Mr. Yamagata became my conversation partner in practice. Putting language study into practice is the best way to learn.”

“Thank you very much. We can also spend the voyage without boredom.”

Leading his companions in groups, Kazuki headed to the bridge where the ship captain was waiting.

Even if this usual extravagant passenger ship had extravagant rooms, the inside that had never been visited by guests anymore would become coarse. But this ship, for the sake of welcoming the [King], there was no oversight at all from one end to another end. Even until the vicinity of the engine part, even until the parts that were only trivial, all of it maintained a perfect exquisiteness.

So to speak this ship was a lady so beautiful even until its intestine.

Hikaru-senpai laughed “Ahaha-“ looking like she had thought of something interesting.

“Even though Kaguya is black-hearted, but this Queen Kaguya is beautiful even on the inside eh.”

“I, I’m not black-hearted you know!?”

“Even though Kaguya fell constipated, but Queen Kaguya is clean even until inside its stomach eh.”

“My bowel movement is not that bad!!” Kaguya-senpai swung around her hands in anger.

It was hard for Kazuki to comment on that so he only moved forward while smiling wryly.

Cabins and lounge where they could watch outside were gathered at the front area that had the most beautiful scenery, there were various amusement facilities in the middle part, and the back part was filled with practical facilities that were essential for the ship to move like the engine room.

At the top level of that practical facilities, there was the bridge where they could look over everything. Advanced computers and GPS were loaded there, it was the brain where the control of all the equipment inside the ship was performed.

They ascended to the highest floor with a low volume elevator.

When the elevator door opened, the atmosphere of the top level was different with the sight until now.

This floor was not for the sake of making people feel welcomed, it was a space for the sake of designing and implementing strategy. Extravagant ornaments kept a low profile and stylish sense of cleanliness was pushed out to the forefront. The wallpaper was pure white and there was no more carpet under their feet making their footsteps reverberate with hardness.

“Even though Kaguya’s head is full with perverted things, but Queen Kaguya’s brain is…”

“That’s enough already!”

“As I thought this ship is not suitable with Kaguya so let’s name this ship Prince… no, Princess Hikaru.”

“You are secretly jealous!? No way, just no way, this ship is Queen Kaguya―!!”

Kaguya-senpai and Hikaru-senpai began to quarrel when they reached the top floor.

“Both of you, please stop your fight.” Kazuki finally mediated between the two.

“Besides it would be better without all this gorgeousness and make it more like a tough warship.”

“If it is that kind of ship, then what kind of name should we give it?” Mio asked.

“Shouldn’t it be Barbarian Beatrix then.” Kazuki gave an unserious rude reply.

“Calling it barbarian… that makes me blush.” Beatrix’s cheeks reddened with a puff.

“That’s the name of other country’s people you know!? No wait, you are blushing from that!?” Kaguya-senpai retorted.

“As I thought let’s just call it Pretty Sister Kanae from now on!”

“No, this ship should be called Forever Love Mio-Mio!”

As for Koyuki, “It’s not like I want my name to be included in this ship’s name or anything but… but this ship’s exterior is white isn’t it? Talking about white then it’s me isn’t it?” like that she kept glancing at Kazuki. Kohaku went “Even thought this is exactly the time where this one have to say some cool name and stood out but this one cannot think of anything…!”, she was holding her head. Behind her was Lotte and Kamimura-san holding hand happily singing the theme song of some old anime about the sea.

“Everyone don’t just say anything as you please.” Kazuki made a troubled face from being unable to put the situation in order.

“All of you are really getting along well, it’s so interesting.” Arthur looked fondly at them while smiling.

“Geez! It’s decided already that this ship is Queen Kaguya!”

While Kaguya-senpai was declaring so, they finally arrived at the bridge and pushed open the door.

A whole surface of ocean blue spread out in their field of vision.

Large reinforced acrylic panel was laid out around the bridge that was located in the highest place of the ship so that they could looked over the surrounding 360°, it was to the degree that they even hallucinated of almost getting hit by the wind.

From the flowing panorama, it made them feel the moving of the ship―heading toward America.

“Welcome, Kazuki.” The person waiting for them in the bridge―the captain of this ship called out to him.

“No, I wonder if it’s too impolite to call the King without honorific?”

“Akane-senpai!”

With various sailing gauges behind her, Akane-senpai was standing with an intellectual smile on her face.

She was not wearing the uniform of the Knight Order, but an invigorating white sailor uniform.

It was an outfit that wanted to impress the style of the navy, but it was complemented with a cute miniskirt.

“Also Kanon-senpai too.”

Beside Akane-senpai was a sulking Kanon-senpai that was sitting on the floor grasping her knees.

“By any chance is this ship’s captain… one of you?”

“Fufufu-, we have learned all the knowledge and skill necessary to become a navigation officer in just this past week.”

When he looked carefully at Akane-senpai, her eyes had faint black circles around them from lack of sleep. She looked like she had been losing weight too, but the sense of fulfillment of a hard-worker was also mixed in her tone of voice.

Kazuki didn’t understand how great of exploits was that but just from watching the monitor and gauges variation lining up the bridge, he could imagine that what she had done was not so simple a thing.

But certainly for the sake of the sailing this time there was a need for someone to do that job.

“In the operation this time there was an indispensable need for an ocean specialist. But on top of going to an unknown country, we cannot bring anyone weak that will only be a hindrance. There was no one among the knights in active duty that was convenient like that. That’s why an order to ''become that'' came to me and Kanon.”

When Akane-senpai said that, Kanon-senpai who was sitting still on the floor yelled “Who can do something like that, idiott―!”

“Kanon could only finish half the course, that’s why I became the ship captain, and Kanon is the slave.”

The faces of everyone of the Witch’s Mansion were shaken from shock. The power relation dynamic of the two who were once president and vice president had been completely overturned.

“Kanon has to be absolutely obedient to the order of me and Kazuki in this ship, so if there is anything troubling you just give any order you like to her.”

“Gugii―! I am a third year here―! I’m the true super ultra student council president that is the most important in the Witch’s Mansion you know―! Why to a first year I have to―!”

“What are you saying to the King. Watch your words carefully, you are just a mere slave here.”

Akane-senpai stepped her foot on the back of Kanon-senpai who lost her temper. …She stepped on Kanon-senpai!

“Akane-senpai is so cool!”

Hikaru-senpai’s eyes shined. Both of them had the close relation as the present vice-president and the former vice-president.

“If it’s Akane-senpai it makes me want to get stepped on a little… it really makes you think like that right, Kazuki!”

“Eh, I didn’t think that, what’s with that?”

“I too want to step on Kaguya like that!” She said that with her eyes shining in sparkles.

The latent thing Hikaru-senpai hid inside her really cannot be measured huh, Kazuki thought.

“…Next, Roshouko-san, I heard that you too have the knowledge about sailing technique.”

Akane-senpai called out to Shouko that was following along in the back.

“Nn? Well, Ryouzanpaku is constantly moving between small islands using ship after all. But even though I have the knowledge as a sailor, I don’t know at all about the way to use machines like this yeah.”

“That’s fine. Charlotte, you are half-assimilated with Prometheus, so you also understand how to control this ship aren’t you?”

“Yes.” Lotte nodded obediently. “The wise man Prometheus that granted civilization can handle anything that is a machine all with his instinct. Though I don’t understand about sea or weather desu…”

“In other words if both Shouko-san and Lotte combined their strength they can become a full fledged sailor.”

When Akane-senpai said that, Lotte made a smiling face like a sunflower and rushed close to Shouko.

“Shouko-oneesan, please take care of me desu!”

“O-, what’s with you, what a cute girl huh.”

Shouko hugged Lotte’s neck roughly and stroked her head grindingly. Lotte went “Please don’t grind my head~” while laughing.

Shouko was a dangerous character whom he didn’t know what she was actually thinking inside.

…He had asked Lotte before whether she could sense Shouko’s state of mind with Telepathy. However the security of the heart of Shouko and Arthur were constantly solid, Lotte was mostly unable to sense their mind.

When someone became the top class human of another country, surely they would need to accumulate such training.

“I, Kanon, then Shouko & Charlotte will control the ship alternately in 8 hour shifts on the voyage from now on. Even though it’s called controlling the ship but most of it is done by the computer, however a human watching over it is still needed. I’ll also have everyone except Kazuki to form a duty chart and help on various works inside the ship, okay?”

Everyone replied “Yes!” all at once.

“…How about me?”

“You are the King, so just relax dignifiedly.”

Everything in front of Kazuki turned dark.

“…Don’t do any work… is that what senpai is saying…!?”

Even though he was not even tired, he was told something like don’t do any work. How could such a thing be possible?

“Senpai, that sailor uniform, is there more for our share too!? That sailor uniform is cute!”

Mio who liked western clothes immediately had her eyes brightened.

“Of course. So that we can differentiate between who are in duty and who are off duty, I’ll have everyone else wear sailor uniform too while they are working in the ship.”

“Akane-senpai, is there no sailor uniform for me…?” Kazuki said that imploringly.

“Originally sailor uniform is an outfit that a man can wear too, but here I didn’t prepare anything else other than the skirt-type for girl use.”

“Can you let me work too if I wear that…”

“…That’s disgusting you know.”

When Akane-senpai answered so with an expression that was holding back her laugh, Kazuki hung his head down powerlessly.

“By the way… you have got to decide the ship’s name now. What are you going to name this ship?”

Akane-senpai asked Kazuki the owner.

“It’s Cool Beauty Akane.” Kazuki who was ruled by despair carelessly said that.

“…Eh? Wha, what are you saying.”

“Otouto-kun-!” Kaguya-senpai shook his shoulders with a desperate face.

“I’m sorry, that’s a joke. Captain Akane, the name is Queen Kaguya please.”

“I, I got it. Like this it’s a strange name isn’t it… why is it featured Kaguya?”

“Please don’t say that it’s strange!” Kaguya-senpai said in a huff.

“…Well then once again, Queen Kaguya, leaving port!!”

Along with Akane-senpai’s declaration, the steam whistle rang out once more.

It announced their separation with Vice Chief Yamagata who was seeing them off from the wharf.

The speed of the ship increased and the scenery outside the window sped off.

Suddenly a goose flesh sensation welled up inside Kazuki and he rushed to the back window of the bridge.

The land was rapidly becoming farther. Already he couldn’t even make out the figure of the person that was standing on the wharf.

Japan was gradually becoming distant. He went away from Japan―just from that he was driven by an unknown feeling of loss and drifting feeling as if he was becoming someone that was not him.

Ten-odd years since Japan lost the diplomatic relations with foreign countries. Kazuki was raised until now with his roots firmly planted in the land called Japan without being particularly aware of the existence called a foreign country.

That everything was overturned…

He finally embarked to a [foreign country] where everything was unknown―

According to Arthur, the founder of magic that was the alchemist Basileus Basilleon left behind these words―[When all the Kings truly all present, the battlefield of the Kings will rise from the bottom of the sea].

Arthur thought that Kazuki was the last King and came to Japan, but, even with Kazuki becoming a true King, there was no unusual phenomenon that happened anywhere in the world.

Then it was the unknown continent [America] that was separated from east and west with Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean and had cut off all relation with other Magic Advanced Countries. In that land that was without a doubt a Magic Advanced Country, A King still hadn’t been born.

Right now the balance of the world was in the middle of breaking down. Loki who had his stronghold in Japan and performing guerilla war was lending his hand to China who selfishly wanted to invade Japan, and then Russia was added into that alliance.

In order to oppose China・Loki・Russia, Japan needed an ally.

Kazuki had to pull the King of America that was going to be newly born to his side.

Kazuki had to prevent Loki to pull even until the King of America to his side.

This was a journey for the sake of that.

===Part 3===

Loki didn’t think that he had failed.

But for the person in front of his eyes that was a betrayal.

Because of that he had to be cautious in his behavior.

“Oh mann, what a failure this is! Even though our side had collected two Sacred Treasures, who will ever think that we are the ones that lost eh! Even though Ikousai too had also completely mastered using Susanoo’s power flawlessly at that! This is a conclusion that even the god-sama cannot predict yeah!”

For the time being Loki would laugh hard while saying that and took a peek at the other party’s reaction.

“Fufufu…” Fu Zi also laughed.

The imperial capital of Chukadou, Beijing. They were in the magnificent palace of that city, <Shibi Palace>.

Loki was invited inside the extremely luxurious private room of the emperor.

“Fuhahahaha! Tis’ no problem at all, my friend! Our heart is not that small to lose our composure just from a failure of that degree! After all our heart is the heart of China!! Fuhaa―hhahahaha!!”

'''Pishi-'''…a crack entered the pure white make up of her imperial face. The excessively thick make up was split from laughing too much. The jewels and ornaments with weight several times her own body weight that decorated her whole body rang out clinking sounds '''jaran jaran'''.

If according to Loki’s aesthetic sense that saw through all of that addition, Fu Zi who had just welcomed her age of fifteen was a natural beauty even without relying on all of that makeup and jewelry. But the Emperor of Chukadou was the ultimate star that shined bright in the center of the world. Her beauty had to transcend ultimately above human’s comprehension.

And as the result of aiming at the beauty that surpassed the ultimate, the heavy makeup conducted on her imperial face was already a mask. What was attached on her body was not clothes but armor made from precious stones―no, she was a robot made from gems. The gems were arranged geometrically in accordance with the rule of divination, it could even be seen like a mandala.

Fu Zi was not a beautiful girl―her appearance was an abstract painting.

The culture of China is just incredible… Loki who was facing her thought so.

But, however―at the same time Fu Zi was also a compassionate human.

“Fuhahahah―! Gefu-! Gofun!!” Fu Zi laughed too much and choked.

“Euuu-!” Letting such hoarse voice escaped, glob of tears appeared on her eyes. She couldn’t wipe her tear or anything with her sleeves that were covered with gems, so the tears were evaporated using Pyrokinesis. For a while she leaked out painful breath of “Hi―, hi―” and then Fu Zi recovered her calmness.

“However… Loki…”

Fu Zi slowly raised her imperial face. When the smile vanished from that expression, the crack that entered the make up was naturally mending. Throughout that beautiful face that was all like a sculpted model, only the glint of her eyes were like a flame.

“…We feel a slight tedium… We won’t act narrow-mindedly like asking responsibility from you but… because of your failure now the [invasion] is far away…”

“I guess so. If we interfere even more forcefully than this, Britain and Italy will seriously come attacking. The real point will be how Germany who is acting like a third party will act then.”

―’After that was America perhaps.’ Loki added inside his heart, now that he was mentioning about important point.

“…How sluggish it is to peek at the movement of the third party or the like. Look…”

Fu Zi dignifiedly raised both her hands and thrust them in front of Loki. Small palms like maple leave peeked out from the opening of the sleeves that were sewed through with jewelries. Those palms were trembling over and over as if being poisoned by something.

“The <Dragon of Heaven’s Decree> that is residing inside us is rampaging inside… Also, our head hurts. Our skull is pressured creakingly by powerful impulse… Swallow up new land he say… rule over new people he say…”

The light that dwell inside those eyes, if Loki had to be the one to express it then he could only call it as madness.

<Dragon of Heaven’s Decree>―the Diva that the girl was contracted with was that kind of being.

It was not a god or a devil. ''It was an existence that originally shouldn’t exist inside the Taoism Mythology''.

Fu Zi when she was driven by her impulse was… dangerous.

It even made him think whether her mind that had been strained until the limit was going to pop with a snap exactly now.

Loki changed the topic of their conversation.

“But there is also a thing that we obtained see. Rather what we got was perhaps even greater. We was able to make an unshakable relationship of cooperation with Russia.”

“Is that so? …But our friend Loki, our tediousness, our headache, its unbearable.”

“Ha?”

“If you say that Ilyailiya is cooperating with us―call Ilyailiya here. It would be best for us to deal with her here and liberate Russia. That’s the best cooperation she can give. For the current us.” <ref>The us here doesn’t refer to Fu Zi and Loki, but the us here is the royal way for the emperor to refer to herself alone</ref>

“Wha… what are you saying!?”

Deal with her―kill her. Loki panicked from this reason that had transcended the dimension of a mere quick temper.

“You are saying that anywhere is fine, that you want to rule, so you are going to just kill the guy that became your ally! You do that and on top of losing Russia, after that Britain, Italia, Japan, three countries are going to attack you all at once!! Even if I can take on Japan, your load is just gonna be too heavy taking on the remaining two kings, have you ever thought of that!!?”

“You are making a single mistake in your thinking.”

Fu Zi waved one of her trembling hand. Her voice was also trembling.

“You keep making balanced calculation by considering that factors like Advanced Countries or Kings whatever in equal measures―but those factors are not equal. We… just taking on two Kings of Britain and Italia as opponents simultaneously at most, there is no way we will be the one that fall behind.”

She was going to show that she could take on Arthur and Regina simultaneously. Fu Zi was saying such things with a trembling voice.

‘That’s just a big talk’, Loki was unable to laugh it off like that.

The battle ability between Kings was not equal. The power of each Mythology was not equal.

“Watch, my figure.”

As if an overflowing power that couldn’t be held back, Fu Zi’s whole body was emitting radiant light.

The thick makeup, the countless jewels, all were reduced by the magic power. Inside the light only for an instant Fu Zi returned to her original human appearance―at once <the emperor’s Magic Dress> was formed on that body.

White skin was exposed. Even while exposing feminine beauty, both her arms that were the symbol of [strength] were covered by violet dragon scale like amethyst, horn and claws were elongating out ominously from her head and fingertips. On the other hand her chest and waist that should be hidden as an aristocrat were covered by golden garment, on her back a [halo] was shining.

Violet and yellow were once colors that were restricted by China’s royal family. …A human dragon clad in restricted color….

In order to let Loki know of that power , Fu Zi showed her transformation into her battle mode.

“So this is the Magic Dress of the <Dragon of Heaven’s Decree>… even I who am a god is overwhelmed. This is certainly a [gravity].”

Chinese Tao’s chief god <Dragon of Heaven’s Decree>―that was certainly too different in nature compared to other Divas. One factor that made Loki want to get closer to China was also because he wanted to confirm that peculiarity from up close.

China’s abyssal history―4000 years. The current population of Chukadou―was actually 1,8 billion people.

What was called as Mythology was the crystallization of the thought the people who lived in that sphere of civilization had stored. At present the people of China with the number that reached 1,8 billion human had continuously stored for 4000 years until now a colossal volume of prayer―the Sinocentrism.

Even while believing that China was exactly the center of the world, the people was constantly tormented by the reality of starvation and wars. Inside that cruel reality, the people excessively and earnestly prayed, that someday the possessor of heaven’s decree would appear in this land, build the ideal China, and brought about the ultimate equality and peace.

That torrent of prayer―turned into a savage dragon. Not a god and not even a devil, a single dragon.

This dragon completely swallowed Taoism Mythology as the superior fantasy―that was how Loki interpreted it. It was different with a normal Mythology. Compared to a normal Mythology―it was in a different league. Powerful. It was not a weak truth.

“Our suffering is the prayer of the people… there is no possible way this power will fall behind against the likes of Mythology…”

A trembling voice―however it was not a weakly trembling voice. Rather it was a voice that was trembling from the inability to hold back the overflowing power. It was by no means a big talk. Certainly the <Reborn Emperor> Fu Zi was shouldering the volume of desire that could possibly utterly defeat both Arthur and Regina at the same time.

But Fu Zi who was shouldering the Sinocentrism itself in that small body was constantly tormented by Sinocentrism desire of invasion. If the girl didn’t continuously invade, the dragon inside her would rampage madly and corner her mind into the edge of madness.

Loki utterly scorned the too powerful strength that couldn’t be restrained.

“We ain’t gonna understand how the relation between Japan and Germany is going to roll from now on. After all the Einherjar had completely acted rashly like assaulting the comrades of Hayashizaki Kazuki in Fuji’s sea of trees. But between Russia and Germany there is no obligation or resentment, a flat relationship. If you attacked Russia, then there is the possibility of German being added to the list of your enemy as the sanctions of that. You are gonna turn the whole world as your enemy.”

Suddenly, Fu Zi released a part of the power and recovered her composure.

“…Certainly putting Russia under our rule immediately is an imprudence. Then… if Russia had become our ally, it’s better to quickly attack Japan. It’s no matter even if Britain and Italia turn into our enemy, we don’t need any just cause or anything. This way of thinking is just natural isn’t it?”

“Don’t you say something of such small caliber.”

“…Are you saying that we are narrow-minded.”

“Even if you are not small but you don’t have any strong patience.”

“We are just loathing an unnecessary patience.”

A furrow of violent emotion appeared on Fu Zi’s forehead. Her eyes were blazing. But Fu Zi didn’t show short temper against Loki. She was going to listen to Loki’s story until the end. After all it was something that a person with large caliber would do.

She was just a mere girl overstretching herself.

“I’m saying that it’s just idiotic for someone so powerful like you to make a bet where the worst case is possible. Picking a fight ‘Come on, I dare you’ at Japan, Britain, and Italia where they might be waiting for you with all sorts of preparation, no matter how you gonna think about it, it’s just ain’t smart. Even if it’s you, the worst case always exists.”

“There is no such thing as the worst case. …No.”

Even while Fu Zi was denying it with her anger exposed, she immediately reconsidered.

“Certainly it’s undeniable that we don’t understand well about Arthur, Regina, or Japan’s new King. There is no doubt of the result if we are compared against a known opponent, but it’s just as you said, that [there is something unknown] means that [the worst case exists].”

“The time to attack is when you have composure while you can sense your opponent’s movement. Whether the opponent is really waiting for us with all sorts of preparation, or perhaps he is doing something else… Perhaps they are even going to America right now.”

Even Loki didn’t know about that continent’s current condition. Knowing about that place through Kazuki was also interesting.

“Mu? In the case that he is being absent than isn’t it easy to capture the country instead? Let’s go.”

“That’s why I said that it’s not certain whether that guy is really away or not. Regina returned to her country and it seemed that she opened a meaningless grand parade. On the other hand we don’t know what the hell Japan and Britain’s Kings are doing right now. We also don’t know what kind of attitude Germany is gonna take against Japan. That’s why I told you to first investigate it for the time being. After doing that we can do anything without any trouble waiting for us right?”

“There should be the former Yamato’s spies still hiding in Japan shouldn’t it? Something like what kind of action the King is currently taking should be easily known.”

“Because of the current progress those spies are in the middle of being purged, there is still some that survived but they are completely on high alert there. They cannot move. ''Those like the press want to know about the King, if they published a scoop about what is the King doing right now then that would be great, so we are right now waiting for them to do our job for us''.”

Loki laughed jokingly.

“We see… if there is only that information then we can immediately attack them but…”

‘I don’t wanna the situation become like that for now though’, Loki thought. He would also be troubled if China won overwhelmingly.

‘Don’t you guys dare to leak the information easily’, Loki prayed to the government of Japan.

“Well, those guys are also not as naïve as we thought. They are hiding their movement carefully. I thought because that country is full of peace idiots that they will even expose more about Hayashizaki Kazuki in a variety show or something y’know.”

“The King is the country’s greatest battle power. Surely the people are immensely curious about the new King, but if the King become a spectacle following the demand than it’s the same as leaking out their most important military secret. It was also a path that we once went through. We thought that Japan is still an inexperienced country, but it seems they are able to understand the importance of a King.”

Fu Zi nodded. As long as she was not driven by her madness then she was a wise girl in the first place.

“Understood. First we should grasp the movement of Japan’s new King and Arthur Basileus, isn’t that right?”

Loki nodded back, “Also, Germany’s movement too.”

In the first place Loki wanted time. Loki’s Einherjar was the weakest force among this whirlpool of power. They had obtained China and Russia as allies where they finally could steadily advance the materialization of their comrades that were Chaos Side’s Divas. Now they were in the middle of doing that.

Even so if they were going to attack, then rather than targeting Japan that had Hayashizaki Kazuki, it was more convenient to target Britain. That place was the center of magic civilization. The legacy of Basileus Basilleon was there. In other words there was the secret of the world that even Loki didn’t know there. If he could make China attack Britain and received that legacy secretly from the sideline without being discovered….

Would he be able to control however much great power in front of his eyes and moved to his own convenience then…

She was driven by madness therefore this should be simple.

By nature Fu Zi was a young wise girl therefore it was simple.

The trembling of Fu Zi’s fingers stopped―the girl’s power of will halted.

“We clearly understand the advice of you who are a friend. We are going to reflect on our imprudence that tried to walk an easy path from yielding to our internal pain. Tis’ no problem.”

“So it becomes no problem, that’s good then.”

“We like you and Kaya.”

Suddenly, Fu Zi’s expression burst open in wide grin that suited a girl her age.

While Loki was taken aback by that frank way of talking―he pitied the weight of the thing this girl shouldered.

The 4000 years fervent prayer of 1,8 billion people. When it was turned over, it was the resentment of the people toward China’s successive generations of dynasties―to the powerful people. It was only natural that the power of resentment had an aspect that brought about madness as a curse. On both shoulder of the wise girl that was still young, all of that weight was burdening her. A colossal volume…

“Kaya too said that she likes Hiroko-chan yeah.”

“Fufu… fuhaa―hhahha! Tis’ no matter!!”

Being called by her nickname Hiroko-chan, Fu Zi puffed her chest with that small body and laughed delightfully.

“Thinking back… I think I have never heard about your political philosophy. If you obtain the world in your hand, what will you who are carrying the will of the Dragon of Heaven’s Decree bring about to this world?”

“Hmm!” Fu Zi replied brightly as if she was going to reveal a valued treasure.

“Our wish is for the people’s peace. Our prayer is for the people’s equality. For all the people to be in our hands, to make all the people―into [crimson nopperabou].” <ref>Nopperabou is a mythical being with flat featureless face</ref>

===Part 4===

When Akane-senpai operated the control panel, a large table of marble gradually rose from the floor of the bridge. The bridge was transformed into a meeting room that was balanced with the feeling of liberation of the blue ocean.

Kazuki and co. encircled that round table and began the briefing.

“Regarding the voyage… even though I called it that but the majority of the distance we advance will be managed by the computer. We anticipated that when we get closer to America the GPS will be unusable, but until that point there will be no problem to confirm our position with GPS, we can still get in contact and coordinate with the home country.”

Kazuki thought “Eh?”

“We cannot use GPS when we get closer to America?”

“It’s not just limited to GPS, we also cannot take satellite pictures. All the action to find out about a foreign country using the power of technology is blocked by magic power. …You have never seen such thing in practice have you? Like the situation of a Magic Advanced Country’s city’s photograph taken using a satellite picture.”

Now that she mentioned it he had never seen it. He didn’t notice when he was not told like this, but now that she said it that was a picture that he really wanted to see. Arthur shrugged his shoulders.

“If that kind of thing is taken from the space and Japan is constantly monitoring other countries like that, the other Magic Advanced Countries will quickly declare war on Japan.”

Certainly. This was why America was said as mysterious.

“Even if we photograph a satellite picture, we won’t be able to differentiate anything other than a blur of blue magic power light. This blur of magic power light was named as [magic power cloud]. Its source is not really clear. Some people say that perhaps it’s a magic that is unconsciously manifested by the ‘exclusion against foreign countries’ mentality of the people that lives in that country. Unconsciously… or rather, perhaps I should call it… group latency consciousness.”

Magic that was exerted unconsciously or group latency consciousness―certainly he had heard before that there was that kind of thing.

Something like, because of the strong feeling of man and woman, the magic phenomenon that was unconsciously invoked made it hard to avoid pregnancy.

“Most likely the magic power cloud obstructs the GPS signal. No matter where, all kind of waves are blocked. Maybe they had confirmed the existence of satellite photos, so the cloud is put in the sky, or so we thought, but even the access through the undersea cable that connected the mainland Japan with overseas is also repelled away. Though this is only if the other country still hasn’t thoroughly destroyed the facility there.”

“We haven’t.” Arthur shook his head. “That kind of facility is still remaining in our Britain and the other Mythology countries too. After all it’s not like the instant we became a Mythology country we immediately abolished and destroyed all civilization leaving nothing behind.”

“Yes, Germany and the surrounding vassal states are also like that desu. The abolition of civilization was progressed little by little. It’s by no means that everything had already been completely abolished.”

“Now that you mentioned it, Lotte was watching Japanese anime from your sickbed right, using a DVD player.”

When he said that from recalling the information, Lotte nodded “Yes desu”.

Germany was abolishing the civilization even fiercer than Britain. Even so that Lotte could hide a DVD player in her possession where she could still use it, that meant that science civilization was still surviving there.

“The act of trying to know about other countries using the power of technology is repelled away. That’s why the countries of the world are so mysterious then.” Kazuki was convinced.

“Lessons regarding the magic power cloud is given in the second year. It’s not unreasonable that you didn’t know about it. After all, the Knight Academy gives the maximum priority of training the students until they reach the level of strength where they could participate in quests.” Liz Liza-sensei added.

“Right, we the second years knew about it. But it is really strange don’t you agree?”

Kaguya-senpai knitted her eyebrows.

“Despite it being a school that should be teaching us the right way to use power, anyway first they taught the way to use power right from the beginning and the knowledge only came later…”

“Situations where reality cannot catch up with ideals often happen.”

Arthur said a philosophic view from his position as a statesman in reality.

“Japan’s government is really able. They are very interesting. With how our country turned into a Mythology country, there are some aspects where we are a little distant from this kind of systematic way.”

“But Japan has some aspects where its perception is a little pampered.”

Shouko who was not at the table but leaning on the wall suddenly added to the conversation while gazing as if looking at somewhere far away.

“Pampered?” Kazuki asked back.

“The people of this country are still―even when they have experienced the outbreak of war with Yamato―thinking that, it’s impossible for a war to happen with a foreign country, or something aren’t they?”

“Perhaps that’s true.” Kazuki nodded while feeling the bitterness of making an excuse.

“Rather than that, I think that we have become unable to have a real feeling of the foreign countries’ existence…”

Conception’s outside―it became a blind spot. Even Kazuki in the first place didn’t have the conception of obtaining information about overseas with the power of technology.

“Anyways, we have the satellite assistance for the majority of our voyage, so rest easy.”

Akane-senpai concluded that for the time being.

“In our estimates, the fastest we can reach America is in ten days. We will stop the engine when we get closer to America and open the sail. We don’t need to worry about the sail operation because the computer will manage it, but the speed then will be dependent on the wind. That’s why the food was prepared with extra.”

“Well, just leave it to me when you cannot rely on the machine anymore.”

Shouko hit her chest loudly. Akane-senpai directed doubtful eyes to her.

“…Is it really okay, to rely on this person?”

“For the time being, I think it is okay senpai.” Kazuki took the responsibility like so.

“The Knight Order and Ryouzanpaku are maintaining the defense of Japan, but… even if there is something happen in Japan we are going to need around the same ten days to return back using this ship.”

Akane-senpai said. If something happened then surely it was because of China. But…

“I think perhaps there will be no such thing. After all, Regina returned back to her country flashily.”

Mio who sat beside him tilted her head asking “Why?”

“Even if the enemy sense that I and Arthur are not in the country, Regina would have to make an appeal that at the very least she is in the position where she can move anytime. On the surface Regina won’t cooperate with us, but perhaps even if she doesn’t come along with us to America, she is still thinking some about us.”

“…I see, there is also that kind of way of thinking.”

Arthur’s eyes opened wide and he hit his palm in realization.

“I felt betrayed in my heart thinking that she would just overlook the disturbance in the world’s balance you know. So she made that kind of flashy parade while returning to her home was actually to hold in check the enemy by saying ‘I’m right here’.”

“I wonder if you can feel relieved with a diversion just from Regina alone? After all the King of China is abnormally eager in her desire of invasion. If there is any opening then she is gonna come to take your country even with a high-handed method.”

Shouko’s expression turned sharp as if she was a different person the moment the topic about China came out.

“It’s going to be fine as long as we don’t show any opening right?”

Akane-senpai said. “There should not be anyone that knows we are departing to America. This Solomon the 2nd… no, Queen Kaguya was constructed and transported under the veil of secrecy. Kazuki and others’ action are also completely concealed.”

If this side’s absence was detected―this talk was done with such premise, but in the first place they didn’t have the intention to let the enemy detect them.

“I think it is better for you guys to have the readiness that the instant your absence is exposed they’re gonna come invading. That country is… no, that King is… someone that ain’t possible to understand what she is gonna suddenly come up with.”

Shouko said with a heavy tone.

“…Ah.” With a twitch Kazuha-senpai’s spine was trembling and she let out a small voice escape.

“Is there something wrong, Kazuha-senpai?”

“Ee,rr… about the story just now… if Kazuki’s absence got exposed, it’s going to be bad isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“E, errr… this morning, some people that looked like newspaper reporters came… they looked like they got wind of Kazuki’s stay at that hidden harbor, they were taking pictures from afar… at that time I was the lookout but…”

Kazuha-senpai’s countenance turned pale in the blink of an eye.

“I, didn’t understand the gravity of the situation so… also I didn’t know that China is going to come attacking… I thought that only confiscating their film and chasing them away might be fine…”

At that time, the ship might have been seen. Kazuha-senpai continued mentioning that.

An article could be made even without picture. If an article about this came out to the public, then China will come to invade and it would become war.

―Kazuki immediately pondered. ‘Is there any way to stop the reporters from here?’

They could make contact with the mainland, but they didn’t have any pictures of the reporters or even their names.

He couldn’t get any idea at all about a sensible way to do something about this immediately.

===Part 5===

There was a single picture in Turtle Oota’s hand.

His sworn friend Simo Heyhe Iijima rephotographed this picture of the ship that was mooring in the cove using his Thoughtography(Spirit Photography Magic). But with the memory of seeing the ship only once and Simo Heyhe’s magic skill, he could only create a hazy picture as if everything was covered with mist.

The picture couldn’t possibly become any strong evidence.

Even if he used the picture to prop up his article, it wouldn’t have any other meaning except of something in the degree of an image illustration.

―’Just this is enough. This can be made into an article.’ Turtle warped his thick lips and laughed alone.

His workplace in Tokyo that doubled as his residence―a six tatami room that was buried in trashes, laundry, and materials. Only his desktop PC that was his work tool and the equipment around it looked taken care of splendidly.

He couldn’t even collect the evidence about the information that the King was staying in the Knight Order’s lodging house at that hidden harbor. It couldn’t become anything except something like a gossip article.

But even so, he was a gossip journalist. He wouldn’t hesitate at all to write an unreliable article.

Besides, an article about the King departing overseas with a personal use ship was just too wild an idea, it would just result in the opposite and had no persuasive power at all. There shouldn’t be any human that was going to come up with such a made up story.

He would spread out ripple in the society without fail.

But now just when he was going to write the article, Turtle’s both hands stopped above the keyboard.

The world was in the middle of changing on a grand scale―such strange feeling that seemed real stuck in his head and wouldn’t go away.

‘He is doing this without looking for anything in return.’

That girl talked about the person that was the King with a serious gaze.

Not even looking for anything in return, the King went to an unknown world―departed toward the open sea that had been forgotten from the common knowledge of the people during these 15 years. It was supposed to be a journey where there was only danger awaiting.

To do such a thing without even informing the public, perhaps there was some kind of reason.

The people with old sense of values were just holding back the symbol of this current era that was the King. Such composition kept floating inside his head. Wasn’t what he was going to write an ugly composition? For him to write this article…

…No, so what if it was ugly? He was Turtle that welcomed any ugliness, wasn’t he the gossip journalist.

Information about the King would become money. That was enough as his reason.

How much credibility this article, that didn’t have even a single proof in it, could bring about, that was the only thing he needed to think about. ‘The soul of my work dwells exactly in this kind of thing. It’s fine for me, who is a worker in this field, to be a machine that just thinks about that.’

People would believe what they wanted to believe. The people were hungry for rage towards influential people. In order for someone like him to taste the real feeling that he was a virtuous human, he kept looking for an excuse to persecute evil.

That was why proof was unnecessary. As long as there was something people could just feel the sweet rage towards… they would believe anything.

Just imagine the best story. Aboard an unbelievably luxurious and extravagant cruiser ship, while being served by a lot of beautiful girls that were called Chouki(favored princess/favored mistress), the young man who was just chosen as the King was going somewhere.

What about, that there was actually a secret southern island resort that was secretly purchased by the government, that supposedly had already severed all diplomatic relations? There was no doubt that in that place where they didn’t need to worry about the public eye, a completely shameless debauchery was extravagantly, immorally, waiting for the King.

Not looking for anything in return…? No, that was wrong. That King was surely a debauched harem King.

The instant he ran his imagination wild, Turtle’s head was boiled with a sweet rage. Imaginations were surfacing in his head one after another, the hesitation vanished from his fingertips, inflammatory leading words were produced.

He was lively depicting the figure of the sworn enemy of the people that couldn’t be allowed to live under the same heaven.

Who could ever imagine that this kind of refined text could be written only from the imagination of a journalist that was full of lies.

No matter where he brought that article, it surely could be publicized in no time at all…

<noinclude>

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

{{SimpleNav}}
</noinclude>

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 10 Chapter 1

2016-01-28T10:59:31Z

Windsgrace: /* Part 2 */

==Chapter 1 – King Sailing Out==

===Part 1===

Everyone wanted to know about [Hayashizaki Kazuki]―.

Carrying a lofty mission inside their chest, a group of three people were lurking inside a forest. While being wrapped inside the chorus of the crickets and the grassy-smelling greens, they were squatting inside a thicket.

Their figures with their eyes sparkling fiercely even while avoiding people’s eye was endlessly close with that of criminals.

“Even if he is hiding inside the toilet, I’m not going to let even a hair of his ass escape and make the article for sure.”

A man wearing a worn out shirt and chino pants murmured with a low voice that sounded sticky.

His alias was <Turtle Oota>. He chased around people that were famous in society vindictively, if he didn’t see any smoke then he would fabricate the source himself, even people in the same profession called him [Information Pyromaniac] in dislike, he was a [scandal specialist journalist].

“The glimmer of my lens cross over the far away space and cut through an instant…”

Beside the Turtle, a man that was setting up an old fashioned film camera murmured.

This man’s alias was <Simo Heyhe Iijima>. With his telescope lens and magic reinforced eyesight he caught his target accurately from extraordinary distance, he then burned that perception sight into his {{furigana|Psychofilm|Magic Impression Heat Film}} like a sniper, he was a [peeping photo specialist cameraman]. <ref>Simo Hayha, a legendary Finnish marksman</ref>

“It’s in that direction see. I caught wind of information that says if Hayashizaki Kazuki is staying in that lodging house.”

The one who was pointing at the sea from between the trees and saying that to Turtle and Simo Heyhe was the woman that was the third person of the group.

The woman’s alias was <Anal Kirishima>. She retired from the Knight Order due to a mental injury from her battle against the Demon Beasts, besides using her experience for military analyst activity, she also sold the Knight Order’s secret information to the mass media and made a killing in profit, she was a [former knight with a lax mouth].

Journalist, cameraman, informant, the group of three were hiding their body inside the national forest that spread along the coastline. There was a cove ahead of the forest. It was a calm natural harbor without any wave.

Any kind of large-type ship surly could anchor there.

“A hidden cove in the forest that is forbidden to enter… it’s completely a [hidden harbor] isn’t it?”

Turtle murmured. Anal was “Right, it’s a hidden harbor” and nodded.

“When the knight order received people and material from a foreign country, they secretly used this cove. Even if there is no diplomacy, we are still rarely exchanging things with the outside. This is made a secret from the people by them.”

Anal once again leaked out an important secret of the Knight Order.

Talking about the recent happenings, the Einherjar―Beatrix and her team that came to Japan for the sake of temporary cooperation was also entering this country from this cove with the Knight Order’s guidance.

“But why does… Hayashizaki Kazuki that just became this country’s {{furigana|King|Basileus}} and his companions had come to this kind of place, I wonder.”

Kirishima narrowed her lip. Turtle’s thick lip warped in a grin and he laughed.

“Exposing those guys is our job here. Maybe it’s a secret meeting with an important person from abroad, perhaps even a secret transaction for suspicious things from abroad that came here. By chance it’s Hayashizaki Kazuki himself that is going to a foreign country?”

After Turtle said that out loud, “No way though…” he immediately denied it himself.

Ten-odd years had passed since Japan severed diplomatic relations with all foreign countries, for the Japanese people that lived in an island country, the place beyond the sea had naturally turned into something like an alternate world for them. It was an unimaginable place that was full of the unknown.

Stepping out into the unknown world―it was unthinkable for a person who had just become a King to brave that kind of danger. He didn’t really understand in truth just what was this existence called as King, but… they were big shots right?

What a human thought of the first thing when they rose to a seat of power was [their own self-preservation]. As a journalist, the [big shots] that Turtle had observed until now were all like that.

Turtle held hatred towards influential people. When he heard that a high school student, a young boy named Hayashizaki Kazuki obtained a seat of power, that hatred of his flamed up especially fierce.

He was going to put that guy in an article and make him into his own source of income, he couldn’t help but think that reflexively.

“Well, if he is really here than anything he does is fine. If it’s material about Hayashizaki Kazuki, then any kind of article will sell at a high price. And if that happened to be a scandal than that’s just the best. If we can just get his figure having an affair with a woman in a photo then…”

The facts that were understood about Hayashizaki Kazuki were few. At best there was the graduation album from his middle school period or the interview of his schoolmates of that time, the scoop the public got was just around that much. But something like that wouldn’t satisfy the curiosity of society. Everyone wanted to know more in regards to [Hayashizaki Kazuki].

Society sought stimulation, but the Knight Order was strictly protecting that young man’s privacy.

That incurred the anger of Turtle.

What <King>. This country is a Democratic Country. The people were exactly the King, wasn’t that it?

Things that the people wanted to know had to all be reported.

If they were trying to hide information, then that was evil. To expose that was a journalist’s justice.

A single small article would blaze up society. A single small article would throw down the fame of an influential person to the ground. To be able to achieve that was exactly the happiness of a journalist.

The public would surely snap at it just like Turtle… he would exaggerate even trivial thing into something grand… he would mislead… stir up society… he was going to cause a large blaze.

Oops, he must not become only too heated up, he also had to be vigilant of the surroundings calmly.

Turtle lowered his breathing and concentrated Enchant Aura into his ear to search for sounds. The danger detection ability that he cultivated from his long journalism activity. Even in the case that the Knight Order was putting up security, Turtle had the confidence to succeed in escaping before he was discovered.

“Can you see something even from here, Simo Heyhe? Something like a strange movement of human shadow or…”

“If I don’t get a little closer… No wait… that’s! That’s!?”

Simo Heyhe that was kneeling on the wet ground and peeking into his finder passionately, aimed his shutter with raging vigor.

“What, did you find something, Simo Heyhe!?” Turtle’s voice reflexively turned loud.

“You uncles, what are you all doing in this kind of place?”

―Suddenly a voice came from behind them.

The group of three had their hairs stand on end from shock while turning back.

A girl that looked like an outdoor type with her short-cut lively hair style was tilting her head with her eyes wide open.

“Si, since when!? There were no footsteps at all!”

“I don’t sound off any footsteps after all.”

No, not only her footstep. There was not a single sound coming from the girl. Even when Turtle fully strengthened his hearing with his magic power, whether it was her heartbeat, or her blood flow, even the creak of her bones or muscles were not audible.

The membrane of magic power that faintly covered the girl’s whole body was erasing all vibrations.

It was an advanced magic technique he had never even seen before.

It was exactly a modern ninja. But a long sword was holstered on the girls’ waist, he also had seen the uniform she was wearing before. This uniform was―the uniform of the Knight Academy’s Sword Division.

“Wh, why is a student, in this kind of place”

“That’s my line you know. Eerr… this place is a state-owned land where entry is forbidden. I am a student but I received a quest for the security of this place and I am given with the rights to apprehend or forcefully expel any suspicious person.”

The girl talked with an awkward way of speaking and took out her student identification from her skirt’s pocket. [Sword Division Second Year・Tsukahara Kazuha] was written there.

No matter how her atmosphere felt like she was not used to dealing with adults, but―she had no opening.

The girl’s stance was always prepared to draw out her katana anytime. If they tried to run they would immediately get cut down.

“Thi, this child, I’m sure she is the <King>’s close associate. You know, that [Chouki(Favored Princess)].”

Kirishima who was a military analyst was trembling. She had heard that right now in the Knight Academy there were special students. The King’s close associates, several people that were Chouki… It was a phrase that was not suitable for this democratic country.

“I, I’m not one of the Chouki. …Not yet.”

A bitterness ran through the expression of the girl named Kazuha for an instant.

“Not yet?”

The instant the three’s awareness reacted to Kazuha’s reply, all of a sudden Kazuha’s hand reached out smoothly. Her thin fingers entwined around the camera and took it from Simo Heyhe’s hands. “Ah” He leaked out a foolish voice.

It was a move that was like a wind that blew through the opening of the awareness. As if they were facing against a master of martial arts.

“Errr, so all of you are journalist? I’m confiscating the film.”

Kazuha’s expression relaxed when she understood that she was not facing dangerous opponents. She was a beautiful girl. But with a forcibly manner she pulled away the film from the camera and crushed it in her grips.

So the elite cadet of the Knight Academy was this kind of monster.

“WHY-!” Turtle turned desperate and yelled.

“Why is the King concealing himself!? The people have the right to know!”

“That’s, because even the King has privacy.”

Kazuha huffily scowled. “He is also a normal student besides being a King you know?”

“This country is a democracy! We the people cannot just go along with this just because suddenly we are told that a young boy is a King! Everyone wants to know about the King! Being a spectacle like a panda is also included among the duty of someone like a King!!”

“…Even though Loki and his comrades might still conceal themselves in this country, there is no way we can just publicized his every single action like that don’t you think. Besides even if he is called the King, he already fights without asking for any reward already, asking him to be like a panda or whatever is just too much.”

The three snorted their nose ”fun” all at once. Whether Turtle, Simo Heyhe, or Kirishima, all of these three didn’t think of anything at all except for their own profit.

A King that continued to fight without asking anything back, such thing couldn’t possibly be true. Besides that kind of person wouldn’t become an interesting article. He undoubtedly had a hidden side. They came here fishing for that hidden side.

“Mentioning the King… there is the rumor that every holiday he was walking around the town with a different girl each time. If you are also a girl, what do you think about that kind of thing?”

Turtle inquired expecting a bitter reaction from a fastidious girl at that age.

If this girl was hiding even a little antipathy towards the King… he was going to pull that story out of her, stir her up, until she was ablaze with fury from his prided smooth-talking. And then if he could record that, he could turn it into an article just with that. Turtle shrewdly pressed the switch of the recorder he hid inside his pocket.

“Eh? That’s… i, isn’t that just fine? There is a circumstance that can’t be helped and all. Also… he faced all of them sincerely with all that he got, those of us around him properly understand that… even me, that…”

Kazuha looked down while her cheeks reddened with a puff, she defended the King while her body was fidgeting around.

“…As I thought, this child is the King’s Chouki. She is completely making a face of a maiden in love.”

“It’s no good, seems like she is not holding even a single speck of antipathy for the King.”

Kirishima and Turtle exchanged words with each other secretly with small voices.

Those voices were clearly captured by the ears of Kazuha that had been reinforced with magic.

“…I’ll cut and kick out all of you.”

Kazuha put her hand on her katana and a threatening tone entered her voice. The three panicked while saying “Wait, waiit!”

“What are you all doing since a while ago-! All of you have no intention at all to lend your ear except for the story that you want to hear! Writing with that kind of self-important behavior is just going to create a crazy article!! With what kind of feelings do you think Kazuki became the King in that snowy mountain…!!”

Right there, a footstep that parted through the grass and came closer could be heard.

“Tsukahara Kazuha. It’s going to be the guard shift soon. Go eat some breakfast, it’s the navy curry.”

“Eh, curry straight since the morning?” Kazuha looked back to the voice.

“Nn? Who are those guys?”

The one that appeared was a small statured girl that was wearing a similar Sword Division uniform. She had the cherubic face like a kitten with her hair tied into a ponytail that resembled a cat’s tail.

“Ah, Kanae-san. These people, they are gossip reporters that want to write bad articles about Kazuki.”

Kazuha talked with an expression of anger that she was unable to clear away.

“WHHAATT?” The cherubic face of the ponytail girl underwent a complete change into that of a Hannya.

Sharp sounds rang out from the mouths of the sheath that were at their waists.

“Let’s cut them down.” “I too think so.”

Both of them faced each other and nodded.

But that act became an opening for an instant. Turtle yelled “We are escaping!!” and pulled the hands of Simo Heyhe and Anal, then they dashed away at full speed.

“Oi, they escaped.”

“It’s fine even if we don’t purposefully chase them, that kind of people. It looks like they are unrelated to Loki.”

Even though violence seriously appealed to her but Kazuha felt a hesitation, she released a deep sigh while being disgusted.

―After running back until the entrance of the forest, Turtle and the others finally noticed that they were not pursued and stopped their feet.

But they already didn’t have the mood to enter the forest once more.

“Simo Heyhe, in the end what picture did you managed to take just now?”

“A ship.”

Simo Heyhe murmured with a tone as if he had even seen a ghost.

“…An extravagant and shiny ship like the [Titanic] at the movie a long time ago was peeking out from the gap between the trees. This is the first time I saw that kind of amazing ship.”

“Amazing ship…? Is it for the King…?”

Turtle who was supposedly a man who thought of nothing else other than his own profit was taken aback.

“The King… is he seriously going outside the country? Isn’t that something amazing?”

If this was really true, then it overturned the common sense. Due to the King that ignored the danger, the relationship between Japan and the foreign country―namely the [world] was going to shake and move on a grand scale, there was no mistaking it.

This was not a scandal or anything. But…

===Part 2===

The pure white ship that was floating on the secret cove was sparkling radiantly from being bathed in the morning sun of summer.

It was as if a holy woman was bathing in cold water in the spring inside a forest.

“What do you think, Hayashizaki-kun. This is what the Knight Order gambled their dignity to construct―[Solomon the 2nd].”

Kazuki and all the others were lining up on the wharf that was sticking out from the cove. Vice Chief Yamagata puffed out his chest proudly.

Kazuki and the others were staying at the small lodging house of the Knight Order that was hidden inside the forest.

Solomon the 2nd was constructed in a certain workshop and then it was transported here during the night into this cove. And then this morning, it was making its debut in front of Kazuki and the others who just woke up.

Kazuki and co. would traverse across the sea towards the mysterious continent―<America> with this ship.

Rather than feeling shocked, Kazuki felt astonished instead.

“Should I say it’s amazing… Or perhaps I should say that it’s fine even if you didn’t go this far…”

Looking at the really wide gap compared to the first [Solomon] that time when he was infiltrating the Ise Imperial Shrine, he reflexively lost his words.

This ship was truly an [extravagant passenger ship]. But Vice Chief Yamagata was from ''the generation where traveling abroad was still done'', a generation that Kazuki couldn’t even imagine.

With the people of the country becoming unable to travel overseas, the culture called a cruise travel also went through a decline.

The very concept of [extravagant passenger ship] itself―it already didn’t exist inside Kazuki and co.’s common sense.

They couldn’t see this ship with the total length of 100 meters and total mass of 10000 tons other than a gigantic monster of the sea.

It was just too overdone. In the first place, Kazuki had a sincere and healthy poor person mentality that was fine with anything as long as it had the minimum ability. He didn’t get what need there was to make the ship until this gigantic. To say nothing of why inside this gigantic ship there was a pool, a fitness room, a movie theater, a dance ballroom, a sushi shop, and a burger joint wholly installed, he didn’t get the meaning at all.

“Is there any meaning in all of these?” ―His frank impression was all expressed in that one sentence.

“After all, now is different than when you went to Ise, you have no need to escape or hide. And above all you are different than at that time, now you are the official [King] of the country. Moreover Arthur and the others that are honored visitors from another country are going together with you to America, there is no way we can make you all ride a poor looking ship.”

“So it’s concerning the honor of Japan.”

“I know you don’t really want to be extravagant or anything, but we want to have you who is the King of this country to ride the best ship there is. That’s how it is. This is service.”

“…I really can’t calm down at all.”

“Actually I’m also thinking of doing something about that student uniform but…”

Vice Chief Yamagata made a wry face at Kazuki’s outfit.

“There’s just no way, wearing something that looks really like a king is just too much. On the other hand, I’m not at the age of wearing suits, a student uniform is the proper attire for a student, don’t you agree?”

There was no summer or winter arrangement with the uniform of the Knight Academy, but Kazuki was matching the feel of the season and took off his jacket and turned out with his light shirt appearance. Because he was the only male in the Magic Division, his shirt that was an order-made was hand-sewn with smooth alchemic threads, a definite article of rare beauty even if it was worn out of shape.

But it was undeniable that its base design was really like a student.

But before he was a King he was a student first, Kazuki thought. It didn’t mean that he really liked to study, but he had the feeling that he wouldn’t become a respectable adult if he neglected his duty as a student too much.

Kanae came close to Kazuki’s side and pulled lightly at his sleeve.

“If it’s Nii-sama then you will be fine even if you are completely naked, you are the pride of Japan no matter where you go.”

“Don’t think that everyone in the world is a brocon like you, you idiot.”

“Fufu-, but Otouto-kun is a King of Magika Stigma. You should be at the top in exposure rate too.”

Kaguya-senpai hugged his back tightly. Her thin fingers moved swiftly and unfastened the buttons of his shirt in turn from the top. “Wa, wait senpai…”

“That’s right―! I too think so―!!”

Hikaru-senpai crouched and tackled Kazuki’s legs, she then tried to pull down his trousers.

“Senpai!? Hey, senpai!”

Kazuki held his shirt with both his hands and his knee was pushing back Hikaru-senpai’s face.

Kaguya-senpai was smiling while cheering “Eei pull~, eei pull~”, Hikaru-senpai too whose face was quite roughly kneed was happily laughing “Ahaha!”

“Certainly it’s unfair that it’s only us whose appearance has a high exposure rate. I too want to see Kazuki naked.”

With a passionate gaze, Koyuki was staring at Kazuki whose clothes were in a half opened state.

“Ye, yeah, Kazuki’s naked body… as expected the charm of a warrior dwells inside the physical beauty…”

Beatrix’s cheeks were slightly reddening. She who was an Einherjar(Norse Knight) of Germany was also here in order to go together to America as the representative of the cooperation set-up between Japan and Germany.

“You are just going to approve this? Wait, stop it, don’t look at me with those hungry eyes of a predator, don’t blush on your cheeks.”

Kazuki felt a terror that was like a fear of a prey in front of a predator while holding back and fixing his shirt.

“Something like getting naked is no good. I’m going to design a King’s clothes that will bring out Kazu-nii’s coolness into prominence!”

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.10 019.jpg|thumb]]

Even Mio came butting in. Her skill in sewing shamed even a professional but…

“I’m getting anxious that you will make something sparkling that strangely looks like shoujo manga style here…”

It felt like she would make him wear a shirt made from gold and silver thread attached full of frills. He wanted frills to be attached only to maids.

…Was it really that selfish to want to wear a normal male uniform just like this?

“Kazuki-oniisan, I want you to appear like [Muscle King Sugure] desu!”

“That’s a cosplay then. Isn’t that a King of a different world already.”

Although he said that but he really wanted to listen to Lotte’s request whatever it was for her. Kazuki took that character’s cool pose while yelling a cool line of the character, “Worthless punk is not needed here…!” The eyes of the otaku Lotte and Kamimura-san were shining, even Kazuha-senpai had a heart mark flying from her while saying “I don’t really understand the meaning of the sentence but maybe it looks cool…”

“I see…” The King of Britain, Arthur, nodded.

“Please wait, what are you understanding from that exchange just now?”

Kazuki became worried about the honor of Japan but Arthur was “Hahaha” laughing largeheartedly.

“Well, it’s just as Vice Chief Yamagata said. It seems in Japan modesty is included among the virtue, but a King also has the dignity that is demanded from a King. Your retainer will be self-aware as a retainer with your king-like behavior which in turn will make them offer their allegiance even more.”

Arthur looked up at the extravagant passenger ship and nodded in satisfaction.

“It’s a beautiful ship. Once there were also famous ships in my Britain that were called The Britannia and The Queen Elizabeth. After all, Britain is a similar island nation―an oceanic country like Japan.”

“Leme too is pleased with this ship! An idiotic name like Solomon the 2nd doesn’t suit this elegant ship! Just name it as the Queen Lemegeton!!”

Leme materialized beside Kazuki and hopped up and down even though her appearance was already an adult.

“Your character is just not fitting a queen’s character. Arthur-san, don’t you feel uncomfortable riding a ship that moves using an engine?”

Kazuki became slightly worried and sneaked a look at the true feeling of Arthur who looked largehearted.

This person was also accompanying them to America. Rather, this person was the one who proposed the idea in the first place.

“Of course I don’t like it. But you have your own culture, I’m the guest here. And then thinking from the view point of your culture, I can understand that this ship is something reasonable. Though if Queen Regina also comes with us, she will surely turn angry without doubt though.”

The Magic Advanced Countries other than Japan really put their faith in their Mythology. They possessed the creed that rejected science civilization.

But it seemed the degree of that rejection was different for each Mythology. Germany and Italia were really fierce in their rejection, but Arthur‘s Britain seemed comparatively lenient.

Surely the reason why Arthur was more friendly to Kazuki compared to the other Kings was also because of that.

―On the other hand, they had no idea what would happen in America where they were going to head to.

By any chance, perhaps they were worshiping a Mythology that was even stricter in this respect.

If they flew carelessly using an airplane to that kind of place, they might be shot down by magic.

Therefore this ship. Further they were going to efficiently use engine to advance until halfway and when the land was near they would unfold the sail, this was a ship that adopted hybrid form that could also become a sailing ship.

“…An engine ship huh. I wonder if I’m better off swimming…”

Beatrix murmured with a real determination in her voice.

Kazuki caught the scruff of her neck forcefully.

“Don’t you separate from me for even a moment.” When he whispered that, Beatrix’s cheeks reddened with a puff once more.

“…I, if Kazuki said until that far then…”

“After all you are a dangerous character that I cannot take my eyes off carelessly.”

Beatrix fell down on top of the wharf in great shock. And then “Don’t you toy around with the pure heart of a war maiden!”, saying that she kicked and struggled while rolling over on the ground.

“Besides no matter how much you swim it’s impossible to cross the Pacific Ocean like that don’t you think? We are the ones who forcefully dragged you to go so you are not going against your faith at all.”

Civilization was the symbol of arrogance. But Kazuki was using cooperation as an excuse to forcefully make Beatrix board the ship, so it couldn’t be said that Beatrix was being arrogant. She was just a victim.

“This ship, was it constructed just in one week?” Kazuki turned back to Vice Chief Yamagata asking that.

They decided that they were going to America using ship one week ago.

“No, this is a small-type passenger ship of the old era that is not used anymore now that we thoroughly repaired. After all there is no time. This ship is quite small to be called as extravagant.”

“Whaaat, so this is not its maiden voyage then.”

Roshouko butted in and chuckled ‘kishishi’. The leader of the anti-China resistance organization <Ryouzanpaku>, Roshouko too also going together with them to America by Kazuki’s ''order''. She turned to Leme.

“Queen Lemegeton, it’s old y’know. Yaa―ii, old, old.”

“Gu, gunu―! What a humiliation to call a woman old!! As I thought this ship is just Solomon the 2nd!!”

Leme kicked and struggled vexedly and stamped her foot in frustration.

Beside her Beatrix was still rolling around kicking and struggling on the wharf.

Even though these girls had the appearance of beautiful lady…

One more person, Silirat who was the combat specialist of Ryouzanpaku’s leadership was also going with them. The girl with features that looked like a boy, Silirat was “Awesome shipp―!” Her eyes were honestly turning round in admiration.

'''BOOOOOOOOOOOOO-''' The steam whistle was sounding. With consideration so it wouldn’t be audible outside, its reverberation was low-key. The steam whistle made them feel the beginning of the journey.

“Yosh, the time for sailing out has come! Now, please get on aboard!! And then sweep away the darkness of the enigmatic America!!”

Vice Chief Yamagata yelled in great mood. He was a honest uncle.

The door in the flank of the pure white ship opened, from there a ramp was coming down to the wharf.

With that stair, Kazuki and the others went up with a certain stride.

“Please take care of Japan!” He looked back for the last time.

Vice Chief Yamagata was not going together with them. Just like that he saw off Kazuki and co. from the wharf.

Another person was taking the duty as the [ship captain] and that person had already been waiting for Kazuki and co. inside the ship.

The spacious and wide corridors inside the ship looked completely like a high grade hotel.

“ “Awesome―!!” “ Karin and Silirat let out their voices together and ran around like kids.

They really couldn’t think that currently they were inside an engine vehicle, it made them doubt whether they were really floating on top of the sea.

A red carpet was spread out at their feet, the mahogany wall and ceiling emitted a mature gloss, handrails of marble metal with gold blended into it were continuing ahead.

It was an overwhelming splendor but―at the same time it was also a decoration he had seen somewhere before.

“This, isn’t this ship renovated based on the image of the Witch’s Mansion-!?”

Kaguya-senpai immediately noticed and raised an excited voice. Kazuki too was thinking of completely the same thing.

Surely this was the tasteful discretion of Vice Chief Yamagata.

“Then this ship is Queen Kaguya isn’t it? Talking about the Witch’s Mansion means Kaguya-senpai after all.”

“Queen… but the King is Otouto-kun. I’m not the queen though.”

“The word Queen doesn’t only mean a female ruler of the country, it can also be used to refer to the King’s empress so it’s fine. The word queen by no means is referring to someone that is aiming for the throne.”

When Arthur pointed out, Kaguya-senpai’s expression brightened “That’s it!” and she hugged at Kazuki’s neck. “Queen Kaguya! Otouto-kun… ehehe, I’m Kazuki-kun’s wife-♪”

Kaguya-senpai was a person that had acted a lot like a big sister as a senior student council president, but she was hiding a feeling of wanting to rely on someone and getting spoiled.

Kazuki stroked gently the head of Kaguya-senpai as if treating his little sister. He had become able to do that even more naturally compared from before. Kaguya-senpai narrowed her eyes and moaned “nn~” pleasantly.

Kaguya-senpai stared at Kazuki ecstatically. Her expression told him her desire to kiss. A charming soft and full lips. For the sake of preserving the level 10 magic that could be used just once from kissing… Kazuki had never kissed Kaguya-senpai with whom he felt a bond this deep. Kazuki had never kissed with her. He really wanted to do it.

“Now that I remember, America where we are going is perhaps using English language right? Arthur-san, can you teach us English during the voyage?”

The Knight Academy―not only there but the school education of this generation’s Japanese had few classes about foreign language.

Because they lost diplomatic relations, the classes about that area decreased little by little.

Having said that, now that he thought back, not to mention the Kings that were Arthur and Regina, even Roshouko and Beatrix were really fluent in Japanese that made him feel the difference in their international awareness.

He was told that Lotte learned the Japanese language in three days using the power of Telepathy. Even though that was a prodigious act, it was possible for Kazuki and co. too to learn the fundamental speaking ability during this long voyage.

“That’s fine. Before I came to Japan I too was cramming Japanese language, but it was very useful when Mr. Yamagata became my conversation partner in practice. Putting language study into practice is the best way to learn.”

“Thank you very much. We can also spend the voyage without boredom.”

Leading his companions in groups, Kazuki headed to the bridge where the ship captain was waiting.

Even if this usual extravagant passenger ship had extravagant rooms, the inside that had never been visited by guests anymore would become coarse. But this ship, for the sake of welcoming the [King], there was no oversight at all from one end to another end. Even until the vicinity of the engine part, even until the parts that were only trivial, all of it maintained a perfect exquisiteness.

So to speak this ship was a lady so beautiful even until its intestine.

Hikaru-senpai laughed “Ahaha-“ looking like she had thought of something interesting.

“Even though Kaguya is black-hearted, but this Queen Kaguya is beautiful even on the inside eh.”

“I, I’m not black-hearted you know!?”

“Even though Kaguya fell constipated, but Queen Kaguya is clean even until inside its stomach eh.”

“My bowel movement is not that bad!!” Kaguya-senpai swung around her hands in anger.

It was hard for Kazuki to comment on that so he only moved forward while smiling wryly.

Cabins and lounge where they could watch outside were gathered at the front area that had the most beautiful scenery, there were various amusement facilities in the middle part, and the back part was filled with practical facilities that were essential for the ship to move like the engine room.

At the top level of that practical facilities, there was the bridge where they could look over everything. Advanced computers and GPS were loaded there, it was the brain where the control of all the equipment inside the ship was performed.

They ascended to the highest floor with a low volume elevator.

When the elevator door opened, the atmosphere of the top level was different with the sight until now.

This floor was not for the sake of making people feel welcomed, it was a space for the sake of designing and implementing strategy. Extravagant ornaments kept a low profile and stylish sense of cleanliness was pushed out to the forefront. The wallpaper was pure white and there was no more carpet under their feet making their footsteps reverberate with hardness.

“Even though Kaguya’s head is full with perverted things, but Queen Kaguya’s brain is…”

“That’s enough already!”

“As I thought this ship is not suitable with Kaguya so let’s name this ship Prince… no, Princess Hikaru.”

“You are secretly jealous!? No way, just no way, this ship is Queen Kaguya―!!”

Kaguya-senpai and Hikaru-senpai began to quarrel when they reached the top floor.

“Both of you, please stop your fight.” Kazuki finally mediated between the two.

“Besides it would be better without all this gorgeousness and make it more like a tough warship.”

“If it is that kind of ship, then what kind of name should we give it?” Mio asked.

“Shouldn’t it be Barbarian Beatrix then.” Kazuki gave an unserious rude reply.

“Calling it barbarian… that makes me blush.” Beatrix’s cheeks reddened with a puff.

“That’s the name of other country’s people you know!? No wait, you are blushing from that!?” Kaguya-senpai retorted.

“As I thought let’s just call it Pretty Sister Kanae from now on!”

“No, this ship should be called Forever Love Mio-Mio!”

As for Koyuki, “It’s not like I want my name to be included in this ship’s name or anything but… but this ship’s exterior is white isn’t it? Talking about white then it’s me isn’t it?” like that she kept glancing at Kazuki. Kohaku went “Even thought this is exactly the time where this one have to say some cool name and stood out but this one cannot think of anything…!”, she was holding her head. Behind her was Lotte and Kamimura-san holding hand happily singing the theme song of some old anime about the sea.

“Everyone don’t just say anything as you please.” Kazuki made a troubled face from being unable to put the situation in order.

“All of you are really getting along well, it’s so interesting.” Arthur looked fondly at them while smiling.

“Geez! It’s decided already that this ship is Queen Kaguya!”

While Kaguya-senpai was declaring so, they finally arrived at the bridge and pushed open the door.

A whole surface of ocean blue spread out in their field of vision.

Large reinforced acrylic panel was laid out around the bridge that was located in the highest place of the ship so that they could looked over the surrounding 360°, it was to the degree that they even hallucinated of almost getting hit by the wind.

From the flowing panorama, it made them feel the moving of the ship―heading toward America.

“Welcome, Kazuki.” The person waiting for them in the bridge―the captain of this ship called out to him.

“No, I wonder if it’s too impolite to call the King without honorific?”

“Akane-senpai!”

With various sailing gauges behind her, Akane-senpai was standing with an intellectual smile on her face.

She was not wearing the uniform of the Knight Order, but an invigorating white sailor uniform.

It was an outfit that wanted to impress the style of the navy, but it was complemented with a cute miniskirt.

“Also Kanon-senpai too.”

Beside Akane-senpai was a sulking Kanon-senpai that was sitting on the floor grasping her knees.

“By any chance is this ship’s captain… one of you?”

“Fufufu-, we learn all the knowledge and skill necessary for a navigation officer in this one week.”

When he looked carefully at Akane-senpai, her eyes had faint black circles around them from lack of sleep. She looked like she had been losing weight too, but the sense of fulfillment of a hard-worker was also mixed in her tone of voice.

Kazuki didn’t understand how great of exploits was that but just from watching the monitor and gauges variation lining up the bridge, he could imagine that what she had done was not so simple a thing.

But certainly for the sake of the sailing this time there was a need for someone to do that job.

“In the operation this time there was an indispensable need for an ocean specialist. But on top of going to an unknown country, we cannot bring anyone weak that will only be a hindrance. There was no one among the knights in active duty that was convenient like that. That’s why an order to ''become that'' came to me and Kanon.”

When Akane-senpai said that, Kanon-senpai who was sitting still on the floor yelled “Who can do something like that, idiott―!”

“Kanon could only finish half the course, that’s why I became the ship captain, and Kanon is the slave.”

The faces of everyone of the Witch’s Mansion were shaken from shock. The power relation dynamic of the two who were once president and vice president had been completely overturned.

“Kanon has to be absolutely obedient to the order of me and Kazuki in this ship, so if there is anything troubling you just give any order you like to her.”

“Gugii―! I am a third year here―! I’m the true super ultra student council president that is the most important in the Witch’s Mansion you know―! Why to a first year I have to―!”

“What are you saying to the King. Watch your words carefully, you are just a mere slave here.”

Akane-senpai stepped her foot on the back of Kanon-senpai who lost her temper. …She stepped on Kanon-senpai!

“Akane-senpai is so cool!”

Hikaru-senpai’s eyes shined. Both of them had the close relation as the present vice-president and the former vice-president.

“If it’s Akane-senpai it makes me want to get stepped on a little… it really makes you think like that right, Kazuki!”

“Eh, I didn’t think that, what’s with that?”

“I too want to step on Kaguya like that!” She said that with her eyes shining in sparkles.

The latent thing Hikaru-senpai hid inside her really cannot be measured huh, Kazuki thought.

“…Next, Roshouko-san, I heard that you too have the knowledge about sailing technique.”

Akane-senpai called out to Shouko that was following along in the back.

“Nn? Well, Ryouzanpaku is constantly moving between small islands using ship after all. But even though I have the knowledge as a sailor, I don’t know at all about the way to use machines like this yeah.”

“That’s fine. Charlotte, you are half-assimilated with Prometheus, so you also understand how to control this ship aren’t you?”

“Yes.” Lotte nodded obediently. “The wise man Prometheus that granted civilization can handle anything that is a machine all with his instinct. Though I don’t understand about sea or weather desu…”

“In other words if both Shouko-san and Lotte combined their strength they can become a full fledged sailor.”

When Akane-senpai said that, Lotte made a smiling face like a sunflower and rushed close to Shouko.

“Shouko-oneesan, please take care of me desu!”

“O-, what’s with you, what a cute girl huh.”

Shouko hugged Lotte’s neck roughly and stroked her head grindingly. Lotte went “Please don’t grind my head~” while laughing.

Shouko was a dangerous character whom he didn’t know what she was actually thinking inside.

…He had asked Lotte before whether she could sense Shouko’s state of mind with Telepathy. However the security of the heart of Shouko and Arthur were constantly solid, Lotte was mostly unable to sense their mind.

When someone became the top class human of another country, surely they would need to accumulate such training.

“I, Kanon, then Shouko & Charlotte will control the ship alternately in 8 hour shifts on the voyage from now on. Even though it’s called controlling the ship but most of it is done by the computer, however a human watching over it is still needed. I’ll also have everyone except Kazuki to form a duty chart and help on various works inside the ship, okay?”

Everyone replied “Yes!” all at once.

“…How about me?”

“You are the King, so just relax dignifiedly.”

Everything in front of Kazuki turned dark.

“…Don’t do any work… is that what senpai is saying…!?”

Even though he was not even tired, he was told something like don’t do any work. How could such a thing be possible?

“Senpai, that sailor uniform, is there more for our share too!? That sailor uniform is cute!”

Mio who liked western clothes immediately had her eyes brightened.

“Of course. So that we can differentiate between who are in duty and who are off duty, I’ll have everyone else wear sailor uniform too while they are working in the ship.”

“Akane-senpai, is there no sailor uniform for me…?” Kazuki said that imploringly.

“Originally sailor uniform is an outfit that a man can wear too, but here I didn’t prepare anything else other than the skirt-type for girl use.”

“Can you let me work too if I wear that…”

“…That’s disgusting you know.”

When Akane-senpai answered so with an expression that was holding back her laugh, Kazuki hung his head down powerlessly.

“By the way… you have got to decide the ship’s name now. What are you going to name this ship?”

Akane-senpai asked Kazuki the owner.

“It’s Cool Beauty Akane.” Kazuki who was ruled by despair carelessly said that.

“…Eh? Wha, what are you saying.”

“Otouto-kun-!” Kaguya-senpai shook his shoulders with a desperate face.

“I’m sorry, that’s a joke. Captain Akane, the name is Queen Kaguya please.”

“I, I got it. Like this it’s a strange name isn’t it… why is it featured Kaguya?”

“Please don’t say that it’s strange!” Kaguya-senpai said in a huff.

“…Well then once again, Queen Kaguya, leaving port!!”

Along with Akane-senpai’s declaration, the steam whistle rang out once more.

It announced their separation with Vice Chief Yamagata who was seeing them off from the wharf.

The speed of the ship increased and the scenery outside the window sped off.

Suddenly a goose flesh sensation welled up inside Kazuki and he rushed to the back window of the bridge.

The land was rapidly becoming farther. Already he couldn’t even make out the figure of the person that was standing on the wharf.

Japan was gradually becoming distant. He went away from Japan―just from that he was driven by an unknown feeling of loss and drifting feeling as if he was becoming someone that was not him.

Ten-odd years since Japan lost the diplomatic relations with foreign countries. Kazuki was raised until now with his roots firmly planted in the land called Japan without being particularly aware of the existence called a foreign country.

That everything was overturned…

He finally embarked to a [foreign country] where everything was unknown―

According to Arthur, the founder of magic that was the alchemist Basileus Basilleon left behind these words―[When all the Kings truly all present, the battlefield of the Kings will rise from the bottom of the sea].

Arthur thought that Kazuki was the last King and came to Japan, but, even with Kazuki becoming a true King, there was no unusual phenomenon that happened anywhere in the world.

Then it was the unknown continent [America] that was separated from east and west with Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean and had cut off all relation with other Magic Advanced Countries. In that land that was without a doubt a Magic Advanced Country, A King still hadn’t been born.

Right now the balance of the world was in the middle of breaking down. Loki who had his stronghold in Japan and performing guerilla war was lending his hand to China who selfishly wanted to invade Japan, and then Russia was added into that alliance.

In order to oppose China・Loki・Russia, Japan needed an ally.

Kazuki had to pull the King of America that was going to be newly born to his side.

Kazuki had to prevent Loki to pull even until the King of America to his side.

This was a journey for the sake of that.

===Part 3===

Loki didn’t think that he had failed.

But for the person in front of his eyes that was a betrayal.

Because of that he had to be cautious in his behavior.

“Oh mann, what a failure this is! Even though our side had collected two Sacred Treasures, who will ever think that we are the ones that lost eh! Even though Ikousai too had also completely mastered using Susanoo’s power flawlessly at that! This is a conclusion that even the god-sama cannot predict yeah!”

For the time being Loki would laugh hard while saying that and took a peek at the other party’s reaction.

“Fufufu…” Fu Zi also laughed.

The imperial capital of Chukadou, Beijing. They were in the magnificent palace of that city, <Shibi Palace>.

Loki was invited inside the extremely luxurious private room of the emperor.

“Fuhahahaha! Tis’ no problem at all, my friend! Our heart is not that small to lose our composure just from a failure of that degree! After all our heart is the heart of China!! Fuhaa―hhahahaha!!”

'''Pishi-'''…a crack entered the pure white make up of her imperial face. The excessively thick make up was split from laughing too much. The jewels and ornaments with weight several times her own body weight that decorated her whole body rang out clinking sounds '''jaran jaran'''.

If according to Loki’s aesthetic sense that saw through all of that addition, Fu Zi who had just welcomed her age of fifteen was a natural beauty even without relying on all of that makeup and jewelry. But the Emperor of Chukadou was the ultimate star that shined bright in the center of the world. Her beauty had to transcend ultimately above human’s comprehension.

And as the result of aiming at the beauty that surpassed the ultimate, the heavy makeup conducted on her imperial face was already a mask. What was attached on her body was not clothes but armor made from precious stones―no, she was a robot made from gems. The gems were arranged geometrically in accordance with the rule of divination, it could even be seen like a mandala.

Fu Zi was not a beautiful girl―her appearance was an abstract painting.

The culture of China is just incredible… Loki who was facing her thought so.

But, however―at the same time Fu Zi was also a compassionate human.

“Fuhahahah―! Gefu-! Gofun!!” Fu Zi laughed too much and choked.

“Euuu-!” Letting such hoarse voice escaped, glob of tears appeared on her eyes. She couldn’t wipe her tear or anything with her sleeves that were covered with gems, so the tears were evaporated using Pyrokinesis. For a while she leaked out painful breath of “Hi―, hi―” and then Fu Zi recovered her calmness.

“However… Loki…”

Fu Zi slowly raised her imperial face. When the smile vanished from that expression, the crack that entered the make up was naturally mending. Throughout that beautiful face that was all like a sculpted model, only the glint of her eyes were like a flame.

“…We feel a slight tedium… We won’t act narrow-mindedly like asking responsibility from you but… because of your failure now the [invasion] is far away…”

“I guess so. If we interfere even more forcefully than this, Britain and Italy will seriously come attacking. The real point will be how Germany who is acting like a third party will act then.”

―’After that was America perhaps.’ Loki added inside his heart, now that he was mentioning about important point.

“…How sluggish it is to peek at the movement of the third party or the like. Look…”

Fu Zi dignifiedly raised both her hands and thrust them in front of Loki. Small palms like maple leave peeked out from the opening of the sleeves that were sewed through with jewelries. Those palms were trembling over and over as if being poisoned by something.

“The <Dragon of Heaven’s Decree> that is residing inside us is rampaging inside… Also, our head hurts. Our skull is pressured creakingly by powerful impulse… Swallow up new land he say… rule over new people he say…”

The light that dwell inside those eyes, if Loki had to be the one to express it then he could only call it as madness.

<Dragon of Heaven’s Decree>―the Diva that the girl was contracted with was that kind of being.

It was not a god or a devil. ''It was an existence that originally shouldn’t exist inside the Taoism Mythology''.

Fu Zi when she was driven by her impulse was… dangerous.

It even made him think whether her mind that had been strained until the limit was going to pop with a snap exactly now.

Loki changed the topic of their conversation.

“But there is also a thing that we obtained see. Rather what we got was perhaps even greater. We was able to make an unshakable relationship of cooperation with Russia.”

“Is that so? …But our friend Loki, our tediousness, our headache, its unbearable.”

“Ha?”

“If you say that Ilyailiya is cooperating with us―call Ilyailiya here. It would be best for us to deal with her here and liberate Russia. That’s the best cooperation she can give. For the current us.” <ref>The us here doesn’t refer to Fu Zi and Loki, but the us here is the royal way for the emperor to refer to herself alone</ref>

“Wha… what are you saying!?”

Deal with her―kill her. Loki panicked from this reason that had transcended the dimension of a mere quick temper.

“You are saying that anywhere is fine, that you want to rule, so you are going to just kill the guy that became your ally! You do that and on top of losing Russia, after that Britain, Italia, Japan, three countries are going to attack you all at once!! Even if I can take on Japan, your load is just gonna be too heavy taking on the remaining two kings, have you ever thought of that!!?”

“You are making a single mistake in your thinking.”

Fu Zi waved one of her trembling hand. Her voice was also trembling.

“You keep making balanced calculation by considering that factors like Advanced Countries or Kings whatever in equal measures―but those factors are not equal. We… just taking on two Kings of Britain and Italia as opponents simultaneously at most, there is no way we will be the one that fall behind.”

She was going to show that she could take on Arthur and Regina simultaneously. Fu Zi was saying such things with a trembling voice.

‘That’s just a big talk’, Loki was unable to laugh it off like that.

The battle ability between Kings was not equal. The power of each Mythology was not equal.

“Watch, my figure.”

As if an overflowing power that couldn’t be held back, Fu Zi’s whole body was emitting radiant light.

The thick makeup, the countless jewels, all were reduced by the magic power. Inside the light only for an instant Fu Zi returned to her original human appearance―at once <the emperor’s Magic Dress> was formed on that body.

White skin was exposed. Even while exposing feminine beauty, both her arms that were the symbol of [strength] were covered by violet dragon scale like amethyst, horn and claws were elongating out ominously from her head and fingertips. On the other hand her chest and waist that should be hidden as an aristocrat were covered by golden garment, on her back a [halo] was shining.

Violet and yellow were once colors that were restricted by China’s royal family. …A human dragon clad in restricted color….

In order to let Loki know of that power , Fu Zi showed her transformation into her battle mode.

“So this is the Magic Dress of the <Dragon of Heaven’s Decree>… even I who am a god is overwhelmed. This is certainly a [gravity].”

Chinese Tao’s chief god <Dragon of Heaven’s Decree>―that was certainly too different in nature compared to other Divas. One factor that made Loki want to get closer to China was also because he wanted to confirm that peculiarity from up close.

China’s abyssal history―4000 years. The current population of Chukadou―was actually 1,8 billion people.

What was called as Mythology was the crystallization of the thought the people who lived in that sphere of civilization had stored. At present the people of China with the number that reached 1,8 billion human had continuously stored for 4000 years until now a colossal volume of prayer―the Sinocentrism.

Even while believing that China was exactly the center of the world, the people was constantly tormented by the reality of starvation and wars. Inside that cruel reality, the people excessively and earnestly prayed, that someday the possessor of heaven’s decree would appear in this land, build the ideal China, and brought about the ultimate equality and peace.

That torrent of prayer―turned into a savage dragon. Not a god and not even a devil, a single dragon.

This dragon completely swallowed Taoism Mythology as the superior fantasy―that was how Loki interpreted it. It was different with a normal Mythology. Compared to a normal Mythology―it was in a different league. Powerful. It was not a weak truth.

“Our suffering is the prayer of the people… there is no possible way this power will fall behind against the likes of Mythology…”

A trembling voice―however it was not a weakly trembling voice. Rather it was a voice that was trembling from the inability to hold back the overflowing power. It was by no means a big talk. Certainly the <Reborn Emperor> Fu Zi was shouldering the volume of desire that could possibly utterly defeat both Arthur and Regina at the same time.

But Fu Zi who was shouldering the Sinocentrism itself in that small body was constantly tormented by Sinocentrism desire of invasion. If the girl didn’t continuously invade, the dragon inside her would rampage madly and corner her mind into the edge of madness.

Loki utterly scorned the too powerful strength that couldn’t be restrained.

“We ain’t gonna understand how the relation between Japan and Germany is going to roll from now on. After all the Einherjar had completely acted rashly like assaulting the comrades of Hayashizaki Kazuki in Fuji’s sea of trees. But between Russia and Germany there is no obligation or resentment, a flat relationship. If you attacked Russia, then there is the possibility of German being added to the list of your enemy as the sanctions of that. You are gonna turn the whole world as your enemy.”

Suddenly, Fu Zi released a part of the power and recovered her composure.

“…Certainly putting Russia under our rule immediately is an imprudence. Then… if Russia had become our ally, it’s better to quickly attack Japan. It’s no matter even if Britain and Italia turn into our enemy, we don’t need any just cause or anything. This way of thinking is just natural isn’t it?”

“Don’t you say something of such small caliber.”

“…Are you saying that we are narrow-minded.”

“Even if you are not small but you don’t have any strong patience.”

“We are just loathing an unnecessary patience.”

A furrow of violent emotion appeared on Fu Zi’s forehead. Her eyes were blazing. But Fu Zi didn’t show short temper against Loki. She was going to listen to Loki’s story until the end. After all it was something that a person with large caliber would do.

She was just a mere girl overstretching herself.

“I’m saying that it’s just idiotic for someone so powerful like you to make a bet where the worst case is possible. Picking a fight ‘Come on, I dare you’ at Japan, Britain, and Italia where they might be waiting for you with all sorts of preparation, no matter how you gonna think about it, it’s just ain’t smart. Even if it’s you, the worst case always exists.”

“There is no such thing as the worst case. …No.”

Even while Fu Zi was denying it with her anger exposed, she immediately reconsidered.

“Certainly it’s undeniable that we don’t understand well about Arthur, Regina, or Japan’s new King. There is no doubt of the result if we are compared against a known opponent, but it’s just as you said, that [there is something unknown] means that [the worst case exists].”

“The time to attack is when you have composure while you can sense your opponent’s movement. Whether the opponent is really waiting for us with all sorts of preparation, or perhaps he is doing something else… Perhaps they are even going to America right now.”

Even Loki didn’t know about that continent’s current condition. Knowing about that place through Kazuki was also interesting.

“Mu? In the case that he is being absent than isn’t it easy to capture the country instead? Let’s go.”

“That’s why I said that it’s not certain whether that guy is really away or not. Regina returned to her country and it seemed that she opened a meaningless grand parade. On the other hand we don’t know what the hell Japan and Britain’s Kings are doing right now. We also don’t know what kind of attitude Germany is gonna take against Japan. That’s why I told you to first investigate it for the time being. After doing that we can do anything without any trouble waiting for us right?”

“There should be the former Yamato’s spies still hiding in Japan shouldn’t it? Something like what kind of action the King is currently taking should be easily known.”

“Because of the current progress those spies are in the middle of being purged, there is still some that survived but they are completely on high alert there. They cannot move. ''Those like the press want to know about the King, if they published a scoop about what is the King doing right now then that would be great, so we are right now waiting for them to do our job for us''.”

Loki laughed jokingly.

“We see… if there is only that information then we can immediately attack them but…”

‘I don’t wanna the situation become like that for now though’, Loki thought. He would also be troubled if China won overwhelmingly.

‘Don’t you guys dare to leak the information easily’, Loki prayed to the government of Japan.

“Well, those guys are also not as naïve as we thought. They are hiding their movement carefully. I thought because that country is full of peace idiots that they will even expose more about Hayashizaki Kazuki in a variety show or something y’know.”

“The King is the country’s greatest battle power. Surely the people are immensely curious about the new King, but if the King become a spectacle following the demand than it’s the same as leaking out their most important military secret. It was also a path that we once went through. We thought that Japan is still an inexperienced country, but it seems they are able to understand the importance of a King.”

Fu Zi nodded. As long as she was not driven by her madness then she was a wise girl in the first place.

“Understood. First we should grasp the movement of Japan’s new King and Arthur Basileus, isn’t that right?”

Loki nodded back, “Also, Germany’s movement too.”

In the first place Loki wanted time. Loki’s Einherjar was the weakest force among this whirlpool of power. They had obtained China and Russia as allies where they finally could steadily advance the materialization of their comrades that were Chaos Side’s Divas. Now they were in the middle of doing that.

Even so if they were going to attack, then rather than targeting Japan that had Hayashizaki Kazuki, it was more convenient to target Britain. That place was the center of magic civilization. The legacy of Basileus Basilleon was there. In other words there was the secret of the world that even Loki didn’t know there. If he could make China attack Britain and received that legacy secretly from the sideline without being discovered….

Would he be able to control however much great power in front of his eyes and moved to his own convenience then…

She was driven by madness therefore this should be simple.

By nature Fu Zi was a young wise girl therefore it was simple.

The trembling of Fu Zi’s fingers stopped―the girl’s power of will halted.

“We clearly understand the advice of you who are a friend. We are going to reflect on our imprudence that tried to walk an easy path from yielding to our internal pain. Tis’ no problem.”

“So it becomes no problem, that’s good then.”

“We like you and Kaya.”

Suddenly, Fu Zi’s expression burst open in wide grin that suited a girl her age.

While Loki was taken aback by that frank way of talking―he pitied the weight of the thing this girl shouldered.

The 4000 years fervent prayer of 1,8 billion people. When it was turned over, it was the resentment of the people toward China’s successive generations of dynasties―to the powerful people. It was only natural that the power of resentment had an aspect that brought about madness as a curse. On both shoulder of the wise girl that was still young, all of that weight was burdening her. A colossal volume…

“Kaya too said that she likes Hiroko-chan yeah.”

“Fufu… fuhaa―hhahha! Tis’ no matter!!”

Being called by her nickname Hiroko-chan, Fu Zi puffed her chest with that small body and laughed delightfully.

“Thinking back… I think I have never heard about your political philosophy. If you obtain the world in your hand, what will you who are carrying the will of the Dragon of Heaven’s Decree bring about to this world?”

“Hmm!” Fu Zi replied brightly as if she was going to reveal a valued treasure.

“Our wish is for the people’s peace. Our prayer is for the people’s equality. For all the people to be in our hands, to make all the people―into [crimson nopperabou].” <ref>Nopperabou is a mythical being with flat featureless face</ref>

===Part 4===

When Akane-senpai operated the control panel, a large table of marble gradually rose from the floor of the bridge. The bridge was transformed into a meeting room that was balanced with the feeling of liberation of the blue ocean.

Kazuki and co. encircled that round table and began the briefing.

“Regarding the voyage… even though I called it that but the majority of the distance we advance will be managed by the computer. We anticipated that when we get closer to America the GPS will be unusable, but until that point there will be no problem to confirm our position with GPS, we can still get in contact and coordinate with the home country.”

Kazuki thought “Eh?”

“We cannot use GPS when we get closer to America?”

“It’s not just limited to GPS, we also cannot take satellite pictures. All the action to find out about a foreign country using the power of technology is blocked by magic power. …You have never seen such thing in practice have you? Like the situation of a Magic Advanced Country’s city’s photograph taken using a satellite picture.”

Now that she mentioned it he had never seen it. He didn’t notice when he was not told like this, but now that she said it that was a picture that he really wanted to see. Arthur shrugged his shoulders.

“If that kind of thing is taken from the space and Japan is constantly monitoring other countries like that, the other Magic Advanced Countries will quickly declare war on Japan.”

Certainly. This was why America was said as mysterious.

“Even if we photograph a satellite picture, we won’t be able to differentiate anything other than a blur of blue magic power light. This blur of magic power light was named as [magic power cloud]. Its source is not really clear. Some people say that perhaps it’s a magic that is unconsciously manifested by the ‘exclusion against foreign countries’ mentality of the people that lives in that country. Unconsciously… or rather, perhaps I should call it… group latency consciousness.”

Magic that was exerted unconsciously or group latency consciousness―certainly he had heard before that there was that kind of thing.

Something like, because of the strong feeling of man and woman, the magic phenomenon that was unconsciously invoked made it hard to avoid pregnancy.

“Most likely the magic power cloud obstructs the GPS signal. No matter where, all kind of waves are blocked. Maybe they had confirmed the existence of satellite photos, so the cloud is put in the sky, or so we thought, but even the access through the undersea cable that connected the mainland Japan with overseas is also repelled away. Though this is only if the other country still hasn’t thoroughly destroyed the facility there.”

“We haven’t.” Arthur shook his head. “That kind of facility is still remaining in our Britain and the other Mythology countries too. After all it’s not like the instant we became a Mythology country we immediately abolished and destroyed all civilization leaving nothing behind.”

“Yes, Germany and the surrounding vassal states are also like that desu. The abolition of civilization was progressed little by little. It’s by no means that everything had already been completely abolished.”

“Now that you mentioned it, Lotte was watching Japanese anime from your sickbed right, using a DVD player.”

When he said that from recalling the information, Lotte nodded “Yes desu”.

Germany was abolishing the civilization even fiercer than Britain. Even so that Lotte could hide a DVD player in her possession where she could still use it, that meant that science civilization was still surviving there.

“The act of trying to know about other countries using the power of technology is repelled away. That’s why the countries of the world are so mysterious then.” Kazuki was convinced.

“Lessons regarding the magic power cloud is given in the second year. It’s not unreasonable that you didn’t know about it. After all, the Knight Academy gives the maximum priority of training the students until they reach the level of strength where they could participate in quests.” Liz Liza-sensei added.

“Right, we the second years knew about it. But it is really strange don’t you agree?”

Kaguya-senpai knitted her eyebrows.

“Despite it being a school that should be teaching us the right way to use power, anyway first they taught the way to use power right from the beginning and the knowledge only came later…”

“Situations where reality cannot catch up with ideals often happen.”

Arthur said a philosophic view from his position as a statesman in reality.

“Japan’s government is really able. They are very interesting. With how our country turned into a Mythology country, there are some aspects where we are a little distant from this kind of systematic way.”

“But Japan has some aspects where its perception is a little pampered.”

Shouko who was not at the table but leaning on the wall suddenly added to the conversation while gazing as if looking at somewhere far away.

“Pampered?” Kazuki asked back.

“The people of this country are still―even when they have experienced the outbreak of war with Yamato―thinking that, it’s impossible for a war to happen with a foreign country, or something aren’t they?”

“Perhaps that’s true.” Kazuki nodded while feeling the bitterness of making an excuse.

“Rather than that, I think that we have become unable to have a real feeling of the foreign countries’ existence…”

Conception’s outside―it became a blind spot. Even Kazuki in the first place didn’t have the conception of obtaining information about overseas with the power of technology.

“Anyways, we have the satellite assistance for the majority of our voyage, so rest easy.”

Akane-senpai concluded that for the time being.

“In our estimates, the fastest we can reach America is in ten days. We will stop the engine when we get closer to America and open the sail. We don’t need to worry about the sail operation because the computer will manage it, but the speed then will be dependent on the wind. That’s why the food was prepared with extra.”

“Well, just leave it to me when you cannot rely on the machine anymore.”

Shouko hit her chest loudly. Akane-senpai directed doubtful eyes to her.

“…Is it really okay, to rely on this person?”

“For the time being, I think it is okay senpai.” Kazuki took the responsibility like so.

“The Knight Order and Ryouzanpaku are maintaining the defense of Japan, but… even if there is something happen in Japan we are going to need around the same ten days to return back using this ship.”

Akane-senpai said. If something happened then surely it was because of China. But…

“I think perhaps there will be no such thing. After all, Regina returned back to her country flashily.”

Mio who sat beside him tilted her head asking “Why?”

“Even if the enemy sense that I and Arthur are not in the country, Regina would have to make an appeal that at the very least she is in the position where she can move anytime. On the surface Regina won’t cooperate with us, but perhaps even if she doesn’t come along with us to America, she is still thinking some about us.”

“…I see, there is also that kind of way of thinking.”

Arthur’s eyes opened wide and he hit his palm in realization.

“I felt betrayed in my heart thinking that she would just overlook the disturbance in the world’s balance you know. So she made that kind of flashy parade while returning to her home was actually to hold in check the enemy by saying ‘I’m right here’.”

“I wonder if you can feel relieved with a diversion just from Regina alone? After all the King of China is abnormally eager in her desire of invasion. If there is any opening then she is gonna come to take your country even with a high-handed method.”

Shouko’s expression turned sharp as if she was a different person the moment the topic about China came out.

“It’s going to be fine as long as we don’t show any opening right?”

Akane-senpai said. “There should not be anyone that knows we are departing to America. This Solomon the 2nd… no, Queen Kaguya was constructed and transported under the veil of secrecy. Kazuki and others’ action are also completely concealed.”

If this side’s absence was detected―this talk was done with such premise, but in the first place they didn’t have the intention to let the enemy detect them.

“I think it is better for you guys to have the readiness that the instant your absence is exposed they’re gonna come invading. That country is… no, that King is… someone that ain’t possible to understand what she is gonna suddenly come up with.”

Shouko said with a heavy tone.

“…Ah.” With a twitch Kazuha-senpai’s spine was trembling and she let out a small voice escape.

“Is there something wrong, Kazuha-senpai?”

“Ee,rr… about the story just now… if Kazuki’s absence got exposed, it’s going to be bad isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“E, errr… this morning, some people that looked like newspaper reporters came… they looked like they got wind of Kazuki’s stay at that hidden harbor, they were taking pictures from afar… at that time I was the lookout but…”

Kazuha-senpai’s countenance turned pale in the blink of an eye.

“I, didn’t understand the gravity of the situation so… also I didn’t know that China is going to come attacking… I thought that only confiscating their film and chasing them away might be fine…”

At that time, the ship might have been seen. Kazuha-senpai continued mentioning that.

An article could be made even without picture. If an article about this came out to the public, then China will come to invade and it would become war.

―Kazuki immediately pondered. ‘Is there any way to stop the reporters from here?’

They could make contact with the mainland, but they didn’t have any pictures of the reporters or even their names.

He couldn’t get any idea at all about a sensible way to do something about this immediately.

===Part 5===

There was a single picture in Turtle Oota’s hand.

His sworn friend Simo Heyhe Iijima rephotographed this picture of the ship that was mooring in the cove using his Thoughtography(Spirit Photography Magic). But with the memory of seeing the ship only once and Simo Heyhe’s magic skill, he could only create a hazy picture as if everything was covered with mist.

The picture couldn’t possibly become any strong evidence.

Even if he used the picture to prop up his article, it wouldn’t have any other meaning except of something in the degree of an image illustration.

―’Just this is enough. This can be made into an article.’ Turtle warped his thick lips and laughed alone.

His workplace in Tokyo that doubled as his residence―a six tatami room that was buried in trashes, laundry, and materials. Only his desktop PC that was his work tool and the equipment around it looked taken care of splendidly.

He couldn’t even collect the evidence about the information that the King was staying in the Knight Order’s lodging house at that hidden harbor. It couldn’t become anything except something like a gossip article.

But even so, he was a gossip journalist. He wouldn’t hesitate at all to write an unreliable article.

Besides, an article about the King departing overseas with a personal use ship was just too wild an idea, it would just result in the opposite and had no persuasive power at all. There shouldn’t be any human that was going to come up with such a made up story.

He would spread out ripple in the society without fail.

But now just when he was going to write the article, Turtle’s both hands stopped above the keyboard.

The world was in the middle of changing on a grand scale―such strange feeling that seemed real stuck in his head and wouldn’t go away.

‘He is doing this without looking for anything in return.’

That girl talked about the person that was the King with a serious gaze.

Not even looking for anything in return, the King went to an unknown world―departed toward the open sea that had been forgotten from the common knowledge of the people during these 15 years. It was supposed to be a journey where there was only danger awaiting.

To do such a thing without even informing the public, perhaps there was some kind of reason.

The people with old sense of values were just holding back the symbol of this current era that was the King. Such composition kept floating inside his head. Wasn’t what he was going to write an ugly composition? For him to write this article…

…No, so what if it was ugly? He was Turtle that welcomed any ugliness, wasn’t he the gossip journalist.

Information about the King would become money. That was enough as his reason.

How much credibility this article, that didn’t have even a single proof in it, could bring about, that was the only thing he needed to think about. ‘The soul of my work dwells exactly in this kind of thing. It’s fine for me, who is a worker in this field, to be a machine that just thinks about that.’

People would believe what they wanted to believe. The people were hungry for rage towards influential people. In order for someone like him to taste the real feeling that he was a virtuous human, he kept looking for an excuse to persecute evil.

That was why proof was unnecessary. As long as there was something people could just feel the sweet rage towards… they would believe anything.

Just imagine the best story. Aboard an unbelievably luxurious and extravagant cruiser ship, while being served by a lot of beautiful girls that were called Chouki(favored princess/favored mistress), the young man who was just chosen as the King was going somewhere.

What about, that there was actually a secret southern island resort that was secretly purchased by the government, that supposedly had already severed all diplomatic relations? There was no doubt that in that place where they didn’t need to worry about the public eye, a completely shameless debauchery was extravagantly, immorally, waiting for the King.

Not looking for anything in return…? No, that was wrong. That King was surely a debauched harem King.

The instant he ran his imagination wild, Turtle’s head was boiled with a sweet rage. Imaginations were surfacing in his head one after another, the hesitation vanished from his fingertips, inflammatory leading words were produced.

He was lively depicting the figure of the sworn enemy of the people that couldn’t be allowed to live under the same heaven.

Who could ever imagine that this kind of refined text could be written only from the imagination of a journalist that was full of lies.

No matter where he brought that article, it surely could be publicized in no time at all…

<noinclude>

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

{{SimpleNav}}
</noinclude>

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Epilogue

2016-01-27T12:25:25Z

Windsgrace: /* Part 1 */

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 3

2016-01-27T12:10:27Z

Windsgrace: /* Chapter 3 – Male and Female */

==Chapter 3 – Male and Female==

===Part 1===

“However I’m really troubled here if you don’t treasure us a little more as comrades that fought together on the same side. Even though we came to help and trying to stop those Germans from going wild, there is my comrade that just got left to die without any help and fell into magic intoxication for all that. That’s just really heartless ain’t it―. And then there is no thanks or apology at all, you guys looks like you are just completely concerned about those German bunch only, yeah―”

A rare guest was visiting the Witch’s Mansion.

That person was securing the position right in front of the Phantasmagoria where it was the easiest spot to watch the show in the living room. The person was earnestly complaining and spouting sarcasm while gulping down the served cookies and black tea.

“Mu… this cookie! I said many selfish things to that old man Yamagata and got him to feed me with various high class food, but this cookie is the tastiest I have gotten to eat until now… It looks simple somehow, but there is this good feeling that it was made courteously. It feels like a mom’s cookie. Seconds!”

That person shamelessly held out the plate that had become empty to the [server].

“Then please enjoy.”

Kazuki took the plate and placed a second helping. The one who brew the black tea was Mio, but the one that baked the cookies was Kazuki. …After hearing the word mom, there was still a complicated feeling gushing out from him.

“Hauu―…even though it’s Otouto-kun’s cookie that was baked for us… because of the sudden visitor the portion for each person decreased completely…”

Kaguya-senpai fell prostrate on the table.

The rare guest―was Ryouzanpaku’s Roshouko. From the wild jacket and denim pants that she wore, it showed her figure in civilian clothes with her skin that was burned healthily exposed, giving off the impression of her southerner origin.

She looked wild but her instinct was sharp, she was strangely proficient at bargaining―she gave off the impression that she was someone he mustn’t let his guard down against.

“Shouko-san, how can you act this freely?”

Originally she was not a person that was supposed to be left alone too much to do as she pleased. She was friendly but, she was similar to the Kings that came from the outside, a powerful warrior that was a match for a thousand. It was strange that she was monitored by the country.

“You don’t really need to worry, after all my comrade is hospitalized in Japan’s Knight Order’s facility y’know?”

Shouko-san shrugged her shoulder and answered.

“I’m not gonna do anything suspicious okay. I begged to Old man Yamagata to let me go play, if I try to do something then it’s fine for them to just kill off Silirat. It’s the opposite way of thinking.”

I’ll give you my comrade as hostage so let me do as I please―opposite way of thinking or whatever, such a shameless reason wasn’t supposed to be accepted. But he guessed that Commander Yamagata couldn’t really reject her so strongly.

Before, Silirat intervened to help Kaguya-senpai that fell into a predicament because of Germans running wild, and because the girl fell into magic intoxication from that fight, right now these girls were perfectly in the position of a good willed injured party.

By making the rampaging Germans into their common enemy, it also could become a good chance to deepen the relation between Japan and Ryouzanpaku.

But as for Kazuki―he didn’t want to turn Germany into an enemy.

First he wanted to ask the circumstances why Beatrix rampaged around like that.

As for Silirat’s action, who was going to add more injury to Eleonora whose magic power was gone, without even asking about the circumstances, although they said it was for the sake of helping Japan’s side… that was something that he couldn’t thank them for.

Due to that Japan’s attitude toward Ryouzanpaku was still in the air until Beatrix and the others woke up.

Shouko was dissatisfied with this stance that compromised with Germany rather than Ryouzanpaku who was supposed to be their comrade in standing together against Chukadou.

“So, why does Shouko-san who became free come to this place?”

“It’s Old man Yamagata’s public stage after all, so I was thinking to watch it with everyone like this. Come on, it’s beginning see. …Hyaa―, they really make a spectacle eh.”

Shouko-san amusedly pointed at the Phantasmagoria while biting at the cookie.

{Regarding the east and west war that was suddenly tied with a cease-fire agreement, the General Staff Headquarters Vice Chief Yamagata Koyata of the Knight agency opened an urgent press conference. We are now broadcasting from the Asaka garrison of the Knight Order.}

Along with the stiff voice of the announcer that was colored with nervousness, the Asaka garrison where many knights were forming a tight line there was projected in the Phantasmagoria. The avatars of Solomon 72 Pillar were floating at the back of the knights in a line. What Shouko-san called as a spectacle was surely about this rather than the knights itself.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 134.jpg|thumb]]

In the center, there was Commander Yamagata with his best serious expression.

No, should he call him General Staff Headquarters Vice Chief now? <ref>That’s damn long, I’ll just use the Vice Chief</ref>

So that the household that didn’t have the Phantasmagoria could also watch, this announcement could also be watched on flat television. It was the consideration so that this announcement could be conveyed to all the people of this country without fail.

“Leme, what’s with these avatars of the 72 Pillar?”

Kazuki asked Leme who was gulping down cookies with a vigor that didn’t lose or was inferior to Shouko.

“It’s just a show. With this the persuasiveness toward the people will increase right? Everyone of this country loves the 72 Pillar after all.”

In Japan the people were not obligated to be faithful to Divas, rather the 72 Pillar was loved like idols.

The announcement from now on was something supported by the 72 Pillar. If they appealed with that kind of setting, the way the people received it would greatly change.

“Still I wonder why it’s old man Yamagata that does this? For this kind of thing, the highest big shot… in this country it’s the Knight agency’s minister right, shouldn’t it be more logical for that guy to be the one that does this?”

Shouko-san was talking while somewhat making fun of it along with sending a sidelong glance at Kazuki. It looked like she was looking for an answer from Kazuki. He felt her nastiness that was trying to test him. Kazuki answered.

“This too might be a show. Today, what will be announced here will be more persuasive if it’s said by a person that was actually there.”

Originally Vice Chief Yamagata was the commander of Shizuoka regiment that was located in the front line of the east-west war. He fought along with Kazuki till the end and accomplished a promotion in this occasion.

Because Kazuki’s active role was not made public, in the society the achievements from the battle against Yamato were all assigned to Vice Chief Yamagata. Of course the person himself didn’t wish for that, but…

In the eye of society, he was without a doubt a hero.

{…It’s exactly as has been reported, the mediation of the other Magic Advanced Countries was the impetus behind the sudden ceasefire of the east-west war. It was a mediation on the basis of the logic of a mythological country.}

Vice Chief Yamagata got the ball of the press conference rolling with a grave tone of voice.

{Their logic disregard the historical legitimacy that we own and stated that the one that should govern this Japanese archipelago is the mythologically legitimate King―the Basileus. Because of that the dispute between our country and Yamato will be settled not by war, but by looking at who can gather the King’s symbol―the Three Sacred Treasures the fastest. Regarding this matter, I think it will make all of you the people of this country become terribly uneasy of this course of events that cannot be understood at all looking from the sense of values of our country, but this matter until the end is something for the sake of obtaining the international acknowledgment.}

Something for the sake of obtaining the international acknowledgment―in other words it was not something absolute.

They still did the Three Sacred Treasures gathering for the sake of obtaining the acknowledgment from the other countries, but if they lost in that endeavor they still wouldn’t withdraw so easily, it was that kind of thing.

If the situation is moving to the destruction of the country, we the government plan to continue our battle of resistance while telling something like international acknowledgement that they could go and eat shit. That was whatwas indirectly said here.

{Here I reported that the struggle for the Three Sacred Treasures between the two camps of Japan and Yamato had come to an end.}

The journalists that filled the interview hall were making a stir.

{With <Ame no Murakumo> in our country, and <Yasakani no Magatama> and <Yata no Kagami> in Yamato, all of the Three Sacred Treasures have been discovered and the searching has ended.}

The commotion among the journalists grew even bigger as if an earthquake was happening.

{Isn’t it one against two?} {What’s going to happen?} {There was also the legend that the magatama had low importance you know.} {How are you going to take responsibility?} {What responsibility if the country is going to disappear…}

Vice Chief Yamagata surveyed the journalists and informed more without any panic.

{The Three Sacred Treasures are divided between the two camps, so both camps are going to bet their respective Sacred Treasures and a duel will be performed by the two people that Japan and Yamato respectively have as King.}

The commotion reached its peak. …Even Kazuki swallowed his saliva nervously.

{Who is this King you talked about!?} Someone yelled that. Asaka garrison fell silent in unrest.

{The King is―a fifteen year old high school student named Hayashizaki Kazuki.}

He said it. Vice Chief Yamagata really said it.

“Oohh hoh! It’s finally really said out huh!”

Shouko-san pointed the tip of her finger at the screen and directed an amused gaze at Kazuki.

“Otouto-kun, are you okay…?

Kaguya-senpai was worrying for him. Kazuki shook his head unrelated to the strong pressure.

“It should be clearly announced officially like this. It’s different with the era of Kaa-san’s time. The connection between people and Diva has become strong. There is no need to shoulder this alone by myself and fight while understanding nothing.”

“But won’t this affect the fight later~? What are you going to do if you get cold feet and lose and this country end then~? As expected it’s hard right? This kind of thing will only become unnecessary pressure on you yeah.”

Shouko-san laughed as if to stir him up.

“Of course this will become a pressure without doubt, but I don’t think that this fight that will decide the fate of this country should be performed behind closed doors without anyone knowing. I should fight in front of the people. After all the fight this time is not for the sake of protecting the people that is only within my sight, this is a fight for the sake of protecting all the people of this country.”

“Hou…?” Shouko-san retracted her laugh and narrowed her eyes.

{Who is this young man called Hayashizaki Kazuki?}

Inside the uncomfortable silence, Vice Chief Yamagata continued his words with a powerful weight.

{He is without a doubt the strongest Magika Stigma in this country. I, who knows every single one of Japan’s knights, can affirm that.}

{But he is still a young boy right..?} {Moreover a male…?}

{He has already grown up by piling up diligent training of an old style sword art since his childhood and made a contract with a special Diva―the King of the Diva that supervises Solomon 72 Pillar. He had cultivated the skill of a sword master, moreover he possess the possibility to be able to use all the Summoning Magic of Solomon 72 Pillar. He has already obtained several dozens of magic and special abilities. Let alone being the strongest person in the Knight Order, even if he is paired against a single regiment of the Knight Order as his opponent he is able to win… while he is a human he is still a young boy that is bestowed with a power that is similar to an ultimate weapon. That is what a {{furigana|King|Basileus}} is.”

There was conviction that was not just fleeting inside those powerful words.

The figure of Vice Chief Yamagata that extolled the young boy called Hayashizaki Kazuki with conviction didn’t seem like a top brass of the Knight Order or the likes anymore. That was the figure of a [follower of Hayashizaki Kazuki].

He who was seen as a hero by the society had declared such a thing until that far.

{All of you are mistaken if you feel an apprehension whether it’s okay or not to leave such an important matter to him. If you asked why, that’s because if he didn’t fight in the first place then Yamato would have already finished invading this country. That is the reality of the battle before.}

The anxiety of the group of journalists that were in that place was gradually changing into anticipation towards the new hero that was still unseen. At the same time a solemn atmosphere that was unlike a press conference of a democratic country but more like of a religious conference of a religion country began to drift in that place. One of the journalist raised a fearful voice.

{If he wins… will this country become the possession of that youth..?}

{It won’t.} Vice Chief Yamagata declared so.

{Of those I know he is stronger than everyone, and also a person with a more upright nature than anyone. He is absolutely not someone that is going to change the thing that he loves the most by his own greed. Also in the case that he does such a thing, he will lose his power as a King… it will become something like that.}

―After that Vice Chief Yamagata announced that the duel would be performed tomorrow and ended the press conference.

The announcement was sudden, but there was already previous arrangement between the two camps and Kazuki had already been notified in advance.

The duel ground was Sekigahara.

“It seems they really made too much of this matter.”

When Kazuki unintentionally uttered that out while sitting and drinking tea, Mio stood up from her chair noisily and hugged at his neck right from the side, the tea was almost spilled.

“Isn’t all of it the truth! As expected from our Kazu-nii! Kazu-nii is magnificent!!”

Kaguya-senpai also took the opportunity to stand up.

“As expected from Otouto-kun! This Otouto-kun is raised by all of us!”

She said something like an old man of a farmer family and then hugged Kazuki from the opposite side.

The face of Kazuki who was sitting on the chair was sandwiched between the breasts of the two that were hugging him while standing.

Kazuki distorted his expression to hide his embarrassment while continuing to drink his tea.

Seeing that situation, Shouko-san too murmured “Hmmm…” while drinking her tea.

The tea time was over, so Kazuki sent Shoukou-san back.

After that, when Kazuki was washing the tea set, Kamimura-san in a jersey appearance came trotting into the kitchen. An active Kamimura-san that moved by her own instigation like this was rare.

“Kamimura-san, are you coming to give me help?”

“That’s absolutely not it. I don’t want to work degozaru.”

A wry smile reflexively appeared on Kazuki’s face hearing Kamimura-san clearly declaring that.

He thought that someone younger that needed to be looked after was cute.

Kamimura-san sat down with a plop on the nearby floor and looked up at the working Kazuki.

“Kazuki… sorry. It looks like I pushed it out to you, about becoming the King of the Japanese Mythology…”

“The bad one is Amaterasu who abandoned her work you know.”

When Kazuki carelessly back-talked like that, {Just wait right there―} the avatar of Amaterasu too was floating beside Kamimura-san.

How he was going to simultaneously become the King of Solomon along with the King of Japanese Mythology, when he thought back now it was only the natural progression of events.

“But Kazuki… after coming back from Mt. Fuji, I have the feeling that your atmosphere has changed a little.”

“Is that so? Though I don’t know it myself.”

“Somehow… you feel heavy.”

Was she saying that he was fat? Kazuki reflexively tilted his head.

Kamimura-san stood up and tightly gripped the fringe of the working Kazuki’s shirt from behind.

“Maybe you feel even more worth it to depend<ref>More dependable?</ref> on than before… I feel this awesomeness from you, that if I become a parasite to this person then he would give me support, that I can continue to live without working. It’s a NEET’s intuition.”

{I get it.} The NEET god Amaterasu was also nodding.

“But I’m thinking… I wonder whether I have made Kazuki shoulder something really heavy like this.”

“That’s not true Kamimura-san.”

Certainly, perhaps right now he had become unperturbed by everything. The heavy pressure that he thought to be really heavy before, didn’t feel like it burdened him really that much now.

Why he became like that―it wasn’t really related with Kamimura-san.

Right now he already knew that he was really loved by his mother from the bottom of her heart, and then he also knew that his mother now had already died in the true meaning.

It was nothing more than that.

===Part 2===

When Kazuki returned to his room, a paper was stuck at his door.

When he took and looked at it, it was a cutely looking pastel pink paper sealed with a heart seal, but right in the middle of it there was [Letter of Challenge] written with a bold stroke.

He wondered who was the owner of a sense that made a love expression and letter of challenge coexist together on one paper without any contradiction. When Kazuki confirmed the name of the letter’s sender, it was Kanae just as expected.

―Tonight at 10 o’clock, I will be waiting in front of the Sword’s Division Washed Blood Pond.

‘Just where in the world is this Blood Washed Pond located…’ Kazuki thought.

To purposefully prepare a cute paper yet choosing the meeting place that the other side had no way of knowing, it was a really careless mistake that really seemed like Kanae. Kazuki contacted Kazuha-senpai by phone and got taught the general location of the place, and then right at 10 o’clock after he finished tidying up the aftermath of the dinner, he finally arrived.

The garden of the Sword Division at night was dark as usual. Before, Kazuki had once proposed to install illumination here though it didn’t happen.

The place called [Blood Washed Pond] had an outrageous name that seemed to be earned because it seemed the place was often used as the duel arena for fellow students. There was an open space in front of the pond. Even though originally it was a plaza for the sake of admiring the beautiful pond, the youthful students began to use the place as a duel space.

Kanae was waiting there with her back facing the pond. The night sky was really clear without a single cloud in sight, moonlight that really matched a black cat was shining down.

“So you came, Nii-sama.”

“I didn’t know at all about this place called Blood Washed Pond, so it’s quite a trouble to arrive here you know.”

Kanae raised “Eee-!” voice and for the first time she noticed her failure, she was then pitifully all shaken up from the shock of having the wind taken out from her sail.

“So so so so, sorry Nii-sama.”

“You careless girl. And then, what’s with that letter of challenge?”

Kanae who received a fresh start from Kazuki cleared her throat with *kohon*.

“Just like the words that I wrote there… right now, in this place, please have a match with me.”

Kanae unsheathed her black katana smoothly. <Michikage>… it was Kanae’s old beloved sword that she used a long time ago.

Although these few years Kanae had been using two kodachi, in a two sword style all along until now.

Her two sword style that came from her concern of her powerlessness. For her to stop doing that meant… that she might have broken out of her shell. That should be the reason of this sudden duel.

―[Shin’iki]. The technique Kanae used in the Grand Haunted Ground that even Kazuki didn’t have any knowledge about.

What kind of technique was it, Kazuki at that time couldn’t ascertain it clearly.

“Got it.” Kazuki didn’t ask her reason and drew his sword too.

“Is it fine to start from this distance?”

Kanae asked. The distance between them was around 3 meter. The distance between them shrank really naturally due to their conversation in the middle of this darkness. It was a swordsman’s distance that was disadvantaging for chanting a spell.

“I’m not a magician. It’s fine for you to start at the timing that you like in the distance that you like.”

“Nii-sama has an important event tomorrow so… let’s do this only until a good timing to quit.”

The decisive duel was tomorrow. Some magic power could be recovered when sleeping but he couldn’t force himself here.

“That helps.”

“Well then.” The figure of the black cat melted into darkness.

He used not just his eyesight but also used his magic power perception to Foresight Kanae’s movement―behind.

The magic power’s flow conveyed to him a horizontal sweeping slash.

Evasion was impossible. Kazuki put up Ame no Murakumo vertically and blocked the attack while his body was still turning behind. The sound of steel and steel clashing scattered sparks inside the darkness.

From there the two blades entangled with each other softly, trying to break the sword stance of each other.

The disturbance at each other was equal. When they both saw that what they were doing was difficult, both of them simultaneously took distance from each other to the back.

Immediately Kanae’s figure vanished with a jump. It was similar with a reinforced Beatrix and Ikousai, a speed in the dimension where a naked eye was helpless to do anything. He had to read her movement using only the portent of the magic power.

The movement of Kanae tonight was sharper than usual.

A thrust assaulted him from diagonally behind. Kazuki drove away the tip of the sword to the side and tried to parry the attack. Kanae’s blade twisted like a snake’s head and tried to run away from that redirection. Both blades entangled with each other once more. Instant Positioning. But he couldn’t pour the concentration of his whole nerves into this battle between sword and sword.

If he couldn’t chant Summoning Magic, this fight would only become a one-sided defensive battle. The other side was superior in speed.

Saying it in reverse, as long as he could just maintain his spell chanting, he wouldn’t mind even if he got hit with one or two strikes.

However… what about Shin’iki?

Kazuki began the chant of Phoenix’s level 5 [Blazing Wings]. If he could just invoke that then it was a large scale attack magic that was impossible to evade.

Having said that, it was hard to contest Kanae equally in sword while maintaining this chanting. While advancing his chanting, Kazuki was falling little by little into the inferior position.

His posture was broken. Kazuki resolved himself to get hit. In exchange he passed the climax of the spell chanting. He switched his consciousness’s gear from the sword to his chanting and poured all his concentration onto that.

“O immortal bird that soar from dusk to dawn, please grant that wings of hope on my back…”

“Now!” At that time Kanae shouted―she had read what Kazuki was going to do.

Kanae’s movement became even more honed and accelerated with a trajectory that depicted nothing pointless in it.

It was a movement that was the only one for Kanae. And then her timing was exactly when Kazuki was welcoming the climax of his chanting. He had the feeling that some kind of unseen gears were clicking in him.

“Shin’iki!!”

While slipping into Kazuki’s bosom, leaving behind an afterimage, Kanae swung down her black katana diagonally at his shoulder. All of her movement was unified like a gust of wind. The impact of a slash ran inside Kazuki.

“For the sake of rebi……..”

The attack just now was by no means something heavy.

But blue defensive magic power was shining and the {{furigana|recoil|reflection}} from that transmitted a spark at the most vital part of the chanting that Kazuki was spinning inside his head.

Like a candle extinguished by a gust of wind―the chanting inside Kazuki’s head vanished on its own.

“…So this is Shin’iki!”

Kazuki spontaneously yelled and took a step back behind. But Kanae was fast. Foreseeing his escaping movement, she came in pursuit to attack. He couldn’t evade. But something like a minor damage was trivial.

The true identity of Shin’iki was a chanting destroyer technique. Power was unnecessary for it. It slipped a single attack at the keystone that became the chant’s most inner core with extreme sharpness and accuracy.

He was being in wonder that a human’s movement could produce such an extremely sharp blow. There was no mistaking it, that this technique was something obtained from the realization of the most optimum movement solution that was derived from Kanae’s muscles, bone structure, and every kind of factors in her body.

Slipping the ultimate sharpness inside in the ultimate timing, a miraculous technique.

The hair on Kazuki’s back stood up in cold shivers. In front of this technique, Magika Stigma were powerless.

Having said that, this was absolutely not a technique that would succeed without fail.

Just now he tried level 5 but… if he went for a low level magic with an easier chant then…

Kazuki corrected his posture and once again he clashed his sword against Kanae’s. What kind of magic should he chant from here? There was a lot of choices available for Kazuki.

Several methods to deal with the situation appeared inside Kazuki’s head. Magic that could make Kanae’s Shin’iki powerless if he invoked it in this occasion. Kazuki picked out one from the list of his magic that he thought would be the most certain.

“O stream of atmosphere, converge on this body, become the storm that reject the hated person…”

Baal’s level 3 defensive magic. He brought down the level quite far, also if a defensive magic was targeted to the caster himself, then the Targeting step would be unneeded and he could chant easier.

It was a magic that clad the whole body with an armor of wind. Moreover that wind could be manipulated according to the user’s will. In other words he would be able to disturb Kanae’s delicate swordsmanship with wind. Her perfect movement would deviate due to the wind that was impossible to calculate against, if her timing was out of place, just from that, Shin’iki would be unable to be completed anymore.

It seemed that Kanae sensed the nature of the magic that Kazuki was trying to chant from the magic power wave because her face went ‘hah’ in realization. Kanae’s concentration increased even further.

“Become the storm that reject the hated person…!”

“…Shin’iki!”

Before Kazuki’s eyes, Kanae stepped in with a speed that made her seem as if she was warping. It was a perfect movement.

Shin’iki had once more―destroyed Kazuki’s chant.

“Level 3 defensive magic is impossible-!?”

Kazuki was struck with admiration. With this the majority of Kazuki’s magic became sealed.

Kazuki barely blocked Kanae’s pursuing attack. He didn’t have any composure to bring out offense from his side.

Plan B―a magic with even more simpler chanting, that he thought would most likely be able to break down Shin’iki.

“O peerless master, make another showing from beyond the dream…”

Futsunushi no Kami’s level 2 magic, [Kenki Tensei].

It summoned a phantom of famous swordsman from the past, whose history of sword was remembered even in this era, to make them fight. Kanae wouldn’t be able to unleash Shin’iki while fighting the phantom swordsman. During the interval when Kanae wasted her time driving away the phantom swordsman, he could just chant [Storm Fort] or [Blazing Wings].

“Along with the flame of transmutation…”

Now, what would she do? Kanae who was just earnestly swinging her sword and Kazuki who was blocking that while chanting, both of their gazes entangled.

Kazuki’s spine froze in shudders. Kanae’s eyes stood out inside the darkness of the night. A strong magic power was residing inside those eyes for the sake of sensing Kazuki’s magic power, those eyes were shining with magic power light.

That blue magic power light increased in intensity and was changing color to green―and then it was changing into a golden color.

It was a phenomenon he had never seen before. He felt the shivers from witnessing something amazing.

Kanae’s figure vanished. That instant, Kazuki completely felt gears interlocking inside him. ‘No good, it’s going to get smashed’, Kazuki half gave up.

“The memory sealed inside the silver mirror……….”

“…Shin, iki-!!”

Kanae’s strained voice. Blown away magic power. Even level 2 magic was destroyed…

His Plan B… Most of level 1 magic was a simple attack magic. It wouldn’t land on Kanae.

The Summoning Magics were all sealed.

Then with pure swordsmanship…

Kazuki’s expression turned bitter. Kanae’s swordsmanship had been polished several levels higher than several months ago.

In contrast during these several months he spent all his time just for magic training.

So Kanae was this powerful if she could just force her opponent to stand in the same arena as her.

Another alternative plan, there was none. Now it was only a matter of until when Kanae’s concentration could continue, how many times she could continuously make her Shin’iki succeed against Kazuki’s magic in succession.

Finally the two laid down on the lawn while feeling a comfortable fatigue. The scent of the grass was pleasant.

After that Kazuki attempted low level magic three times. Kanae crushed all of those attempts.

In the first place it was a match that started with the promise to stop at a good place. If they gave it their all, it would affect the duel tomorrow. Inevitably, Kazuki instantaneously invoked magic with Zekorbeni and ended the match.

A magic with its potency weakened hit Kanae with a bump. The match ended with that.

That meant Kazuki as a magic swordsman was destroyed by Kanae, and Kazuki became the victor as a King.

Of course rather than the sense of fulfillment of his victory, his feeling that was extolling Kanae was stronger.

“This technique is, Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword the Second, named Shin’iki.”

Kanae who was lying down with him said melodically.

There was a technique in Hayashizaki-style that was called the dream sword. A technique that was hard to realize like fulfilling a dream. His {{furigana|father|stepfather}} created a technique called [{{furigana|Kasane|Pile{{furigana|] and handed it down to Kazuki and Kanae.

“…[Kasane] is still hard to put into practive and that’s why it’s a dream sword, but this technique is different don’t you think? Because yours can be used in the form of real battle.”

That was exactly the point that had to be praised. Kazuki too was able to understand the principle of the sword. But this time he didn’t get it how the technique could continuously succeed even against low level magic. Rather than a divine work it could be thought of as an abnormal technique already. It was just too absurd that he wanted to feel astonished more than praising it.

In the first place, those golden eyes…

“No, it absolutely cannot be used until this far in real battle. It’s because the opponent tonight is Nii-sama that it could be used until this far.”

“What?”

“It’s Nii-sama doping. Nyaa―!”

Incomprehensible. Kazuki turned his head with a roll to Kanae and asked for an explanation.

“…I wanted to show my good aspect tonight towards Nii-sama that I could display a concentration that surpasses my limit. Even I, myself, am surprised that I can do that technique successively like that. Even if I try the same thing to other opponents, it’s absolutely impossible. After all I cannot let out my full power if it’s not concerning Nii-sama.”

Kanae also rolled and turned her face at Kazuki and returned a wide smiling face like a cat.

“…What if, for example it’s concerning your life, or it’s concerning the fate of the world?”

“If there is no Nii-sama in there, surely I will not become so heated up like this. The greatest concentration that cannot be used except once in a lifetime, was used tonight, only in this moment.”

Kazuki was astonished and looked up to the sky.

“Tonight, the time where I was exchanging slashes with Nii-sama, just the two of us with determination and conviction… for Kanae it was completely like a stage of a dream. That’s why this technique, is still just a dream sword.”

Unintentionally a deep sigh escaped his mouth while looking at the moon. Just when he thought that she had mastered an absurd technique and became a monstrous swordsman, she then completely returned to the usual little sister.

“You who can let out a power even greater than your full strength because I’m the opponent… what kind of meaning does that kind of thing have? Use that kind of thing for something more, like, for the sake of world peace or something.”

“I’m fine with this. I’m different with Nii-sama… After all rather than everything in this world, I love only Nii-sama alone.”

It was the usual―stupid beloved little sister of his.

“That is why, fufufu. Nii-sama, what do you think? About Onee-chan’s strength.”

“I still admire you just like in the past you know. Rather than me or Ikousai… Kanae-neesan is exactly the strongest swordsman.”

“But even Nii-sama surely can also do that technique you know? Even Nii-sama should have continued to pursue your ideal movement until now.”

Perhaps that might be so. It was simple to imitate it if he had worked out the how and made comparison.

“If there is an instant where I cannot concede that I rapidly concentrate on something… when my adrenaline is flowing out gushingly inside my brain…”

What was needed was a concentration that saw through instantly. This technique was largely influenced by the state of mind.

Kanae tonight was concentrating to her maximum limit.

“In my case, I had to demonstrate this technique to Nii-sama no matter what tonight.”

He somehow understood. Why did Kanae look for a turning point in the relationship between them tonight…

These few days, the person called Hayashizaki Kazuki was in the process of having his essence changed dramatically.

“Nii-sama is not a successor of the Hayashizaki-style anymore. Nevertheless, there is me here so please rest easy.”

Surely Kanae wanted to say those words no matter what before the decisive duel.

“…It looks like you have confidence in it huh.”

“Yes. Please climb to a different stage Nii-sama. I will become the strongest swordsman.”

If Kanae could say so with pride, then the Hayashizaki house had no need for anything like {{furigana|a child for duty|Kazuki}} anymore.

Unneeded. That’s why…

“That’s why Nii-sama, Nii-sama is not a Nii-sama anymore. Nii-sama now is an existence that is like a Nii-sama.”

“You suddenly said out something so incomprehensible.”

“Nii-sama is not a Nii-sama… but an existence that is like a Nii-sama… a man that I love.”

He felt a sign of nimble movement like a cat from Kanae.

He felt a weight bump his stomach. On the torso of Kazuki who was lying down face up, Kanae was taking a pose of straddling him. From there she brought down her body and got her face closer to him.

“Please look at me… not as brother and sister, but as a woman.”

Kazuki softly caught the face of Kanae that was nearing him with one hand.

“…Since a long time ago, I have already been aware of you as an opposite sex you know?”

Since his puberty arrived, he had always mobilized his reasoning power in full to reject Kanae’s temptation while saying joke in his mouth even though inside he was desperately reigning himself. Now the reason to reject her had completely disappeared.

“I noticed already that Nii-sama on the inside is always throbbing fast from my every single action. Kanae is not that shameless, to keep asking to be spoiled so much like that while knowing that what I’m doing is making the other party seriously draw away instead.”

“What a wicked woman.”

While saying something like a sore loser, Kazuki accepted the face of Kanae who even now was still drawing closer.

Even inside this darkness Kanae’s lips looked extremely alluring.

“…nn-“

The lips felt extremely sweet, like strawberry milk.

Their lips admirably separated after touching only slightly.

“Nii-sama… I’m happy…”

A single male and female were connected. <ref>The kanji for male and female here and also the title is usually used for animal</ref>

“Fufufu… tonight for while… please kiss me like this the whole time.”

One more time, Kanae brought her lips closer timidly. Kazuki embraced tightly the thin waist of Kanae.

===Part 3===

The ground of the duel was at Sekigahara.

Looking from the sequence of events until now, from the geographical situation between Japan and Yamato, from the historical nuance that Sekigahara possessed, there was no place more fitting to settle the dispute other than here. <ref>Interestingly, in Japanese, the kanji for male and female can also be combined with other hiragana to mean ‘settling a dispute’</ref>

Looking back, the place where the battle between Japan and Yamato was halted because of the intrusion from China was also at Sekigahara. It could be said that right now the time that had stopped since then was moving again.

The battle between Tokugawa and Toyotomi happened far in the past, but even now Sekigahara was still a vast field. It was surrounded by fields of crops and partitioned by roads, but there was nothing blocking the view at all around them in this unduly wide field. When taking an extensive view at the stretching out mountains in the distance, the viewer would understand that this ground was a hollowed basin.

The sky of the midday was clear. In the center of Sekigahara, Kazuki and Ikousai were facing each other. Taking a few dozen meters distance from there, the east army and the west army were taking position in representation of Japan and Yamato.

The promise was a one on one fight, but there were a lot of people that would ascertain this event with their own eyes.

On the east side, everyone of the Witch’s Mansion were forming a line at the front line. After them was the top brass of the Knight Order, with Vice Chief Yamagata at the front with ten knights as their escorts. There were also the figures of Kanon-senpai and Akane-senpai.

Roshouko-san of Ryouzanpaku too was coming here, though for some reason, she was taking along her beloved horse while wearing a knight outfit. Perhaps she didn’t ride the car of the Knight Order and came here riding her horse.

“Kazuki, {{furigana|BOM-BA-YE|knock down}}♪ Kazuki, {{furigana|BOM-BA-YE|knock down}}♪” <ref>Inoki Bombaye was a wrestling event in Japan held by Antonio Inoki</ref>

Kamimura-san and Amaterasu were singing a strange cheering song.

So that they wouldn’t be a hindrance the mass media people were asked to hold back, but surely there were people that were taking pictures from a distance. There was nothing around the two that would be a hindrance.

The bunch of Yamato was lining up on the west side. Loki and the illegal magicians that were his close associates were also there. Hel’s figure was not there. He wondered if it was because she had still suffered from the serious injuries previously dealt. The Japanese Divas that were still in the Wild God state, <Susanoo Faction>, should also be here, but the figures of the Shrine Maidens couldn’t be seen.

The cavalries of the Chukadou Emperor’s Imperial Guard were not here. Kazuki was relieved about that.

In comparison the battle power of Japan’s side was more numerous.

Even in the case that they became dissatisfied about the result of the duel, this place wouldn’t fall into turmoil.

There were also three people that consisted of Arthur, Regina, and Ilyailiya, who were standing on the boundary line of east and west like judges.

Ikousai who was confronting Kazuki, was in her usual Japanese clothes carrying a katana in one hand. Yasakani no Magatama was wrapped on her left wrist while Yata no Kagami was held in her hand like a shield.

Neither a composed smile nor an exhausted look could be seen from her, just an expressionless face like a Noh mask.

Kazuki who was in his uniform was only holding Ame no Murakumo in hand as the replacement of his lost beloved sword.

Kazuki, too, didn’t feel nervous.

“Between you and me, unnecessary words are no longer needed.”

Ikousai talked with a calm tone. It was a battle that had been prepared until this far, but there was no rule at all in it. Both of them wouldn’t mind whenever the duel would start.

“I too had already grown weary of fighting you here.”

“What is left is only the conclusion.”

“I agree.”

That became the signal for the both of them.

Ikousai pointed Yata no Kagami in her hand at Kazuki.

Kazuki poured magic power into Zekorbeni that appeared on his chest.

“Illuminate the seven seas and all countries, <Yata no Kagami>! {{furigana|Fukyou Kaikon―Hika Issen|Sun Fire Single Flash}}!”

Yata no Kagami instantly polished up from bluish green color into pure white and emitted light like the sun itself.

“Mode・Veritas!”

Kazuki’s body was wrapped in Prometheus’s streamlined shaped silver dress and instantly invoked that power.

“Custom Liberion!”

Equipped with a high speed maneuver thruster system, Kazuki instantly escaped from the high temperature light that was emitted by the mirror. His defensive magic power was slightly scraped but he immediately came out from the light’s exposure range and circled to Ikousai’s back with a twirl.

He didn’t let Ikousai chant strengthening magic. There was a speed difference between them from the Custom Liberion that Kazuki wore which couldn’t be evaded even if she had predicted the attack. Kazuki kept riding on the speed and swung Ame no Murakumo.

But Ikousai met Kazuki’s attack with the minimal movement.

“Illuminate all creation, <Yata no Kagami>. Fuukyou Kaikon―Mizukagami no Tate.”

Ikousai directed the mirror that had finished radiating light at her own blind spot. Just doing that was enough for her.

Yata no Kagami enlarged and became a mirror shield.

Kazuki’s figure was reflected on the mirror shield. Thereupon the shield moved automatically and repelled the strike from Ame no Murakumo.

Auto-defense. It was a shield that automatically blocked all attack that was reflected in the mirror.

That solid defense ability was just as demonstrated previously in their battle at Fuji’s sea of trees.

…But why can she use the Sacred Treasure’s power this skillfully during this short time?

Kazuki still had yet been unable to master all of Ame no Murakumo’s power.

“Open the world boundary, <Yasakani no Magatama>! {{furigana|Kaicho Kaikon|Open String Release Sou}}―{{furigana|Kamiwatari no Mon|Gate of Divine Crossing}}!”

Yasakani no Magatama that was wrapped on Ikousai’s left hand naturally untied and floated on the air while enlarging.

Inside that giant string became a pitch black another dimension and it absorbed Ikousai.

Yasakani no Magatama shrank down in the air and vanished. Suddenly, Kazuki’s opponent disappeared.

“Is that the warp ability like the time help came for Hel!?”

Kazuki strengthened his perceptions and paid attention to his surroundings.

Ikousai’s magic power had perfectly disappeared.

No matter how fast an enemy he faced, Kazuki was able to Foresight them.

But against an enemy that was not fast but warped instead?

Magic power flipped behind Kazuki and without any time to dodge a slash was dealt to him.

While receiving an impact from the smashed magic that made him stagger forward, Kazuki swept Ame no Murakumo while turning his body.

At that time Yasakani no Magatama that was floating in the air―the entrance to another dimension had already absorbed Ikousai’s body inside and vanished.

The body of Yasakani no Magatama itself also shrank and vanished, Ame no Murakumo slashed empty air.

Ikousai disappeared again.

She was right now located in an another dimension. He couldn’t Foresight at all where she would appear next.

He couldn’t sense the magic power of another dimension or the like!

“O piling up wisdom in human history, become the armor that armored my body in several layer! Heavily, thickly, reject every brutality! Seusenhofer!!”

Kazuki prepared for the attack that he didn’t know when it would come and deployed defensive magic. He poured magic power into Zekorbeni and set up a thick armor on his whole body.

Immediately his armor was broken. He received an attack that was impossible to Foresight from behind.

By the time he turned back, Ikousai was already vanishing.

Both evasion and counterattack didn’t make it in time.

…There was no other way than to sense the magic power when she came out for even an instant faster and react.

Kazuki concentrated his mind and guarded against the magic power that he didn’t know when it would come.

―A magic power at his back once again!

Kazuki tried to escape from the slash right away.

But while he was still in an unsightly posture of frantically twisting his body, he was cut down by Ikousai.

…He didn’t make it. She was just too fast from when she appeared and then attacking.

“Hahaha, run around more! You pitiful worm!!”

Ikousai laughed scornfully while once again disappearing into another dimension.

“…So this is the power of the Sacred Treasure she has.”

He wouldn’t be able to escape if he couldn’t react more instantaneously…

If he didn’t overcome this wall then he wouldn’t be able to fight properly.

No, even if he could avoid the slash and counterattacked, there was still the auto-defense of [Mizukagami no Tate].

If he didn’t surpass that wall too, his attacks wouldn’t have any effect at all.

Warp and auto-defense. If he didn’t surpass these two walls simultaneously…

An unpleasant sweat flowed down his forehead.

“The Three Sacred Treasures each have the power of offense・defense・movement!”

She appeared at his back and slashed him once more. [Seusenhofer] became hacked to pieces and vanished.

Ikousai disappeared while leaving behind a yelling voice.

“Yata no Kagami is defense, Yasakani no Magatama is movement! Offense is Ame no Murakumo, but… if defense and movement are perfect then an opponent can be made to not do anything and get shutout completely!”

While receiving damage without any way to get out from the situation, Kazuki asked at the vanishing Ikousai.

“In this short time period, how can you become this skillful in using the Sacred Treasures?”

She appeared at Kazuki’s back once more and answered while slashing her blade.

“…That’s because I have been mostly Susanoo himself! There is no way Susanoo cannot use these Three Sacred Treasures skillfully!! Solomon King… I’m already waking up to the power as the King of Japanese Mythology!!”

Kazuki was slashed helplessly.

He couldn’t call her cowardly. Hit and run―it was a way of fighting that perfectly sealed the opponent.

“But that doesn’t mean that my offense is incomplete! Right now, part of my body is becoming Susanoo!! The herculean strength of god that is unrivaled under the sky!!”

The willowy woman clad in Japanese clothes, Ikousai was having one of her arm changing into the muscular arm of a giant. Certainly a single attack from that was heavy.

“…You are already not even Aisu Ikousai or anyone anymore huh.”

“What a foolish sore loser! I’m only using everything that I possessed skillfully!!”

Ikousai appeared and vanished many times over as if her existence itself was turning into an illusion. Only realistic and certain slashes were left behind.

“Thunder fall on my body and I obtain lightning thought and god speed… awaken the sleeping lion! Ride Lightning!”

While Kazuki kept being slashed he invoked strengthening magic for the time being so the time wasn’t wasted in vain. His physical ability was strengthened electrifyingly. Though right now there was no way he could put it to use.

“Thy rage become the happiness of the war Shrine Maiden! Answer the Kagura of soul invitation and break out storm of outcry, split the cloud and please descend here. The spirits and demons in this body! {{furigana|Chouryoku Shourai|Super Strength Invitation}}!!

Ikousai also invoked a strengthening magic. She was chanting while crossing another dimension and attacking.

“This won’t drag out any longer!”

Her strike’s heaviness increased even more. Ikousai immediately dashed once more into another dimension.

Saying it in reverse, right now Ikousai was also unable to sense the magic power on this side.

Think of a breakthrough solution. …On the contrary if Ikousai was already feeling relieved from discovering just a single winning pattern, then the breakthrough from this situation would become a chance at the same time.

There was an aspect of Ikousai that was like that. He could say confidently that she hated to doubt her victory.

In contrast, no matter how cornered he was, he still had countless magic in reserve. Without doubt there was supposed to be the correct solution among these options. He was able to believe that there was a possibility of victory no matter what kind of disadvantageous situation he was in.

‘Are you still continuing to think even at the other side of that another dimension…?’

Kazuki was slashed many times over.

But while being slashed, he was pondering.

“…O desire that lurk in the sea of heart, that hand reach out passing through the deeply sinful flesh. O incarnation of violation entangle following the desire. Desire Tentacle.”

Kazuki silently chanted a magic that he thought would likely become necessary. It was a magic he could freely manipulate that grew out tentacles from inside the ground. ―Kazuki made the produced tentacles to not break out from the ground so that it was on standby inside the earth.

Ikousai that was inside another dimension didn’t notice that he was chanting a tentacle magic. She was similar to his side that was unable to sense the magic power of the other side.

The instant Ikousai appeared in this world, she would be captured by tentacles in a surprise attack.

…It was still impossible. He still needed some more conditions. He was still unable to even evade her attack. His reaction was just too slow, surely by the tome the tentacles appeared Ikousai would be already gone.

He was slashed again. He was concentrating at his pondering, but Ikousai’s slash was by no means light. Rather, his magic power was shaved off steadily and his remaining time was rapidly shortening.

Think. What was needed was an even more sensitive sensor.

A sensor to detect the opponent’s appearance. Kazuki didn’t have that kind of magic. He had never used something like that in all of his battles until now, so Ikousai also roughly knew about that aspect of him.

But if he changed his point of view for his currently existing magic…

“Mode・Phoenix!”

Kazuki switched to Phoenix’s dress. Kazuki’s Magic Dress transformed from the silver suit to a flame armor.

“Burn to ash all that you touch… the scorching heat of rejection without any place to depend on! Self Burning!”

He poured magic power in the amount more than what was needed originally into Zekorbeni and invoked a low level magic.

A flame in the amount that was incomparable with when he was using [Self Burning] normally was completely covering Kazuki’s whole body.

Excessively large amounts of flame―he manipulated that with his will―he stretched out the flame like a net to his surrounding in a 360° angle.

For the flame to be manipulated by his will meant that the flame got across to Kazuki’s mind. This flame passed through his nerves and was close to being a part of his body.

It was hard to detect a generation of magic power in a space where there was nothing and react immediately. He would be late no matter what.

But reacting immediately when something was touching his body could be done instantly if he was watching out for it.

And then, for the sake of surpassing the two walls―he needed one more method.

Think.

Ikousai appeared―right in the middle of the net of flame.

Right there! Kazuki immediately reacted as if his body was directly hit.

“This is!?” Ikousai raised a shocked voice from being so suddenly caught inside flame.

But there was not much of damage from the flame that was spread out thin. She didn’t even pay it any heed and swung her blade.

The reaction that Kazuki immediately took was not an evasive action.

A large amount of tentacles overflowed out breaking the ground with a thunderous sound, it entangled Ikousai who was floating in the air and bound her hands and feet.

“Guh-!?” Ikousai raised an agitated voice.

Kazuki turned his body while swinging his blade.

Not at Ikousai―the blade ran through his own left wrist.

He had removed his own left hand’s defensive magic. Fresh blood scattered at the same time while he was turning back.

It was his last hand for the sake of overcoming the second wall.

Kazuki directed his left hand at Ikousai and spurted out his blood. Blood spurt was reflected on Mizukagami no Tate at Ikousai’s hand, At that moment in order to protect Ikousai from the spilled blood, Mizukagami no Tate pulled Ikousai’s arm on its own accord and defended automatically.

It was blocked. The entirety of the blood was blocked by Mizukagami no Tate.

Mizukagami no Tate was dirtied. …At this moment, Ikousai was not paying attention to that fact.

“Just tentacles on this degree!”

With the right arm that was transformed into a giant, she tore apart the tentacles with brute force before trying to cut away at the tentacles by swinging around her katana with her right arm that had obtained freedom. After all it was just tentacles from a level 2 magic. If Susanoo’s herculean strength was exerted it wouldn’t pose any challenge at all.

With a hair breadth timing Kazuki stabbed Ame no Murakumo and blocked Ikousai’s katana. The situation became a sword locking contest with him protecting the tentacles from being cut away.

Ikousai noticed how Mizukagami no Tate didn’t react and for the first time a look of impatience floated on her expression. And then she noticed―how the mirror didn’t reflect anything from being dirtied by blood.

“O august god that call the storm, please bestow thy breath on my back that is dancing under the heaven! Fuujin Kenbu!!”

Ikousai invoked reinforcement magic while locking her sword with Kazuki. It was a magic that accelerated her every single action by manipulating the wind freely.

But her objective was not acceleration, she was attempting to wipe away the blood that dirtied Mizukagami no Tate with wind.

“O stream of atmosphere, converge on this body, become the storm that reject the hated person! The eye of the typhoon is exactly my throne! Storm Fort!”

Kazuki who had read ahead that Ikousai was going to do that had also began to chant ahead and invoked the magic at the same time. It was a defensive magic that manipulated the wind freely and defended against enemy’s attack.

But his objective was not defense. He collided the wind at Ikousai’s manipulated wind from the opposite direction. He neutralized the wind that was trying to wipe away the blood and also trying to keep the blood staying on the mirror surface.

It became a double layered sword locking contest―an entanglement of blade and blade that was trying break each other’s sword stance, and also wind against wind that entangled with each other twisting and bending in various directions trying to outwit each other.

He wouldn’t let her bisect the tentacles. He wouldn’t let her wipe off the blood on the mirror.

Both of them manipulated their respective blade and wind with a do-or-die spirit. This moment was exactly the moment that Kazuki had been waiting for.

“…You {{furigana|fake King of Japanese Mythology|Susanoo}}! This is the victory of the King of Solomon’s power! Even I am already awakening to the power of my bond!”

Just a moment was enough. He drove magic power into Zekorbeni―and invoked magic instantaneously.

“O undying bird that repeated life and death, burn that body and liberate the last flame, become the sun of the surface…! Imitation Flare!!”

Level 8 magic he could invoke from his bond with Mio―between Kazuki and Ikousai who were unfolding a double layered sword locking contest, the avatar of the immortal bird was floating, it liberated all of the flame in its body and turned into a small pseudo sun. That energy of light and heat possessed directionality and it advanced in Ikousai’s direction.

The Mizukagami no Tate reflected nothing.

“UOOO…!?” Ikousai was burned entirely together with the tentacles by the colossal heat. Her defensive magic power was smashed up. The blood evaporated and the stain on Mizukagami no Tate was sticking onto the mirror even more.

While her body was ablaze Ikousai finally succeed in running away into the entrance of Yasakani no Magatama.

Kazuki maintained the flame sensor and stretched it out to his surroundings.

In order to escape from that range, Ikousai appeared far separated from the distance of sword range.

“The blessing of Susanoo o <{{furigana|the spouse of rice plant|lightning}}>, cover the surface and show the power that smash and devastate violently…Heitei Banrai!!”

She invoked a large scale attack magic at the same time with her reappearance.

It was a high speed chanting due to her possessed assimilation with Susanoo.

Dark clouds hung over the clear blue sky overhead in the blink of an eye, lightning cloud and lightning cloud clashed with each other and made it rained down lightning. It was a magic that didn’t give any place to escape even if he Foresigthed it. But―

“So you throw away yourself as a swordsman huh Ikousai! That’s pointless! Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!!”

With Ame no Murakumo, Kazuki mowed down the downpour of lightning.

With that one sweep―an invincible blade that was like a soundless wind bisected all the lightning and lightning clouds with one slash and made them all disappear. Witnessing the power of Ame no Murakumo that was finally made apparent, Ikousai’s eyes opened wide in shock.

In panic Ikousai tried to escape to another dimension.

“Mode・Merfolk!!”

But before she could do that―Kazuki instantly had Zekorbeni switched. The flame armor changed into water feather robe. He poured magic power at the same time into Zekorbeni.

“Time turn painting circle, the history is repeated inevitably, awaken the forgotten era right here… leave behind everything into inside the dream, toward the era of glacier! Ice Age!!”

Ikousai who was going to escape into Yasakani no Magatama that was floating in the air froze instantly altogether with the space. Her defensive magic power was smashed up and Ikousai’s muscle instantly stiffened.

Kazuki ran. He closed the distance in an instant and swung Ame no Murakumo at the frozen space.

“Carry the mystery in the blade crest, <Ame no Murakumo>! Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

The chill that spread out widely in all the space was compressed into the blade of Ame no Murakumo.

The blade where the compressed chill was residing―was slashed diagonally at Ikousai who was freezing in place from her shoulder.

Ikousai barely moved Susanoo’s right arm in time and blocked the attack with her katana.

A terrific impact was generated.

―It was not only a clash between blade and blade, extremely low temperature was conducted instantly through the blade, turning the metal’s crystalline structure brittle where it was going to break.

The defensive magic power of Ikousai that extended until her blade was magically trying to neutralize this cooling pulverization phenomenon. Ikousai’s defensive magic power was smashed up in large amount just in an instant.

―That {{furigana|recoil|reflection}}. From the impact of an enormous smashed magic, the body of Ikousai who was moving her foot to another dimension was blown away. He would continue like this and end this in one go―just like in his battle with Hel.

“Tenrou Kaidan!”

Ikousai’s body, that he thought was going to collapse onto the ground just like that got up as if she was rebounding on an invisible spring and she adjusted her stance for a counterattack.

Ikousai’s original magic technique! Kazuki who aimed for a pursuing attack was taken by surprise.

Her explosive thought in regard with the unexpected situation that was happening to her―as expected, Ikousai was an excellent swordsman.

At the same time―Ikousai’s figure changed.

“Hand over more power Susanoo! In exchange… I don’t care even if you plunder me more!!”

Ikousai’s trademark Japanese clothes disintegrated into Prima Materia and transformed into a completely different jet black costume. It was exactly the same like carving the avatar of Susanoo onto her body.

Susanoo’s power of existence that was suppressed into just Ikousai’s right arm ran amok into Ikousai’s whole body. He felt vast magic power was going crazy at the inside of her skin.

Ikousai―liberated that in the shape of magic.

“O young noble of storm, set free all of that violent emotion right here!”

It was a reinforcement magic―it was also in a level that he had never seen before until now.

Kazuki was able to Foresight the invoked magic but―his body had already begun to move in a pursuing attack.

He couldn’t stop.

Kazuki accelerated using [{{furigana|Custom Liberion|Level 6}}] and [{{furigana|Ride Lightning|Level 5}}] while [{{furigana|Ice Age|Level 8}}]’s cold was compressed inside the blade of Ame no Murakumo, he unleashed a thrust with all that.

He didn’t expect Ikousai to have put her stance in order, but there shouldn’t be anything to criticize in this single attack of his.

“Residing in my body, make another showing of the tragedy of {{furigana|Takamagahara|the heavens}}!!”

While chanting reinforcement magic, Ikousai threw away Yata no Kagami and thrust out her left fist.

The katana gripped in her right hand was still repelled because of the impact from before.

In desperation she was only swinging her left arm―it was kind of like a left straight.

But the instant his blade and her fist collided, Ikousai’s unknown reinforcement magic was invoked.

It was the ultimate reinforcement magic.

“{{furigana|Bougyaku Bushin|Tyrannical God of Military Arts}}!!!!”

For an instant he hallucinated Ikousai’s left fist turn gigantic.

*KAA-* A flash of the collision between magic powers―Kazuki’s body was blown away. He received a hard blow that unbelievably overmatched his attack and hit him, Kazuki opened his eyes wide unable to believe what just happened.

Ikousai took a further step forward at the direction of the blown away Kazuki. *DOSHIN!* The earth shook. This time she raised her right hand that was holding her katana tightly―and swung it down.

He was unable to take any evasive motion or defense at all.

It was a completely dreadful slashing attack that he had never experienced personally before. The blade was pushed into his body diagonally starting from his shoulder.

[Custom Liberion] burst and scattered leaving none of its original shape behind.

His defensive magic power burst open and Kazuki’s body was blown away for many meters through Sekigahara.

…He was safe. He is still living. While lying down on the ground, Kazuki reflexively thought like that.

It was a blow that for an instant made him unable to think that he was protected by a defensive magic power.

What the hell, with that power… so that’s Susanoo’s full power!

“UAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!!”

It was not the blown away Kazuki, but Ikousai who was raising a shriek that sounded like she was completely in agony.

She was trembling clatteringly looking like she was unable to suppress what was inside her body.

But even while trembling she kicked the ground powerfully and ran at Kazuki who was lying down on the ground.

Once again, that strong sword with hard to believe power was raised up.

…It would be bad to be hit with that kind of destructive power in succession.

No, he couldn’t get hit again for even one more time with that!

With the table turned, this time it was Kazuki that was cornered. Ikousai was approaching with the speed of a raging wave.

With his thought working explosively in an instant―at that instant, Kazuki thought it fortunate that currently he was clad in [Mode・Merfolk]. Without his date with Koyuki he would get killed here.

“Moves in the Field!!”

With a prompt judgment, Kazuki pulled out the most optimum solution.

His blue feather robe shined, Kazuki froze the surrounding ground surface.

Ikousai had never seen this magic. Also Kazuki invoked the magic just too fast for Ikousai to predict that it would turn out like this, and then currently she had also lost her presence of mind. Ikousai’s foot that was treading powerfully on the ground while raising her katana overhead, slipped. All of that power turned into nothing.

“What the!?”

While falling down, even so Ikousai was still swinging down her katana in desperation. Because she did that right after flopping down, the edge of that attack didn’t reach Kazuki.

“Impossible… reach! Shiraha Kagerou!!”

The instant he thought it wouldn’t reach, with that secret technique Ikousai extended the length of her katana.

But this time Kazuki was not surprised. He had already remembered that his opponent was a swordsman in the level that could do such a thing. Taking a precise half-step back, he saw off the tips of the elongated katana passing him away with paper thin difference.

And then in a counterattack he took a step forward.

“ “UOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-!!” ” Both of them yelled at the same time.

As if scooping up the falling down Ikousai, Kazuki raised the Ame no Murakumo that was filled with a condensed cold.

Their offensive powers were mutually inflated. This time it was Ikousai who was blown away with a single strike.

“Te, Tenrou Kaidan!” Ikousai’s body that was blown away rebounded back at him.

But Kazuki didn’t swing his katana completely. He immediately reversed his blade and laid in wait, able to swing a second slash any time. The Tenrou Kaidan with its movement read was the same as if coming to offer herself to become a sandbag.

Even faster than Ikousai’s counterattack, Kazuki swung down his second slash. Her defensive magic power was pulverized. This time Ikousai didn’t use Tenrou Kaidan and turned into a somersault before rolling on the ground.

He wouldn’t allow any counterattack at all and kept beating her! Kazuki drew closer to Ikousai with Ame no Murakumo that still carried the compressed cold in it in his hand.

“Susanoo!” Ikousai yelled.

“Susanoo, give me more! Hand over more power!!”

“Stop Ikousai! You are really going to lose yourself at this rate!”

Ikousai had already reached the limit where she was just barely suppressing the power. If she continued to invite Susanoo into her any more than this, she will be consumed completely…!!

“GUAAAAAAAAAAAAA-! SUSANOOOOOOO!!”

Ikousai who was lying on the ground sprang up her whole body as if the blood flow throughout her body was boiling up, she was struggling. From her right arm that had been changed into Susanoo himself, a muddy black magic power was overflowing out and went to encroach into Ikousai’s body. In the blink of an eye the color and texture of her skin was changing. Her body was being converted into a totally different bone structure and muscle. She was becoming a male god with flawless darkish skin.

She couldn’t control it at all.

Ikousai herself let escaped a breath of dread “Hyii-!” witnessing the transformation from her neck to her lower body.

But once a Diva had been presented with a flesh body, they wouldn’t stop anymore even if their host lost their nerve. Ikousai who immediately relied on Susanoo from her fear of defeat already didn’t have any willpower left to oppose that.

Ikousai was going to vanish if it kept like this.

Altogether with her sword art’s technique that she had bet her life all this time to temper.

“Stop it Ikousai, don’t you lose that!” <ref>It’s not clear what Kazuki mean by ‘that’. The original text is also ambiguous like this</ref>

Kazuki spontaneously shouted.

He loved sword art. He had respect for someone that worked hard in swordsmanship.

Kazuki was… he had recognized Ikousai as his rival, he respected her skill, he noticed that in a sense he fell in love. <ref>The word used here in the raw is ‘Ai’ which means love without ambiguousness. First time this word is used here I think, usually they used more ambiguous words like ‘daisuki’ which can still be meant as ‘like’</ref>

He earnestly sympathized towards Ikousai’s strength, he felt respect and affection.

That Ikousai, right now, her figure that was going to completely throw herself away for the sake of her longing to become strong was something that he absolutely wouldn’t accept, no matter what.

Muster out the strength for the sake of protecting!

Kazuki’s mind tensed in that instant and he concentrated.

The body moved naturally. With a movement that didn’t have even a single futility in it he took a step forward.

…What Kanae worked out, that technique!

Finally Susanoo’s magic power completely eroded everywhere of the body below the neck and it fully covered the face of Ikousai that painted the look of terror. The last stronghold of the existence called Ikousai, when even that fell then Ikousai’s everything would be changed into the god of rage.

The timing, that would become the cornerstone of Susanoo’s encroachment.

With a motion that had been honed, Kazuki swung down Ame no Murakumo.

That was the most ultimate movement that the flesh body could possibly build. The motion was different from Hayashizaki Kanae’s optimum movement, an optimum movement solution that was only his. Added to that, with a perfect timing he finally reached it. The gears were meshing perfectly with each other.

The single strike that broke down every kind of magic phenomenon.

*DON!* Something shot off from Ikousai’s body―and vanished. The pitch black magic power that eroded Ikousai’s body was torn off, broken down, and evacuated back to Astrum.

“…Ju… just now… what kind of technique that…?”

Ikousai who was a researcher of the sword asked that as the first thing even while sprawling down.

The duel was decided. Kazuki answered while slowly pointing out the tip of his sword right before her eyes.

“Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword the Second, Shin’iki. The highest peak of Japan’s sword art, that my little sister worked out. …Recognize your defeat, Ikousai. Both as the King of Yamato, and also as a swordsman.”

===Part 4===

…Now that he remembered, his wrist hurt.

Only after this late Kazuki grimaced his face from the blood that continued to flow from his left hand.

“O dazzling beauty of fire of reincarnation, burn the surface of life and make bud the regeneration inside… Anti-Aging!”

He invoked the magic that accelerated cell renewal and restored the wound of the body.

Even with magic power yet if a human bled out in a large amount then he would die.

“…I won’t recognize it.” Ikousai squeezed out her voice while still sprawling down on the ground.

“I’m… going to stand up no matter how many times… I’ll keep challenging you.”

“If that’s what you want to do then its fine if you do that. I absolutely cannot do anything like stealing your life, so you just do as you please.”

In this case his bond with her was completely different compared to his bonds with everyone of the Witch’s Mansion, Kazuki felt something like a bond between swordsmen with her and his expression broke out into a smile.

Although before this fight he had already spouted off some abusive language about how he had grown tired already of facing her.

“But as promised, I’ll receive all of the Three Sacred Treasures now. If you say that you are going to challenge me again, you are going to be empty handed next. You’ve got to train really diligently before that won’t you?”

Kazuki plundered Yasakani no Magatama from Ikousai’s powerless hand and then picked up the thrown away Yata no Kagami. Ikousai groaned “Shit…” while being treated like that.

“You can do whatever you like about how the conclusion between us is going to be, but… the matter about Japan and Yamato is settled already.”

A sudden command rang out in Sekigahara.

“Go!”

The neigh of the horses that seemed to paint the atmosphere pitch black answered that.

From the west direction, *DO-DO-DO-* a sound of earth tremor was audible.

It was the sound of horses’ hooves coming closer. Kazuki who understood that turned back.

The pure black cavalry of the Emperor’s Imperial Guard Squad of China’s army that appeared out of nowhere was rushing all at once at Kazuki and Ikousai.

The one who gave the command was Loki.

“What are you planning!?” Kazuki yelled at the really sudden happening.

Their number was about ten horsemen. …These guys, where in the world were they coming from!? He had confirmed at the beginning, these guys shouldn’t be anywhere near here.

Ambush troops…? But there was no hiding place in this field where the visibility of the surrounding was great.

The cavalry that was on the level of having achieved the unity of horse and man was clad in magic power, they were shortening the distance in the blink of an eye.

Arthur was flustered but he still rushed to Kazuki and Ikousai, whose battle was over, in order to cover him.

“Stop! If you all don’t stop…!”

Arthur was yelling, but the cavalry was not stopping.

Arthur didn’t lose his composure and he didn’t even hesitate.

“If all of you don’t stop… draw!!”

Magic power light wrapped the stick that Arthur was holding close to his body, it transformed into an elegant knight sword with gold ornament. The Sacred Treasure that was famous in legend―Excalibur.

“壮揚兵馬(Zhuang yang bingma)!” <ref>Don’t really know how to translate this, this is said in Chinese, Zhuang=Strong/robust, yang=whipping a horse to urge it, bingma=troops and horse</ref> “杀, 杀(Sha―, sha―)!” <ref>This is like a sound people made when they are urging the horse, but the Chinese word also means ‘kill/slaughter/butcher’</ref>

The soldiers atop the horses let out words of violent atmosphere from their mouths. And then several streaks of low level attack magic flew wildly all at once at them. Completely like a wild shooting of cavalry rifles.

Kazuki too took a stance with Ame no Murakumo in hand.

“Excalibur!”

“Kusanagi no Tsurugi!”

Against the approaching bullets of flame, lightning, or ice―Kazuki and Arthur that was standing side by side swung their swords that were their proof as King at the same time. A flash of horizontal line erased the flying bullets like smoke.

After all those were attack magic to hold them back in the first place. The cavalry shrank the distance even closer.

What made Kazuki feel a chill was how the cavalry fired magic wildly regardless of Ikousai who was sprawling down right besides him.

The one who gave the order was Loki, and the one that came attacking then was the soldiers of China. These guys already didn’t pay any mind of what was going to happen to Yamato after this or the like.

“Finish off the exhausted Hayashizaki Kazuki and his comrades in this place!”

Loki yelled. “Ilyailiya! You too!!”

Loki and also the illegal magicians were rushing to their direction behind the cavalry.

“Immediately using other so roughly… No, I see, so he has that kind of ulterior motive. What a petty Diva.”

Ilyailiya who was standing beside Regina was murmuring to herself.

“Regina! You take care of Ilyailiya!!”

Arthur looked back and yelled while going to meet the attack of the cavalry unit.

“…Chih! Trying to instruct me around just for the sake of this country!! But Ilyailiya, I really can’t stomach you!!”

“Agoni Koparyof… Mec!”

“Ptéra Lonkhé!”

Ilyailiya changed one of her hand into a sliver blade that she swung down, while Regina blocked it with a thick Resist and stabbed back with her spear.

“Kazu-nii-!”

Everyone from the Witch’s Mansion that came to witness the duel with their own eyes and also the guard knights that were protecting the top brass were rushing to him all at once. But the cavalry of China would arrive at his location faster than them.

“Hayashizaki-kun. Please take Ikousai away and escape.”

Arthur worried about Kazuki’s exhaustion and said that.

“Even for you isn’t this too excessive. It’s one against ten.”

“It’s unnecessary for you to worry about me! There is no such thing as excessive or the like ahead of the path that a knight should advance on!”

Leaving those words behind, he went to intercept the approaching cavalry squad. ‘Is he serious’…Kazuki saw him off.

“Loki bastard…”

Ikousai whose whole body was damaged from inside by Susanoo was raising her upper body with difficulty.

“So he already considered me the loser from the start and cowardly prepared an ambush troop like this…!”

“No, that guy is a Diva that always prepares a situation so it will go well for him no matter what kind of result turned out.”

That guy easily discarded Yamato.

From the start he didn’t have anything he wanted to protect or the like. That was why he easily changed his attitude like that.

From the east, there was also a single horseman that rang out the sound of hooves approaching near Kazuki and Ikousai.

“Now then King, what are you going to do?”

―It was Shouko-san riding her horse.

“You knew that it would become like this didn’t you?”

Even though Shouko-san was in the position of being a witness of the duel. From the beginning she was already prepared, riding her horse here for the sake of battle.

She was grinning widely on top her horse while looking down on him. It was only her smiling face that was innocent like the sun.

“Among those Imperial Guard bunches, there is a guy that can use concealment magic that hide their appearances. The extent of its effect is ten people. Using that to become an ambush troop is those guys’ specialty. It’s just as you said, I have expected this.”

“You have that much information. Why didn’t you teach it to us?”

“I forgot to mention it.”

…This girl.

“What are you going to do now, King. If you clash with them like this… there might be some damage that comes out to your comrades in a place where your hand doesn’t reach.”

It was her usual unpleasant tone that seemed to be amused while in her position where the happening were other people’s problem.

“I have thought this from quite a while ago, putting you aside, several of your comrades are a little inadequate to seriously clash against China. Just look at that.”

From atop her horse, she pointed at the beginning of the hostilities that had opened exactly at that moment between Arthur and the ten horsemen.

Even further behind Loki and three of his close illegal magician associates were following after the cavalry. There was also the figure of that black skinned girl called Naiarlako among them.

“Those tens horsemen are chosen among the best of China’s army. I think even with Arthur as the opponent with the ten of them the battle will be more than equal y’know. Well, Arthur too is not exposing all his hand here so I wonder if he is cutting corners. And here your comrades will rush there after this. Loki and his guys will also come running. If they clash with each other just like this, now, I wonder what will happen then.”

She longwindedly talked in a roundabout way plainly trying to agitate him.

But certainly, Kazuki was scared of his comrades fighting in a place where he was not there.

“Even winning against Yamato like this, Japan is still a minor power. However feel relieved, of course this Shouko-san of Ryouzanpaku will lend her hand to you! That’s why this time for sure…”

At this point her way of talking changed completely into a heavy tone.

“…This time for sure, feel some obligation properly. Not to Germany, but towards us.”

Shouko-san left those words behind and spurred her reins, she was heading to reinforce Arthur.

“…That kind of thing is an unnecessary concern you know.”

Leme materialized beside Kazuki.

“The contractor of us, the Solomon 72 Pillar is not inferior at all against the contractors of other Mythology’s. …Kazuki, you too have become a splendid King. Leme and the others have stopped our test for all of you. We are going to hand over that power completely. This is not only regarding you… but for your <favored princesses> too.” <ref>The kanji used here is寵姫(chouki) which means ‘favorite mistress’. The first kanji used alone means ‘favor/affection’, while the second kanji means ‘noble lady/princess’, so it can also mean favored princess/lady</ref>

“Completely handing over…? Are you saying that until now you were still holding back on us?”

Leme didn’t answer. Right there Mio and the others were rushing at him.

“Kazu-nii! We are going to fight so Kazu-nii escape… kyaa-!”

“The Magic Dress is…!?”

The moment they arrived Mio and Koyuki’s Magic Dresses shined dazzlingly. …It was the two whose positivity levels were above 150. Above their head, the avatars of Phoenix and Vepar were floating sublimely.

{The time that should arrive has come. Right now this country is not a baby bird that is still waiting to grow into an adult. The time to liberate the power that you should possess has come.}

{The King is standing here, and then the princesses that are the most favored by the King were born. We too are going to offer this power without sparing anything left to the princesses.}

The avatars of Phoenix and Vepar were absorbed into Mio and Koyuki. The Magic Dresses of the two, who were taken aback, were continuing to shine.

Kazuki turned his face to Leme in order to demand for an explanation.

“What is happening!?”

“You have become a human that is worthy to be called a King. Until now, so to speak was [the testing period of Solomon King], but in this occasion of your victory in the battle against Yamato, Leme and the others are also recognizing you for real as the King of this country. From now on Solomon 72 Pillar and Japan are truly a collective of one body and soul that share the same fate. Consequently we are liberating a new power for the comrades that are supporting you.”

“A new power? This time it’s not to me, but to everyone?”

“A new power… the power of Solomon 72 Pillar that was scattered until now is temporarily concentrated into a special Magika Stigma. That is the <Chouki Magician>. Watch…” <ref>If you guys can think of a cooler way to refer this transformation please tell me</ref>

With a flash shining brightly for an instant―the luminescence from Mio and Koyuki’s Magic Dresses finally settled down.

When the light settled, both of their Magic Dresses achieved [evolution]―with a single glance he understood that it was not transformation but an evolution. With the contractor recognized by the Diva that they were worthy, the ornaments that decorated the dress became something with more gravity. Like flower petals in full bloom.

Phoenix was orange and Vepar was light blue, with their personal color staying the same, the Magic Dresses turned into something with raw materials that possessed depth like a thick magic power made real.

“…This, Phoenix’s magic power is transmitted at me through the Stigma…! Phoenix is supplying me with magic power!!”

Mio touched her greatly exposed breast with one of her hands and raised a voice of wonder.

“Magic power supplied from Diva you say…? Is that kind of thing possible? What is called as Summoning Magic is so to speak an action where the contractor receives a [magic blueprint] from the Diva right?”

Summoning Magic was receiving the blue print of the ten magic that symbolized the myth of the Diva through the Stigma. Using that blueprint the contractor kneaded their own magic power and caused a magic phenomenon in a greater scale and efficiency that was far more complex compared to the phenomenon that was caused by general magic.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 161.jpg|thumb]]

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 162.jpg|thumb]]

But in the end the one that invoked the magic was nothing more than their own magic power.

“Correct, Summoning Magic is just bestowing the source of magic phenomenon. But in the first place a Diva is a vast mass of magic power. Nevertheless there is a reason why Divas don't lend away that magic power. …That’s because there are a large number of contractors. For example Phoenix has dozens of contractor in the Knight Order. He is unable to share his power equally to all of them.”

In order to deal with the illegal magicians and Demon Beast that appeared throughout the whole land of Japan, Solomon 72 Pillar distributed their power to a large number of knights. Even so the number of Magica Stigma was still quite lacking.

“That scattered power is… temporarily, concentrated on the Magica Stigma that you favored. That’s the Chouki Magician. Using a direct connection with their Diva, their chanting speed becomes faster and they can cast large scale magic from the magic power of the Diva itself that is lent to them. …But during the time Amasaki Mio becomes a Chouki Magician, all of the other contractors of Phoenix become unable to use Summoning Magic though.”

Zekorbeni was the King’s trump card, and then this was the princesses’ trump card…

“…It’s great that we got a power up but, I think its fine even if you don’t up the exposure rate too.”

Even while Koyuki was twisting her body around fidgetingly while acting embarrassed, she kept stealing glances at Kazuki.

He had the feeling that even while being embarrassed she was indirectly appealing to Kazuki.

Certainly Koyuki’s dress that until now was in the shape like a school swimsuit turned into a suit with a sense of translucence as if the skin was showing through just like that with a cutting that was a little bold.

“I think it’s cute you know. …No, now is not the time for that though.”

In that direction Arthur and Shouko-san were struggling hard against the cavalry of ten horsemen as their opponents. Behind them Loki and his group were standing by.

“Chouki… With Kazu-nii as the King, we are the princesses!!”

Mio hopped up and down happily then like a princess she puffed out her chest and instructed Kazuki.

“Kazu-nii just withdraw! We are not only going to keep getting protected by Kazu-nii, we are going to protect Kazu-nii too! Just like what we promised at the beginning!!”

Mio and the others rushed with full speed to the location of the fighting.

“Otouto-kun has to conquer us more so that we can quickly become like that too.”

Kaguya-senpai too who was watching over the development with wide eyes was following after Mio while saying that.

…Certainly he who was running out of gas right now might just be a hindrance here.

He should move out of the way while preparing himself to move immediately if something happened.

“We are drawing back, Ikousai.” Kazuki pulled out the hand of Ikousai who was still powerlessly sprawling down.

Ikousai was flustered “Wha-!?” having her hand grasped and she resisted, trying to shake off his hand.

“Stop it! I have never got my hand held by the opposite sex you know!”

“…It’s not like I hold your hand for something strange, there is no way I can let you get away right now. You are a prisoner you know?”

“Kuh… I won’t forgive this disgrace…!”

For a while Kazuki kept pulling at Ikousai’s hand like a tug of war, but then “Sheesh troublesome!” he lost his temper and carried up Ikousai forcefully from her waist.

He ran in this princess carry posture toward the east side where the stronghold of the Knight Order was located.

“I―am―dir―ti―ed-!”

“There is no way you got dirtied just by a carry like this!”

“Is the King of Britain just around this level huh!?”

Chukadou’s Imperial Guard―Son Shouryuu bared his teeth and howled like a wild monkey making an intimidation. In his hand the Nyoibou created by his contracted Diva, {{furigana|Seiten Taisei|Sun Wukong}} was gripped.

Other than him another six horsemen, in total seven horsemen were surrounding Arthur.

“I don’t really want to use Summoning Magic against the likes of all of you.”

As if waving his finger patronizingly, Arthur brandished Excalibur. In the end Excalibur was a Sacred Treasure. With Arthur Basileus relying fully on it, he particularly hid the power of his Diva.

He felt Loki’s gaze. He didn’t really want to show his hand here.

“You really said it!!”

The seven horsemen matched their breath and assaulted Arthur without giving him any opening to dodge. Nyoibou, {{furigana|Houtengeki|Heaven Ji}}, {{furigana|Jahoko|Snake Spear}}, {{furigana|Gekkajou|Moon Fang Staff}}, {{furigana|Rougabou|Wolf Fang Pole}}… all of them created their own respective Sacred Treasures and added the speed of their horses into their attack like a falling meteor coming at Arthur. All of them were Magika Stigmas that had expertise in their weapon technique.

…No, was it as expected that he couldn’t get out from this just with a single sword?

Arthur honestly recognized his opponents and took out a small wood branch from inside his glen check suit. It was a small oak branch that carried the magic power of a druid.

He carried it around in reserve as an item that had the characteristic of a disposable item after a one-time use.

He pointed the tips of that branch to the opponents without considerable regret of wasting it and threw it away.

The instant it left Arthur’s hand, the small branch set free its magic power and it grew into a giant trunk in the air. The solid trunk diverged into several branches while spreading wide, and entangled the seven horsemen.

Their advances were obstructed. While they were trying to escape from the tree branches that even now were still elongating, their sure-kill formation was disturbed. Just with that the battle was now his―a single sword was enough to face them hand-to-hand, one by one and crush them.

Arthur raised Excalibur overhead and rushed aiming for Son Shouryuu who was in the middle of the disordered rank.

…He could also blow away all seven horsemen altogether if he got serious.

But the reason why his will to fight didn’t get that far was not only because of Loki’s gaze.

Because it was obvious that the fault was in Yamato’s side who broke the agreed stipulation, he was not reluctant to lend a hand to Japan like this. But because of that, if Japan’s Knight Order was going to leave dealing with this situation all to the foreign forces like this, then in that case they deserved to be scorned….

“Still, if the King has used up all his power then next it’s the turn of his close aides to show their power for him, now then…”

With a glance Arthur took a look at the encampment behind, he was anticipating for Japan’s Knight Order to rouse themselves.

“As always, you ran around well! You insect are shrewd as usual!!” <ref>The underline is because the speaker is speaking with a heavy accent</ref>

A manner that made people think of Kan’u Unchou… rather than that it was the huge girl that exchanged contract with <Kantei Seiten> himself that was yelling at Shouko while swinging around Seiryuutou. <ref>Kan’u Unchou=Guan Yu’s name in Japan, Kantei Seiten is his name when he was deified. Seiryuutou(Blue Dragon Sword) is Guan Yu’s famous weapon, I think</ref>

Other than her, two more horsemen were chasing around Shouko.

But the horse of the escaping Shouko―had been transformed into a completely different living thing. Using the magic of her contracted Diva <Taikoubou> the horse was evolved into a magic creature <{{furigana|Suppushan|elpahure}}>, with its mysterious appearance that was a crossbreed of various animals’ appearance, it was flying in the sky as if swimming even though it didn’t have wings.

“Your attack is always a large swing huh! I’m already practiced buying time like this with you guys as the opponent y’know!”

Shouko who was riding Suppushan nimbly moved around with a far greater maneuverability than the cavalrymen could and she further laid out violet magic smoke around.

“But, if you are just running around then you won’t be able to obtain victory!!”

The huge woman yelled. As for Shouko―’As always she is a woman that cannot pay attention to the situation.’ Inside her heart she was laughing derisively.

She was saying threatening things to Hayashizaki Kazuki, but Loki had already achieved his objective. That guy was already in the state of waiting for the chance to retreat. That was why just buying time like this was good enough.

Shouko had noticed. Loki and the illegal magicians with him pretended to join the fight yet stayed still in the middle of the way. He was watching her and Arthur from the distance where he could escape anytime.

Although for the moment she was laying out smoke screen… it would be her loss if she was observed even if she fought seriously.

Shouko who was straddling Suppushan and flew ran around parrying the severe martial arts of the Chinese cavalrymen like a flexible willow. Both her hands were swaying to and fro around and she directed a fooling around face to the horsemen chasing her.

“Hmph, what are you talking about that I cannot obtain victory. Idiooooooooott! Your King is ugly!!”

‘Now then, what will become the cue’, Shouko looked back at the behind―and saw the Magica Stigmas of Japan rushing here with their body clad in an evolved Magic Dress.

“From the bottom of earth dance the wing and scatter. Trail behind the spiraling wind, become the bullet that reveal the fury of the star! Flap, shoot and destroy! {{furigana|Volcanic Barrett|Lava Spiral Flower}}!!”

After Mio’s instantaneous chanting, the ground was splitting up in cracks and bullet of lava was floating, it ride the spiraling wind of Phoenix’s wing and shot out.

Koyuki too chanted quickly at the same time.

“O the utmost limit of permanence, with that freezing wind please comfort this chest. With the flowing silence of rejection, let’s announce the demise of that life… {{furigana|Arctic Wind|North Pole Wind}}!!”

The wind of intense cold that symbolized the world where life couldn’t live was brought about into this world following Koyuki’s will.

Both were level 1 magic in the first place, but those destructive powers were greatly amplified.

“Fuh… as expected they won’t leave it to us huh. It’s great that I didn’t make a misjudgment!”

Arthur’s expression broke out into a smile witnessing the attack of the Magika Stigmas who appeared to be the comrades and close aides of Hayashizaki Kazuki.

“Oops, is that some kind of power up? Wonder if that is the cue he is waiting for.”

Shouko who was earnestly running around to buy time heaved a sigh of relief.

The cavalry that was concentrating in their battle with Arthur and Shouko was taken by surprise at the magic of Koyuki and Mio that came flying, the pace of the cavalry became disturbed.

“Now! Those that can use sword are going to charge there!”

Kanae called out to Kazuha like that and went to slash at the cavalry that were in agitation.

The cavalrymen looked down on Kanae who came charging without using any Summoning Magic. They fired low level magic simultaneously and swung a single attack of a Sacred Treasure at Kanae while making light of her.

―That kind of thing wouldn’t hit Kanae. She saw through all of the intercepting attacks and leaped between the cavalrymen. She sowed disturbance while running about between the cavalrymen and made them fell further into disturbance with a single strike to each opponent that she passed.

…Kanae was feeling impatience inside her heart. It was another matter if this was a one-on-one battle, but in this chaotic melee, Shin’iki was completely unusable. In the end it was a technique that still couldn’t be called as practical for real battle.

As expected it was Summoning Magic that dictated the battlefield. She once again thought so after witnessing the power up of both Amasaki Mio and Hiakari Koyuki.

Perhaps both of those younger Magika Stigmas now had even become as strong as Otonashi Kaguya.

And then from now on too there should be the same power up that was waiting for that Otonashi Kaguya too.

‘Wait a second’, Kanae thought. She was troubled that her [rivals] could be powered up so casually like that.

That’s right, they are rivals.

Herself was completely pursuing the path of swordsman. That determination didn’t shake at all. But… the desire of wanting to be loved by Nii-sama even more than those girls was burning Kanae’s chest like a devilish fire.

Even though until now she showed jealousy on the surface, but inside her heart she was coolly thinking that she was herself, and they were themselves. That was because she had the thought that she didn’t even stand on the starting line at the time. But now she had finally kissed with Nii-sama and Nii-sama was looking at her as a girl.

Now that she had progressed to this point, she couldn’t stay as she was until now. Moreover that kiss…

“Nyaa<nowiki>~~~~~~</nowiki>!!”

Something that was completely improper for the occasion filled Kanae’s head, her face was blushing bright red and she meowed. Her beautiful footwork completely degenerated into jitters and she swung around Michikage up and down.

The Sacred Treasures and attack magic of the cavalrymen flew wildly at Kanae, who thought of a strange thing and got agitated by herself.

…Damn it. Lacking in observation and concentration were something that was absolutely forbidden in the Hayashizaki-style.

“Burn to ashes all that you touch… the howl of flame without place to depend! {{furigana|Self Burning・Empress|Embrace of Fire Wing}}!!”

Flame was whirling in Kanae’s surrounding in the nick of time, the burning wings of the immortal bird became a folding shape and protected Kanae, who was enveloped inside, from the countless attack magic.

“Please be careful there! Kanae-oneesan!!” <ref>The oneesan here is using the kanji of sister in law</ref>

Mio said that with a tone that got carried away.

“I, I never remembered becoming something like a sister-in-law of someone like you!”

‘I, if I don’t stay calm’…Kanae thought while being protected inside the flame.

―Hayashizaki Kanae, thou art wholeheartedly a heaven-sent child of the sword.

Suddenly a voice rang out inside her head. Kanae was amazed with his timing.

“Bereth huh. What do you want at this kind of time? Right now I’m in the middle of a bustle that has no compare you know. Go back.”

―I have resolved myself.

“Listen to what I’m saying. This is not a situation for something like a long-winded talk. I cannot make anymore blunders.”

―I have continued to think for a long time, whether there is a way or not for me to [aid] thy resolve.

The Diva that was called as the Devil King of Indignation said that with a meek voice.

―By no means thou art going to become my contractor. Thy pure soul won’t accept a contract in equal form with me. Then… Then, I have resolved. I’m going to become thy follower. For thy sake, I’m going to distort my own state.

“What?”

―From this, I will abandon the fact that I’m a Diva. I will make all of my magic power to possess thy weapon… becoming a single Sacred Treasure. Doing that I can make thee, still as a swordsman, aim for a greater height.

“Wait, wait a second. Are you fine with that?”

Kanae was flustered. She had the feeling that an outrageous being was going to do an outrageous thing after dragging out his own resolve.

“Wait, you have been searching for a contractor to be a Magika Stigma all this time right? Surely you also have your own pride as a Diva. Why, to go that far for my sake…?”

―I am Beleth. The supporter of noble valor and earnest love. The significance of my existence as a Diva is all in there. O girl that straightforwardly follow thine own path, this is by no means an emotion of love, but I have been charmed with thy soul. A human that charmed me this much, I won’t find it anymore hereafter even if I search for eternity.

“…Hmph. I also don’t really like Sacred Treasures though.”

Kanae murmured annoyedly.

“If you say until that far, then I’ll accept you.”

Kanae too, despite appearance, was also pleased by this Diva called Beleth.

So, a supporter of noble valor and earnest love. Being liked by such a Diva didn’t feel so bad.

―Then as the replacement of thy beloved blade, call my name.

Beleth’s presence that appeared inside her consciousness through Astrum was overflowing out to the outside world.

Magic power that was like a mist of jade color floated in Kanae’s surrounding. This was Beleth’s color.

“{{furigana|I know thy name|Shem ha Meforash}}! Thy name is Beleth! O the supporter of noble valor and earnest love! That passion into my beloved blade!!”

The jade magic power flowed into Michikage in one go. Kanae shuddered from that momentum that was like a muddy stream while holding tight the hilt of her sword. Michikage was changing. It unified with Beleth!

The name of that Sacred Treasure was…<{{furigana|Kuroneko Michikage|Black Cat Path Shadow}}>!!

Countless Stigma emerged on the surface of her beloved sword. That was the shape of Beleth’s soul. The sword blade distorted and changed. ‘Don’t make any weird shape okay’, Kanae thought.

‘Similar with a Magic Dress, it’s the shape of my and thy soul hailing each other in concert’, Beleth answered.

The blade’s shape fixed into a streamlined form that gave off the impression like flowing water, a gust of wind, an impression of speed.

Kuroneko Michikage… draw out that power immediately!!

“{{furigana|Battou Kaikon―Kokui Musou|Black Coating Dream{{furigana|!!”

The Sword Division battle uniform that Kanae wore disintegrated into Prima Materia, mixing with the jade magic power that overflowed from the Sacred treasure. While making a vortex, it materialized into a completely different shape.

This was… completely like a Magic Dress?

―This long talk is exchanged inside your heart in an instant using telepathy.

At the time when the attack magic and the defensive wing of flame finished fighting each other with both sides neutralized and vanished, the contract between Beleth and Kanae was over.

At the same time with the flame vanishing, Kanae appeared in a completely new appearance.

“Kanae-san also powered up!? …Wait, is that a Magic Dress!?”

Kazuha who was right beside her was the first that noticed and raised her voice.

“No… it’s not a Magic Dress, but a power created by Sacred Treasure? But there is the presence of a Diva…?”

The girl that excelled in manipulating magic power analyzed accurately the true form of that power.

That’s right, this was not a Magic Dress. But a <Sacred Treasure Dress> that was produced by a Sacred Treasure.

Until the end the core of this was the katana in her hand. But she wondered what kind of power resided inside this black outfit that overflowed out due to the Battou Kaikon.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 169.jpg|thumb]]

{Even though it’s called a cloth, but thou doesn’t need defensive power.}

Beleth’s voice sounded the clearest she had ever heard until now.

{This is <the clothes of one who seeks the way>. Since thou made a contract with me, thou art not allowed any crude movement anymore. That black outfit become a sensor that sense the movement of the four limbs, that movement is a movement that thou idealize, the more thou move closer to thy [Quintessence Movement], the clothes will bestow Divine Protection and bring about might into the sword blade. If thou make a crude movement, the power will wane instead. This is the power that is born from the hailing of my and thy soul.}

It was an ability that was stranger than she imagined. It seemed that the Sacred Treasure didn’t simply heighten her defensive power or physical ability. In other words everything would be fine if she just swung her sword with the determination of constantly unleashing [Shin’iki] from her every single attack.

Kanae kicked the ground and attacked the enemy that was in nearest distance from her. The opponent was in the middle of chanting a spell. But it was difficult to Foresee her movement on top of the horse and Shin’iki failed.

But Kanae’s own movement was close to the quintessence. The instant the blade slashed―her black outfit shone faintly in jade color and it flowed into the blade.

An impact she never experienced before and a thunderous roar rang out. The black cavalryman was blown away to the side as if gotten hit by a cannon rather than just being slashed, the knight desperately controlled the reins so the horse barely stayed standing.

It was great if Shin’iki succeeded, yet even if it failed the attack would still become a critical hit depending on how much her movement deviated from the quintessence.

Kanae spontaneously opened her eyes wide. For Kanae who had continuously worried of her powerlessness, the attack just now gave a feedback she had never known before.

{Looks like there is irregularity in thy concentration. A crude movement like just now that resulted in embarrassing failure is intolerable so pay more attention.}

Beleth talked in a way completely like a partner. Kanae let a huff escape her nose.

“Hmph, not bad. Thank you Beleth.”

She said that in a just a little good mood. The gripped hard Sacred Treasure’s hilt emitted heat as a reply.

“They are resisting more energetically than I thought… though if luck is on our side I was thinking of making surprise attacks too.”

While maintaining a distance from the battles of Chukadou’s cavalry and Ilyailiya where he could escape immediately, Loki observed the battle progress and then he gave his order.

“Yosh! We are retreating you bastards! Run away!!”

When Kazuki, who moved away to the encampment at the back while carrying Ikousai, looked back at the battlefield, he caught the sight of Ilyailiya and the cavalry of China making a complete U-turn and retreated from there.

The speed of Ilyailiya and the cavalry were so effective that they had vanished from Sekigahara to the west before he could even say ‘ah’. It was a splendid retreating performance to the degree that it felt like anticlimaxic.

{Kazu-nii, Kazu-nii! This is an emergency, Kanae-neesan, she!}

Suddenly Mio transmitted her voice using telepathic communication to him.

{…What’s with the ‘nee-san’. I get the feeling that there is something different in how you say that. What’s wrong with Kanae?}

{Kanae-san, she, she turned into an appearance that completely looks like a Magic Dress!!}

What did she say? He couldn’t imagine that Kanae making a contract with a Diva as a Magika Stigma, but…

{Kazu-nii, by any chance… you are also connected with Kanae-san, with the power of bond? By any chance Kazu-nii can now understand the positivity level of Kanae-san or…} Mio inquired from him timidly and anxiously.

Amasaki Mio―155 Hiakari Koyuki―150 Lotte―152 Otonashi Kaguya―148

Hoshikaze Hikaru―140 Tsukahara Kazuha―138 Ryuutaki Miyabi―74 Ryuutaki Shinobu―74

Katsura Karin―55 Kamimura Itsuki―42 Liz Liza Westwood―39

Hayashizaki Kanae―175

One, a single fellow with a ridiculous number was there.

{Yo, you have checked now? About how much? Is it higher than me?}

{Mio is 155, Kanae is 175.}

When the positivity level had went pass 150, it then became fairly hard to raise. At that stage the emotion of love that was flaring up in one go was already maturing, it seemed there was no other way to move the number up except for piling it up little by little with emotional attachment. That was why Kanae’s number was not unexpected for Kazuki.

{Fu, FUNYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?}

But for Mio who thought of herself as number one, she could only raise a shocked scream.

<noinclude>

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

{| 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 [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
| Return to [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

User talk:Onemanleft

2016-01-26T16:52:47Z

Windsgrace: /* Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou */

==Haken no Kouki Altina Page Revision==
Sorry about my revision. I edited the body in Notepad and when I modified the page, I forgot to add the headers (synopsis and stuff) and the footer (translators, release dates, and etc.). On my last update, I re-added the header but still have forgotten to footer. Anyway, my newest edit after your edit should have all the required information as well as the changes that I had intended to make. Thanks.
--[[User:MoonlitNights0S|MoonlitNights0S]]

==External project Konjiki no Wordmaster==
Hello Onemanleft, I noticed you created a project page for Konjiki no Wordmaster and linked to multiple external websites. Based on your post on the admin contact page, you did read the new project startup guidelines, but missed the [[Baka-Tsuki:External_Contributor_Rules]], which are relevant here. Most importantly, if you are not the translator or admin from the linked site then, on the admin contact page, you should include a link to a post or similar where the translator on the external site granted permission to have links on BT. Did each of the translators give permission for their work to be linked to, and could you add that info to the admin contact page post you made? --[[User:Cthaeh|Cthaeh]] ([[User talk:Cthaeh|talk]]) 17:44, 22 March 2015 (CDT)

Do you know if Ping wanted the new links added (Shippai Kinshi)? I vaguely thought he was trying to have the new blog be isolated from BT. I'm not entirely sure on that, but it would probably be good to check with him. --[[User:Cthaeh|Cthaeh]] ([[User talk:Cthaeh|talk]]) 01:35, 11 June 2015 (UTC)

== Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou issues ==

Hia, I am an editor of Magika no Kenshi on Bakaperverts blog and on BT. I am glad you have been adding Magika no Kenshi to BT but please wait for the series to be edited on the blog. After both myself and Omega finish editing by all means but it's a bit of a pain to go back and edit what I have already edited. I am no means perfect when editing and I am happy with your good intentions but please wait a little bit for now on.

Sorry for the spiel. WindsGrace~

== Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou/Animesuki ==

Yeah when BakaPervert says completed he generally means "Well I am done you guys take it from here". I talk to Omega on animesuki about edits since its easier for us. If you have a user name to contact that would make things easier. BT's servers have been laggy/crashing on us when we have been trying to add it. After BakaPervert finish's the current volume I plan to re go over all of the volumes. Well at least 6-current. That is until the next volume. Generally its fine to add a day or two after Baka posts it. It should be edited by that time. Anyways thanks for your hard work. ^^

== Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ==

Hia its fine to upload the rest of V 10 but ch 6 pt 2. The sentences are a mess. BakaPervert rushed and made multiple sentences into one...its a nightmare. Anyways just letting you know if you plan to update.

User talk:Onemanleft

2016-01-26T16:51:27Z

Windsgrace: /* Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou */ new section

==Haken no Kouki Altina Page Revision==
Sorry about my revision. I edited the body in Notepad and when I modified the page, I forgot to add the headers (synopsis and stuff) and the footer (translators, release dates, and etc.). On my last update, I re-added the header but still have forgotten to footer. Anyway, my newest edit after your edit should have all the required information as well as the changes that I had intended to make. Thanks.
--[[User:MoonlitNights0S|MoonlitNights0S]]

==External project Konjiki no Wordmaster==
Hello Onemanleft, I noticed you created a project page for Konjiki no Wordmaster and linked to multiple external websites. Based on your post on the admin contact page, you did read the new project startup guidelines, but missed the [[Baka-Tsuki:External_Contributor_Rules]], which are relevant here. Most importantly, if you are not the translator or admin from the linked site then, on the admin contact page, you should include a link to a post or similar where the translator on the external site granted permission to have links on BT. Did each of the translators give permission for their work to be linked to, and could you add that info to the admin contact page post you made? --[[User:Cthaeh|Cthaeh]] ([[User talk:Cthaeh|talk]]) 17:44, 22 March 2015 (CDT)

Do you know if Ping wanted the new links added (Shippai Kinshi)? I vaguely thought he was trying to have the new blog be isolated from BT. I'm not entirely sure on that, but it would probably be good to check with him. --[[User:Cthaeh|Cthaeh]] ([[User talk:Cthaeh|talk]]) 01:35, 11 June 2015 (UTC)

== Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou issues ==

Hia, I am an editor of Magika no Kenshi on Bakaperverts blog and on BT. I am glad you have been adding Magika no Kenshi to BT but please wait for the series to be edited on the blog. After both myself and Omega finish editing by all means but it's a bit of a pain to go back and edit what I have already edited. I am no means perfect when editing and I am happy with your good intentions but please wait a little bit for now on.

Sorry for the spiel. WindsGrace~

== Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou/Animesuki ==

Yeah when BakaPervert says completed he generally means "Well I am done you guys take it from here". I talk to Omega on animesuki about edits since its easier for us. If you have a user name to contact that would make things easier. BT's servers have been laggy/crashing on us when we have been trying to add it. After BakaPervert finish's the current volume I plan to re go over all of the volumes. Well at least 6-current. That is until the next volume. Generally its fine to add a day or two after Baka posts it. It should be edited by that time. Anyways thanks for your hard work. ^^

== Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou ==

Hia its fine to upload everything but ch 6 pt 2. The sentences are a mess. BakaPervert rushed and made multiple sentences into one...its a nightmare. Anyways just letting you know if you plan to update.

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 3

2016-01-26T11:09:01Z

Windsgrace: /* Part 3 */

==Chapter 3 – Male and Female==

===Part 1===

“However I’m really troubled here if you don’t treasure us a little more as comrades that fought together on the same side. Even though we came to help and trying to stop those Germans from going wild, there is my comrade that just got left to die without any help and fell into magic intoxication for all that. That’s just really heartless ain’t it―. And then there is no thanks or apology at all, you guys looks like you are just completely concerned about those German bunch only, yeah―”

A rare guest was visiting the Witch’s Mansion.

That person was securing the position right in front of the Phantasmagoria where it was the easiest spot to watch the show in the living room. The person was earnestly complaining and spouting sarcasm while gulping down the served cookies and black tea.

“Mu… this cookie! I said many selfish things to that old man Yamagata and got him to feed me with various high class food, but this cookie is the tastiest I have gotten to eat until now… It looks simple somehow, but there is this good feeling that it was made courteously. It feels like a mom’s cookie. Seconds!”

That person shamelessly held out the plate that had become empty to the [server].

“Then please enjoy.”

Kazuki took the plate and placed a second helping. The one who brew the black tea was Mio, but the one that baked the cookies was Kazuki. …After hearing the word mom, there was still a complicated feeling gushing out from him.

“Hauu―…even though it’s Otouto-kun’s cookie that was baked for us… because of the sudden visitor the portion for each person decreased completely…”

Kaguya-senpai fell prostrate on the table.

The rare guest―was Ryouzanpaku’s Roshouko. From the wild jacket and denim pants that she wore, it showed her figure in civilian clothes with her skin that was burned healthily exposed, giving off the impression of her southerner origin.

She looked wild but her instinct was sharp, she was strangely proficient at bargaining―she gave off the impression that she was someone he mustn’t let his guard down against.

“Shouko-san, how can you act this freely?”

Originally she was not a person that was supposed to be left alone too much to do as she pleased. She was friendly but, she was similar to the Kings that came from the outside, a powerful warrior that was a match for a thousand. It was strange that she was monitored by the country.

“You don’t really need to worry, after all my comrade is hospitalized in Japan’s Knight Order’s facility y’know?”

Shouko-san shrugged her shoulder and answered.

“I’m not gonna do anything suspicious okay. I begged to Old man Yamagata to let me go play, if I try to do something then it’s fine for them to just kill off Silirat. It’s the opposite way of thinking.”

I’ll give you my comrade as hostage so let me do as I please―opposite way of thinking or whatever, such a shameless reason wasn’t supposed to be accepted. But he guessed that Commander Yamagata couldn’t really reject her so strongly.

Before, Silirat intervened to help Kaguya-senpai that fell into a predicament because of Germans running wild, and because the girl fell into magic intoxication from that fight, right now these girls were perfectly in the position of a good willed injured party.

By making the rampaging Germans into their common enemy, it also could become a good chance to deepen the relation between Japan and Ryouzanpaku.

But as for Kazuki―he didn’t want to turn Germany into an enemy.

First he wanted to ask the circumstances why Beatrix rampaged around like that.

As for Silirat’s action, who was going to add more injury to Eleonora whose magic power was gone, without even asking about the circumstances, although they said it was for the sake of helping Japan’s side… that was something that he couldn’t thank them for.

Due to that Japan’s attitude toward Ryouzanpaku was still in the air until Beatrix and the others woke up.

Shouko was dissatisfied with this stance that compromised with Germany rather than Ryouzanpaku who was supposed to be their comrade in standing together against Chukadou.

“So, why does Shouko-san who became free come to this place?”

“It’s Old man Yamagata’s public stage after all, so I was thinking to watch it with everyone like this. Come on, it’s beginning see. …Hyaa―, they really make a spectacle eh.”

Shouko-san amusedly pointed at the Phantasmagoria while biting at the cookie.

{Regarding the east and west war that was suddenly tied with a cease-fire agreement, the General Staff Headquarters Vice Chief Yamagata Koyata of the Knight agency opened an urgent press conference. We are now broadcasting from the Asaka garrison of the Knight Order.}

Along with the stiff voice of the announcer that was colored with nervousness, the Asaka garrison where many knights were forming a tight line there was projected in the Phantasmagoria. The avatars of Solomon 72 Pillar were floating at the back of the knights in a line. What Shouko-san called as a spectacle was surely about this rather than the knights itself.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 134.jpg|thumb]]

In the center, there was Commander Yamagata with his best serious expression.

No, should he call him General Staff Headquarters Vice Chief now? <ref>That’s damn long, I’ll just use the Vice Chief</ref>

So that the household that didn’t have the Phantasmagoria could also watch, this announcement could also be watched on flat television. It was the consideration so that this announcement could be conveyed to all the people of this country without fail.

“Leme, what’s with these avatars of the 72 Pillar?”

Kazuki asked Leme who was gulping down cookies with a vigor that didn’t lose or was inferior to Shouko.

“It’s just a show. With this the persuasiveness toward the people will increase right? Everyone of this country loves the 72 Pillar after all.”

In Japan the people were not obligated to be faithful to Divas, rather the 72 Pillar was loved like idols.

The announcement from now on was something supported by the 72 Pillar. If they appealed with that kind of setting, the way the people received it would greatly change.

“Still I wonder why it’s old man Yamagata that does this? For this kind of thing, the highest big shot… in this country it’s the Knight agency’s minister right, shouldn’t it be more logical for that guy to be the one that does this?”

Shouko-san was talking while somewhat making fun of it along with sending a sidelong glance at Kazuki. It looked like she was looking for an answer from Kazuki. He felt her nastiness that was trying to test him. Kazuki answered.

“This too might be a show. Today, what will be announced here will be more persuasive if it’s said by a person that was actually there.”

Originally Vice Chief Yamagata was the commander of Shizuoka regiment that was located in the front line of the east-west war. He fought along with Kazuki till the end and accomplished a promotion in this occasion.

Because Kazuki’s active role was not made public, in the society the achievements from the battle against Yamato were all assigned to Vice Chief Yamagata. Of course the person himself didn’t wish for that, but…

In the eye of society, he was without a doubt a hero.

{…It’s exactly as has been reported, the mediation of the other Magic Advanced Countries was the impetus behind the sudden ceasefire of the east-west war. It was a mediation on the basis of the logic of a mythological country.}

Vice Chief Yamagata got the ball of the press conference rolling with a grave tone of voice.

{Their logic disregard the historical legitimacy that we own and stated that the one that should govern this Japanese archipelago is the mythologically legitimate King―the Basileus. Because of that the dispute between our country and Yamato will be settled not by war, but by looking at who can gather the King’s symbol―the Three Sacred Treasures the fastest. Regarding this matter, I think it will make all of you the people of this country become terribly uneasy of this course of events that cannot be understood at all looking from the sense of values of our country, but this matter until the end is something for the sake of obtaining the international acknowledgment.}

Something for the sake of obtaining the international acknowledgment―in other words it was not something absolute.

They still did the Three Sacred Treasures gathering for the sake of obtaining the acknowledgment from the other countries, but if they lost in that endeavor they still wouldn’t withdraw so easily, it was that kind of thing.

If the situation is moving to the destruction of the country, we the government plan to continue our battle of resistance while telling something like international acknowledgement that they could go and eat shit. That was whatwas indirectly said here.

{Here I reported that the struggle for the Three Sacred Treasures between the two camps of Japan and Yamato had come to an end.}

The journalists that filled the interview hall were making a stir.

{With <Ame no Murakumo> in our country, and <Yasakani no Magatama> and <Yata no Kagami> in Yamato, all of the Three Sacred Treasures have been discovered and the searching has ended.}

The commotion among the journalists grew even bigger as if an earthquake was happening.

{Isn’t it one against two?} {What’s going to happen?} {There was also the legend that the magatama had low importance you know.} {How are you going to take responsibility?} {What responsibility if the country is going to disappear…}

Vice Chief Yamagata surveyed the journalists and informed more without any panic.

{The Three Sacred Treasures are divided between the two camps, so both camps are going to bet their respective Sacred Treasures and a duel will be performed by the two people that Japan and Yamato respectively have as King.}

The commotion reached its peak. …Even Kazuki swallowed his saliva nervously.

{Who is this King you talked about!?} Someone yelled that. Asaka garrison fell silent in unrest.

{The King is―a fifteen year old high school student named Hayashizaki Kazuki.}

He said it. Vice Chief Yamagata really said it.

“Oohh hoh! It’s finally really said out huh!”

Shouko-san pointed the tip of her finger at the screen and directed an amused gaze at Kazuki.

“Otouto-kun, are you okay…?

Kaguya-senpai was worrying for him. Kazuki shook his head unrelated to the strong pressure.

“It should be clearly announced officially like this. It’s different with the era of Kaa-san’s time. The connection between people and Diva has become strong. There is no need to shoulder this alone by myself and fight while understanding nothing.”

“But won’t this affect the fight later~? What are you going to do if you get cold feet and lose and this country end then~? As expected it’s hard right? This kind of thing will only become unnecessary pressure on you yeah.”

Shouko-san laughed as if to stir him up.

“Of course this will become a pressure without doubt, but I don’t think that this fight that will decide the fate of this country should be performed behind closed doors without anyone knowing. I should fight in front of the people. After all the fight this time is not for the sake of protecting the people that is only within my sight, this is a fight for the sake of protecting all the people of this country.”

“Hou…?” Shouko-san retracted her laugh and narrowed her eyes.

{Who is this young man called Hayashizaki Kazuki?}

Inside the uncomfortable silence, Vice Chief Yamagata continued his words with a powerful weight.

{He is without a doubt the strongest Magika Stigma in this country. I, who knows every single one of Japan’s knights, can affirm that.}

{But he is still a young boy right..?} {Moreover a male…?}

{He has already grown up by piling up diligent training of an old style sword art since his childhood and made a contract with a special Diva―the King of the Diva that supervises Solomon 72 Pillar. He had cultivated the skill of a sword master, moreover he possess the possibility to be able to use all the Summoning Magic of Solomon 72 Pillar. He has already obtained several dozens of magic and special abilities. Let alone being the strongest person in the Knight Order, even if he is paired against a single regiment of the Knight Order as his opponent he is able to win… while he is a human he is still a young boy that is bestowed with a power that is similar to an ultimate weapon. That is what a {{furigana|King|Basileus}} is.”

There was conviction that was not just fleeting inside those powerful words.

The figure of Vice Chief Yamagata that extolled the young boy called Hayashizaki Kazuki with conviction didn’t seem like a top brass of the Knight Order or the likes anymore. That was the figure of a [follower of Hayashizaki Kazuki].

He who was seen as a hero by the society had declared such a thing until that far.

{All of you are mistaken if you feel an apprehension whether it’s okay or not to leave such an important matter to him. If you asked why, that’s because if he didn’t fight in the first place then Yamato would have already finished invading this country. That is the reality of the battle before.}

The anxiety of the group of journalists that were in that place was gradually changing into anticipation towards the new hero that was still unseen. At the same time a solemn atmosphere that was unlike a press conference of a democratic country but more like of a religious conference of a religion country began to drift in that place. One of the journalist raised a fearful voice.

{If he wins… will this country become the possession of that youth..?}

{It won’t.} Vice Chief Yamagata declared so.

{Of those I know he is stronger than everyone, and also a person with a more upright nature than anyone. He is absolutely not someone that is going to change the thing that he loves the most by his own greed. Also in the case that he does such a thing, he will lose his power as a King… it will become something like that.}

―After that Vice Chief Yamagata announced that the duel would be performed tomorrow and ended the press conference.

The announcement was sudden, but there was already previous arrangement between the two camps and Kazuki had already been notified in advance.

The duel ground was Sekigahara.

“It seems they really made too much of this matter.”

When Kazuki unintentionally uttered that out while sitting and drinking tea, Mio stood up from her chair noisily and hugged at his neck right from the side, the tea was almost spilled.

“Isn’t all of it the truth! As expected from our Kazu-nii! Kazu-nii is magnificent!!”

Kaguya-senpai also took the opportunity to stand up.

“As expected from Otouto-kun! This Otouto-kun is raised by all of us!”

She said something like an old man of a farmer family and then hugged Kazuki from the opposite side.

The face of Kazuki who was sitting on the chair was sandwiched between the breasts of the two that were hugging him while standing.

Kazuki distorted his expression to hide his embarrassment while continuing to drink his tea.

Seeing that situation, Shouko-san too murmured “Hmmm…” while drinking her tea.

The tea time was over, so Kazuki sent Shoukou-san back.

After that, when Kazuki was washing the tea set, Kamimura-san in a jersey appearance came trotting into the kitchen. An active Kamimura-san that moved by her own instigation like this was rare.

“Kamimura-san, are you coming to give me help?”

“That’s absolutely not it. I don’t want to work degozaru.”

A wry smile reflexively appeared on Kazuki’s face hearing Kamimura-san clearly declaring that.

He thought that someone younger that needed to be looked after was cute.

Kamimura-san sat down with a plop on the nearby floor and looked up at the working Kazuki.

“Kazuki… sorry. It looks like I pushed it out to you, about becoming the King of the Japanese Mythology…”

“The bad one is Amaterasu who abandoned her work you know.”

When Kazuki carelessly back-talked like that, {Just wait right there―} the avatar of Amaterasu too was floating beside Kamimura-san.

How he was going to simultaneously become the King of Solomon along with the King of Japanese Mythology, when he thought back now it was only the natural progression of events.

“But Kazuki… after coming back from Mt. Fuji, I have the feeling that your atmosphere has changed a little.”

“Is that so? Though I don’t know it myself.”

“Somehow… you feel heavy.”

Was she saying that he was fat? Kazuki reflexively tilted his head.

Kamimura-san stood up and tightly gripped the fringe of the working Kazuki’s shirt from behind.

“Maybe you feel even more worth it to depend<ref>More dependable?</ref> on than before… I feel this awesomeness from you, that if I become a parasite to this person then he would give me support, that I can continue to live without working. It’s a NEET’s intuition.”

{I get it.} The NEET god Amaterasu was also nodding.

“But I’m thinking… I wonder whether I have made Kazuki shoulder something really heavy like this.”

“That’s not true Kamimura-san.”

Certainly, perhaps right now he had become unperturbed by everything. The heavy pressure that he thought to be really heavy before, didn’t feel like it burdened him really that much now.

Why he became like that―it wasn’t really related with Kamimura-san.

Right now he already knew that he was really loved by his mother from the bottom of her heart, and then he also knew that his mother now had already died in the true meaning.

It was nothing more than that.

===Part 2===

When Kazuki returned to his room, a paper was stuck at his door.

When he took and looked at it, it was a cutely looking pastel pink paper sealed with a heart seal, but right in the middle of it there was [Letter of Challenge] written with a bold stroke.

He wondered who was the owner of a sense that made a love expression and letter of challenge coexist together on one paper without any contradiction. When Kazuki confirmed the name of the letter’s sender, it was Kanae just as expected.

―Tonight at 10 o’clock, I will be waiting in front of the Sword’s Division Washed Blood Pond.

‘Just where in the world is this Blood Washed Pond located…’ Kazuki thought.

To purposefully prepare a cute paper yet choosing the meeting place that the other side had no way of knowing, it was a really careless mistake that really seemed like Kanae. Kazuki contacted Kazuha-senpai by phone and got taught the general location of the place, and then right at 10 o’clock after he finished tidying up the aftermath of the dinner, he finally arrived.

The garden of the Sword Division at night was dark as usual. Before, Kazuki had once proposed to install illumination here though it didn’t happen.

The place called [Blood Washed Pond] had an outrageous name that seemed to be earned because it seemed the place was often used as the duel arena for fellow students. There was an open space in front of the pond. Even though originally it was a plaza for the sake of admiring the beautiful pond, the youthful students began to use the place as a duel space.

Kanae was waiting there with her back facing the pond. The night sky was really clear without a single cloud in sight, moonlight that really matched a black cat was shining down.

“So you came, Nii-sama.”

“I didn’t know at all about this place called Blood Washed Pond, so it’s quite a trouble to arrive here you know.”

Kanae raised “Eee-!” voice and for the first time she noticed her failure, she was then pitifully all shaken up from the shock of having the wind taken out from her sail.

“So so so so, sorry Nii-sama.”

“You careless girl. And then, what’s with that letter of challenge?”

Kanae who received a fresh start from Kazuki cleared her throat with *kohon*.

“Just like the words that I wrote there… right now, in this place, please have a match with me.”

Kanae unsheathed her black katana smoothly. <Michikage>… it was Kanae’s old beloved sword that she used a long time ago.

Although these few years Kanae had been using two kodachi, in a two sword style all along until now.

Her two sword style that came from her concern of her powerlessness. For her to stop doing that meant… that she might have broken out of her shell. That should be the reason of this sudden duel.

―[Shin’iki]. The technique Kanae used in the Grand Haunted Ground that even Kazuki didn’t have any knowledge about.

What kind of technique was it, Kazuki at that time couldn’t ascertain it clearly.

“Got it.” Kazuki didn’t ask her reason and drew his sword too.

“Is it fine to start from this distance?”

Kanae asked. The distance between them was around 3 meter. The distance between them shrank really naturally due to their conversation in the middle of this darkness. It was a swordsman’s distance that was disadvantaging for chanting a spell.

“I’m not a magician. It’s fine for you to start at the timing that you like in the distance that you like.”

“Nii-sama has an important event tomorrow so… let’s do this only until a good timing to quit.”

The decisive duel was tomorrow. Some magic power could be recovered when sleeping but he couldn’t force himself here.

“That helps.”

“Well then.” The figure of the black cat melted into darkness.

He used not just his eyesight but also used his magic power perception to Foresight Kanae’s movement―behind.

The magic power’s flow conveyed to him a horizontal sweeping slash.

Evasion was impossible. Kazuki put up Ame no Murakumo vertically and blocked the attack while his body was still turning behind. The sound of steel and steel clashing scattered sparks inside the darkness.

From there the two blades entangled with each other softly, trying to break the sword stance of each other.

The disturbance at each other was equal. When they both saw that what they were doing was difficult, both of them simultaneously took distance from each other to the back.

Immediately Kanae’s figure vanished with a jump. It was similar with a reinforced Beatrix and Ikousai, a speed in the dimension where a naked eye was helpless to do anything. He had to read her movement using only the portent of the magic power.

The movement of Kanae tonight was sharper than usual.

A thrust assaulted him from diagonally behind. Kazuki drove away the tip of the sword to the side and tried to parry the attack. Kanae’s blade twisted like a snake’s head and tried to run away from that redirection. Both blades entangled with each other once more. Instant Positioning. But he couldn’t pour the concentration of his whole nerves into this battle between sword and sword.

If he couldn’t chant Summoning Magic, this fight would only become a one-sided defensive battle. The other side was superior in speed.

Saying it in reverse, as long as he could just maintain his spell chanting, he wouldn’t mind even if he got hit with one or two strikes.

However… what about Shin’iki?

Kazuki began the chant of Phoenix’s level 5 [Blazing Wings]. If he could just invoke that then it was a large scale attack magic that was impossible to evade.

Having said that, it was hard to contest Kanae equally in sword while maintaining this chanting. While advancing his chanting, Kazuki was falling little by little into the inferior position.

His posture was broken. Kazuki resolved himself to get hit. In exchange he passed the climax of the spell chanting. He switched his consciousness’s gear from the sword to his chanting and poured all his concentration onto that.

“O immortal bird that soar from dusk to dawn, please grant that wings of hope on my back…”

“Now!” At that time Kanae shouted―she had read what Kazuki was going to do.

Kanae’s movement became even more honed and accelerated with a trajectory that depicted nothing pointless in it.

It was a movement that was the only one for Kanae. And then her timing was exactly when Kazuki was welcoming the climax of his chanting. He had the feeling that some kind of unseen gears were clicking in him.

“Shin’iki!!”

While slipping into Kazuki’s bosom, leaving behind an afterimage, Kanae swung down her black katana diagonally at his shoulder. All of her movement was unified like a gust of wind. The impact of a slash ran inside Kazuki.

“For the sake of rebi……..”

The attack just now was by no means something heavy.

But blue defensive magic power was shining and the {{furigana|recoil|reflection}} from that transmitted a spark at the most vital part of the chanting that Kazuki was spinning inside his head.

Like a candle extinguished by a gust of wind―the chanting inside Kazuki’s head vanished on its own.

“…So this is Shin’iki!”

Kazuki spontaneously yelled and took a step back behind. But Kanae was fast. Foreseeing his escaping movement, she came in pursuit to attack. He couldn’t evade. But something like a minor damage was trivial.

The true identity of Shin’iki was a chanting destroyer technique. Power was unnecessary for it. It slipped a single attack at the keystone that became the chant’s most inner core with extreme sharpness and accuracy.

He was being in wonder that a human’s movement could produce such an extremely sharp blow. There was no mistaking it, that this technique was something obtained from the realization of the most optimum movement solution that was derived from Kanae’s muscles, bone structure, and every kind of factors in her body.

Slipping the ultimate sharpness inside in the ultimate timing, a miraculous technique.

The hair on Kazuki’s back stood up in cold shivers. In front of this technique, Magika Stigma were powerless.

Having said that, this was absolutely not a technique that would succeed without fail.

Just now he tried level 5 but… if he went for a low level magic with an easier chant then…

Kazuki corrected his posture and once again he clashed his sword against Kanae’s. What kind of magic should he chant from here? There was a lot of choices available for Kazuki.

Several methods to deal with the situation appeared inside Kazuki’s head. Magic that could make Kanae’s Shin’iki powerless if he invoked it in this occasion. Kazuki picked out one from the list of his magic that he thought would be the most certain.

“O stream of atmosphere, converge on this body, become the storm that reject the hated person…”

Baal’s level 3 defensive magic. He brought down the level quite far, also if a defensive magic was targeted to the caster himself, then the Targeting step would be unneeded and he could chant easier.

It was a magic that clad the whole body with an armor of wind. Moreover that wind could be manipulated according to the user’s will. In other words he would be able to disturb Kanae’s delicate swordsmanship with wind. Her perfect movement would deviate due to the wind that was impossible to calculate against, if her timing was out of place, just from that, Shin’iki would be unable to be completed anymore.

It seemed that Kanae sensed the nature of the magic that Kazuki was trying to chant from the magic power wave because her face went ‘hah’ in realization. Kanae’s concentration increased even further.

“Become the storm that reject the hated person…!”

“…Shin’iki!”

Before Kazuki’s eyes, Kanae stepped in with a speed that made her seem as if she was warping. It was a perfect movement.

Shin’iki had once more―destroyed Kazuki’s chant.

“Level 3 defensive magic is impossible-!?”

Kazuki was struck with admiration. With this the majority of Kazuki’s magic became sealed.

Kazuki barely blocked Kanae’s pursuing attack. He didn’t have any composure to bring out offense from his side.

Plan B―a magic with even more simpler chanting, that he thought would most likely be able to break down Shin’iki.

“O peerless master, make another showing from beyond the dream…”

Futsunushi no Kami’s level 2 magic, [Kenki Tensei].

It summoned a phantom of famous swordsman from the past, whose history of sword was remembered even in this era, to make them fight. Kanae wouldn’t be able to unleash Shin’iki while fighting the phantom swordsman. During the interval when Kanae wasted her time driving away the phantom swordsman, he could just chant [Storm Fort] or [Blazing Wings].

“Along with the flame of transmutation…”

Now, what would she do? Kanae who was just earnestly swinging her sword and Kazuki who was blocking that while chanting, both of their gazes entangled.

Kazuki’s spine froze in shudders. Kanae’s eyes stood out inside the darkness of the night. A strong magic power was residing inside those eyes for the sake of sensing Kazuki’s magic power, those eyes were shining with magic power light.

That blue magic power light increased in intensity and was changing color to green―and then it was changing into a golden color.

It was a phenomenon he had never seen before. He felt the shivers from witnessing something amazing.

Kanae’s figure vanished. That instant, Kazuki completely felt gears interlocking inside him. ‘No good, it’s going to get smashed’, Kazuki half gave up.

“The memory sealed inside the silver mirror……….”

“…Shin, iki-!!”

Kanae’s strained voice. Blown away magic power. Even level 2 magic was destroyed…

His Plan B… Most of level 1 magic was a simple attack magic. It wouldn’t land on Kanae.

The Summoning Magics were all sealed.

Then with pure swordsmanship…

Kazuki’s expression turned bitter. Kanae’s swordsmanship had been polished several levels higher than several months ago.

In contrast during these several months he spent all his time just for magic training.

So Kanae was this powerful if she could just force her opponent to stand in the same arena as her.

Another alternative plan, there was none. Now it was only a matter of until when Kanae’s concentration could continue, how many times she could continuously make her Shin’iki succeed against Kazuki’s magic in succession.

Finally the two laid down on the lawn while feeling a comfortable fatigue. The scent of the grass was pleasant.

After that Kazuki attempted low level magic three times. Kanae crushed all of those attempts.

In the first place it was a match that started with the promise to stop at a good place. If they gave it their all, it would affect the duel tomorrow. Inevitably, Kazuki instantaneously invoked magic with Zekorbeni and ended the match.

A magic with its potency weakened hit Kanae with a bump. The match ended with that.

That meant Kazuki as a magic swordsman was destroyed by Kanae, and Kazuki became the victor as a King.

Of course rather than the sense of fulfillment of his victory, his feeling that was extolling Kanae was stronger.

“This technique is, Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword the Second, named Shin’iki.”

Kanae who was lying down with him said melodically.

There was a technique in Hayashizaki-style that was called the dream sword. A technique that was hard to realize like fulfilling a dream. His {{furigana|father|stepfather}} created a technique called [{{furigana|Kasane|Pile{{furigana|] and handed it down to Kazuki and Kanae.

“…[Kasane] is still hard to put into practive and that’s why it’s a dream sword, but this technique is different don’t you think? Because yours can be used in the form of real battle.”

That was exactly the point that had to be praised. Kazuki too was able to understand the principle of the sword. But this time he didn’t get it how the technique could continuously succeed even against low level magic. Rather than a divine work it could be thought of as an abnormal technique already. It was just too absurd that he wanted to feel astonished more than praising it.

In the first place, those golden eyes…

“No, it absolutely cannot be used until this far in real battle. It’s because the opponent tonight is Nii-sama that it could be used until this far.”

“What?”

“It’s Nii-sama doping. Nyaa―!”

Incomprehensible. Kazuki turned his head with a roll to Kanae and asked for an explanation.

“…I wanted to show my good aspect tonight towards Nii-sama that I could display a concentration that surpasses my limit. Even I, myself, am surprised that I can do that technique successively like that. Even if I try the same thing to other opponents, it’s absolutely impossible. After all I cannot let out my full power if it’s not concerning Nii-sama.”

Kanae also rolled and turned her face at Kazuki and returned a wide smiling face like a cat.

“…What if, for example it’s concerning your life, or it’s concerning the fate of the world?”

“If there is no Nii-sama in there, surely I will not become so heated up like this. The greatest concentration that cannot be used except once in a lifetime, was used tonight, only in this moment.”

Kazuki was astonished and looked up to the sky.

“Tonight, the time where I was exchanging slashes with Nii-sama, just the two of us with determination and conviction… for Kanae it was completely like a stage of a dream. That’s why this technique, is still just a dream sword.”

Unintentionally a deep sigh escaped his mouth while looking at the moon. Just when he thought that she had mastered an absurd technique and became a monstrous swordsman, she then completely returned to the usual little sister.

“You who can let out a power even greater than your full strength because I’m the opponent… what kind of meaning does that kind of thing have? Use that kind of thing for something more, like, for the sake of world peace or something.”

“I’m fine with this. I’m different with Nii-sama… After all rather than everything in this world, I love only Nii-sama alone.”

It was the usual―stupid beloved little sister of his.

“That is why, fufufu. Nii-sama, what do you think? About Onee-chan’s strength.”

“I still admire you just like in the past you know. Rather than me or Ikousai… Kanae-neesan is exactly the strongest swordsman.”

“But even Nii-sama surely can also do that technique you know? Even Nii-sama should have continued to pursue your ideal movement until now.”

Perhaps that might be so. It was simple to imitate it if he had worked out the how and made comparison.

“If there is an instant where I cannot concede that I rapidly concentrate on something… when my adrenaline is flowing out gushingly inside my brain…”

What was needed was a concentration that saw through instantly. This technique was largely influenced by the state of mind.

Kanae tonight was concentrating to her maximum limit.

“In my case, I had to demonstrate this technique to Nii-sama no matter what tonight.”

He somehow understood. Why did Kanae look for a turning point in the relationship between them tonight…

These few days, the person called Hayashizaki Kazuki was in the process of having his essence changed dramatically.

“Nii-sama is not a successor of the Hayashizaki-style anymore. Nevertheless, there is me here so please rest easy.”

Surely Kanae wanted to say those words no matter what before the decisive duel.

“…It looks like you have confidence in it huh.”

“Yes. Please climb to a different stage Nii-sama. I will become the strongest swordsman.”

If Kanae could say so with pride, then the Hayashizaki house had no need for anything like {{furigana|a child for duty|Kazuki}} anymore.

Unneeded. That’s why…

“That’s why Nii-sama, Nii-sama is not a Nii-sama anymore. Nii-sama now is an existence that is like a Nii-sama.”

“You suddenly said out something so incomprehensible.”

“Nii-sama is not a Nii-sama… but an existence that is like a Nii-sama… a man that I love.”

He felt a sign of nimble movement like a cat from Kanae.

He felt a weight bump his stomach. On the torso of Kazuki who was lying down face up, Kanae was taking a pose of straddling him. From there she brought down her body and got her face closer to him.

“Please look at me… not as brother and sister, but as a woman.”

Kazuki softly caught the face of Kanae that was nearing him with one hand.

“…Since a long time ago, I have already been aware of you as an opposite sex you know?”

Since his puberty arrived, he had always mobilized his reasoning power in full to reject Kanae’s temptation while saying joke in his mouth even though inside he was desperately reigning himself. Now the reason to reject her had completely disappeared.

“I noticed already that Nii-sama on the inside is always throbbing fast from my every single action. Kanae is not that shameless, to keep asking to be spoiled so much like that while knowing that what I’m doing is making the other party seriously draw away instead.”

“What a wicked woman.”

While saying something like a sore loser, Kazuki accepted the face of Kanae who even now was still drawing closer.

Even inside this darkness Kanae’s lips looked extremely alluring.

“…nn-“

The lips felt extremely sweet, like strawberry milk.

Their lips admirably separated after touching only slightly.

“Nii-sama… I’m happy…”

A single male and female were connected. <ref>The kanji for male and female here and also the title is usually used for animal</ref>

“Fufufu… tonight for while… please kiss me like this the whole time.”

One more time, Kanae brought her lips closer timidly. Kazuki embraced tightly the thin waist of Kanae.

===Part 3===

The ground of the duel was at Sekigahara.

Looking from the sequence of events until now, from the geographical situation between Japan and Yamato, from the historical nuance that Sekigahara possessed, there was no place more fitting to settle the dispute other than here. <ref>Interestingly, in Japanese, the kanji for male and female can also be combined with other hiragana to mean ‘settling a dispute’</ref>

Looking back, the place where the battle between Japan and Yamato was halted because of the intrusion from China was also at Sekigahara. It could be said that right now the time that had stopped since then was moving again.

The battle between Tokugawa and Toyotomi happened far in the past, but even now Sekigahara was still a vast field. It was surrounded by fields of crops and partitioned by roads, but there was nothing blocking the view at all around them in this unduly wide field. When taking an extensive view at the stretching out mountains in the distance, the viewer would understand that this ground was a hollowed basin.

The sky of the midday was clear. In the center of Sekigahara, Kazuki and Ikousai were facing each other. Taking a few dozen meters distance from there, the east army and the west army were taking position in representation of Japan and Yamato.

The promise was a one on one fight, but there were a lot of people that would ascertain this event with their own eyes.

On the east side, everyone of the Witch’s Mansion were forming a line at the front line. After them was the top brass of the Knight Order, with Vice Chief Yamagata at the front with ten knights as their escorts. There were also the figures of Kanon-senpai and Akane-senpai.

Roshouko-san of Ryouzanpaku too was coming here, though for some reason, she was taking along her beloved horse while wearing a knight outfit. Perhaps she didn’t ride the car of the Knight Order and came here riding her horse.

“Kazuki, {{furigana|BOM-BA-YE|knock down}}♪ Kazuki, {{furigana|BOM-BA-YE|knock down}}♪” <ref>Inoki Bombaye was a wrestling event in Japan held by Antonio Inoki</ref>

Kamimura-san and Amaterasu were singing a strange cheering song.

So that they wouldn’t be a hindrance the mass media people were asked to hold back, but surely there were people that were taking pictures from a distance. There was nothing around the two that would be a hindrance.

The bunch of Yamato was lining up on the west side. Loki and the illegal magicians that were his close associates were also there. Hel’s figure was not there. He wondered if it was because she had still suffered from the serious injuries previously dealt. The Japanese Divas that were still in the Wild God state, <Susanoo Faction>, should also be here, but the figures of the Shrine Maidens couldn’t be seen.

The cavalries of the Chukadou Emperor’s Imperial Guard were not here. Kazuki was relieved about that.

In comparison the battle power of Japan’s side was more numerous.

Even in the case that they became dissatisfied about the result of the duel, this place wouldn’t fall into turmoil.

There were also three people that consisted of Arthur, Regina, and Ilyailiya, who were standing on the boundary line of east and west like judges.

Ikousai who was confronting Kazuki, was in her usual Japanese clothes carrying a katana in one hand. Yasakani no Magatama was wrapped on her left wrist while Yata no Kagami was held in her hand like a shield.

Neither a composed smile nor an exhausted look could be seen from her, just an expressionless face like a Noh mask.

Kazuki who was in his uniform was only holding Ame no Murakumo in hand as the replacement of his lost beloved sword.

Kazuki, too, didn’t feel nervous.

“Between you and me, unnecessary words are no longer needed.”

Ikousai talked with a calm tone. It was a battle that had been prepared until this far, but there was no rule at all in it. Both of them wouldn’t mind whenever the duel would start.

“I too had already grown weary of fighting you here.”

“What is left is only the conclusion.”

“I agree.”

That became the signal for the both of them.

Ikousai pointed Yata no Kagami in her hand at Kazuki.

Kazuki poured magic power into Zekorbeni that appeared on his chest.

“Illuminate the seven seas and all countries, <Yata no Kagami>! {{furigana|Fukyou Kaikon―Hika Issen|Sun Fire Single Flash}}!”

Yata no Kagami instantly polished up from bluish green color into pure white and emitted light like the sun itself.

“Mode・Veritas!”

Kazuki’s body was wrapped in Prometheus’s streamlined shaped silver dress and instantly invoked that power.

“Custom Liberion!”

Equipped with a high speed maneuver thruster system, Kazuki instantly escaped from the high temperature light that was emitted by the mirror. His defensive magic power was slightly scraped but he immediately came out from the light’s exposure range and circled to Ikousai’s back with a twirl.

He didn’t let Ikousai chant strengthening magic. There was a speed difference between them from the Custom Liberion that Kazuki wore which couldn’t be evaded even if she had predicted the attack. Kazuki kept riding on the speed and swung Ame no Murakumo.

But Ikousai met Kazuki’s attack with the minimal movement.

“Illuminate all creation, <Yata no Kagami>. Fuukyou Kaikon―Mizukagami no Tate.”

Ikousai directed the mirror that had finished radiating light at her own blind spot. Just doing that was enough for her.

Yata no Kagami enlarged and became a mirror shield.

Kazuki’s figure was reflected on the mirror shield. Thereupon the shield moved automatically and repelled the strike from Ame no Murakumo.

Auto-defense. It was a shield that automatically blocked all attack that was reflected in the mirror.

That solid defense ability was just as demonstrated previously in their battle at Fuji’s sea of trees.

…But why can she use the Sacred Treasure’s power this skillfully during this short time?

Kazuki still had yet been unable to master all of Ame no Murakumo’s power.

“Open the world boundary, <Yasakani no Magatama>! {{furigana|Kaicho Kaikon|Open String Release Sou}}―{{furigana|Kamiwatari no Mon|Gate of Divine Crossing}}!”

Yasakani no Magatama that was wrapped on Ikousai’s left hand naturally untied and floated on the air while enlarging.

Inside that giant string became a pitch black another dimension and it absorbed Ikousai.

Yasakani no Magatama shrank down in the air and vanished. Suddenly, Kazuki’s opponent disappeared.

“Is that the warp ability like the time help came for Hel!?”

Kazuki strengthened his perceptions and paid attention to his surroundings.

Ikousai’s magic power had perfectly disappeared.

No matter how fast an enemy he faced, Kazuki was able to Foresight them.

But against an enemy that was not fast but warped instead?

Magic power flipped behind Kazuki and without any time to dodge a slash was dealt to him.

While receiving an impact from the smashed magic that made him stagger forward, Kazuki swept Ame no Murakumo while turning his body.

At that time Yasakani no Magatama that was floating in the air―the entrance to another dimension had already absorbed Ikousai’s body inside and vanished.

The body of Yasakani no Magatama itself also shrank and vanished, Ame no Murakumo slashed empty air.

Ikousai disappeared again.

She was right now located in an another dimension. He couldn’t Foresight at all where she would appear next.

He couldn’t sense the magic power of another dimension or the like!

“O piling up wisdom in human history, become the armor that armored my body in several layer! Heavily, thickly, reject every brutality! Seusenhofer!!”

Kazuki prepared for the attack that he didn’t know when it would come and deployed defensive magic. He poured magic power into Zekorbeni and set up a thick armor on his whole body.

Immediately his armor was broken. He received an attack that was impossible to Foresight from behind.

By the time he turned back, Ikousai was already vanishing.

Both evasion and counterattack didn’t make it in time.

…There was no other way than to sense the magic power when she came out for even an instant faster and react.

Kazuki concentrated his mind and guarded against the magic power that he didn’t know when it would come.

―A magic power at his back once again!

Kazuki tried to escape from the slash right away.

But while he was still in an unsightly posture of frantically twisting his body, he was cut down by Ikousai.

…He didn’t make it. She was just too fast from when she appeared and then attacking.

“Hahaha, run around more! You pitiful worm!!”

Ikousai laughed scornfully while once again disappearing into another dimension.

“…So this is the power of the Sacred Treasure she has.”

He wouldn’t be able to escape if he couldn’t react more instantaneously…

If he didn’t overcome this wall then he wouldn’t be able to fight properly.

No, even if he could avoid the slash and counterattacked, there was still the auto-defense of [Mizukagami no Tate].

If he didn’t surpass that wall too, his attacks wouldn’t have any effect at all.

Warp and auto-defense. If he didn’t surpass these two walls simultaneously…

An unpleasant sweat flowed down his forehead.

“The Three Sacred Treasures each have the power of offense・defense・movement!”

She appeared at his back and slashed him once more. [Seusenhofer] became hacked to pieces and vanished.

Ikousai disappeared while leaving behind a yelling voice.

“Yata no Kagami is defense, Yasakani no Magatama is movement! Offense is Ame no Murakumo, but… if defense and movement are perfect then an opponent can be made to not do anything and get shutout completely!”

While receiving damage without any way to get out from the situation, Kazuki asked at the vanishing Ikousai.

“In this short time period, how can you become this skillful in using the Sacred Treasures?”

She appeared at Kazuki’s back once more and answered while slashing her blade.

“…That’s because I have been mostly Susanoo himself! There is no way Susanoo cannot use these Three Sacred Treasures skillfully!! Solomon King… I’m already waking up to the power as the King of Japanese Mythology!!”

Kazuki was slashed helplessly.

He couldn’t call her cowardly. Hit and run―it was a way of fighting that perfectly sealed the opponent.

“But that doesn’t mean that my offense is incomplete! Right now, part of my body is becoming Susanoo!! The herculean strength of god that is unrivaled under the sky!!”

The willowy woman clad in Japanese clothes, Ikousai was having one of her arm changing into the muscular arm of a giant. Certainly a single attack from that was heavy.

“…You are already not even Aisu Ikousai or anyone anymore huh.”

“What a foolish sore loser! I’m only using everything that I possessed skillfully!!”

Ikousai appeared and vanished many times over as if her existence itself was turning into an illusion. Only realistic and certain slashes were left behind.

“Thunder fall on my body and I obtain lightning thought and god speed… awaken the sleeping lion! Ride Lightning!”

While Kazuki kept being slashed he invoked strengthening magic for the time being so the time wasn’t wasted in vain. His physical ability was strengthened electrifyingly. Though right now there was no way he could put it to use.

“Thy rage become the happiness of the war Shrine Maiden! Answer the Kagura of soul invitation and break out storm of outcry, split the cloud and please descend here. The spirits and demons in this body! {{furigana|Chouryoku Shourai|Super Strength Invitation}}!!

Ikousai also invoked a strengthening magic. She was chanting while crossing another dimension and attacking.

“This won’t drag out any longer!”

Her strike’s heaviness increased even more. Ikousai immediately dashed once more into another dimension.

Saying it in reverse, right now Ikousai was also unable to sense the magic power on this side.

Think of a breakthrough solution. …On the contrary if Ikousai was already feeling relieved from discovering just a single winning pattern, then the breakthrough from this situation would become a chance at the same time.

There was an aspect of Ikousai that was like that. He could say confidently that she hated to doubt her victory.

In contrast, no matter how cornered he was, he still had countless magic in reserve. Without doubt there was supposed to be the correct solution among these options. He was able to believe that there was a possibility of victory no matter what kind of disadvantageous situation he was in.

‘Are you still continuing to think even at the other side of that another dimension…?’

Kazuki was slashed many times over.

But while being slashed, he was pondering.

“…O desire that lurk in the sea of heart, that hand reach out passing through the deeply sinful flesh. O incarnation of violation entangle following the desire. Desire Tentacle.”

Kazuki silently chanted a magic that he thought would likely become necessary. It was a magic he could freely manipulate that grew out tentacles from inside the ground. ―Kazuki made the produced tentacles to not break out from the ground so that it was on standby inside the earth.

Ikousai that was inside another dimension didn’t notice that he was chanting a tentacle magic. She was similar to his side that was unable to sense the magic power of the other side.

The instant Ikousai appeared in this world, she would be captured by tentacles in a surprise attack.

…It was still impossible. He still needed some more conditions. He was still unable to even evade her attack. His reaction was just too slow, surely by the tome the tentacles appeared Ikousai would be already gone.

He was slashed again. He was concentrating at his pondering, but Ikousai’s slash was by no means light. Rather, his magic power was shaved off steadily and his remaining time was rapidly shortening.

Think. What was needed was an even more sensitive sensor.

A sensor to detect the opponent’s appearance. Kazuki didn’t have that kind of magic. He had never used something like that in all of his battles until now, so Ikousai also roughly knew about that aspect of him.

But if he changed his point of view for his currently existing magic…

“Mode・Phoenix!”

Kazuki switched to Phoenix’s dress. Kazuki’s Magic Dress transformed from the silver suit to a flame armor.

“Burn to ash all that you touch… the scorching heat of rejection without any place to depend on! Self Burning!”

He poured magic power in the amount more than what was needed originally into Zekorbeni and invoked a low level magic.

A flame in the amount that was incomparable with when he was using [Self Burning] normally was completely covering Kazuki’s whole body.

Excessively large amounts of flame―he manipulated that with his will―he stretched out the flame like a net to his surrounding in a 360° angle.

For the flame to be manipulated by his will meant that the flame got across to Kazuki’s mind. This flame passed through his nerves and was close to being a part of his body.

It was hard to detect a generation of magic power in a space where there was nothing and react immediately. He would be late no matter what.

But reacting immediately when something was touching his body could be done instantly if he was watching out for it.

And then, for the sake of surpassing the two walls―he needed one more method.

Think.

Ikousai appeared―right in the middle of the net of flame.

Right there! Kazuki immediately reacted as if his body was directly hit.

“This is!?” Ikousai raised a shocked voice from being so suddenly caught inside flame.

But there was not much of damage from the flame that was spread out thin. She didn’t even pay it any heed and swung her blade.

The reaction that Kazuki immediately took was not an evasive action.

A large amount of tentacles overflowed out breaking the ground with a thunderous sound, it entangled Ikousai who was floating in the air and bound her hands and feet.

“Guh-!?” Ikousai raised an agitated voice.

Kazuki turned his body while swinging his blade.

Not at Ikousai―the blade ran through his own left wrist.

He had removed his own left hand’s defensive magic. Fresh blood scattered at the same time while he was turning back.

It was his last hand for the sake of overcoming the second wall.

Kazuki directed his left hand at Ikousai and spurted out his blood. Blood spurt was reflected on Mizukagami no Tate at Ikousai’s hand, At that moment in order to protect Ikousai from the spilled blood, Mizukagami no Tate pulled Ikousai’s arm on its own accord and defended automatically.

It was blocked. The entirety of the blood was blocked by Mizukagami no Tate.

Mizukagami no Tate was dirtied. …At this moment, Ikousai was not paying attention to that fact.

“Just tentacles on this degree!”

With the right arm that was transformed into a giant, she tore apart the tentacles with brute force before trying to cut away at the tentacles by swinging around her katana with her right arm that had obtained freedom. After all it was just tentacles from a level 2 magic. If Susanoo’s herculean strength was exerted it wouldn’t pose any challenge at all.

With a hair breadth timing Kazuki stabbed Ame no Murakumo and blocked Ikousai’s katana. The situation became a sword locking contest with him protecting the tentacles from being cut away.

Ikousai noticed how Mizukagami no Tate didn’t react and for the first time a look of impatience floated on her expression. And then she noticed―how the mirror didn’t reflect anything from being dirtied by blood.

“O august god that call the storm, please bestow thy breath on my back that is dancing under the heaven! Fuujin Kenbu!!”

Ikousai invoked reinforcement magic while locking her sword with Kazuki. It was a magic that accelerated her every single action by manipulating the wind freely.

But her objective was not acceleration, she was attempting to wipe away the blood that dirtied Mizukagami no Tate with wind.

“O stream of atmosphere, converge on this body, become the storm that reject the hated person! The eye of the typhoon is exactly my throne! Storm Fort!”

Kazuki who had read ahead that Ikousai was going to do that had also began to chant ahead and invoked the magic at the same time. It was a defensive magic that manipulated the wind freely and defended against enemy’s attack.

But his objective was not defense. He collided the wind at Ikousai’s manipulated wind from the opposite direction. He neutralized the wind that was trying to wipe away the blood and also trying to keep the blood staying on the mirror surface.

It became a double layered sword locking contest―an entanglement of blade and blade that was trying break each other’s sword stance, and also wind against wind that entangled with each other twisting and bending in various directions trying to outwit each other.

He wouldn’t let her bisect the tentacles. He wouldn’t let her wipe off the blood on the mirror.

Both of them manipulated their respective blade and wind with a do-or-die spirit. This moment was exactly the moment that Kazuki had been waiting for.

“…You {{furigana|fake King of Japanese Mythology|Susanoo}}! This is the victory of the King of Solomon’s power! Even I am already awakening to the power of my bond!”

Just a moment was enough. He drove magic power into Zekorbeni―and invoked magic instantaneously.

“O undying bird that repeated life and death, burn that body and liberate the last flame, become the sun of the surface…! Imitation Flare!!”

Level 8 magic he could invoke from his bond with Mio―between Kazuki and Ikousai who were unfolding a double layered sword locking contest, the avatar of the immortal bird was floating, it liberated all of the flame in its body and turned into a small pseudo sun. That energy of light and heat possessed directionality and it advanced in Ikousai’s direction.

The Mizukagami no Tate reflected nothing.

“UOOO…!?” Ikousai was burned entirely together with the tentacles by the colossal heat. Her defensive magic power was smashed up. The blood evaporated and the stain on Mizukagami no Tate was sticking onto the mirror even more.

While her body was ablaze Ikousai finally succeed in running away into the entrance of Yasakani no Magatama.

Kazuki maintained the flame sensor and stretched it out to his surroundings.

In order to escape from that range, Ikousai appeared far separated from the distance of sword range.

“The blessing of Susanoo o <{{furigana|the spouse of rice plant|lightning}}>, cover the surface and show the power that smash and devastate violently…Heitei Banrai!!”

She invoked a large scale attack magic at the same time with her reappearance.

It was a high speed chanting due to her possessed assimilation with Susanoo.

Dark clouds hung over the clear blue sky overhead in the blink of an eye, lightning cloud and lightning cloud clashed with each other and made it rained down lightning. It was a magic that didn’t give any place to escape even if he Foresigthed it. But―

“So you throw away yourself as a swordsman huh Ikousai! That’s pointless! Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!!”

With Ame no Murakumo, Kazuki mowed down the downpour of lightning.

With that one sweep―an invincible blade that was like a soundless wind bisected all the lightning and lightning clouds with one slash and made them all disappear. Witnessing the power of Ame no Murakumo that was finally made apparent, Ikousai’s eyes opened wide in shock.

In panic Ikousai tried to escape to another dimension.

“Mode・Merfolk!!”

But before she could do that―Kazuki instantly had Zekorbeni switched. The flame armor changed into water feather robe. He poured magic power at the same time into Zekorbeni.

“Time turn painting circle, the history is repeated inevitably, awaken the forgotten era right here… leave behind everything into inside the dream, toward the era of glacier! Ice Age!!”

Ikousai who was going to escape into Yasakani no Magatama that was floating in the air froze instantly altogether with the space. Her defensive magic power was smashed up and Ikousai’s muscle instantly stiffened.

Kazuki ran. He closed the distance in an instant and swung Ame no Murakumo at the frozen space.

“Carry the mystery in the blade crest, <Ame no Murakumo>! Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

The chill that spread out widely in all the space was compressed into the blade of Ame no Murakumo.

The blade where the compressed chill was residing―was slashed diagonally at Ikousai who was freezing in place from her shoulder.

Ikousai barely moved Susanoo’s right arm in time and blocked the attack with her katana.

A terrific impact was generated.

―It was not only a clash between blade and blade, extremely low temperature was conducted instantly through the blade, turning the metal’s crystalline structure brittle where it was going to break.

The defensive magic power of Ikousai that extended until her blade was magically trying to neutralize this cooling pulverization phenomenon. Ikousai’s defensive magic power was smashed up in large amount just in an instant.

―That {{furigana|recoil|reflection}}. From the impact of an enormous smashed magic, the body of Ikousai who was moving her foot to another dimension was blown away. He would continue like this and end this in one go―just like in his battle with Hel.

“Tenrou Kaidan!”

Ikousai’s body, that he thought was going to collapse onto the ground just like that got up as if she was rebounding on an invisible spring and she adjusted her stance for a counterattack.

Ikousai’s original magic technique! Kazuki who aimed for a pursuing attack was taken by surprise.

Her explosive thought in regard with the unexpected situation that was happening to her―as expected, Ikousai was an excellent swordsman.

At the same time―Ikousai’s figure changed.

“Hand over more power Susanoo! In exchange… I don’t care even if you plunder me more!!”

Ikousai’s trademark Japanese clothes disintegrated into Prima Materia and transformed into a completely different jet black costume. It was exactly the same like carving the avatar of Susanoo onto her body.

Susanoo’s power of existence that was suppressed into just Ikousai’s right arm ran amok into Ikousai’s whole body. He felt vast magic power was going crazy at the inside of her skin.

Ikousai―liberated that in the shape of magic.

“O young noble of storm, set free all of that violent emotion right here!”

It was a reinforcement magic―it was also in a level that he had never seen before until now.

Kazuki was able to Foresight the invoked magic but―his body had already begun to move in a pursuing attack.

He couldn’t stop.

Kazuki accelerated using [{{furigana|Custom Liberion|Level 6}}] and [{{furigana|Ride Lightning|Level 5}}] while [{{furigana|Ice Age|Level 8}}]’s cold was compressed inside the blade of Ame no Murakumo, he unleashed a thrust with all that.

He didn’t expect Ikousai to have put her stance in order, but there shouldn’t be anything to criticize in this single attack of his.

“Residing in my body, make another showing of the tragedy of {{furigana|Takamagahara|the heavens}}!!”

While chanting reinforcement magic, Ikousai threw away Yata no Kagami and thrust out her left fist.

The katana gripped in her right hand was still repelled because of the impact from before.

In desperation she was only swinging her left arm―it was kind of like a left straight.

But the instant his blade and her fist collided, Ikousai’s unknown reinforcement magic was invoked.

It was the ultimate reinforcement magic.

“{{furigana|Bougyaku Bushin|Tyrannical God of Military Arts}}!!!!”

For an instant he hallucinated Ikousai’s left fist turn gigantic.

*KAA-* A flash of the collision between magic powers―Kazuki’s body was blown away. He received a hard blow that unbelievably overmatched his attack and hit him, Kazuki opened his eyes wide unable to believe what just happened.

Ikousai took a further step forward at the direction of the blown away Kazuki. *DOSHIN!* The earth shook. This time she raised her right hand that was holding her katana tightly―and swung it down.

He was unable to take any evasive motion or defense at all.

It was a completely dreadful slashing attack that he had never experienced personally before. The blade was pushed into his body diagonally starting from his shoulder.

[Custom Liberion] burst and scattered leaving none of its original shape behind.

His defensive magic power burst open and Kazuki’s body was blown away for many meters through Sekigahara.

…He was safe. He is still living. While lying down on the ground, Kazuki reflexively thought like that.

It was a blow that for an instant made him unable to think that he was protected by a defensive magic power.

What the hell, with that power… so that’s Susanoo’s full power!

“UAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!!”

It was not the blown away Kazuki, but Ikousai who was raising a shriek that sounded like she was completely in agony.

She was trembling clatteringly looking like she was unable to suppress what was inside her body.

But even while trembling she kicked the ground powerfully and ran at Kazuki who was lying down on the ground.

Once again, that strong sword with hard to believe power was raised up.

…It would be bad to be hit with that kind of destructive power in succession.

No, he couldn’t get hit again for even one more time with that!

With the table turned, this time it was Kazuki that was cornered. Ikousai was approaching with the speed of a raging wave.

With his thought working explosively in an instant―at that instant, Kazuki thought it fortunate that currently he was clad in [Mode・Merfolk]. Without his date with Koyuki he would get killed here.

“Moves in the Field!!”

With a prompt judgment, Kazuki pulled out the most optimum solution.

His blue feather robe shined, Kazuki froze the surrounding ground surface.

Ikousai had never seen this magic. Also Kazuki invoked the magic just too fast for Ikousai to predict that it would turn out like this, and then currently she had also lost her presence of mind. Ikousai’s foot that was treading powerfully on the ground while raising her katana overhead, slipped. All of that power turned into nothing.

“What the!?”

While falling down, even so Ikousai was still swinging down her katana in desperation. Because she did that right after flopping down, the edge of that attack didn’t reach Kazuki.

“Impossible… reach! Shiraha Kagerou!!”

The instant he thought it wouldn’t reach, with that secret technique Ikousai extended the length of her katana.

But this time Kazuki was not surprised. He had already remembered that his opponent was a swordsman in the level that could do such a thing. Taking a precise half-step back, he saw off the tips of the elongated katana passing him away with paper thin difference.

And then in a counterattack he took a step forward.

“ “UOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-!!” ” Both of them yelled at the same time.

As if scooping up the falling down Ikousai, Kazuki raised the Ame no Murakumo that was filled with a condensed cold.

Their offensive powers were mutually inflated. This time it was Ikousai who was blown away with a single strike.

“Te, Tenrou Kaidan!” Ikousai’s body that was blown away rebounded back at him.

But Kazuki didn’t swing his katana completely. He immediately reversed his blade and laid in wait, able to swing a second slash any time. The Tenrou Kaidan with its movement read was the same as if coming to offer herself to become a sandbag.

Even faster than Ikousai’s counterattack, Kazuki swung down his second slash. Her defensive magic power was pulverized. This time Ikousai didn’t use Tenrou Kaidan and turned into a somersault before rolling on the ground.

He wouldn’t allow any counterattack at all and kept beating her! Kazuki drew closer to Ikousai with Ame no Murakumo that still carried the compressed cold in it in his hand.

“Susanoo!” Ikousai yelled.

“Susanoo, give me more! Hand over more power!!”

“Stop Ikousai! You are really going to lose yourself at this rate!”

Ikousai had already reached the limit where she was just barely suppressing the power. If she continued to invite Susanoo into her any more than this, she will be consumed completely…!!

“GUAAAAAAAAAAAAA-! SUSANOOOOOOO!!”

Ikousai who was lying on the ground sprang up her whole body as if the blood flow throughout her body was boiling up, she was struggling. From her right arm that had been changed into Susanoo himself, a muddy black magic power was overflowing out and went to encroach into Ikousai’s body. In the blink of an eye the color and texture of her skin was changing. Her body was being converted into a totally different bone structure and muscle. She was becoming a male god with flawless darkish skin.

She couldn’t control it at all.

Ikousai herself let escaped a breath of dread “Hyii-!” witnessing the transformation from her neck to her lower body.

But once a Diva had been presented with a flesh body, they wouldn’t stop anymore even if their host lost their nerve. Ikousai who immediately relied on Susanoo from her fear of defeat already didn’t have any willpower left to oppose that.

Ikousai was going to vanish if it kept like this.

Altogether with her sword art’s technique that she had bet her life all this time to temper.

“Stop it Ikousai, don’t you lose that!” <ref>It’s not clear what Kazuki mean by ‘that’. The original text is also ambiguous like this</ref>

Kazuki spontaneously shouted.

He loved sword art. He had respect for someone that worked hard in swordsmanship.

Kazuki was… he had recognized Ikousai as his rival, he respected her skill, he noticed that in a sense he fell in love. <ref>The word used here in the raw is ‘Ai’ which means love without ambiguousness. First time this word is used here I think, usually they used more ambiguous words like ‘daisuki’ which can still be meant as ‘like’</ref>

He earnestly sympathized towards Ikousai’s strength, he felt respect and affection.

That Ikousai, right now, her figure that was going to completely throw herself away for the sake of her longing to become strong was something that he absolutely wouldn’t accept, no matter what.

Muster out the strength for the sake of protecting!

Kazuki’s mind tensed in that instant and he concentrated.

The body moved naturally. With a movement that didn’t have even a single futility in it he took a step forward.

…What Kanae worked out, that technique!

Finally Susanoo’s magic power completely eroded everywhere of the body below the neck and it fully covered the face of Ikousai that painted the look of terror. The last stronghold of the existence called Ikousai, when even that fell then Ikousai’s everything would be changed into the god of rage.

The timing, that would become the cornerstone of Susanoo’s encroachment.

With a motion that had been honed, Kazuki swung down Ame no Murakumo.

That was the most ultimate movement that the flesh body could possibly build. The motion was different from Hayashizaki Kanae’s optimum movement, an optimum movement solution that was only his. Added to that, with a perfect timing he finally reached it. The gears were meshing perfectly with each other.

The single strike that broke down every kind of magic phenomenon.

*DON!* Something shot off from Ikousai’s body―and vanished. The pitch black magic power that eroded Ikousai’s body was torn off, broken down, and evacuated back to Astrum.

“…Ju… just now… what kind of technique that…?”

Ikousai who was a researcher of the sword asked that as the first thing even while sprawling down.

The duel was decided. Kazuki answered while slowly pointing out the tip of his sword right before her eyes.

“Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword the Second, Shin’iki. The highest peak of Japan’s sword art, that my little sister worked out. …Recognize your defeat, Ikousai. Both as the King of Yamato, and also as a swordsman.”

Part 4

…Now that he remembered, his wrist hurt.

Only after this late Kazuki grimaced his face from the blood that continued to flow from his left hand.

“O dazzling beauty of fire of reincarnation, burn the surface of life and make bud the regeneration inside… Anti-Aging!”

He invoked the magic that accelerated cell renewal and restored the wound of the body.

Even with magic power yet if a human bled out in a large amount then he would die.

“…I won’t recognize it.” Ikousai squeezed out her voice while still sprawling down on the ground.

“I’m… going to stand up no matter how many times… I’ll keep challenging you.”

“If that’s what you want to do then its fine if you do that. I absolutely cannot do anything like stealing your life, so you just do as you please.”

In this case his bond with her was completely different compared to his bonds with everyone of the Witch’s Mansion, Kazuki felt something like a bond between swordsmen with her and his expression broke out into a smile.

Although before this fight he had already spouted off some abusive language about how he had grown tired already of facing her.

“But as promised, I’ll receive all of the Three Sacred Treasures now. If you say that you are going to challenge me again, you are going to be empty handed next. You’ve got to train really diligently before that won’t you?”

Kazuki plundered Yasakani no Magatama from Ikousai’s powerless hand and then picked up the thrown away Yata no Kagami. Ikousai groaned “Shit…” while being treated like that.

“You can do whatever you like about how the conclusion between us is going to be, but… the matter about Japan and Yamato is settled already.”

A sudden command rang out in Sekigahara.

“Go!”

The neigh of the horses that seemed to paint the atmosphere pitch black answered that.

From the west direction, *DO-DO-DO-* a sound of earth tremor was audible.

It was the sound of horses’ hooves coming closer. Kazuki who understood that turned back.

The pure black cavalry of the Emperor’s Imperial Guard Squad of China’s army that appeared out of nowhere was rushing all at once at Kazuki and Ikousai.

The one who gave the command was Loki.

“What are you planning!?” Kazuki yelled at the really sudden happening.

Their number was about ten horsemen. …These guys, where in the world were they coming from!? He had confirmed at the beginning, these guys shouldn’t be anywhere near here.

Ambush troops…? But there was no hiding place in this field where the visibility of the surrounding was great.

The cavalry that was on the level of having achieved the unity of horse and man was clad in magic power, they were shortening the distance in the blink of an eye.

Arthur was flustered but he still rushed to Kazuki and Ikousai, whose battle was over, in order to cover him.

“Stop! If you all don’t stop…!”

Arthur was yelling, but the cavalry was not stopping.

Arthur didn’t lose his composure and he didn’t even hesitate.

“If all of you don’t stop… draw!!”

Magic power light wrapped the stick that Arthur was holding close to his body, it transformed into an elegant knight sword with gold ornament. The Sacred Treasure that was famous in legend―Excalibur.

“壮揚兵馬(Zhuang yang bingma)!” <ref>Don’t really know how to translate this, this is said in Chinese, Zhuang=Strong/robust, yang=whipping a horse to urge it, bingma=troops and horse</ref> “杀, 杀(Sha―, sha―)!” <ref>This is like a sound people made when they are urging the horse, but the Chinese word also means ‘kill/slaughter/butcher’</ref>

The soldiers atop the horses let out words of violent atmosphere from their mouths. And then several streaks of low level attack magic flew wildly all at once at them. Completely like a wild shooting of cavalry rifles.

Kazuki too took a stance with Ame no Murakumo in hand.

“Excalibur!”

“Kusanagi no Tsurugi!”

Against the approaching bullets of flame, lightning, or ice―Kazuki and Arthur that was standing side by side swung their swords that were their proof as King at the same time. A flash of horizontal line erased the flying bullets like smoke.

After all those were attack magic to hold them back in the first place. The cavalry shrank the distance even closer.

What made Kazuki feel a chill was how the cavalry fired magic wildly regardless of Ikousai who was sprawling down right besides him.

The one who gave the order was Loki, and the one that came attacking then was the soldiers of China. These guys already didn’t pay any mind of what was going to happen to Yamato after this or the like.

“Finish off the exhausted Hayashizaki Kazuki and his comrades in this place!”

Loki yelled. “Ilyailiya! You too!!”

Loki and also the illegal magicians were rushing to their direction behind the cavalry.

“Immediately using other so roughly… No, I see, so he has that kind of ulterior motive. What a petty Diva.”

Ilyailiya who was standing beside Regina was murmuring to herself.

“Regina! You take care of Ilyailiya!!”

Arthur looked back and yelled while going to meet the attack of the cavalry unit.

“…Chih! Trying to instruct me around just for the sake of this country!! But Ilyailiya, I really can’t stomach you!!”

“Agoni Koparyof… Mec!”

“Ptéra Lonkhé!”

Ilyailiya changed one of her hand into a sliver blade that she swung down, while Regina blocked it with a thick Resist and stabbed back with her spear.

“Kazu-nii-!”

Everyone from the Witch’s Mansion that came to witness the duel with their own eyes and also the guard knights that were protecting the top brass were rushing to him all at once. But the cavalry of China would arrive at his location faster than them.

“Hayashizaki-kun. Please take Ikousai away and escape.”

Arthur worried about Kazuki’s exhaustion and said that.

“Even for you isn’t this too excessive. It’s one against ten.”

“It’s unnecessary for you to worry about me! There is no such thing as excessive or the like ahead of the path that a knight should advance on!”

Leaving those words behind, he went to intercept the approaching cavalry squad. ‘Is he serious’…Kazuki saw him off.

“Loki bastard…”

Ikousai whose whole body was damaged from inside by Susanoo was raising her upper body with difficulty.

“So he already considered me the loser from the start and cowardly prepared an ambush troop like this…!”

“No, that guy is a Diva that always prepares a situation so it will go well for him no matter what kind of result turned out.”

That guy easily discarded Yamato.

From the start he didn’t have anything he wanted to protect or the like. That was why he easily changed his attitude like that.

From the east, there was also a single horseman that rang out the sound of hooves approaching near Kazuki and Ikousai.

“Now then King, what are you going to do?”

―It was Shouko-san riding her horse.

“You knew that it would become like this didn’t you?”

Even though Shouko-san was in the position of being a witness of the duel. From the beginning she was already prepared, riding her horse here for the sake of battle.

She was grinning widely on top her horse while looking down on him. It was only her smiling face that was innocent like the sun.

“Among those Imperial Guard bunches, there is a guy that can use concealment magic that hide their appearances. The extent of its effect is ten people. Using that to become an ambush troop is those guys’ specialty. It’s just as you said, I have expected this.”

“You have that much information. Why didn’t you teach it to us?”

“I forgot to mention it.”

…This girl.

“What are you going to do now, King. If you clash with them like this… there might be some damage that comes out to your comrades in a place where your hand doesn’t reach.”

It was her usual unpleasant tone that seemed to be amused while in her position where the happening were other people’s problem.

“I have thought this from quite a while ago, putting you aside, several of your comrades are a little inadequate to seriously clash against China. Just look at that.”

From atop her horse, she pointed at the beginning of the hostilities that had opened exactly at that moment between Arthur and the ten horsemen.

Even further behind Loki and three of his close illegal magician associates were following after the cavalry. There was also the figure of that black skinned girl called Naiarlako among them.

“Those tens horsemen are chosen among the best of China’s army. I think even with Arthur as the opponent with the ten of them the battle will be more than equal y’know. Well, Arthur too is not exposing all his hand here so I wonder if he is cutting corners. And here your comrades will rush there after this. Loki and his guys will also come running. If they clash with each other just like this, now, I wonder what will happen then.”

She longwindedly talked in a roundabout way plainly trying to agitate him.

But certainly, Kazuki was scared of his comrades fighting in a place where he was not there.

“Even winning against Yamato like this, Japan is still a minor power. However feel relieved, of course this Shouko-san of Ryouzanpaku will lend her hand to you! That’s why this time for sure…”

At this point her way of talking changed completely into a heavy tone.

“…This time for sure, feel some obligation properly. Not to Germany, but towards us.”

Shouko-san left those words behind and spurred her reins, she was heading to reinforce Arthur.

“…That kind of thing is an unnecessary concern you know.”

Leme materialized beside Kazuki.

“The contractor of us, the Solomon 72 Pillar is not inferior at all against the contractors of other Mythology’s. …Kazuki, you too have become a splendid King. Leme and the others have stopped our test for all of you. We are going to hand over that power completely. This is not only regarding you… but for your <favored princesses> too.” <ref>The kanji used here is寵姫(chouki) which means ‘favorite mistress’. The first kanji used alone means ‘favor/affection’, while the second kanji means ‘noble lady/princess’, so it can also mean favored princess/lady</ref>

“Completely handing over…? Are you saying that until now you were still holding back on us?”

Leme didn’t answer. Right there Mio and the others were rushing at him.

“Kazu-nii! We are going to fight so Kazu-nii escape… kyaa-!”

“The Magic Dress is…!?”

The moment they arrived Mio and Koyuki’s Magic Dresses shined dazzlingly. …It was the two whose positivity levels were above 150. Above their head, the avatars of Phoenix and Vepar were floating sublimely.

{The time that should arrive has come. Right now this country is not a baby bird that is still waiting to grow into an adult. The time to liberate the power that you should possess has come.}

{The King is standing here, and then the princesses that are the most favored by the King were born. We too are going to offer this power without sparing anything left to the princesses.}

The avatars of Phoenix and Vepar were absorbed into Mio and Koyuki. The Magic Dresses of the two, who were taken aback, were continuing to shine.

Kazuki turned his face to Leme in order to demand for an explanation.

“What is happening!?”

“You have become a human that is worthy to be called a King. Until now, so to speak was [the testing period of Solomon King], but in this occasion of your victory in the battle against Yamato, Leme and the others are also recognizing you for real as the King of this country. From now on Solomon 72 Pillar and Japan are truly a collective of one body and soul that share the same fate. Consequently we are liberating a new power for the comrades that are supporting you.”

“A new power? This time it’s not to me, but to everyone?”

“A new power… the power of Solomon 72 Pillar that was scattered until now is temporarily concentrated into a special Magika Stigma. That is the <Chouki Magician>. Watch…” <ref>If you guys can think of a cooler way to refer this transformation please tell me</ref>

With a flash shining brightly for an instant―the luminescence from Mio and Koyuki’s Magic Dresses finally settled down.

When the light settled, both of their Magic Dresses achieved [evolution]―with a single glance he understood that it was not transformation but an evolution. With the contractor recognized by the Diva that they were worthy, the ornaments that decorated the dress became something with more gravity. Like flower petals in full bloom.

Phoenix was orange and Vepar was light blue, with their personal color staying the same, the Magic Dresses turned into something with raw materials that possessed depth like a thick magic power made real.

“…This, Phoenix’s magic power is transmitted at me through the Stigma…! Phoenix is supplying me with magic power!!”

Mio touched her greatly exposed breast with one of her hands and raised a voice of wonder.

“Magic power supplied from Diva you say…? Is that kind of thing possible? What is called as Summoning Magic is so to speak an action where the contractor receives a [magic blueprint] from the Diva right?”

Summoning Magic was receiving the blue print of the ten magic that symbolized the myth of the Diva through the Stigma. Using that blueprint the contractor kneaded their own magic power and caused a magic phenomenon in a greater scale and efficiency that was far more complex compared to the phenomenon that was caused by general magic.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 161.jpg|thumb]]

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 162.jpg|thumb]]

But in the end the one that invoked the magic was nothing more than their own magic power.

“Correct, Summoning Magic is just bestowing the source of magic phenomenon. But in the first place a Diva is a vast mass of magic power. Nevertheless there is a reason why Divas don't lend away that magic power. …That’s because there are a large number of contractors. For example Phoenix has dozens of contractor in the Knight Order. He is unable to share his power equally to all of them.”

In order to deal with the illegal magicians and Demon Beast that appeared throughout the whole land of Japan, Solomon 72 Pillar distributed their power to a large number of knights. Even so the number of Magica Stigma was still quite lacking.

“That scattered power is… temporarily, concentrated on the Magica Stigma that you favored. That’s the Chouki Magician. Using a direct connection with their Diva, their chanting speed becomes faster and they can cast large scale magic from the magic power of the Diva itself that is lent to them. …But during the time Amasaki Mio becomes a Chouki Magician, all of the other contractors of Phoenix become unable to use Summoning Magic though.”

Zekorbeni was the King’s trump card, and then this was the princesses’ trump card…

“…It’s great that we got a power up but, I think its fine even if you don’t up the exposure rate too.”

Even while Koyuki was twisting her body around fidgetingly while acting embarrassed, she kept stealing glances at Kazuki.

He had the feeling that even while being embarrassed she was indirectly appealing to Kazuki.

Certainly Koyuki’s dress that until now was in the shape like a school swimsuit turned into a suit with a sense of translucence as if the skin was showing through just like that with a cutting that was a little bold.

“I think it’s cute you know. …No, now is not the time for that though.”

In that direction Arthur and Shouko-san were struggling hard against the cavalry of ten horsemen as their opponents. Behind them Loki and his group were standing by.

“Chouki… With Kazu-nii as the King, we are the princesses!!”

Mio hopped up and down happily then like a princess she puffed out her chest and instructed Kazuki.

“Kazu-nii just withdraw! We are not only going to keep getting protected by Kazu-nii, we are going to protect Kazu-nii too! Just like what we promised at the beginning!!”

Mio and the others rushed with full speed to the location of the fighting.

“Otouto-kun has to conquer us more so that we can quickly become like that too.”

Kaguya-senpai too who was watching over the development with wide eyes was following after Mio while saying that.

…Certainly he who was running out of gas right now might just be a hindrance here.

He should move out of the way while preparing himself to move immediately if something happened.

“We are drawing back, Ikousai.” Kazuki pulled out the hand of Ikousai who was still powerlessly sprawling down.

Ikousai was flustered “Wha-!?” having her hand grasped and she resisted, trying to shake off his hand.

“Stop it! I have never got my hand held by the opposite sex you know!”

“…It’s not like I hold your hand for something strange, there is no way I can let you get away right now. You are a prisoner you know?”

“Kuh… I won’t forgive this disgrace…!”

For a while Kazuki kept pulling at Ikousai’s hand like a tug of war, but then “Sheesh troublesome!” he lost his temper and carried up Ikousai forcefully from her waist.

He ran in this princess carry posture toward the east side where the stronghold of the Knight Order was located.

“I―am―dir―ti―ed-!”

“There is no way you got dirtied just by a carry like this!”

“Is the King of Britain just around this level huh!?”

Chukadou’s Imperial Guard―Son Shouryuu bared his teeth and howled like a wild monkey making an intimidation. In his hand the Nyoibou created by his contracted Diva, {{furigana|Seiten Taisei|Sun Wukong}} was gripped.

Other than him another six horsemen, in total seven horsemen were surrounding Arthur.

“I don’t really want to use Summoning Magic against the likes of all of you.”

As if waving his finger patronizingly, Arthur brandished Excalibur. In the end Excalibur was a Sacred Treasure. With Arthur Basileus relying fully on it, he particularly hid the power of his Diva.

He felt Loki’s gaze. He didn’t really want to show his hand here.

“You really said it!!”

The seven horsemen matched their breath and assaulted Arthur without giving him any opening to dodge. Nyoibou, {{furigana|Houtengeki|Heaven Ji}}, {{furigana|Jahoko|Snake Spear}}, {{furigana|Gekkajou|Moon Fang Staff}}, {{furigana|Rougabou|Wolf Fang Pole}}… all of them created their own respective Sacred Treasures and added the speed of their horses into their attack like a falling meteor coming at Arthur. All of them were Magika Stigmas that had expertise in their weapon technique.

…No, was it as expected that he couldn’t get out from this just with a single sword?

Arthur honestly recognized his opponents and took out a small wood branch from inside his glen check suit. It was a small oak branch that carried the magic power of a druid.

He carried it around in reserve as an item that had the characteristic of a disposable item after a one-time use.

He pointed the tips of that branch to the opponents without considerable regret of wasting it and threw it away.

The instant it left Arthur’s hand, the small branch set free its magic power and it grew into a giant trunk in the air. The solid trunk diverged into several branches while spreading wide, and entangled the seven horsemen.

Their advances were obstructed. While they were trying to escape from the tree branches that even now were still elongating, their sure-kill formation was disturbed. Just with that the battle was now his―a single sword was enough to face them hand-to-hand, one by one and crush them.

Arthur raised Excalibur overhead and rushed aiming for Son Shouryuu who was in the middle of the disordered rank.

…He could also blow away all seven horsemen altogether if he got serious.

But the reason why his will to fight didn’t get that far was not only because of Loki’s gaze.

Because it was obvious that the fault was in Yamato’s side who broke the agreed stipulation, he was not reluctant to lend a hand to Japan like this. But because of that, if Japan’s Knight Order was going to leave dealing with this situation all to the foreign forces like this, then in that case they deserved to be scorned….

“Still, if the King has used up all his power then next it’s the turn of his close aides to show their power for him, now then…”

With a glance Arthur took a look at the encampment behind, he was anticipating for Japan’s Knight Order to rouse themselves.

“As always, you ran around well! You insect are shrewd as usual!!” <ref>The underline is because the speaker is speaking with a heavy accent</ref>

A manner that made people think of Kan’u Unchou… rather than that it was the huge girl that exchanged contract with <Kantei Seiten> himself that was yelling at Shouko while swinging around Seiryuutou. <ref>Kan’u Unchou=Guan Yu’s name in Japan, Kantei Seiten is his name when he was deified. Seiryuutou(Blue Dragon Sword) is Guan Yu’s famous weapon, I think</ref>

Other than her, two more horsemen were chasing around Shouko.

But the horse of the escaping Shouko―had been transformed into a completely different living thing. Using the magic of her contracted Diva <Taikoubou> the horse was evolved into a magic creature <{{furigana|Suppushan|elpahure}}>, with its mysterious appearance that was a crossbreed of various animals’ appearance, it was flying in the sky as if swimming even though it didn’t have wings.

“Your attack is always a large swing huh! I’m already practiced buying time like this with you guys as the opponent y’know!”

Shouko who was riding Suppushan nimbly moved around with a far greater maneuverability than the cavalrymen could and she further laid out violet magic smoke around.

“But, if you are just running around then you won’t be able to obtain victory!!”

The huge woman yelled. As for Shouko―’As always she is a woman that cannot pay attention to the situation.’ Inside her heart she was laughing derisively.

She was saying threatening things to Hayashizaki Kazuki, but Loki had already achieved his objective. That guy was already in the state of waiting for the chance to retreat. That was why just buying time like this was good enough.

Shouko had noticed. Loki and the illegal magicians with him pretended to join the fight yet stayed still in the middle of the way He was watching her and Arthur from the distance where he could escape anytime.

Although for the moment she was laying out smoke screen… it would be her loss if she was observed even if she fought seriously.

Shouko who was straddling Suppushan and flew ran around parrying the severe martial arts of the Chinese cavalrymen like a flexible willow. Both her hands were swaying to and fro around and she directed a fooling around face to the horsemen chasing her.

“Hmph, what are you talking about that I cannot obtain victory. Idiooooooooott! Your King is ugly!!”

‘Now then, what will become the cue’, Shouko looked back at the behind―and saw the Magica Stigmas of Japan rushing here with their body clad in an evolved Magic Dress.

“From the bottom of earth dance the wing and scatter. Trail behind the spiraling wind, become the bullet that reveal the fury of the star! Flap, shoot and destroy! {{furigana|Volcanic Barrett|Lava Spiral Flower}}!!”

After Mio’s instantaneous chanting, the ground was splitting up in cracks and bullet of lava was floating, it ride the spiraling wind of Phoenix’s wing and shot out.

Koyuki too chanted quickly at the same time.

“O the utmost limit of permanence, with that freezing wind please comfort this chest. With the flowing silence of rejection, let’s announce the demise of that life… {{furigana|Arctic Wind|North Pole Wind}}!!”

The wind of intense cold that symbolized the world where life couldn’t live was brought about into this world following Koyuki’s will.

Both were level 1 magic in the first place, but those destructive powers were greatly amplified.

“Fuh… as expected they won’t leave it to us huh. It’s great that I didn’t make a misjudgment!”

Arthur’s expression broke out into a smile witnessing the attack of the Magika Stigmas who appeared to be the comrades and close aides of Hayashizaki Kazuki.

“Oops, is that some kind of power up? Wonder if that is the cue he is waiting for.”

Shouko who was earnestly running around to buy time heaved a sigh of relief.

The cavalry that was concentrating in their battle with Arthur and Shouko was taken by surprise at the magic of Koyuki and Mio that came flying, the pace of the cavalry became disturbed.

“Now! Those that can use sword are going to charge there!”

Kanae called out to Kazuha like that and went to slash at the cavalry that were in agitation.

The cavalrymen looked down on Kanae who came charging without using any Summoning Magic. They fired low level magic simultaneously and swung a single attack of a Sacred Treasure at Kanae while making light of her.

―That kind of thing wouldn’t hit Kanae. She saw through all of the intercepting attacks and leaped between the cavalrymen. She sowed disturbance while running about between the cavalrymen and made them fell further into disturbance with a single strike to each opponent that she passed.

…Kanae was feeling impatience inside her heart. It was another matter if this was a one-on-one battle, but in this chaotic melee, Shin’iki was completely unusable. In the end it was a technique that still couldn’t be called as practical for real battle.

As expected it was Summoning Magic that dictated the battlefield. She once again thought so after witnessing the power up of both Amasaki Mio and Hiakari Koyuki.

Perhaps both of those younger Magika Stigmas now had even become as strong as Otonashi Kaguya.

And then from now on too there should be the same power up that was waiting for that Otonashi Kaguya too.

‘Wait a second’, Kanae thought. She was troubled that her [rivals] could be powered up so casually like that.

That’s right, they are rivals.

Herself was completely pursuing the path of swordsman. That determination didn’t shake at all. But… the desire of wanting to be loved by Nii-sama even more than those girls was burning Kanae’s chest like a devilish fire.

Even though until now she showed jealousy on the surface, but inside her heart she was coolly thinking that she was herself, and they were themselves. That was because she had the thought that she didn’t even stand on the starting line at the time. But now she had finally kissed with Nii-sama and Nii-sama was looking at her as a girl.

Now that she had progressed to this point, she couldn’t stay as she was until now. Moreover that kiss…

“Nyaa<nowiki>~~~~~~</nowiki>!!”

Something that was completely improper for the occasion filled Kanae’s head, her face was blushing bright red and she meowed. Her beautiful footwork completely degenerated into jitters and she swung around Michikage up and down.

The Sacred Treasures and attack magic of the cavalrymen flew wildly at Kanae, who thought of a strange thing and got agitated by herself.

…Damn it. Lacking in observation and concentration were something that was absolutely forbidden in the Hayashizaki-style.

“Burn to ashes all that you touch… the howl of flame without place to depend! {{furigana|Self Burning・Empress|Embrace of Fire Wing}}!!”

Flame was whirling in Kanae’s surrounding in the nick of time, the burning wings of the immortal bird became a folding shape and protected Kanae, who was enveloped inside, from the countless attack magic.

“Please be careful there! Kanae-oneesan!!” <ref>The oneesan here is using the kanji of sister in law</ref>

Mio said that with a tone that got carried away.

“I, I never remembered becoming something like a sister-in-law of someone like you!”

‘I, if I don’t stay calm’…Kanae thought while being protected inside the flame.

―Hayashizaki Kanae, thou art wholeheartedly a heaven-sent child of the sword.

Suddenly a voice rang out inside her head. Kanae was amazed with his timing.

“Bereth huh. What do you want at this kind of time? Right now I’m in the middle of a bustle that has no compare you know. Go back.”

―I have resolved myself.

“Listen to what I’m saying. This is not a situation for something like a long-winded talk. I cannot make anymore blunders.”

―I have continued to think for a long time, whether there is a way or not for me to [aid] thy resolve.

The Diva that was called as the Devil King of Indignation said that with a meek voice.

―By no means thou art going to become my contractor. Thy pure soul won’t accept a contract in equal form with me. Then… Then, I have resolved. I’m going to become thy follower. For thy sake, I’m going to distort my own state.

“What?”

―From this, I will abandon the fact that I’m a Diva. I will make all of my magic power to possess thy weapon… becoming a single Sacred Treasure. Doing that I can make thee, still as a swordsman, aim for a greater height.

“Wait, wait a second. Are you fine with that?”

Kanae was flustered. She had the feeling that an outrageous being was going to do an outrageous thing after dragging out his own resolve.

“Wait, you have been searching for a contractor to be a Magika Stigma all this time right? Surely you also have your own pride as a Diva. Why, to go that far for my sake…?”

―I am Beleth. The supporter of noble valor and earnest love. The significance of my existence as a Diva is all in there. O girl that straightforwardly follow thine own path, this is by no means an emotion of love, but I have been charmed with thy soul. A human that charmed me this much, I won’t find it anymore hereafter even if I search for eternity.

“…Hmph. I also don’t really like Sacred Treasures though.”

Kanae murmured annoyedly.

“If you say until that far, then I’ll accept you.”

Kanae too, despite appearance, was also pleased by this Diva called Beleth.

So, a supporter of noble valor and earnest love. Being liked by such a Diva didn’t feel so bad.

―Then as the replacement of thy beloved blade, call my name.

Beleth’s presence that appeared inside her consciousness through Astrum was overflowing out to the outside world.

Magic power that was like a mist of jade color floated in Kanae’s surrounding. This was Beleth’s color.

“{{furigana|I know thy name|Shem ha Meforash}}! Thy name is Beleth! O the supporter of noble valor and earnest love! That passion into my beloved blade!!”

The jade magic power flowed into Michikage in one go. Kanae shuddered from that momentum that was like a muddy stream while holding tight the hilt of her sword. Michikage was changing. It unified with Beleth!

The name of that Sacred Treasure was…<{{furigana|Kuroneko Michikage|Black Cat Path Shadow}}>!!

Countless Stigma emerged on the surface of her beloved sword. That was the shape of Beleth’s soul. The sword blade distorted and changed. ‘Don’t make any weird shape okay’, Kanae thought.

‘Similar with a Magic Dress, it’s the shape of my and thy soul hailing each other in concert’, Beleth answered.

The blade’s shape fixed into a streamlined form that gave off the impression like flowing water, a gust of wind, an impression of speed.

Kuroneko Michikage… draw out that power immediately!!

“{{furigana|Battou Kaikon―Kokui Musou|Black Coating Dream{{furigana|!!”

The Sword Division battle uniform that Kanae wore disintegrated into Prima Materia, mixing with the jade magic power that overflowed from the Sacred treasure. While making a vortex, it materialized into a completely different shape.

This was… completely like a Magic Dress?

―This long talk is exchanged inside your heart in an instant using telepathy.

At the time when the attack magic and the defensive wing of flame finished fighting each other with both sides neutralized and vanished, the contract between Beleth and Kanae was over.

At the same time with the flame vanishing, Kanae appeared in a completely new appearance.

“Kanae-san also powered up!? …Wait, is that a Magic Dress!?”

Kazuha who was right beside her was the first that noticed and raised her voice.

“No… it’s not a Magic Dress, but a power created by Sacred Treasure? But there is the presence of a Diva…?”

The girl that excelled in manipulating magic power analyzed accurately the true form of that power.

That’s right, this was not a Magic Dress. But a <Sacred Treasure Dress> that was produced by a Sacred Treasure.

Until the end the core of this was the katana in her hand. But she wondered what kind of power resided inside this black outfit that overflowed out due to the Battou Kaikon.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 169.jpg|thumb]]

{Even though it’s called a cloth, but thou doesn’t need defensive power.}

Beleth’s voice sounded the clearest she had ever heard until now.

{This is <the clothes of one who seeks the way>. Since thou made a contract with me, thou art not allowed any crude movement anymore. That black outfit become a sensor that sense the movement of the four limbs, that movement is a movement that thou idealize, the more thou move closer to thy [Quintessence Movement], the clothes will bestow Divine Protection and bring about might into the sword blade. If thou make a crude movement, the power will wane instead. This is the power that is born from the hailing of my and thy soul.}

It was an ability that was stranger than she imagined. It seemed that the Sacred Treasure didn’t simply heighten her defensive power or physical ability. In other words everything would be fine if she just swung her sword with the determination of constantly unleashing [Shin’iki] from her every single attack.

Kanae kicked the ground and attacked the enemy that was in nearest distance from her. The opponent was in the middle of chanting a spell. But it was difficult to Foresee her movement on top of the horse and Shin’iki failed.

But Kanae’s own movement was close to the quintessence. The instant the blade slashed―her black outfit shone faintly in jade color and it flowed into the blade.

An impact she never experienced before and a thunderous roar rang out. The black cavalryman was blown away to the side as if gotten hit by a cannon rather than just being slashed, the knight desperately controlled the reins so the horse barely stayed standing.

It was great if Shin’iki succeeded, yet even if it failed the attack would still become a critical hit depending on how much her movement deviated from the quintessence.

Kanae spontaneously opened her eyes wide. For Kanae who had continuously worried of her powerlessness, the attack just now gave a feedback she had never known before.

{Looks like there is irregularity in thy concentration. A crude movement like just now that resulted in embarrassing failure is intolerable so pay more attention.}

Beleth talked in a way completely like a partner. Kanae let a huff escape her nose.

“Hmph, not bad. Thank you Beleth.”

She said that in a just a little good mood. The gripped hard Sacred Treasure’s hilt emitted heat as a reply.

“They are resisting more energetically than I thought… though if luck is on our side I was thinking of making surprise attacks too.”

While maintaining a distance from the battles of Chukadou’s cavalry and Ilyailiya where he could escape immediately, Loki observed the battle progress and then he gave his order.

“Yosh! We are retreating you bastards! Run away!!”

When Kazuki, who moved away to the encampment at the back while carrying Ikousai, looked back at the battlefield, he caught the sight of Ilyailiya and the cavalry of China making a complete U-turn and retreated from there.

The speed of Ilyailiya and the cavalry were so effective that they had vanished from Sekigahara to the west before he could even say ‘ah’. It was a splendid retreating performance to the degree that it felt like anticlimaxic.

{Kazu-nii, Kazu-nii! This is an emergency, Kanae-neesan, she!}

Suddenly Mio transmitted her voice using telepathic communication to him.

{…What’s with the ‘nee-san’. I get the feeling that there is something different in how you say that. What’s wrong with Kanae?}

{Kanae-san, she, she turned into an appearance that completely looks like a Magic Dress!!}

What did she say? He couldn’t imagine that Kanae making a contract with a Diva as a Magika Stigma, but…

{Kazu-nii, by any chance… you are also connected with Kanae-san, with the power of bond? By any chance Kazu-nii can now understand the positivity level of Kanae-san or…} Mio inquired from him timidly and anxiously.

Amasaki Mio―155 Hiakari Koyuki―150 Lotte―152 Otonashi Kaguya―148

Hoshikaze Hikaru―140 Tsukahara Kazuha―138 Ryuutaki Miyabi―74 Ryuutaki Shinobu―74

Katsura Karin―55 Kamimura Itsuki―42 Liz Liza Westwood―39

Hayashizaki Kanae―175

One, a single fellow with a ridiculous number was there.

{Yo, you have checked now? About how much? Is it higher than me?}

{Mio is 155, Kanae is 175.}

When the positivity level had went pass 150, it then became fairly hard to raise. At that stage the emotion of love that was flaring up in one go was already maturing, it seemed there was no other way to move the number up except for piling it up little by little with emotional attachment. That was why Kanae’s number was not unexpected for Kazuki.

{Fu, FUNYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?}

But for Mio who thought of herself as number one, she could only raise a shocked scream.

<noinclude>

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

{| 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 [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
| Return to [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 3

2016-01-26T10:23:12Z

Windsgrace: /* Part 2 */

==Chapter 3 – Male and Female==

===Part 1===

“However I’m really troubled here if you don’t treasure us a little more as comrades that fought together on the same side. Even though we came to help and trying to stop those Germans from going wild, there is my comrade that just got left to die without any help and fell into magic intoxication for all that. That’s just really heartless ain’t it―. And then there is no thanks or apology at all, you guys looks like you are just completely concerned about those German bunch only, yeah―”

A rare guest was visiting the Witch’s Mansion.

That person was securing the position right in front of the Phantasmagoria where it was the easiest spot to watch the show in the living room. The person was earnestly complaining and spouting sarcasm while gulping down the served cookies and black tea.

“Mu… this cookie! I said many selfish things to that old man Yamagata and got him to feed me with various high class food, but this cookie is the tastiest I have gotten to eat until now… It looks simple somehow, but there is this good feeling that it was made courteously. It feels like a mom’s cookie. Seconds!”

That person shamelessly held out the plate that had become empty to the [server].

“Then please enjoy.”

Kazuki took the plate and placed a second helping. The one who brew the black tea was Mio, but the one that baked the cookies was Kazuki. …After hearing the word mom, there was still a complicated feeling gushing out from him.

“Hauu―…even though it’s Otouto-kun’s cookie that was baked for us… because of the sudden visitor the portion for each person decreased completely…”

Kaguya-senpai fell prostrate on the table.

The rare guest―was Ryouzanpaku’s Roshouko. From the wild jacket and denim pants that she wore, it showed her figure in civilian clothes with her skin that was burned healthily exposed, giving off the impression of her southerner origin.

She looked wild but her instinct was sharp, she was strangely proficient at bargaining―she gave off the impression that she was someone he mustn’t let his guard down against.

“Shouko-san, how can you act this freely?”

Originally she was not a person that was supposed to be left alone too much to do as she pleased. She was friendly but, she was similar to the Kings that came from the outside, a powerful warrior that was a match for a thousand. It was strange that she was monitored by the country.

“You don’t really need to worry, after all my comrade is hospitalized in Japan’s Knight Order’s facility y’know?”

Shouko-san shrugged her shoulder and answered.

“I’m not gonna do anything suspicious okay. I begged to Old man Yamagata to let me go play, if I try to do something then it’s fine for them to just kill off Silirat. It’s the opposite way of thinking.”

I’ll give you my comrade as hostage so let me do as I please―opposite way of thinking or whatever, such a shameless reason wasn’t supposed to be accepted. But he guessed that Commander Yamagata couldn’t really reject her so strongly.

Before, Silirat intervened to help Kaguya-senpai that fell into a predicament because of Germans running wild, and because the girl fell into magic intoxication from that fight, right now these girls were perfectly in the position of a good willed injured party.

By making the rampaging Germans into their common enemy, it also could become a good chance to deepen the relation between Japan and Ryouzanpaku.

But as for Kazuki―he didn’t want to turn Germany into an enemy.

First he wanted to ask the circumstances why Beatrix rampaged around like that.

As for Silirat’s action, who was going to add more injury to Eleonora whose magic power was gone, without even asking about the circumstances, although they said it was for the sake of helping Japan’s side… that was something that he couldn’t thank them for.

Due to that Japan’s attitude toward Ryouzanpaku was still in the air until Beatrix and the others woke up.

Shouko was dissatisfied with this stance that compromised with Germany rather than Ryouzanpaku who was supposed to be their comrade in standing together against Chukadou.

“So, why does Shouko-san who became free come to this place?”

“It’s Old man Yamagata’s public stage after all, so I was thinking to watch it with everyone like this. Come on, it’s beginning see. …Hyaa―, they really make a spectacle eh.”

Shouko-san amusedly pointed at the Phantasmagoria while biting at the cookie.

{Regarding the east and west war that was suddenly tied with a cease-fire agreement, the General Staff Headquarters Vice Chief Yamagata Koyata of the Knight agency opened an urgent press conference. We are now broadcasting from the Asaka garrison of the Knight Order.}

Along with the stiff voice of the announcer that was colored with nervousness, the Asaka garrison where many knights were forming a tight line there was projected in the Phantasmagoria. The avatars of Solomon 72 Pillar were floating at the back of the knights in a line. What Shouko-san called as a spectacle was surely about this rather than the knights itself.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 134.jpg|thumb]]

In the center, there was Commander Yamagata with his best serious expression.

No, should he call him General Staff Headquarters Vice Chief now? <ref>That’s damn long, I’ll just use the Vice Chief</ref>

So that the household that didn’t have the Phantasmagoria could also watch, this announcement could also be watched on flat television. It was the consideration so that this announcement could be conveyed to all the people of this country without fail.

“Leme, what’s with these avatars of the 72 Pillar?”

Kazuki asked Leme who was gulping down cookies with a vigor that didn’t lose or was inferior to Shouko.

“It’s just a show. With this the persuasiveness toward the people will increase right? Everyone of this country loves the 72 Pillar after all.”

In Japan the people were not obligated to be faithful to Divas, rather the 72 Pillar was loved like idols.

The announcement from now on was something supported by the 72 Pillar. If they appealed with that kind of setting, the way the people received it would greatly change.

“Still I wonder why it’s old man Yamagata that does this? For this kind of thing, the highest big shot… in this country it’s the Knight agency’s minister right, shouldn’t it be more logical for that guy to be the one that does this?”

Shouko-san was talking while somewhat making fun of it along with sending a sidelong glance at Kazuki. It looked like she was looking for an answer from Kazuki. He felt her nastiness that was trying to test him. Kazuki answered.

“This too might be a show. Today, what will be announced here will be more persuasive if it’s said by a person that was actually there.”

Originally Vice Chief Yamagata was the commander of Shizuoka regiment that was located in the front line of the east-west war. He fought along with Kazuki till the end and accomplished a promotion in this occasion.

Because Kazuki’s active role was not made public, in the society the achievements from the battle against Yamato were all assigned to Vice Chief Yamagata. Of course the person himself didn’t wish for that, but…

In the eye of society, he was without a doubt a hero.

{…It’s exactly as has been reported, the mediation of the other Magic Advanced Countries was the impetus behind the sudden ceasefire of the east-west war. It was a mediation on the basis of the logic of a mythological country.}

Vice Chief Yamagata got the ball of the press conference rolling with a grave tone of voice.

{Their logic disregard the historical legitimacy that we own and stated that the one that should govern this Japanese archipelago is the mythologically legitimate King―the Basileus. Because of that the dispute between our country and Yamato will be settled not by war, but by looking at who can gather the King’s symbol―the Three Sacred Treasures the fastest. Regarding this matter, I think it will make all of you the people of this country become terribly uneasy of this course of events that cannot be understood at all looking from the sense of values of our country, but this matter until the end is something for the sake of obtaining the international acknowledgment.}

Something for the sake of obtaining the international acknowledgment―in other words it was not something absolute.

They still did the Three Sacred Treasures gathering for the sake of obtaining the acknowledgment from the other countries, but if they lost in that endeavor they still wouldn’t withdraw so easily, it was that kind of thing.

If the situation is moving to the destruction of the country, we the government plan to continue our battle of resistance while telling something like international acknowledgement that they could go and eat shit. That was whatwas indirectly said here.

{Here I reported that the struggle for the Three Sacred Treasures between the two camps of Japan and Yamato had come to an end.}

The journalists that filled the interview hall were making a stir.

{With <Ame no Murakumo> in our country, and <Yasakani no Magatama> and <Yata no Kagami> in Yamato, all of the Three Sacred Treasures have been discovered and the searching has ended.}

The commotion among the journalists grew even bigger as if an earthquake was happening.

{Isn’t it one against two?} {What’s going to happen?} {There was also the legend that the magatama had low importance you know.} {How are you going to take responsibility?} {What responsibility if the country is going to disappear…}

Vice Chief Yamagata surveyed the journalists and informed more without any panic.

{The Three Sacred Treasures are divided between the two camps, so both camps are going to bet their respective Sacred Treasures and a duel will be performed by the two people that Japan and Yamato respectively have as King.}

The commotion reached its peak. …Even Kazuki swallowed his saliva nervously.

{Who is this King you talked about!?} Someone yelled that. Asaka garrison fell silent in unrest.

{The King is―a fifteen year old high school student named Hayashizaki Kazuki.}

He said it. Vice Chief Yamagata really said it.

“Oohh hoh! It’s finally really said out huh!”

Shouko-san pointed the tip of her finger at the screen and directed an amused gaze at Kazuki.

“Otouto-kun, are you okay…?

Kaguya-senpai was worrying for him. Kazuki shook his head unrelated to the strong pressure.

“It should be clearly announced officially like this. It’s different with the era of Kaa-san’s time. The connection between people and Diva has become strong. There is no need to shoulder this alone by myself and fight while understanding nothing.”

“But won’t this affect the fight later~? What are you going to do if you get cold feet and lose and this country end then~? As expected it’s hard right? This kind of thing will only become unnecessary pressure on you yeah.”

Shouko-san laughed as if to stir him up.

“Of course this will become a pressure without doubt, but I don’t think that this fight that will decide the fate of this country should be performed behind closed doors without anyone knowing. I should fight in front of the people. After all the fight this time is not for the sake of protecting the people that is only within my sight, this is a fight for the sake of protecting all the people of this country.”

“Hou…?” Shouko-san retracted her laugh and narrowed her eyes.

{Who is this young man called Hayashizaki Kazuki?}

Inside the uncomfortable silence, Vice Chief Yamagata continued his words with a powerful weight.

{He is without a doubt the strongest Magika Stigma in this country. I, who knows every single one of Japan’s knights, can affirm that.}

{But he is still a young boy right..?} {Moreover a male…?}

{He has already grown up by piling up diligent training of an old style sword art since his childhood and made a contract with a special Diva―the King of the Diva that supervises Solomon 72 Pillar. He had cultivated the skill of a sword master, moreover he possess the possibility to be able to use all the Summoning Magic of Solomon 72 Pillar. He has already obtained several dozens of magic and special abilities. Let alone being the strongest person in the Knight Order, even if he is paired against a single regiment of the Knight Order as his opponent he is able to win… while he is a human he is still a young boy that is bestowed with a power that is similar to an ultimate weapon. That is what a {{furigana|King|Basileus}} is.”

There was conviction that was not just fleeting inside those powerful words.

The figure of Vice Chief Yamagata that extolled the young boy called Hayashizaki Kazuki with conviction didn’t seem like a top brass of the Knight Order or the likes anymore. That was the figure of a [follower of Hayashizaki Kazuki].

He who was seen as a hero by the society had declared such a thing until that far.

{All of you are mistaken if you feel an apprehension whether it’s okay or not to leave such an important matter to him. If you asked why, that’s because if he didn’t fight in the first place then Yamato would have already finished invading this country. That is the reality of the battle before.}

The anxiety of the group of journalists that were in that place was gradually changing into anticipation towards the new hero that was still unseen. At the same time a solemn atmosphere that was unlike a press conference of a democratic country but more like of a religious conference of a religion country began to drift in that place. One of the journalist raised a fearful voice.

{If he wins… will this country become the possession of that youth..?}

{It won’t.} Vice Chief Yamagata declared so.

{Of those I know he is stronger than everyone, and also a person with a more upright nature than anyone. He is absolutely not someone that is going to change the thing that he loves the most by his own greed. Also in the case that he does such a thing, he will lose his power as a King… it will become something like that.}

―After that Vice Chief Yamagata announced that the duel would be performed tomorrow and ended the press conference.

The announcement was sudden, but there was already previous arrangement between the two camps and Kazuki had already been notified in advance.

The duel ground was Sekigahara.

“It seems they really made too much of this matter.”

When Kazuki unintentionally uttered that out while sitting and drinking tea, Mio stood up from her chair noisily and hugged at his neck right from the side, the tea was almost spilled.

“Isn’t all of it the truth! As expected from our Kazu-nii! Kazu-nii is magnificent!!”

Kaguya-senpai also took the opportunity to stand up.

“As expected from Otouto-kun! This Otouto-kun is raised by all of us!”

She said something like an old man of a farmer family and then hugged Kazuki from the opposite side.

The face of Kazuki who was sitting on the chair was sandwiched between the breasts of the two that were hugging him while standing.

Kazuki distorted his expression to hide his embarrassment while continuing to drink his tea.

Seeing that situation, Shouko-san too murmured “Hmmm…” while drinking her tea.

The tea time was over, so Kazuki sent Shoukou-san back.

After that, when Kazuki was washing the tea set, Kamimura-san in a jersey appearance came trotting into the kitchen. An active Kamimura-san that moved by her own instigation like this was rare.

“Kamimura-san, are you coming to give me help?”

“That’s absolutely not it. I don’t want to work degozaru.”

A wry smile reflexively appeared on Kazuki’s face hearing Kamimura-san clearly declaring that.

He thought that someone younger that needed to be looked after was cute.

Kamimura-san sat down with a plop on the nearby floor and looked up at the working Kazuki.

“Kazuki… sorry. It looks like I pushed it out to you, about becoming the King of the Japanese Mythology…”

“The bad one is Amaterasu who abandoned her work you know.”

When Kazuki carelessly back-talked like that, {Just wait right there―} the avatar of Amaterasu too was floating beside Kamimura-san.

How he was going to simultaneously become the King of Solomon along with the King of Japanese Mythology, when he thought back now it was only the natural progression of events.

“But Kazuki… after coming back from Mt. Fuji, I have the feeling that your atmosphere has changed a little.”

“Is that so? Though I don’t know it myself.”

“Somehow… you feel heavy.”

Was she saying that he was fat? Kazuki reflexively tilted his head.

Kamimura-san stood up and tightly gripped the fringe of the working Kazuki’s shirt from behind.

“Maybe you feel even more worth it to depend<ref>More dependable?</ref> on than before… I feel this awesomeness from you, that if I become a parasite to this person then he would give me support, that I can continue to live without working. It’s a NEET’s intuition.”

{I get it.} The NEET god Amaterasu was also nodding.

“But I’m thinking… I wonder whether I have made Kazuki shoulder something really heavy like this.”

“That’s not true Kamimura-san.”

Certainly, perhaps right now he had become unperturbed by everything. The heavy pressure that he thought to be really heavy before, didn’t feel like it burdened him really that much now.

Why he became like that―it wasn’t really related with Kamimura-san.

Right now he already knew that he was really loved by his mother from the bottom of her heart, and then he also knew that his mother now had already died in the true meaning.

It was nothing more than that.

===Part 2===

When Kazuki returned to his room, a paper was stuck at his door.

When he took and looked at it, it was a cutely looking pastel pink paper sealed with a heart seal, but right in the middle of it there was [Letter of Challenge] written with a bold stroke.

He wondered who was the owner of a sense that made a love expression and letter of challenge coexist together on one paper without any contradiction. When Kazuki confirmed the name of the letter’s sender, it was Kanae just as expected.

―Tonight at 10 o’clock, I will be waiting in front of the Sword’s Division Washed Blood Pond.

‘Just where in the world is this Blood Washed Pond located…’ Kazuki thought.

To purposefully prepare a cute paper yet choosing the meeting place that the other side had no way of knowing, it was a really careless mistake that really seemed like Kanae. Kazuki contacted Kazuha-senpai by phone and got taught the general location of the place, and then right at 10 o’clock after he finished tidying up the aftermath of the dinner, he finally arrived.

The garden of the Sword Division at night was dark as usual. Before, Kazuki had once proposed to install illumination here though it didn’t happen.

The place called [Blood Washed Pond] had an outrageous name that seemed to be earned because it seemed the place was often used as the duel arena for fellow students. There was an open space in front of the pond. Even though originally it was a plaza for the sake of admiring the beautiful pond, the youthful students began to use the place as a duel space.

Kanae was waiting there with her back facing the pond. The night sky was really clear without a single cloud in sight, moonlight that really matched a black cat was shining down.

“So you came, Nii-sama.”

“I didn’t know at all about this place called Blood Washed Pond, so it’s quite a trouble to arrive here you know.”

Kanae raised “Eee-!” voice and for the first time she noticed her failure, she was then pitifully all shaken up from the shock of having the wind taken out from her sail.

“So so so so, sorry Nii-sama.”

“You careless girl. And then, what’s with that letter of challenge?”

Kanae who received a fresh start from Kazuki cleared her throat with *kohon*.

“Just like the words that I wrote there… right now, in this place, please have a match with me.”

Kanae unsheathed her black katana smoothly. <Michikage>… it was Kanae’s old beloved sword that she used a long time ago.

Although these few years Kanae had been using two kodachi, in a two sword style all along until now.

Her two sword style that came from her concern of her powerlessness. For her to stop doing that meant… that she might have broken out of her shell. That should be the reason of this sudden duel.

―[Shin’iki]. The technique Kanae used in the Grand Haunted Ground that even Kazuki didn’t have any knowledge about.

What kind of technique was it, Kazuki at that time couldn’t ascertain it clearly.

“Got it.” Kazuki didn’t ask her reason and drew his sword too.

“Is it fine to start from this distance?”

Kanae asked. The distance between them was around 3 meter. The distance between them shrank really naturally due to their conversation in the middle of this darkness. It was a swordsman’s distance that was disadvantaging for chanting a spell.

“I’m not a magician. It’s fine for you to start at the timing that you like in the distance that you like.”

“Nii-sama has an important event tomorrow so… let’s do this only until a good timing to quit.”

The decisive duel was tomorrow. Some magic power could be recovered when sleeping but he couldn’t force himself here.

“That helps.”

“Well then.” The figure of the black cat melted into darkness.

He used not just his eyesight but also used his magic power perception to Foresight Kanae’s movement―behind.

The magic power’s flow conveyed to him a horizontal sweeping slash.

Evasion was impossible. Kazuki put up Ame no Murakumo vertically and blocked the attack while his body was still turning behind. The sound of steel and steel clashing scattered sparks inside the darkness.

From there the two blades entangled with each other softly, trying to break the sword stance of each other.

The disturbance at each other was equal. When they both saw that what they were doing was difficult, both of them simultaneously took distance from each other to the back.

Immediately Kanae’s figure vanished with a jump. It was similar with a reinforced Beatrix and Ikousai, a speed in the dimension where a naked eye was helpless to do anything. He had to read her movement using only the portent of the magic power.

The movement of Kanae tonight was sharper than usual.

A thrust assaulted him from diagonally behind. Kazuki drove away the tip of the sword to the side and tried to parry the attack. Kanae’s blade twisted like a snake’s head and tried to run away from that redirection. Both blades entangled with each other once more. Instant Positioning. But he couldn’t pour the concentration of his whole nerves into this battle between sword and sword.

If he couldn’t chant Summoning Magic, this fight would only become a one-sided defensive battle. The other side was superior in speed.

Saying it in reverse, as long as he could just maintain his spell chanting, he wouldn’t mind even if he got hit with one or two strikes.

However… what about Shin’iki?

Kazuki began the chant of Phoenix’s level 5 [Blazing Wings]. If he could just invoke that then it was a large scale attack magic that was impossible to evade.

Having said that, it was hard to contest Kanae equally in sword while maintaining this chanting. While advancing his chanting, Kazuki was falling little by little into the inferior position.

His posture was broken. Kazuki resolved himself to get hit. In exchange he passed the climax of the spell chanting. He switched his consciousness’s gear from the sword to his chanting and poured all his concentration onto that.

“O immortal bird that soar from dusk to dawn, please grant that wings of hope on my back…”

“Now!” At that time Kanae shouted―she had read what Kazuki was going to do.

Kanae’s movement became even more honed and accelerated with a trajectory that depicted nothing pointless in it.

It was a movement that was the only one for Kanae. And then her timing was exactly when Kazuki was welcoming the climax of his chanting. He had the feeling that some kind of unseen gears were clicking in him.

“Shin’iki!!”

While slipping into Kazuki’s bosom, leaving behind an afterimage, Kanae swung down her black katana diagonally at his shoulder. All of her movement was unified like a gust of wind. The impact of a slash ran inside Kazuki.

“For the sake of rebi……..”

The attack just now was by no means something heavy.

But blue defensive magic power was shining and the {{furigana|recoil|reflection}} from that transmitted a spark at the most vital part of the chanting that Kazuki was spinning inside his head.

Like a candle extinguished by a gust of wind―the chanting inside Kazuki’s head vanished on its own.

“…So this is Shin’iki!”

Kazuki spontaneously yelled and took a step back behind. But Kanae was fast. Foreseeing his escaping movement, she came in pursuit to attack. He couldn’t evade. But something like a minor damage was trivial.

The true identity of Shin’iki was a chanting destroyer technique. Power was unnecessary for it. It slipped a single attack at the keystone that became the chant’s most inner core with extreme sharpness and accuracy.

He was being in wonder that a human’s movement could produce such an extremely sharp blow. There was no mistaking it, that this technique was something obtained from the realization of the most optimum movement solution that was derived from Kanae’s muscles, bone structure, and every kind of factors in her body.

Slipping the ultimate sharpness inside in the ultimate timing, a miraculous technique.

The hair on Kazuki’s back stood up in cold shivers. In front of this technique, Magika Stigma were powerless.

Having said that, this was absolutely not a technique that would succeed without fail.

Just now he tried level 5 but… if he went for a low level magic with an easier chant then…

Kazuki corrected his posture and once again he clashed his sword against Kanae’s. What kind of magic should he chant from here? There was a lot of choices available for Kazuki.

Several methods to deal with the situation appeared inside Kazuki’s head. Magic that could make Kanae’s Shin’iki powerless if he invoked it in this occasion. Kazuki picked out one from the list of his magic that he thought would be the most certain.

“O stream of atmosphere, converge on this body, become the storm that reject the hated person…”

Baal’s level 3 defensive magic. He brought down the level quite far, also if a defensive magic was targeted to the caster himself, then the Targeting step would be unneeded and he could chant easier.

It was a magic that clad the whole body with an armor of wind. Moreover that wind could be manipulated according to the user’s will. In other words he would be able to disturb Kanae’s delicate swordsmanship with wind. Her perfect movement would deviate due to the wind that was impossible to calculate against, if her timing was out of place, just from that, Shin’iki would be unable to be completed anymore.

It seemed that Kanae sensed the nature of the magic that Kazuki was trying to chant from the magic power wave because her face went ‘hah’ in realization. Kanae’s concentration increased even further.

“Become the storm that reject the hated person…!”

“…Shin’iki!”

Before Kazuki’s eyes, Kanae stepped in with a speed that made her seem as if she was warping. It was a perfect movement.

Shin’iki had once more―destroyed Kazuki’s chant.

“Level 3 defensive magic is impossible-!?”

Kazuki was struck with admiration. With this the majority of Kazuki’s magic became sealed.

Kazuki barely blocked Kanae’s pursuing attack. He didn’t have any composure to bring out offense from his side.

Plan B―a magic with even more simpler chanting, that he thought would most likely be able to break down Shin’iki.

“O peerless master, make another showing from beyond the dream…”

Futsunushi no Kami’s level 2 magic, [Kenki Tensei].

It summoned a phantom of famous swordsman from the past, whose history of sword was remembered even in this era, to make them fight. Kanae wouldn’t be able to unleash Shin’iki while fighting the phantom swordsman. During the interval when Kanae wasted her time driving away the phantom swordsman, he could just chant [Storm Fort] or [Blazing Wings].

“Along with the flame of transmutation…”

Now, what would she do? Kanae who was just earnestly swinging her sword and Kazuki who was blocking that while chanting, both of their gazes entangled.

Kazuki’s spine froze in shudders. Kanae’s eyes stood out inside the darkness of the night. A strong magic power was residing inside those eyes for the sake of sensing Kazuki’s magic power, those eyes were shining with magic power light.

That blue magic power light increased in intensity and was changing color to green―and then it was changing into a golden color.

It was a phenomenon he had never seen before. He felt the shivers from witnessing something amazing.

Kanae’s figure vanished. That instant, Kazuki completely felt gears interlocking inside him. ‘No good, it’s going to get smashed’, Kazuki half gave up.

“The memory sealed inside the silver mirror……….”

“…Shin, iki-!!”

Kanae’s strained voice. Blown away magic power. Even level 2 magic was destroyed…

His Plan B… Most of level 1 magic was a simple attack magic. It wouldn’t land on Kanae.

The Summoning Magics were all sealed.

Then with pure swordsmanship…

Kazuki’s expression turned bitter. Kanae’s swordsmanship had been polished several levels higher than several months ago.

In contrast during these several months he spent all his time just for magic training.

So Kanae was this powerful if she could just force her opponent to stand in the same arena as her.

Another alternative plan, there was none. Now it was only a matter of until when Kanae’s concentration could continue, how many times she could continuously make her Shin’iki succeed against Kazuki’s magic in succession.

Finally the two laid down on the lawn while feeling a comfortable fatigue. The scent of the grass was pleasant.

After that Kazuki attempted low level magic three times. Kanae crushed all of those attempts.

In the first place it was a match that started with the promise to stop at a good place. If they gave it their all, it would affect the duel tomorrow. Inevitably, Kazuki instantaneously invoked magic with Zekorbeni and ended the match.

A magic with its potency weakened hit Kanae with a bump. The match ended with that.

That meant Kazuki as a magic swordsman was destroyed by Kanae, and Kazuki became the victor as a King.

Of course rather than the sense of fulfillment of his victory, his feeling that was extolling Kanae was stronger.

“This technique is, Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword the Second, named Shin’iki.”

Kanae who was lying down with him said melodically.

There was a technique in Hayashizaki-style that was called the dream sword. A technique that was hard to realize like fulfilling a dream. His {{furigana|father|stepfather}} created a technique called [{{furigana|Kasane|Pile{{furigana|] and handed it down to Kazuki and Kanae.

“…[Kasane] is still hard to put into practive and that’s why it’s a dream sword, but this technique is different don’t you think? Because yours can be used in the form of real battle.”

That was exactly the point that had to be praised. Kazuki too was able to understand the principle of the sword. But this time he didn’t get it how the technique could continuously succeed even against low level magic. Rather than a divine work it could be thought of as an abnormal technique already. It was just too absurd that he wanted to feel astonished more than praising it.

In the first place, those golden eyes…

“No, it absolutely cannot be used until this far in real battle. It’s because the opponent tonight is Nii-sama that it could be used until this far.”

“What?”

“It’s Nii-sama doping. Nyaa―!”

Incomprehensible. Kazuki turned his head with a roll to Kanae and asked for an explanation.

“…I wanted to show my good aspect tonight towards Nii-sama that I could display a concentration that surpasses my limit. Even I, myself, am surprised that I can do that technique successively like that. Even if I try the same thing to other opponents, it’s absolutely impossible. After all I cannot let out my full power if it’s not concerning Nii-sama.”

Kanae also rolled and turned her face at Kazuki and returned a wide smiling face like a cat.

“…What if, for example it’s concerning your life, or it’s concerning the fate of the world?”

“If there is no Nii-sama in there, surely I will not become so heated up like this. The greatest concentration that cannot be used except once in a lifetime, was used tonight, only in this moment.”

Kazuki was astonished and looked up to the sky.

“Tonight, the time where I was exchanging slashes with Nii-sama, just the two of us with determination and conviction… for Kanae it was completely like a stage of a dream. That’s why this technique, is still just a dream sword.”

Unintentionally a deep sigh escaped his mouth while looking at the moon. Just when he thought that she had mastered an absurd technique and became a monstrous swordsman, she then completely returned to the usual little sister.

“You who can let out a power even greater than your full strength because I’m the opponent… what kind of meaning does that kind of thing have? Use that kind of thing for something more, like, for the sake of world peace or something.”

“I’m fine with this. I’m different with Nii-sama… After all rather than everything in this world, I love only Nii-sama alone.”

It was the usual―stupid beloved little sister of his.

“That is why, fufufu. Nii-sama, what do you think? About Onee-chan’s strength.”

“I still admire you just like in the past you know. Rather than me or Ikousai… Kanae-neesan is exactly the strongest swordsman.”

“But even Nii-sama surely can also do that technique you know? Even Nii-sama should have continued to pursue your ideal movement until now.”

Perhaps that might be so. It was simple to imitate it if he had worked out the how and made comparison.

“If there is an instant where I cannot concede that I rapidly concentrate on something… when my adrenaline is flowing out gushingly inside my brain…”

What was needed was a concentration that saw through instantly. This technique was largely influenced by the state of mind.

Kanae tonight was concentrating to her maximum limit.

“In my case, I had to demonstrate this technique to Nii-sama no matter what tonight.”

He somehow understood. Why did Kanae look for a turning point in the relationship between them tonight…

These few days, the person called Hayashizaki Kazuki was in the process of having his essence changed dramatically.

“Nii-sama is not a successor of the Hayashizaki-style anymore. Nevertheless, there is me here so please rest easy.”

Surely Kanae wanted to say those words no matter what before the decisive duel.

“…It looks like you have confidence in it huh.”

“Yes. Please climb to a different stage Nii-sama. I will become the strongest swordsman.”

If Kanae could say so with pride, then the Hayashizaki house had no need for anything like {{furigana|a child for duty|Kazuki}} anymore.

Unneeded. That’s why…

“That’s why Nii-sama, Nii-sama is not a Nii-sama anymore. Nii-sama now is an existence that is like a Nii-sama.”

“You suddenly said out something so incomprehensible.”

“Nii-sama is not a Nii-sama… but an existence that is like a Nii-sama… a man that I love.”

He felt a sign of nimble movement like a cat from Kanae.

He felt a weight bump his stomach. On the torso of Kazuki who was lying down face up, Kanae was taking a pose of straddling him. From there she brought down her body and got her face closer to him.

“Please look at me… not as brother and sister, but as a woman.”

Kazuki softly caught the face of Kanae that was nearing him with one hand.

“…Since a long time ago, I have already been aware of you as an opposite sex you know?”

Since his puberty arrived, he had always mobilized his reasoning power in full to reject Kanae’s temptation while saying joke in his mouth even though inside he was desperately reigning himself. Now the reason to reject her had completely disappeared.

“I noticed already that Nii-sama on the inside is always throbbing fast from my every single action. Kanae is not that shameless, to keep asking to be spoiled so much like that while knowing that what I’m doing is making the other party seriously draw away instead.”

“What a wicked woman.”

While saying something like a sore loser, Kazuki accepted the face of Kanae who even now was still drawing closer.

Even inside this darkness Kanae’s lips looked extremely alluring.

“…nn-“

The lips felt extremely sweet, like strawberry milk.

Their lips admirably separated after touching only slightly.

“Nii-sama… I’m happy…”

A single male and female were connected. <ref>The kanji for male and female here and also the title is usually used for animal</ref>

“Fufufu… tonight for while… please kiss me like this the whole time.”

One more time, Kanae brought her lips closer timidly. Kazuki embraced tightly the thin waist of Kanae.

===Part 3===

The ground of the duel was at Sekigahara.

Looking from the sequence of events until now, from the geographical situation between Japan and Yamato, from the historical nuance that Sekigahara possessed, there was no place more fitting to settle the dispute other than here. <ref>Interestingly, in Japanese, the kanji for male and female can also be combined with other hiragana to mean ‘settling a dispute’</ref>

Looking back, the place where the battle between Japan and Yamato was halted because of the intrusion from China was also at Sekigahara. It could be said that right now the time that had stopped since then was moving again.

The battle between Tokugawa and Toyotomi happened far in the past, but even now Sekigahara was still a vast field. It was surrounded by fields of crops and partitioned by roads, but there was nothing blocking the view at all around them in this unduly wide field. When taking an extensive view at the stretching out mountains in the distance, the viewer would understand that this ground was a hollowed basin.

The sky of the midday was clear. In the center of Sekigahara, Kazuki and Ikousai were facing each other. Taking a few dozen meters distance from there, the east army and the west army were taking position in representation of Japan and Yamato.

The promise was a one on one fight, but there were a lot of people that would ascertain this event with their own eyes.

On the east side, everyone of the Witch’s Mansion were forming a line at the front line. After them was the top brass of the Knight Order, with Vice Chief Yamagata at the front with ten knights as their escorts. There were also the figures of Kanon-senpai and Akane-senpai.

Roshouko-san of Ryouzanpaku too was coming here, though for some reason, she was taking along her beloved horse while wearing a knight outfit. Perhaps she didn’t ride the car of the Knight Order and came here riding her horse.

“Kazuki, {{furigana|BOM-BA-YE|knock down}}♪ Kazuki, {{furigana|BOM-BA-YE|knock down}}♪” <ref>Inoki Bombaye was a wrestling event in Japan held by Antonio Inoki</ref>

Kamimura-san and Amaterasu were singing a strange cheering song.

So that they wouldn’t be a hindrance the mass media people were asked to hold back, but surely there were people that were taking pictures from a distance. There was nothing around the two that would be a hindrance.

The bunch of Yamato was lining up on the west side. Loki and the illegal magicians that were his close associates were also there. Hel’s figure was not there. He wondered if it was because she had still suffered from the serious injuries previously dealt. The Japanese Divas that were still in the Wild God state, <Susanoo Faction>, should also be here, but the figures of the Shrine Maidens couldn’t be seen.

The cavalries of the Chukadou Emperor’s Imperial Guard were not here. Kazuki was relieved about that.

In comparison the battle power of Japan’s side was more numerous.

Even in the case that they became dissatisfied about the result of the duel, this place wouldn’t fall into turmoil.

There were also three people that consisted of Arthur, Regina, and Ilyailiya, who were standing on the boundary line of east and west like judges.

Ikousai who was confronting Kazuki, was in her usual Japanese clothes carrying a katana in one hand. Yasakani no Magatama was wrapped on her left wrist while Yata no Kagami was held in her hand like a shield.

Neither a composed smile nor an exhausted look could be seen from her, just an expressionless face like a Noh mask.

Kazuki who was in his uniform was only holding Ame no Murakumo in hand as the replacement of his lost beloved sword.

Kazuki, too, didn’t feel nervous.

“Between you and me, unnecessary words are no longer needed.”

Ikousai talked with a calm tone. It was a battle that had been prepared until this far, but there was no rule at all in it. Both of them wouldn’t mind whenever the duel would start.

“I too had already grown weary of fighting you here.”

“What is left is only the conclusion.”

“I agree.”

That became the signal for the both of them.

Ikousai pointed Yata no Kagami in her hand at Kazuki.

Kazuki poured magic power into Zekorbeni that appeared on his chest.

“Illuminate the seven seas and all countries, <Yata no Kagami>! {{furigana|Fukyou Kaikon―Hika Issen|Sun Fire Single Flash}}!”

Yata no Kagami instantly polished up from bluish green color into pure white and emitted light like the sun itself.

“Mode・Veritas!”

Kazuki’s body was wrapped in Prometheus’s streamlined shaped silver dress and instantly invoked that power.

“Custom Liberion!”

Equipped with a high speed maneuver thruster system, Kazuki instantly escaped from the high temperature light that was emitted by the mirror. His defensive magic power was slightly scraped but he immediately came out from the light’s exposure range and circled to Ikousai’s back with a twirl.

He didn’t let Ikousai chant strengthening magic. There was a speed difference between them from the Custom Liberion that Kazuki wore which couldn’t be evaded even if she had predicted the attack. Kazuki kept riding on the speed and swung Ame no Murakumo.

But Ikousai met Kazuki’s attack with the minimal movement.

“Illuminate all creation, <Yata no Kagami>. Fuukyou Kaikon―Mizukagami no Tate.”

Ikousai directed the mirror that had finished radiating light at her own blind spot. Just doing that was enough for her.

Yata no Kagami enlarged and became a mirror shield.

Kazuki’s figure was reflected on the mirror shield. Thereupon the shield moved automatically and repelled the strike from Ame no Murakumo.

Auto-defense. It was a shield that automatically blocked all attack that was reflected in the mirror.

That solid defense ability was just as demonstrated previously in their battle at Fuji’s sea of trees.

…But why can she use the Sacred Treasure’s power this skillfully during this short time?

Kazuki still had yet been unable to master all of Ame no Murakumo’s power.

“Open the world boundary, <Yasakani no Magatama>! {{furigana|Kaicho Kaikon|Open String Release Sou}}―{{furigana|Kamiwatari no Mon|Gate of Divine Crossing}}!”

Yasakani no Magatama that was wrapped on Ikousai’s left hand naturally untied and floated on the air while enlarging.

Inside that giant string became a pitch black another dimension and it absorbed Ikousai.

Yasakani no Magatama shrank down in the air and vanished. Suddenly, Kazuki’s opponent disappeared.

“Is that the warp ability like the time help came for Hel!?”

Kazuki strengthened his perceptions and paid attention to his surroundings.

Ikousai’s magic power had perfectly disappeared.

No matter how fast an enemy he faced, Kazuki was able to Foresight them.

But against an enemy that was not fast but warped instead?

Magic power flipped behind Kazuki and without any time to dodge a slash was dealt to him.

While receiving an impact from the smashed magic that made him stagger forward, Kazuki swept Ame no Murakumo while turning his body.

At that time Yasakani no Magatama that was floating in the air―the entrance to another dimension had already absorbed Ikousai’s body inside and vanished.

The body of Yasakani no Magatama itself also shrank and vanished, Ame no Murakumo slashed empty air.

Ikousai disappeared again.

She was right now located in an another dimension. He couldn’t Foresight at all where she would appear next.

He couldn’t sense the magic power of another dimension or the like!

“O piling up wisdom in human history, become the armor that armored my body in several layer! Heavily, thickly, reject every brutality! Seusenhofer!!”

Kazuki prepared for the attack that he didn’t know when it would come and deployed defensive magic. He poured magic power into Zekorbeni and set up a thick armor on his whole body.

Immediately his armor was broken. He received an attack that was impossible to Foresight from behind.

By the time he turned back, Ikousai was already vanishing.

Both evasion and counterattack didn’t make it in time.

…There was no other way than to sense the magic power when she came out for even an instant faster and react.

Kazuki concentrated his mind and guarded against the magic power that he didn’t know when it would come.

―A magic power at his back once again!

Kazuki tried to escape from the slash right away.

But while he was still in an unsightly posture of frantically twisting his body, he was cut down by Ikousai.

…He didn’t make it. She was just too fast from when she appeared and then attacking.

“Hahaha, run around more! You pitiful worm!!”

Ikousai laughed scornfully while once again disappearing into another dimension.

“…So this is the power of the Sacred Treasure she has.”

He wouldn’t be able to escape if he couldn’t react more instantaneously…

If he didn’t overcome this wall then he wouldn’t be able to fight properly.

No, even if he could avoid the slash and counterattacked, there was still the auto-defense of [Mizukagami no Tate].

If he didn’t surpass that wall too, his attacks wouldn’t have any effect at all.

Warp and auto-defense. If he didn’t surpass these two walls simultaneously…

An unpleasant sweat flowed down his forehead.

“The Three Sacred Treasures each have the power of offense・defense・movement!”

She appeared at his back and slashed him once more. [Seusenhofer] became hacked to pieces and vanished.

Ikousai disappeared while leaving behind a yelling voice.

“Yata no Kagami is defense, Yasakani no Magatama is movement! Offense is Ame no Murakumo, but… if defense and movement are perfect then an opponent can be made to not do anything and get shutout completely!”

While receiving damage without any way to get out from the situation, Kazuki asked at the vanishing Ikousai.

“In this short time period, how can you become this skillful in using the Sacred Treasures?”

She appeared at Kazuki’s back once more and answered while slashing her blade.

“…That’s because I have been mostly Susanoo himself! There is no way Susanoo cannot use these Three Sacred Treasures skillfully!! Solomon King… I’m already waking up to the power as the King of Japanese Mythology!!”

Kazuki was slashed helplessly.

He couldn’t call her cowardly. Hit and run―it was a way of fighting that perfectly sealed the opponent.

“But that doesn’t mean that my offense is incomplete! Right now, part of my body is becoming Susanoo!! The herculean strength of god that is unrivaled under the sky!!”

The willowy woman clad in Japanese clothes, Ikousai was having one of her arm changing into the muscular arm of a giant. Certainly a single attack from that was heavy.

“…You are already not even Aisu Ikousai or anyone anymore huh.”

“What a foolish sore loser! I’m only using everything that I possessed skillfully!!”

Ikousai appeared and vanished many times over as if her existence itself was turning into an illusion. Only realistic and certain slashes were left behind.

“Thunder fall on my body and I obtain lightning thought and god speed… awaken the sleeping lion! Ride Lightning!”

While Kazuki kept being slashed he invoked strengthening magic for the time being so the time wasn’t wasted in vain. His physical ability was strengthened electrifyingly. Though right now there was no way he could put it to use.

“Thy rage become the happiness of the war Shrine Maiden! Answer the Kagura of soul invitation and break out storm of outcry, split the cloud and please descend here. The spirits and demons in this body! {{furigana|Chouryoku Shourai|Super Strength Invitation}}!!

Ikousai also invoked a strengthening magic. She was chanting while crossing another dimension and attacking.

“This won’t drag out any longer!”

Her strike’s heaviness increased even more. Ikousai immediately dashed once more into another dimension.

Saying it in reverse, right now Ikousai was also unable to sense the magic power on this side.

Think of a breakthrough solution. …On the contrary if Ikousai was already feeling relieved from discovering just a single winning pattern, then the breakthrough from this situation would become a chance at the same time.

There was an aspect of Ikousai that was like that. He could say confidently that she hated to doubt her victory.

In contrast, no matter how cornered he was, he still had countless magic in reserve. Without doubt there was supposed to be the correct solution among these options. He was able to believe that there was a possibility of victory no matter what kind of disadvantageous situation he was in.

‘Are you still continuing to think even at the other side of that another dimension…?’

Kazuki was slashed many times over.

But while being slashed, he was pondering.

“…O desire that lurk in the sea of heart, that hand reach out passing through the deeply sinful flesh. O incarnation of violation entangle following the desire. Desire Tentacle.”

Kazuki silently chanted a magic that he thought would likely become necessary. It was a magic he could freely manipulate that grew out tentacles from inside the ground. ―Kazuki made the produced tentacles to not break out from the ground so that it was on standby inside the earth.

Ikousai that was inside another dimension didn’t notice that he was chanting a tentacle magic. She was similar to his side that was unable to sense the magic power of the other side.

The instant Ikousai appeared in this world, she would be captured by tentacles in a surprise attack.

…It was still impossible. He still needed some more conditions. He was still unable to even evade her attack. His reaction was just too slow, surely by the tome the tentacles appeared Ikousai would be already gone.

He was slashed again. He was concentrating at his pondering, but Ikousai’s slash was by no means light. Rather, his magic power was shaved off steadily and his remaining time was rapidly shortening.

Think. What was needed was an even more sensitive sensor.

A sensor to detect the opponent’s appearance. Kazuki didn’t have that kind of magic. He had never used something like that in all of his battles until now, so Ikousai also roughly knew about that aspect of him.

But if he changed his point of view for his currently existing magic…

“Mode・Phoenix!”

Kazuki switched to Phoenix’s dress. Kazuki’s Magic Dress transformed from the silver suit to a flame armor.

“Burn to ash all that you touch… the scorching heat of rejection without any place to depend on! Self Burning!”

He poured magic power in the amount more than what was needed originally into Zekorbeni and invoked a low level magic.

A flame in the amount that was incomparable with when he was using [Self Burning] normally was completely covering Kazuki’s whole body.

Excessively large amounts of flame―he manipulated that with his will―he stretched out the flame like a net to his surrounding in a 360° angle.

For the flame to be manipulated by his will meant that the flame got across to Kazuki’s mind. This flame passed through his nerves and was close to being a part of his body.

It was hard to detect a generation of magic power in a space where there was nothing and react immediately. He would be late no matter what.

But reacting immediately when something was touching his body could be done instantly if he was watching out for it.

And then, for the sake of surpassing the two walls―he needed one more method.

Think.

Ikousai appeared―right in the middle of the net of flame.

Right there! Kazuki immediately reacted as if his body was directly hit.

“This is!?” Ikousai raised a shocked voice from being so suddenly caught inside flame.

But there was not much of damage from the flame that was spread out thin. She didn’t even pay it any heed and swung her blade.

The reaction that Kazuki immediately took was not an evasive action.

A large amount of tentacles overflowed out breaking the ground with a thunderous sound, it entangled Ikousai who was floating in the air and bound her hands and feet.

“Guh-!?” Ikousai raised an agitated voice.

Kazuki turned his body while swinging his blade.

Not at Ikousai―the blade ran through his own left wrist.

He had removed his own left hand’s defensive magic. Fresh blood scattered at the same time while he was turning back.

It was his last hand for the sake of overcoming the second wall.

Kazuki directed his left hand at Ikousai and spurted out his blood. Blood spurt was reflected on Mizukagami no Tate at Ikousai’s hand, At that moment in order to protect Ikousai from the spilled blood, Mizukagami no Tate pulled Ikousai’s arm on its own accord and defended automatically.

It was blocked. The entirety of the blood was blocked by Mizukagami no Tate.

Mizukagami no Tate was dirtied. …At this moment, Ikousai was not paying attention to that fact.

“Just tentacles on this degree!”

With the right arm that was transformed into a giant, she tore apart the tentacles with brute force before trying to cut away at the tentacles by swinging around her katana with her right arm that had obtained freedom. After all it was just tentacles from a level 2 magic. If Susanoo’s herculean strength was exerted it wouldn’t pose any challenge at all.

With a hair breadth timing Kazuki stabbed Ame no Murakumo and blocked Ikousai’s katana. The situation became a sword locking contest with him protecting the tentacles from being cut away.

Ikousai noticed how Mizukagami no Tate didn’t react and for the first time a look of impatience floated on her expression. And then she noticed―how the mirror didn’t reflect anything from being dirtied by blood.

“O august god that call the storm, please bestow thy breath on my back that is dancing under the heaven! Fuujin Kenbu!!”

Ikousai invoked reinforcement magic while locking her sword with Kazuki. It was a magic that accelerated her every single action by manipulating the wind freely.

But her objective was not acceleration, she was attempting to wipe away the blood that dirtied Mizukagami no Tate with wind.

“O stream of atmosphere, converge on this body, become the storm that reject the hated person! The eye of the typhoon is exactly my throne! Storm Fort!”

Kazuki who had read ahead that Ikousai was going to do that had also began to chant ahead and invoked the magic at the same time. It was a defensive magic that manipulated the wind freely and defended against enemy’s attack.

But his objective was not defense. He collided the wind at Ikousai’s manipulated wind from the opposite direction. He neutralized the wind that was trying to wipe away the blood and also trying to keep the blood staying on the mirror surface.

It became a double layered sword locking contest―an entanglement of blade and blade that was trying break each other’s sword stance, and also wind against wind that entangled with each other twisting and bending in various directions trying to outwit each other.

He wouldn’t let her bisect the tentacles. He wouldn’t let her wipe off the blood on the mirror.

Both of them manipulated their respective blade and wind with a do-or-die spirit. This moment was exactly the moment that Kazuki had been waiting for.

“…You {{furigana|fake King of Japanese Mythology|Susanoo}}! This is the victory of the King of Solomon’s power! Even I am already awakening to the power of my bond!”

Just a moment was enough. He drove magic power into Zekorbeni―and invoked magic instantaneously.

“O undying bird that repeated life and death, burn that body and liberate the last flame, become the sun of the surface…! Imitation Flare!!”

Level 8 magic he could invoke from his bond with Mio―between Kazuki and Ikousai who were unfolding a double layered sword locking contest, the avatar of the immortal bird was floating, it liberated all of the flame in its body and turned into a small pseudo sun. That energy of light and heat possessed directionality and it advanced in Ikousai’s direction.

The Mizukagami no Tate reflected nothing.

“UOOO…!?” Ikousai was burned entirely together with the tentacles by the colossal heat. Her defensive magic power was smashed up. The blood evaporated and the stain on Mizukagami no Tate was sticking onto the mirror even more.

While her body was ablaze Ikousai finally succeed in running away into the entrance of Yasakani no Magatama.

Kazuki maintained the flame sensor and stretched it out to his surroundings.

In order to escape from that range, Ikousai appeared far separated from the distance of sword range.

“The blessing of Susanoo o <{{furigana|the spouse of rice plant|lightning}}>, cover the surface and show the power that smash and devastate violently…Heitei Banrai!!”

She invoked a large scale attack magic at the same time with her reappearance.

It was a high speed chanting due to her possessed assimilation with Susanoo.

Dark clouds hung over the clear blue sky overhead in the blink of an eye, lightning cloud and lightning cloud clashed with each other and made it rained down lightning. It was a magic that didn’t give any place to escape even if he Foresigthed it. But―

“So you throw away yourself as a swordsman huh Ikousai! That’s pointless! Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!!”

With Ame no Murakumo, Kazuki mowed down the downpour of lightning.

With that one sweep―an invincible blade that was like a soundless wind bisected all the lightning and lightning clouds with one slash and made them all disappear. Witnessing the power of Ame no Murakumo that was finally made apparent, Ikousai’s eyes opened wide in shock.

In panic Ikousai tried to escape to another dimension.

“Mode・Merfolk!!”

But before she could do that―Kazuki instantly had Zekorbeni switched. The flame armor changed into water feather robe. He poured magic power at the same time into Zekorbeni.

“Time turn painting circle, the history is repeated inevitably, awaken the forgotten era right here… leave behind everything into inside the dream, toward the era of glacier! Ice Age!!”

Ikousai who was going to escape into Yasakani no Magatama that was floating in the air froze instantly altogether with the space. Her defensive magic power was smashed up and Ikousai’s muscle instantly stiffened.

Kazuki ran. He closed the distance in an instant and swung Ame no Murakumo at the frozen space.

“Carry the mystery in the blade crest, <Ame no Murakumo>! Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

The chill that spread out widely in all the space was compressed into the blade of Ame no Murakumo.

The blade where the compressed chill was residing―was slashed diagonally at Ikousai who was freezing in place from her shoulder.

Ikousai barely moved Susanoo’s right arm in time and blocked the attack with her katana.

A terrific impact was generated.

―It was not only a clash between blade and blade, extremely low temperature was conducted instantly through the blade, turning the metal’s crystalline structure brittle where it was going to break.

The defensive magic power of Ikousai that extended until her blade was magically trying to neutralize this cooling pulverization phenomenon. Ikousai’s defensive magic power was smashed up in large amount just in an instant.

―That {{furigana|recoil|reflection}}. From the impact of an enormous smashed magic, the body of Ikousai who was moving her foot to another dimension was blown away. He would continue like this and end this in one go―just like in his battle with Hel.

“Tenrou Kaidan!”

Ikousai’s body, that he thought was going to collapse onto the ground just like that got up as if she was rebounding on an invisible spring and she adjusted her stance for a counterattack.

Ikousai’s original magic technique! Kazuki who aimed for a pursuing attack was taken by surprise.

Her explosive thought in regard with the unexpected situation that was happening to her―as expected, Ikousai was an excellent swordsman.

At the same time―Ikousai’s figure changed.

“Hand over more power Susanoo! In exchange… I don’t care even if you plunder me more!!”

Ikousai’s trademark Japanese clothes disintegrated into Prima Materia and transformed into a completely different jet black costume. It was exactly the same like carving the avatar of Susanoo onto her body.

Susanoo’s power of existence that was suppressed into just Ikousai’s right arm ran amok into Ikousai’s whole body. He felt vast magic power was going crazy at the inside of her skin.

Ikousai―liberated that in the shape of magic.

“O young noble of storm, set free all of that violent emotion right here!”

It was a reinforcement magic―it was also in a level that he had never seen before until now.

Kazuki was able to Foresight the invoked magic but―his body had already begun to move in a pursuing attack.

He couldn’t stop.

Kazuki accelerated using [{{furigana|Custom Liberion|Level 6}}] and [{{furigana|Ride Lightning|Level 5}}] while [{{furigana|Ice Age|Level 8}}]’s cold was compressed inside the blade of Ame no Murakumo, he unleashed a thrust with all that.

He didn’t expect Ikousai to have put her stance in order, but there shouldn’t be anything to criticize in this single attack of his.

“Residing in my body, make another showing of the tragedy of {{furigana|Takamagahara|the heavens}}!!”

While chanting reinforcement magic, Ikousai threw away Yata no Kagami and thrust out her left fist.

The katana gripped in her right hand was still repelled because of the impact from before.

In desperation she was only swinging her left arm―it was kind of like a left straight.

But the instant his blade and her fist collided, Ikousai’s unknown reinforcement magic was invoked.

It was the ultimate reinforcement magic.

“{{furigana|Bougyaku Bushin|Tyrannical God of Military Arts}}!!!!”

For an instant he hallucinated Ikousai’s left fist turn gigantic.

*KAA-* A flash of the collision between magic powers―Kazuki’s body was blown away. He received a hard blow that unbelievably overmatched his attack and hit him, Kazuki opened his eyes wide unable to believe what just happened.

Ikousai took a further step forward at the direction of the blown away Kazuki. *DOSHIN!* The earth shook. This time she raised her right hand that was holding her katana tightly―and swung it down.

He was unable to take any evasive motion or defense at all.

It was a completely dreadful slashing attack that he had never experienced personally before. The blade was pushed into his body diagonally starting from his shoulder.

[Custom Liberion] burst and scattered leaving none of its original shape behind.

His defensive magic power burst open and Kazuki’s body was blown away for many meters through Sekigahara.

…He was safe. He is still living. While lying down on the ground, Kazuki reflexively thought like that.

It was a blow that for an instant made him unable to think that he was protected by a defensive magic power.

What the hell, with that power… so that’s Susanoo’s full power!

“UAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!!”

It was not the blown away Kazuki, but Ikousai who was raising a shriek that was sounded completely in agony.

She was trembling clatteringly looking like she was unable to suppress what was inside her body.

But even while trembling she kicked the ground powerfully and ran at Kazuki who was lying down on the ground.

Once again, that strong sword with hard to believe power was raised up.

…It would be bad to be hit with that kind of destructive power in succession.

No, he couldn’t get hit again for even one more time with that!

With the table turned, this time it was Kazuki that was cornered. Ikousai was approaching with the speed of a raging wave.

With his thought working explosively in an instant―at that instant, Kazuki thought it fortunate that currently he was clad in [Mode・Merfolk]. Without his date with Koyuki he would get killed here.

“Moves in the Field!!”

With a prompt judgment, Kazuki pulled out the most optimum solution.

His blue feather robe shined, Kazuki froze the surrounding ground surface.

Ikousai had never seen this magic. Also Kazuki invoked the magic just too fast for Ikousai to predict that it would turn out like this, and then currently she had also lost her presence of mind. Ikousai’s foot that was treading powerfully on the ground while raising her katana overhead, slipped. All of that power turned into nothing.

“What the!?”

While falling down, even so Ikousai was still swinging down her katana in desperation. Because she did that right after flopping down, the edge of that attack didn’t reach Kazuki.

“Impossible… reach! Shiraha Kagerou!!”

The instant he thought it wouldn’t reach, with that secret technique Ikousai extended the length of her katana.

But this time Kazuki was not surprised. He had already remembered that his opponent was a swordsman in the level that could do such a thing. Taking a precise half-step back, he saw off the tips of the elongated katana passing him away with paper thin difference.

And then in a counterattack he took a step forward.

“ “UOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-!!” ” Both of them yelled at the same time.

As if scooping up the falling down Ikousai, Kazuki raised the Ame no Murakumo that was filled with a condensed cold.

Their offensive powers were mutually inflated. This time it was Ikousai who was blown away with a single strike.

“Te, Tenrou Kaidan!” Ikousai’s body that was blown away rebounded back at him.

But Kazuki didn’t swing his katana completely. He immediately reversed his blade and laid in wait, able to swing a second slash any time. The Tenrou Kaidan with its movement read was the same as if coming to offer herself to become a sandbag.

Even faster than Ikousai’s counterattack, Kazuki swung down his second slash. Her defensive magic power was pulverized. This time Ikousai didn’t use Tenrou Kaidan and turned into a somersault before rolling on the ground.

He wouldn’t allow any counterattack at all and kept beating her! Kazuki drew closer to Ikousai with Ame no Murakumo that still carried the compressed cold in it in his hand.

“Susanoo!” Ikousai yelled.

“Susanoo, give me more! Hand over more power!!”

“Stop Ikousai! You are really going to lose yourself at this rate!”

Ikousai had already reached the limit where she was just barely suppressing the power. If she did more than this, inviting Susanoo completely into her inside…!!

“GUAAAAAAAAAAAAA-! SUSANOOOOOOO!!”

Ikousai who was lying on the ground sprang up her whole body as if the blood flow throughout her body was boiling up, she was struggling. From her right arm that had been changed into Susanoo himself, a muddy black magic power was overflowing out and went to encroach into Ikousai’s body. In the blink of an eye the color and texture of her skin was changing. Her body was being converted into a totally different bone structure and muscle. She was becoming a male god with flawless darkish skin.

She couldn’t control it at all.

Ikousai herself let escaped a breath of dread “Hyii-!” witnessing the transformation from her neck to her lower body.

But once a Diva had been presented with a flesh body, they wouldn’t stop anymore even if their host lost their nerve. Ikousai who immediately relied on Susanoo from her fear of defeat already didn’t have any willpower left to oppose that.

Ikousai was going to vanish if it kept like this.

Altogether with her sword art’s technique that she had bet her life all this time to temper.

“Stop it Ikousai, don’t you lose that!” <ref>It’s not clear what Kazuki mean by ‘that’. The original text is also ambiguous like this</ref>

Kazuki spontaneously shouted.

He loved sword art. He had respect for someone that worked hard in sword.

Kazuki was… he had recognized Ikousai as his rival, he respected her skill, he noticed that in a sense he fell in love. <ref>The word used here in the raw is ‘Ai’ which means love without ambiguousness. First time this word is used here I think, usually they used more ambiguous words like ‘daisuki’ which can still be meant as ‘like’</ref>

He earnestly sympathized towards Ikousai’s strength, he felt respect and affection.

That Ikousai, right now, her figure that was going to completely throw herself away for the sake of her longing to become strong was something that he absolutely wouldn’t accept, no matter what.

Muster out the strength for the sake of protecting!

Kazuki’s mind tensed in that instant and he concentrated.

The body moved naturally. With a movement that didn’t have even a single futility in it he took a step forward.

…What Kanae worked out, that technique!

Finally Susanoo’s magic power completely eroded everywhere of the body below the neck and it fully covered the face of Ikousai that painted the look of terror. The last stronghold of the existence called Ikousai, when even that fell then Ikousai’s everything would be changed into the god of rage.

The timing, that would become the cornerstone of Susanoo’s encroachment.

With a motion that had been honed, Kazuki swung down Ame no Murakumo.

That was the most ultimate movement that the flesh body could possibly build. The motion was different from Hayashizaki Kanae’s optimum movement, an optimum movement solution that was only his. Added to that, with a perfect timing he finally reached it. The gears were meshing perfectly with each other.

The single strike that broke down every kind of magic phenomenon.

*DON!* Something shot off from Ikousai’s body―and vanished. The pitch black magic power that eroded Ikousai’s body was torn off, broke down, and evacuated back to Astrum.

“…Ju… just now… what kind of technique that…?”

Ikousai who was a researcher of sword asked that as the first thing even while sprawling down.

The duel was decided. Kazuki answered while slowly pointing out the tip of his sword right before her eyes.

“Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword the Second, Shin’iki. The highest peak of Japan’s sword art, that my little sister worked out. …Recognize your defeat, Ikousai. Both as the King of Yamato, and also as a swordsman.”

Part 4

…Now that he remembered, his wrist hurt.

Only after this late Kazuki grimaced his face from the blood that continued to flow from his left hand.

“O dazzling beauty of fire of reincarnation, burn the surface of life and make bud the regeneration inside… Anti-Aging!”

He invoked the magic that accelerated cell renewal and restored the wound of the body.

Even with magic power yet if a human bled out in a large amount then he would die.

“…I won’t recognize it.” Ikousai squeezed out her voice while still sprawling down on the ground.

“I’m… going to stand up no matter how many times… I’ll keep challenging you.”

“If that’s what you want to do then its fine if you do that. I absolutely cannot do anything like stealing your life, so you just do as you please.”

In this case his bond with her was completely different compared to his bonds with everyone of the Witch’s Mansion, Kazuki felt something like a bond between swordsmen with her and his expression broke out into a smile.

Although before this fight he had already spouted off some abusive language about how he had grown tired already of facing her.

“But as promised, I’ll receive all of the Three Sacred Treasures now. If you say that you are going to challenge me again, you are going to be empty handed next. You’ve got to train really diligently before that won’t you?”

Kazuki plundered Yasakani no Magatama from Ikousai’s powerless hand and then picked up the thrown away Yata no Kagami. Ikousai groaned “Shit…” while being treated like that.

“You can do whatever you like about how the conclusion between us is going to be, but… the matter about Japan and Yamato is settled already.”

A sudden command rang out in Sekigahara.

“Go!”

The neigh of the horses that seemed to paint the atmosphere pitch black answered that.

From the west direction, *DO-DO-DO-* a sound of earth tremor was audible.

It was the sound of horses’ hooves coming closer. Kazuki who understood that turned back.

The pure black cavalry of the Emperor’s Imperial Guard Squad of China’s army that appeared out of nowhere was rushing all at once at Kazuki and Ikousai.

The one who gave the command was Loki.

“What are you planning!?” Kazuki yelled at the really sudden happening.

Their number was about ten horsemen. …These guys, where in the world were they coming from!? He had confirmed at the beginning, these guys shouldn’t be anywhere near here.

Ambush troop…? But there was no hiding place in this field where the visibility of the surrounding was great.

The cavalry that was on the level of having achieved the unity of horse and man was clad in magic power, they were shortening the distance in the blink of an eye.

Arthur was flustered but he still rushed to Kazuki and Ikousai, whose battle was over, in order to cover him.

“Stop! If you all don’t stop…!”

Arthur was yelling, but the cavalry was not stopping.

Arthur didn’t lose his composure and he didn’t even hesitate.

“If all of you don’t stop… draw!!”

Magic power light wrapped the stick that Arthur was holding close to his body, it transformed into an elegant knight sword with gold ornament. The Sacred Treasure that was famous in legend―Excalibur.

“壮揚兵馬(Zhuang yang bingma)!” <ref>Don’t really know how to translate this, this is said in Chinese, Zhuang=Strong/robust, yang=whipping a horse to urge it, bingma=troops and horse</ref> “杀, 杀(Sha―, sha―)!” <ref>This is like a sound people made when they are urging the horse, but the Chinese word also means ‘kill/slaughter/butcher’</ref>

The soldiers atop the horses let out words of violent atmosphere from their mouths. And then several streaks of low level attack magic flew wildly all at once at them. Completely like a wild shooting of cavalry rifles.

Kazuki too took a stance with Ame no Murakumo in hand.

“Excalibur!”

“Kusanagi no Tsurugi!”

Against the approaching bullets of flame, lightning, or ice―Kazuki and Arthur that were standing side by side swung the swords that were their proof as King at the same time. A flash of horizontal line erased the flying bullets like smoke.

After all those were attack magic to hold them back in the first place. The cavalry shrank the distance even closer.

What made Kazuki feel a chill was how the cavalry fired magic wildly regardless of Ikousai who was sprawling down right besides him.

The one who gave the order was Loki, and the one that came attacking then was the soldiers of China. These guys already didn’t pay any mind of what was going to happen to Yamato after this or the like.

“Finish off the exhausted Hayashizaki Kazuki and his comrades in this place!”

Loki yelled. “Ilyailiya! You too!!”

Loki and also the illegal magicians were rushing to their direction behind the cavalry.

“Immediately using other so roughly… No, I see, so he has that kind of ulterior motive. What a petty Diva.”

Ilyailiya who was standing beside Regina was murmuring to herself.

“Regina! You take care of Ilyailiya!!”

Arthur looked back and yelled while going to meet the attack of the cavalry unit.

“…Chih! Trying to instruct me around just for the sake of this country!! But Ilyailiya, I really can’t stomach you!!”

“Agoni Koparyof… Mec!”

“Ptéra Lonkhé!”

Ilyailiya changed one of her hand into a sliver blade that she swung down, while Regina blocked it with a thick Resist and stabbed back with her spear.

“Kazu-nii-!”

Everyone from the Witch’s Mansion that came to witness the duel with their own eyes and also the guard knights that were protecting the top brass were rushing to him all at once. But the cavalry of China would arrive at his location faster than them.

“Hayashizaki-kun. Please take Ikousai away and escape.”

Arthur worried about Kazuki’s exhaustion and said that.

“Even for you isn’t this too excessive. It’s one against ten.”

“It’s unnecessary for you to worry about me! There is no such thing as excessive or the like ahead of the path that a knight should advance on!”

Leaving those words behind, he went to intercept the approaching cavalry squad. ‘Is he serious’…Kazuki saw him off.

“Loki bastard…”

Ikousai whose whole body was damaged from inside by Susanoo was raising her upper body with difficulty.

“So he already considered me the loser from the start and cowardly prepared an ambush troop like this…!”

“No, that guy is a Diva that always prepares a situation so it will go well for him no matter what kind of result turned out.”

That guy easily discarded Yamato.

From the start he didn’t have anything he wanted to protect or the like. That was why he easily changed his attitude like that.

From the east, there was also a single horseman that rang out the sound of hooves approaching near Kazuki and Ikousai.

“Now then King, what are you going to do?”

―It was Shouko-san riding her horse.

“You knew that it would become like this didn’t you?”

Even though Shouko-san was in the position of being a witness of the duel. From the beginning she was already prepared, riding her horse here for the sake of battle.

She was grinning widely on top her horse while looking down on him. It was only her smiling face that was innocent like the sun.

“Among those Imperial Guard bunches, there is a guy that can use concealment magic that hide their appearances. The extent of its effect is ten people. Using that to become an ambush troop is those guys’ specialty. It’s just as you said, I have expected this.”

“You have information until that much. Why didn’t you teach it to us?”

“I forgot to mention it.”

…This girl.

“What are you going to do now, King. If you clash with them like this… there might be some damage that comes out to your comrades in a place where your hand doesn’t reach.”

It was her usual unpleasant tone that seemed to be amused while in her position where the happening were other people’s problem.

“I have thought this from quite a while ago, putting you aside, several of your comrades are a little inadequate to seriously clash against China. Just look at that.”

From atop her horse, she pointed at the beginning of the hostilities that had opened exactly at that moment between Arthur and the ten horsemen.

Even further behind Loki and three of his close illegal magician associates were following after the cavalry. There was also the figure of that black skinned girl called Naiarlako among them.

“Those tens horsemen are chosen among the best of China’s army. I think even with Arthur as the opponent with the ten of them the battle will be more than equal y’know. Well, Arthur too is not exposing all his hand here so I wonder if he is cutting corners. And here your comrades will rush there after this. Loki and his guys will also come running. If they clash with each other just like this, now, I wonder what will happen then.”

She longwindedly talked in a roundabout way plainly trying to agitate him.

But certainly, Kazuki was scared of his comrades fighting in a place where he was not there.

“Even winning against Yamato like this, Japan is still a minor power. However feel relieved, of course this Shouko-san of Ryouzanpaku will lend her hand to you! That’s why this time for sure…”

At this point her way of talking changed completely into a heavy tone.

“…This time for sure, feel some obligation properly. Not to Germany, but towards us.”

Shouko-san left those words behind and spurred her reins, she was heading to reinforce Arthur.

“…That kind of thing is an unnecessary concern you know.”

Leme materialized beside Kazuki.

“The contractor of us, the Solomon 72 Pillar is not inferior at all against the contractor of other Mythology. …Kazuki, you too have become a splendid King. Leme and the others have stopped our test for all of you. We are going to hand over that power completely. This is not only regarding you… but for your <favored princesses> too.” <ref>The kanji used here is寵姫(chouki) which means ‘favorite mistress’. The first kanji used alone means ‘favor/affection’, while the second kanji means ‘noble lady/princess’, so it can also mean favored princess/lady</ref>

“Completely handing over…? Are you saying that until now you were still holding back on us?”

Leme didn’t answer. Right there Mio and the others were rushing at him.

“Kazu-nii! We are going to fight so Kazu-nii escape… kyaa-!”

“The Magic Dress is…!?”

The moment they arrived Mio and Koyuki’s Magic Dresses shined dazzlingly. …It was the two whose positivity levels were above 150. Above their head, the avatars of Phoenix and Vepar were floating sublimely.

{The time that should arrive has come. Right now this country is not a baby bird that is still waiting to grow into an adult. The time to liberate the power that you should possess has come.}

{The King is standing here, and then the princesses that are the most favored by the King were born. We too are going to offer this power without sparing anything left to the princesses.}

The avatars of Phoenix and Vepar were absorbed into Mio and Koyuki. The Magic Dresses of the two, who were taken aback, were continuing to shine.

Kazuki turned his face to Leme in order to demand for an explanation.

“What is happening!?”

“You have become a human that is worthy as King. Until now, so to speak was [the testing period of Solomon King], but in this occasion of your victory in the battle against Yamato, Leme and the others are also recognizing you for real as the King of this country. From now on Solomon 72 Pillar and Japan are truly a collective of one body and soul that shares the same fate. Consequently we are liberating a new power for the comrades that are supporting you.”

“A new power? This time it’s not to me, but to everyone?”

“A new power… the power of Solomon 72 Pillar that was scattered until now is temporarily concentrated into a special Magika Stigma. That is the <Chouki Magician>. Watch…” <ref>If you guys can think of a cooler way to refer this transformation please tell me</ref>

With a flash shining brightly for an instant―the luminescence from Mio and Koyuki’s Magic Dresses finally settled down.

When the light settled, both of their Magic Dresses achieved [evolution]―with a single glance he understood that it was not transformation but an evolution. With the contractor recognized by the Diva that they were worthy, the ornaments that decorated the dress became something with more gravity. Like flower petals in full bloom.

Phoenix was orange and Vepar was light blue, with their personal color staying the same, the Magic Dresses turned into something with raw materials that possessed depth like a thick magic power made real.

“…This, Phoenix’s magic power is transmitted at me through the Stigma…! Phoenix is supplying me with magic power!!”

Mio touched her greatly exposed breast with one of her hands and raised a voice of wonder.

“Magic power supplied from Diva you say…? Is that kind of thing possible? What is called as Summoning Magic is so to speak an action where the contractor receives a [magic blueprint] from the Diva right?”

Summoning Magic was receiving the blue print of the ten magic that symbolized the myth of the Diva through the Stigma. Using that blueprint the contractor kneaded their own magic power and caused a magic phenomenon in a greater scale and efficiency that was far more complex compared to the phenomenon that was caused by general magic.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 161.jpg|thumb]]

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 162.jpg|thumb]]

But in the end the one that invoked the magic was nothing more than their own magic power.

“Correct, Summoning Magic is just bestowing the source of magic phenomenon. But in the first place a Diva is a vast mass of magic power. Nevertheless there is a reason why Diva doesn’t lend away that magic power. …That’s because there are a large number of contractors. For example Phoenix has dozens of contractor in the Knight Order. He is unable to share his power equally to all of them.”

In order to deal with the illegal magicians and Demon Beast that appeared throughout the whole land of Japan, Solomon 72 Pillar distributed their power to a large number of knights. Even so the number of Magica Stigma was still quiet lacking.

“That scattered power is… temporarily, concentrated on the Magica Stigma that you favored. That’s the Chouki Magician. Using a direct connection with their Diva, their chanting speed becomes faster and they can cast large scale magic from the magic power of the Diva itself that is lent to them. …But during the time Amasaki Mio becomes a Chouki Magician, all of the other contractors of Phoenix become unable to use Summoning Magic though.”

Zekorbeni was the King’s trump card, and then this was the princesses’ trump card…

“…It’s great that we got a power up but, I think its fine even if you don’t up the exposure rate too.”

Even while Koyuki was twisting her body around fidgetingly while acting embarrassed, she kept stealing glances at Kazuki.

He had the feeling that even while being embarrassed she was indirectly appealing to Kazuki.

Certainly Koyuki’s dress that until now was in the shape like a school swimsuit turned into a suit with a sense of translucence as if the skin was showing through just like that with a cutting that was a little bold.

“I think it’s cute you know. …No, now is not the time for that though.”

In that direction Arthur and Shouko-san were struggling hard against the cavalry of ten horsemen as their opponents. Behind them Loki and his group were standing by.

“Chouki… With Kazu-nii as the King, we are the princesses!!”

Mio hopped up and down happily then like a princess she puffed out her chest and instructed Kazuki.

“Kazu-nii just withdraw! We are not only going to keep getting protected by Kazu-nii, we are going to protect Kazu-nii too! Just like what we promised at the beginning!!”

Mio and the others rushed with full speed to the location of the fighting.

“Otouto-kun has to conquer us more so that we can quickly become like that too.”

Kaguya-senpai too who was watching over the development with wide eyes was following after Mio while saying that.

…Certainly he who was running out of gas right now might just be a hindrance here.

He should move out of the way while preparing himself to move immediately if something happened.

“We are drawing back, Ikousai.” Kazuki pulled out the hand of Ikousai who was still powerlessly sprawling down.

Ikousai was flustered “Wha-!?” having her hand grasped and she resisted, trying to shake off his hand.

“Stop it! I have never got my hand held by the opposite sex you know!”

“…It’s not like I hold your hand for something strange, there is no way I can let you get away right now. You are a prisoner you know?”

“Kuh… I won’t forgive this disgrace…!”

For a while Kazuki kept pulling at Ikousai’s hand like a tug of war, but then “Sheesh troublesome!” he lost his temper and carried up Ikousai forcefully from her waist.

He ran in this princess carry posture toward the east side where the stronghold of the Knight Order was located.

“I―am―dir―ti―ed-!”

“There is no way you got dirtied just by a carry like this!”

“Is the King of Britain just around this level huh!?”

Chukadou’s Imperial Guard―Son Shouryuu bared his teeth and howled like a wild monkey making an intimidation. In his hand the Nyoibou created by his contracted Diva, {{furigana|Seiten Taisei|Sun Wukong}} was gripped.

Other than him another six horsemen, in total seven horsemen were surrounding Arthur.

“I don’t really want to use Summoning Magic against the likes of all of you.”

As if waving his finger patronizingly, Arthur brandished Excalibur. In the end Excalibur was a Sacred Treasure. With Arthur Basileus relying fully on it, he particularly hid the power of his Diva.

He felt Loki’s gaze. He didn’t really want to show his hand here.

“You really said it!!”

The seven horsemen matched their breath and assaulted Arthur without giving him any opening to dodge. Nyoibou, {{furigana|Houtengeki|Heaven Ji}}, {{furigana|Jahoko|Snake Spear}}, {{furigana|Gekkajou|Moon Fang Staff}}, {{furigana|Rougabou|Wolf Fang Pole}}… all of them created their own respective Sacred Treasures and added the speed of their horses into their attack like a falling meteor coming at Arthur. All of them were Magika Stigmas that had expertise in their weapon technique.

…No, was it as expected that he couldn’t get out from this just with a single sword?

Arthur honestly recognized his opponents and took out a small wood branch from inside his glen check suit. It was a small oak branch that carried the magic power of a druid.

He carried it around in reserve as an item that had the characteristic of a disposable item after a one-time use.

He pointed the tips of that branch to the opponents without considerable regret of wasting it and threw it away.

The instant it left Arthur’s hand, the small branch set free its magic power and it grew into a giant trunk in the air. The solid trunk diverged into several branches while spreading wide, and entangled the seven horsemen.

Their advances were obstructed. While they were trying to escape from the tree branches that even now were still elongating, their sure-kill formation was disturbed. Just with that the battle was now his―a single sword was enough to face them hand-to-hand, one by one and crush them.

Arthur raised Excalibur overhead and rushed aiming for Son Shouryuu who was in the middle of the disordered rank.

…He could also blow away all seven horsemen altogether if he got serious.

But the reason why his will to fight didn’t get that far was not only because of Loki’s gaze.

Because it was obvious that the fault was in Yamato’s side who broke the agreed stipulation, he was not reluctant to lend a hand to Japan like this. But because of that, if Japan’s Knight Order was going to leave dealing with this situation all to the foreign forces like this, then in that case they deserved to be scorned….

“Still, if the King has used up all his power then next it’s the turn of his close aides to show their power for him, now then…”

With a glance Arthur took a look at the encampment behind, he was anticipating for Japan’s Knight Order to rouse themselves.

“As always, you ran around well! You insect are shrewd as usual!!” <ref>The underline is because the speaker is speaking with a heavy accent</ref>

A manner that made people think of Kan’u Unchou… rather than that it was the huge girl that exchanged contract with <Kantei Seiten> himself that was yelling at Shouko while swinging around Seiryuutou. <ref>Kan’u Unchou=Guan Yu’s name in Japan, Kantei Seiten is his name when he was deified. Seiryuutou(Blue Dragon Sword) is Guan Yu’s famous weapon, I think</ref>

Other than her, two more horsemen were chasing around Shouko.

But the horse of the escaping Shouko―had been transformed into a completely different living thing. Using the magic of her contracted Diva <Taikoubou> the horse was evolved into a magic creature <{{furigana|Suppushan|elpahure}}>, with its mysterious appearance that was a crossbreed of various animals’ appearance, it was flying in the sky as if swimming even though it didn’t have wings.

“Your attack is always a large swing huh! I’m already practiced buying time like this with you guys as the opponent y’know!”

Shouko who was riding Suppushan nimbly moved around with a far greater maneuverability than the cavalrymen could and she further laid out violet magic smoke around.

“But, if you are just running around then you won’t be able to obtain victory!!”

The huge woman yelled. As for Shouko―’As always she is a woman that cannot pay attention to the situation.’ Inside her heart she was laughing derisively.

She was saying threatening things to Hayashizaki Kazuki, but Loki had already achieved his objective. That guy was already in the state of waiting for the chance to retreat. That was why just buying time like this was good enough.

Shouko had noticed. Loki and the illegal magicians with him pretended to join the fight yet stayed still in the middle of the way He was watching her and Arthur from the distance where he could escape anytime.

Although for the moment she was laying out smoke screen… it would be her loss if she was observed even if she fought seriously.

Shouko who was straddling Suppushan and flew ran around parrying the severe martial arts of the Chinese cavalrymen like a flexible willow. Both her hands were swaying to and fro around and she directed a fooling around face to the horsemen chasing her.

“Hmph, what are you talking about that I cannot obtain victory. Idiooooooooott! Your King is ugly!!”

‘Now then, what will become the cue’, Shouko looked back at the behind―and saw the Magica Stigmas of Japan rushing here with their body clad in an evolved Magic Dress.

“From the bottom of earth dance the wing and scatter. Trail behind the spiraling wind, become the bullet that reveal the fury of the star! Flap, shoot and destroy! {{furigana|Volcanic Barrett|Lava Spiral Flower}}!!”

After Mio’s instantaneous chanting, the ground was splitting up in cracks and bullet of lava was floating, it ride the spiraling wind of Phoenix’s wing and shot out.

Koyuki too chanted quickly at the same time.

“O the utmost limit of permanence, with that freezing wind please comfort this chest. With the flowing silence of rejection, let’s announce the demise of that life… {{furigana|Arctic Wind|North Pole Wind}}!!”

The wind of intense cold that symbolized the world where life couldn’t live was brought about into this world following Koyuki’s will.

Both were level 1 magic in the first place, but those destructive powers were greatly amplified.

“Fuh… as expected they won’t leave it to us huh. It’s great that I didn’t make a misjudgment!”

Arthur’s expression broke out into a smile witnessing the attack of the Magika Stigmas who appeared to be the comrades and close aides of Hayashizaki Kazuki.

“Oops, is that some kind of power up? Wonder if that is the cue he is waiting for.”

Shouko who was earnestly running around to buy time heaved a sigh of relief.

The cavalry that was concentrating in their battle with Arthur and Shouko was taken by surprise at the magic of Koyuki and Mio that came flying, the pace of the cavalry became disturbed.

“Now! Those that can use sword are going to charge there!”

Kanae called out to Kazuha like that and went to slash at the cavalry that were in agitation.

The cavalrymen looked down on Kanae who came charging without using any Summoning Magic. They fired low level magic simultaneously and swung a single attack of a Sacred Treasure at Kanae while making light of her.

―That kind of thing wouldn’t hit Kanae. She saw through all of the intercepting attacks and leaped between the cavalrymen. She sowed disturbance while running about between the cavalrymen and made them fell further into disturbance with a single strike to each opponent that she passed.

…Kanae was feeling impatience inside her heart. It was another matter if this was a one-on-one battle, but in this chaotic melee, Shin’iki was completely unusable. In the end it was a technique that still couldn’t be called as practical for real battle.

As expected it was Summoning Magic that dictated the battlefield. She once again thought so after witnessing the power up of both Amasaki Mio and Hiakari Koyuki.

Perhaps both of those younger Magika Stigmas now had even become as strong as Otonashi Kaguya.

And then from now on too there should be the same power up that was waiting for that Otonashi Kaguya too.

‘Wait a second’, Kanae thought. She was troubled that her [rivals] could be powered up so casually like that.

That’s right, they are rivals.

Herself was completely pursuing the path of swordsman. That determination didn’t shake at all. But… the desire of wanting to be loved by Nii-sama even more than those girls was burning Kanae’s chest like a devilish fire.

Even though until now she showed jealousy on the surface, but inside her heart she was coolly thinking that she was herself, and they were themselves. That was because she had the thought that she didn’t even stand on the starting line at the time. But now she had finally kissed with Nii-sama and Nii-sama was looking at her as a girl.

Now that she had progressed to this point, she couldn’t stay as she was until now. Moreover that kiss…

“Nyaa<nowiki>~~~~~~</nowiki>!!”

Something that was completely improper for the occasion filled Kanae’s head, her face was blushing bright red and she meowed. Her beautiful footwork completely degenerated into jitters and she swung around Michikage up and down.

The Sacred Treasures and attack magic of the cavalrymen flew wildly at Kanae, who thought of a strange thing and got agitated by herself.

…Damn it. Lacking in observation and concentration were something that was absolutely forbidden in the Hayashizaki-style.

“Burn to ashes all that you touch… the howl of flame without place to depend! {{furigana|Self Burning・Empress|Embrace of Fire Wing}}!!”

Flame was whirling in Kanae’s surrounding in the nick of time, the burning wings of the immortal bird became a folding shape and protected Kanae, who was enveloped inside, from the countless attack magic.

“Please be careful there! Kanae-oneesan!!” <ref>The oneesan here is using the kanji of sister in law</ref>

Mio said that with a tone that got carried away.

“I, I never remembered becoming something like a sister-in-law of someone like you!”

‘I, if I don’t stay calm’…Kanae thought while being protected inside the flame.

―Hayashizaki Kanae, thou art wholeheartedly a heaven-sent child of the sword.

Suddenly a voice rang out inside her head. Kanae was amazed with his timing.

“Bereth huh. What do you want at this kind of time? Right now I’m in the middle of a bustle that has no compare you know. Go back.”

―I have resolved myself.

“Listen to what I’m saying. This is not a situation for something like a long-winded talk. I cannot make anymore blunders.”

―I have continued to think for a long time, whether there is a way or not for me to [aid] thy resolve.

The Diva that was called as the Devil King of Indignation said that with a meek voice.

―By no means thou art going to become my contractor. Thy pure soul won’t accept a contract in equal form with me. Then… Then, I have resolved. I’m going to become thy follower. For thy sake, I’m going to distort my own state.

“What?”

―From this, I will abandon the fact that I’m a Diva. I will make all of my magic power to possess thy weapon… becoming a single Sacred Treasure. Doing that I can make thee, still as a swordsman, aim for a greater height.

“Wait, wait a second. Are you fine with that?”

Kanae was flustered. She had the feeling that an outrageous being was going to do an outrageous thing after dragging out his own resolve.

“Wait, you have been searching for a contractor to be a Magika Stigma all this time right? Surely you also have your own pride as a Diva. Why, to go that far for my sake…?”

―I am Beleth. The supporter of noble valor and earnest love. The significance of my existence as a Diva is all in there. O girl that straightforwardly follow thine own path, this is by no means an emotion of love, but I have been charmed with thy soul. A human that charmed me this much, I won’t find it anymore hereafter even if I search for eternity.

“…Hmph. I also don’t really like Sacred Treasures though.”

Kanae murmured annoyedly.

“If you say until that far, then I’ll accept you.”

Kanae too, despite appearance, was also pleased by this Diva called Beleth.

So, a supporter of noble valor and earnest love. Being liked by such a Diva didn’t feel so bad.

―Then as the replacement of thy beloved blade, call my name.

Beleth’s presence that appeared inside her consciousness through Astrum was overflowing out to the outside world.

Magic power that was like a mist of jade color floated in Kanae’s surrounding. This was Beleth’s color.

“{{furigana|I know thy name|Shem ha Meforash}}! Thy name is Beleth! O the supporter of noble valor and earnest love! That passion into my beloved blade!!”

The jade magic power flowed into Michikage in one go. Kanae shuddered from that momentum that was like a muddy stream while holding tight the hilt of her sword. Michikage was changing. It unified with Beleth!

The name of that Sacred Treasure was…<{{furigana|Kuroneko Michikage|Black Cat Path Shadow}}>!!

Countless Stigma emerged on the surface of her beloved sword. That was the shape of Beleth’s soul. The sword blade distorted and changed. ‘Don’t make any weird shape okay’, Kanae thought.

‘Similar with a Magic Dress, it’s the shape of my and thy soul hailing each other in concert’, Beleth answered.

The blade’s shape fixed into a streamlined form that gave off the impression like flowing water, a gust of wind, an impression of speed.

Kuroneko Michikage… draw out that power immediately!!

“{{furigana|Battou Kaikon―Kokui Musou|Black Coating Dream{{furigana|!!”

The Sword Division battle uniform that Kanae wore disintegrated into Prima Materia, mixing with the jade magic power that overflowed from the Sacred treasure. While making a vortex, it materialized into a completely different shape.

This was… completely like a Magic Dress?

―This long talk is exchanged inside your heart in an instant using telepathy.

At the time when the attack magic and the defensive wing of flame finished fighting each other with both sides neutralized and vanished, the contract between Beleth and Kanae was over.

At the same time with the flame vanishing, Kanae appeared in a completely new appearance.

“Kanae-san also powered up!? …Wait, is that a Magic Dress!?”

Kazuha who was right beside her was the first that noticed and raised her voice.

“No… it’s not a Magic Dress, but a power created by Sacred Treasure? But there is the presence of a Diva…?”

The girl that excelled in manipulating magic power analyzed accurately the true form of that power.

That’s right, this was not a Magic Dress. But a <Sacred Treasure Dress> that was produced by a Sacred Treasure.

Until the end the core of this was the katana in her hand. But she wondered what kind of power resided inside this black outfit that overflowed out due to the Battou Kaikon.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 169.jpg|thumb]]

{Even though it’s called a cloth, but thou doesn’t need defensive power.}

Beleth’s voice sounded the clearest she had ever heard until now.

{This is <the clothes of one who seeks the way>. Since thou made a contract with me, thou art not allowed any crude movement anymore. That black outfit become a sensor that sense the movement of the four limbs, that movement is a movement that thou idealize, the more thou move closer to thy [Quintessence Movement], the clothes will bestow Divine Protection and bring about might into the sword blade. If thou make a crude movement, the power will wane instead. This is the power that is born from the hailing of my and thy soul.}

It was an ability that was stranger than she imagined. It seemed that the Sacred Treasure didn’t simply heighten her defensive power or physical ability. In other words everything would be fine if she just swung her sword with the determination of constantly unleashing [Shin’iki] from her every single attack.

Kanae kicked the ground and attacked the enemy that was in nearest distance from her. The opponent was in the middle of chanting a spell. But it was difficult to Foresee her movement on top of the horse and Shin’iki failed.

But Kanae’s own movement was close to the quintessence. The instant the blade slashed―her black outfit shone faintly in jade color and it flowed into the blade.

An impact she never experienced before and a thunderous roar rang out. The black cavalryman was blown away to the side as if gotten hit by a cannon rather than just being slashed, the knight desperately controlled the reins so the horse barely stayed standing.

It was great if Shin’iki succeeded, yet even if it failed the attack would still become a critical hit depending on how much her movement deviated from the quintessence.

Kanae spontaneously opened her eyes wide. For Kanae who had continuously worried of her powerlessness, the attack just now gave a feedback she had never known before.

{Looks like there is irregularity in thy concentration. A crude movement like just now that resulted in embarrassing failure is intolerable so pay more attention.}

Beleth talked in a way completely like a partner. Kanae let a huff escape her nose.

“Hmph, not bad. Thank you Beleth.”

She said that in a just a little good mood. The gripped hard Sacred Treasure’s hilt emitted heat as a reply.

“They are resisting more energetically than I thought… though if luck is on our side I was thinking of making surprise attacks too.”

While maintaining a distance from the battles of Chukadou’s cavalry and Ilyailiya where he could escape immediately, Loki observed the battle progress and then he gave his order.

“Yosh! We are retreating you bastards! Run away!!”

When Kazuki, who moved away to the encampment at the back while carrying Ikousai, looked back at the battlefield, he caught the sight of Ilyailiya and the cavalry of China making a complete U-turn and retreated from there.

The speed of Ilyailiya and the cavalry were so effective that they had vanished from Sekigahara to the west before he could even say ‘ah’. It was a splendid retreating performance to the degree that it felt like anticlimaxic.

{Kazu-nii, Kazu-nii! This is an emergency, Kanae-neesan, she!}

Suddenly Mio transmitted her voice using telepathic communication to him.

{…What’s with the ‘nee-san’. I get the feeling that there is something different in how you say that. What’s wrong with Kanae?}

{Kanae-san, she, she turned into an appearance that completely looks like a Magic Dress!!}

What did she say? He couldn’t imagine that Kanae making a contract with a Diva as a Magika Stigma, but…

{Kazu-nii, by any chance… you are also connected with Kanae-san, with the power of bond? By any chance Kazu-nii can now understand the positivity level of Kanae-san or…} Mio inquired from him timidly and anxiously.

Amasaki Mio―155 Hiakari Koyuki―150 Lotte―152 Otonashi Kaguya―148

Hoshikaze Hikaru―140 Tsukahara Kazuha―138 Ryuutaki Miyabi―74 Ryuutaki Shinobu―74

Katsura Karin―55 Kamimura Itsuki―42 Liz Liza Westwood―39

Hayashizaki Kanae―175

One, a single fellow with a ridiculous number was there.

{Yo, you have checked now? About how much? Is it higher than me?}

{Mio is 155, Kanae is 175.}

When the positivity level had went pass 150, it then became fairly hard to raise. At that stage the emotion of love that was flaring up in one go was already maturing, it seemed there was no other way to move the number up except for piling it up little by little with emotional attachment. That was why Kanae’s number was not unexpected for Kazuki.

{Fu, FUNYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?}

But for Mio who thought of herself as number one, she could only raise a shocked scream.

<noinclude>

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

{| 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 [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
| Return to [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 2

2016-01-25T10:37:03Z

Windsgrace: /* Part 6 */

==Chapter 2 – Sky of End==

===Part 1===

The Magic Division’s student council room was the strategy meeting room of Kazuki and co.

On this day there was a new face that was added as their comrade.

“This is our special advisor, Liz Liza-sensei.”

When Kazuki introduced Liz Liza-sensei, everyone applause *pachi pachi* that seemed to be forced, Liz Liza-sensei went “How about you trashes stop, that looks stupid” a little embarrassed.

“I have gone several times to the depth of Fuji’s sea of trees before the wall was built. There are various things I can give advice for.”

“But there will be no more interference from Yamato right?”

Mio tilted her head saying so. “If that’s so won’t this be just a simple journey of Kazuki taking the Sacred Treasure and going home? Easy, easy.”

‘Certainly’, Kazuki too thought so. From here on ahead both Loki and Ilyailiya too couldn’t stand in their way.

They would be shown the way by the seal and just needed to head to the promised place―he had such a sense of security.

His sense of danger was slacking, but Kazuki immediately tensed himself.

“Just because there will be no interference doesn’t mean that there is no danger. Where we will be going from now on is the deepest part of Japan’s largest Haunted Ground. It should be even more dangerous than even Level 1 and 2 until now.”

The inner part of Fuji’s sea of trees couldn’t be liberated by the Knight Order before, and then, to cope, they built the wall surrounding the area several times to hold back the expansion. Surrounded by walls, the Grand Haunted Ground was divided into three levels.

Thanks to the wall, the Haunted Ground’s expansion was slowed down, but in exchange the magic power was confined to the inner direction and beyond the wall became unimaginably thick with magic power.

The other side of the last wall―the Level 3 area should have became a type of Haunted Ground that had never before been seen in Japan.

“It’s just like he said. It’s not an exaggeration to say that, until now, you guys probably still haven’t even tasted half of the danger of the Grand Haunted Ground just from your experience in Level 1 and 2.”

Liz Liza-sensei talked with her usual strict tone like when she was teaching in class.

“If you ask me why, that’s because Level 1 and 2 are a forest, but ahead in Level 3 the area will become the Fuji Mountain. In short a place that was originally dangerous already is transformed into an even worst Haunted Ground. …From here on out what is necessary is not just simple battle strength, it’s better to head there with a few number of people that excel in adapting to the environment.”

“Adapting to the environment… is it?” Mio asked back with a dubious face.

“…What is waiting for us from now on is a snowy mountain climbing in a Haunted Ground.”

“Actually I also have a hobby of mountain climbing. Because Britain is a great country for mountain climbing.”

For some reason Liz Liza-sensei started to explain in a lively tone of voice.

Fuji Mountain―as Japan’s highest summit, it was a mountain that was said as Japan’s symbol.

Even now that it had become a Haunted Ground, that white peak seen from afar didn’t change at all since the ancient times.

But there was no more climber there to visit the place as a tourist attraction like in the past, the true state of the place right now was uncertain.

“Originally the snow should be gone when the season entered the summer, I hear that it was an easy to climb a mountain.”

Liz Liza-sensei said. If that was true then there should be no danger now that it had already been June.

“But Fuji Mountain that had been turned into a Haunted Ground is isolated by blizzard all year round and it was transformed into a mountain with intense cold. I think the harshness of that environment can even rival Everest or McKinley now. That’s my opinion.”

Everest―Even Kazuki and the others whose awareness of the world in general had faded knew about that name.

The mountain with the highest summit in the world. In a certain meaning it was a name that was like [a myth that existed in reality].

“Even if sensei said it’s like climbing a mountain in winter… we are strong against cold you know.”

Mio interjected into the lecture with a face that didn’t understand what Liz Liza-sensei wanted to say.

Magicians could manipulate heat using Pyrokinesis. Heat or cold wouldn’t become any problem for them.

In addition they also had defensive magic power, so even if they fell from the cliff or got hit by falling rocks, there would be no problem.

To put something like environment adaptation as a source of argument itself was strange.

“No, you see, the blizzard and the coldness of Mountain Fuji that had turned into a Haunted Ground resounded not in your flesh, but in your mind. It’s the same as a mind attack magic. The problem is not your defensive magic power, but your strength to maintain your [wall of heart].”

Resistance against mind attack magic―although Kazuki was better at it compared to the past, it was still a field that he was poor at.

“When the Haunted Ground’s coldness and chill resounds in your mind, you will be convinced that the feeling is real and its influence will come out for real in your body. Regardless of how you preserve your temperature using Pyrokinesis, you will still get hypothermia. Even though you are supposed to have produced oxygen with magic power already, an acute mountain sickness’ symptoms will still appear in you. There will be many agonies that you have forgotten since becoming a magician that will appear on parade. Even the knights in my generation had some people who died from challenging the Fuji Mountain that had been turned into a Haunted Ground.”

Death―for the people of this generation who could protect their body with defensive magic power, it was an extremely heavy concept.

“Won’t it be fine if we fly in the sky while chanting magic?”

Koyuki raised her hand and calmly stated her opinion. If it was Kazuki or Mio then it was possible for them.

“At that time too there was a contractor of Phoenix that tested that, but it was no good.” Liz Liza-sensei shook her head.

“When you get separated from the ground, a fierce wind will blow right overhead and beat you down to the ground. It’s as if the Haunted Ground is saying that a cunning act is prohibited. The Haunted Ground is forcing you to climb the mountain on foot. Even though that place is a world of magic, but it’s really obsessive with due form.”

Diva, Demon Beast, and Haunted Ground reproduced the form of Mythology and legend. The harsh challenge of climbing the snowy mountain that once existed in Fuji’s sea of trees―that legend enforced the people that stepped their foot in it to follow it.

“You guys have become magicians that are far more excellent than the magicians of my era. But the Grand Haunted Ground too has continued its expansion, the magic power in its center part has also been condensed even more than before. You guys had better prepare your heart beforehand as if you are seriously challenging to climb a snowy mountain without any magic power. And then there will be Demon Beasts too attacking us there.”“A blizzard where mind resistance is necessary… then it’s better for the members of the Magic Division to be the one to go there then.”

“I guess so. In the first place it’s not an environment where you can honestly do a close-quarter combat.”

“Then there will be no turn for this one is it…” Kohaku dropped her shoulders regretfully.

“Even if you tell me to go to that kind of harsh place, there is no way I want to go there.”

Torazou-san laughed carefreely, but Kanae besides him stood up noisily from her chair.

“Please wait, Nii-sama! Please let me go together with you there!!”

“No way. You too don’t have much training in resistance against mind attacks right?”

“But!”, Kanae tenaciously dogged Kazuki.

“I cannot give special treatment to only Kanae. It’s dangerous. I don’t plan to listen to your selfishness.”

Kazuki decisively omitted Kanae from the group, not as family, but as the Chief Student Council President.

“So that we can immediately react even if any victim appears, I think it will be better to make a team composed of Magika Stigmas with high positivity levels. The Sword Division members are also out of the question because of that requirement too.”

Liz Liza-sensei added her comment to Kazuki.

“Therefore…” Kazuki made an orderly list of names on the whiteboard.

Hayashizaki Kazuki. Amasaki Mio. Hiakari Koyuki. Lotte. Otonashi Kaguya. Hoshikaze Hikaru. Tsukahara Kazuha.

With this, the girls whose positivity level toward Kazuki were above 100 became the team members.

“Fufufu, Tsukahara-san usually always talks abusively to Kazuki, but you actually really love Kazuki don’t you? I wonder how much the number actually is?”

Hikaru-senpai teased Kazuha-senpai who was sitting just beside her.

“It, it’s not really like a love. I, I just like him a little…”

Kazuha-senpai’s face was beet red and she looked down completely.

“Ahaha, Tsukahara-san is so cute~!” Hikaru-senpai poked her from the side.

“Ge, geez! Stop it~” Kazuha-senpai shook off Hikaru-senpai’s hand but,

“I’m not gonna stop~” Hikaru-senpai hugged her. Kazuha-senpai then,

“Geez… Hoshikaze-san you dummy…” She became completely docile with a beet red face.

What’s with the two of them?

“Also as someone who is experienced about the mountain, I will give you all my guidance.”

Liz Liza-sensei said that with a face that looked a little excited.

“…I’m, being left out?”

Shinobu-senpai was pouting with her eyebrows knitted while saying that.

“Eerr, it’s decided from the sequential order of the positivity level after all.”

When Kazuki weakly said that, Shinobu-senpai stood up from her seat, *tetete* she approached Kazuki’s side with little run and crouched down. After that she talked to Kazuki with upturned eyes like an abandoned dog.

“I. …Really like Kazuki.”

“I, I know that, but, err…”

When Kazuki didn’t know how he should answer, Mio who sat beside him said “I’m the one that loves Kazu-nii the most here~!” while standing up and puffing out her chest. Shinobu-senpai frowned in dissatisfaction.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 065.jpg|thumb]]

Beside her a female wolf Diva―Marchosias’ avatar was floating. It was said that Marchosias could take the form of a human and also a wolf, but her true nature was more of a wolf.{Gau. O King, To leave out my contractor like this, unforgivable. Gau.}

Shinobu-senpai mimicked her Diva’s behavior and barked “Gau gau” while pulling *gui gui* at Kazuki’s arm.

“That way of acting as a spoiled doggy is still just second rate desu!”

While Kazuki was troubled, Lotte who was watching the development suddenly stood up from her seat.

After that Lotte rushed over to Kazuki’s side trottingly and hugged Kazuki’s neck. And then,

“Kazuki-oniisan, wan wan-!” She licked at Kazuki’s cheek *pero pero*.

“…I see.” Shinobu-senpai’s eyes sparkled.

And then “Gau gau” she hugged Kazuki’s neck from the other side and went *pero pero* at Kazuki’s other cheek.

“Wan wan!” “Gau gau.” Both of their soft tongues were teasing Kazuki’s cheeks. The warm saliva of girls besmeared his face all over. Kazuki’s feelings became a little strange.

“Both of you, we are still in the middle of a serious meeting here!”

After Kazuki kept being treated like that for a while, he finally pushed back the two of them off him.

Lotte said “Okay desu” and obediently returned to her seat.

“Shinobu, give up already and come back here.”

After Miyabi-senpai signaled Shinobu-senpai with her hand, Shinobu-senpai too went “Gau…” dejectedly before retuning to her own seat while crawling on all fours on the floor.

‘…No, senpai doesn’t need to become a wolf that much.’

“Well then, tomorrow let’s carry out the operation with these members! We are going to take the last Sacred Treasure!”

Kazuki declared with his face still wet with saliva.

It was only Kanae who still couldn’t accept it and she faced Kazuki with a dissatisfied look.

“You all don’t need a lot of climbing tools if you make a practical use of magic. But let’s prepare extra just for the food supply. Just in case, perhaps we will need to {{furigana|bivouac|camp in the open}} there.”

Liz Liza-sensei added that at the end of the meeting.

===Part 2===
With this, this was the third time they went on an expedition from the Knight Academy to the Grand Haunted Ground.

It took one hour from Tokyo to Gotenba Station at the bottom of the Mt. Fuji using the magic light train, from there they changed their transportation into the military use car that the Knight Order had prepared for them and they traversed through the empty town that had become an evacuation area.

Like that they arrived at the first wall that was the entrance into the Haunted Ground.

After following the procedure at the gate that was guarded by the Knight Order to not let anyone enter, they went inside.

For the time being their numbers until here were not few, a lot of volunteering students were also coming along.

The Level 1 area that was the most outer part of the Grand Haunted Ground had already been mostly liberated from the exploration that they had done twice until now in this place. Because of that, what greeted them right after they passed the wall was the calm forest at the foot of Mt. Fuji.

Signs and facilities that were built at the time where this place was still a bustling sightseeing course were left behind as if the time had been stopped.

Aiming for the second wall that was standing towering far away, they earnestly walked the path that was filled rampantly with green conifer trees.

“Walking through this area blessed by mother nature… I cannot suppress this uncomfortable feeling inside…”

In the crowd of students slightly behind, Kamimura-san in goth-loli clothing that was mismatched with the scenery was walking forward somehow even with an unsteady gait.

“You’re not tired, Kamimura-san?”

Kazuki drew back until the behind and felt anxious about the girl’s condition.

“The sky is so dazzling… Right now I’m fine, but surely I will get tired in time…”

Kamimura-san answered him with a way of talking like a prophet.

“Should I carry you on my back to preserve your stamina?”

“Eh, tha… that’s, it’s okay. Kazuki is the one that has to preserve your stamina no matter what.”

He was completely rejected. But there was no skull mark that came flying at him so he guessed she was just acting reserved. Kazuki cut in at the front of Kamimura-san, then with a ‘hyoi’ he lifted up her small body.

Kamimura-san went “Au! Awawa-!”, then she encircled her arms around Kazuki’s neck while she was about to blow her fuse.

“Let’s be like this until the second wall.”

“…Even though I’m being tactful here… Uu―. Normally when someone is about to do something like this they will get cold feet and become scared and so they won’t be able to do it, that’s what I thought. You are completely like the cool guy in a gal-game, this pushy attitude that cannot be hated… Something like this is unfair. So vexing. …But you will get wet-!!”

“What, wet you say? Not really, Kamimura-san’s weight is like paper, you are so light that I won’t sweat much.”

“Mumumu-!? Her weight is, light you say!?”

Kaguya-senpai who was walking at the side suddenly turned at their direction with a great vigor for some reason.

“Kaguya-senpai, Kamimura-san’s lightness isn’t in not in this dimension that you can get from something like a diet, so don’t mind it.”

Right now it was Kamimura-san’s existence that had already half-disappeared, not her fat.

“Why is Kaguya-senpai that sensitive about this weight talk?”

“No, no no not really. I don’t really care about something like my weight or anything!? Wow, it feels really good to walk among nature like this! La la laa― fu―n fun♪”

Kaguya-senpai’s eyes kept darting everywhere while skipping with a weird humming and whistling.

Everyone were all cute girls but… perhaps the hard work that the girls were doing behind the scene for their appeal was something that a male just couldn’t get a measure of.

“Even someone like me, have some aspects that a person that lovely is jealous of, that’s…”

On the other hand Kamimura-san was moved in a weird way.

“You are too light like this. I have to feed you a lot and make you gain weight.”

When Kazuki shook Kamimura-san up and down, she gave off a weird voice “au au au―”.

A gentle slope came into their view next, soft pastel blue manifested themselves from between the vivid green thickets.

“Kamimura-san, look, hydrangeas are growing en masse.”

“Oo…” Even Kamimura-san spontaneously raised a deeply moved voice. Everyone around them were also suddenly making a fuss about the sight.

“See, going outside once in a while is also good, right?”

Kazuki once again shook Kamimura-san on his back up and down while talking.

“…Kazuki, your way of talking, it looks like a father that took his daughter outside.”

Kamimura-san’s reply sounded like she was a little troubled of how to cope with the situation.

The reserved hue of the hydrangeas calmed down the hearts of the people watching it. If it was now, he had the feeling that he could step inside Kamimura-san’s heart for even just a little.

“Kamimura-san, you really work hard, that you even went with us into this place, you also properly attended the academy but, you’re not forcing yourself right?”

Kazuki slowed down his walk and then he asked while his gaze was following along the hydrangeas at the roadside.

It was a natural way of living, but for this girl who had been a shut-in for a long period of time such a way of living was supposed to be difficult for her.

“I’m not forcing myself. After all, I understand, that all this time you and Lotte-shishou are always being considerate of me. …Because I understand that I’m being paid attention to… I thought that in this kind of time, I have to become useful properly, by fighting.”

“You really are doing your best. Thank you.”

Why in the world would a good child like this become a complete shut-in?

Kamimura-san was scared to get along with other people. He had no doubt that she was too sensitive against other people’s attitude at herself, whether it was kindness or ill will. There was no problem in her personality, it was just that she was too sensitive.

‘In order to grant courage to such a girl, what should I do that would be good? …Let’s constantly fill her surroundings with the kindness of the people from around us.’ That was what Kazuki thought.

“Thank you, Kamimura-san.”

Kamimura-san noticed Kazuki and the others’ consideration for herself and so she tried her best to return the favor. Kazuki was happy of that and gave his thanks to her.

“…I think that the hydrangeas are certainly beautiful. I recognize it.”

As if searching for a way of how to express her own feelings, Kamimura-san talked slowly to Kazuki.

“Because you pulled my hand and led my outside from the Ise Imperial Shrine, maybe, surely, even I can become someone that tries to think of the things outside of my room as fun… I think.”

Kamimura-san was facing forward, just a little.

…The quiet promenade that was like a hiking route continued, and finally they arrived at the second wall.

Kazuki put Kamimura-san down from his back. In exchange of thanks for Kazuki’s assistance that let her legs were still mostly at ease, Kamimura-san wordlessly hopped up and down lightly.

They passed the second wall too and entered Level 2.

The area from here on mostly hadn’t been liberated yet. But the route to continue to the third wall had been opened by Kazuki’s reckless battle before this.

The elite squad led by Kazuki headed to the third wall while the other students spread out in order to advance the capturing of the Level 2 area. That was the arrangement that they had decided on.

“Leave this area to these ones!” “Leave it to us!” “I’ll work today.” “Gau.” “Fufufu.”

Kohaku, Karin, Kamimura-san, and the Ryuutaki-sisters saw off Kazuki and co. who were going forward.

The path that Kazuki and co. followed was gradually sloping drastically, they even had to follow some animal trails on the way.

Even so there was no Demon Beast coming out on this route that had been liberated once.They finally arrived at the third wall with the ease of advancing through a dungeon that had finished being captured completely.

There was a concrete wall that was built fourteen years ago before it was abandoned in front of them.

A plain door like a staff entrance door behind a building was installed in the lower part of the wall.

Both the wall and the door had gotten so old that it looked like it would turn into dust if it got hit with all their strength.

But a powerful barrier was set up on this wall that could even reject a King.

“Please wait! Nii-sama… as I thought, I too will go!”

Kanae chased them from the path behind. Kazuki turned around in surprise and shouted.

“I told you no already!”

He had to tell her sternly. He understood well of how Kanae’s obstinacy was.

“I can’t take you because your resistance against mind magic is weak. If something happened to Kanae, I cannot search for you like I can with everyone else. Saying it bluntly, you will just slow us down.”

“However… I have the feeling that there will be something important that is going to happen to Nii-sama after this… I have the feeling that I have to see that with my own eyes!!”

―Some kind of important thing. Leme had repeatedly said the word destiny before. Ahead of this path, there was a turning point waiting for him that would shake his future.

When he thought of that once more, Kazuki felt hesitation and his reply was caught inside his throat.

A turning point that would change his own life. To say that he was going to take Mio and Kaguya-senpai and everybody else there, but telling Kanae that he couldn’t take her was… as if he was inviting everyone to his wedding reception except for Kanae…

It could be seen as an act that threw away the existence of Kanae from his own life ahead of now.

Kanae’s feeling that wanted to witness with her own eyes the turning point of Kazuki’s life was something natural.

On the other hand, he too… he also felt that he wanted Kanae to be there at the turning point of his life.

His relation with Kanae was that deep. Even more than everybody else in this place…

―’I also want Kanae at my side.’ That kind of feeling gushed out inside him like a light shining over the darkness in his heart.

However, it was dangerous…

{…Kazuki.}

Inside Kazuki’s head who couldn’t say anything, a voice of someone was echoing. It was not Leme.

“This voice is…” It seemed that a similar voice also rang out inside Kanae’s head, she turned her head around looking for the voice’s owner.

The third wall that was right beside them emitted a faint magic power light.

That light linked Kazuki and Kanae’s consciousness and sent in a voice into them.

“The path ahead might be severe, but… take that person with you too.}

The seal that possessed its own consciousness told so to Kazuki.

{Undoubtedly, there are also things that have to be conveyed to that person too, that’s why…}

That time…*zuzuzu*, a heavy sound was reverberating.

The door of the wall that was emitting light opened by itself in invitation to Kazuki and Kanae.

“…I understand. Kanae, come together with me and ascertain what lies ahead of me with your own eyes.”

Kazuki resigned himself. He said that while shivering from the existence of someone that would once more change his life.“Certainly ahead of this path, it looks like there is something really important that is waiting.”

Kazuki and co. passed through the wall―there was a boundary line of the world there.

The other side of the opened door was pure white.

Silver grains were dancing in the air along with the wind. When they stepped inside with a step, their feet were buried right into the snow until their shin. All the trees in the surrounding had withered, turning into frost covered trees that were colored silver.

This level was a snow mountain in winter… he had been told that, but even so, the world line between the front of the wall and behind the wall was just too different.

It just told him even more clearly how incomparable the thickness of the magic power that distorted the world was in here.

“Well then everyone, let’s go.”

Kazuki stood in the lead and passed through the door, his companions followed after him.

Their feet was buried under the snow, silver wind hit the body right from the front, Kazuki’s teeth were clattering in no time at all. He entered strength into his shoulders and tensed the muscles in his whole body.

It had been a really long time since he felt the sensation of the cold.

Just like the story that he heard, it was still cold even though he produced heat in his body using Pyrokinesis. He deeply felt the cold.

“Hold your mind strongly! If not, you will get hypothermia just like your mind imagined!”

Liz Liza-sensei raised her voice. The coldness of this Haunted Ground reverberated in their minds.

“What an outrageous Haunted Ground…”

Kaguya-senpai knitted her eyebrows. Even so when he looked back to ascertain the countenance of the members, he could still feel some composure from everyone of the Witch’s Mansion.

“…Kanae, are you okay?” Kazuki was concerned with Kanae’s condition.

“I’m fine.” Kanae bit her lips and answered while glaring at the path ahead.

Her stout-heartedness that wouldn’t let any complaint escape her mouth made Kazuki feel even more anxious instead.

“This place should be at the height of around two thousand meters above the sea. As expected even the snow mountain of a Haunted Ground, too, will become even colder the higher it is, ahaha.”

Hikaru-senpai made a desperate laugh.

“The height too is like that, but thanks to the trees that are still growing around here the wind is weak. When we pass through the forest border and there is nothing in the surroundings, the blizzard will hit us fully at that time.”

Liz Liza-sensei added in a fact that he didn’t even want to imagine.

What was a little strange was how everyone was exposing their bare skin because of their Magic Dress even though they were in the middle of a snowy mountain. Though Kazuki was also just in his normal uniform. This clothing had no meaning at all for physical cold protection.

“O Divine Protection of mermaid, please block the step of the hated enemy and hasten the step of the chosen person… O ice blade, run! Moves in the Field!”

Koyuki cast an environmental control magic before they advanced through the snow for real.

Usually this magic froze the ground and formed ice blades on the allies’ feet. The allies could move around freely like ice skating while the enemy would be unable to move about… this magic had been used a lot in that way.

But this time the magic didn’t grant any effect on the ground and formed ice claws on the allies’ feet. Further it also created ice picks in the shape of a ‘T’.

“It really created a fitting atmosphere huh.” Hikaru-senpai swung around her pick’s like a kid.

An ice pick is a tool used to stab the blade into a snow surface of rock wall in order to keep the holder’s balance when they fell off from the slope or their balance was broken.

“And then if we stab this claw into the snow surface, we can then walk forward and not slip.”

Mio said that while immediately moving through the path of new snow with the ice claws on her feet.

“Even if we don’t use something like this, there is also a method of walking while using friction control magic.”

The expert in general magic, Kazuha-senpai, was once more saying an amazing thing so nonchalantly.

“That’s also fine but Hiakari has already troubled herself to make this, so just use this to suppress the consumption of excess magic power. After all even just standing around like this will have your magic power consumed to endure the blizzard.”

Liz Liza-sensei said so and then she urged them on.

“Oi, Hayashizaki siblings and Tsukahara, what are we going to do if you guys don’t walk in the lead.”

Kazuki, Kanae, and Kazuha-senpai moved forward in panic with crunching sounds to catch up with Mio who went ahead.

“Wait, Mio!”

They had to stab the picks into the snow surface each time they took a step forward and stepped firmly with the ice claws while climbing in long stride so as to not slip. Just advancing forward like this in a snowy mountain was surprisingly hard.

Their feet that were buried in the snow too was so cold with a chill that seeped right inside until their bone.

Kazuki finally overtook Mio and stood in front of the whole party.

Suddenly the snow field ahead vibrated *gogogo*.

…That’s right, of course this kind of thing would naturally happen. At the other side of the sloping path―inside the white screen of the blizzard, a faint figure of a <ice giant> so big they needed to look up appeared.

They had to fight Demon Beasts in this Haunted Ground.

“That Demon Beast… be careful! It’s going to throw ice lumps from afar!”

Liz Liza-sensei yelled. The ice giant broke his own body with his fist. And then it raised high the ice lump that was a part of its own body, he faced Kazuki and co. and threw it.

The enemy was located on the higher ground. The ice lump was approaching them by borrowing the force of gravity.

Kazuki jumped to the side and evaded the ice lump.

But the instant he evaded a step to the side, *BAKIBAKIBAKI!* there was a strange sensation under his feet.

There was no ground at the place his foot was going to step on. That spot was where shrubbery was growing on the slope and looked like the ground just from the snow that was piling up on top of it. There was no footing at the place where he was going to step, Kazuki almost rolled down from the slope.

He supported his body with the pick in panic and raised a yell.

“Like, like this we are not going to be able to move our body well!?”

The ground looked like a brand new snow surface at a glance, but they couldn’t know what was going on under the snow with just one look.

The giant didn’t miss the opening and threw another ice lump at them. With this timing, he couldn’t dodge.

“Flapped the wings and scatter sparks. Trail behind the spiral wind, become the bullet that gouge life! Flap and shoot! Barrett!!”A flame bullet collided into the ice lump just in the nick of time. Ice grains and steam exploded in front of Kazuki’s eyes.

“Geez Kazu-nii, be careful there!”

With Mio as the beginning, the other companions shot out their attack magic all at once.

“My wicked thought is filled with curse, I beseech thy agony… I have no shame of my ominous thinking! Feel Pain!”

“O the will of god of the whirling sky! Converge in my hand, please grant me the authority of judgment! O radiance of royalty divine gift, become the drawn bow of splendor! Lightning Line!”

“Howl! The civilization grant destruction to human! The roar of wisdom scorch, break thy body, bury that dignity under the rubble!! Mitrailleuse!”

Kaguya-senpai’s bullet of agony. Hikaru-senpai’s lightning arrow. Lotte’s gatling bullets.

The giant staggered from the raining down magic. Its movement that was trying to throw ice lumps was stopped.

“Barrett!”

Kazuki too ran through the snow field while chanting attack magic. When Kazuki pushed his way through the snow and advanced in the front, it also made it easier for everyone that was following after him to advance.

Ahead on the pure white path of the blizzard, Kazuki sensed even more moving presences.

“Everyone, there’s not just one!”

At the same time with Kazuki yelling to inform his party, three more giants showed their majestic appearances from the depth of the blizzard and the three raised up ice lumps all at once.

“O hour hand, please blunt down the gait of the fools and show contempt for their worth… {{furigana|Chrono Stutter|Stupefaction Time Lost}}!!”

Liz Liza-sensei chanted a magic that he had never seen before.

Three avatar of clock floated in front of the three ice giants, those three clocks had its hour hand moved really slowly while melting into the giants.

Thereupon in the blink of an eye, the giants’ movement became sluggish.

A magic that slowed a great number of enemies all at once―perhaps Liz Liza-sensei had assumed from the start that the enemy might be more than one.

The thrown ice lumps from the giants whose movements were slowed flew flimsily and fell in the middle without reaching Kazuki’s location. The fallen ice raised *DON!* a large sound and a curtain of snow was raised on the snow field.

“O craftsman’s forging that scatter the flower of night performance, fill the woven sky with sword’s tip! The role of the sword is for the sake of victory… under my command, become thunderstorm and pour down! Tenkuu Battou Renge Hou!”

Kazuha-senpai too was chanting a magic that was suited for a great number of enemies.

It was an attack magic that created a large number of Sacred Treasures and launched them like missiles<ref>Gilgamesh's ability in fate/stay night anyone?</ref>.

“Burn brightly!”

When Kazuha-senpai commanded, the Sacred Treasures that were floating in the air were all covered with flames.

Kazuha-senpai’s contracted Diva, Futsunushi no Kami had his power increased from combining with Take Mikadzuchi. It seems that now senpai was able to freely control the element that the Sacred Treasures possessed.

The flame Sacred Treasures pierced into the ice giants one after another.

…But, the giants were not falling down.

“Barrett!” “Lightning Line!”

Low level magic were flying without pause. But the giants planted themselves on the snow field and stood dauntingly.

“…They are tougher than we think. Perhaps it will be better to take it slow and chant a high level magic.” Hikaru-senpai murmured.

“Or else, with close quarter combat.”Kanae who was pushing through the snow together with Kazuki murmured subduedly. It was a heavy tone of voice as if she was being cornered in some respect. …Kanae was waiting for her chance.

But the distance between her and the opponent was far with snow blocking the path.

“O shapeless and mute shadow, become the fish that swim inside the darkness that is teeming with obstructive thoughts! The origin of nightmare, vicissitudes materialism, respond to the fear and hope and sink your teeth…! Deep Specter!”

Kaguya-senpai had already concluded to aim for a high level magic and put it into practice.

A soul was residing inside the shadow of the ice giants. The black shadow that was like a spot of stain inside this white world swelled up in one go and turned into a monster with size that was not inferior with the ice giant.

The shadow monster opened its big mouth where fangs were lining up inside like a shark’s mouth, then it sunk its teeth into the ice giant.

But the ice giant didn’t even pay any heed of how their shoulder was bitten by a monster and continued to throw ice lump at Kazuki and co.’s direction. Their movements were sluggish due to Liz Liza-sensei’s magic, yet they were still throwing ice lumps even though it didn’t reach. Several of the ice lumps were falling just right in the middle.

“Their toughness is amazing, but… those Demon Beasts, are they doing something?”

Mio raised an amazed voice. The ice giants kept continuing to throw ice lumps that didn’t even reach them with sluggish movement like broken robots. Over and over they kept throwing, raising a curtain of snow on the snow field.

―A crack sharply entered the snow field. With a look of realization Liz Liza-sensei yelled.

“…Those guys’ aim to cause an avalanche! Someone use wind or flame magic!!”

Right at that instant, the snow field in front of their eyes split into two of up and down.

For Kazuki who was fighting while looking up to the slope, it looked like the world itself was cleaved down.

The lower half of the snow field in their path was all slipping down at Kazuki and co.’s direction. The snow in the shape of a plate broke down like smoke and built up, in the blink of an eye it became a wave of snow with an height of ten-odd meters.

The snow volume that could swallow all of them whole, surged, nearing them while roaring with a vibration like an earthquake.

The one who could immediately react was Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai. Both of them chanted the same magic.

“O wind of bellows, awaken the scorching heat of steel on my forging! Take into hand the hammer that had tempered hundred and strike away the impurity of the soul! Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazadzuchi!”

Kazuha-senpai finished her chanting an instant faster. When she raised her palm at the approaching avalanche, a wind of flame explosion whirled out from there. Like a katana blacksmith that awakens flames with the wind of bellows―this was a double element magic of flame and wind of Futsunushi no Kami who was the god of blacksmith. Its might had increased even more after obtaining the power of Take Mikadzuchi.

Wind explosion was blown into the approaching avalanche and evaporated it.

“Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazadzuchi!”

For the following avalanche that Kazuha-senpai couldn’t blow away completely, it was Kazuki’s turn to blow them away after casting the same magic with a time difference.

Even so, there was still more…*DODODODODO!* Tremors of the snow was approaching. The avalanche was continuing.

There were still magicians of wind and flame among them.

“O stream of atmosphere, converge in this body, become the storm that reject the hated person! The eye of the typhoon is exactly my throne! Storm Fort!”

“Burn to ash all that you touch… o scorching heat of rejection that has no place to depend! Self Burning!”

Hikaru-senpai and Mio invoked wind and flame defensive magic at the same time. Vortex of wind hid his companions from the surrounding and then flame mixed into the vortex of wind.

A storm of flames repelled away the avalanche that had its force greatly reduced from Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai’s magic and all of it was terminated.Because all of the snow that covered the snow field had moved down with the avalanche, the ground in the space between them until the ice giants was laid bare.

The snow was cleared exposing the original scraggy rock surface under it, like a path that guided them to the enemies.

Kanae quickly start to dash without hesitation―she had belief that her comrades would repel the avalanche.

Kazuki noticed that Kanae had change from her two sword style of kodachi into using a single pure black katana. It was <Michikage> that formed a pair with Kazuki’s <Doufuu>. Kanae’s beloved sword in the past that she used when she was a child.

“Nii-sama, Amasaki Mio! Give me the protection of fire!!”

Kanae yelled while closing her distance with the ice giants in one go.

“Burn to ash everything touched… the scorching heat of rejection without any place to depend! Self Burning!”

Kazuki immediately guessed what Kanae wanted and chanted the magic that enveloped Kanae’s whole body with flame.

Mio too attached the same magic to Kanae a moment later.

Kanae used the flame that clad her whole body not for defense, but for attack, she used Psychokinesis to concentrate the flame onto her katana. And then she kicked the rock surface and flew high until the neck of the giants.

“Pierce the vital spot against a tough enemy!!”

When Kanae leaped at the giants whose movements were dulled, Kanae stabbed the flaming blade into its neck.

The ice giant writhed in agony like a living thing. …No, the giant looked like a lump of ice, but as a Demon Beast it possessed the disposition as a living thing.

There was no mistake that Kanae’s blade had severed the electric signal circuit that governed the giant’s body activity.

“…Die!” It was a really tough giant but it was smashed up into many small ice grains under one attack.

After Kanae ripped up the neck of one giant, she kicked its body before it could break and jumped onto the next giant and tore up the neck of the giants one after another.

It was a murder technique where the match was decided already once she got close, that it even made Kazuki go ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ in admiration.

“Kanae! Be careful where you are going to land!!”

Kazuki noticed and shouted. Kanae who had finished dealing with the giants landed on the snow field.

But regardless of Kazuki’s warning, it seemed that under that snow there was no foothold, *zubo-* Kanae’s lower body was buried into the snow and she raised a scream of “Nya nya nya!?”

“Don’t get too carried away. …It’s better not to get too close to the snow.”

With an amazed voice, Kazuki pulled out the MVP Kanae from the snow.

The coldness of this snow inflicted harm to the mind. That was exactly why that avalanche was dangerous. It would be nothing if it was just a normal snow, but it’d be bad if they got buried under this snow.

If everyone of the Magic Division that was lacking in Enchant Aura got buried under a few tons of snow, surely they wouldn’t be able to move at all. And then they would rapidly get cornered into a dangerous situation from the coldness of the snow.

Kanae whose body was half inside the snow was shivering and her face turned blue.

“So, something like this… is not a big deal…”

“Don’t act tough. …We should warm you a little like this.”

Kazuki tightly hugged the shivering Kanae.

“Ni, Nii-sama!? Nii-sama―!! It’s a super ultra warmth!! Right now Kanae is like a cat that is inside a kotetsu―!” <ref>Kotetsu is a table over an electric heater (originally a charcoal brazier in a floor well) with a hanging quilt that retains heat</ref>

“…But this is a cold that happened mentally so maybe doing this is irrelevant?”

“That, there’s no such thing! If it’s a problem of mind then right now Kanae’s heart is going puff-puff hotly!!”“…You look like your head is going to explode, let’s end it with this much.”

When Kazuki separated both his hands, Kanae was unsteady on her legs with a boiling face.

…If Kanae got buried under the avalanche―it was only Kanae and Liz Liza-sensei among the current member that he couldn’t search their whereabouts with the power of bond. When he thought so his body hair shuddered.

“Rotate to the rear Kanae. I’ll be the one that pushes through the snow.”

Kanae looked down in frustration but she followed what he said and moved to the rear.

“No, I’ll be the one at the head. I’m the one better suited for it right?”

In replacement of Kanae, Kazuha-senpai approached near him and said that.

…Certainly because she was a swordsman she had the proper strength to push through the snow with Enchant Aura, her resistance against mind magic was also better than Kazuki, and she could also deal against the assault of Demon Beast as a front liner.

Even if Kazuha-senpai fell she could stop her momentum using friction control, and even if she was buried under the snow she could blow it away using [Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazatsuchi].

There was the flexibility that could do everything even if something happened to Kazuha-senpai.

“Let’s do it with the two of us taking turn.”

“Yosh, tag.”

Kazuha-senpai laughed “he he he” and presented her palm, Kazuki high fived her with a clear sound of *pachin*.

“When it’s the time to alternate, let’s warm each other by hugging like just now.”

“Do, don’t make a needless banter-! Idiot-!” Kazuha-senpai hit Kazuki’s head.

Kazuki and co. formed a single line and resumed climbing the mountain.

…At first the fallen snow only reached until their shin, but the snow became higher when they climbed even more ahead.

The snow passed their knee… then when the height reached around their waist, it became difficult even just to move ahead.

Kazuha-senpai who stood in the lead swept away the snow in front of her with the ice picks, and then she pushed further into the snow surface that had been torn down lower with her knee, finally when the height of the snow became something that her feet could lift over she could take a step forward.

Kazuha-senpai raised a scream “Thi, this is harsh!” while her beauty was ruined from being forced to walk bow-legged.

Thanks to her pushing aside the snow in the front, the second in line could advance with a fair ease.

As expected this was an absurd task if they didn’t alternately take turns.

“Standing in the lead and pushing through the snow is called Russell<ref>snowplow</ref>. It’s one of the hardest task in climbing a snow mountain.” Liz Liza-sensei said that from the back.

“In proportion of the two that are working hard in the front, we the rear guard will work hard if there are Demon Beasts coming out!”

Kaguya-senpai went ‘Ei ei ouu―” while raising her hand. Right at that moment an ice giant appeared at the front where it was going to slide down at them, while from the sky a pure white giant bird that was covered with thick fur was flying.

The Demon Beasts appeared as if answering the request, so Hikaru-senpai yelled “Kaguya you idiot!”

“I’m not the one who is bad here!” While yelling, Kaguya-senpai began to chant.

The ice giant threw ice lumps and the giant bird breathed out a cold breath.

“Barrett!”

“O rejection of absolute zero, become the armor of isolation that protect our body! Freeze Barrier!”

Mio shot down the ice lump with [Barrett] and Koyuki protected the comrades from the cold breath with the barrier of chill.

Suddenly Kazuki looked behind. Interposed between Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai who was in charge of Russell and everyone of the Witch’s Mansion that performed magic battle―Kanae was looking down in frustration because she could not move even when there was no avalanche.

An absurd time was necessary just to advance ahead a little.

More than anything, the exhaustion of Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai was bigger than everyone who was doing battle.They rotated the turn every one hour, he and Kazuha-senpai hugged each other each time they were taking turns. Kazuha-senpai was cute with her face bright red. Perhaps if there was no reward like this then even Kazuki would have his heart broken.

Liz Liza-sensei had warned them before about the possibility of needing to bivouac, but as expected this was not a Haunted Ground that could be cleared in a day trip.

When he was became engrossed in the Russell duty and the battle, before he realized the surrounding had become dark from being evening.

The pure white world was transforming into orchid color. Like this they would soon meet with night.

“So this is what appeared in the end…”

Kazuki who had alternated with Kazuha-senpai of being Russell in the front unintentionally groaned.

…What appeared before their eyes was a rock wall without end in sight. The upper part was obstructed by the blizzard that formed white mist, they couldn’t determine how high this wall would continue.

If they didn’t claw their way up this wall, they would be unable to advance forward. This was like a bad joke.

“It’s better to stop one night here for the moment.” Liz Liza-sensei said.

“Come to think of it, sensei said that a tent is unnecessary so we didn’t bring any, but without blocking the blizzard we are only going to get exhausted one-sidedly even if we rest.”

“No need to worry about that. There is so much snow piling up in the surrounding. …We are making a snow hut here.”

Snow hut. …It was a proposal that made him strangely excited.

They immediately move to work. Everyone piled up snow, pressed and condensed it, plundered the heat with Pyrokinesis, and froze and hardened the snow.

“Making it too big will only make you anxious if it’s going to break down from its own weight, so let’s make two snow huts.”

Although they could make the hut strong and solid with magic, they guessed that making it with a diameter of around four or five meters was the sensible limit. Thereupon Mio murmured while pushing and hardening the snow.

“…For the groups, how will we split the members?”

Everyone’s hands stopped.

Everyone raised their face all at once and looked at Kazuki’s direction. Leaving out Kanae and Liz Liza-sensei, there were only girls who understood that everyone in this place had more than 100 point in positivity level towards Kazuki.

“Kazuki. If I’m not mistaken your ability will unleash a special power when there is someone whose positivity level towards you became 150, right?”

When Kazuki was stumped to give out an answer towards the difficult question, Liz Liza-sensei gave an advice.

“Think about what will it do for you in the decisive battle if you raised someone’s positivity level. Make your answer from the side of profit.”

When it became something like that…

A single snow hut with high transparency that had been half transformed into ice was completed first.

“Enter the snow hut first and prepare the meal Kazu-nii. During that time everyone will complete one more of the snow hut.”

While talking Mio and Koyuki released their Magic Dress temporarily and their appearance turned into their uniform with a large rucksack on their back. They took out some plastic container and pot and a solid fuel from there. It was an underhanded trick that made use of a Magic Dress’ material conversion phenomenon.

Leme emerged out from his side and frowned her eyebrows while saying “Do this moderately okay, it’s just for this time only.”

“Even Leme also wants to eat a delicious meal right?”

Mio acted the same to Leme like when she was still kid-sized and poked her nose lightly. Though when the two of them stood side-by-side, Leme was already the bigger one between the two of them.

“How cheeky, to treat Leme like a kid when Leme had turned into this adult appearance already―!”

“So what―, Leme is Leme right―”

Both of them screwed around with each other by hitting the other *pechi pechi* repeatedly. …Looks like Mio still had some composure in her.

“Even if you called it preparation, I only need to warm the stew. It doesn’t really need to be me…”“I’m telling you to rest obediently here, so that Kazuki won’t get tired by doing something trivial like making a snow hut. We don’t know what is going to happen ahead of us you know!”

“Right right, just like she said!”

Hikaru-senpai butted in from the side and launched a hip attack at him with a boing.

The butt that was covered with a Magic Dress in T-back style blew away Kazuki inside the snow hut.

…If he was forced until this point then there was nothing he could do except to let himself get spoiled by their words.

Inside the snow hut, Kazuki spread out a sheet with high insulation rate and settled down his body on top of it. He set the solid fuel and lit up a fire. It was an alchemic fuel that boasted fire power of an average gas stove.

When he was staring at the burning flame, Kazuki’s feeling finally settled down.

…If he had to talk truthfully, he was nearing his limit.

Repeatedly becoming the Russell, the coldness of the snow stiffened his whole body that now he couldn’t even shiver.

The heart was also made of flesh―with a dysfunction occurring in the heart, the blood flow in the whole body was stagnating.

Due to the blood not circulating, the oxygen wouldn’t reach the brain. If he let his guard down, his thought would grow dim and turn pure white.

He planned to consume enough water, but even with his sweat not flowing out he felt a maddening dehydration in his body.

He had to warm his body. Kazuki instinctively thought so.

Now that he had escaped from the blizzard into the snow hut, surely his body would immediately recover if the fire of the solid fuel hit his body. Kazuki rubbed his coldly stiffening hands and fingers on top of the flame.

He had already upped his resistance toward mind magic but he was still immature in it.

Kanae too was feeling frustrated but… just because someone was a swordsman it didn’t mean that it was fine to only train in swordsmanship without caring for anything else. Even if comrades would help each other, there were many fields of expertise that had to be improved.

Waiting until after his blood flow recovered its vigor, Kazuki finally put the pot on top of the solid fuel.

The content of the pot was stew. The cold stew didn’t emit any aroma at all. Regardless Kazuki spontaneously gulped his saliva.

Rather than calling him starving, what he felt was closer to a breakdown. This was the first time his own cooking looked this delicious to himself. Since he was born, this was the first time his mind was ravaged by the taboo desire to snitch a food secretly like this.

But if he didn’t eat the food together with all his companions that were even now still building the snow hut outside…

Kazuki was gazing blankly at nothing while waiting for the pot to become warm.

The voices of everyone that were continuing their task outside felt awfully far. Perhaps his head was still lacking in oxygen. Feeling the warmth of the burning fuel, he dimly felt like he was in the middle of a dream.

Suddenly, he felt a presence right beside him. It was as if a ghost was standing right besides his pillow when he was sleeping.

After slowly turning his head―a slightly dazzling silhouette of a woman that was formed from magic power was peeking at the pot’s content from behind Kazuki.

It was as if a teacher was ascertaining a student’s cooking skill in the middle of a home economics class.

―It was the master of the seal. The First Knight. The wavelength of that light that dimly shone was the same with the light that appeared in his battle with Ilyailiya.

The light gave off a pondering voice.

{…Why are you, giving your all that much for your surroundings?}

Without tearing off her eyes from the pot, the woman’s voice sounded anxious in some respect.

‘What in the world is she feeling anxious for?’, before answering her, Kazuki first felt such doubt inside him.

“I am just doing it because I want everyone to be happy.”

Kazuki honestly talked about his own feelings.

“It looks like I am being quite misunderstood but, I’m doing this not because I am an orphan and so my self-esteem became really low that it makes me flatter my surroundings, it’s because I love everyone.”

When Kazuki said that, the woman became much more dejected and looked down.

{That stew is} The woman changed the topic. {…the flavor of your home?}

“I am an adopted child so, this is the flavor of the Hayashizaki’s… the family I was given to to be raised.”

Kazuki answered.“With Hayashizaki’s flavor as the base, I improved it in various ways so that I can make Kanae and father happy…”

The woman’s silhouette looked sad from something of what he said, she felt even more sorrowful in dejection.

“…Is something wrong?”

{I, can’t even teach my cooking to my own child. The flavor characteristics of just that family that every household has, I couldn’t impart it to him…}

Not only the pot, but the inside of the plastic containers were also loaded by Kazuki’s handmade cooking.

While her gaze kept wandering unable to calm down, the woman, rather than to be called a hero, she was more like an ordinary female, talked in sorrow.

Kazuki pondered about the woman’s life. There was no doubt that this woman staked her life for the sake of the seal.

To fight as a knight without looking back at her family… due to that this country was saved.

If so, then this person, should think of that proudly with her chest held high.

Kazuki tried to say such comforting words, and hesitated.

The child of this woman, could he understood that? Even though she had saved the country where she was born, and yet she left her own child in sorrow, as a mother could she really take pride of such a thing from the bottom of her heart?

For an existence of a mother to put in scale the world and her own child―it was not something that could be encouraged so simply.

“…Are you regretting it?”

{…Yes.}

The woman said as if spewing out the stagnation at the bottom of her heart.

An affirmation that a hero by no means should ever do.

Kazuki imagined what he would do if it was himself. ‘If, it was me in the position of this person. Or, if I was in the position of this person’s child…

When he thought that, a numb sensation ran through his brain.

This person, was someone. The master of the seal. The First Knight. The hero that saved this country.

The previous generation’s contractor of Lemegeton.

Not only that. ‘This person, who is she to me…’

This time Kazuki turned back his whole body behind.

He faced the silhouette of light of the woman right from the front.

Both her face and her body build were uncertain. Her voice too felt somewhat chaotic as if a wave was shaking it.

“…You are…”

{The pot, will be cooked soon. It looks really delicious… I too, want to try to eat it, but…}

As if running away from Kazuki’s gaze, the woman’s silhouette pointed out at the pot.

Even so when Kazuki continued to stare at her, the woman silhouette dimmed and began to vanish.

{In the center of this Haunted Ground―at the peak of the Fuji, I’m waiting for you. I’m sending my avatar here like this, because I’m too impatient to wait…}

“Wait…!”

Raising his voice unintentionally, Kazuki reached out his hand as if trying to catch an empty air.

But, the woman’s figure disappeared and escaped from his hand smoothly.Silence returned to the surroundings. Were his companions really continuing their work outside the snow hut even now? Or perhaps it was just the inside of this snow hut that was completely transferred somewhere to a different world.

‘…I too have something that I have to convey.’

Suddenly, such feeling was gushing out from inside Kazuki’s chest.

He had to convey it to the woman that was waiting for him ahead.

That ‘I didn’t become unhappy or anything you know’.

That ‘I’m not resenting or blaming anyone’.

===Part 3===
When everyone finished their meal, the members were split up into two snow huts. To prepare against Demon Beast’s attack, there would be lookout posted alternately, they would pass a night in this place.

“Ahaha, hooray! I’m in Kazuki’s side!” Hikaru-senpai raised a joyful voice and she threw herself down before rolling around everywhere *goron goron* the moment she entered the snow hut.

“…Don’t go wild and destroy the snow hut okay?”

Kaguya-senpai warned her with a troubled face.

“The one at this side… are you saying that we are the ones with a half-baked positivity level?”

Kazuha-senpai was the last one that entered the snow hut while being fidgety, unable to calm down.

Kazuki, Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, Kazuha-senpai. This snow hut was for these four people.

“No, in the first place the members that entered this Grand Haunted Ground all have high positivity levels. Among these members, Mio, Koyuki, and Lotte had all passed over 150.”

Otonashi Kaguya―142 Hoshikaze Hikaru―130 Tsukahara Kazuha―128

The three of them had passed 100, but they were still short of 150. From Kazuki’s experience, when someone had their positivity level passed 100, from thereon raising their positivity level became not as easy as before.

Surely it would be difficult to raise their positivity until 150 in this one night. But if he became able to use these three’s high level magic, it would be very reassuring in his preparation for the decisive battle.

He didn’t mean to raise everyone’s positivity level in order to become strong, but…

“Hmmm… it feels like after the classmates, now it’s the seniors’ turns.”

Hikaru-senpai noticed the common point of the members here and murmured. Now when she said that, unexpectedly the situation really had turned out like that. Although he had never intended at all to leave the seniors for later just because they were older, things just developed like this.

In order to dodge the issue, Kazuki followed after Hikaru-senpai and rolled on top of the sheet.

The sheet insulated the chill from entering and only transmitted the softness of the new snow.

“Ahaha-, Kazuki baa―m!”

Hikaru-senpai delightfully rolled and rolled and rammed her body at him.

Hikaru-senpai that came rolling at him with quite a power behind her was blocked and then embraced by Kazuki.

Hikaru-senpai became docile and rubbed her body against Kazuki in his embrace.

Gently, Kaguya-senpai too quietly lied down behind Kazuki.

“Fufufu… we are expected to pass a night in this cramped place with the objective to raise our positivity level. It feels quite lewd.” Her expression was filled with seductiveness while she whispered into Kazuki’s ears.

Both of them were in the appearance of their Magic Dress that had been simplified into really light clothing. Hikaru-senpai that was hugged by Kazuki was in the appearance of leotard-style complemented with tight high leg, while Kaguya-senpai who clung at his back was in the appearance of only having her breast from her neck and between her legs slightly hidden.

Being glued tightly to such two people, sandwiched between them, had already made him in an inflammatory state of emotion.

“Gulp.”

With an expression that gulped her saliva, Kazuha-senpai was snugly sitting in seiza at the corner of the snow hut.

“Kazuki… I’m sleepy…”

With a tone of voice that seemed like acting, Hikaru-senpai closed both her eyes with a snap.

“Senpai is going to sleep already? That’s right isn’t it… we have to wake up early tomorrow.”

“Of course that’s not it! There is a stereotype pattern in this kind of time right!?”

Kazuki went ‘hah’ with realization and from then he grew ashamed of his own slow wittedness.

“Senpai, you are going to die if you sleep here!” He lightly slapped Hikaru-senpai’s cheek.

Hikaru-senpai went “Uhyaa―” and received the slaps happily while laughing.

“Kazuki… I grew cold.”

“Ee―rr, what should I do this time…”

“Let’s warm each other by hugging together naked-!!”

With a fierce momentum Hikaru-senpai put her hand on Kazuki’s upper uniform.

Kazuki raised a scream “Uwaa-“ and resisted that act, like a pure maiden.

But both his arms was firmly restrained from behind.

“Otouto-kun, isn’t it no good to sleep with your uniform I wonder?”

Kaguya-senpai sealed Kazuki’s movement and whispered in his ear while pressing her breasts at him with ‘boing boing’.

Certainly it was just like she said, however!

“E, even you two senpai are not naked aren’t you!?”

After he said that carelessly, he thought of what he was going to do if both of them undressed from even their Magic Dress here.

“Ahaha☆ Well then I’ll pardon Kazuki and leave your shorts behind!”

Hikaru-senpai that was once extolled like a prince proclaimed that with a smiling face.

Hikaru-senpai’s hand unfastened all the buttons at his upper wear and Kaguya-senpai behind him took it off. It was a joint action that had been polished. Next they put their hands on the shirt’s buttons.

It was fine already if he could preserve his short… Kazuki completely thought like that.

In a flash his white shirt and trouser were pulled off.

‘If it keeps like this then it will become something awesome’… Kazuki thought with only a single shorts on him.

“Wawawa-!” Kazuha-senpai who was sitting in seiza covered her face with both her hands in extreme shyness.

But she was properly watching from the gaps between her fingers. This person was that kind of person.

“Ooo―, a boy’s chest!”

Admiring something that she didn’t have herself, Hikaru-senpai hugged at Kazuki’s chest.

Kaguya-senpai who had a muscle fetish was trying to draw Kazuki’s body at her direction while saying “My pectoral muscle~”. “I find the treasure~” “This is the treasure of this snow hut~” The two of them joked while rubbing their cheeks against Kazuki’s chest. Getting stripped into his underwear and getting treated like a treasure by older ladies like this…

Kaguya-senpai kissed lightly at Kazuki’s neck muscle and pressed her lips stimulatingly. He shuddered. The small tongue that that came out from her lips gently licked from his neck until his chest glidingly.

Hikaru-senpai too “I see” nodded and then she did the same act. Everywhere on Kazuki’s naked upper body, the two’s lips and tongues were crawling around bewitchingly.

He felt his body, that had completely chilled from the blizzard, grow hot as if his blood flow was running wild inside.

He never knew that it felt this good to have his body licked.

This is bad. Although there were two persons that became his partner here, be that as it may, it would be bad if he got driven into the receiving party.

To have his side as the attacking side instead was… on the contrary a situation where he could keep hold of his reasoning more.

Kazuki stopped the face of Kaguya-senpai who was moving on top of his chest with a manner of hand picking out something.

They exchanged gazes. The eyes of Kaguya-senpai were… just as he thought, they had become violet in color.

First he had to calm down this person, if he didn’t crush them one by one, this night would become something too awesome.

“Kaguya-senpai, rather than playing with my chest, you want to have your body touched instead, right?”

Saying that he aimed for the substitution of offense and defense, he traced Kaguya-senpai’s nape of the neck with his finger. Copying the act of senpai just before this, this time it was Kazuki that kissed Kaguya-senpai’s body and softly licked.

He licked through Kaguya-senpai’s stomach, her back, her sides, while keeping her weak in suspense where he was going to lick. He licked sleekly all over, making Kaguya-senpai’s spine quiver in shivers.

“…Yes. My breast, I want you to touch them.”The desire of Kaguya-senpai that had become completely sensitive from Asmoudeus’ influence, had been received. She responded to Kazuki’s words without resistance before encircling both her hands on his back and averting her back.

With a jiggle, that earth-shattering breasts were pushed out at him.

His feeling became as if a main dish had been suddenly presented at him, Kazuki lifted up that heavy fruit profoundly. Lifting it up, his palm enveloped half of it from below and then he massaged.

“Ann-, ann-“ Each time he massaged, Kaguya-senpai let out a stimulated cute voice for him.

Kazuha-senpai took a glance at Kaguya-senpai and her gaze displayed a sign of being embarrassed.

“Kaguya-senpai when she uses Asmodeus’ power, she will be unable to contain herself all night. That’s why…”

Kazuki nonchalantly inserted a follow up about this situation. ‘That’s why, it can’t be helped.’

“Is, is that so, so it cannot be stopped in any way…”

Kazuha-senpai leaned her body forward even while still covering her face with both her hands.

“It’s true, a sensation reinforcement magic is running on Otonashi-san’s skin. It made her completely sensitive.

Kazuha-senpai’s magic intuition saw through Kaguya-senpai’s condition.

The breast covering vanished from Kaguya-senpai’s Magic Dress. The pink pointed end had swelled up sharply as if saying that it wanted to be touched.

“Waa…” Kazuha-senpai leaned her body forward.

Kaguya-senpai was already impatient. Victory went to the one who made the first move, Kazuki aimed for that and suddenly sucked at the pointed ends. He slide his tongue from the side, played with it in circles and pecked on the peak.

“Fuaaaaaaan!♡” Kaguya-senpai raised a shout of joy while small heart marks scattered from her. How much she felt good could be understood from the minute changes in her positivity level.

“Ahaha, Kazuki, you look like a baby. …Me too!”Hikaru-senpai sucked at Kaguya-senpai’s right breast competitively.

“Hikaru!?” Do, don’t…nnnn-!!♡”

Kaguya-senpai’s sensitive body reacted fiercely even against the stimulation from the same sex.

Rather than calling the stimulation had doubled physically, it seemed the abnormal situation of being stimulated by the same sex made Kaguya-senpai completely aroused.

“Waa… a, amazing…” Kazuha-senpai’s posture was now standing on her legs.

Even further Kazuki used his empty hand to stroke Kaguya-senpai‘s thighs. Kazuki took the lower body, while Hikaru-senpai attacked the back and the nape of the neck in the upper body.

The body of Kaguya-senpai who had completely become sensitive several times over was filled with a vortex of pleasure from the two.

“Do, don’t, if you do that to me… even though I’m being watched…ANN-♡“

Kaguya-senpai rapidly turned heated. Like a heat that lost its place to go and ran amok, Kaguya-senpai wriggled her voluptuous thighs back and forth and she rubbed her nether region at Kazuki.

“This place, does senpai want it to be touched?” He asked with a slightly tormenting tone.

“It, it’s embarrassing…” Kaguya-senpai murmured with a look of dimming reasoning.

“It can’t be helped because it’s Asmodeus’ fault, senpai.”

Kazuki said so and removed the binding of Kaguya-senpai’s reasoning.

He remembered Koyuki’s disheveled state when he stimulated that spot of hers while she was in delirium in the movie theater. The passion of a girl was saved up in this spot. Kaguya-senpai too was also like that… she was more sensitive in this spot than anywhere else.

He pressed his finger on the nether region part of Kaguya-senpai’s Magic Dress―the Magic Dress vanished as if melting the instant his finger touched, his finger directly went into Kaguya-senpai.

Even while surprised, Kazuki caressed that sensitive spot as gently as he could.

“Otouto-kun…Otouto-kun-!♡ More!! ♡”

Even though Kazuki was touching gently, it was Kaguya-senpai who shook her waist in order to make Kazuki’s finger pressed on that spot.

In the case that it actually hurt her, such thing should also be able to be understood from the change of positivity level.

That was why, Kazuki moved his finger relentlessly and resolutely. What way that would make Kaguya-senpai feel even better… while looking for such a way from the change of the positivity level… he strengthened his movement in one go.

Her small bead that would make a girl feel even better was generally similar with Koyuki.

The protuberance on the outside’s upper part, the dripping wet inside, he massaged both with his finger tips.

Kaguya-senpai raised a voice that was nearly a scream. “Aaa! AAA―!” With such a raised voice, before long Kaguya-senpai’s face looked like it was going to cry “Fuaaa―!”, and then it changed into a distorted expression that tried to endure “Hyii!”. But she didn’t dislike what he did. She was opening both her legs slovenly with liquids flooding out soppily from her lower body. An amazing amount of heart marks were flying at him.

He whispered “Kaguya, you are really cute” with wholehearted expression at her ear, and then he kissed her white cheek.

“Otouto-kun… Kazuki-kun! HYAAAAAANN-!!♡”

At the end of Kaguya’s sensitivity that had been raised several times over, she reached the highest peak. She was pierced with a sensation unimaginable for a man like Kazuki before her body went limp in a half-fainted state.

Kazuki felt shy at this late hour looking at Kaguya’s naked body that was drenched with sweat and he averted his eyes. He couldn’t look at her in the eyes.

“Kazuki-! Me too…!”

Without even any time to take a breather, Hikaru-senpai hugged at Kazuki.

*Chuu* She sucked strongly at Kazuki’s lips. This was something he couldn’t do with Kaguya-senpai, a kiss on the lips.

“The pleasant feeling of a girl, teach it to me too♪ I also want to become like Kaguya there…”It seemed that Hikaru-senpai was honestly yearning for a pleasure like what Kaguya-senpai experienced.

Perhaps he was making her learn something dangerous here. Thanks to being treated like a prince until now, this person didn’t have such vulgar thoughts about this kind of thing.

He embraced her body that was even more slender than Kaguya-senpai and caressed her back and her spine.

But as if saying that what he did was too slow, Hikaru-senpai

“Kazuki, my breast♪ Touch my breast♪” She coaxed him.

When he obediently did what she asked, immediately this time she urged him on “Suck my nipple♪”

“Fuaaaaaa-! Kazuki is sucking at my breast♡”

She said it to herself as if making a self-hypnosis to heighten her feelings rapidly. She was in high spirits with all her strength. Hikaru-senpai shook her butt and coaxed him “Ne, my butthole, touch it♪”.

“Eh, the hole of the butt, senpai says?”

“Because, in the manga that I read everyone was doing that you know?”

Before this Hikaru-senpai often read with pleasure boys love manga and mistakenly thought of it as the friendship between men.

Perhaps it was only a natural curiosity for her too to want to obtain the pleasure that was drawn in the manga for herself.

A magician could use Psychokinesis to float any filth thoroughly and remove it, so that place was not a dirty place. Kazuki also didn’t have much reluctance for such a thing―he pressed his finger at the leotard that dug into the bottom part.

“Haaa…♡”

Hikaru-senpai’s expression became joyous as if she had obtained the sensation that she had yearned from since she was just a child.

He shifted the digging clothes to the side and exposed the covered part. He poked weakly with his finger as if knocking. His finger tips caressed the narrow spot and drew circle as if observing the situation.

Hikaru-senpai’s expression was melting with bewitching feeling of expectation. Kazuki then determinedly buried his finger into the inside of that place.

“Aa-, it echoed until the inside of my stomach-“

He moved in and out his finger like a moving piston, Hikaru-senpai’s dignified face that was called a prince was melting in ecstasy.

“Haaa, somehow my butt, feels really hot…”

Rather than calling the sensation she felt intense, it seems that what she felt was more like a heat that slowly surged inside.

“Aaaaa… something is coming… this is the sensation of a girl…?”

Even if she called it as a girl’s sensation, he had the feeling that it was not actually something decent. While playing the behind with his right hand, Kazuki reached out his left hand to Hikaru-senpai’s front.

“Aaaa, from the front and behind… Kazuki is entering my front and behind… you are resounding inside me-!”

Strength filled the spine of Hikaru-senpai that looked like she had slowly reached prostrate orgasm.

“Kazuki, my girl place, more!♡”

So that Kazuki could touch the front and behind at the same time easier, Hikaru-senpai held both her own legs under her arms and floated her waist. Her vulgar places were all exposed, making Kazuki reflexively avert his eyes.

“Kazuki, look at my girl places properly here!”

Hikaru-senpai said that in dissatisfaction. Kazuki continued his stimulation in place of a reply.

“It comes! …Something good is coming…!!”

Kazuki stopped sucking her breast and sucked at the shivering girlish lips of Hikaru-senpai.

“Nnn… nnnnnnn-!!♡”

Hikaru-senpai’s body was fiercely trembling while heart marks flew at him, her body stopped moving with an ecstatic expression. There was no vestige of a prince left anywhere in her. Kazuki gently stroked the girl Hikaru-senpai on her head.

“Kazuki… me, me too…”

Kazuha-senpai who was leaning her body forward on her knees approached him while still on her knees.

Even though this was Kazuha-senpai who was supposed to be the owner of the most upright personality among the members here, she had been thoroughly changed by the two girls before her.

“I, I too want to feel good just like this…”

Kazuki too stood on his knees and faced Kazuha-senpai.

“Then senpai too should vanish your Magic Dress.”

He said that planning to tease her meanly, but Kazuha-senpai even while looking down in shame made her Magic Dress disappear like a mist. The naked body of Kazuha-senpai that he last witnessed in the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave was now bared in front of his eyes.

Kazuki reflexively let his gaze crawl through her white skin.

“Kazuha-senpai, you are really beautiful.”

“Do, don’t stare at me that intently, quickly, that…”

“How does senpai want it?”

“I, I want you to touch me…”

Kazuki embraced her close with his left hand at her waist. Kazuha-senpai who let herself get pulled clung at Kazuki’s chest. When he impatiently caressed her skin, her white skin was rapidly dyed red.

That skin of hers dimly emitted magic power light.

“Kazuha-senpai, are you using some kind of magic?”

Like a kid whose misdeed was discovered, Kazuha-senpai twitched.

“O, Otonashi-san became until like this, so…”

This was―a sensation strengthening magic. This magic was a complete copy of Asmodeus’ influence that was mimicked using general magic.

When Kazuki pinched the tips of her breast strongly in a surprise attack, Kazuha-senpai’s body trembled exaggeratedly. Her body became almost as sensitive as Kaguya-senpai, and also even more from how she had been made to wait until the last turn where her passion had been piling up.

“Kazuki, make me become just like those two…”

“Like those two, like what senpai?”

“…Li, lick my nipple, suck it…”

Kazuha-senpai became more excited while saying such thing herself, her breath became rough.

Kazuki did just as she said. He pinched with his left hand, sucked with his mouth at the right side, and his right hand reached out toward her lower body and caressed her butt and thigh.

After stroking the inside of her thigh for a while, Kazuha-senpai began to fidget her body.

“Kazukiii…”

“How does senpai want it, I won’t understand if senpai doesn’t say it out.”

“Wh, Why are you talking that meanly only to me since a while ago―!”

“I know that Kazuha-senpai’s reaction when getting bullied is the cutest.”

“So you have a really warped fetish like that―!”

Although no matter how he imagined it, it was Kazuha-senpai’s own words and action that made other people want to do such things to her.

“…Kazu-kun! My, my important place too, I want you to make it feel good!!”

“Well then senpai, please open your legs yourself.”

Kazuha-senpai who was in the posture of standing on her knees turned her butt at Kazuki before she opened both her legs so that it would be easier for Kazuki’s right hand to touch. A hot liquid ran along the thigh and wet Kazuki’s hand.

Kazuki moved his hand in the way that purposefully made a watery sound intensely sounded and inflamed Kazuha-senpai’s shyness.

“Actually, I can understand what kind of way that makes senpai feel good from the minute changes of the positivity level.”

“Wha, what’s with that, if that’s true then don’t bully me like that. Uu… your way of touching that raises a sound like that…”

“That’s why senpai, it’s fine for you to let out your voice honestly and feel good.”

Kazuha-senpai’s expression brightened with a feeling of expectation at Kazuki’s declaration.

Kazuki searched for a spot where Kazuha-senpai really felt it―and immediately discovered it.“-! The place just now!”

When he concentrated at that spot, the piling up passion inside her flamed up all at once.

“FUAAAAAAAAA-!♡ Kazu-kun! ♡ It feels good, so good!!♡”

Kazuha-senpai’s body and heart became honest and clung at Kazuki, a line of saliva trailed down along with a wild breathing in her sweetly melting expression. Kazuki felt it wasteful seeing that and licked the trail with his tongue.

“Kazu-kun, kiss me too!”

Maintaining that movement Kazuki indulged deeply at Kazuha-senpai’s lips.

“NNN-!♡”

Kazuha-senpai too trembled in shivers and then she sunk down to the floor like a puppet whose strings were cut.

“Kazu-kun you idiott~”

He stroked the head of Kazuha-senpai whose face was messed up with shame.

Immediately after that, “Kazuki-kun-!” “Kazuki!” Kaguya-senpai and Hikaru-senpai embraced him from behind as if saying that they had recovered. Their bodies were still feeling hot, the two of them rubbed their bodies and fawned at him. His whole body was enveloped in the softness of girls.

Kazuki thought of the three girls as cute from the bottom of his heart.

At the same time he felt that he had to endure his own body’s demand with a self-restraint of steel.

Until the end Kazuki would only admire the three girls’ lovely reactions.

He absolutely must not do something more than that.

===Part 4===
Kanae couldn’t help herself from becoming concerned towards the other snow hut even while standing guard.

When the day became night, the blizzard became even more terrible. Perhaps this kind of thing was not really a big deal for the bunch of the Magic Division, but for Kanae this was a fierce blizzard even though she was just standing guard like this.

‘What kind of ordinary day that Nii-sama always spent with everyone of the Witch’s Mansion I wonder…’ Kanae was staring fixedly at the snow hut. Usually she could move such thought away from her mind thanks to the distance between the Witch’s Mansion and the Sword Division’s dormitory, but tonight, that was impossible and she became really concerned.

‘Even Nii-sama is not a blockhead that doesn’t have any desire.’ When she tempted Nii-sama, even while saying unkind things from his mouth, Kanae had noticed that inside, his heart was beating really fast.

If Nii-sama was surrounded by that many girls and be loved… surely they would even do something a little perverted many times already. Though of course, Nii-sama was a person that absolutely wouldn’t pass the line that must not be passed.

Kanae felt the loneliness of having only herself left alone.

Nii-sama felt a debt of gratitude toward the Hayashizaki house and obstinately tried to maintain the distance of a brother and a sister in regards to Kanae.

And then he shouldered the destiny where he had to create bonds with women that possessed Stigmata.

Thinking about Nii-sama’s sincerity and the weight of the destiny he shouldered, I thought that I must not feel something like jealousy. However…

If she at least had a Stigmata, she wondered whether she too would obtain the qualification to be loved by Nii-sama as a woman…

{Have thou felt like it to make a contract with I…?}

At the feet of Kanae who was standing still inside the blizzard, an avatar of a small black cat was approaching.

“…It’s only a weakness that welled up because of the cold wind.”

Kanae looked down at the black cat with a glare.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 090.jpg|thumb]]

The avatar of the black cat snuggled close to Kanae’s foot with a brisk step―and entered into the body of Kanae who had grown cold from the blizzard. The sensation gradually changed into a mysterious heat.

“…You, you were shadowing me since the afternoon weren’t you? You were the one that was frequently sending heat into me like this.”

{The most that I can do for a human that is not contracted with me is only something to this degree.}

“Stop a behavior like this that pushes for a favor from me. My answer will not change for eternity.”

{…I understand well thy temperament. Thou are a proud human with purity inside. Completely like the blade of the katana that thou wield.}

“That’s right, I am a single katana.”

{I… don’t mean to push any favor to you. It’s purely just my wish to aid thou. I just want to take away thy suffering. I don’t know anything else that I can do to help.}

Despite how he was a terribly obstinate Diva that didn’t have even a single contractor until now, that voice of his was mysteriously gentle.

“Besides why don’t I have an Enigma? Pushing Enigma to the contractor one-sidedly that is enforced by the law is you guys’ original way of doing things right?”

{…Bestowing Enigma to thee is going against the rule of Enigma. Enigma was a simple mark for the sake of reserving early a possessor of excellent talent. And then Solomon 72 Pillar, certainly, we made the humans create the law that forcefully raised the people who received an Enigma into a Magika Stigma without fail. That is to make the excellent human think that they have the obligation. If the humans with excellent talent don’t become Magika Stigma then this country will not be able to maintain itself… there is also that kind of circumstances. …However there is no talent inside thee as a Magika Stigma.}

Kanae harbored a good impression towards Beleth’s honest manner of speaking.

{Falling in love at first sight based on a completely personal interest towards someone who has no talent, moreover bestowing the Enigma only after confirming it, such an act that makes someone lose the freedom of their life doesn’t stand to any reason. That’s why there is nothing I can do except to negotiate with thee whether thou will do me a favor and receive the Stigma.}

“I see, you mean that I have the right to refuse. Then, I refuse. …Even though you give me the consideration until that much, but can you really be this persistent just because of the problem of your own preference?”

{If it keeps like this thou… shall inevitably be left behind from the path where Hayashizaki Kazuki is going to advance, and so I thought that it can’t be kept like this. Thou should become the conquer target of Hayashizaki Kazuki, that’s what I thought.}

“…Is that so. But your thinking is mistaken. That is something that I absolutely mustn’t do.”

{Why?}

It was not bad to be frank about her true feelings towards this resident of another world that didn’t have any ties of obligation.

“Since I was a child, I continued to live thinking only about becoming the strongest swordsman as the successor of the Hayashizaki-style. I am a single katana since I was born. But I am not blessed with a physique of a swordsman. The truth is, I was always insecure whether I was really worthy as the successor. At that kind of time, father brought Nii-sama home from the orphanage after seeing his talent. At that time I thought [It doesn’t matter anymore].”

{…That’s so unlike thee.}

“Actually, I am not even that strong as a human. But mysteriously, the moment I gave up to be the successor… doing sword practice together with Nii-sama became fun. And then Nii-sama also taught me the joy of life outside of the sword art. Nii-sama was the person that made me human.”

{But currently, thou is trying to become a single katana once again. Rejecting to make a contract with me.}

“That’s because an enigma appeared on Nii-sama’s hand. Nii-sama shouldered the destiny where he could not become the successor of the Hayashizaki-style, that position rolled back to me once again. All this time I didn’t want to recognize that. It was great to be together with Nii-sama. I wanted Nii-sama to be the strongest swordsman. I was… scared to return back into being a single katana again. It was scary to face my own powerlessness.”

Kanae spewed out her true feelings that she had never leaked out to anyone before.

“I won’t recognize Nii-sama’s departure to the Magic Division! …The true feelings of me, who had continued to say such things all along is what I just told you. I didn’t want to become the successor. It was scary. I was going to continue to drag Nii-sama’s feet behind like that. Does this kind of me… have the qualifications to think of wanting to be loved by Nii-sama?”

Kanae once again directed her gaze at the snow hut where her big brother was in.

Nii-sama was shouldering an enormous destiny, he was being affectionate to other girls.

‘I, who am always holding Nii-sama back, don’t have the qualifications to enter into that…’

“Nii-sama is going to stand on his own feet, independent from the Hayashizaki house. He is going to step into an even grander destiny. Then, I too have to face my own destiny. I have to become the strongest swordsman and see off Nii-sama’s becoming independent. As the eldest daughter of the Hayashizaki house. You understand now, Beleth. By receiving a Stigmata from you and becoming Nii-sama’s conquer target, Nii-sama will worry about the genealogy of the Hayshizaki-style coming to an end, he will notice my weak heart that escaped from my destiny, he will only harbor despair and pity towards me. A human that cannot face her own destiny has no qualifications at all to be loved by anyone!”

She would continue the Hayashizaki-style as the strongest swordsman, with that Nii-sama would be able to leave the nest of the Hayashizaki house with relief, to step out onto an even more rigorous destiny.

At such a time, she would be able to face Nii-sama once more.

The blizzard suddenly stopped. Kanae looked up to the night sky. Wind that was several times stronger than at the surface blew and washed away the clouds in the blink of an eye, the weather of the mountain changed suddenly in an instant.

At that moment, the cloud flowed away and the blizzard vanished like a miracle, opening the starry night all over the sky. It was as if she was seeing the night sky for the first time. The sky looked close as if her hand could reach out to it, countless millions of stars were shining.

“I will become a single katana.”

The radiance of the stars had not a single murkiness in it, like the clearness of a katana.

She, too, wanted to be like that, Kanae thought.

{Thou art sublimely beautiful right now. Thy heart is undoubtedly like a polished blade.}

===Part 5===

Late at night―the executive room at the highest floor of Oosaka’s government office building.

Inside, a strange soliloquy was resounding.

“7-6 knight, checkmate. …Aa―, it’s impossible already! As I thought shogi is just impossible, impossible! Amberjack! Greater Amberjack!” <ref>I don’t really understand this part. I think it’s something like a word play here. At first the person here was talking impossible impossible, which in Japanese is ‘muri, muri’. And then he continued with ‘buri’, which is amberjack fish in Japanese, and continued again with ‘kanpachi’ which means greater amberjack, but the word also sound similar with ‘kanpai’ which is a word that the Japanese people say when they toast their glass. Mind you, I could be totally wrong</ref>

It was a girl’s voice ―the voice of Kaya.

The tone of voice was Kaya’s, but a way of talking that was different than Kaya was alternately mixing in it.

“…That’s why I told you already, the random factor in shogi is zero, it was reckless of you. But playing against someone that omitted his eight pieces of rook, bishop, lance, knight, and silver general, ‘as expected maybe I can win here―’ anybody will think like that ain’t it! If you are gonna play then let’s play a game that has some random factor in it yeah, this kind of logic game just ain’t suited for you y’know? Don’t talk to me like I’m an idiot, c’mon―!”

The girl’s arm toppled over the shogi board that was on top of the marble table. The shogi pieces that were depicting a disastrous war situation were scattered everywhere with clattering sounds.

“Even me don’t like a game with zero random factor in it. <ref>The me just now is referring to man</ref> Why? ‘Cause there ain’t any chaos in it. A game without any uncertain factor in it is just too boring, this is just the Cosmos Side’s game.”

―This was a soliloquy that was not a soliloquy.

The two minds that occupied a single body were alternately talking.

Using just a single mouth that Kaya had, the one who was talking with Kaya was Loki.

Both of them could also exchange words only inside their head, but they much preferred to actually let out their voices when talking. Especially for a Diva, just moving their flesh body was a really pleasant thing.

After talking too much they now wanted to drink. Kaya reached out her hand to the pet bottle on top of the table and drank it all in one go. What she drank was a carbonated drink from the former era named [Root beer] that she recently got addicted to.

Loki who shared Kaya’s senses suddenly raised a scream.

“It stinks! That drink is just too stinky!! Drink something more natural, you! Don’t wanna! This chemical flavor is just unbearable y’know. Eei, shit!”

In order to remove the bad taste, Loki gulped down the whole bottle of the sweet potato shochu <ref>Japanese liquor</ref> named [Invitation to Hell] that had been put beforehand on top of the table. It was a sake that he bought because he was pleased with the name. A scream suddenly resounded all of a sudden.

“GYAA―! My throat is burning! Hahaha, serves you right, get sterilized you idiot tongue!”

Kaya’s body was in agony while laughing.

“C’mon, just drink a lighter sake. No way, the balance between the punch of the alcohol strength and the taste is important in what is called as alcohol, the nasty sake with alcohol below 20% is not alcohol at all. Geez―, Loki you idiot! Being an alcoholic even though you are sharing a body with a girl is just the worst! The idiot one is your sense of taste here! What are you gonna do if you even get me addicted with this root beer addiction of yours!! Ah, just as I thought? Looks like you also started to get to like it eh!? …Yeah. It’s vexing but yeah. Yeeeiii, my root beer comrade♪”

They got along well with each other.

Loki was thinking ―he left alone the consciousness of this girl on a whim, but she made things fairly interesting here and there.

Sharing a life with another person like this was filled with many really new discoveries.

Both of them had an open personality that knew no shame, so they were not bothered at all even with a life of zero privacy like this.

For Kaya, even in the case when she was sleeping and during that time both of their flesh body got strangely mixed up, so when she woke up she found her own body grew out the penis of Loki’s giant’s body, she could still laugh explosively while holding her stomach. She was the owner of a personality that could do such a thing.

Loki too was so Loki that he was not flustered, even when he was sharing a body with a girl. In the first place he was the ultimate borderless god whose forte was sex change, on the contrary he even had an incomprehensible heroic saga where he transformed into a mare where he was then brought into a reverse rape as the Sasoi’uke by a giant’s powerful male horse. At that time he got pregnant and the foal that was born from that later on became Odin’s beloved horse, the famous <Sleipnir>. With rape being the case.

Both of them were completely a match made in heaven.

While the two of them were getting roused up from their matching mood in one body, there was a knocking sound *kon kon* from the door.

“It’s fine to just enter anytime without knocking. This great me doesn’t have any moment where I’m gonna get ashamed of being seen.”

Loki who didn’t have any shame lightly permitted the visitor who came this late at night to enter the room.

The door was opened and the one who entered was a group of three of male and female.

All of them were wearing the hooded robe that was the proof of being an illegal magician.

“Oh, it’s you guys.” Loki’s voice brightened and he welcomed them.

The three respectively were the illegal magicians that were possessed by Midgardsormr, Fenrir, and Hel.

These three Divas were Loki’s real children.

However they were quite unworthy of their father because they couldn’t really succeed in taking over their human’s flesh body.

‘Despite being my kids why are their performances this bad huh?’ Loki thought inside his heart in marvel.

In front of his children, Loki transformed Kaya’s body into his own body. His body contour distorted flabbily like an amoeba and without even emitting any magic power light the body smoothly morphed into Loki’s appearance.

“Nyoro nyoro.”

“Midgardsormr, you too has become considerably like a snake huh. Quickly shed off your skin already.”

“Aoo―n, ao―n.”

“Fenrir, you too have turned like a dog this far huh. Can you pee while raising one of your legs now?”

Towards the illegal magicians whose bodies had began to be deeply influenced by the Divas possessing them, Loki ignored the original personalities of the bodies and called them with the name of his own child. After stroking the heads of the two, he turned towards his youngest daughter Hel.

“…”

“Ou, Hel. You too have your complexion worsened like a death god… hm? Hel, you…?”

“Papa. I, have reached it already see.”

At that time, the body that was clad in a dark robe emitted a powerful light.

“Ooooh-!?” Loki raised a joyful voice. Inside the light, the silhouette of the illegal magician change its shape like a jelly. In the blink of an eye it drew out the small―petite silhouette of a girl.

“Hel, you finally did it! As expected from my daughter!!”

Loki tried to hug the girl’s silhouette by jumping into the light.

The girl’s silhouette sleekly dodged the jump.

“Papa… I’m, not a child anymore you see. Stop trying to hug me already.”

The shining light settled down―Hel had clearly materialized her body.

With a bluish-white skin, her appearance was of a very young girl. Her body was clad in pure black gothic cloths that matched Kaya’s taste, her right eye was covered with an eyepatch.

Her noble look and blue hair that were inherited from Loki emitted a ghastliness that was not from a person of this world.

Hel―because she was Loki’s biological child she was still young, but in Norse Mythology she was the Queen of the World of the Dead that accomplished an important role. Loki greeted her materialization with a radiant smile.

“Hahaha, you shy kid. Papa is very lonely just by myself y’know. Comrades that papa can trust right from the heart are only you three after all.”

Loki forcefully hugged Hel while sinking his waist on the black-leather sofa.

Hel averted her face to the side and replied with a coldness of hell.

“Even without us, papa doesn’t really mind and is always having fun right? Papa is saying things like comrade, even though papa actually doesn’t need anything like that in your heart.”

“Why are saying such a cold thing to your papa that you have met after a long time? If you don’t act more honest and be sweet to papa, papa is gonna get lonely here…”

“Nyoro nyoro” “Aoo―n”

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 096.jpg|thumb]]

When Loki hung his head down dejectedly, the two persons possessed by Midgardsormr and Fenrir consoled him.

In the past it was also like this but, these two were stupidly kind to Loki.

“Hmph. I hate papa so much.”

“Is that so? If so then, well, it’s fine already. However, why did you suddenly become able to steal the body in one go?”

Loki raised his face in a snap and asked.

“…Putting me aside like that… Hmph, it’s Ikousai. When I went along with that girl’s training I grasped the trick.”

Ikousai lately made these three to accompany her training. It was the special training for the sake of perfectly controlling the power of Susanoo that resided inside her. So that was it, by observing the state of Ikousai, who was controlling the power of her Diva, she grasped the trick to steal a human’s body using the reverse operation of that process.

“Oi, Midgardsomr and Fenrir. You guys also went along with Ikousai’s training right? Why is there no progress with you guys. This ain’t the time to go ‘nyoro nyoro’ or ‘aoo―n’ y’know.”

“It’s impossible for these two, they are idiots after all. I’m the smartest here after all.”

With a proud huff Hel turned up her nose haughtily, “…I’m the best, I’m taking after papa the closest” she added so with a small voice.

“Right. However this is a joyous occasion. Should we have red rice for the meal tomorrow? Papa is going to fill this room with humans until bursting and make them make a lot of red rice yeah.” <ref>Red rice or sekihan, made from beans and mochi for auspicious occasions</ref>

“Re, red rice or whatever isn’t tasty, so it’s not like I’m happy or anything with that. Well, if you are going to congratulate me then it’s fine even if you do as you please…”

“Well, that’s just a joke though. I too don’t like red rice, it’s troublesome.”

“…!!” Hel stood up from on top of Loki’s knees and hit Loki’s shoulder repeatedly.

Even while those hits got repelled by a blue defensive magic power, Loki got flustered while saying “What, what’s with you!”

“…Papa is no different whether now or in the past. Papa is only joking around or saying insincere words. Even though I’m now able to materialize after a long time, why is papa not facing me with more of your real feelings…”

Hel murmured in complaint with a small voice.

“Nn? What are you grumbling there?”

“Nothing at all!”

Hel raised an angry voice that sounded like a flame of hell. Loki went “Sca, scary…” and shrank back from his biological daughter.

{Heh heh… Loki, so when you are in front of your kids you are like this.}

Kaya who was watching over the situation laughed sardonically inside Loki’s head.

“Anyway, I’ll go after that guy called Hayashizaki Kazuki. Just leave the rest to me.”

Hel crossed her arms and suddenly began to talk.

“Hah? Leave it to you? Papa is not blessed with capable people, so papa never got to test whether leaving something to another person is gonna go well or not.”

“I have grasped the situation even while just possessing this body. Hayashizaki Kazuki is going to the deepest parts of Fuji’s sea of trees to take the last one of the Three Sacred Treasures. …Ame no Murakumo. That thing is probably, the thing that made us thoroughly miserable 14 years ago right? That kind of thing, must not be handed over to the enemy.”

“Even if you say that, that place is sealed by that woman’s power. We cannot enter there.”

“It’s possible. If it’s me. That seal is something that was put up by that woman… a dead person.”

Hel puffed up her chest as if wanting to say “It’s fine for you to praise me.”

“Is that so, if you have recovered your power… now you can make full use of your power as the god of death.”

“Dead person is my attribute. I can look up the soul of dead people that I know from Astrum and form a connection to them. The soul of the dead that is maintaining the seal in that Haunted Ground… when that woman shows her appearance in front of Hayashizaki Kazuki, I’ll do that and I’ll eat that woman’s soul. And then I’m going to materialize my figure in that place.”

So to speak, a warp that was using the desecration of a dead person.

By reducing her own flesh into a mass of enormous magic power, she was going to connect to the soul of a dead person that was in a different place through the mental world. The soul of a dead person was the remains of magic power that kept clinging at Astrum―so to speak the remaining dregs of a mind.

By consuming the soul of that dead person, she would reveal her appearance by moving into the soul of the dead person that was in that place.

Warp magic―it was a feat that not many Divas could do even if they had materialized.

“He will see the one that he is talking with right in front of his eyes suddenly change into me. I’m going to launch a surprise attack right there when he is shocked. He is going to be helpless. And then I’m going to massacre the lot and bring back the Sacred Treasure. How’s that, papa? It’s perfect right? It’s fine even if you praise me. Though it’s not like I’m happy or anything getting praised by Papa.”

‘That strategy is gonna make Hayashizaki Kazuki go into rage huh’ , Loki thought.

‘That strategy is going to make Kazuki-oniichan go mad with rage huh’, Kaya also thought,

When [a person that knew Hayashizaki Kazuki] imagined that strategy’s progression, for some reason rather than success there was only a dangerous premonition welling up inside their heart. That was how much Loki and Kaya were being in awe of his force of will.

“…Just stop it, that’s dangerous.”

“Eh? Why?”

“Because the one who can warp like that, is just you right? Hayashizaki Kazuki that snapped, is just scary. If that guy fight without thinking of the consequences, he could even fight against the other Kings.”

“There is no way for me who has already materialized to lose against something like a human at all!”

“You say that but, even papa has the experience of almost losing against that guy y’know. See, this in papa’s chest, it’s the scar from that time.”

When Loki exposed the chest behind his shirt and showed his scar, Hel’s face went beet red and covered her face with both hands.

“I, idiot! Don’t take it off out of nowhere like that! Papa really doesn’t have any delicacy! You perverted father! Since the long time ago you always loitered around naked after rising from the bath, that kind of papa is just the worst!”

Loki fixed back his shirt while being dejected.

“Why are you this shy of a person despite being my daughter… daughters at that age are really troublesome eh. I get along much better with Kaya.”

Hel’s expression went stiff in a snap from that nonchalant comment and she became even more obstinate.

“Besides papa’s win and loss cannot become any consideration at all! Anyway that time papa was just careless right!? If we just leave that guy alone and get careless, it will immediately become a pinch for us.”

“There was also that but… Papa you see, is just worried for you.”

“That’s a lie!” Hel refuted that with a menacing look like the earthquake of hell.

“Papa isn’t worried or anything at all for me! Papa is just making light of me all along! Telling me that I cannot do anything right, papa is always, always looking down on me!!”

“I ain’t looking down on you at all here. No, strictly speaking I’m looking down on you though. Everyone except papa are all idiots after all, so it’s not like papa is specially thinking of you as an idiot y’see.”

{Ahaha, you’re the worst―} Kaya was laughing hard.

“Papa is not worrying about me, papa is just thinking of that guy Hayashizaki Kazuki as more important than me! Even though all this time papa has already had so many chances to kill that guy already!”

His biological daughter’s discerning eye made Loki shocked instead. Kaya too {Ooo-} reflexively ooh-ed in admiration.

“Just why does papa let that guy live until now!? That kind of man, can be nothing else but an hindrance to our plan!”

“That guy is also one of the pawns that I can use. …Among the Magic Advanced Countries, Japan is the only country that can form an alliance with another country. With Japan becoming a force that cannot be ignored, the balance between the countries that struggle for supremacy coulda be broken. I don’t want to face those Magic Advanced Countries honestly from the front.”

“That’s just an excuse! Our original plan was too make this country, Japan as the base of us, the Divas of the Chaos Side, as the abode of demons where we can hijack the humans of this country that had no divine protection of the advanced countries! That’s the original expectation of us of the Loki’s Einherjar!”

“It doesn’t really matter where we gotta do that, anywhere is fine. …The first plan had become hard because the <Zero Knight> really whooped our asses. That couldn’t be helped.”

Kaya was shocked hearing Loki’s way of speaking. This was the first time this Diva had the sense of defeat mixed into his actions.

To steal this country and turn it into their own base, couldn’t be done except in that era.

Right now, the Magic Advanced Countries had already gathered too much strength. They already couldn’t do anything that stood out.

That was why, rather than gathering strength, they had to plan that prioritized shaving off their surrounding’s strength. …Loki was thinking like that.

“…Papa right now, just wanted Hayashizaki Kazuki to inherit the will of the Zero Knight, and then try to fight it once more.”

“You are thinking too much.”

Hel shook her head vigorously and turned on her heel.

“I don’t know anybody like papa anymore! I’m going to kill that guy!!”

Just like that she rushed out of the door with a force that almost smashed apart the door and left the room. Having been left behind, the two humans that were possessed by Fenrir and Midgardsormr were lost “Nyoro” “Ao―n”.

“…Aaa, she went and left. Why is she like… wonder if she didn’t hear what I told her. Ain’t her plan just a suicide attack when she ain’t preparing any escape route like this?”

Loki sank his waist into the sofa and gulped his sweet potato shochu.

“Why is she that stupid despite being my kid I wonder. <ref>That’s not surprising when the father of your kid is just dumb animal right? Edit(Omega): Actually, Fenrir, Midgardsomr and Hel were fathered by Loki, while the mother was a Frost giant… Sleipnir was the only child of his he mothered</ref> When I was having children, the ones that come out were suddenly a snake, a dog, and a corpse, well, like that there ain’t no way these bunches are going to turn out decent though, but even so I thought that the girl was still better cos’ she had human shape. What a stupid daughter.”

{…Loki, why did you even make something like children?}

Kaya asked while enduring the numbing sensation of the alcohol.

“I wanted them in the past see. I thought that for comrades that I can have faith in, one that absolutely won’t betray me, ain’t it fine if I just make them myself.” Loki leaked out a voice that was unexpectedly crestfallen and lonely.

“…After all whether it was those gods of Asgard, or those giants, in the end, none of them can be trusted.”

Loki’s birth origin was the giant race. The Norse Mythology was a legend about the enfolding conflict between the gods of Asgard and the giant race. Kaya vividly imagined Loki’s position in the middle of such conflict.

Loki joined the group of Asgard’s gods, exchanged the cup of sworn brother with Odin, and his relation with Thor became something that was called as bosom friend.

But in the end he betrayed the gods of Asgard and a fierce battle was enfolding.

In the end, his words that no one could be trusted was heavy.

“But I noticed in the middle that such thinking was too naïve. It’s not about fearing treachery, what’s important is to corner the surrounding bunches into a situation where they have no way to betray you. I’m not looking for something like other people that you can trust. Other people are to be used. They are pawns. That way of thinking really worked well.”

{But that girl, Hel, you cannot handle her as pawn well eh.}

Kaya pointed out with a sharpness that stabbed right at the heart of the matter. Loki gulped his shochu.

“That girl, I cannot move her well. What is that girl looking for, what kind of bait that girl will take, I really don’t understand at all.”

{I think that what that girl is looking for is really easy to understand though.}

“Is that so? …It’s incomprehensible for me.”

Surely he was just pretending to not understand, Kaya thought.

Surely Hel had seen through something like a fake love completely. That was why she was constantly angry.

But a love that was right from the heart couldn’t be called as bait anymore.

Loki who had decided to treat everything as a pawn was unable to give something like love right from his heart to other people. That was why, even for Loki the trickster, that attempted to manipulate everything, Hel was the only one in the world that he couldn’t use.

Perhaps all the words that Hel threw at him were all truth. Loki had lost the argument against his daughter.

“Really… the matter just cannot go my way.”

Kaya noticed. How that murmur sounded a little happy.

{…It doesn’t go your way, that’s why you’re looking forward to it aren’t you? An uncertain factor. Basically it’s that kind of thing isn’t it?}

Loki loved something uncertain. Surely Loki―loved Hel as an uncertain factor.

“It’s just like what you are thinking.” Loki laughed.

Hel couldn’t understand a love in such shape. That child from now on too would hunger for love, wander, and continue to act in an astounding way. Loki continued to watch that while drinking his sake.

Kaya also thought that it was pleasant. She couldn’t explain why she was having fun with such an unpleasant hobby but, without doubt, such things brought joy to Kaya and Loki.

She and Kazuki-oniichan were also the same. When saying “I want love”, Kazuki-oniichan would surely face the other party directly. But for her, she already didn’t want such a straightforward feeling. That was why she rejected that, did crazy things―and just earnestly wanting to trouble Onii-chan.

That kind of reliable Onii-chan was manipulated around with her every single action. That was great.

Inside her head was becoming full with contradiction and bankrupt personality. It was pleasant for such tragedy to be her aesthetics.

Kaya felt her [bond of chaos] with Loki that could understand that become even more irreplaceable.

“…By the way, what kind of person that Zero Knight was?”

Kaya was interested with Loki’s past. She felt that his past that she was completely ignorant of, was like a large river that stretched out between her bonds with Loki.

“I had several chances to meet her face to face and talked to her. That woman was someone that said things like [I fight in order to protect everyone!] with sparkling eyes.”

“Ugee―. That’s the honor student type that I’m bad with.”

“Hearing that I… more like my host was thinking like this. This guy is strong. So let’s massacre all her important people and plunder the will to fight, the will to live from this woman. I’m going to make that sparkling eyes get polluted.”

“O, ooo… what an awesome idea.”

“My host and my comrades ran around from the Zero Knight and massacred the Zero Knight’s family, friend, acquaintance, we cleaned all of them up. So that she won’t even have any feelings of revenge, we did it thoroughly. There was only this one strange pipsqueak foreigner that called the Zero Knight [Nee-sama] that we failed to kill because she was quiet strong, but, other than that one pipsqueak, we killed them all.”

There was no more reason for the Zero Knight to fight―the circumstance became something like that.

There was no more will to protect or anything that she could feel. It wouldn’t even be strange if she commited suicide because of the despair.

“And then, what did the Zero Knight do?”

“For a while her whereabouts was concealed. During that time my host and comrades went wild as much as we wanted. But… that woman came back.”

“Ooo-…! She came back for revenge?”

“No, she didn’t have the desire for revenge. That woman said [Someone like you has to be defeated without fail] with a steady gaze. She was not talking pretty things with sparkling eyes… she talked justice with piercingly threatening eyes.”

“…That woman, was scary wasn’t she?”

“Yeah, even my host was trembling. My consciousness that time was vague but, maybe I too was shaking in my boots. We ran away until the depth of a left alone Haunted Ground that was surrounded by a wall but we got pursued, and then she entered a one-on-one fight at the summit of Mt. Fuji. There, they simultaneously killed each other.”

“Then that means you guys didn’t lose then.”

“Well, it felt like a loss. Our plan also got toppled over. Right before the Zero Knight’s death, so that the special Sacred Treasure that she used could be handed over to the hands of a worthy human, she burned her remaining life and put up a seal.”

“Loki is thinking that you want for that Sacred Treasure to be handed over to Kazuki-oniichan aren’t you?”

There was reverence towards the Zero Knight inside Loki’s chest.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki is… a worthy guy to inherit the conviction of the Zero Knight. In the deepest part of the Grand Haunted Ground, that kind of thing is waiting for that guy.”

===Part 6===

The next morning, Kazuki and the others crept out from the snow huts along with the dawn and lined up in front of the tremendous rock wall while looking up at it. When they tried to take a detour, they soon hit a deep valley in their way. No matter what they had to challenge this wall in order to climb to their destination.

What was in front of them was not a slope anymore, but a wall that stood upright like a folding screen. The angle began from around 50°, and then the angle gradually became closer to being vertical. The rock surface was exposed due to the wind but here and there were snows piling up inside rock cavities, making the wall look like a pattern of brown and white speckles. The wall continued until very high without the end in sight.

It was as if they were witnessing the god of earth.

“When I climbed this mountain in the past, there was no wall like this that looked like the Grandes Jorasses though.”

Liz Liza-sensei said that while breathing out white vapor. “Haunted Grounds will change even its terrain with the thickness of its magic power. With days and months that passed, the Haunted Ground will evolve into something outrageous.”

“This, how will we climb this?”

“There is not other way than to cling onto the wall with both legs and arms like a lizard and climb. Let’s have Koyuki create one more ice axe for each of us.”

Ice axe―a hammer in a T-shape model. It was a mountain climbing assistance tool in a shape like a bar with its tip turned into a sharp blade. With ice axes in both hands, they had to drive in the blade in position as high as they could one hand at a time.

Crampons―similarly with the ice claws Koyuki made for them on both of their legs, they had to kick in the claws on their toes in position as high as they could one foot at a time. They nailed the ice axes at their hands and the crampons on their feet alternately into the rock surface. They crawled up little by little. There was no other way to go up other than to steadily do that.

They supported their body by alternately stabbing the blade and claw into the rock surface deeply. So that they would be fine even if their balance broke and fell, they stretched out a rope between them so that all members were supporting each other.

They wouldn’t die even if they fell, but… they would need to climb back steadily from the start again.

“There will be falling rock, Demon Beasts will also come attacking.”

The one in the head that would support the comrades that were following after him in critical times must be excellent in stamina.

“Should the one that becomes the lead be me or Kazuha-senpai?”

“Shall I do it?”

“There is no doubt that Kazuha-senpai who can manipulate general magic flexibly is competent for this role, but what is really demanded in this role is being calm, cool, and collected to quickly deal with the problem that can happen.”

If just that one point was excluded, Kazuha-senpai would be even more suitable than Kazuki for this. But just that one aspect made him thoroughly uneasy about letting Kazuha-senpai do this.

Kazuha-senpai focused her eyes and considered Kazuki’s words. And then she immediately averted her eyes uneasily.

But she also couldn’t retract her previous offer and so her mouth kept closing and opening wordlessly.

“Also with a girl in her Magic Dress right above me will only make me unable to concentrate from all the lewdness, so as I thought it’s better if I’m the one in the lead.”

Kazuki threw out a life line to Kazuha-senpai which made Kazuha-senpai’s expression relieved before she pushed Kazuki’s shoulder while saying “Yo, you pervert! As I thought you are the one that will be in the lead!”

With Kazuki being in the lead decided, all of them were joined with each other using rope in turns.

At last Kazuki half-crawled the steep slope and began to climb. The ice axe and the crampons which had its hardness increased due to Koyuki’s power over cold easily pierced the wall when Kazuki strengthened his physical ability and nailed it on the wall. Relying on that Kazuki advanced above step by step.

“Like this… steadily…”

Looking at Kazuki’s figure that was clinging on the wall, Mio let out her impressions.

When Kazuki had climbed around three meters, that Mio also clung to the wall. She only had the power of a girl that wasn’t used to use Enchant Aura habitually, but her ice axes and crampons easily drove into the wall.

“Kazu-nii-, pull me up if I’m going to fall okay♪”

Mio looked up at him while saying that.

Kazuki looked down right below him and replied “Naturally.”

“Ehehe~, how reliable♪ I wonder if I should try to fall purposefully.”

“You are going to fall at me then.”

Koyuki who was following right under Mio replied with a cold voice.

“I’m going to thrust this ice axe into the bottom of the falling Amasaki-san.”

“FUEEEEEEEEE-!?”

Mio spontaneously raised a scream but she had defensive magic power so she wouldn’t actually get stabbed if that happened. It was just a frivolous talk. The relation between these two had also improved really well.

With only pain accumulating inside him, the monotone act where he couldn’t see when it would end was continuing.

The scenery of white mist above him didn’t change at all no matter how far he was steadily climbing up. The wind that was whirling in rumbles in the air was filled with snow and turned into blizzard that crashed into the rock surface and got blown below. Kazuki and co who were clinging into the rock wall and were trying to climb up―especially Kazuki who was climbing in the lead had his face struck fiercely by all the falling snow.

However he had to keep his face lifted up by all means, after all they didn’t know when the Demon Beasts would come attacking from the sky. The really violent blizzard reduced the visibility to zero with just his naked eyes, but he continued to focus single-mindedly on reinforcing his eye sight with magic power and saw through the other side of the blizzard.

And then it came―a swarm of giant bird that was covered in pure white fur where they were flapping their large wings to draw near and to peck at Kazuki and co. with their sharp beaks.

His companions shot them to death with a rapid-fire of attack magic.

When Kazuki tried to chant his magic, his companions scolded him to preserve his strength.

―His body that should have been warmed already inside the snow hut was once again beginning to creak. During his war of attrition against the rock wall where he didn’t know when it would end, the cold was gnawing into his body unstoppably.

What was exposed into the fierceness of the blizzard right at the foremost was not just his face but also both his hands. The tips farthest from the heart that were his fingers were the first to have ischemia occurring at it from the hypothermia.

Kazuki was witnessing his fingertips slowly changing color into brown.

Even so as long as the wall was continuing vertically, he kept raising high both his hands alternately above his head, he must not stop driving his ice axe into the wall’s surface by any means.

How far he had climbed, he wondered. He had no sense of distance and sense of time.

The surrounding was isolated by the blizzard. The senses of his whole body also went numb and began to vanish. He was feeling as if he was floating in a world of pure white.

Kazuki’s heart was suddenly assaulted by anxiety.

Were his comrades still there at the end of the rope that was tied onto his waist, following after him?

If the rope didn’t get pulled then that meant that there was no one that fell down. In the first place Kazuki was able to sense the current location of his companions.

Yet regardless… it couldn’t be helped that he felt uneasy from how he was unable to detect the existence of everyone inside this world of pure white.

“Everyone, are you still there!”

Kazuki called out to right under him.

“I’m fine!” “I’m still here!” Replies were coming from numerous mouths, Kazuki was relieved from the bottom of his heart.

His chest became warm. Everyone’s voices became a second breath for him and turned into strength inside his body.

“Hey! Let’s take a roll-call periodically okay!!”

Kaguya-senpai proposed that perhaps from feeling the same uneasiness as Kazuki.

“Then when I call out [Everyone!], everyone will give their reply in order!”

“Understood!” Mio who was right under Kazuki replied. “But what should we reply with?”

“Anything is fine, within appropriateness! Let’s try it now… everyone!”

“Nyaa―!” Mio immediately replied after she was told that anything was fine.

“Puu.” Koyuki continued.

“Wan wan-!” Lotte energetically said.

“Pan pan!” Kaguya-senpai who recently began as a panda character raised a panda’s barking voice(?).

“Eh!? I don’t have any material for that kind of impression though!?” Kazuha-senpai raised a troubled voice.

“NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Kanae shouted.

“PENIS!” Hikaru-senpai yelled out something incomprehensible.

“What the hell are you saying!?” Liz Liza-sensei who was at the end of the line scolded with a baffled voice.

Spontaneously Kazuki was experiencing the building up of laughter inside of him. That laugh was again changed into energy and he thought that he could still do his best.

While climbing Kazuki periodically took a roll-call.

“Nyaa―!”

“Puu.”

“Wan wan-!”

“Pan pan!”

“I don’t have that kind of special voice desu! I’m a normal human desu!” <ref>This is Kazuha speaking</ref>

“NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAA! NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”

“PENIS!”

“I told you not to say anything obscene already!?”

The end of the path came too quick―what appeared at the other side of the blizzard was not a rock surface but the clear sky.

What got fixed at the edge of the rock surface was not an ice axe but fingers, Kazuki lifted up his body.

===Part 7===

The edge of the mountains―Kazuki and co formed a single line and advanced following the ridgeline. The scenery made them think that the ridge line would continue on forever, but finally they met the end of the line. A circle was drawn in the end of the ridge line like a crown, waiting for Kazuki and co. The summit of Fuji Mountain, the crater on the very top.

At one of the edge that formed the circle, there was a light that was obviously of a different nature.

They immediately understood the true identity of the light when they got near. A single sword that pierced the edge of the crater was emitting a glaring light of sharpness that the blizzard couldn’t hide.

That sword that was waiting for them at the highest summit of Japan, looked exactly like the proof of the King just from its appearance.

When they forced their exhausted bodies and got nearer, they discovered that a human shadow was standing beside the sword.

Her long black hair was swaying due to the blizzard.

It was the female that held a mysterious and dear impression for him―the master of the seal.

The woman was already dead. But as the result of changing her very own life into the power of the seal, the woman’s mental body was haunting this ground together with the seal.

The woman and the sword were waiting for Kazuki. Kazuki and others that were forming a line at the edge of the crater dragged along their exhausted body to walk. The woman was watching that directly and quietly without even hurrying them along.

With Kazuki in the lead, they advanced forward while receiving that gaze and the blizzard right from the front.

When they arrived until a distance of just a few meters, the woman of the seal suddenly pulled out the sword that was pierced on the mountain summit and heroically thrust it to the heaven.

A figure of a hero of the ancient era was right in front of their eyes.

The woman kicked the edge of the crater―and sharply stepped into Kazuki’s direction.

The heroically raised sword was directed at Kazuki and swung down powerfully.

Even while being shocked, Kazuki ran his sword out from its sheath with a natural movement. With a flash from the drawn sword he warded off the opponent’s swung down sword and parried its strength diagonally below. After the opponent’s posture broke down, he flipped up his blade in a sharp angle and swung up his blade as the second slash.

The most basic of the Hayashizaki-style, two stage preparation of sword drawing art.

But Kazuki stopped his second slash right before it cut.

The woman whose posture was broken by Kazuki had also stopped her movement while still in the low posture from swinging down her sword.

“You really have become strong.”

The woman said with a mellow voice like a silk.

“You too…”

Kazuki felt a cold, uncomfortable feeling from the echo of the word [you] that came out from his mouth.

But he didn’t understand what would be fine to call her with other than that word.

“I understand that you are also strong from that single slash just now.”

The woman’s step-in was sharp and the force of the swung down blade was truly powerful. The force was similar with a single blow from Beatrix―truly in reverse from her willowy appearance.

Kazuki’s sword was something that was backed with the sword art that had been handed down in generations and steady training.

On the other hand, the woman’s sword was―a <wild technique> that was honed by necessity in the middle of real battles that were approaching her.

Surely, this person was originally not a knight or anything like that.

The truth was that she just recklessly continued to fight, and became strong until this much.

Thinking of such hardship, Kazuki’s chest was blocked.

“You are…”

Kazuki sheathed his katana. And then he gripped the hand of the woman that was still in the swinging down posture. It was a thin and delicate hand that was really like a female. It transmitted warmth through Kazuki’s fingers that were covered with frostbite.

The woman was not just a mere mental body, but a materialized body.

She must be using up the magic power of the seal that had finished its task and temporarily created a physical body of flesh.

“You are… my mother aren’t you?”

In no way the shaking of Kazuki’s words originated from the cold.

The woman released the sword from her hand and made Kazuki took a hold of it.

“I didn’t know about the true identity of this sword for a long time. The name of this sword is… <Ame no Murakumo>. Symbolizing the King’s authority, a sword of great destiny,”

The woman’s silky voice was slightly dyed in sadness.

“…This is a sword that forces a person to fight. This sword was waiting for you in this place.”

The woman drew back reservedly from the distance where their breath seemed to be able to touch each other.

“Long time no see huh, Hibiki.”

When Leme materialized beside Kazuki, the woman replied like she was meeting an old acquaintance.

“Leme too, long time no see. Though I never really had the chance to feel you this clearly before.”

The woman’s shoulders were slightly downcast while she began to talk to Leme.

“There is one thing that I want to ask, but… this fate, how much of it was really destiny?”

“What do you mean?”

“…This child is, my child after all, is that why you chose him?”

It was a question that really went into the heart of the matter. But Leme didn’t show any agitation and shook her neck.

“Certainly he caught my attention because he was your child, but Leme is also not such a cheap kind person that would choose him just because of that. This guy happened to have the qualities that is worthy for Leme’s choice. Sword skill, exceptional ambition and mental strength, and above all his aspect that treasured his bonds… The Hayashizaki house raised up that kind of guy by their own accord.”

“Aah, now that you mentioned it… isn’t your ability more convenient when it’s used by a male child I wonder?”

“Of course that’s also one of the factors. The concept this time is a lovey-dovey harem king. Well, though you too could also use the magic of the same sex Liz Liza Westwood well enough before.”

When Leme said that jokingly, Kaa-san narrowed her eyes for the first time with her mouth bursting open in smile. <ref>Kaa-san = mother</ref>

“Fufufu-, Liza and I were lovey-dovey after all.”

“Wha, what are you saying, Hibiki-neesama!!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s face went beet red and advanced forward out from the group of everyone.

“Be, besides you, you made a boyfriend but you kept it quiet from me… furthermore you even had a child without me knowing!”

“Because if I told that to Liza who loved me, I thought that it would make you jealous♪”

The woman―no, Mother unexpectedly stuck out her tongue playfully.

“I’m not jealous or anything, I just wanted you to talk with me properly!” <ref>Here Liz Liza’s way of talking turns into a polite way of talking when she talks with Hibiki, unlike her usual severe tone when talking with her students.</ref>

However Liz Liza-sensei’s eyes were both wet with tears and her body was trembling in shivers while she talked in reproach, it looked completely fitting with her child-like appearance.

“You didn’t tell me anything! You also entrusted your child that was just born to the orphanage! …Even though it would be fine even if you relied on me! You didn’t say anything and left to fight, and then you didn’t return back…!”

Mother smiled wryly in sadness.

“I’m sorry, Liza. At that time all the people around me were targeted, so I didn’t tell any of that to anyone. I also didn’t tell anything to the people at the orphanage and left him in front of the gate… without doing anything else.”

Mother was stealing a glance at Kazuki worriedly with her voice dulling.

Not saying anything and then in front of the orphanage’s gate… she abandoned him without doing anything else.

That was what she said.

“You were not doing nothing.” Kazuki interrupted between the two.

“At the spot where I was left behind, I had been told that there was a memo accompanying me where the name [Kazuki] was written.”

Mother looked at Kazuki with a look of realization and immediately looked down awkwardly.

“…Yes. I conveyed just that. I was thinking that I wanted to raise a boy that is really close to what is important for him, and possessed the strength to protect that important thing to the end like a large tree…”

“It might be thanks to that naming, that this guy was growing up into an ideal harem king.”

Leme interjected. “That’s also a form of education you know. Just as I thought this might really be a destiny.”

Name―perhaps unconsciously he wanted to become a human that was suitable for the name [Kazuki(一樹)]. He felt that he had the awareness more than average person that his name was really important. <ref>The meaning of 一樹 is a single tree</ref>

“But things like naming… just something like that cannot be called as an education or raising him up. Just as I thought, I have never done anything that is like a mother…”

“Kaa-san!” Kazuki interrupted her from a sad and gloomy tone.

To call the young woman in front of his eyes that he was still unfamiliar with as mother from his mouth needed courage.

The important name of [Kazuki] encouraged the courage inside his chest, Kazuki spouted out the thing that he felt had to be said no matter what.

“I, don’t resent Kaa-san at all! Because I’m not unhappy or unfortunate! I am happy all this time!”

Kazuki lowered his head and thanked her.

“For giving birth to me… thank you very much. For continuing to fight, for this country, for protecting the future where we lived, thank you very much.”

“…You really have grown up strong, aren’t you? And then the one that raised you up this happy…”

Mother averted her eyes away from the bowing Kazuki as if to escape.

After that she was facing to the direction of his companions.

“Kanae-san.”

“Ye, yes! Okaa-sama <ref>A really respectful way of calling mother</ref>!!” Kanae straightened her back and answered with a nervous voice.

Mother then lowered her head deeply.

“Thank you very much. For raising this child into a person this kind and strong. Your family was the one that did what I couldn’t, pouring the greatest love and growth for him…”

“That’s preposterous! I’m exactly the one… who received the best Nii-sama that I can ask for!”

Kanae to lowered her head. Kazuki too, Mother too, Kanae too were lowering their heads.

Mother then laughed “Fufu-“ amusedly.

“How weird… despite how I’m supposed to be the worst mother. Everyone happily lowered their head like this… I wonder if this is what they called a fortune.”

She was not the worst or anything. The situation just couldn’t be helped. Mother had to fight no matter what the cost at that time.

The current Kazuki understood well about such a position.

Mother loved someone. But that time was different with now, at that time it was not known that a strong emotion would become a trigger of magic power and distorted the reality completely. Magic power influenced the act of mixing the strongest feelings of man and woman, and completely hindered any contraception, such thing was unknown at that time.

If he himself didn’t know about such thing beforehand, then even he would surely have done the same act already.

Mother loved someone and conceived a child. That was why she went away from the battle.

But during the time Mother was leaving the battlefield… the situation rapidly worsened.

Moreover the people around Mother were targeted.

That was why… she had no other choice than to not tell anyone about her child and abandoned him.

And then without even informing her best friend that was Liz Liza-sensei, she went ahead to the battle alone without doing anything else.

That kind of mother, who in the world could condemn her?

―’Why in the world was it only Kaa-san who had to shoulder such an heavy burden?’

‘Tou-san<ref>Tou-san = father</ref> is’… Kazuki was going to ask, and hesitated.

[All of my important person were targeted]. Those words had already implicated the heavy and painful fact.

“…This is not destiny or anything like that.”

Once again Mother murmured to herself.

“Kanae-san, to let me reunite with this child, thank you…”

Mother lowered her head to Kanae once again.

After that with a timid manner she faced Kazuki once more.

“While protecting the seal in this place, I have regretted the fact that I abandoned you and headed to the fight all this time. Why do I have to fight, I always thought that it was unreasonable. Now, you are chosen by Leme and this sword, inside me there is also the sad feeling that you are shouldering the same fate like me. I wanted to raise my boy normally, unrelated from all this fighting… But… I also had the dream of you being chosen and you coming to this place. I wanted to have a glance of the grown up you. After all, I’m just something like a bounded ghost that cannot leave this place.”

That’s just like a doting parent though, saying that Mother smiled self-derisively.

“You know, the moment when I gave birth to you, I had the feeling that a special, strong child had just been born. That was why I was hoping, that surely you will be chosen and then you will come here. For such a thing to happen, the possibility must be so low like expecting a miracle to happen, but… Kanae-san, everyone that is here, you all had raised Kazuki to be this strong. You let us to meet fortuitously like this once more. …To come until this far here, I’m really thankful to all of you.”

Again Mother lowered her head, to Kazuki, to Kanae, to everyone else, one by one she lowered her head at them.

She was just earnestly lowering her thin back with a sorrowful face, and continued to lower her head.

He wanted to say something. But his feeling couldn’t be turned into any word. He was not unhappy. He didn’t resent anything. He was thankful. All his feeling that he wanted to convey beforehand, he had easily finished conveying them all.

He had the feeling that there was something more that he should say.

However that feeling couldn’t come out beautifully as words from his mouth.

Mother too was wordlessly and timidly staring at Kazuki as if holding herself back.

Amidst the pure white blizzard, they were staring at each other as if the time had stopped.

Suddenly―something changed.

The warm atmosphere was―sharply changed into cold.

The magic blizzard around them was not becoming stronger. Mother suddenly realized something with a ‘hah’ and her gaze became grim, then she thrust away Kazuki beside her strongly.

“Kaa-san…!?” Spontaneously and unintentionally, Kazuki leaked out a voice like an abandoned child.

No, wrong, this situation…

“Get away! Everyone, get away from me!!”

Mother yelled with a sharp voice as if a hero’s sense of responsibility was awakened inside her.

The sky at the other side of the blizzard was roaring thunderingly from the blowing wind. The wind moved pitch black clouds to their direction and completely covered the sky. The surroundings suddenly turned dark.

From the dark clouds, a dreadful voice was reverberating.

{O people that continue to stop at the boundary of life and death, know the karma of your deep sin.}

Kazuki and the others looked at the sky altogether.

{My name is Hel. Thou is already a dead person. …In accordance with that fate, offer that everything to me!!}

Pitch black lightning flashed from the dark cloud―piercing the back of Mother.

{{{furigana|Helheim Drive|Death God Encroachment}}}!!”

It was something that happened in an instant where no one could do anything. He was not even allowed to Foresight what kind of magic phenomenon would be caused by the dreadful and strange magic power.

The black lightning melted into Mother like an evil spirit. Mother went “Guh-!” and her body writhed in pain, blue magic power light was emitted from her whole body.

Kazuki knew this light. He had seen it before.

This emitted light was completely the same like that time when Loki encroached into Kaya.

It was the light of the existence itself being usurped by a Diva.

The emitted blue magic power and the encroaching pure black magic power mixed with each other, depicting a marble pattern. Little by little the pure black surface was increasing, it was trying to erase the existence of Mother.

It was as if he was seeing the process of a food that became spoiled in fast forward.

‘…This is a lie right?’

Kazuki stood stock still in a daze. He couldn’t possibly think that the happening in front of his eyes was reality.

Whether it was the miracle that he could reunite with Mother like this.

And even how such a miracle was currently disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Whichever it was… was unbelievable.

He couldn’t think that everything in this moment was all reality.

Kaa-san is disappearing. He couldn’t believe it.

‘This is a lie right… The thing that I still haven’t conveyed yet…”

However he didn’t understand what kind of words he should use…

They were just exchanging awkward gazes while holding back just now…

Not yet… not like this…

Who was it, the one with this black magic power.

Why would they do something like this!?

His body couldn’t move from the numbness. His situational judgment, didn’t work at all.

This was his first experience, having his body and his heart freezing completely like this in a time where he should fight.

Even his lips were freezing. ‘This is a lie right? Stop’, he thought that, but he couldn’t even raise a voice to yell.

“STOPPPPPPPPPPP!!”

―Someone was yelling as Kazuki’s proxy.

A gust of black shadow was jumping forward in front of his eyes.

It was the back of Kanae with her ponytail trailing behind like a cat’s tail.

“Don’t you dare to disturb this person and Nii-sama!! Only that, I will absolutely not forgive!!”

Kanae drew the black katana―Michikage, and swung down at the black magic power that was eating away at Mother. That slash―spontaneously he was inappropriately fascinated by the beautiful trajectory that slash drew. It was as if he was seeing a black rainbow.

Kanae’s spine, skeletal structure, all of her body was working together without even a little bit of wasteful movement. There was no deviation at all, it was a movement that looked perfect for Kanae’s flesh body. The quintessence movement.

The black rainbow that was unleashed from such a movement, tore apart the magic power that was encroaching into Mother in the timing right before it was going to swell up even larger.

It was a truly perfect timing, as if an expert martial artist had read the breathing of the opponent and took the sail out of the opponent’s move.

A perfect movement, and a perfect timing―it was exactly a divine work.

“Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword the Second, Shin’iki…!”

For some reason it was Kaguya-senpai who yelled that technique’s name while her body was trembling.

It was Kanae’s technique that even Kazuki didn’t know about. That instant, something miraculous happened. The instant the black blade was swung down―the magic phenomenon that completely covered Mother were all breaking down.

{That’s impossible! What just happened!?}

That Diva―Hel’s panicked voice was resounding. The black magic power was blown away from Mother’s back, where it formed the figure of a girl that fell on her butt. She was not an avatar but a materialized body, it was a Diva with the appearance of a very young girl.

In contrast with the materialized Hel, Mother powerlessly fell on her knees at that spot. It was not only power leaving her whole body, the magic power that constructed her body was also thinning down, faintly like an illusion, her figure was changing into a half-transparent light.

The powerful Diva that had already accomplished materializing was trying to steal the flesh body of Mother that materialized from the power of the seal. But that magic phenomenon was broken by Kanae.

However in that case―Mother’s little remaining magic power was completely stolen. Possibly her magic power had already been running out in the first place.

Kazuki caught the body of Mother, that was thinning out, in his arms in panic.

“You bastard… against my role for the sake of papa… how dare you…!!”

The Diva that fell on her butt―Hel was glaring at their way with a gaze filled with hatred. Her long blue hair that reminded him of Loki was bristling up from the blizzard right behind her.

This girl was going to steal Kaa-san… she was trying to make her a hostage.

Guessing that―violent emotion was surging inside Kazuki’s head. This girl…!!

Hel yelled. She turned at Mother.

“…Zero Knight! I won’t recognize you! Your role, your objective, I won’t let you accomplish them all! I won’t let you misunderstand, thinking that you won against papa!!”

At the same time a fierce magic power whirled out from that body. She was trying to cast some kind of powerful attack magic. The tip of that magic power was heading at Mother’s back.

Kazuki’s rage instantly changed into terror and trepidation.

If an attack was directed at Mother right now…!

It was a fear that he had never experienced before. His body and thought froze instantly.

“Lose and die again! O lamentation of the dead, carry away that soul from my hand… {{furigana|Nifl Driva|Hell Wind}}!!”

When Hel thrust out her bluish-white palm, from there was blowing a devilish wind as if the blizzard of the Haunted Ground that had been hurling at them thoroughly until now was compressed several hundred times in it.

“Kaa-san, dangerous!”

Kazuki immediately embraced Mother close to his body and covered her with his back.

Yet in front of them a black shadow was standing in the way.

“…Don’t you bother these two!!”

―It was Kanae. Kazuki covered his mother, and Kanae covered those two. The three of them were blown away altogether and fell from the ridgeline. In such dangerous situation Kazuki used his sword―<Ame no Murakumo> to pierce the ground and held out along with his mother that he held in his left hand.

“Kaa-san…!”

Inside Kazuki’s hugging left arm, like water that was spilling out from a cracked jar, the magic power that was composing mother’s existence was vanishing. She was vanishing!

Mother leaked out a weak voice. “…Just now, it looks like my last remaining magic power was used up. But I had already accomplished my role, so…”

Accomplished her role? Already?

Wait. Please wait! There is still….

“Don’t be a hindrance! Follow after Kanae!!” Liz Liza-sensei called out to the others and rushed at Hel’s direction.

“The final time between Kazuki and Hibiki-neesama… I absolutely won’t let you bother them!”

Don’t say that this is the last time…

Mio, Kaguya-senpai… all of his companions, they all cut in between them and Hel to protect him and mother, they were shining with the light of spell chanting simultaneously.

“You plan to stand in my way! You bunch of humans!”

Hel yelled. “Against a materialized Diva, it’s futile no matter how many humans gather here, futile! Are you looking down on me!? I’ll massacre you all and get one over papa!”

What incomprehensible thing was she yelling, this girl…

His head didn’t work watching the situation in front of his eyes. Rather than that kind of thing, mother was…

Even faster than his companions magic, Hel’s magic was invoked.

“…O Grand Haunted Ground of ancient times… please offer the souls that are rotting away in this land as the dress that is armoring my body… Helheim Drive!”

Once again several black lightning were falling to Hel’s body from the dark cloud. That black magic power was whirling on Hel’s body while creating Prima Materia, its substance changed―transforming into something like a Magic Dress.

It was a strange dress. As if several Magic Dresses were mixed up messily… there was no uniformity among every single part. However every single design of the parts had the shape that they had the feeling of seeing before somewhere.

The parts looked like the Magic Dresses that the students of the Magic Division wore on their bodies.

“STOP!”

Liz Liza-sensei yelled after noticing the true form of that power.

“Stop it, don’t you dirty those guys’ souls!! You trash!!”

One part of the Magic Dress that Hel wore―the red wings were emitting orange light like a fire shadow.

Unbelievably, Phoenix’s avatar emerged out beside Hel.

“The dead is my power, mine to use as I please! …Respond to my accusation and burn to ash! Israel Judgment!!”

It was a vortex of magic power he had seen before. It was a magic that even Kazuki and others had seen before, but it was activated with a lot more abbreviated chanting.

“I told you…! Don’t you dare become a hindrance for Nii-sama-!!”

Right before that magic was invoked, the shadow of a black cat leaped once again with a force that was like flying.

With a perfect step-in and timing―once again, it was that miraculous technique.

The wavelength of Hel’s magic power that swelled up right before the magic was invoked vanished like a lie with a *PACHIN!* sound.

“What’s going on, this technique!? …Eei!!”

Hel opened her eyes wide with rage and shock but―she immediately directed a different magic at Kanae.

“Freeze and be silent… Glacier Wind!!”

A part of Hel’s Magic Dress―the floating crystal on her back was emitting a deep blue light, Vepar’s avatar emerged out.

…She was making the soul of the Magika Stigmas that once died in this Fuji’s sea of trees to posses her own body and enslaved them. That death god was activating the magic of the contract through the souls of the dead.

This time even Kanae didn’t have the composure to unleash that technique. The cold magic that Koyuki was also specializing at assaulted Kanae without giving her time to dodge.

At exactly the same time, Hel also invoked her own magic.

“You that is already death come to this side too! Nifl Driva!!”

Hel raised her palm and then she overlapped the blowing blizzard with the [Glacier Wind] from just now.

The chill of the mermaid and the blizzard of the world of the dead mixed with each other, amplifying each other.

“Uguu-!!” Kanae raised a scream and got blown away helplessly.

Besides her defensive magic power that got smashed, she was also writhing around from the chill that was violating her mind.

The black breastplate of Hel’s Magic Dress shone. This time an avatar of a black bird, Halphas’ avatar was emerging. She was chanting magic one after another with a speed that was hard to believe.

“Suffer and die! O god of war of the spirit world, under thy Divine Protection, I’ll sacrifice the wailing of that bitter enemy… Inferno!!”

Hel created two gigantic pure black pillar of flame in both her hands, she then met both her palms and combined them into one and created a bow and arrow of black flame. It was Halphas’s level 7 magic that Yumeno-san once used to finish off her other self.

It was a rapid-fire of magic just like the Quad-core Magika that was the result of Naiarlatoteph’s research. No, her magic invocation was even faster than that.

The giant mass of black flame was fired at Kanae who was writhing in agony.

“O principle of time, listen to the calling voice of my sage! To the other side of the long stagnation, exile away that calamity… Leap Stasis!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s chanting―an avatar of clock emerged out in order to protect Kanae.

When he thought that the hand of that clock was fiercely rotating, the black flame that was flying near vanished.

“You trash Diva! I blew away your magic to the space-time!!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s Original One―it was once casted with her own body aging as the target, an evasion magic that postponed the <change> in exchange of vast magic power, especially with that short chanting.

This time Hel was not surprised.

“Hmph, there is no way the likes of human can consecutively use that kind of convenient magic!”

The red wings, the crystal, the black breastplate, all of them shone simultaneously. Hel’s own magic power that caused the blizzard of the world of the dead was also included.

“Hayashizaki Kanae! Do that technique more! Block them all!!”

“That technique is not something you can do successfully that many times! Damn-!”

Liz Liza-sensei and Kanae shouted angrily at each other.

Finally at that time, the magic that the others’ were chanting were all invoked simultaneously.

“O water surface that sway from my singing voice, manipulate the small wave skillfully, gather, and become a giant tsunami! Come from the beyond and wash away to the distant place… Tidal Wave!”

Koyuki invoked Vepar’s magic of tsunami. It ignored the space and a tsunami that was created behind Hel using magic power came surging.

“Nifl Driva!!”

Hel immediately turned back to the tsunami and fired a blizzard.

The violent blizzard froze the tsunami all over and destroyed the power of that phenomenon making it disappear.

“O the calling voice of the ruler of flame, set free the rage of the bottom of the earth! Open the gate of my rampart here… tower in heaven and earth, isolate the impurity! Fire Wall!!”

“O shapeless and mute shadow, become the fish that swim in the darkness that is pregnant with obstructive thought! The origin of nightmare, the vicissitudes of materialism, respond to both hope and fear and bite…! Deep Specter!”

Mio and Kaguya-senpai’s magic was invoked at the same time. A wall of flame was going to rise from the bottom of Hel’s feet. Pitch black shadow was crawling up from inside the shadow.

Hel detected the danger and tried to run away from that spot.

“This hand reached out to the height of Babel, right now this hand grasped the falling thunder of god! In accordance with my life, o lightning, whirl following my will! Collider Field!!”

But Lotte equipped a gauntlet on her left hand and locked Hel inside a barrier of electromagnetism. Hel’s body was paralyzed by the electricity and she was rooted to that spot.

Furthermore there was several small lights that were floating around Hel.

“The fate of all creation is inside the great celestial sphere… o binding of constellation, stop the revolution of the sky! Horoscope Stasis!”

Line of light was running between countless stars, that [constellation] tied up the paralyzed Hel.

“…This kind of irritating act!?”

The body of the yelling Hel was swallowed by a wall of flame. Even further her head was chewed apart by the giant monster that jumped out from the shadows.

From inside the wall of flame, from inside the mouth of the black monster, a dark blue defensive magic power was shining and scattered.

“O {{furigana|august lightning|Mikadzuchi}} that rain down due to god’s rage! The spilt blood of Kagutsuchi dripped down to the hilt and gather, become a flash of blade! The large drum of lightning sound of lightning speed, {{furigana|Mikafutsu no Mitama|Mikafutsu Soul}}!!”

Kazuha-senpai created a golden blade―with that heavily curving katana that hid a destructive power like lightning, she slashed at Hel with all her strength.

Hel that couldn’t move her body was blown away along with a thunderous roar.

Consecutive attack―but Hel immediately stood back up.

“Hikaru! Mio-chan! Koyuki-chan!” Kaguya-senpai yelled at her comrades of the Witch’s Mansion.

“This girl cannot be defeated with average magic! We are going to use Chorus Magic!!”

The four people began to match their magic power wavelength.

In order to protect them, Kanae and Kazuha-senpai and Lotte stood as the vanguards and prepared their weapons.

“…You bunch of humans… hand over the Zero Knight and the Sacred Treasure…!!”

Along with a voice that made the listener shudder, Hel tore off the binding of constellation with brute force and ripped apart the biting big jaw of the shadow monster with both her hands, at the same time she then once again shone with several magic power lights.

―Kazuki was largely unaware of the battle that was currently happening.

The sounds of the fighting felt like it was far away as if a thin membrane was filtering all of it.

That was how much Kazuki’s was concentrating on what was inside his embrace, his mother that even now was disappearing.

“Kazuki.”

His mother was, for the first time, calling Kazuki with the name that she named him with.

But just from such a little matter, it made Kazuki’s sight damp with tears.

“Kazuki… the Ame no Murakumo…”

He didn’t need that kind of thing.

Rather than such thing, right now, the person that was going to disappear inside his arms was someone that was far more important. His mother’s body temperature, body weight, were vanishing away in no time at all, he knew that.

“I don’t need that kind of thing, Kaa-san… Kaa-san, I, I’m living perfectly happy.”

Kazuki repeated the thing that he had already said like a spell. Even though what he wanted to say was not this kind of thing. For some reason, the feeling that was rampaging inside his chest couldn’t be turned into words.

Even though if he kept wasting time like this, she was going to vanish completely.

“I see. I’m glad.”

His mother smiled hearing that―she raised her thin white arm and stroked Kazuki’s head.

Even though it was weak like the branch of a tree that swayed from the wind, it was a gentle hand movement.

It was a completely unknown sensation for him.

He had the feeling that sparks scattered inside his head, inside his eyes that were wet with tears.

From inside the head of Kazuki who was searching for words, all words and reason disappeared, a pure white emotion completely covered everything.

He noticed. There was nothing that he still wanted to convey.

What he was looking for, was not that kind of thing.

He was only merely, overflowing with emotion.

When he noticed that emotion ―Kazuki hugged tightly the thin and weakened body of his mother, then he buried his face into her chest.

“Kaa-san… I don’t want you to go.”

―What was rampaging inside his head uncontrollably was easily coming out from his mouth.

He felt something that he had never noticed was armoring him until now, disappear completely.

Once it had come out, it was pouring out of him together with tears and scream.

“No! I don’t want this!! No!!”

It was not something exaggerated like something he wanted to convey or anything.

‘I―just want to be spoiled by Kaa-san.’

Their relation was not something exaggerated like the previous King and the King that succeeded after her.

‘I am my mother’s child!’

‘No! I don’t want this!’ Kazuki cried like a child.

“…Fufu-“

His mother returned his hug weakly and let escape a faint chuckle.

“You should not say something selfish.”

After saying that, she stroked his head once again.

‘―Kaa-san, I, have never said anything selfish through my life until now.’

No matter what happened even if it was unreasonable, he had never done anything like giving up.

Even without anyone rewarding him, he overcame all kinds of hardship with his hard work.

He had never seriously yelled words like ‘don’t wanna’ or anything like that.

He almost never cried at all.

Despite so, could what he did right now be called as selfishness.

What’s with that… that kind of thing…

“No way! I don’t want something like this! I don’t want…!!”

She was disappearing! Merely, just during this short instant, his mother was!

‘Don’t say what I’m doing is selfish!! By all rights, isn’t what I’m doing only natural!!’

“No! I have been patient for all these fifteen years!! There was no one at all that patted my head saying that I have done my best! I didn’t even realize that such a thing is strange! I realize now! That all this time I wanted my head to get patted by Kaa-san!! It’s strange you know! This kind of thing… I don’t want…!!”

‘I shouldn’t be defeated by this kind of thing’, Kazuki thought.

This is irrational. For the first time since he was born, Kazuki was overpowered by this monster called irrationality.

He pressed his face that was messily stained with tears onto his mother’s chest, he cried and shouted as if to spew out everything from the bottom of his throat out of his heart. It was as if he was completely changed into an existence that was just crying and shouting.

The tears and screams that had been piling up without him even noticing during these fifteen years were all overflowing without pause.

“Kazuki…”

His mother put a faint strength into her weak arm that was like a dry wood, and hugged him back.

Gently, sweetly, warmly, because of that his tears were overflowing out even harder.

“Thank you. For giving me a chance to spoil you in the end. With this I finally…”

His mother too, during this fifteen years she was enduring until now in this land.

When he understood that, the weight of this monster called irrationality became doubled.

“With this we could finally do something like a true mother and child…”

Vanished.

On the other side of his sight that was stained messily with tears, the chest of the mother that he was hugging, was turning into countless particles of light before disappearing.

Her lingering voice entered his ears before disappearing.

The warmth seeped into his chest and disappeared.

From within Kazuki’s embrace, a dried up sound was spilling out and fell onto the ground. It was a white skeleton.

“Aa, aaaa…”

She was a person that had already died fourteen years ago.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!”

Refusing the truth, Kazuki cried and shouted.

“NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

The countless light particles that were scattering were floating lightly in the air before entering into Kazuki’s chest.

{We are going to be together from now on you know. After all, we could even meet like this.}

Certainly that was a miracle.

{If we can just meet, humans can be changed forever in an instant. That kind of magic had already been used by humans since the time long ago.}

The small particle of magic power became the final voice and it was absorbed into his chest.

Certainly, he would never forget everything that happened here forever.

{Thank you for growing up happily, Kazuki.}

{Thank you.}

{I just keep saying thank you but, I’m really happy.}

{…Thank you.}

Suddenly a scene was opening up inside of Kazuki’s head.

Those were the scene that was shown by the small magic power that was absorbed into Kazuki’s chest. At the same time with the magic power making his mother’s feeling into voice and conveying that to him, his mother’s past memory was recalled inside Kazuki.

Kazuki’s oldest memory―this scene was the continuation of that.

The orphanage at night. Avoiding the eyes of the people, his mother abandoned Kazuki in front of the gate.

His mother turned her back at the crying Kazuki and even while looking back many times she kept walking through the night street with an unsteady gait.

Even her tears were drying up. This was her last determination.

She couldn’t consult anyone. She couldn’t even let anybody see her current figure.

If she didn’t head to the battle alone, the victims would only increase.

She had to fight no matter what. Without anybody seeing her off, without anybody even cheering her on, with her everything snatched away entirely, she even abandoned the child that she obtained at the very end from the person that she loved.

―She had to fight.

While walking alone unsteadily, the light of the town that she passed through cursed her. When she thought about how there was as many happy families as there were the light shining, it couldn’t be helped that she felt accursed. Negative emotions like rage and sorrow were raging crazy inside her chest.

Why was she the only one who couldn’t get her hands on such an ordinary thing.

No. I don’t want to fight. This is unreasonable.

Even so, other than her… there was no human that could fight that enemy.

When she was faced with such ultimate truth―it made her realized that this thing called self-sacrifice was by no means a deceit.

She was made to realize that she loved this unreasonable world.

Even with all her important people killed and torn away from her, still…

She had to fight.

Together with that determination―the world of memory was cut off.

Kazuki returned to reality.

―Inside the blizzard, Kazuki was hugging the white skeleton. While hugging the white skeleton so that it wouldn’t be blown away by the wind, Kazuki heard the sound of his comrades fighting. Those sounds were finally reaching his ears.

He understood just from the sounds that it was a difficult enemy. He understood that if it kept like this his comrades would fall into danger.

“No…”

Kazuki was still continuing to cry while hugging the skeleton.

But, he had to fight. No matter how unreasonable it was.

Fight, there was something he had to protect at all cost.

Until now, everything of this world had been kind to him.

He had already made a lot of people that he loved and that were important to him.

There was also the irrationality but, there was even miracles.

Such an obvious world, was obviously lovely.

He was not some special existence.

He was going to stand up after crying just for thirty more seconds, Kazuki decided.

“I… don’t resent anything Kaa-san. I’m not unhappy. That’s why…”

Kazuki grasped a handful of snow, using Pyrokinesis to plunder the heat he made the snow even colder and pressed it together. He made a small snow hut to store the skeleton there so that it wouldn’t be blown away by the wind.

“…I’m going to fight, Kaa-san.”

Holding Ame no Murakumo in hand, he stood up.

Kazuki rushed to the decisive battle at the crater.

He finally recovered the clearness of his head in order to fight.

Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, Mio, and Koyuki were entering the preparation for Chorus Magic. But that cooperation wouldn’t tolerate even a slight disturbance in it, it became even more difficult than normal inside this fierce blizzard.

The blue haired death god named Hel was displaying an absurd power.

Kanae and Kazuha-senpai and an armed Lotte challenged Hel determinedly, each time they dealt a single attack on the opponent, they received a fierce magic counter and got blown away. That divine work of Kanae also often failed, even if it worked it did nothing more than blocking a single gunport (opening) of Hel.

―There were three. There were three souls of Magika Stigmas that Hel made to possess her body and turned into parts of her dress. And then with her own magic there was a total of four rapid firing magic that was continuously invoked.

Even in the case where it was high level magic that was used, that casting speed of hers was dreadfully fast.

All three of the vanguards were equipped with the armor of [Seusenhofer] that Lotte chanted, yet the armors were already in destroyed shapes.

Their strategy was in the process of failure. The limit of the three vanguards for buying time was going to come first before the Chorus Magic could even finish.

―During such thing, Kanae who failed to make her divine work succeed was hit right from the front with a high level magic. Kanae’s small body was blown away like a scrapped rag.

“You, die while feeling a special agony!”

Hel’s black breastplate shone and made the avatar of Halphas emerge.

“Inferno!”

The jet black flame that possessed both physical destruction and mind destruction attacked Kanae at an inescapable timing.

“Leap Stasis!!”

Liz Liza-sensei just barely [postponed] that single arrow.

Combined with the previous one she had activated this magic twice in total, the magic postponed the magic that was heading to Kanae. But surely when this magic was cancelled later on Kanae would taste a hellish agony. Though that was only if they could safely go home.

Liz Liza-sensei’s magic power too was also wholly carried away to beyond the space-time as the compensation of the postponing. That magic power wouldn’t return back until after the magic was cancelled.

Hel also saw through that and directed the brunt of the attack magic at Liz Liza-sensei.

“You don’t have any magic power left anymore right! …Sink a hundred ships, o threat of the sea that is lurking in the deep sea…show that whole face!”

Vepar’s avatar floated on Hel’s back. The power of Solomon 72 Pillar was forcefully dragged out from their contract with the dead people. There was no one among his comrades that was in a state that could immediately react to that.

―He had to protect them.

Kazuki ran, passing through his comrades at the rear that were preparing for Chorus Magic and cut in front of Liz Liza-sensei with Ame no Murakumo in hand.

“Hayashizaki! …What about Hibiki-neesama!?”

For an instant, Kazuki’s chest was blocked up from Liz Liza-sensei’s words.

“…Stab your fang! Ice Breaker!!”

Several vortex of magic power were created in front of Kazuki’s eyes, giant icebergs were sticking out from there surging at him. Kazuki held up Ame no Murakumo.

How did his mother handle this sword ―he could faintly sense that <Battou Kaikon>.

“Mow down the whole creation, <Ame no Murakumo>! Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!!”

The power that Yamato no Takeru used in legend that time he was falling into the trap of the fire plan―inside this royal sword there was the power to bring an end to natural phenomenon.

His magic power was absorbed into the blade where it emitted a golden light.

When Kazuki swept Ame no Murakumo to the side, as if an unseen blade was flying, all the surging icebergs were bisected into two.

“That power… was Zero Knight’s…!”

Hel leaked out a shocked voice.

It seemed that she had fought his mother before.

Kazuki grasped the sword naturally and he felt power filling his hand.

“The power of Solomon King and, the power of Japanese Mythology’s King that Zero Knight used…? But even if you are a King twice, you are still just an inexperienced King aren’t you!? If that’s so then even I alone will suffice!”

“Everyone! The Chorus Magic will complete with just a little more! Until that time, I will buy time! Those whose exhaustion is severe are to draw back!”

Inexperienced King. Certainly, he might be so.

However the bonds had been already tied. ‘That is my power. I don’t know where this Diva came from but, I’ll make you regret making light of me as inexperienced’, Kazuki thought.

“Intending to win against me… I’ll make you regret that.”

Hel too spouted out words that were in the same mood as Kazuki.

In another words this Diva also still had a trump card. She was going to use that now.

Hel removed the eye patch that covered her right eye and from there a deep red light burst out.

The Magic Dress on Hel’s whole body disintegrated and reduced into a pure magic power light.

“O dead people that are tired of waiting for glory, you are together with me! Become my brethren!!”

Even more countless lightning ran from the dark cloud and went towards Hel. Enormous souls of the dead were gathering inside Hel’s small body. Hel’s body floated in the sky like a dark saint.

“Together right now, celebrate the beginning of Ragnarok loudly!”

The pitch black magic power that completely covered Hel’s body―called out to an endless number of dead people and brought to fruition a single magic.

“Now, let’s begin the legend! {{furigana|Naglfar|Announcing Ship of God and Evil’s Mortal Combat}}!!”

The assembly of the black magic power swelled out enormously. It was huge―as if covering the sky.

Yes, it was physically large.

What appeared from the materialization of that magic power was not in the scale of Magic Dress. Hel was buried in the core of that enormous mass, he was already unable to confirm by sight her shadow or shape.

The thing that was floating in the blizzard sky was―an outrageously gigantic jet black ship.

Naglfar―even Kazuki knew that name. It was the ship that brought about the huge turning point in the world of Norse Mythology. Until the promised day, Hel who was the king of the dead gathered the nails of the dead that were filled with grudge and magic power from all over the world in order to make a gigantic ship. And then in the advent of <{{furigana|the day of twilight of the gods|Ragnarok}}>, a great amount of evil giants would ride Naglfar and advanced to the world of the gods.

It was the huge symbol of nightmare of the end of the world.

That was Hel’s trump card.

There was no sail on the ship that was floating in front of Kazuki’s eyes, it was covered with thick board, rather than calling it a ship from the Middle Ages, it was more like a <battleship>.

Its black thick armor had an uneven surface with disorderly scaly appearance. When he looked more in detail the ship was exactly like in the myth―it was formed from the pitch black nails of the dead.

It was like the finger tips of humans that went into necrosis from the cold, a bloody jet black color that was mixed with purplish red color.

The grotesque battleship of darkness was lording over Kazuki and the others.

‘…I’m going to defeat her, and I’ll begin.’

“This is not a power on the level of gathering the souls of three Magika Stigmas from this mountain like before! Know the seriousness of the death god!!”

At the same time with her proclamation of war, there were several vortexes of magic power that floated up in the frontage of Naglfar. It was told in the myth that magic power was residing inside the nails of the dead. That magic power was floating in the frontage of Naglfar. The magic power was whirling while converging―*DON!* such sound rang out and a magic bullet was fired. *DON!* *DON!* *DON!* Several sparks of black magic power were scattered.

It was undoubtedly a ship’s bombardment.

“Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!”

Kazuki tore apart that first volley with one swept of Ame no Murakumo and extinguished them. But with a *JIIN* the heaviness of the bombardment numbed the hand that was holding the sword. He didn’t feel such thing at all when he cut apart the [Ice Buster] from before, the heaviness of the bombardment felt like it was several tens of times of that.

*DON!* *DON!* *DON!* ―the magic bullet was fired rapidly even now without pause. Kazuki took a stance of slashing with Ame no Murakumo.

…He was unable to invoke [Kusanagi no Tsurugi] with the same speed of the enemy’s rapid-fire.

Kazuki had such a hunch too.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!”

He had already chanting a magic that could deal with a large amount of magic power attack.

Countless Sacred Treasures were created behind him, then all of it was fired one after another.

The magic bullets and Futsunushi no Kami’s Sacred Treasures collided, the blizzard sky shined.

It couldn’t block them all―the magic bullets that couldn’t be neutralized were heading at Kazuki and his comrades behind him before raining down.

“Zekorbeni!”

While trembling from the intensity of the bombardment, Kazuki used his trump card.

Right now there was nothing he could do except using this power for the sake of defense.

“I will protect everyone! …Mode・Phoenix!!”

Enormous flame spewed out from Zekorbeni on Kazuki’s chest, creating an armor in firelight color. That orange light connected Kazuki’s mind with Phoenix directly.

“O the calling voice of the ruler of flame, liberate the rage of the bottom of the earth! Open the gate of my rampart here… tower in heaven and earth, isolate the impurity! Fire Wall!!”

With a loud voice the defensive magic of the flame wall was invoked. Zekorbeni could amplify the might of the magic the more magic power was poured into it. Kazuki poured several times the amount of magic power that was originally needed for this level 2 magic in one into Zekorbeni.

A thick wall of flame was built up all at once.

The flame wall swallowed the magic bullets that couldn’t be neutralized.

Even so the remaining small magic bullets that looked like dregs of the original were still raining down on Kazuki behind the wall like a shower. Even the comrades behind Kazuki were―.

“Kyaa-!” Mio’s scream was raised.

Even just this much might become a hindrance for the chanting of the Chorus Magic.

The flame wall lost its power and vanished. But Naglfar was still floating in the sky while creating vortexes of magic power even more. The bombardment would continue without pause…!!

The attack was simple, but it was an excessively thick curtain of attack.

“Damn-!” Kanae raised a voice that was irritated with herself who couldn’t do anything.

…A swordsman couldn’t do anything in this situation.

“Kanae, you move back with Liz Liza-sensei whose magic power is used up! Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!!”

Kazuki yelled while once again bisecting the raining down magic bullets all at once in a single slash.

He slashed Ame no Murakumo directly horizontal. There Kazuki’s movement that was controlling the sword stopped. The magic bullet unceasingly flew at him in that gap.

This gap had to be filled.

Ame no Murakumo was still hiding more power but―a Sacred Treasure was not something that could be mastered where the user could use all of its powers right from the start. Training was needed.

He couldn’t hold back the bombardment just with the power of Ame no Murakumo. His power as the King of Solomon was also necessary.

“Fire Wall!!”

Kazuki poured a lot more magic power into Zekorbeni and unfolded a thicker wall of flame. At the same time he chanted [Tenkuu Battou Rengehou]. He was working at full capacity.

“Lotte!” Kazuki shouted.

“Yes desu! …Hit and run attack right desu!!”

Lotte understood Kazuki’s intention even without being ordered.

“O guardian of human race, the wisdom for the sake of opposing the will of the tyrannical god right here… Custom Liberion!”

Lotte equipped armors that were lined up with countless small type thruster units on both her legs and arms, she immediately ignited them―flying to the blizzard sky. She circled to right beside the battleship of darkness that was flying in the sky and scattered bullets from the large type gatling that was attached on the armor.

“You’re a nuisance, you fly!”

Naglfar also directed several vortexes of magic power at Lotte and fired rapidly magic bullets from there.

Lotte who was clad in [Custom Liberion] that excelled in mobility flew around Naglfar and ran away from that line of fire. No, she was also gotten hit with several shots that she couldn’t evade. Each time she got hit, smoke rose from the armor. Yet Lotte continued her hit and run with preparedness for death.

But with a lot of the [gunport] directed at Lotte, the attack to Kazuki and everyone behind him that were chanting Chorus Magic was lessened. There was also a limit on how many gunport Naglfar could take out each time.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!!”

Kazuki intercepted the lessened attack with a countless Sacred Treasures.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!!” Kazuha-senpai too imitated Kazuki and invoked the same magic.

This time it was Naglfar that couldn’t neutralize the countless Sacred Treasures and the gatling bullets, the armor of the battleship of darkness was beginning to be impacted by the projectiles.

They displayed a situation of a fierce bombardment exchange.

“Many of you combining your power… it’s annoying! Even though I’m just alone! Even though papa too won’t lend his hand to me… everyone, everyone is ganging up and making fun of me!!”

A voice of an irritable child escaped from the inside of the eerie Naglfar.

…No, was she a child? Papa… did she mean Loki?

Putting that aside, she was held back enough.

Even with a materialized Diva as the opponent, if he united his will with his comrades in this number then they could hold her back.

They have arrived at the place where they could stand against a god with the power of a human.

And then, if there was the power of bonds, and this sword that he inherited from his mother… they could defeat her.

For that sake, a momentary opening was necessary. Naglfar’s bombardment would stop, Kazuki believe that that moment would come before long and persisted in defense.

“ “ “ “{{furigana|We know thy true name|Shem ha Meforash}}!!” “ “ “

That time was approaching.

Finally the Chorus Magic of everyone from the Witch’s Mansion entered the climax. Mio, Koyuki, Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, the four of them created enormous pillars of magic power that felt like it could reach the heavens.

Those magic power pillars emitted wavelengths that were accurate to the inch while mixing with each other.

“ “ “ “Thy true name is Baal… though that be so, all of evil was born in the Middle Ages! Calculating faith, and sham loyalty stained the sublime Baal! Born from falsehood the army of demons multiply in multiply and thy stand at the summit!” “ “ “

Behind the four people the golden great king that carried the power of the stars, Baal was floating and materialized.

But under the identity of Baal there was one other face that hid a more mighty power. Baal’s greatest magic was―obtained in posterior due to curses, now all of it was liberated.

The contractor, Hikaru-senpai, commanded.

“The great god of Ugalit Mythology Baal… answer my command, liberate all of that curses!! …Thy stained name is… {{furigana|Beelzebub|King of Flies}}!!”

“Very well… watch it thoroughly!!”

Together with a voice that was filled with rage―Baal’s golden figure was breaking down and decayed like mud.

He was stained jet black exactly the same like the accursed Naglfar in front of their eyes!

And then the thing that was Baal became {{furigana|a swarm of countless giant flies|Beelzebub}}.

Like a dark cloud that was flowing, the giant swarm of the flies passed overhead Kazuki and the others and surged to Naglfar.

Due to Christianity in the Middle Ages, Baal who was a god of a different teaching was repainted as a devil and received the curses of the people. That curse was―one of the seven deadly sins [gluttony].

Beelzebub was maximizing that nature.

The swarm of flies was bathed in countless magic bullets. But the flies ate at that. While eating away the bullet curtain one after another, the flies finally clung to the black armor of Naglfar. And then, even that armor that was made from the nails of the dead began to be eaten.

“Thi, this…!!”

Hel raised an impatient voice and created vortexes of magic power, she fired magic bullets at the side of the giant flies that were eating greedily. Several of the flies vanished from the hit at their side. But the flies too were eating greedily at the armor into shreds with momentum that was not inferior to that.

It was a fierce devouring at each other between the {{furigana|death god|Hel}} and {{furigana|the king of demon|Beelzebub}}.

Of course Beelzebub’s summoned body couldn’t stay in this world for long.

But―right now was the time to go out in offensive. The bombardment had stopped, Naglfar’s armor became littered with moth-eaten damage, the path for the sake of bathing Hel with a blow was opened widely.

“Everyone!”

Kazuki gave out a signal to his comrades. After that he immediately poured magic power into Zekorbeni.

“…O undying bird that soar from dusk to dawn, please grant that wings of hope on my back! The destruction for the sake of rebirth right here…! Blazing Wings!”

The swarm of flies moved aside and conceded a path to Kazuki that spread out wings of flame and flew away.

And then―the greatest magic that he could use from Mio’s positivity level of 155, level 8.

The trump card that he hadn’t used until now because of the intensity of his fatigue was now used.

“O undying bird that repeated life and death! Liberate the flame of one’s last moment, become the sun of the surface… {{furigana|Imitation Flare|Sun of the End}}!!”

The avatar of the firebird was liberated and headed to Naglfar from Kazuki.

The avatar of the firebird exploded like a bomb.

Phoenix that symbolized the sun liberated all of his own flame that was in the juncture of life and death and burned the target to ashes. That phenomenon was reenacted in this place.

The energy liberation that rivaled the solar flare(sun surface explosion) also sacrificed the flies that were late to escape while swallowing Naglfar.

The giant fire ball that even swallowed Naglfar whole floated in the air like a sun and continued to blaze. Inside it, they could see that the armor that was eaten away by the flies was melting in the blink of an eye.

“{{furigana|Mode・Merfolk(Mermaid Armament)!”

Kazuki instantly switched Zekorbeni―from Mio’s Phoenix, he went to Koyuki’s Vepar. He was enveloped in blue raiment that looked just like the shape of the sea itself. Koyuki’s positivity level had also reached 150 from that date. The greatest fire power of this bond, the level 8 was instantly invoked.

“Time turn drawing circle, the history repeated following the inevatibility, awaken the forgotten era right here… leave behind everything inside the dream, toward the era of glacier! {{furigana|Ice Age|Absolute Ice World}}!!”

The instant the fire ball liberated all of its energy and vanished, this time it was Vepar’s avatar that emerged―the surrounding of Kazuki and Naglfar was instantly freezing.

A pure cold that surpassed even the blizzard of the Haunted Ground and the blizzard of the world of death―a world of ice.

Naglfar, and Hel that rode inside it were freezing, their movement was stopped.

“Mode・Veritas!”

Kazuki switched Zekorbeni even further―from Koyuki’s Vepar to Lotte’s Prometheus. His body was wrapped with a silver suits with a texture that was hard to consider as something of this world.

Lotte’s positivity level was also surpassing 150. He poured his magic power into the greatest fire power of that, to level 8.

“Turning thy back to the god, pour the wisdom of human history to the dream of destruction… hear the roar of human’s independence! {{furigana|Gustav Dora|Betrayal’s Romance Cannon}}!!”

A gigantic ordnance towered erectly from Kazuki’s chest to the front direction. It was a gigantic gun battery with length of few dozen meters and the thickness diameter close to one meter. A recoil propulsion system in order to withstand the firing of that gun battery was created on his back. In front of Naglfar, Kazuki also turned into a large weapon and determined his aim.

The unrealistic cannon that possessed the power of magic―fired.

A high explosive projectile that was almost as large as a human’s stature with the weight of a few ton was fired rapidly along with a thunderous roar that pierced your ears.

Masses of destruction landed one after another on Naglfar’s armor that was subjected under rapid freezing right after a super high temperature and exploded grandly. The nails of the dead were peeled off and fell apart.

When Kazuki finished firing all the explosive bullets and made the ordnance vanished―it was at the same time where Naglfar was finally destroyed from the attacks that came one after another.

“For, for a human, moreover a male to fire magic this powerful in rapid succession, how can your magic not run out..?”

Hel opened her eyes wide inside Naglfar that was barely floating in the air with its barely remaining fragment of magic power.

“No… that magic power inside you… that is Zero Knight’s…!”

Hel still survived! Kazuki flapped his wings of flame while taking a stance with Ame no Murakumo.

It was at that time that following the signal of commencing attack from Kazuki just now, his comrades invoked the magic that they were chanting all at once.

“Tearing the skin and blooming the flower of blood, the scream that echoed eternally… fell the betrayer and awaken the hell right here! Cocytus!”

Behind Kazuki who was slashing at Hel, a piercing cold of hell was overtaking him.

At that time the Ame no Murakumo in Kazuki’s grasp reverberated *JIIN* as if saying something to him.

…He could hear, the voice of the Sacred Treasure!

In this kind of time, this Sacred Treasure must be… used in this kind of way!

“Carry the mystery in your blade crest <Ame no Murakumo>! Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Kazuki immediately made a half turn on the spot and ran his blade not at Hel but at the cold of [Cocytus]. While Ame no Murakumo was enveloped in cold, it shone as if in echo.

Like Kusanagi no Tsurugi that tore apart magical phenomenon and dispersed them―it was not, the magic phenomenon was absorbed into that shining blade. The golden blade was frozen into deep blue and all the cold was compressed in it.

The essence of [slash] was to compress the energy within the narrowly linear range.

Katana could [cut] things by compressing the movement energy into the sharp blade.

Ame no Murakumo could even compress the magic energy into the blade’s narrow range.

That was this Battou Kaikon―[Tsumugari no Tachi].

Kazuki used his movement of cutting Kaguya-senpai’s [Cocytus] just like that to rotate in full circle and cut at Hel with the blade that carried cold.

“UOOOOOOOOOO!”

With Ame no Murakumo that was carrying the power of [Cocytus], Kazuki pursued the blown away Hel and dealt her one more blow even further. Hel was thrown onto the rock surface of Mt. Fuji.

“O lightning god, disturb the law of heaven following my will, liberate the undulation of destruction that is hidden in the atmosphere! {{furigana|Arc Flash Hazard|Super Lightning Arc Discharge}}!!”

Hikaru-senpai also cast Baal’s level 7 magic. The power of the Haunted Ground’s atmosphere was compressed into the two poles of positive and negative energy and raised a vortex around Hel, that equilibrium broke and caused a pure white great explosion. That was not something that was caused by nature, but by plasma.

Instantly, Kazuki cut at that plasma with Ame no Murakumo.

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!” <ref>I don’t understand the meaning of Tsumu, maybe it’s just a name. But ‘gari’ means mow down while ‘tachi’ means long sword</ref>

He swung that blade at Hel that was crashed into a rock wall. The compressed electric heat destroyed Hel’s defensive magic power with each blow.

It didn’t stop at one attack. Second, third, fourth…he repeatedly hacked her to pieces. The recoil of the defensive magic power gouged a crater at the surface of Mt. Fuji like an explosion, with each blow Hel was buried even deeper.

“O bird of paradise whose body is carrying the light of heaven, respond to my accusation and burn to ash the sin on the surface! Israel Judgment!!”

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Mio had already guessed everything and directly fired Phoenix’s heat ray not at Hel but at Kazuki’s blade. That power was settled smoothly and the blade of sun’s heat slashed apart even further at Hel.

“Ga, ganging up on me like this while borrowing the power of a great number of people! You, you coward! Not fair! Even though papa is not helping me…!! Give me back Naglfar!!”

“O singing voice of mermaid, manifest the freezing thought. Sadness into ice flower, loneliness into light snowfall, cover the world with freezing blankness… White Album!”

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Koyuki also invoked her magic and Kazuki’a Ama no Murakumo accepted it. Hel was buried until a depth where she couldn’t even move her body anymore while Kazuki earnestly stabbed his sword.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I’m, vanishing! If you keep doing that… I’ll vanish!!”

It was evident that her defensive magic power was almost extinguished.

When Kazuki thought whether he was going to stab his blade just like this until the end, for an instant, he hesitated.

He could win. But, would he kill her?

{It’s not like the Diva will die you know? When she used up her strength then she will only fall asleep for a long, long time.}

Leme told him through the telepathic communication.

―Her appearance was a little girl but, this opponent was a terrifying Diva. For the sake of protecting his comrades he couldn’t afford to go easy on her.

If he gave her an instant of opening here―the next moment it would be Kazuki who fall into a pinch. He had already used up his magic power to the limit. He had already spent everything to bring the situation into this direction.

He would finish her off until the end! Kazuki resolved.

But suddenly―Kazuki felt a magic power expanding in circle shape around Hel. It was not a magic power that came from Hel. It was an unknown magic power from someone that was isolated from them with a distant space.

It was hard to predict what was going on.

This was not an attack magic. If he created [Futsu no Mitama] he thought that perhaps he could destroy the magic phenomenon, but he wouldn’t make it in time if he chanted only after he noticed this.

The circle shaped magic power that expanded with the buried Hel as the center instantly materialized into a huge ring.

Ring―the thing that was like a string that was connecting through several magatama.

This was an enlarged Yasakani no Magatama!

Its inside instantly became pitch black and connected into another dimension, a different space. The exhausted Hel was absorbed into the black dimension while the girl herself was making a confused face saying “What’s this!?”

“Ikousai!?”

Reflexively Kazuki almost threw his body into the other dimension, but recalling his own exhaustion he stumbled his step. If enemies were waiting at the destination of the other dimension, his current self would be unable to do anything.

There was no reply to answer Kazuki’s calling voice, after the ring swallowed Hel inside the other dimension, the ring of Yasakani no Magatama shrank in the blink of an eye and vanished.

===Part 8===

Aisu Ikousai with her body wrapped in her trademark Japanese clothes was standing still inside her own sword dojo that was prepared in Oosaka. Some composure came out in her expression ―her special training was bearing fruit.

At the space before her eyes the enlarged Yasakani no Magatama was floating along with magic power. It was connected with the deep black dimension in its inside and with a plop it dropped off Hel who was in a worn-out state of body and mind.

“You really got beaten up mercilessly huh. …If you got worn out until this bad then you won’t be able to come out at the frontline for a while until your divinity is restored.”

Hel was limply sinking on the cool floor of natural wood inside the sword dojo where it seemed she couldn’t even hear Ikousai’s voice.

Yasakani no Magatama smoothly became smaller and wrapped on Ikousai’s wrist naturally.

“Wh, why…?” Finally a voice escaped Hel.

“Yasakani no Magatama is a Sacred Treasure that can only display its effect within my perception sphere.”

Ikousai had already tested the Sacred Treasure many times, she was already able to completely grasp its effect.

“Something like exerting the power of this Sacred Treasure at the far away Fuji’s sea of trees originally should be something impossible. But… the Three Sacred Treasures resonated with each other, like a power that called to each other. Most likely it was the moment when Hayashizaki obtained Ame no Murakumo in his hand, that Yasakani no Magatama and Yata no Kagami reacted. Yata no Kagami projected your figure fighting that guy holding Ame no Murakumo. If it’s visible, then that place is a range where my imagination can reach… it’s inside my magic perception range. That was why I could save you using the power of Yasakani no Magatama.”

Yasakani no Magatama―it twisted the space between its string.

“Hel is my master that taught me the way to handle a Diva’s power. I heard the story from Loki… I was thinking whether there was any way for me to go help you. It was something miraculous, but I’m glad I made it.”

Ikousai had a really arrogant personality, but toward someone that gave her something―toward the existence that she called as mentor, she was someone that paid her respect from the bottom of her heart. Hel too was not an exception.

“Uu… uu, ueeee…”

“Hel?”

“UEEEE~N, IKOUSAI~!!”

When Ikousai just thought that she was seeing tears gathering inside Hel’s round eyes, Hel suddenly clung at Ikousai’s chest while crying loudly like a child.

“Uwaa, don’t you press your soppy face to my clothes.”

“Ueee~! Why~! Why is everyone making fun of me~! Why is papa not praising me~! Give me back my Naglfar~! Even though I worked really hard to gather a lot of dead people’s souls, why did it get broken like that~!! I hate everyone~!!”

Feeling troubled of how to deal with Hel that was crying like a child, Ikousai just kept patting her blue haired head for the time being.

“Ueee~! I hate everyone except Ikousai~!!”

Hel bawled even harder, like a child that was scolded for the first time.
<noinclude>

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

{{SimpleNav}}
</noinclude>

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 2

2016-01-25T10:31:11Z

Windsgrace: /* Part 5 */

==Chapter 2 – Sky of End==

===Part 1===

The Magic Division’s student council room was the strategy meeting room of Kazuki and co.

On this day there was a new face that was added as their comrade.

“This is our special advisor, Liz Liza-sensei.”

When Kazuki introduced Liz Liza-sensei, everyone applause *pachi pachi* that seemed to be forced, Liz Liza-sensei went “How about you trashes stop, that looks stupid” a little embarrassed.

“I have gone several times to the depth of Fuji’s sea of trees before the wall was built. There are various things I can give advice for.”

“But there will be no more interference from Yamato right?”

Mio tilted her head saying so. “If that’s so won’t this be just a simple journey of Kazuki taking the Sacred Treasure and going home? Easy, easy.”

‘Certainly’, Kazuki too thought so. From here on ahead both Loki and Ilyailiya too couldn’t stand in their way.

They would be shown the way by the seal and just needed to head to the promised place―he had such a sense of security.

His sense of danger was slacking, but Kazuki immediately tensed himself.

“Just because there will be no interference doesn’t mean that there is no danger. Where we will be going from now on is the deepest part of Japan’s largest Haunted Ground. It should be even more dangerous than even Level 1 and 2 until now.”

The inner part of Fuji’s sea of trees couldn’t be liberated by the Knight Order before, and then, to cope, they built the wall surrounding the area several times to hold back the expansion. Surrounded by walls, the Grand Haunted Ground was divided into three levels.

Thanks to the wall, the Haunted Ground’s expansion was slowed down, but in exchange the magic power was confined to the inner direction and beyond the wall became unimaginably thick with magic power.

The other side of the last wall―the Level 3 area should have became a type of Haunted Ground that had never before been seen in Japan.

“It’s just like he said. It’s not an exaggeration to say that, until now, you guys probably still haven’t even tasted half of the danger of the Grand Haunted Ground just from your experience in Level 1 and 2.”

Liz Liza-sensei talked with her usual strict tone like when she was teaching in class.

“If you ask me why, that’s because Level 1 and 2 are a forest, but ahead in Level 3 the area will become the Fuji Mountain. In short a place that was originally dangerous already is transformed into an even worst Haunted Ground. …From here on out what is necessary is not just simple battle strength, it’s better to head there with a few number of people that excel in adapting to the environment.”

“Adapting to the environment… is it?” Mio asked back with a dubious face.

“…What is waiting for us from now on is a snowy mountain climbing in a Haunted Ground.”

“Actually I also have a hobby of mountain climbing. Because Britain is a great country for mountain climbing.”

For some reason Liz Liza-sensei started to explain in a lively tone of voice.

Fuji Mountain―as Japan’s highest summit, it was a mountain that was said as Japan’s symbol.

Even now that it had become a Haunted Ground, that white peak seen from afar didn’t change at all since the ancient times.

But there was no more climber there to visit the place as a tourist attraction like in the past, the true state of the place right now was uncertain.

“Originally the snow should be gone when the season entered the summer, I hear that it was an easy to climb a mountain.”

Liz Liza-sensei said. If that was true then there should be no danger now that it had already been June.

“But Fuji Mountain that had been turned into a Haunted Ground is isolated by blizzard all year round and it was transformed into a mountain with intense cold. I think the harshness of that environment can even rival Everest or McKinley now. That’s my opinion.”

Everest―Even Kazuki and the others whose awareness of the world in general had faded knew about that name.

The mountain with the highest summit in the world. In a certain meaning it was a name that was like [a myth that existed in reality].

“Even if sensei said it’s like climbing a mountain in winter… we are strong against cold you know.”

Mio interjected into the lecture with a face that didn’t understand what Liz Liza-sensei wanted to say.

Magicians could manipulate heat using Pyrokinesis. Heat or cold wouldn’t become any problem for them.

In addition they also had defensive magic power, so even if they fell from the cliff or got hit by falling rocks, there would be no problem.

To put something like environment adaptation as a source of argument itself was strange.

“No, you see, the blizzard and the coldness of Mountain Fuji that had turned into a Haunted Ground resounded not in your flesh, but in your mind. It’s the same as a mind attack magic. The problem is not your defensive magic power, but your strength to maintain your [wall of heart].”

Resistance against mind attack magic―although Kazuki was better at it compared to the past, it was still a field that he was poor at.

“When the Haunted Ground’s coldness and chill resounds in your mind, you will be convinced that the feeling is real and its influence will come out for real in your body. Regardless of how you preserve your temperature using Pyrokinesis, you will still get hypothermia. Even though you are supposed to have produced oxygen with magic power already, an acute mountain sickness’ symptoms will still appear in you. There will be many agonies that you have forgotten since becoming a magician that will appear on parade. Even the knights in my generation had some people who died from challenging the Fuji Mountain that had been turned into a Haunted Ground.”

Death―for the people of this generation who could protect their body with defensive magic power, it was an extremely heavy concept.

“Won’t it be fine if we fly in the sky while chanting magic?”

Koyuki raised her hand and calmly stated her opinion. If it was Kazuki or Mio then it was possible for them.

“At that time too there was a contractor of Phoenix that tested that, but it was no good.” Liz Liza-sensei shook her head.

“When you get separated from the ground, a fierce wind will blow right overhead and beat you down to the ground. It’s as if the Haunted Ground is saying that a cunning act is prohibited. The Haunted Ground is forcing you to climb the mountain on foot. Even though that place is a world of magic, but it’s really obsessive with due form.”

Diva, Demon Beast, and Haunted Ground reproduced the form of Mythology and legend. The harsh challenge of climbing the snowy mountain that once existed in Fuji’s sea of trees―that legend enforced the people that stepped their foot in it to follow it.

“You guys have become magicians that are far more excellent than the magicians of my era. But the Grand Haunted Ground too has continued its expansion, the magic power in its center part has also been condensed even more than before. You guys had better prepare your heart beforehand as if you are seriously challenging to climb a snowy mountain without any magic power. And then there will be Demon Beasts too attacking us there.”“A blizzard where mind resistance is necessary… then it’s better for the members of the Magic Division to be the one to go there then.”

“I guess so. In the first place it’s not an environment where you can honestly do a close-quarter combat.”

“Then there will be no turn for this one is it…” Kohaku dropped her shoulders regretfully.

“Even if you tell me to go to that kind of harsh place, there is no way I want to go there.”

Torazou-san laughed carefreely, but Kanae besides him stood up noisily from her chair.

“Please wait, Nii-sama! Please let me go together with you there!!”

“No way. You too don’t have much training in resistance against mind attacks right?”

“But!”, Kanae tenaciously dogged Kazuki.

“I cannot give special treatment to only Kanae. It’s dangerous. I don’t plan to listen to your selfishness.”

Kazuki decisively omitted Kanae from the group, not as family, but as the Chief Student Council President.

“So that we can immediately react even if any victim appears, I think it will be better to make a team composed of Magika Stigmas with high positivity levels. The Sword Division members are also out of the question because of that requirement too.”

Liz Liza-sensei added her comment to Kazuki.

“Therefore…” Kazuki made an orderly list of names on the whiteboard.

Hayashizaki Kazuki. Amasaki Mio. Hiakari Koyuki. Lotte. Otonashi Kaguya. Hoshikaze Hikaru. Tsukahara Kazuha.

With this, the girls whose positivity level toward Kazuki were above 100 became the team members.

“Fufufu, Tsukahara-san usually always talks abusively to Kazuki, but you actually really love Kazuki don’t you? I wonder how much the number actually is?”

Hikaru-senpai teased Kazuha-senpai who was sitting just beside her.

“It, it’s not really like a love. I, I just like him a little…”

Kazuha-senpai’s face was beet red and she looked down completely.

“Ahaha, Tsukahara-san is so cute~!” Hikaru-senpai poked her from the side.

“Ge, geez! Stop it~” Kazuha-senpai shook off Hikaru-senpai’s hand but,

“I’m not gonna stop~” Hikaru-senpai hugged her. Kazuha-senpai then,

“Geez… Hoshikaze-san you dummy…” She became completely docile with a beet red face.

What’s with the two of them?

“Also as someone who is experienced about the mountain, I will give you all my guidance.”

Liz Liza-sensei said that with a face that looked a little excited.

“…I’m, being left out?”

Shinobu-senpai was pouting with her eyebrows knitted while saying that.

“Eerr, it’s decided from the sequential order of the positivity level after all.”

When Kazuki weakly said that, Shinobu-senpai stood up from her seat, *tetete* she approached Kazuki’s side with little run and crouched down. After that she talked to Kazuki with upturned eyes like an abandoned dog.

“I. …Really like Kazuki.”

“I, I know that, but, err…”

When Kazuki didn’t know how he should answer, Mio who sat beside him said “I’m the one that loves Kazu-nii the most here~!” while standing up and puffing out her chest. Shinobu-senpai frowned in dissatisfaction.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 065.jpg|thumb]]

Beside her a female wolf Diva―Marchosias’ avatar was floating. It was said that Marchosias could take the form of a human and also a wolf, but her true nature was more of a wolf.{Gau. O King, To leave out my contractor like this, unforgivable. Gau.}

Shinobu-senpai mimicked her Diva’s behavior and barked “Gau gau” while pulling *gui gui* at Kazuki’s arm.

“That way of acting as a spoiled doggy is still just second rate desu!”

While Kazuki was troubled, Lotte who was watching the development suddenly stood up from her seat.

After that Lotte rushed over to Kazuki’s side trottingly and hugged Kazuki’s neck. And then,

“Kazuki-oniisan, wan wan-!” She licked at Kazuki’s cheek *pero pero*.

“…I see.” Shinobu-senpai’s eyes sparkled.

And then “Gau gau” she hugged Kazuki’s neck from the other side and went *pero pero* at Kazuki’s other cheek.

“Wan wan!” “Gau gau.” Both of their soft tongues were teasing Kazuki’s cheeks. The warm saliva of girls besmeared his face all over. Kazuki’s feelings became a little strange.

“Both of you, we are still in the middle of a serious meeting here!”

After Kazuki kept being treated like that for a while, he finally pushed back the two of them off him.

Lotte said “Okay desu” and obediently returned to her seat.

“Shinobu, give up already and come back here.”

After Miyabi-senpai signaled Shinobu-senpai with her hand, Shinobu-senpai too went “Gau…” dejectedly before retuning to her own seat while crawling on all fours on the floor.

‘…No, senpai doesn’t need to become a wolf that much.’

“Well then, tomorrow let’s carry out the operation with these members! We are going to take the last Sacred Treasure!”

Kazuki declared with his face still wet with saliva.

It was only Kanae who still couldn’t accept it and she faced Kazuki with a dissatisfied look.

“You all don’t need a lot of climbing tools if you make a practical use of magic. But let’s prepare extra just for the food supply. Just in case, perhaps we will need to {{furigana|bivouac|camp in the open}} there.”

Liz Liza-sensei added that at the end of the meeting.

===Part 2===
With this, this was the third time they went on an expedition from the Knight Academy to the Grand Haunted Ground.

It took one hour from Tokyo to Gotenba Station at the bottom of the Mt. Fuji using the magic light train, from there they changed their transportation into the military use car that the Knight Order had prepared for them and they traversed through the empty town that had become an evacuation area.

Like that they arrived at the first wall that was the entrance into the Haunted Ground.

After following the procedure at the gate that was guarded by the Knight Order to not let anyone enter, they went inside.

For the time being their numbers until here were not few, a lot of volunteering students were also coming along.

The Level 1 area that was the most outer part of the Grand Haunted Ground had already been mostly liberated from the exploration that they had done twice until now in this place. Because of that, what greeted them right after they passed the wall was the calm forest at the foot of Mt. Fuji.

Signs and facilities that were built at the time where this place was still a bustling sightseeing course were left behind as if the time had been stopped.

Aiming for the second wall that was standing towering far away, they earnestly walked the path that was filled rampantly with green conifer trees.

“Walking through this area blessed by mother nature… I cannot suppress this uncomfortable feeling inside…”

In the crowd of students slightly behind, Kamimura-san in goth-loli clothing that was mismatched with the scenery was walking forward somehow even with an unsteady gait.

“You’re not tired, Kamimura-san?”

Kazuki drew back until the behind and felt anxious about the girl’s condition.

“The sky is so dazzling… Right now I’m fine, but surely I will get tired in time…”

Kamimura-san answered him with a way of talking like a prophet.

“Should I carry you on my back to preserve your stamina?”

“Eh, tha… that’s, it’s okay. Kazuki is the one that has to preserve your stamina no matter what.”

He was completely rejected. But there was no skull mark that came flying at him so he guessed she was just acting reserved. Kazuki cut in at the front of Kamimura-san, then with a ‘hyoi’ he lifted up her small body.

Kamimura-san went “Au! Awawa-!”, then she encircled her arms around Kazuki’s neck while she was about to blow her fuse.

“Let’s be like this until the second wall.”

“…Even though I’m being tactful here… Uu―. Normally when someone is about to do something like this they will get cold feet and become scared and so they won’t be able to do it, that’s what I thought. You are completely like the cool guy in a gal-game, this pushy attitude that cannot be hated… Something like this is unfair. So vexing. …But you will get wet-!!”

“What, wet you say? Not really, Kamimura-san’s weight is like paper, you are so light that I won’t sweat much.”

“Mumumu-!? Her weight is, light you say!?”

Kaguya-senpai who was walking at the side suddenly turned at their direction with a great vigor for some reason.

“Kaguya-senpai, Kamimura-san’s lightness isn’t in not in this dimension that you can get from something like a diet, so don’t mind it.”

Right now it was Kamimura-san’s existence that had already half-disappeared, not her fat.

“Why is Kaguya-senpai that sensitive about this weight talk?”

“No, no no not really. I don’t really care about something like my weight or anything!? Wow, it feels really good to walk among nature like this! La la laa― fu―n fun♪”

Kaguya-senpai’s eyes kept darting everywhere while skipping with a weird humming and whistling.

Everyone were all cute girls but… perhaps the hard work that the girls were doing behind the scene for their appeal was something that a male just couldn’t get a measure of.

“Even someone like me, have some aspects that a person that lovely is jealous of, that’s…”

On the other hand Kamimura-san was moved in a weird way.

“You are too light like this. I have to feed you a lot and make you gain weight.”

When Kazuki shook Kamimura-san up and down, she gave off a weird voice “au au au―”.

A gentle slope came into their view next, soft pastel blue manifested themselves from between the vivid green thickets.

“Kamimura-san, look, hydrangeas are growing en masse.”

“Oo…” Even Kamimura-san spontaneously raised a deeply moved voice. Everyone around them were also suddenly making a fuss about the sight.

“See, going outside once in a while is also good, right?”

Kazuki once again shook Kamimura-san on his back up and down while talking.

“…Kazuki, your way of talking, it looks like a father that took his daughter outside.”

Kamimura-san’s reply sounded like she was a little troubled of how to cope with the situation.

The reserved hue of the hydrangeas calmed down the hearts of the people watching it. If it was now, he had the feeling that he could step inside Kamimura-san’s heart for even just a little.

“Kamimura-san, you really work hard, that you even went with us into this place, you also properly attended the academy but, you’re not forcing yourself right?”

Kazuki slowed down his walk and then he asked while his gaze was following along the hydrangeas at the roadside.

It was a natural way of living, but for this girl who had been a shut-in for a long period of time such a way of living was supposed to be difficult for her.

“I’m not forcing myself. After all, I understand, that all this time you and Lotte-shishou are always being considerate of me. …Because I understand that I’m being paid attention to… I thought that in this kind of time, I have to become useful properly, by fighting.”

“You really are doing your best. Thank you.”

Why in the world would a good child like this become a complete shut-in?

Kamimura-san was scared to get along with other people. He had no doubt that she was too sensitive against other people’s attitude at herself, whether it was kindness or ill will. There was no problem in her personality, it was just that she was too sensitive.

‘In order to grant courage to such a girl, what should I do that would be good? …Let’s constantly fill her surroundings with the kindness of the people from around us.’ That was what Kazuki thought.

“Thank you, Kamimura-san.”

Kamimura-san noticed Kazuki and the others’ consideration for herself and so she tried her best to return the favor. Kazuki was happy of that and gave his thanks to her.

“…I think that the hydrangeas are certainly beautiful. I recognize it.”

As if searching for a way of how to express her own feelings, Kamimura-san talked slowly to Kazuki.

“Because you pulled my hand and led my outside from the Ise Imperial Shrine, maybe, surely, even I can become someone that tries to think of the things outside of my room as fun… I think.”

Kamimura-san was facing forward, just a little.

…The quiet promenade that was like a hiking route continued, and finally they arrived at the second wall.

Kazuki put Kamimura-san down from his back. In exchange of thanks for Kazuki’s assistance that let her legs were still mostly at ease, Kamimura-san wordlessly hopped up and down lightly.

They passed the second wall too and entered Level 2.

The area from here on mostly hadn’t been liberated yet. But the route to continue to the third wall had been opened by Kazuki’s reckless battle before this.

The elite squad led by Kazuki headed to the third wall while the other students spread out in order to advance the capturing of the Level 2 area. That was the arrangement that they had decided on.

“Leave this area to these ones!” “Leave it to us!” “I’ll work today.” “Gau.” “Fufufu.”

Kohaku, Karin, Kamimura-san, and the Ryuutaki-sisters saw off Kazuki and co. who were going forward.

The path that Kazuki and co. followed was gradually sloping drastically, they even had to follow some animal trails on the way.

Even so there was no Demon Beast coming out on this route that had been liberated once.They finally arrived at the third wall with the ease of advancing through a dungeon that had finished being captured completely.

There was a concrete wall that was built fourteen years ago before it was abandoned in front of them.

A plain door like a staff entrance door behind a building was installed in the lower part of the wall.

Both the wall and the door had gotten so old that it looked like it would turn into dust if it got hit with all their strength.

But a powerful barrier was set up on this wall that could even reject a King.

“Please wait! Nii-sama… as I thought, I too will go!”

Kanae chased them from the path behind. Kazuki turned around in surprise and shouted.

“I told you no already!”

He had to tell her sternly. He understood well of how Kanae’s obstinacy was.

“I can’t take you because your resistance against mind magic is weak. If something happened to Kanae, I cannot search for you like I can with everyone else. Saying it bluntly, you will just slow us down.”

“However… I have the feeling that there will be something important that is going to happen to Nii-sama after this… I have the feeling that I have to see that with my own eyes!!”

―Some kind of important thing. Leme had repeatedly said the word destiny before. Ahead of this path, there was a turning point waiting for him that would shake his future.

When he thought of that once more, Kazuki felt hesitation and his reply was caught inside his throat.

A turning point that would change his own life. To say that he was going to take Mio and Kaguya-senpai and everybody else there, but telling Kanae that he couldn’t take her was… as if he was inviting everyone to his wedding reception except for Kanae…

It could be seen as an act that threw away the existence of Kanae from his own life ahead of now.

Kanae’s feeling that wanted to witness with her own eyes the turning point of Kazuki’s life was something natural.

On the other hand, he too… he also felt that he wanted Kanae to be there at the turning point of his life.

His relation with Kanae was that deep. Even more than everybody else in this place…

―’I also want Kanae at my side.’ That kind of feeling gushed out inside him like a light shining over the darkness in his heart.

However, it was dangerous…

{…Kazuki.}

Inside Kazuki’s head who couldn’t say anything, a voice of someone was echoing. It was not Leme.

“This voice is…” It seemed that a similar voice also rang out inside Kanae’s head, she turned her head around looking for the voice’s owner.

The third wall that was right beside them emitted a faint magic power light.

That light linked Kazuki and Kanae’s consciousness and sent in a voice into them.

“The path ahead might be severe, but… take that person with you too.}

The seal that possessed its own consciousness told so to Kazuki.

{Undoubtedly, there are also things that have to be conveyed to that person too, that’s why…}

That time…*zuzuzu*, a heavy sound was reverberating.

The door of the wall that was emitting light opened by itself in invitation to Kazuki and Kanae.

“…I understand. Kanae, come together with me and ascertain what lies ahead of me with your own eyes.”

Kazuki resigned himself. He said that while shivering from the existence of someone that would once more change his life.“Certainly ahead of this path, it looks like there is something really important that is waiting.”

Kazuki and co. passed through the wall―there was a boundary line of the world there.

The other side of the opened door was pure white.

Silver grains were dancing in the air along with the wind. When they stepped inside with a step, their feet were buried right into the snow until their shin. All the trees in the surrounding had withered, turning into frost covered trees that were colored silver.

This level was a snow mountain in winter… he had been told that, but even so, the world line between the front of the wall and behind the wall was just too different.

It just told him even more clearly how incomparable the thickness of the magic power that distorted the world was in here.

“Well then everyone, let’s go.”

Kazuki stood in the lead and passed through the door, his companions followed after him.

Their feet was buried under the snow, silver wind hit the body right from the front, Kazuki’s teeth were clattering in no time at all. He entered strength into his shoulders and tensed the muscles in his whole body.

It had been a really long time since he felt the sensation of the cold.

Just like the story that he heard, it was still cold even though he produced heat in his body using Pyrokinesis. He deeply felt the cold.

“Hold your mind strongly! If not, you will get hypothermia just like your mind imagined!”

Liz Liza-sensei raised her voice. The coldness of this Haunted Ground reverberated in their minds.

“What an outrageous Haunted Ground…”

Kaguya-senpai knitted her eyebrows. Even so when he looked back to ascertain the countenance of the members, he could still feel some composure from everyone of the Witch’s Mansion.

“…Kanae, are you okay?” Kazuki was concerned with Kanae’s condition.

“I’m fine.” Kanae bit her lips and answered while glaring at the path ahead.

Her stout-heartedness that wouldn’t let any complaint escape her mouth made Kazuki feel even more anxious instead.

“This place should be at the height of around two thousand meters above the sea. As expected even the snow mountain of a Haunted Ground, too, will become even colder the higher it is, ahaha.”

Hikaru-senpai made a desperate laugh.

“The height too is like that, but thanks to the trees that are still growing around here the wind is weak. When we pass through the forest border and there is nothing in the surroundings, the blizzard will hit us fully at that time.”

Liz Liza-sensei added in a fact that he didn’t even want to imagine.

What was a little strange was how everyone was exposing their bare skin because of their Magic Dress even though they were in the middle of a snowy mountain. Though Kazuki was also just in his normal uniform. This clothing had no meaning at all for physical cold protection.

“O Divine Protection of mermaid, please block the step of the hated enemy and hasten the step of the chosen person… O ice blade, run! Moves in the Field!”

Koyuki cast an environmental control magic before they advanced through the snow for real.

Usually this magic froze the ground and formed ice blades on the allies’ feet. The allies could move around freely like ice skating while the enemy would be unable to move about… this magic had been used a lot in that way.

But this time the magic didn’t grant any effect on the ground and formed ice claws on the allies’ feet. Further it also created ice picks in the shape of a ‘T’.

“It really created a fitting atmosphere huh.” Hikaru-senpai swung around her pick’s like a kid.

An ice pick is a tool used to stab the blade into a snow surface of rock wall in order to keep the holder’s balance when they fell off from the slope or their balance was broken.

“And then if we stab this claw into the snow surface, we can then walk forward and not slip.”

Mio said that while immediately moving through the path of new snow with the ice claws on her feet.

“Even if we don’t use something like this, there is also a method of walking while using friction control magic.”

The expert in general magic, Kazuha-senpai, was once more saying an amazing thing so nonchalantly.

“That’s also fine but Hiakari has already troubled herself to make this, so just use this to suppress the consumption of excess magic power. After all even just standing around like this will have your magic power consumed to endure the blizzard.”

Liz Liza-sensei said so and then she urged them on.

“Oi, Hayashizaki siblings and Tsukahara, what are we going to do if you guys don’t walk in the lead.”

Kazuki, Kanae, and Kazuha-senpai moved forward in panic with crunching sounds to catch up with Mio who went ahead.

“Wait, Mio!”

They had to stab the picks into the snow surface each time they took a step forward and stepped firmly with the ice claws while climbing in long stride so as to not slip. Just advancing forward like this in a snowy mountain was surprisingly hard.

Their feet that were buried in the snow too was so cold with a chill that seeped right inside until their bone.

Kazuki finally overtook Mio and stood in front of the whole party.

Suddenly the snow field ahead vibrated *gogogo*.

…That’s right, of course this kind of thing would naturally happen. At the other side of the sloping path―inside the white screen of the blizzard, a faint figure of a <ice giant> so big they needed to look up appeared.

They had to fight Demon Beasts in this Haunted Ground.

“That Demon Beast… be careful! It’s going to throw ice lumps from afar!”

Liz Liza-sensei yelled. The ice giant broke his own body with his fist. And then it raised high the ice lump that was a part of its own body, he faced Kazuki and co. and threw it.

The enemy was located on the higher ground. The ice lump was approaching them by borrowing the force of gravity.

Kazuki jumped to the side and evaded the ice lump.

But the instant he evaded a step to the side, *BAKIBAKIBAKI!* there was a strange sensation under his feet.

There was no ground at the place his foot was going to step on. That spot was where shrubbery was growing on the slope and looked like the ground just from the snow that was piling up on top of it. There was no footing at the place where he was going to step, Kazuki almost rolled down from the slope.

He supported his body with the pick in panic and raised a yell.

“Like, like this we are not going to be able to move our body well!?”

The ground looked like a brand new snow surface at a glance, but they couldn’t know what was going on under the snow with just one look.

The giant didn’t miss the opening and threw another ice lump at them. With this timing, he couldn’t dodge.

“Flapped the wings and scatter sparks. Trail behind the spiral wind, become the bullet that gouge life! Flap and shoot! Barrett!!”A flame bullet collided into the ice lump just in the nick of time. Ice grains and steam exploded in front of Kazuki’s eyes.

“Geez Kazu-nii, be careful there!”

With Mio as the beginning, the other companions shot out their attack magic all at once.

“My wicked thought is filled with curse, I beseech thy agony… I have no shame of my ominous thinking! Feel Pain!”

“O the will of god of the whirling sky! Converge in my hand, please grant me the authority of judgment! O radiance of royalty divine gift, become the drawn bow of splendor! Lightning Line!”

“Howl! The civilization grant destruction to human! The roar of wisdom scorch, break thy body, bury that dignity under the rubble!! Mitrailleuse!”

Kaguya-senpai’s bullet of agony. Hikaru-senpai’s lightning arrow. Lotte’s gatling bullets.

The giant staggered from the raining down magic. Its movement that was trying to throw ice lumps was stopped.

“Barrett!”

Kazuki too ran through the snow field while chanting attack magic. When Kazuki pushed his way through the snow and advanced in the front, it also made it easier for everyone that was following after him to advance.

Ahead on the pure white path of the blizzard, Kazuki sensed even more moving presences.

“Everyone, there’s not just one!”

At the same time with Kazuki yelling to inform his party, three more giants showed their majestic appearances from the depth of the blizzard and the three raised up ice lumps all at once.

“O hour hand, please blunt down the gait of the fools and show contempt for their worth… {{furigana|Chrono Stutter|Stupefaction Time Lost}}!!”

Liz Liza-sensei chanted a magic that he had never seen before.

Three avatar of clock floated in front of the three ice giants, those three clocks had its hour hand moved really slowly while melting into the giants.

Thereupon in the blink of an eye, the giants’ movement became sluggish.

A magic that slowed a great number of enemies all at once―perhaps Liz Liza-sensei had assumed from the start that the enemy might be more than one.

The thrown ice lumps from the giants whose movements were slowed flew flimsily and fell in the middle without reaching Kazuki’s location. The fallen ice raised *DON!* a large sound and a curtain of snow was raised on the snow field.

“O craftsman’s forging that scatter the flower of night performance, fill the woven sky with sword’s tip! The role of the sword is for the sake of victory… under my command, become thunderstorm and pour down! Tenkuu Battou Renge Hou!”

Kazuha-senpai too was chanting a magic that was suited for a great number of enemies.

It was an attack magic that created a large number of Sacred Treasures and launched them like missiles<ref>Gilgamesh's ability in fate/stay night anyone?</ref>.

“Burn brightly!”

When Kazuha-senpai commanded, the Sacred Treasures that were floating in the air were all covered with flames.

Kazuha-senpai’s contracted Diva, Futsunushi no Kami had his power increased from combining with Take Mikadzuchi. It seems that now senpai was able to freely control the element that the Sacred Treasures possessed.

The flame Sacred Treasures pierced into the ice giants one after another.

…But, the giants were not falling down.

“Barrett!” “Lightning Line!”

Low level magic were flying without pause. But the giants planted themselves on the snow field and stood dauntingly.

“…They are tougher than we think. Perhaps it will be better to take it slow and chant a high level magic.” Hikaru-senpai murmured.

“Or else, with close quarter combat.”Kanae who was pushing through the snow together with Kazuki murmured subduedly. It was a heavy tone of voice as if she was being cornered in some respect. …Kanae was waiting for her chance.

But the distance between her and the opponent was far with snow blocking the path.

“O shapeless and mute shadow, become the fish that swim inside the darkness that is teeming with obstructive thoughts! The origin of nightmare, vicissitudes materialism, respond to the fear and hope and sink your teeth…! Deep Specter!”

Kaguya-senpai had already concluded to aim for a high level magic and put it into practice.

A soul was residing inside the shadow of the ice giants. The black shadow that was like a spot of stain inside this white world swelled up in one go and turned into a monster with size that was not inferior with the ice giant.

The shadow monster opened its big mouth where fangs were lining up inside like a shark’s mouth, then it sunk its teeth into the ice giant.

But the ice giant didn’t even pay any heed of how their shoulder was bitten by a monster and continued to throw ice lump at Kazuki and co.’s direction. Their movements were sluggish due to Liz Liza-sensei’s magic, yet they were still throwing ice lumps even though it didn’t reach. Several of the ice lumps were falling just right in the middle.

“Their toughness is amazing, but… those Demon Beasts, are they doing something?”

Mio raised an amazed voice. The ice giants kept continuing to throw ice lumps that didn’t even reach them with sluggish movement like broken robots. Over and over they kept throwing, raising a curtain of snow on the snow field.

―A crack sharply entered the snow field. With a look of realization Liz Liza-sensei yelled.

“…Those guys’ aim to cause an avalanche! Someone use wind or flame magic!!”

Right at that instant, the snow field in front of their eyes split into two of up and down.

For Kazuki who was fighting while looking up to the slope, it looked like the world itself was cleaved down.

The lower half of the snow field in their path was all slipping down at Kazuki and co.’s direction. The snow in the shape of a plate broke down like smoke and built up, in the blink of an eye it became a wave of snow with an height of ten-odd meters.

The snow volume that could swallow all of them whole, surged, nearing them while roaring with a vibration like an earthquake.

The one who could immediately react was Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai. Both of them chanted the same magic.

“O wind of bellows, awaken the scorching heat of steel on my forging! Take into hand the hammer that had tempered hundred and strike away the impurity of the soul! Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazadzuchi!”

Kazuha-senpai finished her chanting an instant faster. When she raised her palm at the approaching avalanche, a wind of flame explosion whirled out from there. Like a katana blacksmith that awakens flames with the wind of bellows―this was a double element magic of flame and wind of Futsunushi no Kami who was the god of blacksmith. Its might had increased even more after obtaining the power of Take Mikadzuchi.

Wind explosion was blown into the approaching avalanche and evaporated it.

“Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazadzuchi!”

For the following avalanche that Kazuha-senpai couldn’t blow away completely, it was Kazuki’s turn to blow them away after casting the same magic with a time difference.

Even so, there was still more…*DODODODODO!* Tremors of the snow was approaching. The avalanche was continuing.

There were still magicians of wind and flame among them.

“O stream of atmosphere, converge in this body, become the storm that reject the hated person! The eye of the typhoon is exactly my throne! Storm Fort!”

“Burn to ash all that you touch… o scorching heat of rejection that has no place to depend! Self Burning!”

Hikaru-senpai and Mio invoked wind and flame defensive magic at the same time. Vortex of wind hid his companions from the surrounding and then flame mixed into the vortex of wind.

A storm of flames repelled away the avalanche that had its force greatly reduced from Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai’s magic and all of it was terminated.Because all of the snow that covered the snow field had moved down with the avalanche, the ground in the space between them until the ice giants was laid bare.

The snow was cleared exposing the original scraggy rock surface under it, like a path that guided them to the enemies.

Kanae quickly start to dash without hesitation―she had belief that her comrades would repel the avalanche.

Kazuki noticed that Kanae had change from her two sword style of kodachi into using a single pure black katana. It was <Michikage> that formed a pair with Kazuki’s <Doufuu>. Kanae’s beloved sword in the past that she used when she was a child.

“Nii-sama, Amasaki Mio! Give me the protection of fire!!”

Kanae yelled while closing her distance with the ice giants in one go.

“Burn to ash everything touched… the scorching heat of rejection without any place to depend! Self Burning!”

Kazuki immediately guessed what Kanae wanted and chanted the magic that enveloped Kanae’s whole body with flame.

Mio too attached the same magic to Kanae a moment later.

Kanae used the flame that clad her whole body not for defense, but for attack, she used Psychokinesis to concentrate the flame onto her katana. And then she kicked the rock surface and flew high until the neck of the giants.

“Pierce the vital spot against a tough enemy!!”

When Kanae leaped at the giants whose movements were dulled, Kanae stabbed the flaming blade into its neck.

The ice giant writhed in agony like a living thing. …No, the giant looked like a lump of ice, but as a Demon Beast it possessed the disposition as a living thing.

There was no mistake that Kanae’s blade had severed the electric signal circuit that governed the giant’s body activity.

“…Die!” It was a really tough giant but it was smashed up into many small ice grains under one attack.

After Kanae ripped up the neck of one giant, she kicked its body before it could break and jumped onto the next giant and tore up the neck of the giants one after another.

It was a murder technique where the match was decided already once she got close, that it even made Kazuki go ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ in admiration.

“Kanae! Be careful where you are going to land!!”

Kazuki noticed and shouted. Kanae who had finished dealing with the giants landed on the snow field.

But regardless of Kazuki’s warning, it seemed that under that snow there was no foothold, *zubo-* Kanae’s lower body was buried into the snow and she raised a scream of “Nya nya nya!?”

“Don’t get too carried away. …It’s better not to get too close to the snow.”

With an amazed voice, Kazuki pulled out the MVP Kanae from the snow.

The coldness of this snow inflicted harm to the mind. That was exactly why that avalanche was dangerous. It would be nothing if it was just a normal snow, but it’d be bad if they got buried under this snow.

If everyone of the Magic Division that was lacking in Enchant Aura got buried under a few tons of snow, surely they wouldn’t be able to move at all. And then they would rapidly get cornered into a dangerous situation from the coldness of the snow.

Kanae whose body was half inside the snow was shivering and her face turned blue.

“So, something like this… is not a big deal…”

“Don’t act tough. …We should warm you a little like this.”

Kazuki tightly hugged the shivering Kanae.

“Ni, Nii-sama!? Nii-sama―!! It’s a super ultra warmth!! Right now Kanae is like a cat that is inside a kotetsu―!” <ref>Kotetsu is a table over an electric heater (originally a charcoal brazier in a floor well) with a hanging quilt that retains heat</ref>

“…But this is a cold that happened mentally so maybe doing this is irrelevant?”

“That, there’s no such thing! If it’s a problem of mind then right now Kanae’s heart is going puff-puff hotly!!”“…You look like your head is going to explode, let’s end it with this much.”

When Kazuki separated both his hands, Kanae was unsteady on her legs with a boiling face.

…If Kanae got buried under the avalanche―it was only Kanae and Liz Liza-sensei among the current member that he couldn’t search their whereabouts with the power of bond. When he thought so his body hair shuddered.

“Rotate to the rear Kanae. I’ll be the one that pushes through the snow.”

Kanae looked down in frustration but she followed what he said and moved to the rear.

“No, I’ll be the one at the head. I’m the one better suited for it right?”

In replacement of Kanae, Kazuha-senpai approached near him and said that.

…Certainly because she was a swordsman she had the proper strength to push through the snow with Enchant Aura, her resistance against mind magic was also better than Kazuki, and she could also deal against the assault of Demon Beast as a front liner.

Even if Kazuha-senpai fell she could stop her momentum using friction control, and even if she was buried under the snow she could blow it away using [Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazatsuchi].

There was the flexibility that could do everything even if something happened to Kazuha-senpai.

“Let’s do it with the two of us taking turn.”

“Yosh, tag.”

Kazuha-senpai laughed “he he he” and presented her palm, Kazuki high fived her with a clear sound of *pachin*.

“When it’s the time to alternate, let’s warm each other by hugging like just now.”

“Do, don’t make a needless banter-! Idiot-!” Kazuha-senpai hit Kazuki’s head.

Kazuki and co. formed a single line and resumed climbing the mountain.

…At first the fallen snow only reached until their shin, but the snow became higher when they climbed even more ahead.

The snow passed their knee… then when the height reached around their waist, it became difficult even just to move ahead.

Kazuha-senpai who stood in the lead swept away the snow in front of her with the ice picks, and then she pushed further into the snow surface that had been torn down lower with her knee, finally when the height of the snow became something that her feet could lift over she could take a step forward.

Kazuha-senpai raised a scream “Thi, this is harsh!” while her beauty was ruined from being forced to walk bow-legged.

Thanks to her pushing aside the snow in the front, the second in line could advance with a fair ease.

As expected this was an absurd task if they didn’t alternately take turns.

“Standing in the lead and pushing through the snow is called Russell<ref>snowplow</ref>. It’s one of the hardest task in climbing a snow mountain.” Liz Liza-sensei said that from the back.

“In proportion of the two that are working hard in the front, we the rear guard will work hard if there are Demon Beasts coming out!”

Kaguya-senpai went ‘Ei ei ouu―” while raising her hand. Right at that moment an ice giant appeared at the front where it was going to slide down at them, while from the sky a pure white giant bird that was covered with thick fur was flying.

The Demon Beasts appeared as if answering the request, so Hikaru-senpai yelled “Kaguya you idiot!”

“I’m not the one who is bad here!” While yelling, Kaguya-senpai began to chant.

The ice giant threw ice lumps and the giant bird breathed out a cold breath.

“Barrett!”

“O rejection of absolute zero, become the armor of isolation that protect our body! Freeze Barrier!”

Mio shot down the ice lump with [Barrett] and Koyuki protected the comrades from the cold breath with the barrier of chill.

Suddenly Kazuki looked behind. Interposed between Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai who was in charge of Russell and everyone of the Witch’s Mansion that performed magic battle―Kanae was looking down in frustration because she could not move even when there was no avalanche.

An absurd time was necessary just to advance ahead a little.

More than anything, the exhaustion of Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai was bigger than everyone who was doing battle.They rotated the turn every one hour, he and Kazuha-senpai hugged each other each time they were taking turns. Kazuha-senpai was cute with her face bright red. Perhaps if there was no reward like this then even Kazuki would have his heart broken.

Liz Liza-sensei had warned them before about the possibility of needing to bivouac, but as expected this was not a Haunted Ground that could be cleared in a day trip.

When he was became engrossed in the Russell duty and the battle, before he realized the surrounding had become dark from being evening.

The pure white world was transforming into orchid color. Like this they would soon meet with night.

“So this is what appeared in the end…”

Kazuki who had alternated with Kazuha-senpai of being Russell in the front unintentionally groaned.

…What appeared before their eyes was a rock wall without end in sight. The upper part was obstructed by the blizzard that formed white mist, they couldn’t determine how high this wall would continue.

If they didn’t claw their way up this wall, they would be unable to advance forward. This was like a bad joke.

“It’s better to stop one night here for the moment.” Liz Liza-sensei said.

“Come to think of it, sensei said that a tent is unnecessary so we didn’t bring any, but without blocking the blizzard we are only going to get exhausted one-sidedly even if we rest.”

“No need to worry about that. There is so much snow piling up in the surrounding. …We are making a snow hut here.”

Snow hut. …It was a proposal that made him strangely excited.

They immediately move to work. Everyone piled up snow, pressed and condensed it, plundered the heat with Pyrokinesis, and froze and hardened the snow.

“Making it too big will only make you anxious if it’s going to break down from its own weight, so let’s make two snow huts.”

Although they could make the hut strong and solid with magic, they guessed that making it with a diameter of around four or five meters was the sensible limit. Thereupon Mio murmured while pushing and hardening the snow.

“…For the groups, how will we split the members?”

Everyone’s hands stopped.

Everyone raised their face all at once and looked at Kazuki’s direction. Leaving out Kanae and Liz Liza-sensei, there were only girls who understood that everyone in this place had more than 100 point in positivity level towards Kazuki.

“Kazuki. If I’m not mistaken your ability will unleash a special power when there is someone whose positivity level towards you became 150, right?”

When Kazuki was stumped to give out an answer towards the difficult question, Liz Liza-sensei gave an advice.

“Think about what will it do for you in the decisive battle if you raised someone’s positivity level. Make your answer from the side of profit.”

When it became something like that…

A single snow hut with high transparency that had been half transformed into ice was completed first.

“Enter the snow hut first and prepare the meal Kazu-nii. During that time everyone will complete one more of the snow hut.”

While talking Mio and Koyuki released their Magic Dress temporarily and their appearance turned into their uniform with a large rucksack on their back. They took out some plastic container and pot and a solid fuel from there. It was an underhanded trick that made use of a Magic Dress’ material conversion phenomenon.

Leme emerged out from his side and frowned her eyebrows while saying “Do this moderately okay, it’s just for this time only.”

“Even Leme also wants to eat a delicious meal right?”

Mio acted the same to Leme like when she was still kid-sized and poked her nose lightly. Though when the two of them stood side-by-side, Leme was already the bigger one between the two of them.

“How cheeky, to treat Leme like a kid when Leme had turned into this adult appearance already―!”

“So what―, Leme is Leme right―”

Both of them screwed around with each other by hitting the other *pechi pechi* repeatedly. …Looks like Mio still had some composure in her.

“Even if you called it preparation, I only need to warm the stew. It doesn’t really need to be me…”“I’m telling you to rest obediently here, so that Kazuki won’t get tired by doing something trivial like making a snow hut. We don’t know what is going to happen ahead of us you know!”

“Right right, just like she said!”

Hikaru-senpai butted in from the side and launched a hip attack at him with a boing.

The butt that was covered with a Magic Dress in T-back style blew away Kazuki inside the snow hut.

…If he was forced until this point then there was nothing he could do except to let himself get spoiled by their words.

Inside the snow hut, Kazuki spread out a sheet with high insulation rate and settled down his body on top of it. He set the solid fuel and lit up a fire. It was an alchemic fuel that boasted fire power of an average gas stove.

When he was staring at the burning flame, Kazuki’s feeling finally settled down.

…If he had to talk truthfully, he was nearing his limit.

Repeatedly becoming the Russell, the coldness of the snow stiffened his whole body that now he couldn’t even shiver.

The heart was also made of flesh―with a dysfunction occurring in the heart, the blood flow in the whole body was stagnating.

Due to the blood not circulating, the oxygen wouldn’t reach the brain. If he let his guard down, his thought would grow dim and turn pure white.

He planned to consume enough water, but even with his sweat not flowing out he felt a maddening dehydration in his body.

He had to warm his body. Kazuki instinctively thought so.

Now that he had escaped from the blizzard into the snow hut, surely his body would immediately recover if the fire of the solid fuel hit his body. Kazuki rubbed his coldly stiffening hands and fingers on top of the flame.

He had already upped his resistance toward mind magic but he was still immature in it.

Kanae too was feeling frustrated but… just because someone was a swordsman it didn’t mean that it was fine to only train in swordsmanship without caring for anything else. Even if comrades would help each other, there were many fields of expertise that had to be improved.

Waiting until after his blood flow recovered its vigor, Kazuki finally put the pot on top of the solid fuel.

The content of the pot was stew. The cold stew didn’t emit any aroma at all. Regardless Kazuki spontaneously gulped his saliva.

Rather than calling him starving, what he felt was closer to a breakdown. This was the first time his own cooking looked this delicious to himself. Since he was born, this was the first time his mind was ravaged by the taboo desire to snitch a food secretly like this.

But if he didn’t eat the food together with all his companions that were even now still building the snow hut outside…

Kazuki was gazing blankly at nothing while waiting for the pot to become warm.

The voices of everyone that were continuing their task outside felt awfully far. Perhaps his head was still lacking in oxygen. Feeling the warmth of the burning fuel, he dimly felt like he was in the middle of a dream.

Suddenly, he felt a presence right beside him. It was as if a ghost was standing right besides his pillow when he was sleeping.

After slowly turning his head―a slightly dazzling silhouette of a woman that was formed from magic power was peeking at the pot’s content from behind Kazuki.

It was as if a teacher was ascertaining a student’s cooking skill in the middle of a home economics class.

―It was the master of the seal. The First Knight. The wavelength of that light that dimly shone was the same with the light that appeared in his battle with Ilyailiya.

The light gave off a pondering voice.

{…Why are you, giving your all that much for your surroundings?}

Without tearing off her eyes from the pot, the woman’s voice sounded anxious in some respect.

‘What in the world is she feeling anxious for?’, before answering her, Kazuki first felt such doubt inside him.

“I am just doing it because I want everyone to be happy.”

Kazuki honestly talked about his own feelings.

“It looks like I am being quite misunderstood but, I’m doing this not because I am an orphan and so my self-esteem became really low that it makes me flatter my surroundings, it’s because I love everyone.”

When Kazuki said that, the woman became much more dejected and looked down.

{That stew is} The woman changed the topic. {…the flavor of your home?}

“I am an adopted child so, this is the flavor of the Hayashizaki’s… the family I was given to to be raised.”

Kazuki answered.“With Hayashizaki’s flavor as the base, I improved it in various ways so that I can make Kanae and father happy…”

The woman’s silhouette looked sad from something of what he said, she felt even more sorrowful in dejection.

“…Is something wrong?”

{I, can’t even teach my cooking to my own child. The flavor characteristics of just that family that every household has, I couldn’t impart it to him…}

Not only the pot, but the inside of the plastic containers were also loaded by Kazuki’s handmade cooking.

While her gaze kept wandering unable to calm down, the woman, rather than to be called a hero, she was more like an ordinary female, talked in sorrow.

Kazuki pondered about the woman’s life. There was no doubt that this woman staked her life for the sake of the seal.

To fight as a knight without looking back at her family… due to that this country was saved.

If so, then this person, should think of that proudly with her chest held high.

Kazuki tried to say such comforting words, and hesitated.

The child of this woman, could he understood that? Even though she had saved the country where she was born, and yet she left her own child in sorrow, as a mother could she really take pride of such a thing from the bottom of her heart?

For an existence of a mother to put in scale the world and her own child―it was not something that could be encouraged so simply.

“…Are you regretting it?”

{…Yes.}

The woman said as if spewing out the stagnation at the bottom of her heart.

An affirmation that a hero by no means should ever do.

Kazuki imagined what he would do if it was himself. ‘If, it was me in the position of this person. Or, if I was in the position of this person’s child…

When he thought that, a numb sensation ran through his brain.

This person, was someone. The master of the seal. The First Knight. The hero that saved this country.

The previous generation’s contractor of Lemegeton.

Not only that. ‘This person, who is she to me…’

This time Kazuki turned back his whole body behind.

He faced the silhouette of light of the woman right from the front.

Both her face and her body build were uncertain. Her voice too felt somewhat chaotic as if a wave was shaking it.

“…You are…”

{The pot, will be cooked soon. It looks really delicious… I too, want to try to eat it, but…}

As if running away from Kazuki’s gaze, the woman’s silhouette pointed out at the pot.

Even so when Kazuki continued to stare at her, the woman silhouette dimmed and began to vanish.

{In the center of this Haunted Ground―at the peak of the Fuji, I’m waiting for you. I’m sending my avatar here like this, because I’m too impatient to wait…}

“Wait…!”

Raising his voice unintentionally, Kazuki reached out his hand as if trying to catch an empty air.

But, the woman’s figure disappeared and escaped from his hand smoothly.Silence returned to the surroundings. Were his companions really continuing their work outside the snow hut even now? Or perhaps it was just the inside of this snow hut that was completely transferred somewhere to a different world.

‘…I too have something that I have to convey.’

Suddenly, such feeling was gushing out from inside Kazuki’s chest.

He had to convey it to the woman that was waiting for him ahead.

That ‘I didn’t become unhappy or anything you know’.

That ‘I’m not resenting or blaming anyone’.

===Part 3===
When everyone finished their meal, the members were split up into two snow huts. To prepare against Demon Beast’s attack, there would be lookout posted alternately, they would pass a night in this place.

“Ahaha, hooray! I’m in Kazuki’s side!” Hikaru-senpai raised a joyful voice and she threw herself down before rolling around everywhere *goron goron* the moment she entered the snow hut.

“…Don’t go wild and destroy the snow hut okay?”

Kaguya-senpai warned her with a troubled face.

“The one at this side… are you saying that we are the ones with a half-baked positivity level?”

Kazuha-senpai was the last one that entered the snow hut while being fidgety, unable to calm down.

Kazuki, Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, Kazuha-senpai. This snow hut was for these four people.

“No, in the first place the members that entered this Grand Haunted Ground all have high positivity levels. Among these members, Mio, Koyuki, and Lotte had all passed over 150.”

Otonashi Kaguya―142 Hoshikaze Hikaru―130 Tsukahara Kazuha―128

The three of them had passed 100, but they were still short of 150. From Kazuki’s experience, when someone had their positivity level passed 100, from thereon raising their positivity level became not as easy as before.

Surely it would be difficult to raise their positivity until 150 in this one night. But if he became able to use these three’s high level magic, it would be very reassuring in his preparation for the decisive battle.

He didn’t mean to raise everyone’s positivity level in order to become strong, but…

“Hmmm… it feels like after the classmates, now it’s the seniors’ turns.”

Hikaru-senpai noticed the common point of the members here and murmured. Now when she said that, unexpectedly the situation really had turned out like that. Although he had never intended at all to leave the seniors for later just because they were older, things just developed like this.

In order to dodge the issue, Kazuki followed after Hikaru-senpai and rolled on top of the sheet.

The sheet insulated the chill from entering and only transmitted the softness of the new snow.

“Ahaha-, Kazuki baa―m!”

Hikaru-senpai delightfully rolled and rolled and rammed her body at him.

Hikaru-senpai that came rolling at him with quite a power behind her was blocked and then embraced by Kazuki.

Hikaru-senpai became docile and rubbed her body against Kazuki in his embrace.

Gently, Kaguya-senpai too quietly lied down behind Kazuki.

“Fufufu… we are expected to pass a night in this cramped place with the objective to raise our positivity level. It feels quite lewd.” Her expression was filled with seductiveness while she whispered into Kazuki’s ears.

Both of them were in the appearance of their Magic Dress that had been simplified into really light clothing. Hikaru-senpai that was hugged by Kazuki was in the appearance of leotard-style complemented with tight high leg, while Kaguya-senpai who clung at his back was in the appearance of only having her breast from her neck and between her legs slightly hidden.

Being glued tightly to such two people, sandwiched between them, had already made him in an inflammatory state of emotion.

“Gulp.”

With an expression that gulped her saliva, Kazuha-senpai was snugly sitting in seiza at the corner of the snow hut.

“Kazuki… I’m sleepy…”

With a tone of voice that seemed like acting, Hikaru-senpai closed both her eyes with a snap.

“Senpai is going to sleep already? That’s right isn’t it… we have to wake up early tomorrow.”

“Of course that’s not it! There is a stereotype pattern in this kind of time right!?”

Kazuki went ‘hah’ with realization and from then he grew ashamed of his own slow wittedness.

“Senpai, you are going to die if you sleep here!” He lightly slapped Hikaru-senpai’s cheek.

Hikaru-senpai went “Uhyaa―” and received the slaps happily while laughing.

“Kazuki… I grew cold.”

“Ee―rr, what should I do this time…”

“Let’s warm each other by hugging together naked-!!”

With a fierce momentum Hikaru-senpai put her hand on Kazuki’s upper uniform.

Kazuki raised a scream “Uwaa-“ and resisted that act, like a pure maiden.

But both his arms was firmly restrained from behind.

“Otouto-kun, isn’t it no good to sleep with your uniform I wonder?”

Kaguya-senpai sealed Kazuki’s movement and whispered in his ear while pressing her breasts at him with ‘boing boing’.

Certainly it was just like she said, however!

“E, even you two senpai are not naked aren’t you!?”

After he said that carelessly, he thought of what he was going to do if both of them undressed from even their Magic Dress here.

“Ahaha☆ Well then I’ll pardon Kazuki and leave your shorts behind!”

Hikaru-senpai that was once extolled like a prince proclaimed that with a smiling face.

Hikaru-senpai’s hand unfastened all the buttons at his upper wear and Kaguya-senpai behind him took it off. It was a joint action that had been polished. Next they put their hands on the shirt’s buttons.

It was fine already if he could preserve his short… Kazuki completely thought like that.

In a flash his white shirt and trouser were pulled off.

‘If it keeps like this then it will become something awesome’… Kazuki thought with only a single shorts on him.

“Wawawa-!” Kazuha-senpai who was sitting in seiza covered her face with both her hands in extreme shyness.

But she was properly watching from the gaps between her fingers. This person was that kind of person.

“Ooo―, a boy’s chest!”

Admiring something that she didn’t have herself, Hikaru-senpai hugged at Kazuki’s chest.

Kaguya-senpai who had a muscle fetish was trying to draw Kazuki’s body at her direction while saying “My pectoral muscle~”. “I find the treasure~” “This is the treasure of this snow hut~” The two of them joked while rubbing their cheeks against Kazuki’s chest. Getting stripped into his underwear and getting treated like a treasure by older ladies like this…

Kaguya-senpai kissed lightly at Kazuki’s neck muscle and pressed her lips stimulatingly. He shuddered. The small tongue that that came out from her lips gently licked from his neck until his chest glidingly.

Hikaru-senpai too “I see” nodded and then she did the same act. Everywhere on Kazuki’s naked upper body, the two’s lips and tongues were crawling around bewitchingly.

He felt his body, that had completely chilled from the blizzard, grow hot as if his blood flow was running wild inside.

He never knew that it felt this good to have his body licked.

This is bad. Although there were two persons that became his partner here, be that as it may, it would be bad if he got driven into the receiving party.

To have his side as the attacking side instead was… on the contrary a situation where he could keep hold of his reasoning more.

Kazuki stopped the face of Kaguya-senpai who was moving on top of his chest with a manner of hand picking out something.

They exchanged gazes. The eyes of Kaguya-senpai were… just as he thought, they had become violet in color.

First he had to calm down this person, if he didn’t crush them one by one, this night would become something too awesome.

“Kaguya-senpai, rather than playing with my chest, you want to have your body touched instead, right?”

Saying that he aimed for the substitution of offense and defense, he traced Kaguya-senpai’s nape of the neck with his finger. Copying the act of senpai just before this, this time it was Kazuki that kissed Kaguya-senpai’s body and softly licked.

He licked through Kaguya-senpai’s stomach, her back, her sides, while keeping her weak in suspense where he was going to lick. He licked sleekly all over, making Kaguya-senpai’s spine quiver in shivers.

“…Yes. My breast, I want you to touch them.”The desire of Kaguya-senpai that had become completely sensitive from Asmoudeus’ influence, had been received. She responded to Kazuki’s words without resistance before encircling both her hands on his back and averting her back.

With a jiggle, that earth-shattering breasts were pushed out at him.

His feeling became as if a main dish had been suddenly presented at him, Kazuki lifted up that heavy fruit profoundly. Lifting it up, his palm enveloped half of it from below and then he massaged.

“Ann-, ann-“ Each time he massaged, Kaguya-senpai let out a stimulated cute voice for him.

Kazuha-senpai took a glance at Kaguya-senpai and her gaze displayed a sign of being embarrassed.

“Kaguya-senpai when she uses Asmodeus’ power, she will be unable to contain herself all night. That’s why…”

Kazuki nonchalantly inserted a follow up about this situation. ‘That’s why, it can’t be helped.’

“Is, is that so, so it cannot be stopped in any way…”

Kazuha-senpai leaned her body forward even while still covering her face with both her hands.

“It’s true, a sensation reinforcement magic is running on Otonashi-san’s skin. It made her completely sensitive.

Kazuha-senpai’s magic intuition saw through Kaguya-senpai’s condition.

The breast covering vanished from Kaguya-senpai’s Magic Dress. The pink pointed end had swelled up sharply as if saying that it wanted to be touched.

“Waa…” Kazuha-senpai leaned her body forward.

Kaguya-senpai was already impatient. Victory went to the one who made the first move, Kazuki aimed for that and suddenly sucked at the pointed ends. He slide his tongue from the side, played with it in circles and pecked on the peak.

“Fuaaaaaaan!♡” Kaguya-senpai raised a shout of joy while small heart marks scattered from her. How much she felt good could be understood from the minute changes in her positivity level.

“Ahaha, Kazuki, you look like a baby. …Me too!”Hikaru-senpai sucked at Kaguya-senpai’s right breast competitively.

“Hikaru!?” Do, don’t…nnnn-!!♡”

Kaguya-senpai’s sensitive body reacted fiercely even against the stimulation from the same sex.

Rather than calling the stimulation had doubled physically, it seemed the abnormal situation of being stimulated by the same sex made Kaguya-senpai completely aroused.

“Waa… a, amazing…” Kazuha-senpai’s posture was now standing on her legs.

Even further Kazuki used his empty hand to stroke Kaguya-senpai‘s thighs. Kazuki took the lower body, while Hikaru-senpai attacked the back and the nape of the neck in the upper body.

The body of Kaguya-senpai who had completely become sensitive several times over was filled with a vortex of pleasure from the two.

“Do, don’t, if you do that to me… even though I’m being watched…ANN-♡“

Kaguya-senpai rapidly turned heated. Like a heat that lost its place to go and ran amok, Kaguya-senpai wriggled her voluptuous thighs back and forth and she rubbed her nether region at Kazuki.

“This place, does senpai want it to be touched?” He asked with a slightly tormenting tone.

“It, it’s embarrassing…” Kaguya-senpai murmured with a look of dimming reasoning.

“It can’t be helped because it’s Asmodeus’ fault, senpai.”

Kazuki said so and removed the binding of Kaguya-senpai’s reasoning.

He remembered Koyuki’s disheveled state when he stimulated that spot of hers while she was in delirium in the movie theater. The passion of a girl was saved up in this spot. Kaguya-senpai too was also like that… she was more sensitive in this spot than anywhere else.

He pressed his finger on the nether region part of Kaguya-senpai’s Magic Dress―the Magic Dress vanished as if melting the instant his finger touched, his finger directly went into Kaguya-senpai.

Even while surprised, Kazuki caressed that sensitive spot as gently as he could.

“Otouto-kun…Otouto-kun-!♡ More!! ♡”

Even though Kazuki was touching gently, it was Kaguya-senpai who shook her waist in order to make Kazuki’s finger pressed on that spot.

In the case that it actually hurt her, such thing should also be able to be understood from the change of positivity level.

That was why, Kazuki moved his finger relentlessly and resolutely. What way that would make Kaguya-senpai feel even better… while looking for such a way from the change of the positivity level… he strengthened his movement in one go.

Her small bead that would make a girl feel even better was generally similar with Koyuki.

The protuberance on the outside’s upper part, the dripping wet inside, he massaged both with his finger tips.

Kaguya-senpai raised a voice that was nearly a scream. “Aaa! AAA―!” With such a raised voice, before long Kaguya-senpai’s face looked like it was going to cry “Fuaaa―!”, and then it changed into a distorted expression that tried to endure “Hyii!”. But she didn’t dislike what he did. She was opening both her legs slovenly with liquids flooding out soppily from her lower body. An amazing amount of heart marks were flying at him.

He whispered “Kaguya, you are really cute” with wholehearted expression at her ear, and then he kissed her white cheek.

“Otouto-kun… Kazuki-kun! HYAAAAAANN-!!♡”

At the end of Kaguya’s sensitivity that had been raised several times over, she reached the highest peak. She was pierced with a sensation unimaginable for a man like Kazuki before her body went limp in a half-fainted state.

Kazuki felt shy at this late hour looking at Kaguya’s naked body that was drenched with sweat and he averted his eyes. He couldn’t look at her in the eyes.

“Kazuki-! Me too…!”

Without even any time to take a breather, Hikaru-senpai hugged at Kazuki.

*Chuu* She sucked strongly at Kazuki’s lips. This was something he couldn’t do with Kaguya-senpai, a kiss on the lips.

“The pleasant feeling of a girl, teach it to me too♪ I also want to become like Kaguya there…”It seemed that Hikaru-senpai was honestly yearning for a pleasure like what Kaguya-senpai experienced.

Perhaps he was making her learn something dangerous here. Thanks to being treated like a prince until now, this person didn’t have such vulgar thoughts about this kind of thing.

He embraced her body that was even more slender than Kaguya-senpai and caressed her back and her spine.

But as if saying that what he did was too slow, Hikaru-senpai

“Kazuki, my breast♪ Touch my breast♪” She coaxed him.

When he obediently did what she asked, immediately this time she urged him on “Suck my nipple♪”

“Fuaaaaaa-! Kazuki is sucking at my breast♡”

She said it to herself as if making a self-hypnosis to heighten her feelings rapidly. She was in high spirits with all her strength. Hikaru-senpai shook her butt and coaxed him “Ne, my butthole, touch it♪”.

“Eh, the hole of the butt, senpai says?”

“Because, in the manga that I read everyone was doing that you know?”

Before this Hikaru-senpai often read with pleasure boys love manga and mistakenly thought of it as the friendship between men.

Perhaps it was only a natural curiosity for her too to want to obtain the pleasure that was drawn in the manga for herself.

A magician could use Psychokinesis to float any filth thoroughly and remove it, so that place was not a dirty place. Kazuki also didn’t have much reluctance for such a thing―he pressed his finger at the leotard that dug into the bottom part.

“Haaa…♡”

Hikaru-senpai’s expression became joyous as if she had obtained the sensation that she had yearned from since she was just a child.

He shifted the digging clothes to the side and exposed the covered part. He poked weakly with his finger as if knocking. His finger tips caressed the narrow spot and drew circle as if observing the situation.

Hikaru-senpai’s expression was melting with bewitching feeling of expectation. Kazuki then determinedly buried his finger into the inside of that place.

“Aa-, it echoed until the inside of my stomach-“

He moved in and out his finger like a moving piston, Hikaru-senpai’s dignified face that was called a prince was melting in ecstasy.

“Haaa, somehow my butt, feels really hot…”

Rather than calling the sensation she felt intense, it seems that what she felt was more like a heat that slowly surged inside.

“Aaaaa… something is coming… this is the sensation of a girl…?”

Even if she called it as a girl’s sensation, he had the feeling that it was not actually something decent. While playing the behind with his right hand, Kazuki reached out his left hand to Hikaru-senpai’s front.

“Aaaa, from the front and behind… Kazuki is entering my front and behind… you are resounding inside me-!”

Strength filled the spine of Hikaru-senpai that looked like she had slowly reached prostrate orgasm.

“Kazuki, my girl place, more!♡”

So that Kazuki could touch the front and behind at the same time easier, Hikaru-senpai held both her own legs under her arms and floated her waist. Her vulgar places were all exposed, making Kazuki reflexively avert his eyes.

“Kazuki, look at my girl places properly here!”

Hikaru-senpai said that in dissatisfaction. Kazuki continued his stimulation in place of a reply.

“It comes! …Something good is coming…!!”

Kazuki stopped sucking her breast and sucked at the shivering girlish lips of Hikaru-senpai.

“Nnn… nnnnnnn-!!♡”

Hikaru-senpai’s body was fiercely trembling while heart marks flew at him, her body stopped moving with an ecstatic expression. There was no vestige of a prince left anywhere in her. Kazuki gently stroked the girl Hikaru-senpai on her head.

“Kazuki… me, me too…”

Kazuha-senpai who was leaning her body forward on her knees approached him while still on her knees.

Even though this was Kazuha-senpai who was supposed to be the owner of the most upright personality among the members here, she had been thoroughly changed by the two girls before her.

“I, I too want to feel good just like this…”

Kazuki too stood on his knees and faced Kazuha-senpai.

“Then senpai too should vanish your Magic Dress.”

He said that planning to tease her meanly, but Kazuha-senpai even while looking down in shame made her Magic Dress disappear like a mist. The naked body of Kazuha-senpai that he last witnessed in the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave was now bared in front of his eyes.

Kazuki reflexively let his gaze crawl through her white skin.

“Kazuha-senpai, you are really beautiful.”

“Do, don’t stare at me that intently, quickly, that…”

“How does senpai want it?”

“I, I want you to touch me…”

Kazuki embraced her close with his left hand at her waist. Kazuha-senpai who let herself get pulled clung at Kazuki’s chest. When he impatiently caressed her skin, her white skin was rapidly dyed red.

That skin of hers dimly emitted magic power light.

“Kazuha-senpai, are you using some kind of magic?”

Like a kid whose misdeed was discovered, Kazuha-senpai twitched.

“O, Otonashi-san became until like this, so…”

This was―a sensation strengthening magic. This magic was a complete copy of Asmodeus’ influence that was mimicked using general magic.

When Kazuki pinched the tips of her breast strongly in a surprise attack, Kazuha-senpai’s body trembled exaggeratedly. Her body became almost as sensitive as Kaguya-senpai, and also even more from how she had been made to wait until the last turn where her passion had been piling up.

“Kazuki, make me become just like those two…”

“Like those two, like what senpai?”

“…Li, lick my nipple, suck it…”

Kazuha-senpai became more excited while saying such thing herself, her breath became rough.

Kazuki did just as she said. He pinched with his left hand, sucked with his mouth at the right side, and his right hand reached out toward her lower body and caressed her butt and thigh.

After stroking the inside of her thigh for a while, Kazuha-senpai began to fidget her body.

“Kazukiii…”

“How does senpai want it, I won’t understand if senpai doesn’t say it out.”

“Wh, Why are you talking that meanly only to me since a while ago―!”

“I know that Kazuha-senpai’s reaction when getting bullied is the cutest.”

“So you have a really warped fetish like that―!”

Although no matter how he imagined it, it was Kazuha-senpai’s own words and action that made other people want to do such things to her.

“…Kazu-kun! My, my important place too, I want you to make it feel good!!”

“Well then senpai, please open your legs yourself.”

Kazuha-senpai who was in the posture of standing on her knees turned her butt at Kazuki before she opened both her legs so that it would be easier for Kazuki’s right hand to touch. A hot liquid ran along the thigh and wet Kazuki’s hand.

Kazuki moved his hand in the way that purposefully made a watery sound intensely sounded and inflamed Kazuha-senpai’s shyness.

“Actually, I can understand what kind of way that makes senpai feel good from the minute changes of the positivity level.”

“Wha, what’s with that, if that’s true then don’t bully me like that. Uu… your way of touching that raises a sound like that…”

“That’s why senpai, it’s fine for you to let out your voice honestly and feel good.”

Kazuha-senpai’s expression brightened with a feeling of expectation at Kazuki’s declaration.

Kazuki searched for a spot where Kazuha-senpai really felt it―and immediately discovered it.“-! The place just now!”

When he concentrated at that spot, the piling up passion inside her flamed up all at once.

“FUAAAAAAAAA-!♡ Kazu-kun! ♡ It feels good, so good!!♡”

Kazuha-senpai’s body and heart became honest and clung at Kazuki, a line of saliva trailed down along with a wild breathing in her sweetly melting expression. Kazuki felt it wasteful seeing that and licked the trail with his tongue.

“Kazu-kun, kiss me too!”

Maintaining that movement Kazuki indulged deeply at Kazuha-senpai’s lips.

“NNN-!♡”

Kazuha-senpai too trembled in shivers and then she sunk down to the floor like a puppet whose strings were cut.

“Kazu-kun you idiott~”

He stroked the head of Kazuha-senpai whose face was messed up with shame.

Immediately after that, “Kazuki-kun-!” “Kazuki!” Kaguya-senpai and Hikaru-senpai embraced him from behind as if saying that they had recovered. Their bodies were still feeling hot, the two of them rubbed their bodies and fawned at him. His whole body was enveloped in the softness of girls.

Kazuki thought of the three girls as cute from the bottom of his heart.

At the same time he felt that he had to endure his own body’s demand with a self-restraint of steel.

Until the end Kazuki would only admire the three girls’ lovely reactions.

He absolutely must not do something more than that.

===Part 4===
Kanae couldn’t help herself from becoming concerned towards the other snow hut even while standing guard.

When the day became night, the blizzard became even more terrible. Perhaps this kind of thing was not really a big deal for the bunch of the Magic Division, but for Kanae this was a fierce blizzard even though she was just standing guard like this.

‘What kind of ordinary day that Nii-sama always spent with everyone of the Witch’s Mansion I wonder…’ Kanae was staring fixedly at the snow hut. Usually she could move such thought away from her mind thanks to the distance between the Witch’s Mansion and the Sword Division’s dormitory, but tonight, that was impossible and she became really concerned.

‘Even Nii-sama is not a blockhead that doesn’t have any desire.’ When she tempted Nii-sama, even while saying unkind things from his mouth, Kanae had noticed that inside, his heart was beating really fast.

If Nii-sama was surrounded by that many girls and be loved… surely they would even do something a little perverted many times already. Though of course, Nii-sama was a person that absolutely wouldn’t pass the line that must not be passed.

Kanae felt the loneliness of having only herself left alone.

Nii-sama felt a debt of gratitude toward the Hayashizaki house and obstinately tried to maintain the distance of a brother and a sister in regards to Kanae.

And then he shouldered the destiny where he had to create bonds with women that possessed Stigmata.

Thinking about Nii-sama’s sincerity and the weight of the destiny he shouldered, I thought that I must not feel something like jealousy. However…

If she at least had a Stigmata, she wondered whether she too would obtain the qualification to be loved by Nii-sama as a woman…

{Have thou felt like it to make a contract with I…?}

At the feet of Kanae who was standing still inside the blizzard, an avatar of a small black cat was approaching.

“…It’s only a weakness that welled up because of the cold wind.”

Kanae looked down at the black cat with a glare.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 090.jpg|thumb]]

The avatar of the black cat snuggled close to Kanae’s foot with a brisk step―and entered into the body of Kanae who had grown cold from the blizzard. The sensation gradually changed into a mysterious heat.

“…You, you were shadowing me since the afternoon weren’t you? You were the one that was frequently sending heat into me like this.”

{The most that I can do for a human that is not contracted with me is only something to this degree.}

“Stop a behavior like this that pushes for a favor from me. My answer will not change for eternity.”

{…I understand well thy temperament. Thou are a proud human with purity inside. Completely like the blade of the katana that thou wield.}

“That’s right, I am a single katana.”

{I… don’t mean to push any favor to you. It’s purely just my wish to aid thou. I just want to take away thy suffering. I don’t know anything else that I can do to help.}

Despite how he was a terribly obstinate Diva that didn’t have even a single contractor until now, that voice of his was mysteriously gentle.

“Besides why don’t I have an Enigma? Pushing Enigma to the contractor one-sidedly that is enforced by the law is you guys’ original way of doing things right?”

{…Bestowing Enigma to thee is going against the rule of Enigma. Enigma was a simple mark for the sake of reserving early a possessor of excellent talent. And then Solomon 72 Pillar, certainly, we made the humans create the law that forcefully raised the people who received an Enigma into a Magika Stigma without fail. That is to make the excellent human think that they have the obligation. If the humans with excellent talent don’t become Magika Stigma then this country will not be able to maintain itself… there is also that kind of circumstances. …However there is no talent inside thee as a Magika Stigma.}

Kanae harbored a good impression towards Beleth’s honest manner of speaking.

{Falling in love at first sight based on a completely personal interest towards someone who has no talent, moreover bestowing the Enigma only after confirming it, such an act that makes someone lose the freedom of their life doesn’t stand to any reason. That’s why there is nothing I can do except to negotiate with thee whether thou will do me a favor and receive the Stigma.}

“I see, you mean that I have the right to refuse. Then, I refuse. …Even though you give me the consideration until that much, but can you really be this persistent just because of the problem of your own preference?”

{If it keeps like this thou… shall inevitably be left behind from the path where Hayashizaki Kazuki is going to advance, and so I thought that it can’t be kept like this. Thou should become the conquer target of Hayashizaki Kazuki, that’s what I thought.}

“…Is that so. But your thinking is mistaken. That is something that I absolutely mustn’t do.”

{Why?}

It was not bad to be frank about her true feelings towards this resident of another world that didn’t have any ties of obligation.

“Since I was a child, I continued to live thinking only about becoming the strongest swordsman as the successor of the Hayashizaki-style. I am a single katana since I was born. But I am not blessed with a physique of a swordsman. The truth is, I was always insecure whether I was really worthy as the successor. At that kind of time, father brought Nii-sama home from the orphanage after seeing his talent. At that time I thought [It doesn’t matter anymore].”

{…That’s so unlike thee.}

“Actually, I am not even that strong as a human. But mysteriously, the moment I gave up to be the successor… doing sword practice together with Nii-sama became fun. And then Nii-sama also taught me the joy of life outside of the sword art. Nii-sama was the person that made me human.”

{But currently, thou is trying to become a single katana once again. Rejecting to make a contract with me.}

“That’s because an enigma appeared on Nii-sama’s hand. Nii-sama shouldered the destiny where he could not become the successor of the Hayashizaki-style, that position rolled back to me once again. All this time I didn’t want to recognize that. It was great to be together with Nii-sama. I wanted Nii-sama to be the strongest swordsman. I was… scared to return back into being a single katana again. It was scary to face my own powerlessness.”

Kanae spewed out her true feelings that she had never leaked out to anyone before.

“I won’t recognize Nii-sama’s departure to the Magic Division! …The true feelings of me, who had continued to say such things all along is what I just told you. I didn’t want to become the successor. It was scary. I was going to continue to drag Nii-sama’s feet behind like that. Does this kind of me… have the qualifications to think of wanting to be loved by Nii-sama?”

Kanae once again directed her gaze at the snow hut where her big brother was in.

Nii-sama was shouldering an enormous destiny, he was being affectionate to other girls.

‘I, who am always holding Nii-sama back, don’t have the qualifications to enter into that…’

“Nii-sama is going to stand on his own feet, independent from the Hayashizaki house. He is going to step into an even grander destiny. Then, I too have to face my own destiny. I have to become the strongest swordsman and see off Nii-sama’s becoming independent. As the eldest daughter of the Hayashizaki house. You understand now, Beleth. By receiving a Stigmata from you and becoming Nii-sama’s conquer target, Nii-sama will worry about the genealogy of the Hayshizaki-style coming to an end, he will notice my weak heart that escaped from my destiny, he will only harbor despair and pity towards me. A human that cannot face her own destiny has no qualifications at all to be loved by anyone!”

She would continue the Hayashizaki-style as the strongest swordsman, with that Nii-sama would be able to leave the nest of the Hayashizaki house with relief, to step out onto an even more rigorous destiny.

At such a time, she would be able to face Nii-sama once more.

The blizzard suddenly stopped. Kanae looked up to the night sky. Wind that was several times stronger than at the surface blew and washed away the clouds in the blink of an eye, the weather of the mountain changed suddenly in an instant.

At that moment, the cloud flowed away and the blizzard vanished like a miracle, opening the starry night all over the sky. It was as if she was seeing the night sky for the first time. The sky looked close as if her hand could reach out to it, countless millions of stars were shining.

“I will become a single katana.”

The radiance of the stars had not a single murkiness in it, like the clearness of a katana.

She, too, wanted to be like that, Kanae thought.

{Thou art sublimely beautiful right now. Thy heart is undoubtedly like a polished blade.}

===Part 5===

Late at night―the executive room at the highest floor of Oosaka’s government office building.

Inside, a strange soliloquy was resounding.

“7-6 knight, checkmate. …Aa―, it’s impossible already! As I thought shogi is just impossible, impossible! Amberjack! Greater Amberjack!” <ref>I don’t really understand this part. I think it’s something like a word play here. At first the person here was talking impossible impossible, which in Japanese is ‘muri, muri’. And then he continued with ‘buri’, which is amberjack fish in Japanese, and continued again with ‘kanpachi’ which means greater amberjack, but the word also sound similar with ‘kanpai’ which is a word that the Japanese people say when they toast their glass. Mind you, I could be totally wrong</ref>

It was a girl’s voice ―the voice of Kaya.

The tone of voice was Kaya’s, but a way of talking that was different than Kaya was alternately mixing in it.

“…That’s why I told you already, the random factor in shogi is zero, it was reckless of you. But playing against someone that omitted his eight pieces of rook, bishop, lance, knight, and silver general, ‘as expected maybe I can win here―’ anybody will think like that ain’t it! If you are gonna play then let’s play a game that has some random factor in it yeah, this kind of logic game just ain’t suited for you y’know? Don’t talk to me like I’m an idiot, c’mon―!”

The girl’s arm toppled over the shogi board that was on top of the marble table. The shogi pieces that were depicting a disastrous war situation were scattered everywhere with clattering sounds.

“Even me don’t like a game with zero random factor in it. <ref>The me just now is referring to man</ref> Why? ‘Cause there ain’t any chaos in it. A game without any uncertain factor in it is just too boring, this is just the Cosmos Side’s game.”

―This was a soliloquy that was not a soliloquy.

The two minds that occupied a single body were alternately talking.

Using just a single mouth that Kaya had, the one who was talking with Kaya was Loki.

Both of them could also exchange words only inside their head, but they much preferred to actually let out their voices when talking. Especially for a Diva, just moving their flesh body was a really pleasant thing.

After talking too much they now wanted to drink. Kaya reached out her hand to the pet bottle on top of the table and drank it all in one go. What she drank was a carbonated drink from the former era named [Root beer] that she recently got addicted to.

Loki who shared Kaya’s senses suddenly raised a scream.

“It stinks! That drink is just too stinky!! Drink something more natural, you! Don’t wanna! This chemical flavor is just unbearable y’know. Eei, shit!”

In order to remove the bad taste, Loki gulped down the whole bottle of the sweet potato shochu <ref>Japanese liquor</ref> named [Invitation to Hell] that had been put beforehand on top of the table. It was a sake that he bought because he was pleased with the name. A scream suddenly resounded all of a sudden.

“GYAA―! My throat is burning! Hahaha, serves you right, get sterilized you idiot tongue!”

Kaya’s body was in agony while laughing.

“C’mon, just drink a lighter sake. No way, the balance between the punch of the alcohol strength and the taste is important in what is called as alcohol, the nasty sake with alcohol below 20% is not alcohol at all. Geez―, Loki you idiot! Being an alcoholic even though you are sharing a body with a girl is just the worst! The idiot one is your sense of taste here! What are you gonna do if you even get me addicted with this root beer addiction of yours!! Ah, just as I thought? Looks like you also started to get to like it eh!? …Yeah. It’s vexing but yeah. Yeeeiii, my root beer comrade♪”

They got along well with each other.

Loki was thinking ―he left alone the consciousness of this girl on a whim, but she made things fairly interesting here and there.

Sharing a life with another person like this was filled with many really new discoveries.

Both of them had an open personality that knew no shame, so they were not bothered at all even with a life of zero privacy like this.

For Kaya, even in the case when she was sleeping and during that time both of their flesh body got strangely mixed up, so when she woke up she found her own body grew out the penis of Loki’s giant’s body, she could still laugh explosively while holding her stomach. She was the owner of a personality that could do such a thing.

Loki too was so Loki that he was not flustered, even when he was sharing a body with a girl. In the first place he was the ultimate borderless god whose forte was sex change, on the contrary he even had an incomprehensible heroic saga where he transformed into a mare where he was then brought into a reverse rape as the Sasoi’uke by a giant’s powerful male horse. At that time he got pregnant and the foal that was born from that later on became Odin’s beloved horse, the famous <Sleipnir>. With rape being the case.

Both of them were completely a match made in heaven.

While the two of them were getting roused up from their matching mood in one body, there was a knocking sound *kon kon* from the door.

“It’s fine to just enter anytime without knocking. This great me doesn’t have any moment where I’m gonna get ashamed of being seen.”

Loki who didn’t have any shame lightly permitted the visitor who came this late at night to enter the room.

The door was opened and the one who entered was a group of three of male and female.

All of them were wearing the hooded robe that was the proof of being an illegal magician.

“Oh, it’s you guys.” Loki’s voice brightened and he welcomed them.

The three respectively were the illegal magicians that were possessed by Midgardsormr, Fenrir, and Hel.

These three Divas were Loki’s real children.

However they were quite unworthy of their father because they couldn’t really succeed in taking over their human’s flesh body.

‘Despite being my kids why are their performances this bad huh?’ Loki thought inside his heart in marvel.

In front of his children, Loki transformed Kaya’s body into his own body. His body contour distorted flabbily like an amoeba and without even emitting any magic power light the body smoothly morphed into Loki’s appearance.

“Nyoro nyoro.”

“Midgardsormr, you too has become considerably like a snake huh. Quickly shed off your skin already.”

“Aoo―n, ao―n.”

“Fenrir, you too have turned like a dog this far huh. Can you pee while raising one of your legs now?”

Towards the illegal magicians whose bodies had began to be deeply influenced by the Divas possessing them, Loki ignored the original personalities of the bodies and called them with the name of his own child. After stroking the heads of the two, he turned towards his youngest daughter Hel.

“…”

“Ou, Hel. You too have your complexion worsened like a death god… hm? Hel, you…?”

“Papa. I, have reached it already see.”

At that time, the body that was clad in a dark robe emitted a powerful light.

“Ooooh-!?” Loki raised a joyful voice. Inside the light, the silhouette of the illegal magician change its shape like a jelly. In the blink of an eye it drew out the small―petite silhouette of a girl.

“Hel, you finally did it! As expected from my daughter!!”

Loki tried to hug the girl’s silhouette by jumping into the light.

The girl’s silhouette sleekly dodged the jump.

“Papa… I’m, not a child anymore you see. Stop trying to hug me already.”

The shining light settled down―Hel had clearly materialized her body.

With a bluish-white skin, her appearance was of a very young girl. Her body was clad in pure black gothic cloths that matched Kaya’s taste, her right eye was covered with an eyepatch.

Her noble look and blue hair that were inherited from Loki emitted a ghastliness that was not from a person of this world.

Hel―because she was Loki’s biological child she was still young, but in Norse Mythology she was the Queen of the World of the Dead that accomplished an important role. Loki greeted her materialization with a radiant smile.

“Hahaha, you shy kid. Papa is very lonely just by myself y’know. Comrades that papa can trust right from the heart are only you three after all.”

Loki forcefully hugged Hel while sinking his waist on the black-leather sofa.

Hel averted her face to the side and replied with a coldness of hell.

“Even without us, papa doesn’t really mind and is always having fun right? Papa is saying things like comrade, even though papa actually doesn’t need anything like that in your heart.”

“Why are saying such a cold thing to your papa that you have met after a long time? If you don’t act more honest and be sweet to papa, papa is gonna get lonely here…”

“Nyoro nyoro” “Aoo―n”

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 096.jpg|thumb]]

When Loki hung his head down dejectedly, the two persons possessed by Midgardsormr and Fenrir consoled him.

In the past it was also like this but, these two were stupidly kind to Loki.

“Hmph. I hate papa so much.”

“Is that so? If so then, well, it’s fine already. However, why did you suddenly become able to steal the body in one go?”

Loki raised his face in a snap and asked.

“…Putting me aside like that… Hmph, it’s Ikousai. When I went along with that girl’s training I grasped the trick.”

Ikousai lately made these three to accompany her training. It was the special training for the sake of perfectly controlling the power of Susanoo that resided inside her. So that was it, by observing the state of Ikousai, who was controlling the power of her Diva, she grasped the trick to steal a human’s body using the reverse operation of that process.

“Oi, Midgardsomr and Fenrir. You guys also went along with Ikousai’s training right? Why is there no progress with you guys. This ain’t the time to go ‘nyoro nyoro’ or ‘aoo―n’ y’know.”

“It’s impossible for these two, they are idiots after all. I’m the smartest here after all.”

With a proud huff Hel turned up her nose haughtily, “…I’m the best, I’m taking after papa the closest” she added so with a small voice.

“Right. However this is a joyous occasion. Should we have red rice for the meal tomorrow? Papa is going to fill this room with humans until bursting and make them make a lot of red rice yeah.” <ref>Red rice or sekihan, made from beans and mochi for auspicious occasions</ref>

“Re, red rice or whatever isn’t tasty, so it’s not like I’m happy or anything with that. Well, if you are going to congratulate me then it’s fine even if you do as you please…”

“Well, that’s just a joke though. I too don’t like red rice, it’s troublesome.”

“…!!” Hel stood up from on top of Loki’s knees and hit Loki’s shoulder repeatedly.

Even while those hits got repelled by a blue defensive magic power, Loki got flustered while saying “What, what’s with you!”

“…Papa is no different whether now or in the past. Papa is only joking around or saying insincere words. Even though I’m now able to materialize after a long time, why is papa not facing me with more of your real feelings…”

Hel murmured in complaint with a small voice.

“Nn? What are you grumbling there?”

“Nothing at all!”

Hel raised an angry voice that sounded like a flame of hell. Loki went “Sca, scary…” and shrank back from his biological daughter.

{Heh heh… Loki, so when you are in front of your kids you are like this.}

Kaya who was watching over the situation laughed sardonically inside Loki’s head.

“Anyway, I’ll go after that guy called Hayashizaki Kazuki. Just leave the rest to me.”

Hel crossed her arms and suddenly began to talk.

“Hah? Leave it to you? Papa is not blessed with capable people, so papa never got to test whether leaving something to another person is gonna go well or not.”

“I have grasped the situation even while just possessing this body. Hayashizaki Kazuki is going to the deepest parts of Fuji’s sea of trees to take the last one of the Three Sacred Treasures. …Ame no Murakumo. That thing is probably, the thing that made us thoroughly miserable 14 years ago right? That kind of thing, must not be handed over to the enemy.”

“Even if you say that, that place is sealed by that woman’s power. We cannot enter there.”

“It’s possible. If it’s me. That seal is something that was put up by that woman… a dead person.”

Hel puffed up her chest as if wanting to say “It’s fine for you to praise me.”

“Is that so, if you have recovered your power… now you can make full use of your power as the god of death.”

“Dead person is my attribute. I can look up the soul of dead people that I know from Astrum and form a connection to them. The soul of the dead that is maintaining the seal in that Haunted Ground… when that woman shows her appearance in front of Hayashizaki Kazuki, I’ll do that and I’ll eat that woman’s soul. And then I’m going to materialize my figure in that place.”

So to speak, a warp that was using the desecration of a dead person.

By reducing her own flesh into a mass of enormous magic power, she was going to connect to the soul of a dead person that was in a different place through the mental world. The soul of a dead person was the remains of magic power that kept clinging at Astrum―so to speak the remaining dregs of a mind.

By consuming the soul of that dead person, she would reveal her appearance by moving into the soul of the dead person that was in that place.

Warp magic―it was a feat that not many Divas could do even if they had materialized.

“He will see the one that he is talking with right in front of his eyes suddenly change into me. I’m going to launch a surprise attack right there when he is shocked. He is going to be helpless. And then I’m going to massacre the lot and bring back the Sacred Treasure. How’s that, papa? It’s perfect right? It’s fine even if you praise me. Though it’s not like I’m happy or anything getting praised by Papa.”

‘That strategy is gonna make Hayashizaki Kazuki go into rage huh’ , Loki thought.

‘That strategy is going to make Kazuki-oniichan go mad with rage huh’, Kaya also thought,

When [a person that knew Hayashizaki Kazuki] imagined that strategy’s progression, for some reason rather than success there was only a dangerous premonition welling up inside their heart. That was how much Loki and Kaya were being in awe of his force of will.

“…Just stop it, that’s dangerous.”

“Eh? Why?”

“Because the one who can warp like that, is just you right? Hayashizaki Kazuki that snapped, is just scary. If that guy fight without thinking of the consequences, he could even fight against the other Kings.”

“There is no way for me who has already materialized to lose against something like a human at all!”

“You say that but, even papa has the experience of almost losing against that guy y’know. See, this in papa’s chest, it’s the scar from that time.”

When Loki exposed the chest behind his shirt and showed his scar, Hel’s face went beet red and covered her face with both hands.

“I, idiot! Don’t take it off out of nowhere like that! Papa really doesn’t have any delicacy! You perverted father! Since the long time ago you always loitered around naked after rising from the bath, that kind of papa is just the worst!”

Loki fixed back his shirt while being dejected.

“Why are you this shy of a person despite being my daughter… daughters at that age are really troublesome eh. I get along much better with Kaya.”

Hel’s expression went stiff in a snap from that nonchalant comment and she became even more obstinate.

“Besides papa’s win and loss cannot become any consideration at all! Anyway that time papa was just careless right!? If we just leave that guy alone and get careless, it will immediately become a pinch for us.”

“There was also that but… Papa you see, is just worried for you.”

“That’s a lie!” Hel refuted that with a menacing look like the earthquake of hell.

“Papa isn’t worried or anything at all for me! Papa is just making light of me all along! Telling me that I cannot do anything right, papa is always, always looking down on me!!”

“I ain’t looking down on you at all here. No, strictly speaking I’m looking down on you though. Everyone except papa are all idiots after all, so it’s not like papa is specially thinking of you as an idiot y’see.”

{Ahaha, you’re the worst―} Kaya was laughing hard.

“Papa is not worrying about me, papa is just thinking of that guy Hayashizaki Kazuki as more important than me! Even though all this time papa has already had so many chances to kill that guy already!”

His biological daughter’s discerning eye made Loki shocked instead. Kaya too {Ooo-} reflexively ooh-ed in admiration.

“Just why does papa let that guy live until now!? That kind of man, can be nothing else but an hindrance to our plan!”

“That guy is also one of the pawns that I can use. …Among the Magic Advanced Countries, Japan is the only country that can form an alliance with another country. With Japan becoming a force that cannot be ignored, the balance between the countries that struggle for supremacy coulda be broken. I don’t want to face those Magic Advanced Countries honestly from the front.”

“That’s just an excuse! Our original plan was too make this country, Japan as the base of us, the Divas of the Chaos Side, as the abode of demons where we can hijack the humans of this country that had no divine protection of the advanced countries! That’s the original expectation of us of the Loki’s Einherjar!”

“It doesn’t really matter where we gotta do that, anywhere is fine. …The first plan had become hard because the <Zero Knight> really whooped our asses. That couldn’t be helped.”

Kaya was shocked hearing Loki’s way of speaking. This was the first time this Diva had the sense of defeat mixed into his actions.

To steal this country and turn it into their own base, couldn’t be done except in that era.

Right now, the Magic Advanced Countries had already gathered too much strength. They already couldn’t do anything that stood out.

That was why, rather than gathering strength, they had to plan that prioritized shaving off their surrounding’s strength. …Loki was thinking like that.

“…Papa right now, just wanted Hayashizaki Kazuki to inherit the will of the Zero Knight, and then try to fight it once more.”

“You are thinking too much.”

Hel shook her head vigorously and turned on her heel.

“I don’t know anybody like papa anymore! I’m going to kill that guy!!”

Just like that she rushed out of the door with a force that almost smashed apart the door and left the room. Having been left behind, the two humans that were possessed by Fenrir and Midgardsormr were lost “Nyoro” “Ao―n”.

“…Aaa, she went and left. Why is she like… wonder if she didn’t hear what I told her. Ain’t her plan just a suicide attack when she ain’t preparing any escape route like this?”

Loki sank his waist into the sofa and gulped his sweet potato shochu.

“Why is she that stupid despite being my kid I wonder. <ref>That’s not surprising when the father of your kid is just dumb animal right? Edit(Omega): Actually, Fenrir, Midgardsomr and Hel were fathered by Loki, while the mother was a Frost giant… Sleipnir was the only child of his he mothered</ref> When I was having children, the ones that come out were suddenly a snake, a dog, and a corpse, well, like that there ain’t no way these bunches are going to turn out decent though, but even so I thought that the girl was still better cos’ she had human shape. What a stupid daughter.”

{…Loki, why did you even make something like children?}

Kaya asked while enduring the numbing sensation of the alcohol.

“I wanted them in the past see. I thought that for comrades that I can have faith in, one that absolutely won’t betray me, ain’t it fine if I just make them myself.” Loki leaked out a voice that was unexpectedly crestfallen and lonely.

“…After all whether it was those gods of Asgard, or those giants, in the end, none of them can be trusted.”

Loki’s birth origin was the giant race. The Norse Mythology was a legend about the enfolding conflict between the gods of Asgard and the giant race. Kaya vividly imagined Loki’s position in the middle of such conflict.

Loki joined the group of Asgard’s gods, exchanged the cup of sworn brother with Odin, and his relation with Thor became something that was called as bosom friend.

But in the end he betrayed the gods of Asgard and a fierce battle was enfolding.

In the end, his words that no one could be trusted was heavy.

“But I noticed in the middle that such thinking was too naïve. It’s not about fearing treachery, what’s important is to corner the surrounding bunches into a situation where they have no way to betray you. I’m not looking for something like other people that you can trust. Other people are to be used. They are pawns. That way of thinking really worked well.”

{But that girl, Hel, you cannot handle her as pawn well eh.}

Kaya pointed out with a sharpness that stabbed right at the heart of the matter. Loki gulped his shochu.

“That girl, I cannot move her well. What is that girl looking for, what kind of bait that girl will take, I really don’t understand at all.”

{I think that what that girl is looking for is really easy to understand though.}

“Is that so? …It’s incomprehensible for me.”

Surely he was just pretending to not understand, Kaya thought.

Surely Hel had seen through something like a fake love completely. That was why she was constantly angry.

But a love that was right from the heart couldn’t be called as bait anymore.

Loki who had decided to treat everything as a pawn was unable to give something like love right from his heart to other people. That was why, even for Loki the trickster, that attempted to manipulate everything, Hel was the only one in the world that he couldn’t use.

Perhaps all the words that Hel threw at him were all truth. Loki had lost the argument against his daughter.

“Really… the matter just cannot go my way.”

Kaya noticed. How that murmur sounded a little happy.

{…It doesn’t go your way, that’s why you’re looking forward to it aren’t you? An uncertain factor. Basically it’s that kind of thing isn’t it?}

Loki loved something uncertain. Surely Loki―loved Hel as an uncertain factor.

“It’s just like what you are thinking.” Loki laughed.

Hel couldn’t understand a love in such shape. That child from now on too would hunger for love, wander, and continue to act in an astounding way. Loki continued to watch that while drinking his sake.

Kaya also thought that it was pleasant. She couldn’t explain why she was having fun with such an unpleasant hobby but, without doubt, such things brought joy to Kaya and Loki.

She and Kazuki-oniichan were also the same. When saying “I want love”, Kazuki-oniichan would surely face the other party directly. But for her, she already didn’t want such a straightforward feeling. That was why she rejected that, did crazy things―and just earnestly wanting to trouble Onii-chan.

That kind of reliable Onii-chan was manipulated around with her every single action. That was great.

Inside her head was becoming full with contradiction and bankrupt personality. It was pleasant for such tragedy to be her aesthetics.

Kaya felt her [bond of chaos] with Loki that could understand that become even more irreplaceable.

“…By the way, what kind of person that Zero Knight was?”

Kaya was interested with Loki’s past. She felt that his past that she was completely ignorant of, was like a large river that stretched out between her bonds with Loki.

“I had several chances to meet her face to face and talked to her. That woman was someone that said things like [I fight in order to protect everyone!] with sparkling eyes.”

“Ugee―. That’s the honor student type that I’m bad with.”

“Hearing that I… more like my host was thinking like this. This guy is strong. So let’s massacre all her important people and plunder the will to fight, the will to live from this woman. I’m going to make that sparkling eyes get polluted.”

“O, ooo… what an awesome idea.”

“My host and my comrades ran around from the Zero Knight and massacred the Zero Knight’s family, friend, acquaintance, we cleaned all of them up. So that she won’t even have any feelings of revenge, we did it thoroughly. There was only this one strange pipsqueak foreigner that called the Zero Knight [Nee-sama] that we failed to kill because she was quiet strong, but, other than that one pipsqueak, we killed them all.”

There was no more reason for the Zero Knight to fight―the circumstance became something like that.

There was no more will to protect or anything that she could feel. It wouldn’t even be strange if she commited suicide because of the despair.

“And then, what did the Zero Knight do?”

“For a while her whereabouts was concealed. During that time my host and comrades went wild as much as we wanted. But… that woman came back.”

“Ooo-…! She came back for revenge?”

“No, she didn’t have the desire for revenge. That woman said [Someone like you has to be defeated without fail] with a steady gaze. She was not talking pretty things with sparkling eyes… she talked justice with piercingly threatening eyes.”

“…That woman, was scary wasn’t she?”

“Yeah, even my host was trembling. My consciousness that time was vague but, maybe I too was shaking in my boots. We ran away until the depth of a left alone Haunted Ground that was surrounded by a wall but we got pursued, and then she entered a one-on-one fight at the summit of Mt. Fuji. There, they simultaneously killed each other.”

“Then that means you guys didn’t lose then.”

“Well, it felt like a loss. Our plan also got toppled over. Right before the Zero Knight’s death, so that the special Sacred Treasure that she used could be handed over to the hands of a worthy human, she burned her remaining life and put up a seal.”

“Loki is thinking that you want for that Sacred Treasure to be handed over to Kazuki-oniichan aren’t you?”

There was reverence towards the Zero Knight inside Loki’s chest.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki is… a worthy guy to inherit the conviction of the Zero Knight. In the deepest part of the Grand Haunted Ground, that kind of thing is waiting for that guy.”

===Part 6===

The next morning, Kazuki and the others crept out from the snow huts along with the dawn and lined up in front of the tremendous rock wall while looking up at it. When they tried to take a detour, they soon hit a deep valley in their way. No matter what they had to challenge this wall in order to climb to their destination.

What was in front of them was not a slope anymore, but a wall that stood upright like a folding screen. The angle began from around 50°, and then the angle gradually became closer to being vertical. The rock surface was exposed due to the wind but here and there were snows piling up inside rock cavities, making the wall look like a pattern of brown and white speckles. The wall continued until very high without the end in sight.

It was as if they were witnessing the god of earth.

“When I climbed this mountain in the past, there was no wall like this that looked like the Grandes Jorasses though.”

Liz Liza-sensei said that while breathing out white vapor. “Haunted Grounds will change even its terrain with the thickness of its magic power. With days and months that passed, the Haunted Ground will evolve into something outrageous.”

“This, how will we climb this?”

“There is not other way than to cling onto the wall with both legs and arms like a lizard and climb. Let’s have Koyuki create one more ice axe for each of us.”

Ice axe―a hammer in a T-shape model. It was a mountain climbing assistance tool in a shape like a bar with its tip turned into a sharp blade. With ice axes in both hands, they had to drive in the blade in position as high as they could one hand at a time.

Crampons―similarly with the ice claws Koyuki made for them on both of their legs, they had to kick in the claws on their toes in position as high as they could one foot at a time. They nailed the ice axes at their hands and the crampons on their feet alternately into the rock surface. They crawled up little by little. There was no other way to go up other than to steadily do that.

They supported their body by alternately stabbing the blade and claw into the rock surface deeply. So that they would be fine even if their balance broke and fell, they stretched out a rope between them so that all members were supporting each other.

They wouldn’t die even if they fell, but… they would need to climb back steadily from the start again.

“There will be falling rock, Demon Beasts will also come attacking.”

The one in the head that would support the comrades that were following after him in critical times must be excellent in stamina.

“Should the one that becomes the lead be me or Kazuha-senpai?”

“Shall I do it?”

“There is no doubt that Kazuha-senpai who can manipulate general magic flexibly is competent for this role, but what is really demanded in this role is being calm, cool, and collected to quickly deal with the problem that can happen.”

If just that one point was excluded, Kazuha-senpai would be even more suitable than Kazuki for this. But just that one aspect made him thoroughly uneasy about letting Kazuha-senpai do this.

Kazuha-senpai focused her eyes and considered Kazuki’s words. And then she immediately averted her eyes uneasily.

But she also couldn’t retract her previous offer and so her mouth kept closing and opening wordlessly.

“Also with a girl in her Magic Dress right above me will only make me unable to concentrate from all the lewdness, so as I thought it’s better if I’m the one in the lead.”

Kazuki threw out a life line to Kazuha-senpai which made Kazuha-senpai’s expression relieved before she pushed Kazuki’s shoulder while saying “Yo, you pervert! As I thought you are the one that will be in the lead!”

With Kazuki being in the lead decided, all of them were joined with each other using rope in turns.

At last Kazuki half-crawled the steep slope and began to climb. The ice axe and the crampons which had its hardness increased due to Koyuki’s power over cold easily pierced the wall when Kazuki strengthened his physical ability and nailed it on the wall. Relying on that Kazuki advanced above step by step.

“Like this… steadily…”

Looking at Kazuki’s figure that was clinging on the wall, Mio let out her impressions.

When Kazuki had climbed around three meters, that Mio also clung to the wall. She only had the power of a girl that wasn’t used to use Enchant Aura habitually, but her ice axes and crampons easily drove into the wall.

“Kazu-nii-, pull me up if I’m going to fall okay♪”

Mio looked up at him while saying that.

Kazuki looked down right below him and replied “Naturally.”

“Ehehe~, how reliable♪ I wonder if I should try to fall purposefully.”

“You are going to fall at me then.”

Koyuki who was following right under Mio replied with a cold voice.

“I’m going to thrust this ice axe into the bottom of the falling Amasaki-san.”

“FUEEEEEEEEE-!?”

Mio spontaneously raised a scream but she had defensive magic power so she wouldn’t actually get stabbed if that happened. It was just a frivolous talk. The relation between these two had also improved really well.

With only pain accumulating inside him, the monotone act where he couldn’t see when it would end was continuing.

The scenery of white mist above him didn’t change at all no matter how far he was steadily climbing up. The wind that was whirling in rumbles in the air was filled with snow and turned into blizzard that crashed into the rock surface and got blown below. Kazuki and co who were clinging into the rock wall and were trying to climb up―especially Kazuki who was climbing in the lead had his face struck fiercely by all the falling snow.

However he had to keep his face lifted up by all means, after all they didn’t know when the Demon Beasts would come attacking from the sky. The really violent blizzard reduced the visibility to zero with just his naked eyes, but he continued to focus single-mindedly on reinforcing his eye sight with magic power and saw through the other side of the blizzard.

And then it came―a swarm of giant bird that was covered in pure white fur where they were flapping their large wings to draw near and to peck at Kazuki and co. with their sharp beaks.

His companions shot them to death with a rapid-fire of attack magic.

When Kazuki tried to chant his magic, his companions scolded him to preserve his strength.

―His body that should have been warmed already inside the snow hut was once again beginning to creak. During his war of attrition against the rock wall where he didn’t know when it would end, the cold was gnawing into his body unstoppably.

What was exposed into the fierceness of the blizzard right at the foremost was not just his face but also both his hands. The tips farthest from the heart that were his fingers were the first to have ischemia occurring at it from the hypothermia.

Kazuki was witnessing his fingertips slowly changing color into brown.

Even so as long as the wall was continuing vertically, he kept raising high both his hands alternately above his head, he must not stop driving his ice axe into the wall’s surface by any means.

How far he had climbed, he wondered. He had no sense of distance and sense of time.

The surrounding was isolated by the blizzard. The senses of his whole body also went numb and began to vanish. He was feeling as if he was floating in a world of pure white.

Kazuki’s heart was suddenly assaulted by anxiety.

Were his comrades still there at the end of the rope that was tied onto his waist, following after him?

If the rope didn’t get pulled then that meant that there was no one that fell down. In the first place Kazuki was able to sense the current location of his companions.

Yet regardless… it couldn’t be helped that he felt uneasy from how he was unable to detect the existence of everyone inside this world of pure white.

“Everyone, are you still there!”

Kazuki called out to right under him.

“I’m fine!” “I’m still here!” Replies were coming from numerous mouths, Kazuki was relieved from the bottom of his heart.

His chest became warm. Everyone’s voices became a second breath for him and turned into strength inside his body.

“Hey! Let’s take a roll-call periodically okay!!”

Kaguya-senpai proposed that perhaps from feeling the same uneasiness as Kazuki.

“Then when I call out [Everyone!], everyone will give their reply in order!”

“Understood!” Mio who was right under Kazuki replied. “But what should we reply with?”

“Anything is fine, within appropriateness! Let’s try it now… everyone!”

“Nyaa―!” Mio immediately replied after she was told that anything was fine.

“Puu.” Koyuki continued.

“Wan wan-!” Lotte energetically said.

“Pan pan!” Kaguya-senpai who recently began as a panda character raised a panda’s barking voice(?).

“Eh!? I don’t have any material for that kind of impression though!?” Kazuha-senpai raised a troubled voice.

“NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Kanae shouted.

“PENIS!” Hikaru-senpai yelled out something incomprehensible.

“What the hell are you saying!?” Liz Liza-sensei who was at the end of the line scolded with a baffled voice.

Spontaneously Kazuki was experiencing a building up laughter inside of him. That laugh was again changed into energy and he thought that he could still do his best.

While climbing Kazuki periodically took a roll-call.

“Nyaa―!”

“Puu.”

“Wan wan-!”

“Pan pan!”

“I don’t have that kind of special voice desu! I’m a normal human desu!” <ref>This is Kazuha speaking</ref>

“NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAA! NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”

“PENIS!”

“I told you not to say anything obscene already!?”

The end of the path came too quick―what appeared at the other side of the blizzard was not a rock surface but the clear sky.

What got fixed at the edge of the rock surface was not an ice axe but fingers, Kazuki lifted up his body.

===Part 7===

The edge of the mountains―Kazuki and co formed a single line and advanced following the ridgeline. The scenery made them think that the ridge line would continue on forever, but finally they met the end of the line. A circle was drawn in the end of the ridge line like a crown, waiting for Kazuki and co. The summit of Fuji Mountain, the crater on the very top.

At one of the edge that formed the circle, there was a light that was obviously of a different nature.

They immediately understood the true identity of the light when they got near. A single sword that pierced the edge of the crater was emitting a glaring light of sharpness that the blizzard couldn’t hide.

That sword that was waiting for them at the highest summit of Japan, looked exactly like the proof of the King just from its appearance.

When they forced their exhausted bodies and got nearer, they discovered that a human shadow was standing beside the sword.

Her long black hair was swaying due to the blizzard.

It was the female that held a mysterious and dear impression for him―the master of the seal.

The woman was already dead. But as the result of changing her very own life into the power of the seal, the woman’s mental body was haunting this ground together with the seal.

The woman and the sword were waiting for Kazuki. Kazuki and others that were forming a line at the edge of the crater dragged along their exhausted body to walk. The woman was watching that directly and quietly without even hurrying them along.

With Kazuki in the lead, they advanced forward while receiving that gaze and the blizzard right from the front.

When they arrived until a distance of just a few meters, the woman of the seal suddenly pulled out the sword that was pierced on the mountain summit and heroically thrust it to the heaven.

A figure of a hero of the ancient era was right in front of their eyes.

The woman kicked the edge of the crater―and sharply stepped into Kazuki’s direction.

The heroically raised sword was directed at Kazuki and swung down powerfully.

Even while being shocked, Kazuki ran his sword out from its sheath with a natural movement. With a flash from the drawn sword he warded off the opponent’s swung down sword and parried its strength diagonally below. After the opponent’s posture broke down, he flipped up his blade in a sharp angle and swung up his blade as the second slash.

The most basic of the Hayashizaki-style, two stage preparation of sword drawing art.

But Kazuki stopped his second slash right before it cut.

The woman whose posture was broken by Kazuki had also stopped her movement while still in the low posture from swinging down her sword.

“You really have become strong.”

The woman said with a mellow voice like a silk.

“You too…”

Kazuki felt a cold, uncomfortable feeling from the echo of the word [you] that came out from his mouth.

But he didn’t understand what would be fine to call her with other than that word.

“I understand that you are also strong from that single slash just now.”

The woman’s step-in was sharp and the force of the swung down blade was truly powerful. The force was similar with a single blow from Beatrix―truly in reverse from her willowy appearance.

Kazuki’s sword was something that was backed with the sword art that had been handed down in generations and steady training.

On the other hand, the woman’s sword was―a <wild technique> that was honed by necessity in the middle of real battles that were approaching her.

Surely, this person was originally not a knight or anything like that.

The truth was that she just recklessly continued to fight, and became strong until this much.

Thinking of such hardship, Kazuki’s chest was blocked.

“You are…”

Kazuki sheathed his katana. And then he gripped the hand of the woman that was still in the swinging down posture. It was a thin and delicate hand that was really like a female. It transmitted warmth through Kazuki’s fingers that were covered with frostbite.

The woman was not just a mere mental body, but a materialized body.

She must be using up the magic power of the seal that had finished its task and temporarily created a physical body of flesh.

“You are… my mother aren’t you?”

In no way the shaking of Kazuki’s words originated from the cold.

The woman released the sword from her hand and made Kazuki took a hold of it.

“I didn’t know about the true identity of this sword for a long time. The name of this sword is… <Ame no Murakumo>. Symbolizing the King’s authority, a sword of great destiny,”

The woman’s silky voice was slightly dyed in sadness.

“…This is a sword that forces a person to fight. This sword was waiting for you in this place.”

The woman drew back reservedly from the distance where their breath seemed to be able to touch each other.

“Long time no see huh, Hibiki.”

When Leme materialized beside Kazuki, the woman replied like she was meeting an old acquaintance.

“Leme too, long time no see. Though I never really had the chance to feel you this clearly before.”

The woman’s shoulders were slightly downcast while she began to talk to Leme.

“There is one thing that I want to ask, but… this fate, how much of it was really destiny?”

“What do you mean?”

“…This child is, my child after all, is that why you chose him?”

It was a question that really went into the heart of the matter. But Leme didn’t show any agitation and shook her neck.

“Certainly he caught my attention because he was your child, but Leme is also not such a cheap kind person that would choose him just because of that. This guy happened to have the qualities that is worthy for Leme’s choice. Sword skill, exceptional ambition and mental strength, and above all his aspect that treasured his bonds… The Hayashizaki house raised up that kind of guy by their own accord.”

“Aah, now that you mentioned it… isn’t your ability more convenient when it’s used by a male child I wonder?”

“Of course that’s also one of the factors. The concept this time is a lovey-dovey harem king. Well, though you too could also use the magic of the same sex Liz Liza Westwood well enough before.”

When Leme said that jokingly, Kaa-san narrowed her eyes for the first time with her mouth bursting open in smile. <ref>Kaa-san = mother</ref>

“Fufufu-, Liza and I were lovey-dovey after all.”

“Wha, what are you saying, Hibiki-neesama!!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s face went beet red and advanced forward out from the group of everyone.

“Be, besides you, you made a boyfriend but you kept it quiet from me… furthermore you even had a child without me knowing!”

“Because if I told that to Liza who loved me, I thought that it would make you jealous♪”

The woman―no, Mother unexpectedly stuck out her tongue playfully.

“I’m not jealous or anything, I just wanted you to talk with me properly!” <ref>Here Liz Liza’s way of talking turns into a polite way of talking when she talks with Hibiki, unlike her usual severe tone when talking with her students.</ref>

However Liz Liza-sensei’s eyes were both wet with tears and her body was trembling in shivers while she talked in reproach, it looked completely fitting with her child-like appearance.

“You didn’t tell me anything! You also entrusted your child that was just born to the orphanage! …Even though it would be fine even if you relied on me! You didn’t say anything and left to fight, and then you didn’t return back…!”

Mother smiled wryly in sadness.

“I’m sorry, Liza. At that time all the people around me were targeted, so I didn’t tell any of that to anyone. I also didn’t tell anything to the people at the orphanage and left him in front of the gate… without doing anything else.”

Mother was stealing a glance at Kazuki worriedly with her voice dulling.

Not saying anything and then in front of the orphanage’s gate… she abandoned him without doing anything else.

That was what she said.

“You were not doing nothing.” Kazuki interrupted between the two.

“At the spot where I was left behind, I had been told that there was a memo accompanying me where the name [Kazuki] was written.”

Mother looked at Kazuki with a look of realization and immediately looked down awkwardly.

“…Yes. I conveyed just that. I was thinking that I wanted to raise a boy that is really close to what is important for him, and possessed the strength to protect that important thing to the end like a large tree…”

“It might be thanks to that naming, that this guy was growing up into an ideal harem king.”

Leme interjected. “That’s also a form of education you know. Just as I thought this might really be a destiny.”

Name―perhaps unconsciously he wanted to become a human that was suitable for the name [Kazuki(一樹)]. He felt that he had the awareness more than average person that his name was really important. <ref>The meaning of 一樹 is a single tree</ref>

“But things like naming… just something like that cannot be called as an education or raising him up. Just as I thought, I have never done anything that is like a mother…”

“Kaa-san!” Kazuki interrupted her from a sad and gloomy tone.

To call the young woman in front of his eyes that he was still unfamiliar with as mother from his mouth needed courage.

The important name of [Kazuki] encouraged the courage inside his chest, Kazuki spouted out the thing that he felt had to be said no matter what.

“I, don’t resent Kaa-san at all! Because I’m not unhappy or unfortunate! I am happy all this time!”

Kazuki lowered his head and thanked her.

“For giving birth to me… thank you very much. For continuing to fight, for this country, for protecting the future where we lived, thank you very much.”

“…You really have grown up strong, aren’t you? And then the one that raised you up this happy…”

Mother averted her eyes away from the bowing Kazuki as if to escape.

After that she was facing to the direction of his companions.

“Kanae-san.”

“Ye, yes! Okaa-sama <ref>A really respectful way of calling mother</ref>!!” Kanae straightened her back and answered with a nervous voice.

Mother then lowered her head deeply.

“Thank you very much. For raising this child into a person this kind and strong. Your family was the one that did what I couldn’t, pouring the greatest love and growth for him…”

“That’s preposterous! I’m exactly the one… who received the best Nii-sama that I can ask for!”

Kanae to lowered her head. Kazuki too, Mother too, Kanae too were lowering their heads.

Mother then laughed “Fufu-“ amusedly.

“How weird… despite how I’m supposed to be the worst mother. Everyone happily lowered their head like this… I wonder if this is what they called a fortune.”

She was not the worst or anything. The situation just couldn’t be helped. Mother had to fight no matter what the cost at that time.

The current Kazuki understood well about such a position.

Mother loved someone. But that time was different with now, at that time it was not known that a strong emotion would become a trigger of magic power and distorted the reality completely. Magic power influenced the act of mixing the strongest feelings of man and woman, and completely hindered any contraception, such thing was unknown at that time.

If he himself didn’t know about such thing beforehand, then even he would surely have done the same act already.

Mother loved someone and conceived a child. That was why she went away from the battle.

But during the time Mother was leaving the battlefield… the situation rapidly worsened.

Moreover the people around Mother were targeted.

That was why… she had no other choice than to not tell anyone about her child and abandoned him.

And then without even informing her best friend that was Liz Liza-sensei, she went ahead to the battle alone without doing anything else.

That kind of mother, who in the world could condemn her?

―’Why in the world was it only Kaa-san who had to shoulder such an heavy burden?’

‘Tou-san<ref>Tou-san = father</ref> is’… Kazuki was going to ask, and hesitated.

[All of my important person were targeted]. Those words had already implicated the heavy and painful fact.

“…This is not destiny or anything like that.”

Once again Mother murmured to herself.

“Kanae-san, to let me reunite with this child, thank you…”

Mother lowered her head to Kanae once again.

After that with a timid manner she faced Kazuki once more.

“While protecting the seal in this place, I have regretted the fact that I abandoned you and headed to the fight all this time. Why do I have to fight, I always thought that it was unreasonable. Now, you are chosen by Leme and this sword, inside me there is also the sad feeling that you are shouldering the same fate like me. I wanted to raise my boy normally, unrelated from all this fighting… But… I also had the dream of you being chosen and you coming to this place. I wanted to have a glance of the grown up you. After all, I’m just something like a bounded ghost that cannot leave this place.”

That’s just like a doting parent though, saying that Mother smiled self-derisively.

“You know, the moment when I gave birth to you, I had the feeling that a special, strong child had just been born. That was why I was hoping, that surely you will be chosen and then you will come here. For such a thing to happen, the possibility must be so low like expecting a miracle to happen, but… Kanae-san, everyone that is here, you all had raised Kazuki to be this strong. You let us to meet fortuitously like this once more. …To come until this far here, I’m really thankful to all of you.”

Again Mother lowered her head, to Kazuki, to Kanae, to everyone else, one by one she lowered her head at them.

She was just earnestly lowering her thin back with a sorrowful face, and continued to lower her head.

He wanted to say something. But his feeling couldn’t be turned into any word. He was not unhappy. He didn’t resent anything. He was thankful. All his feeling that he wanted to convey beforehand, he had easily finished conveying them all.

He had the feeling that there was something more that he should say.

However that feeling couldn’t come out beautifully as words from his mouth.

Mother too was wordlessly and timidly staring at Kazuki as if holding herself back.

Amidst the pure white blizzard, they were staring at each other as if the time had stopped.

Suddenly―something changed.

The warm atmosphere was―sharply changed into cold.

The magic blizzard around them was not becoming stronger. Mother suddenly realized something with a ‘hah’ and her gaze became grim, then she thrust away Kazuki beside her strongly.

“Kaa-san…!?” Spontaneously and unintentionally, Kazuki leaked out a voice like an abandoned child.

No, wrong, this situation…

“Get away! Everyone, get away from me!!”

Mother yelled with a sharp voice as if a hero’s sense of responsibility was awakened inside her.

The sky at the other side of the blizzard was roaring thunderingly from the blowing wind. The wind moved pitch black clouds to their direction and completely covered the sky. The surroundings suddenly turned dark.

From the dark clouds, a dreadful voice was reverberating.

{O people that continue to stop at the boundary of life and death, know the karma of your deep sin.}

Kazuki and the others looked at the sky altogether.

{My name is Hel. Thou is already a dead person. …In accordance with that fate, offer that everything to me!!}

Pitch black lightning flashed from the dark cloud―piercing the back of Mother.

{{{furigana|Helheim Drive|Death God Encroachment}}}!!”

It was something that happened in an instant where no one could do anything. He was not even allowed to Foresight what kind of magic phenomenon would be caused by the dreadful and strange magic power.

The black lightning melted into Mother like an evil spirit. Mother went “Guh-!” and her body writhed in pain, blue magic power light was emitted from her whole body.

Kazuki knew this light. He had seen it before.

This emitted light was completely the same like that time when Loki encroached into Kaya.

It was the light of the existence itself being usurped by a Diva.

The emitted blue magic power and the encroaching pure black magic power mixed with each other, depicting a marble pattern. Little by little the pure black surface was increasing, it was trying to erase the existence of Mother.

It was as if he was seeing the process of a food that became spoiled in fast forward.

‘…This is a lie right?’

Kazuki stood stock still in a daze. He couldn’t possibly think that the happening in front of his eyes was reality.

Whether it was the miracle that he could reunite with Mother like this.

And even how such a miracle was currently disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Whichever it was… was unbelievable.

He couldn’t think that everything in this moment was all reality.

Kaa-san is disappearing. He couldn’t believe it.

‘This is a lie right… The thing that I still haven’t conveyed yet…”

However he didn’t understand what kind of words he should use…

They were just exchanging awkward gazes while holding back just now…

Not yet… not like this…

Who was it, the one with this black magic power.

Why would they do something like this!?

His body couldn’t move from the numbness. His situational judgment, didn’t work at all.

This was his first experience, having his body and his heart freezing completely like this in a time where he should fight.

Even his lips were freezing. ‘This is a lie right? Stop’, he thought that, but he couldn’t even raise a voice to yell.

“STOPPPPPPPPPPP!!”

―Someone was yelling as Kazuki’s proxy.

A gust of black shadow was jumping forward in front of his eyes.

It was the back of Kanae with her ponytail trailing behind like a cat’s tail.

“Don’t you dare to disturb this person and Nii-sama!! Only that, I will absolutely not forgive!!”

Kanae drew the black katana―Michikage, and swung down at the black magic power that was eating away at Mother. That slash―spontaneously he was inappropriately fascinated by the beautiful trajectory that slash drew. It was as if he was seeing a black rainbow.

Kanae’s spine, skeletal structure, all of her body was working together without even a little bit of wasteful movement. There was no deviation at all, it was a movement that looked perfect for Kanae’s flesh body. The quintessence movement.

The black rainbow that was unleashed from such a movement, tore apart the magic power that was encroaching into Mother in the timing right before it was going to swell up even larger.

It was a truly perfect timing, as if an expert martial artist had read the breathing of the opponent and took the sail out of the opponent’s move.

A perfect movement, and a perfect timing―it was exactly a divine work.

“Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword the Second, Shin’iki…!”

For some reason it was Kaguya-senpai who yelled that technique’s name while her body was trembling.

It was Kanae’s technique that even Kazuki didn’t know about. That instant, something miraculous happened. The instant the black blade was swung down―the magic phenomenon that completely covered Mother were all breaking down.

{That’s impossible! What just happened!?}

That Diva―Hel’s panicked voice was resounding. The black magic power was blown away from Mother’s back, where it formed the figure of a girl that fell on her butt. She was not an avatar but a materialized body, it was a Diva with the appearance of a very young girl.

In contrast with the materialized Hel, Mother powerlessly fell on her knees at that spot. It was not only power leaving her whole body, the magic power that constructed her body was also thinning down, faintly like an illusion, her figure was changing into a half-transparent light.

The powerful Diva that had already accomplished materializing was trying to steal the flesh body of Mother that materialized from the power of the seal. But that magic phenomenon was broken by Kanae.

However in that case―Mother’s little remaining magic power was completely stolen. Possibly her magic power had already been running out in the first place.

Kazuki caught the body of Mother, that was thinning out, in his arms in panic.

“You bastard… against my role for the sake of papa… how dare you…!!”

The Diva that fell on her butt―Hel was glaring at their way with a gaze filled with hatred. Her long blue hair that reminded him of Loki was bristling up from the blizzard right behind her.

This girl was going to steal Kaa-san… she was trying to make her a hostage.

Guessing that―violent emotion was surging inside Kazuki’s head. This girl…!!

Hel yelled. She turned at Mother.

“…Zero Knight! I won’t recognize you! Your role, your objective, I won’t let you accomplish them all! I won’t let you misunderstand, thinking that you won against papa!!”

At the same time a fierce magic power whirled out from that body. She was trying to cast some kind of powerful attack magic. The tip of that magic power was heading at Mother’s back.

Kazuki’s rage instantly changed into terror and trepidation.

If an attack was directed at Mother right now…!

It was a fear that he had never experienced before. His body and thought froze instantly.

“Lose and die again! O lamentation of the dead, carry away that soul from my hand… {{furigana|Nifl Driva|Hell Wind}}!!”

When Hel thrust out her bluish-white palm, from there was blowing a devilish wind as if the blizzard of the Haunted Ground that had been hurling at them thoroughly until now was compressed several hundred times in it.

“Kaa-san, dangerous!”

Kazuki immediately embraced Mother close to his body and covered her with his back.

Yet in front of them a black shadow was standing in the way.

“…Don’t you bother these two!!”

―It was Kanae. Kazuki covered his mother, and Kanae covered those two. The three of them were blown away altogether and fell from the ridgeline. In such dangerous situation Kazuki used his sword―<Ame no Murakumo> to pierce the ground and held out along with his mother that he held in his left hand.

“Kaa-san…!”

Inside Kazuki’s hugging left arm, like water that was spilling out from a cracked jar, the magic power that was composing mother’s existence was vanishing. She was vanishing!

Mother leaked out a weak voice. “…Just now, it looks like my last remaining magic power was used up. But I had already accomplished my role, so…”

Accomplished her role? Already?

Wait. Please wait! There is still….

“Don’t be a hindrance! Follow after Kanae!!” Liz Liza-sensei called out to the others and rushed at Hel’s direction.

“The final time between Kazuki and Hibiki-neesama… I absolutely won’t let you bother them!”

Don’t say that this is the last time…

Mio, Kaguya-senpai… all of his companions, they all cut in between them and Hel to protect him and mother, they were shining with the light of spell chanting simultaneously.

“You plan to stand in my way! You bunch of humans!”

Hel yelled. “Against a materialized Diva, it’s futile no matter how many humans gather here, futile! Are you looking down on me!? I’ll massacre you all and get one over papa!”

What incomprehensible thing was she yelling, this girl…

His head didn’t work watching the situation in front of his eyes. Rather than that kind of thing, mother was…

Even faster than his companions magic, Hel’s magic was invoked.

“…O Grand Haunted Ground of ancient times… please offer the souls that are rotting away in this land as the dress that is armoring my body… Helheim Drive!”

Once again several black lightning were falling to Hel’s body from the dark cloud. That black magic power was whirling on Hel’s body while creating Prima Materia, its substance changed―transforming into something like a Magic Dress.

It was a strange dress. As if several Magic Dresses were mixed up messily… there was no uniformity among every single part. However every single design of the parts had the shape that they had the feeling of seeing before somewhere.

The parts looked like the Magic Dresses that the students of the Magic Division wore on their bodies.

“STOP!”

Liz Liza-sensei yelled after noticing the true form of that power.

“Stop it, don’t you dirty those guys’ souls!! You trash!!”

One part of the Magic Dress that Hel wore―the red wings were emitting orange light like a fire shadow.

Unbelievably, Phoenix’s avatar emerged out beside Hel.

“The dead is my power, mine to use as I please! …Respond to my accusation and burn to ash! Israel Judgment!!”

It was a vortex of magic power he had seen before. It was a magic that even Kazuki and others had seen before, but it was activated with a lot more abbreviated chanting.

“I told you…! Don’t you dare become a hindrance for Nii-sama-!!”

Right before that magic was invoked, the shadow of a black cat leaped once again with a force that was like flying.

With a perfect step-in and timing―once again, it was that miraculous technique.

The wavelength of Hel’s magic power that swelled up right before the magic was invoked vanished like a lie with a *PACHIN!* sound.

“What’s going on, this technique!? …Eei!!”

Hel opened her eyes wide with rage and shock but―she immediately directed a different magic at Kanae.

“Freeze and be silent… Glacier Wind!!”

A part of Hel’s Magic Dress―the floating crystal on her back was emitting a deep blue light, Vepar’s avatar emerged out.

…She was making the soul of the Magika Stigmas that once died in this Fuji’s sea of trees to posses her own body and enslaved them. That death god was activating the magic of the contract through the souls of the dead.

This time even Kanae didn’t have the composure to unleash that technique. The cold magic that Koyuki was also specializing at assaulted Kanae without giving her time to dodge.

At exactly the same time, Hel also invoked her own magic.

“You that is already death come to this side too! Nifl Driva!!”

Hel raised her palm and then she overlapped the blowing blizzard with the [Glacier Wind] from just now.

The chill of the mermaid and the blizzard of the world of the dead mixed with each other, amplifying each other.

“Uguu-!!” Kanae raised a scream and got blown away helplessly.

Besides her defensive magic power that got smashed, she was also writhing around from the chill that was violating her mind.

The black breastplate of Hel’s Magic Dress shone. This time an avatar of a black bird, Halphas’ avatar was emerging. She was chanting magic one after another with a speed that was hard to believe.

“Suffer and die! O god of war of the spirit world, under thy Divine Protection, I’ll sacrifice the wailing of that bitter enemy… Inferno!!”

Hel created two gigantic pure black pillar of flame in both her hands, she then met both her palms and combined them into one and created a bow and arrow of black flame. It was Halphas’s level 7 magic that Yumeno-san once used to finish off her other self.

It was a rapid-fire of magic just like the Quad-core Magika that was the result of Naiarlatoteph’s research. No, her magic invocation was even faster than that.

The giant mass of black flame was fired at Kanae who was writhing in agony.

“O principle of time, listen to the calling voice of my sage! To the other side of the long stagnation, exile away that calamity… Leap Stasis!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s chanting―an avatar of clock emerged out in order to protect Kanae.

When he thought that the hand of that clock was fiercely rotating, the black flame that was flying near vanished.

“You trash Diva! I blew away your magic to the space-time!!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s Original One―it was once casted with her own body aging as the target, an evasion magic that postponed the <change> in exchange of vast magic power, especially with that short chanting.

This time Hel was not surprised.

“Hmph, there is no way the likes of human can consecutively use that kind of convenient magic!”

The red wings, the crystal, the black breastplate, all of them shone simultaneously. Hel’s own magic power that caused the blizzard of the world of the dead was also included.

“Hayashizaki Kanae! Do that technique more! Block them all!!”

“That technique is not something you can do successfully that many times! Damn-!”

Liz Liza-sensei and Kanae shouted angrily at each other.

Finally at that time, the magic that the others’ were chanting were all invoked simultaneously.

“O water surface that sway from my singing voice, manipulate the small wave skillfully, gather, and become a giant tsunami! Come from the beyond and wash away to the distant place… Tidal Wave!”

Koyuki invoked Vepar’s magic of tsunami. It ignored the space and a tsunami that was created behind Hel using magic power came surging.

“Nifl Driva!!”

Hel immediately turned back to the tsunami and fired a blizzard.

The violent blizzard froze the tsunami all over and destroyed the power of that phenomenon making it disappear.

“O the calling voice of the ruler of flame, set free the rage of the bottom of the earth! Open the gate of my rampart here… tower in heaven and earth, isolate the impurity! Fire Wall!!”

“O shapeless and mute shadow, become the fish that swim in the darkness that is pregnant with obstructive thought! The origin of nightmare, the vicissitudes of materialism, respond to both hope and fear and bite…! Deep Specter!”

Mio and Kaguya-senpai’s magic was invoked at the same time. A wall of flame was going to rise from the bottom of Hel’s feet. Pitch black shadow was crawling up from inside the shadow.

Hel detected the danger and tried to run away from that spot.

“This hand reached out to the height of Babel, right now this hand grasped the falling thunder of god! In accordance with my life, o lightning, whirl following my will! Collider Field!!”

But Lotte equipped a gauntlet on her left hand and locked Hel inside a barrier of electromagnetism. Hel’s body was paralyzed by the electricity and she was rooted to that spot.

Furthermore there was several small lights that were floating around Hel.

“The fate of all creation is inside the great celestial sphere… o binding of constellation, stop the revolution of the sky! Horoscope Stasis!”

Line of light was running between countless stars, that [constellation] tied up the paralyzed Hel.

“…This kind of irritating act!?”

The body of the yelling Hel was swallowed by a wall of flame. Even further her head was chewed apart by the giant monster that jumped out from the shadows.

From inside the wall of flame, from inside the mouth of the black monster, a dark blue defensive magic power was shining and scattered.

“O {{furigana|august lightning|Mikadzuchi}} that rain down due to god’s rage! The spilt blood of Kagutsuchi dripped down to the hilt and gather, become a flash of blade! The large drum of lightning sound of lightning speed, {{furigana|Mikafutsu no Mitama|Mikafutsu Soul}}!!”

Kazuha-senpai created a golden blade―with that heavily curving katana that hid a destructive power like lightning, she slashed at Hel with all her strength.

Hel that couldn’t move her body was blown away along with a thunderous roar.

Consecutive attack―but Hel immediately stood back up.

“Hikaru! Mio-chan! Koyuki-chan!” Kaguya-senpai yelled at her comrades of the Witch’s Mansion.

“This girl cannot be defeated with average magic! We are going to use Chorus Magic!!”

The four people began to match their magic power wavelength.

In order to protect them, Kanae and Kazuha-senpai and Lotte stood as the vanguards and prepared their weapons.

“…You bunch of humans… hand over the Zero Knight and the Sacred Treasure…!!”

Along with a voice that made the listener shudder, Hel tore off the binding of constellation with brute force and ripped apart the biting big jaw of the shadow monster with both her hands, at the same time she then once again shone with several magic power lights.

―Kazuki was largely unaware of the battle that was currently happening.

The sounds of the fighting felt like it was far away as if a thin membrane was filtering all of it.

That was how much Kazuki’s was concentrating on what was inside his embrace, his mother that even now was disappearing.

“Kazuki.”

His mother was, for the first time, calling Kazuki with the name that she named him with.

But just from such a little matter, it made Kazuki’s sight damp with tears.

“Kazuki… the Ame no Murakumo…”

He didn’t need that kind of thing.

Rather than such thing, right now, the person that was going to disappear inside his arms was someone that was far more important. His mother’s body temperature, body weight, were vanishing away in no time at all, he knew that.

“I don’t need that kind of thing, Kaa-san… Kaa-san, I, I’m living perfectly happy.”

Kazuki repeated the thing that he had already said like a spell. Even though what he wanted to say was not this kind of thing. For some reason, the feeling that was rampaging inside his chest couldn’t be turned into words.

Even though if he kept wasting time like this, she was going to vanish completely.

“I see. I’m glad.”

His mother smiled hearing that―she raised her thin white arm and stroked Kazuki’s head.

Even though it was weak like the branch of a tree that swayed from the wind, it was a gentle hand movement.

It was a completely unknown sensation for him.

He had the feeling that sparks scattered inside his head, inside his eyes that were wet with tears.

From inside the head of Kazuki who was searching for words, all words and reason disappeared, a pure white emotion completely covered everything.

He noticed. There was nothing that he still wanted to convey.

What he was looking for, was not that kind of thing.

He was only merely, overflowing with emotion.

When he noticed that emotion ―Kazuki hugged tightly the thin and weakened body of his mother, then he buried his face into her chest.

“Kaa-san… I don’t want you to go.”

―What was rampaging inside his head uncontrollably was easily coming out from his mouth.

He felt something that he had never noticed was armoring him until now, disappear completely.

Once it had come out, it was pouring out of him together with tears and scream.

“No! I don’t want this!! No!!”

It was not something exaggerated like something he wanted to convey or anything.

‘I―just want to be spoiled by Kaa-san.’

Their relation was not something exaggerated like the previous King and the King that succeeded after her.

‘I am my mother’s child!’

‘No! I don’t want this!’ Kazuki cried like a child.

“…Fufu-“

His mother returned his hug weakly and let escape a faint chuckle.

“You should not say something selfish.”

After saying that, she stroked his head once again.

‘―Kaa-san, I, have never said anything selfish through my life until now.’

No matter what happened even if it was unreasonable, he had never done anything like giving up.

Even without anyone rewarding him, he overcame all kinds of hardship with his hard work.

He had never seriously yelled words like ‘don’t wanna’ or anything like that.

He almost never cried at all.

Despite so, could what he did right now be called as selfishness.

What’s with that… that kind of thing…

“No way! I don’t want something like this! I don’t want…!!”

She was disappearing! Merely, just during this short instant, his mother was!

‘Don’t say what I’m doing is selfish!! By all rights, isn’t what I’m doing only natural!!’

“No! I have been patient for all these fifteen years!! There was no one at all that patted my head saying that I have done my best! I didn’t even realize that such a thing is strange! I realize now! That all this time I wanted my head to get patted by Kaa-san!! It’s strange you know! This kind of thing… I don’t want…!!”

‘I shouldn’t be defeated by this kind of thing’, Kazuki thought.

This is irrational. For the first time since he was born, Kazuki was overpowered by this monster called irrationality.

He pressed his face that was messily stained with tears onto his mother’s chest, he cried and shouted as if to spew out everything from the bottom of his throat out of his heart. It was as if he was completely changed into an existence that was just crying and shouting.

The tears and screams that had been piling up without him even noticing during these fifteen years were all overflowing without pause.

“Kazuki…”

His mother put a faint strength into her weak arm that was like a dry wood, and hugged him back.

Gently, sweetly, warmly, because of that his tears were overflowing out even harder.

“Thank you. For giving me a chance to spoil you in the end. With this I finally…”

His mother too, during this fifteen years she was enduring until now in this land.

When he understood that, the weight of this monster called irrationality became doubled.

“With this we could finally do something like a true mother and child…”

Vanished.

On the other side of his sight that was stained messily with tears, the chest of the mother that he was hugging, was turning into countless particles of light before disappearing.

Her lingering voice entered his ears before disappearing.

The warmth seeped into his chest and disappeared.

From within Kazuki’s embrace, a dried up sound was spilling out and fell onto the ground. It was a white skeleton.

“Aa, aaaa…”

She was a person that had already died fourteen years ago.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!”

Refusing the truth, Kazuki cried and shouted.

“NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

The countless light particles that were scattering were floating lightly in the air before entering into Kazuki’s chest.

{We are going to be together from now on you know. After all, we could even meet like this.}

Certainly that was a miracle.

{If we can just meet, humans can be changed forever in an instant. That kind of magic had already been used by humans since the time long ago.}

The small particle of magic power became the final voice and it was absorbed into his chest.

Certainly, he would never forget everything that happened here forever.

{Thank you for growing up happily, Kazuki.}

{Thank you.}

{I just keep saying thank you but, I’m really happy.}

{…Thank you.}

Suddenly a scene was opening up inside of Kazuki’s head.

Those were the scene that was shown by the small magic power that was absorbed into Kazuki’s chest. At the same time with the magic power making his mother’s feeling into voice and conveying that to him, his mother’s past memory was recalled inside Kazuki.

Kazuki’s oldest memory―this scene was the continuation of that.

The orphanage at night. Avoiding the eyes of the people, his mother abandoned Kazuki in front of the gate.

His mother turned her back at the crying Kazuki and even while looking back many times she kept walking through the night street with an unsteady gait.

Even her tears were drying up. This was her last determination.

She couldn’t consult anyone. She couldn’t even let anybody see her current figure.

If she didn’t head to the battle alone, the victims would only increase.

She had to fight no matter what. Without anybody seeing her off, without anybody even cheering her on, with her everything snatched away entirely, she even abandoned the child that she obtained at the very end from the person that she loved.

―She had to fight.

While walking alone unsteadily, the light of the town that she passed through cursed her. When she thought about how there was as many happy families as there were the light shining, it couldn’t be helped that she felt accursed. Negative emotions like rage and sorrow were raging crazy inside her chest.

Why was she the only one who couldn’t get her hands on such an ordinary thing.

No. I don’t want to fight. This is unreasonable.

Even so, other than her… there was no human that could fight that enemy.

When she was faced with such ultimate truth―it made her realized that this thing called self-sacrifice was by no means a deceit.

She was made to realize that she loved this unreasonable world.

Even with all her important people killed and torn away from her, still…

She had to fight.

Together with that determination―the world of memory was cut off.

Kazuki returned to reality.

―Inside the blizzard, Kazuki was hugging the white skeleton. While hugging the white skeleton so that it wouldn’t be blown away by the wind, Kazuki heard the sound of his comrades fighting. Those sounds were finally reaching his ears.

He understood just from the sounds that it was a difficult enemy. He understood that if it kept like this his comrades would fall into danger.

“No…”

Kazuki was still continuing to cry while hugging the skeleton.

But, he had to fight. No matter how unreasonable it was.

Fight, there was something he had to protect at all cost.

Until now, everything of this world had been kind to him.

He had already made a lot of people that he loved and that were important to him.

There was also the irrationality but, there was even miracles.

Such an obvious world, was obviously lovely.

He was not some special existence.

He was going to stand up after crying just for thirty more seconds, Kazuki decided.

“I… don’t resent anything Kaa-san. I’m not unhappy. That’s why…”

Kazuki grasped a handful of snow, using Pyrokinesis to plunder the heat he made the snow even colder and pressed it together. He made a small snow hut to store the skeleton there so that it wouldn’t be blown away by the wind.

“…I’m going to fight, Kaa-san.”

Holding Ame no Murakumo in hand, he stood up.

Kazuki rushed to the decisive battle at the crater.

He finally recovered the clearness of his head in order to fight.

Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, Mio, and Koyuki were entering the preparation for Chorus Magic. But that cooperation wouldn’t tolerate even a slight disturbance in it, it became even more difficult than normal inside this fierce blizzard.

The blue haired death god named Hel was displaying an absurd power.

Kanae and Kazuha-senpai and an armed Lotte challenged Hel determinedly, each time they dealt a single attack on the opponent, they received a fierce magic counter and got blown away. That divine work of Kanae also often failed, even if it worked it did nothing more than blocking a single gunport (opening) of Hel.

―There were three. There were three souls of Magika Stigmas that Hel made to possess her body and turned into parts of her dress. And then with her own magic there was a total of four rapid firing magic that was continuously invoked.

Even in the case where it was high level magic that was used, that casting speed of hers was dreadfully fast.

All three of the vanguards were equipped with the armor of [Seusenhofer] that Lotte chanted, yet the armors were already in destroyed shapes.

Their strategy was in the process of failure. The limit of the three vanguards for buying time was going to come first before the Chorus Magic could even finish.

―During such thing, Kanae who failed to make her divine work succeed was hit right from the front with a high level magic. Kanae’s small body was blown away like a scrapped rag.

“You, die while feeling a special agony!”

Hel’s black breastplate shone and made the avatar of Halphas emerge.

“Inferno!”

The jet black flame that possessed both physical destruction and mind destruction attacked Kanae at an inescapable timing.

“Leap Stasis!!”

Liz Liza-sensei just barely [postponed] that single arrow.

Combined with the previous one she had activated this magic twice in total, the magic postponed the magic that was heading to Kanae. But surely when this magic was cancelled later on Kanae would taste a hellish agony. Though that was only if they could safely go home.

Liz Liza-sensei’s magic power too was also wholly carried away to beyond the space-time as the compensation of the postponing. That magic power wouldn’t return back until after the magic was cancelled.

Hel also saw through that and directed the brunt of the attack magic at Liz Liza-sensei.

“You don’t have any magic power left anymore right! …Sink a hundred ships, o threat of the sea that is lurking in the deep sea…show that whole face!”

Vepar’s avatar floated on Hel’s back. The power of Solomon 72 Pillar was forcefully dragged out from their contract with the dead people. There was no one among his comrades that was in a state that could immediately react to that.

―He had to protect them.

Kazuki ran, passing through his comrades at the rear that were preparing for Chorus Magic and cut in front of Liz Liza-sensei with Ame no Murakumo in hand.

“Hayashizaki! …What about Hibiki-neesama!?”

For an instant, Kazuki’s chest was blocked up from Liz Liza-sensei’s words.

“…Stab your fang! Ice Breaker!!”

Several vortex of magic power were created in front of Kazuki’s eyes, giant icebergs were sticking out from there surging at him. Kazuki held up Ame no Murakumo.

How did his mother handle this sword ―he could faintly sense that <Battou Kaikon>.

“Mow down the whole creation, <Ame no Murakumo>! Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!!”

The power that Yamato no Takeru used in legend that time he was falling into the trap of the fire plan―inside this royal sword there was the power to bring an end to natural phenomenon.

His magic power was absorbed into the blade where it emitted a golden light.

When Kazuki swept Ame no Murakumo to the side, as if an unseen blade was flying, all the surging icebergs were bisected into two.

“That power… was Zero Knight’s…!”

Hel leaked out a shocked voice.

It seemed that she had fought his mother before.

Kazuki grasped the sword naturally and he felt power filling his hand.

“The power of Solomon King and, the power of Japanese Mythology’s King that Zero Knight used…? But even if you are a King twice, you are still just an inexperienced King aren’t you!? If that’s so then even I alone will suffice!”

“Everyone! The Chorus Magic will complete with just a little more! Until that time, I will buy time! Those whose exhaustion is severe are to draw back!”

Inexperienced King. Certainly, he might be so.

However the bonds had been already tied. ‘That is my power. I don’t know where this Diva came from but, I’ll make you regret making light of me as inexperienced’, Kazuki thought.

“Intending to win against me… I’ll make you regret that.”

Hel too spouted out words that were in the same mood as Kazuki.

In another words this Diva also still had a trump card. She was going to use that now.

Hel removed the eye patch that covered her right eye and from there a deep red light burst out.

The Magic Dress on Hel’s whole body disintegrated and reduced into a pure magic power light.

“O dead people that are tired of waiting for glory, you are together with me! Become my brethren!!”

Even more countless lightning ran from the dark cloud and went towards Hel. Enormous souls of the dead were gathering inside Hel’s small body. Hel’s body floated in the sky like a dark saint.

“Together right now, celebrate the beginning of Ragnarok loudly!”

The pitch black magic power that completely covered Hel’s body―called out to an endless number of dead people and brought to fruition a single magic.

“Now, let’s begin the legend! {{furigana|Naglfar|Announcing Ship of God and Evil’s Mortal Combat}}!!”

The assembly of the black magic power swelled out enormously. It was huge―as if covering the sky.

Yes, it was physically large.

What appeared from the materialization of that magic power was not in the scale of Magic Dress. Hel was buried in the core of that enormous mass, he was already unable to confirm by sight her shadow or shape.

The thing that was floating in the blizzard sky was―an outrageously gigantic jet black ship.

Naglfar―even Kazuki knew that name. It was the ship that brought about the huge turning point in the world of Norse Mythology. Until the promised day, Hel who was the king of the dead gathered the nails of the dead that were filled with grudge and magic power from all over the world in order to make a gigantic ship. And then in the advent of <{{furigana|the day of twilight of the gods|Ragnarok}}>, a great amount of evil giants would ride Naglfar and advanced to the world of the gods.

It was the huge symbol of nightmare of the end of the world.

That was Hel’s trump card.

There was no sail on the ship that was floating in front of Kazuki’s eyes, it was covered with thick board, rather than calling it a ship from the Middle Ages, it was more like a <battleship>.

Its black thick armor had an uneven surface with disorderly scaly appearance. When he looked more in detail the ship was exactly like in the myth―it was formed from the pitch black nails of the dead.

It was like the finger tips of humans that went into necrosis from the cold, a bloody jet black color that was mixed with purplish red color.

The grotesque battleship of darkness was lording over Kazuki and the others.

‘…I’m going to defeat her, and I’ll begin.’

“This is not a power on the level of gathering the souls of three Magika Stigmas from this mountain like before! Know the seriousness of the death god!!”

At the same time with her proclamation of war, there were several vortexes of magic power that floated up in the frontage of Naglfar. It was told in the myth that magic power was residing inside the nails of the dead. That magic power was floating in the frontage of Naglfar. The magic power was whirling while converging―*DON!* such sound rang out and a magic bullet was fired. *DON!* *DON!* *DON!* Several sparks of black magic power were scattered.

It was undoubtedly a ship’s bombardment.

“Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!”

Kazuki tore apart that first volley with one swept of Ame no Murakumo and extinguished them. But with a *JIIN* the heaviness of the bombardment numbed the hand that was holding the sword. He didn’t feel such thing at all when he cut apart the [Ice Buster] from before, the heaviness of the bombardment felt like it was several tens of times of that.

*DON!* *DON!* *DON!* ―the magic bullet was fired rapidly even now without pause. Kazuki took a stance of slashing with Ame no Murakumo.

…He was unable to invoke [Kusanagi no Tsurugi] with the same speed of the enemy’s rapid-fire.

Kazuki had such a hunch too.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!”

He had already chanting a magic that could deal with a large amount of magic power attack.

Countless Sacred Treasures were created behind him, then all of it was fired one after another.

The magic bullets and Futsunushi no Kami’s Sacred Treasures collided, the blizzard sky shined.

It couldn’t block them all―the magic bullets that couldn’t be neutralized were heading at Kazuki and his comrades behind him before raining down.

“Zekorbeni!”

While trembling from the intensity of the bombardment, Kazuki used his trump card.

Right now there was nothing he could do except using this power for the sake of defense.

“I will protect everyone! …Mode・Phoenix!!”

Enormous flame spewed out from Zekorbeni on Kazuki’s chest, creating an armor in firelight color. That orange light connected Kazuki’s mind with Phoenix directly.

“O the calling voice of the ruler of flame, liberate the rage of the bottom of the earth! Open the gate of my rampart here… tower in heaven and earth, isolate the impurity! Fire Wall!!”

With a loud voice the defensive magic of the flame wall was invoked. Zekorbeni could amplify the might of the magic the more magic power was poured into it. Kazuki poured several times the amount of magic power that was originally needed for this level 2 magic in one into Zekorbeni.

A thick wall of flame was built up all at once.

The flame wall swallowed the magic bullets that couldn’t be neutralized.

Even so the remaining small magic bullets that looked like dregs of the original were still raining down on Kazuki behind the wall like a shower. Even the comrades behind Kazuki were―.

“Kyaa-!” Mio’s scream was raised.

Even just this much might become a hindrance for the chanting of the Chorus Magic.

The flame wall lost its power and vanished. But Naglfar was still floating in the sky while creating vortexes of magic power even more. The bombardment would continue without pause…!!

The attack was simple, but it was an excessively thick curtain of attack.

“Damn-!” Kanae raised a voice that was irritated with herself who couldn’t do anything.

…A swordsman couldn’t do anything in this situation.

“Kanae, you move back with Liz Liza-sensei whose magic power is used up! Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!!”

Kazuki yelled while once again bisecting the raining down magic bullets all at once in a single slash.

He slashed Ame no Murakumo directly horizontal. There Kazuki’s movement that was controlling the sword stopped. The magic bullet unceasingly flew at him in that gap.

This gap had to be filled.

Ame no Murakumo was still hiding more power but―a Sacred Treasure was not something that could be mastered where the user could use all of its powers right from the start. Training was needed.

He couldn’t hold back the bombardment just with the power of Ame no Murakumo. His power as the King of Solomon was also necessary.

“Fire Wall!!”

Kazuki poured a lot more magic power into Zekorbeni and unfolded a thicker wall of flame. At the same time he chanted [Tenkuu Battou Rengehou]. He was working at full capacity.

“Lotte!” Kazuki shouted.

“Yes desu! …Hit and run attack right desu!!”

Lotte understood Kazuki’s intention even without being ordered.

“O guardian of human race, the wisdom for the sake of opposing the will of the tyrannical god right here… Custom Liberion!”

Lotte equipped armors that were lined up with countless small type thruster units on both her legs and arms, she immediately ignited them―flying to the blizzard sky. She circled to right beside the battleship of darkness that was flying in the sky and scattered bullets from the large type gatling that was attached on the armor.

“You’re a nuisance, you fly!”

Naglfar also directed several vortexes of magic power at Lotte and fired rapidly magic bullets from there.

Lotte who was clad in [Custom Liberion] that excelled in mobility flew around Naglfar and ran away from that line of fire. No, she was also gotten hit with several shots that she couldn’t evade. Each time she got hit, smoke rose from the armor. Yet Lotte continued her hit and run with preparedness for death.

But with a lot of the [gunport] directed at Lotte, the attack to Kazuki and everyone behind him that were chanting Chorus Magic was lessened. There was also a limit on how many gunport Naglfar could take out each time.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!!”

Kazuki intercepted the lessened attack with a countless Sacred Treasures.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!!” Kazuha-senpai too imitated Kazuki and invoked the same magic.

This time it was Naglfar that couldn’t neutralize the countless Sacred Treasures and the gatling bullets, the armor of the battleship of darkness was beginning to be impacted by the projectiles.

They displayed a situation of a fierce bombardment exchange.

“Many of you combining your power… it’s annoying! Even though I’m just alone! Even though papa too won’t lend his hand to me… everyone, everyone is ganging up and making fun of me!!”

A voice of an irritable child escaped from the inside of the eerie Naglfar.

…No, was she a child? Papa… did she mean Loki?

Putting that aside, she was held back enough.

Even with a materialized Diva as the opponent, if he united his will with his comrades in this number then they could hold her back.

They have arrived at the place where they could stand against a god with the power of a human.

And then, if there was the power of bonds, and this sword that he inherited from his mother… they could defeat her.

For that sake, a momentary opening was necessary. Naglfar’s bombardment would stop, Kazuki believe that that moment would come before long and persisted in defense.

“ “ “ “{{furigana|We know thy true name|Shem ha Meforash}}!!” “ “ “

That time was approaching.

Finally the Chorus Magic of everyone from the Witch’s Mansion entered the climax. Mio, Koyuki, Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, the four of them created enormous pillars of magic power that felt like it could reach the heavens.

Those magic power pillars emitted wavelengths that were accurate to the inch while mixing with each other.

“ “ “ “Thy true name is Baal… though that be so, all of evil was born in the Middle Ages! Calculating faith, and sham loyalty stained the sublime Baal! Born from falsehood the army of demons multiply in multiply and thy stand at the summit!” “ “ “

Behind the four people the golden great king that carried the power of the stars, Baal was floating and materialized.

But under the identity of Baal there was one other face that hid a more mighty power. Baal’s greatest magic was―obtained in posterior due to curses, now all of it was liberated.

The contractor, Hikaru-senpai, commanded.

“The great god of Ugalit Mythology Baal… answer my command, liberate all of that curses!! …Thy stained name is… {{furigana|Beelzebub|King of Flies}}!!”

“Very well… watch it thoroughly!!”

Together with a voice that was filled with rage―Baal’s golden figure was breaking down and decayed like mud.

He was stained jet black exactly the same like the accursed Naglfar in front of their eyes!

And then the thing that was Baal became {{furigana|a swarm of countless giant flies|Beelzebub}}.

Like a dark cloud that was flowing, the giant swarm of the flies passed overhead Kazuki and the others and surged to Naglfar.

Due to Christianity in the Middle Ages, Baal who was a god of a different teaching was repainted as a devil and received the curses of the people. That curse was―one of the seven deadly sins [gluttony].

Beelzebub was maximizing that nature.

The swarm of flies was bathed in countless magic bullets. But the flies ate at that. While eating away the bullet curtain one after another, the flies finally clung to the black armor of Naglfar. And then, even that armor that was made from the nails of the dead began to be eaten.

“Thi, this…!!”

Hel raised an impatient voice and created vortexes of magic power, she fired magic bullets at the side of the giant flies that were eating greedily. Several of the flies vanished from the hit at their side. But the flies too were eating greedily at the armor into shreds with momentum that was not inferior to that.

It was a fierce devouring at each other between the {{furigana|death god|Hel}} and {{furigana|the king of demon|Beelzebub}}.

Of course Beelzebub’s summoned body couldn’t stay in this world for long.

But―right now was the time to go out in offensive. The bombardment had stopped, Naglfar’s armor became littered with moth-eaten damage, the path for the sake of bathing Hel with a blow was opened widely.

“Everyone!”

Kazuki gave out a signal to his comrades. After that he immediately poured magic power into Zekorbeni.

“…O undying bird that soar from dusk to dawn, please grant that wings of hope on my back! The destruction for the sake of rebirth right here…! Blazing Wings!”

The swarm of flies moved aside and conceded a path to Kazuki that spread out wings of flame and flew away.

And then―the greatest magic that he could use from Mio’s positivity level of 155, level 8.

The trump card that he hadn’t used until now because of the intensity of his fatigue was now used.

“O undying bird that repeated life and death! Liberate the flame of one’s last moment, become the sun of the surface… {{furigana|Imitation Flare|Sun of the End}}!!”

The avatar of the firebird was liberated and headed to Naglfar from Kazuki.

The avatar of the firebird exploded like a bomb.

Phoenix that symbolized the sun liberated all of his own flame that was in the juncture of life and death and burned the target to ashes. That phenomenon was reenacted in this place.

The energy liberation that rivaled the solar flare(sun surface explosion) also sacrificed the flies that were late to escape while swallowing Naglfar.

The giant fire ball that even swallowed Naglfar whole floated in the air like a sun and continued to blaze. Inside it, they could see that the armor that was eaten away by the flies was melting in the blink of an eye.

“{{furigana|Mode・Merfolk(Mermaid Armament)!”

Kazuki instantly switched Zekorbeni―from Mio’s Phoenix, he went to Koyuki’s Vepar. He was enveloped in blue raiment that looked just like the shape of the sea itself. Koyuki’s positivity level had also reached 150 from that date. The greatest fire power of this bond, the level 8 was instantly invoked.

“Time turn drawing circle, the history repeated following the inevatibility, awaken the forgotten era right here… leave behind everything inside the dream, toward the era of glacier! {{furigana|Ice Age|Absolute Ice World}}!!”

The instant the fire ball liberated all of its energy and vanished, this time it was Vepar’s avatar that emerged―the surrounding of Kazuki and Naglfar was instantly freezing.

A pure cold that surpassed even the blizzard of the Haunted Ground and the blizzard of the world of death―a world of ice.

Naglfar, and Hel that rode inside it were freezing, their movement was stopped.

“Mode・Veritas!”

Kazuki switched Zekorbeni even further―from Koyuki’s Vepar to Lotte’s Prometheus. His body was wrapped with a silver suits with a texture that was hard to consider as something of this world.

Lotte’s positivity level was also surpassing 150. He poured his magic power into the greatest fire power of that, to level 8.

“Turning thy back to the god, pour the wisdom of human history to the dream of destruction… hear the roar of human’s independence! {{furigana|Gustav Dora|Betrayal’s Romance Cannon}}!!”

A gigantic ordnance towered erectly from Kazuki’s chest to the front direction. It was a gigantic gun battery with length of few dozen meters and the thickness diameter close to one meter. A recoil propulsion system in order to withstand the firing of that gun battery was created on his back. In front of Naglfar, Kazuki also turned into a large weapon and determined his aim.

The unrealistic cannon that possessed the power of magic―fired.

A high explosive projectile that was almost as large as a human’s stature with the weight of a few ton was fired rapidly along with a thunderous roar that pierced your ears.

Masses of destruction landed one after another on Naglfar’s armor that was subjected under rapid freezing right after a super high temperature and exploded grandly. The nails of the dead were peeled off and fell apart.

When Kazuki finished firing all the explosive bullets and made the ordnance vanished―it was at the same time where Naglfar was finally destroyed from the attacks that came one after another.

“For, for a human, moreover a male to fire magic this powerful in rapid succession, how can your magic not run out..?”

Hel opened her eyes wide inside Naglfar that was barely floating in the air with its barely remaining fragment of magic power.

“No… that magic power inside you… that is Zero Knight’s…!”

Hel still survived! Kazuki flapped his wings of flame while taking a stance with Ame no Murakumo.

It was at that time that following the signal of commencing attack from Kazuki just now, his comrades invoked the magic that they were chanting all at once.

“Tearing the skin and blooming the flower of blood, the scream that echoed eternally… fell the betrayer and awaken the hell right here! Cocytus!”

Behind Kazuki who was slashing at Hel, a piercing cold of hell was overtaking him.

At that time the Ame no Murakumo in Kazuki’s grasp reverberated *JIIN* as if saying something to him.

…He could hear, the voice of the Sacred Treasure!

In this kind of time, this Sacred Treasure must be… used in this kind of way!

“Carry the mystery in your blade crest <Ame no Murakumo>! Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Kazuki immediately made a half turn on the spot and ran his blade not at Hel but at the cold of [Cocytus]. While Ame no Murakumo was enveloped in cold, it shone as if in echo.

Like Kusanagi no Tsurugi that tore apart magical phenomenon and dispersed them―it was not, the magic phenomenon was absorbed into that shining blade. The golden blade was frozen into deep blue and all the cold was compressed in it.

The essence of [slash] was to compress the energy within the narrowly linear range.

Katana could [cut] things by compressing the movement energy into the sharp blade.

Ame no Murakumo could even compress the magic energy into the blade’s narrow range.

That was this Battou Kaikon―[Tsumugari no Tachi].

Kazuki used his movement of cutting Kaguya-senpai’s [Cocytus] just like that to rotate in full circle and cut at Hel with the blade that carried cold.

“UOOOOOOOOOO!”

With Ame no Murakumo that was carrying the power of [Cocytus], Kazuki pursued the blown away Hel and dealt her one more blow even further. Hel was thrown onto the rock surface of Mt. Fuji.

“O lightning god, disturb the law of heaven following my will, liberate the undulation of destruction that is hidden in the atmosphere! {{furigana|Arc Flash Hazard|Super Lightning Arc Discharge}}!!”

Hikaru-senpai also cast Baal’s level 7 magic. The power of the Haunted Ground’s atmosphere was compressed into the two poles of positive and negative energy and raised a vortex around Hel, that equilibrium broke and caused a pure white great explosion. That was not something that was caused by nature, but by plasma.

Instantly, Kazuki cut at that plasma with Ame no Murakumo.

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!” <ref>I don’t understand the meaning of Tsumu, maybe it’s just a name. But ‘gari’ means mow down while ‘tachi’ means long sword</ref>

He swung that blade at Hel that was crashed into a rock wall. The compressed electric heat destroyed Hel’s defensive magic power with each blow.

It didn’t stop at one attack. Second, third, fourth…he repeatedly hacked her to pieces. The recoil of the defensive magic power gouged a crater at the surface of Mt. Fuji like an explosion, with each blow Hel was buried even deeper.

“O bird of paradise whose body is carrying the light of heaven, respond to my accusation and burn to ash the sin on the surface! Israel Judgment!!”

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Mio had already guessed everything and directly fired Phoenix’s heat ray not at Hel but at Kazuki’s blade. That power was settled smoothly and the blade of sun’s heat slashed apart even further at Hel.

“Ga, ganging up on me like this while borrowing the power of a great number of people! You, you coward! Not fair! Even though papa is not helping me…!! Give me back Naglfar!!”

“O singing voice of mermaid, manifest the freezing thought. Sadness into ice flower, loneliness into light snowfall, cover the world with freezing blankness… White Album!”

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Koyuki also invoked her magic and Kazuki’a Ama no Murakumo accepted it. Hel was buried until a depth where she couldn’t even move her body anymore while Kazuki earnestly stabbed his sword.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I’m, vanishing! If you keep doing that… I’ll vanish!!”

It was evident that her defensive magic power was almost extinguished.

When Kazuki thought whether he was going to stab his blade just like this until the end, for an instant, he hesitated.

He could win. But, would he kill her?

{It’s not like the Diva will die you know? When she used up her strength then she will only fall asleep for a long, long time.}

Leme told him through the telepathic communication.

―Her appearance was a little girl but, this opponent was a terrifying Diva. For the sake of protecting his comrades he couldn’t afford to go easy on her.

If he gave her an instant of opening here―the next moment it would be Kazuki who fall into a pinch. He had already used up his magic power to the limit. He had already spent everything to bring the situation into this direction.

He would finish her off until the end! Kazuki resolved.

But suddenly―Kazuki felt a magic power expanding in circle shape around Hel. It was not a magic power that came from Hel. It was an unknown magic power from someone that was isolated from them with a distant space.

It was hard to predict what was going on.

This was not an attack magic. If he created [Futsu no Mitama] he thought that perhaps he could destroy the magic phenomenon, but he wouldn’t make it in time if he chanted only after he noticed this.

The circle shaped magic power that expanded with the buried Hel as the center instantly materialized into a huge ring.

Ring―the thing that was like a string that was connecting through several magatama.

This was an enlarged Yasakani no Magatama!

Its inside instantly became pitch black and connected into another dimension, a different space. The exhausted Hel was absorbed into the black dimension while the girl herself was making a confused face saying “What’s this!?”

“Ikousai!?”

Reflexively Kazuki almost threw his body into the other dimension, but recalling his own exhaustion he stumbled his step. If enemies were waiting at the destination of the other dimension, his current self would be unable to do anything.

There was no reply to answer Kazuki’s calling voice, after the ring swallowed Hel inside the other dimension, the ring of Yasakani no Magatama shrank in the blink of an eye and vanished.

===Part 8===

Aisu Ikousai with her body wrapped in her trademark Japanese clothes was standing still inside her own sword dojo that was prepared in Oosaka. Some composure came out in her expression ―her special training was bearing fruit.

At the space before her eyes the enlarged Yasakani no Magatama was floating along with magic power. It was connected with the deep black dimension in its inside and with a plop it dropped off Hel who was in a worn-out state of body and mind.

“You really got beaten up mercilessly huh. …If you got worn out until this bad then you won’t be able to come out at the frontline for a while until your divinity is restored.”

Hel was limply sinking on the cool floor of natural wood inside the sword dojo where it seemed she couldn’t even hear Ikousai’s voice.

Yasakani no Magatama smoothly became smaller and wrapped on Ikousai’s wrist naturally.

“Wh, why…?” Finally a voice escaped Hel.

“Yasakani no Magatama is a Sacred Treasure that can only display its effect within my perception sphere.”

Ikousai had already tested the Sacred Treasure many times, she was already able to completely grasp its effect.

“Something like exerting the power of this Sacred Treasure at the far away Fuji’s sea of trees originally should be something impossible. But… the Three Sacred Treasures resonated with each other, like a power that called to each other. Most likely it was the moment when Hayashizaki obtained Ame no Murakumo in his hand, that Yasakani no Magatama and Yata no Kagami reacted. Yata no Kagami projected your figure fighting that guy holding Ame no Murakumo. If it’s visible, then that place is a range where my imagination can reach… it’s inside my magic perception range. That was why I could save you using the power of Yasakani no Magatama.”

Yasakani no Magatama―it twisted the space between its string.

“Hel is my master that taught me the way to handle a Diva’s power. I heard the story from Loki… I was thinking whether there was any way for me to go help you. It was something miraculous, but I’m glad I made it.”

Ikousai had a really arrogant personality, but toward someone that gave her something―toward the existence that she called as mentor, she was someone that paid her respect from the bottom of her heart. Hel too was not an exception.

“Uu… uu, ueeee…”

“Hel?”

“UEEEE~N, IKOUSAI~!!”

When Ikousai just thought that she was seeing tears gathering inside Hel’s round eyes, Hel suddenly clung at Ikousai’s chest while crying loudly like a child.

“Uwaa, don’t you press your soppy face to my clothes.”

“Ueee~! Why~! Why is everyone making fun of me~! Why is papa not praising me~! Give me back my Naglfar~! Even though I worked really hard to gather a lot of dead people’s souls, why did it get broken like that~!! I hate everyone~!!”

Feeling troubled of how to deal with Hel that was crying like a child, Ikousai just kept patting her blue haired head for the time being.

“Ueee~! I hate everyone except Ikousai~!!”

Hel bawled even harder, like a child that was scolded for the first time.
<noinclude>

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

{{SimpleNav}}
</noinclude>

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 2

2016-01-25T10:20:18Z

Windsgrace: /* Part 5 */

==Chapter 2 – Sky of End==

===Part 1===

The Magic Division’s student council room was the strategy meeting room of Kazuki and co.

On this day there was a new face that was added as their comrade.

“This is our special advisor, Liz Liza-sensei.”

When Kazuki introduced Liz Liza-sensei, everyone applause *pachi pachi* that seemed to be forced, Liz Liza-sensei went “How about you trashes stop, that looks stupid” a little embarrassed.

“I have gone several times to the depth of Fuji’s sea of trees before the wall was built. There are various things I can give advice for.”

“But there will be no more interference from Yamato right?”

Mio tilted her head saying so. “If that’s so won’t this be just a simple journey of Kazuki taking the Sacred Treasure and going home? Easy, easy.”

‘Certainly’, Kazuki too thought so. From here on ahead both Loki and Ilyailiya too couldn’t stand in their way.

They would be shown the way by the seal and just needed to head to the promised place―he had such a sense of security.

His sense of danger was slacking, but Kazuki immediately tensed himself.

“Just because there will be no interference doesn’t mean that there is no danger. Where we will be going from now on is the deepest part of Japan’s largest Haunted Ground. It should be even more dangerous than even Level 1 and 2 until now.”

The inner part of Fuji’s sea of trees couldn’t be liberated by the Knight Order before, and then, to cope, they built the wall surrounding the area several times to hold back the expansion. Surrounded by walls, the Grand Haunted Ground was divided into three levels.

Thanks to the wall, the Haunted Ground’s expansion was slowed down, but in exchange the magic power was confined to the inner direction and beyond the wall became unimaginably thick with magic power.

The other side of the last wall―the Level 3 area should have became a type of Haunted Ground that had never before been seen in Japan.

“It’s just like he said. It’s not an exaggeration to say that, until now, you guys probably still haven’t even tasted half of the danger of the Grand Haunted Ground just from your experience in Level 1 and 2.”

Liz Liza-sensei talked with her usual strict tone like when she was teaching in class.

“If you ask me why, that’s because Level 1 and 2 are a forest, but ahead in Level 3 the area will become the Fuji Mountain. In short a place that was originally dangerous already is transformed into an even worst Haunted Ground. …From here on out what is necessary is not just simple battle strength, it’s better to head there with a few number of people that excel in adapting to the environment.”

“Adapting to the environment… is it?” Mio asked back with a dubious face.

“…What is waiting for us from now on is a snowy mountain climbing in a Haunted Ground.”

“Actually I also have a hobby of mountain climbing. Because Britain is a great country for mountain climbing.”

For some reason Liz Liza-sensei started to explain in a lively tone of voice.

Fuji Mountain―as Japan’s highest summit, it was a mountain that was said as Japan’s symbol.

Even now that it had become a Haunted Ground, that white peak seen from afar didn’t change at all since the ancient times.

But there was no more climber there to visit the place as a tourist attraction like in the past, the true state of the place right now was uncertain.

“Originally the snow should be gone when the season entered the summer, I hear that it was an easy to climb a mountain.”

Liz Liza-sensei said. If that was true then there should be no danger now that it had already been June.

“But Fuji Mountain that had been turned into a Haunted Ground is isolated by blizzard all year round and it was transformed into a mountain with intense cold. I think the harshness of that environment can even rival Everest or McKinley now. That’s my opinion.”

Everest―Even Kazuki and the others whose awareness of the world in general had faded knew about that name.

The mountain with the highest summit in the world. In a certain meaning it was a name that was like [a myth that existed in reality].

“Even if sensei said it’s like climbing a mountain in winter… we are strong against cold you know.”

Mio interjected into the lecture with a face that didn’t understand what Liz Liza-sensei wanted to say.

Magicians could manipulate heat using Pyrokinesis. Heat or cold wouldn’t become any problem for them.

In addition they also had defensive magic power, so even if they fell from the cliff or got hit by falling rocks, there would be no problem.

To put something like environment adaptation as a source of argument itself was strange.

“No, you see, the blizzard and the coldness of Mountain Fuji that had turned into a Haunted Ground resounded not in your flesh, but in your mind. It’s the same as a mind attack magic. The problem is not your defensive magic power, but your strength to maintain your [wall of heart].”

Resistance against mind attack magic―although Kazuki was better at it compared to the past, it was still a field that he was poor at.

“When the Haunted Ground’s coldness and chill resounds in your mind, you will be convinced that the feeling is real and its influence will come out for real in your body. Regardless of how you preserve your temperature using Pyrokinesis, you will still get hypothermia. Even though you are supposed to have produced oxygen with magic power already, an acute mountain sickness’ symptoms will still appear in you. There will be many agonies that you have forgotten since becoming a magician that will appear on parade. Even the knights in my generation had some people who died from challenging the Fuji Mountain that had been turned into a Haunted Ground.”

Death―for the people of this generation who could protect their body with defensive magic power, it was an extremely heavy concept.

“Won’t it be fine if we fly in the sky while chanting magic?”

Koyuki raised her hand and calmly stated her opinion. If it was Kazuki or Mio then it was possible for them.

“At that time too there was a contractor of Phoenix that tested that, but it was no good.” Liz Liza-sensei shook her head.

“When you get separated from the ground, a fierce wind will blow right overhead and beat you down to the ground. It’s as if the Haunted Ground is saying that a cunning act is prohibited. The Haunted Ground is forcing you to climb the mountain on foot. Even though that place is a world of magic, but it’s really obsessive with due form.”

Diva, Demon Beast, and Haunted Ground reproduced the form of Mythology and legend. The harsh challenge of climbing the snowy mountain that once existed in Fuji’s sea of trees―that legend enforced the people that stepped their foot in it to follow it.

“You guys have become magicians that are far more excellent than the magicians of my era. But the Grand Haunted Ground too has continued its expansion, the magic power in its center part has also been condensed even more than before. You guys had better prepare your heart beforehand as if you are seriously challenging to climb a snowy mountain without any magic power. And then there will be Demon Beasts too attacking us there.”“A blizzard where mind resistance is necessary… then it’s better for the members of the Magic Division to be the one to go there then.”

“I guess so. In the first place it’s not an environment where you can honestly do a close-quarter combat.”

“Then there will be no turn for this one is it…” Kohaku dropped her shoulders regretfully.

“Even if you tell me to go to that kind of harsh place, there is no way I want to go there.”

Torazou-san laughed carefreely, but Kanae besides him stood up noisily from her chair.

“Please wait, Nii-sama! Please let me go together with you there!!”

“No way. You too don’t have much training in resistance against mind attacks right?”

“But!”, Kanae tenaciously dogged Kazuki.

“I cannot give special treatment to only Kanae. It’s dangerous. I don’t plan to listen to your selfishness.”

Kazuki decisively omitted Kanae from the group, not as family, but as the Chief Student Council President.

“So that we can immediately react even if any victim appears, I think it will be better to make a team composed of Magika Stigmas with high positivity levels. The Sword Division members are also out of the question because of that requirement too.”

Liz Liza-sensei added her comment to Kazuki.

“Therefore…” Kazuki made an orderly list of names on the whiteboard.

Hayashizaki Kazuki. Amasaki Mio. Hiakari Koyuki. Lotte. Otonashi Kaguya. Hoshikaze Hikaru. Tsukahara Kazuha.

With this, the girls whose positivity level toward Kazuki were above 100 became the team members.

“Fufufu, Tsukahara-san usually always talks abusively to Kazuki, but you actually really love Kazuki don’t you? I wonder how much the number actually is?”

Hikaru-senpai teased Kazuha-senpai who was sitting just beside her.

“It, it’s not really like a love. I, I just like him a little…”

Kazuha-senpai’s face was beet red and she looked down completely.

“Ahaha, Tsukahara-san is so cute~!” Hikaru-senpai poked her from the side.

“Ge, geez! Stop it~” Kazuha-senpai shook off Hikaru-senpai’s hand but,

“I’m not gonna stop~” Hikaru-senpai hugged her. Kazuha-senpai then,

“Geez… Hoshikaze-san you dummy…” She became completely docile with a beet red face.

What’s with the two of them?

“Also as someone who is experienced about the mountain, I will give you all my guidance.”

Liz Liza-sensei said that with a face that looked a little excited.

“…I’m, being left out?”

Shinobu-senpai was pouting with her eyebrows knitted while saying that.

“Eerr, it’s decided from the sequential order of the positivity level after all.”

When Kazuki weakly said that, Shinobu-senpai stood up from her seat, *tetete* she approached Kazuki’s side with little run and crouched down. After that she talked to Kazuki with upturned eyes like an abandoned dog.

“I. …Really like Kazuki.”

“I, I know that, but, err…”

When Kazuki didn’t know how he should answer, Mio who sat beside him said “I’m the one that loves Kazu-nii the most here~!” while standing up and puffing out her chest. Shinobu-senpai frowned in dissatisfaction.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 065.jpg|thumb]]

Beside her a female wolf Diva―Marchosias’ avatar was floating. It was said that Marchosias could take the form of a human and also a wolf, but her true nature was more of a wolf.{Gau. O King, To leave out my contractor like this, unforgivable. Gau.}

Shinobu-senpai mimicked her Diva’s behavior and barked “Gau gau” while pulling *gui gui* at Kazuki’s arm.

“That way of acting as a spoiled doggy is still just second rate desu!”

While Kazuki was troubled, Lotte who was watching the development suddenly stood up from her seat.

After that Lotte rushed over to Kazuki’s side trottingly and hugged Kazuki’s neck. And then,

“Kazuki-oniisan, wan wan-!” She licked at Kazuki’s cheek *pero pero*.

“…I see.” Shinobu-senpai’s eyes sparkled.

And then “Gau gau” she hugged Kazuki’s neck from the other side and went *pero pero* at Kazuki’s other cheek.

“Wan wan!” “Gau gau.” Both of their soft tongues were teasing Kazuki’s cheeks. The warm saliva of girls besmeared his face all over. Kazuki’s feelings became a little strange.

“Both of you, we are still in the middle of a serious meeting here!”

After Kazuki kept being treated like that for a while, he finally pushed back the two of them off him.

Lotte said “Okay desu” and obediently returned to her seat.

“Shinobu, give up already and come back here.”

After Miyabi-senpai signaled Shinobu-senpai with her hand, Shinobu-senpai too went “Gau…” dejectedly before retuning to her own seat while crawling on all fours on the floor.

‘…No, senpai doesn’t need to become a wolf that much.’

“Well then, tomorrow let’s carry out the operation with these members! We are going to take the last Sacred Treasure!”

Kazuki declared with his face still wet with saliva.

It was only Kanae who still couldn’t accept it and she faced Kazuki with a dissatisfied look.

“You all don’t need a lot of climbing tools if you make a practical use of magic. But let’s prepare extra just for the food supply. Just in case, perhaps we will need to {{furigana|bivouac|camp in the open}} there.”

Liz Liza-sensei added that at the end of the meeting.

===Part 2===
With this, this was the third time they went on an expedition from the Knight Academy to the Grand Haunted Ground.

It took one hour from Tokyo to Gotenba Station at the bottom of the Mt. Fuji using the magic light train, from there they changed their transportation into the military use car that the Knight Order had prepared for them and they traversed through the empty town that had become an evacuation area.

Like that they arrived at the first wall that was the entrance into the Haunted Ground.

After following the procedure at the gate that was guarded by the Knight Order to not let anyone enter, they went inside.

For the time being their numbers until here were not few, a lot of volunteering students were also coming along.

The Level 1 area that was the most outer part of the Grand Haunted Ground had already been mostly liberated from the exploration that they had done twice until now in this place. Because of that, what greeted them right after they passed the wall was the calm forest at the foot of Mt. Fuji.

Signs and facilities that were built at the time where this place was still a bustling sightseeing course were left behind as if the time had been stopped.

Aiming for the second wall that was standing towering far away, they earnestly walked the path that was filled rampantly with green conifer trees.

“Walking through this area blessed by mother nature… I cannot suppress this uncomfortable feeling inside…”

In the crowd of students slightly behind, Kamimura-san in goth-loli clothing that was mismatched with the scenery was walking forward somehow even with an unsteady gait.

“You’re not tired, Kamimura-san?”

Kazuki drew back until the behind and felt anxious about the girl’s condition.

“The sky is so dazzling… Right now I’m fine, but surely I will get tired in time…”

Kamimura-san answered him with a way of talking like a prophet.

“Should I carry you on my back to preserve your stamina?”

“Eh, tha… that’s, it’s okay. Kazuki is the one that has to preserve your stamina no matter what.”

He was completely rejected. But there was no skull mark that came flying at him so he guessed she was just acting reserved. Kazuki cut in at the front of Kamimura-san, then with a ‘hyoi’ he lifted up her small body.

Kamimura-san went “Au! Awawa-!”, then she encircled her arms around Kazuki’s neck while she was about to blow her fuse.

“Let’s be like this until the second wall.”

“…Even though I’m being tactful here… Uu―. Normally when someone is about to do something like this they will get cold feet and become scared and so they won’t be able to do it, that’s what I thought. You are completely like the cool guy in a gal-game, this pushy attitude that cannot be hated… Something like this is unfair. So vexing. …But you will get wet-!!”

“What, wet you say? Not really, Kamimura-san’s weight is like paper, you are so light that I won’t sweat much.”

“Mumumu-!? Her weight is, light you say!?”

Kaguya-senpai who was walking at the side suddenly turned at their direction with a great vigor for some reason.

“Kaguya-senpai, Kamimura-san’s lightness isn’t in not in this dimension that you can get from something like a diet, so don’t mind it.”

Right now it was Kamimura-san’s existence that had already half-disappeared, not her fat.

“Why is Kaguya-senpai that sensitive about this weight talk?”

“No, no no not really. I don’t really care about something like my weight or anything!? Wow, it feels really good to walk among nature like this! La la laa― fu―n fun♪”

Kaguya-senpai’s eyes kept darting everywhere while skipping with a weird humming and whistling.

Everyone were all cute girls but… perhaps the hard work that the girls were doing behind the scene for their appeal was something that a male just couldn’t get a measure of.

“Even someone like me, have some aspects that a person that lovely is jealous of, that’s…”

On the other hand Kamimura-san was moved in a weird way.

“You are too light like this. I have to feed you a lot and make you gain weight.”

When Kazuki shook Kamimura-san up and down, she gave off a weird voice “au au au―”.

A gentle slope came into their view next, soft pastel blue manifested themselves from between the vivid green thickets.

“Kamimura-san, look, hydrangeas are growing en masse.”

“Oo…” Even Kamimura-san spontaneously raised a deeply moved voice. Everyone around them were also suddenly making a fuss about the sight.

“See, going outside once in a while is also good, right?”

Kazuki once again shook Kamimura-san on his back up and down while talking.

“…Kazuki, your way of talking, it looks like a father that took his daughter outside.”

Kamimura-san’s reply sounded like she was a little troubled of how to cope with the situation.

The reserved hue of the hydrangeas calmed down the hearts of the people watching it. If it was now, he had the feeling that he could step inside Kamimura-san’s heart for even just a little.

“Kamimura-san, you really work hard, that you even went with us into this place, you also properly attended the academy but, you’re not forcing yourself right?”

Kazuki slowed down his walk and then he asked while his gaze was following along the hydrangeas at the roadside.

It was a natural way of living, but for this girl who had been a shut-in for a long period of time such a way of living was supposed to be difficult for her.

“I’m not forcing myself. After all, I understand, that all this time you and Lotte-shishou are always being considerate of me. …Because I understand that I’m being paid attention to… I thought that in this kind of time, I have to become useful properly, by fighting.”

“You really are doing your best. Thank you.”

Why in the world would a good child like this become a complete shut-in?

Kamimura-san was scared to get along with other people. He had no doubt that she was too sensitive against other people’s attitude at herself, whether it was kindness or ill will. There was no problem in her personality, it was just that she was too sensitive.

‘In order to grant courage to such a girl, what should I do that would be good? …Let’s constantly fill her surroundings with the kindness of the people from around us.’ That was what Kazuki thought.

“Thank you, Kamimura-san.”

Kamimura-san noticed Kazuki and the others’ consideration for herself and so she tried her best to return the favor. Kazuki was happy of that and gave his thanks to her.

“…I think that the hydrangeas are certainly beautiful. I recognize it.”

As if searching for a way of how to express her own feelings, Kamimura-san talked slowly to Kazuki.

“Because you pulled my hand and led my outside from the Ise Imperial Shrine, maybe, surely, even I can become someone that tries to think of the things outside of my room as fun… I think.”

Kamimura-san was facing forward, just a little.

…The quiet promenade that was like a hiking route continued, and finally they arrived at the second wall.

Kazuki put Kamimura-san down from his back. In exchange of thanks for Kazuki’s assistance that let her legs were still mostly at ease, Kamimura-san wordlessly hopped up and down lightly.

They passed the second wall too and entered Level 2.

The area from here on mostly hadn’t been liberated yet. But the route to continue to the third wall had been opened by Kazuki’s reckless battle before this.

The elite squad led by Kazuki headed to the third wall while the other students spread out in order to advance the capturing of the Level 2 area. That was the arrangement that they had decided on.

“Leave this area to these ones!” “Leave it to us!” “I’ll work today.” “Gau.” “Fufufu.”

Kohaku, Karin, Kamimura-san, and the Ryuutaki-sisters saw off Kazuki and co. who were going forward.

The path that Kazuki and co. followed was gradually sloping drastically, they even had to follow some animal trails on the way.

Even so there was no Demon Beast coming out on this route that had been liberated once.They finally arrived at the third wall with the ease of advancing through a dungeon that had finished being captured completely.

There was a concrete wall that was built fourteen years ago before it was abandoned in front of them.

A plain door like a staff entrance door behind a building was installed in the lower part of the wall.

Both the wall and the door had gotten so old that it looked like it would turn into dust if it got hit with all their strength.

But a powerful barrier was set up on this wall that could even reject a King.

“Please wait! Nii-sama… as I thought, I too will go!”

Kanae chased them from the path behind. Kazuki turned around in surprise and shouted.

“I told you no already!”

He had to tell her sternly. He understood well of how Kanae’s obstinacy was.

“I can’t take you because your resistance against mind magic is weak. If something happened to Kanae, I cannot search for you like I can with everyone else. Saying it bluntly, you will just slow us down.”

“However… I have the feeling that there will be something important that is going to happen to Nii-sama after this… I have the feeling that I have to see that with my own eyes!!”

―Some kind of important thing. Leme had repeatedly said the word destiny before. Ahead of this path, there was a turning point waiting for him that would shake his future.

When he thought of that once more, Kazuki felt hesitation and his reply was caught inside his throat.

A turning point that would change his own life. To say that he was going to take Mio and Kaguya-senpai and everybody else there, but telling Kanae that he couldn’t take her was… as if he was inviting everyone to his wedding reception except for Kanae…

It could be seen as an act that threw away the existence of Kanae from his own life ahead of now.

Kanae’s feeling that wanted to witness with her own eyes the turning point of Kazuki’s life was something natural.

On the other hand, he too… he also felt that he wanted Kanae to be there at the turning point of his life.

His relation with Kanae was that deep. Even more than everybody else in this place…

―’I also want Kanae at my side.’ That kind of feeling gushed out inside him like a light shining over the darkness in his heart.

However, it was dangerous…

{…Kazuki.}

Inside Kazuki’s head who couldn’t say anything, a voice of someone was echoing. It was not Leme.

“This voice is…” It seemed that a similar voice also rang out inside Kanae’s head, she turned her head around looking for the voice’s owner.

The third wall that was right beside them emitted a faint magic power light.

That light linked Kazuki and Kanae’s consciousness and sent in a voice into them.

“The path ahead might be severe, but… take that person with you too.}

The seal that possessed its own consciousness told so to Kazuki.

{Undoubtedly, there are also things that have to be conveyed to that person too, that’s why…}

That time…*zuzuzu*, a heavy sound was reverberating.

The door of the wall that was emitting light opened by itself in invitation to Kazuki and Kanae.

“…I understand. Kanae, come together with me and ascertain what lies ahead of me with your own eyes.”

Kazuki resigned himself. He said that while shivering from the existence of someone that would once more change his life.“Certainly ahead of this path, it looks like there is something really important that is waiting.”

Kazuki and co. passed through the wall―there was a boundary line of the world there.

The other side of the opened door was pure white.

Silver grains were dancing in the air along with the wind. When they stepped inside with a step, their feet were buried right into the snow until their shin. All the trees in the surrounding had withered, turning into frost covered trees that were colored silver.

This level was a snow mountain in winter… he had been told that, but even so, the world line between the front of the wall and behind the wall was just too different.

It just told him even more clearly how incomparable the thickness of the magic power that distorted the world was in here.

“Well then everyone, let’s go.”

Kazuki stood in the lead and passed through the door, his companions followed after him.

Their feet was buried under the snow, silver wind hit the body right from the front, Kazuki’s teeth were clattering in no time at all. He entered strength into his shoulders and tensed the muscles in his whole body.

It had been a really long time since he felt the sensation of the cold.

Just like the story that he heard, it was still cold even though he produced heat in his body using Pyrokinesis. He deeply felt the cold.

“Hold your mind strongly! If not, you will get hypothermia just like your mind imagined!”

Liz Liza-sensei raised her voice. The coldness of this Haunted Ground reverberated in their minds.

“What an outrageous Haunted Ground…”

Kaguya-senpai knitted her eyebrows. Even so when he looked back to ascertain the countenance of the members, he could still feel some composure from everyone of the Witch’s Mansion.

“…Kanae, are you okay?” Kazuki was concerned with Kanae’s condition.

“I’m fine.” Kanae bit her lips and answered while glaring at the path ahead.

Her stout-heartedness that wouldn’t let any complaint escape her mouth made Kazuki feel even more anxious instead.

“This place should be at the height of around two thousand meters above the sea. As expected even the snow mountain of a Haunted Ground, too, will become even colder the higher it is, ahaha.”

Hikaru-senpai made a desperate laugh.

“The height too is like that, but thanks to the trees that are still growing around here the wind is weak. When we pass through the forest border and there is nothing in the surroundings, the blizzard will hit us fully at that time.”

Liz Liza-sensei added in a fact that he didn’t even want to imagine.

What was a little strange was how everyone was exposing their bare skin because of their Magic Dress even though they were in the middle of a snowy mountain. Though Kazuki was also just in his normal uniform. This clothing had no meaning at all for physical cold protection.

“O Divine Protection of mermaid, please block the step of the hated enemy and hasten the step of the chosen person… O ice blade, run! Moves in the Field!”

Koyuki cast an environmental control magic before they advanced through the snow for real.

Usually this magic froze the ground and formed ice blades on the allies’ feet. The allies could move around freely like ice skating while the enemy would be unable to move about… this magic had been used a lot in that way.

But this time the magic didn’t grant any effect on the ground and formed ice claws on the allies’ feet. Further it also created ice picks in the shape of a ‘T’.

“It really created a fitting atmosphere huh.” Hikaru-senpai swung around her pick’s like a kid.

An ice pick is a tool used to stab the blade into a snow surface of rock wall in order to keep the holder’s balance when they fell off from the slope or their balance was broken.

“And then if we stab this claw into the snow surface, we can then walk forward and not slip.”

Mio said that while immediately moving through the path of new snow with the ice claws on her feet.

“Even if we don’t use something like this, there is also a method of walking while using friction control magic.”

The expert in general magic, Kazuha-senpai, was once more saying an amazing thing so nonchalantly.

“That’s also fine but Hiakari has already troubled herself to make this, so just use this to suppress the consumption of excess magic power. After all even just standing around like this will have your magic power consumed to endure the blizzard.”

Liz Liza-sensei said so and then she urged them on.

“Oi, Hayashizaki siblings and Tsukahara, what are we going to do if you guys don’t walk in the lead.”

Kazuki, Kanae, and Kazuha-senpai moved forward in panic with crunching sounds to catch up with Mio who went ahead.

“Wait, Mio!”

They had to stab the picks into the snow surface each time they took a step forward and stepped firmly with the ice claws while climbing in long stride so as to not slip. Just advancing forward like this in a snowy mountain was surprisingly hard.

Their feet that were buried in the snow too was so cold with a chill that seeped right inside until their bone.

Kazuki finally overtook Mio and stood in front of the whole party.

Suddenly the snow field ahead vibrated *gogogo*.

…That’s right, of course this kind of thing would naturally happen. At the other side of the sloping path―inside the white screen of the blizzard, a faint figure of a <ice giant> so big they needed to look up appeared.

They had to fight Demon Beasts in this Haunted Ground.

“That Demon Beast… be careful! It’s going to throw ice lumps from afar!”

Liz Liza-sensei yelled. The ice giant broke his own body with his fist. And then it raised high the ice lump that was a part of its own body, he faced Kazuki and co. and threw it.

The enemy was located on the higher ground. The ice lump was approaching them by borrowing the force of gravity.

Kazuki jumped to the side and evaded the ice lump.

But the instant he evaded a step to the side, *BAKIBAKIBAKI!* there was a strange sensation under his feet.

There was no ground at the place his foot was going to step on. That spot was where shrubbery was growing on the slope and looked like the ground just from the snow that was piling up on top of it. There was no footing at the place where he was going to step, Kazuki almost rolled down from the slope.

He supported his body with the pick in panic and raised a yell.

“Like, like this we are not going to be able to move our body well!?”

The ground looked like a brand new snow surface at a glance, but they couldn’t know what was going on under the snow with just one look.

The giant didn’t miss the opening and threw another ice lump at them. With this timing, he couldn’t dodge.

“Flapped the wings and scatter sparks. Trail behind the spiral wind, become the bullet that gouge life! Flap and shoot! Barrett!!”A flame bullet collided into the ice lump just in the nick of time. Ice grains and steam exploded in front of Kazuki’s eyes.

“Geez Kazu-nii, be careful there!”

With Mio as the beginning, the other companions shot out their attack magic all at once.

“My wicked thought is filled with curse, I beseech thy agony… I have no shame of my ominous thinking! Feel Pain!”

“O the will of god of the whirling sky! Converge in my hand, please grant me the authority of judgment! O radiance of royalty divine gift, become the drawn bow of splendor! Lightning Line!”

“Howl! The civilization grant destruction to human! The roar of wisdom scorch, break thy body, bury that dignity under the rubble!! Mitrailleuse!”

Kaguya-senpai’s bullet of agony. Hikaru-senpai’s lightning arrow. Lotte’s gatling bullets.

The giant staggered from the raining down magic. Its movement that was trying to throw ice lumps was stopped.

“Barrett!”

Kazuki too ran through the snow field while chanting attack magic. When Kazuki pushed his way through the snow and advanced in the front, it also made it easier for everyone that was following after him to advance.

Ahead on the pure white path of the blizzard, Kazuki sensed even more moving presences.

“Everyone, there’s not just one!”

At the same time with Kazuki yelling to inform his party, three more giants showed their majestic appearances from the depth of the blizzard and the three raised up ice lumps all at once.

“O hour hand, please blunt down the gait of the fools and show contempt for their worth… {{furigana|Chrono Stutter|Stupefaction Time Lost}}!!”

Liz Liza-sensei chanted a magic that he had never seen before.

Three avatar of clock floated in front of the three ice giants, those three clocks had its hour hand moved really slowly while melting into the giants.

Thereupon in the blink of an eye, the giants’ movement became sluggish.

A magic that slowed a great number of enemies all at once―perhaps Liz Liza-sensei had assumed from the start that the enemy might be more than one.

The thrown ice lumps from the giants whose movements were slowed flew flimsily and fell in the middle without reaching Kazuki’s location. The fallen ice raised *DON!* a large sound and a curtain of snow was raised on the snow field.

“O craftsman’s forging that scatter the flower of night performance, fill the woven sky with sword’s tip! The role of the sword is for the sake of victory… under my command, become thunderstorm and pour down! Tenkuu Battou Renge Hou!”

Kazuha-senpai too was chanting a magic that was suited for a great number of enemies.

It was an attack magic that created a large number of Sacred Treasures and launched them like missiles<ref>Gilgamesh's ability in fate/stay night anyone?</ref>.

“Burn brightly!”

When Kazuha-senpai commanded, the Sacred Treasures that were floating in the air were all covered with flames.

Kazuha-senpai’s contracted Diva, Futsunushi no Kami had his power increased from combining with Take Mikadzuchi. It seems that now senpai was able to freely control the element that the Sacred Treasures possessed.

The flame Sacred Treasures pierced into the ice giants one after another.

…But, the giants were not falling down.

“Barrett!” “Lightning Line!”

Low level magic were flying without pause. But the giants planted themselves on the snow field and stood dauntingly.

“…They are tougher than we think. Perhaps it will be better to take it slow and chant a high level magic.” Hikaru-senpai murmured.

“Or else, with close quarter combat.”Kanae who was pushing through the snow together with Kazuki murmured subduedly. It was a heavy tone of voice as if she was being cornered in some respect. …Kanae was waiting for her chance.

But the distance between her and the opponent was far with snow blocking the path.

“O shapeless and mute shadow, become the fish that swim inside the darkness that is teeming with obstructive thoughts! The origin of nightmare, vicissitudes materialism, respond to the fear and hope and sink your teeth…! Deep Specter!”

Kaguya-senpai had already concluded to aim for a high level magic and put it into practice.

A soul was residing inside the shadow of the ice giants. The black shadow that was like a spot of stain inside this white world swelled up in one go and turned into a monster with size that was not inferior with the ice giant.

The shadow monster opened its big mouth where fangs were lining up inside like a shark’s mouth, then it sunk its teeth into the ice giant.

But the ice giant didn’t even pay any heed of how their shoulder was bitten by a monster and continued to throw ice lump at Kazuki and co.’s direction. Their movements were sluggish due to Liz Liza-sensei’s magic, yet they were still throwing ice lumps even though it didn’t reach. Several of the ice lumps were falling just right in the middle.

“Their toughness is amazing, but… those Demon Beasts, are they doing something?”

Mio raised an amazed voice. The ice giants kept continuing to throw ice lumps that didn’t even reach them with sluggish movement like broken robots. Over and over they kept throwing, raising a curtain of snow on the snow field.

―A crack sharply entered the snow field. With a look of realization Liz Liza-sensei yelled.

“…Those guys’ aim to cause an avalanche! Someone use wind or flame magic!!”

Right at that instant, the snow field in front of their eyes split into two of up and down.

For Kazuki who was fighting while looking up to the slope, it looked like the world itself was cleaved down.

The lower half of the snow field in their path was all slipping down at Kazuki and co.’s direction. The snow in the shape of a plate broke down like smoke and built up, in the blink of an eye it became a wave of snow with an height of ten-odd meters.

The snow volume that could swallow all of them whole, surged, nearing them while roaring with a vibration like an earthquake.

The one who could immediately react was Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai. Both of them chanted the same magic.

“O wind of bellows, awaken the scorching heat of steel on my forging! Take into hand the hammer that had tempered hundred and strike away the impurity of the soul! Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazadzuchi!”

Kazuha-senpai finished her chanting an instant faster. When she raised her palm at the approaching avalanche, a wind of flame explosion whirled out from there. Like a katana blacksmith that awakens flames with the wind of bellows―this was a double element magic of flame and wind of Futsunushi no Kami who was the god of blacksmith. Its might had increased even more after obtaining the power of Take Mikadzuchi.

Wind explosion was blown into the approaching avalanche and evaporated it.

“Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazadzuchi!”

For the following avalanche that Kazuha-senpai couldn’t blow away completely, it was Kazuki’s turn to blow them away after casting the same magic with a time difference.

Even so, there was still more…*DODODODODO!* Tremors of the snow was approaching. The avalanche was continuing.

There were still magicians of wind and flame among them.

“O stream of atmosphere, converge in this body, become the storm that reject the hated person! The eye of the typhoon is exactly my throne! Storm Fort!”

“Burn to ash all that you touch… o scorching heat of rejection that has no place to depend! Self Burning!”

Hikaru-senpai and Mio invoked wind and flame defensive magic at the same time. Vortex of wind hid his companions from the surrounding and then flame mixed into the vortex of wind.

A storm of flames repelled away the avalanche that had its force greatly reduced from Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai’s magic and all of it was terminated.Because all of the snow that covered the snow field had moved down with the avalanche, the ground in the space between them until the ice giants was laid bare.

The snow was cleared exposing the original scraggy rock surface under it, like a path that guided them to the enemies.

Kanae quickly start to dash without hesitation―she had belief that her comrades would repel the avalanche.

Kazuki noticed that Kanae had change from her two sword style of kodachi into using a single pure black katana. It was <Michikage> that formed a pair with Kazuki’s <Doufuu>. Kanae’s beloved sword in the past that she used when she was a child.

“Nii-sama, Amasaki Mio! Give me the protection of fire!!”

Kanae yelled while closing her distance with the ice giants in one go.

“Burn to ash everything touched… the scorching heat of rejection without any place to depend! Self Burning!”

Kazuki immediately guessed what Kanae wanted and chanted the magic that enveloped Kanae’s whole body with flame.

Mio too attached the same magic to Kanae a moment later.

Kanae used the flame that clad her whole body not for defense, but for attack, she used Psychokinesis to concentrate the flame onto her katana. And then she kicked the rock surface and flew high until the neck of the giants.

“Pierce the vital spot against a tough enemy!!”

When Kanae leaped at the giants whose movements were dulled, Kanae stabbed the flaming blade into its neck.

The ice giant writhed in agony like a living thing. …No, the giant looked like a lump of ice, but as a Demon Beast it possessed the disposition as a living thing.

There was no mistake that Kanae’s blade had severed the electric signal circuit that governed the giant’s body activity.

“…Die!” It was a really tough giant but it was smashed up into many small ice grains under one attack.

After Kanae ripped up the neck of one giant, she kicked its body before it could break and jumped onto the next giant and tore up the neck of the giants one after another.

It was a murder technique where the match was decided already once she got close, that it even made Kazuki go ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ in admiration.

“Kanae! Be careful where you are going to land!!”

Kazuki noticed and shouted. Kanae who had finished dealing with the giants landed on the snow field.

But regardless of Kazuki’s warning, it seemed that under that snow there was no foothold, *zubo-* Kanae’s lower body was buried into the snow and she raised a scream of “Nya nya nya!?”

“Don’t get too carried away. …It’s better not to get too close to the snow.”

With an amazed voice, Kazuki pulled out the MVP Kanae from the snow.

The coldness of this snow inflicted harm to the mind. That was exactly why that avalanche was dangerous. It would be nothing if it was just a normal snow, but it’d be bad if they got buried under this snow.

If everyone of the Magic Division that was lacking in Enchant Aura got buried under a few tons of snow, surely they wouldn’t be able to move at all. And then they would rapidly get cornered into a dangerous situation from the coldness of the snow.

Kanae whose body was half inside the snow was shivering and her face turned blue.

“So, something like this… is not a big deal…”

“Don’t act tough. …We should warm you a little like this.”

Kazuki tightly hugged the shivering Kanae.

“Ni, Nii-sama!? Nii-sama―!! It’s a super ultra warmth!! Right now Kanae is like a cat that is inside a kotetsu―!” <ref>Kotetsu is a table over an electric heater (originally a charcoal brazier in a floor well) with a hanging quilt that retains heat</ref>

“…But this is a cold that happened mentally so maybe doing this is irrelevant?”

“That, there’s no such thing! If it’s a problem of mind then right now Kanae’s heart is going puff-puff hotly!!”“…You look like your head is going to explode, let’s end it with this much.”

When Kazuki separated both his hands, Kanae was unsteady on her legs with a boiling face.

…If Kanae got buried under the avalanche―it was only Kanae and Liz Liza-sensei among the current member that he couldn’t search their whereabouts with the power of bond. When he thought so his body hair shuddered.

“Rotate to the rear Kanae. I’ll be the one that pushes through the snow.”

Kanae looked down in frustration but she followed what he said and moved to the rear.

“No, I’ll be the one at the head. I’m the one better suited for it right?”

In replacement of Kanae, Kazuha-senpai approached near him and said that.

…Certainly because she was a swordsman she had the proper strength to push through the snow with Enchant Aura, her resistance against mind magic was also better than Kazuki, and she could also deal against the assault of Demon Beast as a front liner.

Even if Kazuha-senpai fell she could stop her momentum using friction control, and even if she was buried under the snow she could blow it away using [Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazatsuchi].

There was the flexibility that could do everything even if something happened to Kazuha-senpai.

“Let’s do it with the two of us taking turn.”

“Yosh, tag.”

Kazuha-senpai laughed “he he he” and presented her palm, Kazuki high fived her with a clear sound of *pachin*.

“When it’s the time to alternate, let’s warm each other by hugging like just now.”

“Do, don’t make a needless banter-! Idiot-!” Kazuha-senpai hit Kazuki’s head.

Kazuki and co. formed a single line and resumed climbing the mountain.

…At first the fallen snow only reached until their shin, but the snow became higher when they climbed even more ahead.

The snow passed their knee… then when the height reached around their waist, it became difficult even just to move ahead.

Kazuha-senpai who stood in the lead swept away the snow in front of her with the ice picks, and then she pushed further into the snow surface that had been torn down lower with her knee, finally when the height of the snow became something that her feet could lift over she could take a step forward.

Kazuha-senpai raised a scream “Thi, this is harsh!” while her beauty was ruined from being forced to walk bow-legged.

Thanks to her pushing aside the snow in the front, the second in line could advance with a fair ease.

As expected this was an absurd task if they didn’t alternately take turns.

“Standing in the lead and pushing through the snow is called Russell<ref>snowplow</ref>. It’s one of the hardest task in climbing a snow mountain.” Liz Liza-sensei said that from the back.

“In proportion of the two that are working hard in the front, we the rear guard will work hard if there are Demon Beasts coming out!”

Kaguya-senpai went ‘Ei ei ouu―” while raising her hand. Right at that moment an ice giant appeared at the front where it was going to slide down at them, while from the sky a pure white giant bird that was covered with thick fur was flying.

The Demon Beasts appeared as if answering the request, so Hikaru-senpai yelled “Kaguya you idiot!”

“I’m not the one who is bad here!” While yelling, Kaguya-senpai began to chant.

The ice giant threw ice lumps and the giant bird breathed out a cold breath.

“Barrett!”

“O rejection of absolute zero, become the armor of isolation that protect our body! Freeze Barrier!”

Mio shot down the ice lump with [Barrett] and Koyuki protected the comrades from the cold breath with the barrier of chill.

Suddenly Kazuki looked behind. Interposed between Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai who was in charge of Russell and everyone of the Witch’s Mansion that performed magic battle―Kanae was looking down in frustration because she could not move even when there was no avalanche.

An absurd time was necessary just to advance ahead a little.

More than anything, the exhaustion of Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai was bigger than everyone who was doing battle.They rotated the turn every one hour, he and Kazuha-senpai hugged each other each time they were taking turns. Kazuha-senpai was cute with her face bright red. Perhaps if there was no reward like this then even Kazuki would have his heart broken.

Liz Liza-sensei had warned them before about the possibility of needing to bivouac, but as expected this was not a Haunted Ground that could be cleared in a day trip.

When he was became engrossed in the Russell duty and the battle, before he realized the surrounding had become dark from being evening.

The pure white world was transforming into orchid color. Like this they would soon meet with night.

“So this is what appeared in the end…”

Kazuki who had alternated with Kazuha-senpai of being Russell in the front unintentionally groaned.

…What appeared before their eyes was a rock wall without end in sight. The upper part was obstructed by the blizzard that formed white mist, they couldn’t determine how high this wall would continue.

If they didn’t claw their way up this wall, they would be unable to advance forward. This was like a bad joke.

“It’s better to stop one night here for the moment.” Liz Liza-sensei said.

“Come to think of it, sensei said that a tent is unnecessary so we didn’t bring any, but without blocking the blizzard we are only going to get exhausted one-sidedly even if we rest.”

“No need to worry about that. There is so much snow piling up in the surrounding. …We are making a snow hut here.”

Snow hut. …It was a proposal that made him strangely excited.

They immediately move to work. Everyone piled up snow, pressed and condensed it, plundered the heat with Pyrokinesis, and froze and hardened the snow.

“Making it too big will only make you anxious if it’s going to break down from its own weight, so let’s make two snow huts.”

Although they could make the hut strong and solid with magic, they guessed that making it with a diameter of around four or five meters was the sensible limit. Thereupon Mio murmured while pushing and hardening the snow.

“…For the groups, how will we split the members?”

Everyone’s hands stopped.

Everyone raised their face all at once and looked at Kazuki’s direction. Leaving out Kanae and Liz Liza-sensei, there were only girls who understood that everyone in this place had more than 100 point in positivity level towards Kazuki.

“Kazuki. If I’m not mistaken your ability will unleash a special power when there is someone whose positivity level towards you became 150, right?”

When Kazuki was stumped to give out an answer towards the difficult question, Liz Liza-sensei gave an advice.

“Think about what will it do for you in the decisive battle if you raised someone’s positivity level. Make your answer from the side of profit.”

When it became something like that…

A single snow hut with high transparency that had been half transformed into ice was completed first.

“Enter the snow hut first and prepare the meal Kazu-nii. During that time everyone will complete one more of the snow hut.”

While talking Mio and Koyuki released their Magic Dress temporarily and their appearance turned into their uniform with a large rucksack on their back. They took out some plastic container and pot and a solid fuel from there. It was an underhanded trick that made use of a Magic Dress’ material conversion phenomenon.

Leme emerged out from his side and frowned her eyebrows while saying “Do this moderately okay, it’s just for this time only.”

“Even Leme also wants to eat a delicious meal right?”

Mio acted the same to Leme like when she was still kid-sized and poked her nose lightly. Though when the two of them stood side-by-side, Leme was already the bigger one between the two of them.

“How cheeky, to treat Leme like a kid when Leme had turned into this adult appearance already―!”

“So what―, Leme is Leme right―”

Both of them screwed around with each other by hitting the other *pechi pechi* repeatedly. …Looks like Mio still had some composure in her.

“Even if you called it preparation, I only need to warm the stew. It doesn’t really need to be me…”“I’m telling you to rest obediently here, so that Kazuki won’t get tired by doing something trivial like making a snow hut. We don’t know what is going to happen ahead of us you know!”

“Right right, just like she said!”

Hikaru-senpai butted in from the side and launched a hip attack at him with a boing.

The butt that was covered with a Magic Dress in T-back style blew away Kazuki inside the snow hut.

…If he was forced until this point then there was nothing he could do except to let himself get spoiled by their words.

Inside the snow hut, Kazuki spread out a sheet with high insulation rate and settled down his body on top of it. He set the solid fuel and lit up a fire. It was an alchemic fuel that boasted fire power of an average gas stove.

When he was staring at the burning flame, Kazuki’s feeling finally settled down.

…If he had to talk truthfully, he was nearing his limit.

Repeatedly becoming the Russell, the coldness of the snow stiffened his whole body that now he couldn’t even shiver.

The heart was also made of flesh―with a dysfunction occurring in the heart, the blood flow in the whole body was stagnating.

Due to the blood not circulating, the oxygen wouldn’t reach the brain. If he let his guard down, his thought would grow dim and turn pure white.

He planned to consume enough water, but even with his sweat not flowing out he felt a maddening dehydration in his body.

He had to warm his body. Kazuki instinctively thought so.

Now that he had escaped from the blizzard into the snow hut, surely his body would immediately recover if the fire of the solid fuel hit his body. Kazuki rubbed his coldly stiffening hands and fingers on top of the flame.

He had already upped his resistance toward mind magic but he was still immature in it.

Kanae too was feeling frustrated but… just because someone was a swordsman it didn’t mean that it was fine to only train in swordsmanship without caring for anything else. Even if comrades would help each other, there were many fields of expertise that had to be improved.

Waiting until after his blood flow recovered its vigor, Kazuki finally put the pot on top of the solid fuel.

The content of the pot was stew. The cold stew didn’t emit any aroma at all. Regardless Kazuki spontaneously gulped his saliva.

Rather than calling him starving, what he felt was closer to a breakdown. This was the first time his own cooking looked this delicious to himself. Since he was born, this was the first time his mind was ravaged by the taboo desire to snitch a food secretly like this.

But if he didn’t eat the food together with all his companions that were even now still building the snow hut outside…

Kazuki was gazing blankly at nothing while waiting for the pot to become warm.

The voices of everyone that were continuing their task outside felt awfully far. Perhaps his head was still lacking in oxygen. Feeling the warmth of the burning fuel, he dimly felt like he was in the middle of a dream.

Suddenly, he felt a presence right beside him. It was as if a ghost was standing right besides his pillow when he was sleeping.

After slowly turning his head―a slightly dazzling silhouette of a woman that was formed from magic power was peeking at the pot’s content from behind Kazuki.

It was as if a teacher was ascertaining a student’s cooking skill in the middle of a home economics class.

―It was the master of the seal. The First Knight. The wavelength of that light that dimly shone was the same with the light that appeared in his battle with Ilyailiya.

The light gave off a pondering voice.

{…Why are you, giving your all that much for your surroundings?}

Without tearing off her eyes from the pot, the woman’s voice sounded anxious in some respect.

‘What in the world is she feeling anxious for?’, before answering her, Kazuki first felt such doubt inside him.

“I am just doing it because I want everyone to be happy.”

Kazuki honestly talked about his own feelings.

“It looks like I am being quite misunderstood but, I’m doing this not because I am an orphan and so my self-esteem became really low that it makes me flatter my surroundings, it’s because I love everyone.”

When Kazuki said that, the woman became much more dejected and looked down.

{That stew is} The woman changed the topic. {…the flavor of your home?}

“I am an adopted child so, this is the flavor of the Hayashizaki’s… the family I was given to to be raised.”

Kazuki answered.“With Hayashizaki’s flavor as the base, I improved it in various ways so that I can make Kanae and father happy…”

The woman’s silhouette looked sad from something of what he said, she felt even more sorrowful in dejection.

“…Is something wrong?”

{I, can’t even teach my cooking to my own child. The flavor characteristics of just that family that every household has, I couldn’t impart it to him…}

Not only the pot, but the inside of the plastic containers were also loaded by Kazuki’s handmade cooking.

While her gaze kept wandering unable to calm down, the woman, rather than to be called a hero, she was more like an ordinary female, talked in sorrow.

Kazuki pondered about the woman’s life. There was no doubt that this woman staked her life for the sake of the seal.

To fight as a knight without looking back at her family… due to that this country was saved.

If so, then this person, should think of that proudly with her chest held high.

Kazuki tried to say such comforting words, and hesitated.

The child of this woman, could he understood that? Even though she had saved the country where she was born, and yet she left her own child in sorrow, as a mother could she really take pride of such a thing from the bottom of her heart?

For an existence of a mother to put in scale the world and her own child―it was not something that could be encouraged so simply.

“…Are you regretting it?”

{…Yes.}

The woman said as if spewing out the stagnation at the bottom of her heart.

An affirmation that a hero by no means should ever do.

Kazuki imagined what he would do if it was himself. ‘If, it was me in the position of this person. Or, if I was in the position of this person’s child…

When he thought that, a numb sensation ran through his brain.

This person, was someone. The master of the seal. The First Knight. The hero that saved this country.

The previous generation’s contractor of Lemegeton.

Not only that. ‘This person, who is she to me…’

This time Kazuki turned back his whole body behind.

He faced the silhouette of light of the woman right from the front.

Both her face and her body build were uncertain. Her voice too felt somewhat chaotic as if a wave was shaking it.

“…You are…”

{The pot, will be cooked soon. It looks really delicious… I too, want to try to eat it, but…}

As if running away from Kazuki’s gaze, the woman’s silhouette pointed out at the pot.

Even so when Kazuki continued to stare at her, the woman silhouette dimmed and began to vanish.

{In the center of this Haunted Ground―at the peak of the Fuji, I’m waiting for you. I’m sending my avatar here like this, because I’m too impatient to wait…}

“Wait…!”

Raising his voice unintentionally, Kazuki reached out his hand as if trying to catch an empty air.

But, the woman’s figure disappeared and escaped from his hand smoothly.Silence returned to the surroundings. Were his companions really continuing their work outside the snow hut even now? Or perhaps it was just the inside of this snow hut that was completely transferred somewhere to a different world.

‘…I too have something that I have to convey.’

Suddenly, such feeling was gushing out from inside Kazuki’s chest.

He had to convey it to the woman that was waiting for him ahead.

That ‘I didn’t become unhappy or anything you know’.

That ‘I’m not resenting or blaming anyone’.

===Part 3===
When everyone finished their meal, the members were split up into two snow huts. To prepare against Demon Beast’s attack, there would be lookout posted alternately, they would pass a night in this place.

“Ahaha, hooray! I’m in Kazuki’s side!” Hikaru-senpai raised a joyful voice and she threw herself down before rolling around everywhere *goron goron* the moment she entered the snow hut.

“…Don’t go wild and destroy the snow hut okay?”

Kaguya-senpai warned her with a troubled face.

“The one at this side… are you saying that we are the ones with a half-baked positivity level?”

Kazuha-senpai was the last one that entered the snow hut while being fidgety, unable to calm down.

Kazuki, Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, Kazuha-senpai. This snow hut was for these four people.

“No, in the first place the members that entered this Grand Haunted Ground all have high positivity levels. Among these members, Mio, Koyuki, and Lotte had all passed over 150.”

Otonashi Kaguya―142 Hoshikaze Hikaru―130 Tsukahara Kazuha―128

The three of them had passed 100, but they were still short of 150. From Kazuki’s experience, when someone had their positivity level passed 100, from thereon raising their positivity level became not as easy as before.

Surely it would be difficult to raise their positivity until 150 in this one night. But if he became able to use these three’s high level magic, it would be very reassuring in his preparation for the decisive battle.

He didn’t mean to raise everyone’s positivity level in order to become strong, but…

“Hmmm… it feels like after the classmates, now it’s the seniors’ turns.”

Hikaru-senpai noticed the common point of the members here and murmured. Now when she said that, unexpectedly the situation really had turned out like that. Although he had never intended at all to leave the seniors for later just because they were older, things just developed like this.

In order to dodge the issue, Kazuki followed after Hikaru-senpai and rolled on top of the sheet.

The sheet insulated the chill from entering and only transmitted the softness of the new snow.

“Ahaha-, Kazuki baa―m!”

Hikaru-senpai delightfully rolled and rolled and rammed her body at him.

Hikaru-senpai that came rolling at him with quite a power behind her was blocked and then embraced by Kazuki.

Hikaru-senpai became docile and rubbed her body against Kazuki in his embrace.

Gently, Kaguya-senpai too quietly lied down behind Kazuki.

“Fufufu… we are expected to pass a night in this cramped place with the objective to raise our positivity level. It feels quite lewd.” Her expression was filled with seductiveness while she whispered into Kazuki’s ears.

Both of them were in the appearance of their Magic Dress that had been simplified into really light clothing. Hikaru-senpai that was hugged by Kazuki was in the appearance of leotard-style complemented with tight high leg, while Kaguya-senpai who clung at his back was in the appearance of only having her breast from her neck and between her legs slightly hidden.

Being glued tightly to such two people, sandwiched between them, had already made him in an inflammatory state of emotion.

“Gulp.”

With an expression that gulped her saliva, Kazuha-senpai was snugly sitting in seiza at the corner of the snow hut.

“Kazuki… I’m sleepy…”

With a tone of voice that seemed like acting, Hikaru-senpai closed both her eyes with a snap.

“Senpai is going to sleep already? That’s right isn’t it… we have to wake up early tomorrow.”

“Of course that’s not it! There is a stereotype pattern in this kind of time right!?”

Kazuki went ‘hah’ with realization and from then he grew ashamed of his own slow wittedness.

“Senpai, you are going to die if you sleep here!” He lightly slapped Hikaru-senpai’s cheek.

Hikaru-senpai went “Uhyaa―” and received the slaps happily while laughing.

“Kazuki… I grew cold.”

“Ee―rr, what should I do this time…”

“Let’s warm each other by hugging together naked-!!”

With a fierce momentum Hikaru-senpai put her hand on Kazuki’s upper uniform.

Kazuki raised a scream “Uwaa-“ and resisted that act, like a pure maiden.

But both his arms was firmly restrained from behind.

“Otouto-kun, isn’t it no good to sleep with your uniform I wonder?”

Kaguya-senpai sealed Kazuki’s movement and whispered in his ear while pressing her breasts at him with ‘boing boing’.

Certainly it was just like she said, however!

“E, even you two senpai are not naked aren’t you!?”

After he said that carelessly, he thought of what he was going to do if both of them undressed from even their Magic Dress here.

“Ahaha☆ Well then I’ll pardon Kazuki and leave your shorts behind!”

Hikaru-senpai that was once extolled like a prince proclaimed that with a smiling face.

Hikaru-senpai’s hand unfastened all the buttons at his upper wear and Kaguya-senpai behind him took it off. It was a joint action that had been polished. Next they put their hands on the shirt’s buttons.

It was fine already if he could preserve his short… Kazuki completely thought like that.

In a flash his white shirt and trouser were pulled off.

‘If it keeps like this then it will become something awesome’… Kazuki thought with only a single shorts on him.

“Wawawa-!” Kazuha-senpai who was sitting in seiza covered her face with both her hands in extreme shyness.

But she was properly watching from the gaps between her fingers. This person was that kind of person.

“Ooo―, a boy’s chest!”

Admiring something that she didn’t have herself, Hikaru-senpai hugged at Kazuki’s chest.

Kaguya-senpai who had a muscle fetish was trying to draw Kazuki’s body at her direction while saying “My pectoral muscle~”. “I find the treasure~” “This is the treasure of this snow hut~” The two of them joked while rubbing their cheeks against Kazuki’s chest. Getting stripped into his underwear and getting treated like a treasure by older ladies like this…

Kaguya-senpai kissed lightly at Kazuki’s neck muscle and pressed her lips stimulatingly. He shuddered. The small tongue that that came out from her lips gently licked from his neck until his chest glidingly.

Hikaru-senpai too “I see” nodded and then she did the same act. Everywhere on Kazuki’s naked upper body, the two’s lips and tongues were crawling around bewitchingly.

He felt his body, that had completely chilled from the blizzard, grow hot as if his blood flow was running wild inside.

He never knew that it felt this good to have his body licked.

This is bad. Although there were two persons that became his partner here, be that as it may, it would be bad if he got driven into the receiving party.

To have his side as the attacking side instead was… on the contrary a situation where he could keep hold of his reasoning more.

Kazuki stopped the face of Kaguya-senpai who was moving on top of his chest with a manner of hand picking out something.

They exchanged gazes. The eyes of Kaguya-senpai were… just as he thought, they had become violet in color.

First he had to calm down this person, if he didn’t crush them one by one, this night would become something too awesome.

“Kaguya-senpai, rather than playing with my chest, you want to have your body touched instead, right?”

Saying that he aimed for the substitution of offense and defense, he traced Kaguya-senpai’s nape of the neck with his finger. Copying the act of senpai just before this, this time it was Kazuki that kissed Kaguya-senpai’s body and softly licked.

He licked through Kaguya-senpai’s stomach, her back, her sides, while keeping her weak in suspense where he was going to lick. He licked sleekly all over, making Kaguya-senpai’s spine quiver in shivers.

“…Yes. My breast, I want you to touch them.”The desire of Kaguya-senpai that had become completely sensitive from Asmoudeus’ influence, had been received. She responded to Kazuki’s words without resistance before encircling both her hands on his back and averting her back.

With a jiggle, that earth-shattering breasts were pushed out at him.

His feeling became as if a main dish had been suddenly presented at him, Kazuki lifted up that heavy fruit profoundly. Lifting it up, his palm enveloped half of it from below and then he massaged.

“Ann-, ann-“ Each time he massaged, Kaguya-senpai let out a stimulated cute voice for him.

Kazuha-senpai took a glance at Kaguya-senpai and her gaze displayed a sign of being embarrassed.

“Kaguya-senpai when she uses Asmodeus’ power, she will be unable to contain herself all night. That’s why…”

Kazuki nonchalantly inserted a follow up about this situation. ‘That’s why, it can’t be helped.’

“Is, is that so, so it cannot be stopped in any way…”

Kazuha-senpai leaned her body forward even while still covering her face with both her hands.

“It’s true, a sensation reinforcement magic is running on Otonashi-san’s skin. It made her completely sensitive.

Kazuha-senpai’s magic intuition saw through Kaguya-senpai’s condition.

The breast covering vanished from Kaguya-senpai’s Magic Dress. The pink pointed end had swelled up sharply as if saying that it wanted to be touched.

“Waa…” Kazuha-senpai leaned her body forward.

Kaguya-senpai was already impatient. Victory went to the one who made the first move, Kazuki aimed for that and suddenly sucked at the pointed ends. He slide his tongue from the side, played with it in circles and pecked on the peak.

“Fuaaaaaaan!♡” Kaguya-senpai raised a shout of joy while small heart marks scattered from her. How much she felt good could be understood from the minute changes in her positivity level.

“Ahaha, Kazuki, you look like a baby. …Me too!”Hikaru-senpai sucked at Kaguya-senpai’s right breast competitively.

“Hikaru!?” Do, don’t…nnnn-!!♡”

Kaguya-senpai’s sensitive body reacted fiercely even against the stimulation from the same sex.

Rather than calling the stimulation had doubled physically, it seemed the abnormal situation of being stimulated by the same sex made Kaguya-senpai completely aroused.

“Waa… a, amazing…” Kazuha-senpai’s posture was now standing on her legs.

Even further Kazuki used his empty hand to stroke Kaguya-senpai‘s thighs. Kazuki took the lower body, while Hikaru-senpai attacked the back and the nape of the neck in the upper body.

The body of Kaguya-senpai who had completely become sensitive several times over was filled with a vortex of pleasure from the two.

“Do, don’t, if you do that to me… even though I’m being watched…ANN-♡“

Kaguya-senpai rapidly turned heated. Like a heat that lost its place to go and ran amok, Kaguya-senpai wriggled her voluptuous thighs back and forth and she rubbed her nether region at Kazuki.

“This place, does senpai want it to be touched?” He asked with a slightly tormenting tone.

“It, it’s embarrassing…” Kaguya-senpai murmured with a look of dimming reasoning.

“It can’t be helped because it’s Asmodeus’ fault, senpai.”

Kazuki said so and removed the binding of Kaguya-senpai’s reasoning.

He remembered Koyuki’s disheveled state when he stimulated that spot of hers while she was in delirium in the movie theater. The passion of a girl was saved up in this spot. Kaguya-senpai too was also like that… she was more sensitive in this spot than anywhere else.

He pressed his finger on the nether region part of Kaguya-senpai’s Magic Dress―the Magic Dress vanished as if melting the instant his finger touched, his finger directly went into Kaguya-senpai.

Even while surprised, Kazuki caressed that sensitive spot as gently as he could.

“Otouto-kun…Otouto-kun-!♡ More!! ♡”

Even though Kazuki was touching gently, it was Kaguya-senpai who shook her waist in order to make Kazuki’s finger pressed on that spot.

In the case that it actually hurt her, such thing should also be able to be understood from the change of positivity level.

That was why, Kazuki moved his finger relentlessly and resolutely. What way that would make Kaguya-senpai feel even better… while looking for such a way from the change of the positivity level… he strengthened his movement in one go.

Her small bead that would make a girl feel even better was generally similar with Koyuki.

The protuberance on the outside’s upper part, the dripping wet inside, he massaged both with his finger tips.

Kaguya-senpai raised a voice that was nearly a scream. “Aaa! AAA―!” With such a raised voice, before long Kaguya-senpai’s face looked like it was going to cry “Fuaaa―!”, and then it changed into a distorted expression that tried to endure “Hyii!”. But she didn’t dislike what he did. She was opening both her legs slovenly with liquids flooding out soppily from her lower body. An amazing amount of heart marks were flying at him.

He whispered “Kaguya, you are really cute” with wholehearted expression at her ear, and then he kissed her white cheek.

“Otouto-kun… Kazuki-kun! HYAAAAAANN-!!♡”

At the end of Kaguya’s sensitivity that had been raised several times over, she reached the highest peak. She was pierced with a sensation unimaginable for a man like Kazuki before her body went limp in a half-fainted state.

Kazuki felt shy at this late hour looking at Kaguya’s naked body that was drenched with sweat and he averted his eyes. He couldn’t look at her in the eyes.

“Kazuki-! Me too…!”

Without even any time to take a breather, Hikaru-senpai hugged at Kazuki.

*Chuu* She sucked strongly at Kazuki’s lips. This was something he couldn’t do with Kaguya-senpai, a kiss on the lips.

“The pleasant feeling of a girl, teach it to me too♪ I also want to become like Kaguya there…”It seemed that Hikaru-senpai was honestly yearning for a pleasure like what Kaguya-senpai experienced.

Perhaps he was making her learn something dangerous here. Thanks to being treated like a prince until now, this person didn’t have such vulgar thoughts about this kind of thing.

He embraced her body that was even more slender than Kaguya-senpai and caressed her back and her spine.

But as if saying that what he did was too slow, Hikaru-senpai

“Kazuki, my breast♪ Touch my breast♪” She coaxed him.

When he obediently did what she asked, immediately this time she urged him on “Suck my nipple♪”

“Fuaaaaaa-! Kazuki is sucking at my breast♡”

She said it to herself as if making a self-hypnosis to heighten her feelings rapidly. She was in high spirits with all her strength. Hikaru-senpai shook her butt and coaxed him “Ne, my butthole, touch it♪”.

“Eh, the hole of the butt, senpai says?”

“Because, in the manga that I read everyone was doing that you know?”

Before this Hikaru-senpai often read with pleasure boys love manga and mistakenly thought of it as the friendship between men.

Perhaps it was only a natural curiosity for her too to want to obtain the pleasure that was drawn in the manga for herself.

A magician could use Psychokinesis to float any filth thoroughly and remove it, so that place was not a dirty place. Kazuki also didn’t have much reluctance for such a thing―he pressed his finger at the leotard that dug into the bottom part.

“Haaa…♡”

Hikaru-senpai’s expression became joyous as if she had obtained the sensation that she had yearned from since she was just a child.

He shifted the digging clothes to the side and exposed the covered part. He poked weakly with his finger as if knocking. His finger tips caressed the narrow spot and drew circle as if observing the situation.

Hikaru-senpai’s expression was melting with bewitching feeling of expectation. Kazuki then determinedly buried his finger into the inside of that place.

“Aa-, it echoed until the inside of my stomach-“

He moved in and out his finger like a moving piston, Hikaru-senpai’s dignified face that was called a prince was melting in ecstasy.

“Haaa, somehow my butt, feels really hot…”

Rather than calling the sensation she felt intense, it seems that what she felt was more like a heat that slowly surged inside.

“Aaaaa… something is coming… this is the sensation of a girl…?”

Even if she called it as a girl’s sensation, he had the feeling that it was not actually something decent. While playing the behind with his right hand, Kazuki reached out his left hand to Hikaru-senpai’s front.

“Aaaa, from the front and behind… Kazuki is entering my front and behind… you are resounding inside me-!”

Strength filled the spine of Hikaru-senpai that looked like she had slowly reached prostrate orgasm.

“Kazuki, my girl place, more!♡”

So that Kazuki could touch the front and behind at the same time easier, Hikaru-senpai held both her own legs under her arms and floated her waist. Her vulgar places were all exposed, making Kazuki reflexively avert his eyes.

“Kazuki, look at my girl places properly here!”

Hikaru-senpai said that in dissatisfaction. Kazuki continued his stimulation in place of a reply.

“It comes! …Something good is coming…!!”

Kazuki stopped sucking her breast and sucked at the shivering girlish lips of Hikaru-senpai.

“Nnn… nnnnnnn-!!♡”

Hikaru-senpai’s body was fiercely trembling while heart marks flew at him, her body stopped moving with an ecstatic expression. There was no vestige of a prince left anywhere in her. Kazuki gently stroked the girl Hikaru-senpai on her head.

“Kazuki… me, me too…”

Kazuha-senpai who was leaning her body forward on her knees approached him while still on her knees.

Even though this was Kazuha-senpai who was supposed to be the owner of the most upright personality among the members here, she had been thoroughly changed by the two girls before her.

“I, I too want to feel good just like this…”

Kazuki too stood on his knees and faced Kazuha-senpai.

“Then senpai too should vanish your Magic Dress.”

He said that planning to tease her meanly, but Kazuha-senpai even while looking down in shame made her Magic Dress disappear like a mist. The naked body of Kazuha-senpai that he last witnessed in the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave was now bared in front of his eyes.

Kazuki reflexively let his gaze crawl through her white skin.

“Kazuha-senpai, you are really beautiful.”

“Do, don’t stare at me that intently, quickly, that…”

“How does senpai want it?”

“I, I want you to touch me…”

Kazuki embraced her close with his left hand at her waist. Kazuha-senpai who let herself get pulled clung at Kazuki’s chest. When he impatiently caressed her skin, her white skin was rapidly dyed red.

That skin of hers dimly emitted magic power light.

“Kazuha-senpai, are you using some kind of magic?”

Like a kid whose misdeed was discovered, Kazuha-senpai twitched.

“O, Otonashi-san became until like this, so…”

This was―a sensation strengthening magic. This magic was a complete copy of Asmodeus’ influence that was mimicked using general magic.

When Kazuki pinched the tips of her breast strongly in a surprise attack, Kazuha-senpai’s body trembled exaggeratedly. Her body became almost as sensitive as Kaguya-senpai, and also even more from how she had been made to wait until the last turn where her passion had been piling up.

“Kazuki, make me become just like those two…”

“Like those two, like what senpai?”

“…Li, lick my nipple, suck it…”

Kazuha-senpai became more excited while saying such thing herself, her breath became rough.

Kazuki did just as she said. He pinched with his left hand, sucked with his mouth at the right side, and his right hand reached out toward her lower body and caressed her butt and thigh.

After stroking the inside of her thigh for a while, Kazuha-senpai began to fidget her body.

“Kazukiii…”

“How does senpai want it, I won’t understand if senpai doesn’t say it out.”

“Wh, Why are you talking that meanly only to me since a while ago―!”

“I know that Kazuha-senpai’s reaction when getting bullied is the cutest.”

“So you have a really warped fetish like that―!”

Although no matter how he imagined it, it was Kazuha-senpai’s own words and action that made other people want to do such things to her.

“…Kazu-kun! My, my important place too, I want you to make it feel good!!”

“Well then senpai, please open your legs yourself.”

Kazuha-senpai who was in the posture of standing on her knees turned her butt at Kazuki before she opened both her legs so that it would be easier for Kazuki’s right hand to touch. A hot liquid ran along the thigh and wet Kazuki’s hand.

Kazuki moved his hand in the way that purposefully made a watery sound intensely sounded and inflamed Kazuha-senpai’s shyness.

“Actually, I can understand what kind of way that makes senpai feel good from the minute changes of the positivity level.”

“Wha, what’s with that, if that’s true then don’t bully me like that. Uu… your way of touching that raises a sound like that…”

“That’s why senpai, it’s fine for you to let out your voice honestly and feel good.”

Kazuha-senpai’s expression brightened with a feeling of expectation at Kazuki’s declaration.

Kazuki searched for a spot where Kazuha-senpai really felt it―and immediately discovered it.“-! The place just now!”

When he concentrated at that spot, the piling up passion inside her flamed up all at once.

“FUAAAAAAAAA-!♡ Kazu-kun! ♡ It feels good, so good!!♡”

Kazuha-senpai’s body and heart became honest and clung at Kazuki, a line of saliva trailed down along with a wild breathing in her sweetly melting expression. Kazuki felt it wasteful seeing that and licked the trail with his tongue.

“Kazu-kun, kiss me too!”

Maintaining that movement Kazuki indulged deeply at Kazuha-senpai’s lips.

“NNN-!♡”

Kazuha-senpai too trembled in shivers and then she sunk down to the floor like a puppet whose strings were cut.

“Kazu-kun you idiott~”

He stroked the head of Kazuha-senpai whose face was messed up with shame.

Immediately after that, “Kazuki-kun-!” “Kazuki!” Kaguya-senpai and Hikaru-senpai embraced him from behind as if saying that they had recovered. Their bodies were still feeling hot, the two of them rubbed their bodies and fawned at him. His whole body was enveloped in the softness of girls.

Kazuki thought of the three girls as cute from the bottom of his heart.

At the same time he felt that he had to endure his own body’s demand with a self-restraint of steel.

Until the end Kazuki would only admire the three girls’ lovely reactions.

He absolutely must not do something more than that.

===Part 4===
Kanae couldn’t help herself from becoming concerned towards the other snow hut even while standing guard.

When the day became night, the blizzard became even more terrible. Perhaps this kind of thing was not really a big deal for the bunch of the Magic Division, but for Kanae this was a fierce blizzard even though she was just standing guard like this.

‘What kind of ordinary day that Nii-sama always spent with everyone of the Witch’s Mansion I wonder…’ Kanae was staring fixedly at the snow hut. Usually she could move such thought away from her mind thanks to the distance between the Witch’s Mansion and the Sword Division’s dormitory, but tonight, that was impossible and she became really concerned.

‘Even Nii-sama is not a blockhead that doesn’t have any desire.’ When she tempted Nii-sama, even while saying unkind things from his mouth, Kanae had noticed that inside, his heart was beating really fast.

If Nii-sama was surrounded by that many girls and be loved… surely they would even do something a little perverted many times already. Though of course, Nii-sama was a person that absolutely wouldn’t pass the line that must not be passed.

Kanae felt the loneliness of having only herself left alone.

Nii-sama felt a debt of gratitude toward the Hayashizaki house and obstinately tried to maintain the distance of a brother and a sister in regards to Kanae.

And then he shouldered the destiny where he had to create bonds with women that possessed Stigmata.

Thinking about Nii-sama’s sincerity and the weight of the destiny he shouldered, I thought that I must not feel something like jealousy. However…

If she at least had a Stigmata, she wondered whether she too would obtain the qualification to be loved by Nii-sama as a woman…

{Have thou felt like it to make a contract with I…?}

At the feet of Kanae who was standing still inside the blizzard, an avatar of a small black cat was approaching.

“…It’s only a weakness that welled up because of the cold wind.”

Kanae looked down at the black cat with a glare.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 090.jpg|thumb]]

The avatar of the black cat snuggled close to Kanae’s foot with a brisk step―and entered into the body of Kanae who had grown cold from the blizzard. The sensation gradually changed into a mysterious heat.

“…You, you were shadowing me since the afternoon weren’t you? You were the one that was frequently sending heat into me like this.”

{The most that I can do for a human that is not contracted with me is only something to this degree.}

“Stop a behavior like this that pushes for a favor from me. My answer will not change for eternity.”

{…I understand well thy temperament. Thou are a proud human with purity inside. Completely like the blade of the katana that thou wield.}

“That’s right, I am a single katana.”

{I… don’t mean to push any favor to you. It’s purely just my wish to aid thou. I just want to take away thy suffering. I don’t know anything else that I can do to help.}

Despite how he was a terribly obstinate Diva that didn’t have even a single contractor until now, that voice of his was mysteriously gentle.

“Besides why don’t I have an Enigma? Pushing Enigma to the contractor one-sidedly that is enforced by the law is you guys’ original way of doing things right?”

{…Bestowing Enigma to thee is going against the rule of Enigma. Enigma was a simple mark for the sake of reserving early a possessor of excellent talent. And then Solomon 72 Pillar, certainly, we made the humans create the law that forcefully raised the people who received an Enigma into a Magika Stigma without fail. That is to make the excellent human think that they have the obligation. If the humans with excellent talent don’t become Magika Stigma then this country will not be able to maintain itself… there is also that kind of circumstances. …However there is no talent inside thee as a Magika Stigma.}

Kanae harbored a good impression towards Beleth’s honest manner of speaking.

{Falling in love at first sight based on a completely personal interest towards someone who has no talent, moreover bestowing the Enigma only after confirming it, such an act that makes someone lose the freedom of their life doesn’t stand to any reason. That’s why there is nothing I can do except to negotiate with thee whether thou will do me a favor and receive the Stigma.}

“I see, you mean that I have the right to refuse. Then, I refuse. …Even though you give me the consideration until that much, but can you really be this persistent just because of the problem of your own preference?”

{If it keeps like this thou… shall inevitably be left behind from the path where Hayashizaki Kazuki is going to advance, and so I thought that it can’t be kept like this. Thou should become the conquer target of Hayashizaki Kazuki, that’s what I thought.}

“…Is that so. But your thinking is mistaken. That is something that I absolutely mustn’t do.”

{Why?}

It was not bad to be frank about her true feelings towards this resident of another world that didn’t have any ties of obligation.

“Since I was a child, I continued to live thinking only about becoming the strongest swordsman as the successor of the Hayashizaki-style. I am a single katana since I was born. But I am not blessed with a physique of a swordsman. The truth is, I was always insecure whether I was really worthy as the successor. At that kind of time, father brought Nii-sama home from the orphanage after seeing his talent. At that time I thought [It doesn’t matter anymore].”

{…That’s so unlike thee.}

“Actually, I am not even that strong as a human. But mysteriously, the moment I gave up to be the successor… doing sword practice together with Nii-sama became fun. And then Nii-sama also taught me the joy of life outside of the sword art. Nii-sama was the person that made me human.”

{But currently, thou is trying to become a single katana once again. Rejecting to make a contract with me.}

“That’s because an enigma appeared on Nii-sama’s hand. Nii-sama shouldered the destiny where he could not become the successor of the Hayashizaki-style, that position rolled back to me once again. All this time I didn’t want to recognize that. It was great to be together with Nii-sama. I wanted Nii-sama to be the strongest swordsman. I was… scared to return back into being a single katana again. It was scary to face my own powerlessness.”

Kanae spewed out her true feelings that she had never leaked out to anyone before.

“I won’t recognize Nii-sama’s departure to the Magic Division! …The true feelings of me, who had continued to say such things all along is what I just told you. I didn’t want to become the successor. It was scary. I was going to continue to drag Nii-sama’s feet behind like that. Does this kind of me… have the qualifications to think of wanting to be loved by Nii-sama?”

Kanae once again directed her gaze at the snow hut where her big brother was in.

Nii-sama was shouldering an enormous destiny, he was being affectionate to other girls.

‘I, who am always holding Nii-sama back, don’t have the qualifications to enter into that…’

“Nii-sama is going to stand on his own feet, independent from the Hayashizaki house. He is going to step into an even grander destiny. Then, I too have to face my own destiny. I have to become the strongest swordsman and see off Nii-sama’s becoming independent. As the eldest daughter of the Hayashizaki house. You understand now, Beleth. By receiving a Stigmata from you and becoming Nii-sama’s conquer target, Nii-sama will worry about the genealogy of the Hayshizaki-style coming to an end, he will notice my weak heart that escaped from my destiny, he will only harbor despair and pity towards me. A human that cannot face her own destiny has no qualifications at all to be loved by anyone!”

She would continue the Hayashizaki-style as the strongest swordsman, with that Nii-sama would be able to leave the nest of the Hayashizaki house with relief, to step out onto an even more rigorous destiny.

At such a time, she would be able to face Nii-sama once more.

The blizzard suddenly stopped. Kanae looked up to the night sky. Wind that was several times stronger than at the surface blew and washed away the clouds in the blink of an eye, the weather of the mountain changed suddenly in an instant.

At that moment, the cloud flowed away and the blizzard vanished like a miracle, opening the starry night all over the sky. It was as if she was seeing the night sky for the first time. The sky looked close as if her hand could reach out to it, countless millions of stars were shining.

“I will become a single katana.”

The radiance of the stars had not a single murkiness in it, like the clearness of a katana.

She, too, wanted to be like that, Kanae thought.

{Thou art sublimely beautiful right now. Thy heart is undoubtedly like a polished blade.}

===Part 5===

Late at night―the executive room at the highest floor of Oosaka’s government office building.

Inside, a strange soliloquy was resounding.

“7-6 knight, checkmate. …Aa―, it’s impossible already! As I thought shogi is just impossible, impossible! Amberjack! Greater Amberjack!” <ref>I don’t really understand this part. I think it’s something like a word play here. At first the person here was talking impossible impossible, which in Japanese is ‘muri, muri’. And then he continued with ‘buri’, which is amberjack fish in Japanese, and continued again with ‘kanpachi’ which means greater amberjack, but the word also sound similar with ‘kanpai’ which is a word that the Japanese people say when they toast their glass. Mind you, I could be totally wrong</ref>

It was a girl’s voice ―the voice of Kaya.

The tone of voice was Kaya’s, but a way of talking that was different than Kaya was alternately mixing in it.

“…That’s why I told you already, the random factor in shogi is zero, it was reckless of you. But playing against someone that omitted his eight pieces of rook, bishop, lance, knight, and silver general, ‘as expected maybe I can win here―’ anybody will think like that ain’t it! If you are gonna play then let’s play a game that has some random factor in it yeah, this kind of logic game just ain’t suited for you y’know? Don’t talk to me like I’m an idiot, c’mon―!”

The girl’s arm toppled over the shogi board that was on top of the marble table. The shogi pieces that were depicting a disastrous war situation were scattered everywhere with clattering sounds.

“Even me don’t like a game with zero random factor in it. <ref>The me just now is referring to man</ref> Why? ‘Cause there ain’t any chaos in it. A game without any uncertain factor in it is just too boring, this is just the Cosmos Side’s game.”

―This was a soliloquy that was not a soliloquy.

The two minds that occupied a single body were alternately talking.

Using just a single mouth that Kaya had, the one who was talking with Kaya was Loki.

Both of them could also exchange words only inside their head, but they much preferred to actually let out their voices when talking. Especially for a Diva, just moving their flesh body was a really pleasant thing.

After talking too much they now wanted to drink. Kaya reached out her hand to the pet bottle on top of the table and drank it all in one go. What she drank was a carbonated drink from the former era named [Root beer] that she recently got addicted to.

Loki who shared Kaya’s senses suddenly raised a scream.

“It stinks! That drink is just too stinky!! Drink something more natural, you! Don’t wanna! This chemical flavor is just unbearable y’know. Eei, shit!”

In order to remove the bad taste, Loki gulped down the whole bottle of the sweet potato shochu <ref>Japanese liquor</ref> named [Invitation to Hell] that had been put beforehand on top of the table. It was a sake that he bought because he was pleased with the name. A scream suddenly resounded all of a sudden.

“GYAA―! My throat is burning! Hahaha, serves you right, get sterilized you idiot tongue!”

Kaya’s body was in agony while laughing.

“C’mon, just drink a lighter sake. No way, the balance between the punch of the alcohol strength and the taste is important in what is called as alcohol, the nasty sake with alcohol below 20% is not alcohol at all. Geez―, Loki you idiot! Being an alcoholic even though you are sharing a body with a girl is just the worst! The idiot one is your sense of taste here! What are you gonna do if you even get me addicted with this root beer addiction of yours!! Ah, just as I thought? Looks like you also started to get to like it eh!? …Yeah. It’s vexing but yeah. Yeeeiii, my root beer comrade♪”

They got along well with each other.

Loki was thinking ―he left alone the consciousness of this girl on a whim, but she made things fairly interesting here and there.

Sharing a life with another person like this was filled with many really new discoveries.

Both of them had an open personality that knew no shame, so they were not bothered at all even with a life of zero privacy like this.

For Kaya, even in the case when she was sleeping and during that time both of their flesh body got strangely mixed up, so when she woke up she found her own body grew out the penis of Loki’s giant’s body, she could still laugh explosively while holding her stomach. She was the owner of a personality that could do such a thing.

Loki too was so Loki that he was not flustered, even when he was sharing a body with a girl. In the first place he was the ultimate borderless god whose forte was sex change, on the contrary he even had an incomprehensible heroic saga where he transformed into a mare where he was then brought into a reverse rape as the Sasoi’uke by a giant’s powerful male horse. At that time he got pregnant and the foal that was born from that later on became Odin’s beloved horse, the famous <Sleipnir>. With rape being the case.

Both of them were completely a match made in heaven.

While the two of them were getting roused up from their matching mood in one body, there was a knocking sound *kon kon* from the door.

“It’s fine to just enter anytime without knocking. This great me doesn’t have any moment where I’m gonna get ashamed of being seen.”

Loki who didn’t have any shame lightly permitted the visitor who came this late at night to enter the room.

The door was opened and the one who entered was a group of three of male and female.

All of them were wearing the hooded robe that was the proof of being an illegal magician.

“Oh, it’s you guys.” Loki’s voice brightened and he welcomed them.

The three respectively were the illegal magicians that were possessed by Midgardsormr, Fenrir, and Hel.

These three Divas were Loki’s real children.

However they were quite unworthy of their father because they couldn’t really succeed in taking over their human’s flesh body.

‘Despite being my kids why are their performances this bad huh?’ Loki thought inside his heart in marvel.

In front of his children, Loki transformed Kaya’s body into his own body. His body contour distorted flabbily like an amoeba and without even emitting any magic power light the body smoothly morphed into Loki’s appearance.

“Nyoro nyoro.”

“Midgardsormr, you too has become considerably like a snake huh. Quickly shed off your skin already.”

“Aoo―n, ao―n.”

“Fenrir, you too have turned like a dog this far huh. Can you pee while raising one of your legs now?”

Towards the illegal magicians whose bodies had began to be deeply influenced by the Divas possessing them, Loki ignored the original personalities of the bodies and called them with the name of his own child. After stroking the heads of the two, he turned towards his youngest daughter Hel.

“…”

“Ou, Hel. You too have your complexion worsened like a death god… hm? Hel, you…?”

“Papa. I, have reached it already see.”

At that time, the body that was clad in a dark robe emitted a powerful light.

“Ooooh-!?” Loki raised a joyful voice. Inside the light, the silhouette of the illegal magician change its shape like a jelly. In the blink of an eye it drew out the small―petite silhouette of a girl.

“Hel, you finally did it! As expected from my daughter!!”

Loki tried to hug the girl’s silhouette by jumping into the light.

The girl’s silhouette sleekly dodged the jump.

“Papa… I’m, not a child anymore you see. Stop trying to hug me already.”

The shining light settled down―Hel had clearly materialized her body.

With a bluish-white skin, her appearance was of a very young girl. Her body was clad in pure black gothic cloths that matched Kaya’s taste, her right eye was covered with an eyepatch.

Her noble look and blue hair that were inherited from Loki emitted a ghastliness that was not from a person of this world.

Hel―because she was Loki’s biological child she was still young, but in Norse Mythology she was the Queen of the World of the Dead that accomplished an important role. Loki greeted her materialization with a radiant smile.

“Hahaha, you shy kid. Papa is very lonely just by myself y’know. Comrades that papa can trust right from the heart are only you three after all.”

Loki forcefully hugged Hel while sinking his waist on the black-leather sofa.

Hel averted her face to the side and replied with a coldness of hell.

“Even without us, papa doesn’t really mind and is always having fun right? Papa is saying things like comrade, even though papa actually doesn’t need anything like that in your heart.”

“Why are saying such a cold thing to your papa that you have met after a long time? If you don’t act more honest and be sweet to papa, papa is gonna get lonely here…”

“Nyoro nyoro” “Aoo―n”

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 096.jpg|thumb]]

When Loki hung his head down dejectedly, the two persons possessed by Midgardsormr and Fenrir consoled him.

In the past it was also like this but, these two were stupidly kind to Loki.

“Hmph. I hate papa so much.”

“Is that so? If so then, well, it’s fine already. However, why did you suddenly become able to steal the body in one go?”

Loki raised his face in a snap and asked.

“…Putting me aside like that… Hmph, it’s Ikousai. When I went along with that girl’s training I grasped the trick.”

Ikousai lately made these three to accompany her training. It was the special training for the sake of perfectly controlling the power of Susanoo that resided inside her. So that was it, by observing the state of Ikousai, who was controlling the power of her Diva, she grasped the trick to steal a human’s body using the reverse operation of that process.

“Oi, Midgardsomr and Fenrir. You guys also went along with Ikousai’s training right? Why is there no progress with you guys. This ain’t the time to go ‘nyoro nyoro’ or ‘aoo―n’ y’know.”

“It’s impossible for these two, they are idiots after all. I’m the smartest here after all.”

With a proud huff Hel turned up her nose haughtily, “…I’m the best, I’m taking after papa the closest” she added so with a small voice.

“Right. However this is a joyous occasion. Should we have red rice for the meal tomorrow? Papa is going to fill this room with humans until bursting and make them make a lot of red rice yeah.” <ref>Red rice or sekihan, made from beans and mochi for auspicious occasions</ref>

“Re, red rice or whatever isn’t tasty, so it’s not like I’m happy or anything with that. Well, if you are going to congratulate me then it’s fine even if you do as you please…”

“Well, that’s just a joke though. I too don’t like red rice, it’s troublesome.”

“…!!” Hel stood up from on top of Loki’s knees and hit Loki’s shoulder repeatedly.

Even while those hits got repelled by a blue defensive magic power, Loki got flustered while saying “What, what’s with you!”

“…Papa is no different whether now or in the past. Papa is only joking around or saying insincere words. Even though I’m now able to materialize after a long time, why is papa not facing me with more of your real feelings…”

Hel murmured in complaint with a small voice.

“Nn? What are you grumbling there?”

“Nothing at all!”

Hel raised an angry voice that sounded like a flame of hell. Loki went “Sca, scary…” and shrank back from his biological daughter.

{Heh heh… Loki, so when you are in front of your kids you are like this.}

Kaya who was watching over the situation laughed sardonically inside Loki’s head.

“Anyway, I’ll go after that guy called Hayashizaki Kazuki. Just leave the rest to me.”

Hel crossed her arms and suddenly began to talk.

“Hah? Leave it to you? Papa is not blessed with capable people, so papa never got to test whether leaving something to another person is gonna go well or not.”

“I have grasped the situation even while just possessing this body. Hayashizaki Kazuki is going to the deepest parts of Fuji’s sea of trees to take the last one of the Three Sacred Treasures. …Ame no Murakumo. That thing is probably, the thing that made us thoroughly miserable 14 years ago right? That kind of thing, must not be handed over to the enemy.”

“Even if you say that, that place is sealed by that woman’s power. We cannot enter there.”

“It’s possible. If it’s me. That seal is something that was put up by that woman… a dead person.”

Hel puffed up her chest as if wanting to say “It’s fine for you to praise me.”

“Is that so, if you have recovered your power… now you can make full use of your power as the god of death.”

“Dead person is my attribute. I can look up the soul of dead people that I know from Astrum and form a connection to them. The soul of the dead that is maintaining the seal in that Haunted Ground… when that woman shows her appearance in front of Hayashizaki Kazuki, I’ll do that and I’ll eat that woman’s soul. And then I’m going to materialize my figure in that place.”

So to speak, a warp that was using the desecration of a dead person.

By reducing her own flesh into a mass of enormous magic power, she was going to connect to the soul of a dead person that was in a different place through the mental world. The soul of a dead person was the remains of magic power that kept clinging at Astrum―so to speak the remaining dregs of a mind.

By consuming the soul of that dead person, she would reveal her appearance by moving into the soul of the dead person that was in that place.

Warp magic―it was a feat that not many Divas could do even if they had materialized.

“He will see the one that he is talking with right in front of his eyes suddenly change into me. I’m going to launch a surprise attack right there when he is shocked. He is going to be helpless. And then I’m going to massacre the lot and bring back the Sacred Treasure. How’s that, papa? It’s perfect right? It’s fine even if you praise me. Though it’s not like I’m happy or anything getting praised by Papa.”

‘That strategy is gonna make Hayashizaki Kazuki go into rage huh’ , Loki thought.

‘That strategy is going to make Kazuki-oniichan go mad with rage huh’, Kaya also thought,

When [a person that knew Hayashizaki Kazuki] imagined that strategy’s progression, for some reason rather than success there was only a dangerous premonition welling up inside their heart. That was how much Loki and Kaya were being in awe of his force of will.

“…Just stop it, that’s dangerous.”

“Eh? Why?”

“Because the one who can warp like that, is just you right? Hayashizaki Kazuki that snapped, is just scary. If that guy fight without thinking of the consequences, he could even fight against the other Kings.”

“There is no way for me who has already materialized to lose against something like a human at all!”

“You say that but, even papa has the experience of almost losing against that guy y’know. See, this in papa’s chest, it’s the scar from that time.”

When Loki exposed the chest behind his shirt and showed his scar, Hel’s face went beet red and covered her face with both hands.

“I, idiot! Don’t take it off out of nowhere like that! Papa really doesn’t have any delicacy! You perverted father! Since the long time ago you always loitered around naked after rising from the bath, that kind of papa is just the worst!”

Loki fixed back his shirt while being dejected.

“Why are you this shy of a person despite being my daughter… daughters at that age are really troublesome eh. I get along much better with Kaya.”

Hel’s expression went stiff in a snap from that nonchalant comment and she became even more obstinate.

“Besides papa’s win and loss cannot become any consideration at all! Anyway that time papa was just careless right!? If we just leave that guy alone and get careless, it will immediately become a pinch for us.”

“There was also that but… Papa you see, is just worried for you.”

“That’s a lie!” Hel refuted that with a menacing look like the earthquake of hell.

“Papa isn’t worried or anything at all for me! Papa is just making light of me all along! Telling me that I cannot do anything right, papa is always, always looking down on me!!”

“I ain’t looking down on you at all here. No, strictly speaking I’m looking down on you though. Everyone except papa are all idiots after all, so it’s not like papa is specially thinking of you as an idiot y’see.”

{Ahaha, you’re the worst―} Kaya was laughing hard.

“Papa is not worrying about me, papa is just thinking of that guy Hayashizaki Kazuki as more important than me! Even though all this time papa has already had so many chances to kill that guy already!”

His biological daughter’s discerning eye made Loki shocked instead. Kaya too {Ooo-} reflexively ooh-ed in admiration.

“Just why does papa let that guy live until now!? That kind of man, can be nothing else but an hindrance to our plan!”

“That guy is also one of the pawns that I can use. …Among the Magic Advanced Countries, Japan is the only country that can form an alliance with another country. With Japan becoming a force that cannot be ignored, the balance between the countries that struggle for supremacy coulda be broken. I don’t want to face those Magic Advanced Countries honestly from the front.”

“That’s just an excuse! Our original plan was too make this country, Japan as the base of us, the Divas of the Chaos Side, as the abode of demons where we can hijack the humans of this country that had no divine protection of the advanced countries! That’s the original expectation of us of the Loki’s Einherjar!”

“It doesn’t really matter where we gotta do that, anywhere is fine. …The first plan had become hard because the <Zero Knight> really whooped our asses. That couldn’t be helped.”

Kaya was shocked hearing Loki’s way of speaking. This was the first time this Diva had the sense of defeat mixed into his actions.

To steal this country and turn it into their own base, couldn’t be done except in that era.

Right now, the Magic Advanced Countries had already gathered too much strength. They already couldn’t do anything that stood out.

That was why, rather than gathering strength, they had to plan that prioritized shaving off their surrounding’s strength. …Loki was thinking like that.

“…Papa right now, just wanted Hayashizaki Kazuki to inherit the will of the Zero Knight, and then try to fight it once more.”

“You are thinking too much.”

Hel shook her head vigorously and turned on her heel.

“I don’t know anybody like papa anymore! I’m going to kill that guy!!”

Just like that she rushed out of the door with a force that almost smashed apart the door and left the room. Having been left behind, the two humans that were possessed by Fenrir and Midgardsormr were lost “Nyoro” “Ao―n”.

“…Aaa, she went and left. Why is she like… wonder if she didn’t hear what I told her. Ain’t her plan just a suicide attack when she ain’t preparing any escape route like this?”

Loki sank his waist into the sofa and gulped his sweet potato shochu.

“Why is she that stupid despite being my kid I wonder. <ref>That’s not surprising when the father of your kid is just dumb animal right? Edit(Omega): Actually, Fenrir, Midgardsomr and Hel were fathered by Loki, while the mother was a Frost giant… Sleipnir was the only child of his he mothered</ref> When I was having children, the ones that come out were suddenly a snake, a dog, and a corpse, well, like that there ain’t no way these bunches are going to turn out decent though, but even so I thought that the girl was still better cos’ she had human shape. What a stupid daughter.”

{…Loki, why did you even make something like children?}

Kaya asked while enduring the numbing sensation of the alcohol.

“I wanted them in the past see. I thought that for comrades that I can have faith in, one that absolutely won’t betray me, ain’t it fine if I just make them myself.” Loki leaked out a voice that was unexpectedly crestfallen and lonely.

“…After all whether it was those gods of Asgard, or those giants, in the end, none of them can be trusted.”

Loki’s birth origin was the giant race. The Norse Mythology was a legend about the enfolding conflict between the gods of Asgard and the giant race. Kaya vividly imagined Loki’s position in the middle of such conflict.

Loki joined the group of Asgard’s gods, exchanged the cup of sworn brother with Odin, and his relation with Thor became something that was called as bosom friend.

But in the end he betrayed the gods of Asgard and a fierce battle was enfolding.

In the end, his words that no one could be trusted was heavy.

“But I noticed in the middle that such thinking was too naïve. It’s not about fearing treachery, what’s important is to corner the surrounding bunches into a situation where they have no way to betray you. I’m not looking for something like other people that you can trust. Other people are to be used. They are pawns. That way of thinking really worked well.”

{But that girl, Hel, you cannot handle her as pawn well eh.}

Kaya pointed out with a sharpness that stabbed right at the heart of the matter. Loki gulped his shochu.

“That girl, I cannot move her well. What is that girl looking for, what kind of bait that girl will take, I really don’t understand at all.”

{I think that what that girl is looking for is really easy to understand though.}

“Is that so? …It’s incomprehensible for me.”

Surely he was just pretending to not understand, Kaya thought.

Surely Hel had seen through something like a fake love completely. That was why she was constantly angry.

But a love that was right from the heart couldn’t be called as bait anymore.

Loki who had decided to treat everything as a pawn was unable to give something like love right from his heart to other people. That was why, even for Loki the trickster, that attempted to manipulate everything, Hel was the only one in the world that he couldn’t use.

Perhaps all the words that Hel threw at him were all truth. Loki had lost the argument against his daughter.

“Really… the matter just cannot go my way.”

Kaya noticed. How that murmur sounded a little happy.

{…It doesn’t go your way, that’s why you’re looking forward to it aren’t you? An uncertain factor. Basically it’s that kind of thing isn’t it?}

Loki loved something uncertain. Surely Loki―loved Hel as an uncertain factor.

“It’s just like what you are thinking.” Loki laughed.

Hel couldn’t understand a love in such shape. That child from now on too would hunger for love, wander, and continue to act in an astounding way. Loki continued to watch that while drinking his sake.

Kaya also thought that it was pleasant. She couldn’t explain why she was having fun with such an unpleasant hobby but, without doubt, such things brought joy to Kaya and Loki.

She and Kazuki-oniichan were also the same. When saying “I want love”, Kazuki-oniichan would surely face the other party directly. But for her, she already didn’t want such a straightforward feeling. That was why she rejected that, did crazy things―and just earnestly wanting to trouble Onii-chan.

That kind of reliable Onii-chan was manipulated around with her every single action. That was great.

Inside her head was becoming full with contradiction and bankrupt personality. It was pleasant for such tragedy to be her aesthetics.

Kaya felt her [bond of chaos] with Loki that could understand that become even more irreplaceable.

“…By the way, what kind of person that Zero Knight was?”

Kaya was interested with Loki’s past. She felt that his past that she was completely ignorant of, was like a large river that stretched out between her bonds with Loki.

“I had several chances to meet her face to face and talked to her. That woman was someone that said things like [I fight in order to protect everyone!] with sparkling eyes.”

“Ugee―. That’s the honor student type that I’m bad with.”

“Hearing that I… more like my host was thinking like this. This guy is strong. So let’s massacre all her important people and plunder the will to fight, the will to live from this woman. I’m going to make that sparkling eyes get polluted.”

“O, ooo… what an awesome idea.”

“My host and my comrades ran around from the Zero Knight and massacred the Zero Knight’s family, friend, acquaintance, we cleaned all of them up. So that she won’t even have any feelings of revenge, we did it thoroughly. There was only this one strange pipsqueak foreigner that called the Zero Knight [Nee-sama] that we failed to kill because she was quiet strong, but, other than that one pipsqueak, we killed them all.”

There was no more reason for the Zero Knight to fight―the circumstance became something like that.

There was no more will to protect or anything that she could feel. It wouldn’t even be strange if she commited suicide because of the despair.

“And then, what did the Zero Knight do?”

“For a while her whereabouts was concealed. During that time my host and comrades went wild as much as we wanted. But… that woman came back.”

“Ooo-…! She came back for revenge?”

“No, she didn’t have the desire for revenge. That woman said [Someone like you has to be defeated without fail] with a steady gaze. She was not talking pretty things with sparkling eyes… she talked justice with piercingly threatening eyes.”

“…That woman, was scary wasn’t she?”

“Yeah, even my host was trembling. My consciousness that time was vague but, maybe I too was shaking in my boots. We ran away until the depth of a left alone Haunted Ground that was surrounded by a wall but we got pursued, and then she entered a one-on-one fight at the summit of Mt. Fuji. There, they simultaneously killed each other.”

“Then that means you guys didn’t lose then.”

“Well, it felt like a lost. Our plan also got toppled over. Right before the Zero Knight’s death, so that the special Sacred Treasure that she used could be handed over to the hands of a worthy human, she burned her remaining life and put up a seal.”

“Loki is thinking that you want for that Sacred Treasure to be handed over to Kazuki-oniichan aren’t you?”

There was reverence towards the Zero Knight inside Loki’s chest.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki is… a worthy guy to inherit the conviction of the Zero Knight. In the deepest part of the Grand Haunted Ground, that kind of thing is waiting for that guy.”

===Part 6===

The next morning, Kazuki and the others crept out from the snow huts along with the dawn and lined up in front of the tremendous rock wall while looking up at it. When they tried to take a detour, they soon hit a deep valley in their way. No matter what they had to challenge this wall in order to climb to their destination.

What was in front of them was not a slope anymore, but a wall that stood upright like a folding screen. The angle began from around 50°, and then the angle gradually became closer to being vertical. The rock surface was exposed due to the wind but here and there were snows piling up inside rock cavities, making the wall look like a pattern of brown and white speckles. The wall continued until very high without the end in sight.

It was as if they were witnessing the god of earth.

“When I climbed this mountain in the past, there was no wall like this that looked like the Grandes Jorasses though.”

Liz Liza-sensei said that while breathing out white vapor. “Haunted Grounds will change even its terrain with the thickness of its magic power. With days and months that passed, the Haunted Ground will evolve into something outrageous.”

“This, how will we climb this?”

“There is not other way than to cling onto the wall with both legs and arms like a lizard and climb. Let’s have Koyuki create one more ice axe for each of us.”

Ice axe―a hammer in a T-shape model. It was a mountain climbing assistance tool in a shape like a bar with its tip turned into a sharp blade. With ice axes in both hands, they had to drive in the blade in position as high as they could one hand at a time.

Crampons―similarly with the ice claws Koyuki made for them on both of their legs, they had to kick in the claws on their toes in position as high as they could one foot at a time. They nailed the ice axes at their hands and the crampons on their feet alternately into the rock surface. They crawled up little by little. There was no other way to go up other than to steadily do that.

They supported their body by alternately stabbing the blade and claw into the rock surface deeply. So that they would be fine even if their balance broke and fell, they stretched out a rope between them so that all members were supporting each other.

They wouldn’t die even if they fell, but… they would need to climb back steadily from the start again.

“There will be falling rock, Demon Beasts will also come attacking.”

The one in the head that would support the comrades that were following after him in critical times must be excellent in stamina.

“Should the one that becomes the lead be me or Kazuha-senpai?”

“Shall I do it?”

“There is no doubt that Kazuha-senpai who can manipulate general magic flexibly is competent for this role, but what is really demanded in this role is being calm, cool, and collected to quickly deal with the problem that can happen.”

If just that one point was excluded, Kazuha-senpai would be even more suitable than Kazuki for this. But just that one aspect made him thoroughly uneasy about letting Kazuha-senpai do this.

Kazuha-senpai focused her eyes and considered Kazuki’s words. And then she immediately averted her eyes uneasily.

But she also couldn’t retract her previous offer and so her mouth kept closing and opening wordlessly.

“Also with a girl in her Magic Dress right above me will only make me unable to concentrate from all the lewdness, so as I thought it’s better if I’m the one in the lead.”

Kazuki threw out a life line to Kazuha-senpai which made Kazuha-senpai’s expression relieved before she pushed Kazuki’s shoulder while saying “Yo, you pervert! As I thought you are the one that will be in the lead!”

With Kazuki being in the lead decided, all of them were joined with each other using rope in turns.

At last Kazuki half-crawled the steep slope and began to climb. The ice axe and the crampons which had its hardness increased due to Koyuki’s power over cold easily pierced the wall when Kazuki strengthened his physical ability and nailed it on the wall. Relying on that Kazuki advanced above step by step.

“Like this… steadily…”

Looking at Kazuki’s figure that was clinging on the wall, Mio let out her impressions.

When Kazuki had climbed around three meters, that Mio also clung to the wall. She only had the power of a girl that wasn’t used to use Enchant Aura habitually, but her ice axes and crampons easily drove into the wall.

“Kazu-nii-, pull me up if I’m going to fall okay♪”

Mio looked up at him while saying that.

Kazuki looked down right below him and replied “Naturally.”

“Ehehe~, how reliable♪ I wonder if I should try to fall purposefully.”

“You are going to fall at me then.”

Koyuki who was following right under Mio replied with a cold voice.

“I’m going to thrust this ice axe into the bottom of the falling Amasaki-san.”

“FUEEEEEEEEE-!?”

Mio spontaneously raised a scream but she had defensive magic power so she wouldn’t actually get stabbed if that happened. It was just a frivolous talk. The relation between these two had also improved really well.

With only pain accumulating inside him, the monotone act where he couldn’t see when it would end was continuing.

The scenery of white mist above him didn’t change at all no matter how far he was steadily climbing up. The wind that was whirling in rumbles in the air was filled with snow and turned into blizzard that crashed into the rock surface and got blown below. Kazuki and co who were clinging into the rock wall and were trying to climb up―especially Kazuki who was climbing in the lead had his face struck fiercely by all the falling snow.

However he had to keep his face lifted up by all means, after all they didn’t know when the Demon Beasts would come attacking from the sky. The really violent blizzard reduced the visibility to zero with just his naked eyes, but he continued to focus single-mindedly on reinforcing his eye sight with magic power and saw through the other side of the blizzard.

And then it came―a swarm of giant bird that was covered in pure white fur where they were flapping their large wings to draw near and to peck at Kazuki and co. with their sharp beaks.

His companions shot them to death with a rapid-fire of attack magic.

When Kazuki tried to chant his magic, his companions scolded him to preserve his strength.

―His body that should have been warmed already inside the snow hut was once again beginning to creak. During his war of attrition against the rock wall where he didn’t know when it would end, the cold was gnawing into his body unstoppably.

What was exposed into the fierceness of the blizzard right at the foremost was not just his face but also both his hands. The tips farthest from the heart that were his fingers were the first to have ischemia occurring at it from the hypothermia.

Kazuki was witnessing his fingertips slowly changing color into brown.

Even so as long as the wall was continuing vertically, he kept raising high both his hands alternately above his head, he must not stop driving his ice axe into the wall’s surface by any means.

How far he had climbed, he wondered. He had no sense of distance and sense of time.

The surrounding was isolated by the blizzard. The senses of his whole body also went numb and began to vanish. He was feeling as if he was floating in a world of pure white.

Kazuki’s heart was suddenly assaulted by anxiety.

Were his comrades still there at the end of the rope that was tied onto his waist, following after him?

If the rope didn’t get pulled then that meant that there was no one that fell down. In the first place Kazuki was able to sense the current location of his companions.

Yet regardless… it couldn’t be helped that he felt uneasy from how he was unable to detect the existence of everyone inside this world of pure white.

“Everyone, are you still there!”

Kazuki called out to right under him.

“I’m fine!” “I’m still here!” Replies were coming from numerous mouths, Kazuki was relieved from the bottom of his heart.

His chest became warm. Everyone’s voices became a second breath for him and turned into strength inside his body.

“Hey! Let’s take a roll-call periodically okay!!”

Kaguya-senpai proposed that perhaps from feeling the same uneasiness as Kazuki.

“Then when I call out [Everyone!], everyone will give their reply in order!”

“Understood!” Mio who was right under Kazuki replied. “But what should we reply with?”

“Anything is fine, within appropriateness! Let’s try it now… everyone!”

“Nyaa―!” Mio immediately replied after she was told that anything was fine.

“Puu.” Koyuki continued.

“Wan wan-!” Lotte energetically said.

“Pan pan!” Kaguya-senpai who recently began as a panda character raised a panda’s barking voice(?).

“Eh!? I don’t have any material for that kind of impression though!?” Kazuha-senpai raised a troubled voice.

“NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Kanae shouted.

“PENIS!” Hikaru-senpai yelled out something incomprehensible.

“What the hell are you saying!?” Liz Liza-sensei who was at the end of the line scolded with a baffled voice.

Spontaneously Kazuki was experiencing a building up laughter inside of him. That laugh was again changed into energy and he thought that he could still do his best.

While climbing Kazuki periodically took a roll-call.

“Nyaa―!”

“Puu.”

“Wan wan-!”

“Pan pan!”

“I don’t have that kind of special voice desu! I’m a normal human desu!” <ref>This is Kazuha speaking</ref>

“NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAA! NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”

“PENIS!”

“I told you not to say anything obscene already!?”

The end of the path came too quick―what appeared at the other side of the blizzard was not a rock surface but the clear sky.

What got fixed at the edge of the rock surface was not an ice axe but fingers, Kazuki lifted up his body.

===Part 7===

The edge of the mountains―Kazuki and co formed a single line and advanced following the ridgeline. The scenery made them think that the ridge line would continue on forever, but finally they met the end of the line. A circle was drawn in the end of the ridge line like a crown, waiting for Kazuki and co. The summit of Fuji Mountain, the crater on the very top.

At one of the edge that formed the circle, there was a light that was obviously of a different nature.

They immediately understood the true identity of the light when they got near. A single sword that pierced the edge of the crater was emitting a glaring light of sharpness that the blizzard couldn’t hide.

That sword that was waiting for them at the highest summit of Japan, looked exactly like the proof of the King just from its appearance.

When they forced their exhausted bodies and got nearer, they discovered that a human shadow was standing beside the sword.

Her long black hair was swaying due to the blizzard.

It was the female that held a mysterious and dear impression for him―the master of the seal.

The woman was already dead. But as the result of changing her very own life into the power of the seal, the woman’s mental body was haunting this ground together with the seal.

The woman and the sword were waiting for Kazuki. Kazuki and others that were forming a line at the edge of the crater dragged along their exhausted body to walk. The woman was watching that directly and quietly without even hurrying them along.

With Kazuki in the lead, they advanced forward while receiving that gaze and the blizzard right from the front.

When they arrived until a distance of just a few meters, the woman of the seal suddenly pulled out the sword that was pierced on the mountain summit and heroically thrust it to the heaven.

A figure of a hero of the ancient era was right in front of their eyes.

The woman kicked the edge of the crater―and sharply stepped into Kazuki’s direction.

The heroically raised sword was directed at Kazuki and swung down powerfully.

Even while being shocked, Kazuki ran his sword out from its sheath with a natural movement. With a flash from the drawn sword he warded off the opponent’s swung down sword and parried its strength diagonally below. After the opponent’s posture broke down, he flipped up his blade in a sharp angle and swung up his blade as the second slash.

The most basic of the Hayashizaki-style, two stage preparation of sword drawing art.

But Kazuki stopped his second slash right before it cut.

The woman whose posture was broken by Kazuki had also stopped her movement while still in the low posture from swinging down her sword.

“You really have become strong.”

The woman said with a mellow voice like a silk.

“You too…”

Kazuki felt a cold, uncomfortable feeling from the echo of the word [you] that came out from his mouth.

But he didn’t understand what would be fine to call her with other than that word.

“I understand that you are also strong from that single slash just now.”

The woman’s step-in was sharp and the force of the swung down blade was truly powerful. The force was similar with a single blow from Beatrix―truly in reverse from her willowy appearance.

Kazuki’s sword was something that was backed with the sword art that had been handed down in generations and steady training.

On the other hand, the woman’s sword was―a <wild technique> that was honed by necessity in the middle of real battles that were approaching her.

Surely, this person was originally not a knight or anything like that.

The truth was that she just recklessly continued to fight, and became strong until this much.

Thinking of such hardship, Kazuki’s chest was blocked.

“You are…”

Kazuki sheathed his katana. And then he gripped the hand of the woman that was still in the swinging down posture. It was a thin and delicate hand that was really like a female. It transmitted warmth through Kazuki’s fingers that were covered with frostbite.

The woman was not just a mere mental body, but a materialized body.

She must be using up the magic power of the seal that had finished its task and temporarily created a physical body of flesh.

“You are… my mother aren’t you?”

In no way the shaking of Kazuki’s words originated from the cold.

The woman released the sword from her hand and made Kazuki took a hold of it.

“I didn’t know about the true identity of this sword for a long time. The name of this sword is… <Ame no Murakumo>. Symbolizing the King’s authority, a sword of great destiny,”

The woman’s silky voice was slightly dyed in sadness.

“…This is a sword that forces a person to fight. This sword was waiting for you in this place.”

The woman drew back reservedly from the distance where their breath seemed to be able to touch each other.

“Long time no see huh, Hibiki.”

When Leme materialized beside Kazuki, the woman replied like she was meeting an old acquaintance.

“Leme too, long time no see. Though I never really had the chance to feel you this clearly before.”

The woman’s shoulders were slightly downcast while she began to talk to Leme.

“There is one thing that I want to ask, but… this fate, how much of it was really destiny?”

“What do you mean?”

“…This child is, my child after all, is that why you chose him?”

It was a question that really went into the heart of the matter. But Leme didn’t show any agitation and shook her neck.

“Certainly he caught my attention because he was your child, but Leme is also not such a cheap kind person that would choose him just because of that. This guy happened to have the qualities that is worthy for Leme’s choice. Sword skill, exceptional ambition and mental strength, and above all his aspect that treasured his bonds… The Hayashizaki house raised up that kind of guy by their own accord.”

“Aah, now that you mentioned it… isn’t your ability more convenient when it’s used by a male child I wonder?”

“Of course that’s also one of the factors. The concept this time is a lovey-dovey harem king. Well, though you too could also use the magic of the same sex Liz Liza Westwood well enough before.”

When Leme said that jokingly, Kaa-san narrowed her eyes for the first time with her mouth bursting open in smile. <ref>Kaa-san = mother</ref>

“Fufufu-, Liza and I were lovey-dovey after all.”

“Wha, what are you saying, Hibiki-neesama!!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s face went beet red and advanced forward out from the group of everyone.

“Be, besides you, you made a boyfriend but you kept it quiet from me… furthermore you even had a child without me knowing!”

“Because if I told that to Liza who loved me, I thought that it would make you jealous♪”

The woman―no, Mother unexpectedly stuck out her tongue playfully.

“I’m not jealous or anything, I just wanted you to talk with me properly!” <ref>Here Liz Liza’s way of talking turns into a polite way of talking when she talks with Hibiki, unlike her usual severe tone when talking with her students.</ref>

However Liz Liza-sensei’s eyes were both wet with tears and her body was trembling in shivers while she talked in reproach, it looked completely fitting with her child-like appearance.

“You didn’t tell me anything! You also entrusted your child that was just born to the orphanage! …Even though it would be fine even if you relied on me! You didn’t say anything and left to fight, and then you didn’t return back…!”

Mother smiled wryly in sadness.

“I’m sorry, Liza. At that time all the people around me were targeted, so I didn’t tell any of that to anyone. I also didn’t tell anything to the people at the orphanage and left him in front of the gate… without doing anything else.”

Mother was stealing a glance at Kazuki worriedly with her voice dulling.

Not saying anything and then in front of the orphanage’s gate… she abandoned him without doing anything else.

That was what she said.

“You were not doing nothing.” Kazuki interrupted between the two.

“At the spot where I was left behind, I had been told that there was a memo accompanying me where the name [Kazuki] was written.”

Mother looked at Kazuki with a look of realization and immediately looked down awkwardly.

“…Yes. I conveyed just that. I was thinking that I wanted to raise a boy that is really close to what is important for him, and possessed the strength to protect that important thing to the end like a large tree…”

“It might be thanks to that naming, that this guy was growing up into an ideal harem king.”

Leme interjected. “That’s also a form of education you know. Just as I thought this might really be a destiny.”

Name―perhaps unconsciously he wanted to become a human that was suitable for the name [Kazuki(一樹)]. He felt that he had the awareness more than average person that his name was really important. <ref>The meaning of 一樹 is a single tree</ref>

“But things like naming… just something like that cannot be called as an education or raising him up. Just as I thought, I have never done anything that is like a mother…”

“Kaa-san!” Kazuki interrupted her from a sad and gloomy tone.

To call the young woman in front of his eyes that he was still unfamiliar with as mother from his mouth needed courage.

The important name of [Kazuki] encouraged the courage inside his chest, Kazuki spouted out the thing that he felt had to be said no matter what.

“I, don’t resent Kaa-san at all! Because I’m not unhappy or unfortunate! I am happy all this time!”

Kazuki lowered his head and thanked her.

“For giving birth to me… thank you very much. For continuing to fight, for this country, for protecting the future where we lived, thank you very much.”

“…You really have grown up strong, aren’t you? And then the one that raised you up this happy…”

Mother averted her eyes away from the bowing Kazuki as if to escape.

After that she was facing to the direction of his companions.

“Kanae-san.”

“Ye, yes! Okaa-sama <ref>A really respectful way of calling mother</ref>!!” Kanae straightened her back and answered with a nervous voice.

Mother then lowered her head deeply.

“Thank you very much. For raising this child into a person this kind and strong. Your family was the one that did what I couldn’t, pouring the greatest love and growth for him…”

“That’s preposterous! I’m exactly the one… who received the best Nii-sama that I can ask for!”

Kanae to lowered her head. Kazuki too, Mother too, Kanae too were lowering their heads.

Mother then laughed “Fufu-“ amusedly.

“How weird… despite how I’m supposed to be the worst mother. Everyone happily lowered their head like this… I wonder if this is what they called a fortune.”

She was not the worst or anything. The situation just couldn’t be helped. Mother had to fight no matter what the cost at that time.

The current Kazuki understood well about such a position.

Mother loved someone. But that time was different with now, at that time it was not known that a strong emotion would become a trigger of magic power and distorted the reality completely. Magic power influenced the act of mixing the strongest feelings of man and woman, and completely hindered any contraception, such thing was unknown at that time.

If he himself didn’t know about such thing beforehand, then even he would surely have done the same act already.

Mother loved someone and conceived a child. That was why she went away from the battle.

But during the time Mother was leaving the battlefield… the situation rapidly worsened.

Moreover the people around Mother were targeted.

That was why… she had no other choice than to not tell anyone about her child and abandoned him.

And then without even informing her best friend that was Liz Liza-sensei, she went ahead to the battle alone without doing anything else.

That kind of mother, who in the world could condemn her?

―’Why in the world was it only Kaa-san who had to shoulder such an heavy burden?’

‘Tou-san<ref>Tou-san = father</ref> is’… Kazuki was going to ask, and hesitated.

[All of my important person were targeted]. Those words had already implicated the heavy and painful fact.

“…This is not destiny or anything like that.”

Once again Mother murmured to herself.

“Kanae-san, to let me reunite with this child, thank you…”

Mother lowered her head to Kanae once again.

After that with a timid manner she faced Kazuki once more.

“While protecting the seal in this place, I have regretted the fact that I abandoned you and headed to the fight all this time. Why do I have to fight, I always thought that it was unreasonable. Now, you are chosen by Leme and this sword, inside me there is also the sad feeling that you are shouldering the same fate like me. I wanted to raise my boy normally, unrelated from all this fighting… But… I also had the dream of you being chosen and you coming to this place. I wanted to have a glance of the grown up you. After all, I’m just something like a bounded ghost that cannot leave this place.”

That’s just like a doting parent though, saying that Mother smiled self-derisively.

“You know, the moment when I gave birth to you, I had the feeling that a special, strong child had just been born. That was why I was hoping, that surely you will be chosen and then you will come here. For such a thing to happen, the possibility must be so low like expecting a miracle to happen, but… Kanae-san, everyone that is here, you all had raised Kazuki to be this strong. You let us to meet fortuitously like this once more. …To come until this far here, I’m really thankful to all of you.”

Again Mother lowered her head, to Kazuki, to Kanae, to everyone else, one by one she lowered her head at them.

She was just earnestly lowering her thin back with a sorrowful face, and continued to lower her head.

He wanted to say something. But his feeling couldn’t be turned into any word. He was not unhappy. He didn’t resent anything. He was thankful. All his feeling that he wanted to convey beforehand, he had easily finished conveying them all.

He had the feeling that there was something more that he should say.

However that feeling couldn’t come out beautifully as words from his mouth.

Mother too was wordlessly and timidly staring at Kazuki as if holding herself back.

Amidst the pure white blizzard, they were staring at each other as if the time had stopped.

Suddenly―something changed.

The warm atmosphere was―sharply changed into cold.

The magic blizzard around them was not becoming stronger. Mother suddenly realized something with a ‘hah’ and her gaze became grim, then she thrust away Kazuki beside her strongly.

“Kaa-san…!?” Spontaneously and unintentionally, Kazuki leaked out a voice like an abandoned child.

No, wrong, this situation…

“Get away! Everyone, get away from me!!”

Mother yelled with a sharp voice as if a hero’s sense of responsibility was awakened inside her.

The sky at the other side of the blizzard was roaring thunderingly from the blowing wind. The wind moved pitch black clouds to their direction and completely covered the sky. The surroundings suddenly turned dark.

From the dark clouds, a dreadful voice was reverberating.

{O people that continue to stop at the boundary of life and death, know the karma of your deep sin.}

Kazuki and the others looked at the sky altogether.

{My name is Hel. Thou is already a dead person. …In accordance with that fate, offer that everything to me!!}

Pitch black lightning flashed from the dark cloud―piercing the back of Mother.

{{{furigana|Helheim Drive|Death God Encroachment}}}!!”

It was something that happened in an instant where no one could do anything. He was not even allowed to Foresight what kind of magic phenomenon would be caused by the dreadful and strange magic power.

The black lightning melted into Mother like an evil spirit. Mother went “Guh-!” and her body writhed in pain, blue magic power light was emitted from her whole body.

Kazuki knew this light. He had seen it before.

This emitted light was completely the same like that time when Loki encroached into Kaya.

It was the light of the existence itself being usurped by a Diva.

The emitted blue magic power and the encroaching pure black magic power mixed with each other, depicting a marble pattern. Little by little the pure black surface was increasing, it was trying to erase the existence of Mother.

It was as if he was seeing the process of a food that became spoiled in fast forward.

‘…This is a lie right?’

Kazuki stood stock still in a daze. He couldn’t possibly think that the happening in front of his eyes was reality.

Whether it was the miracle that he could reunite with Mother like this.

And even how such a miracle was currently disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Whichever it was… was unbelievable.

He couldn’t think that everything in this moment was all reality.

Kaa-san is disappearing. He couldn’t believe it.

‘This is a lie right… The thing that I still haven’t conveyed yet…”

However he didn’t understand what kind of words he should use…

They were just exchanging awkward gazes while holding back just now…

Not yet… not like this…

Who was it, the one with this black magic power.

Why would they do something like this!?

His body couldn’t move from the numbness. His situational judgment, didn’t work at all.

This was his first experience, having his body and his heart freezing completely like this in a time where he should fight.

Even his lips were freezing. ‘This is a lie right? Stop’, he thought that, but he couldn’t even raise a voice to yell.

“STOPPPPPPPPPPP!!”

―Someone was yelling as Kazuki’s proxy.

A gust of black shadow was jumping forward in front of his eyes.

It was the back of Kanae with her ponytail trailing behind like a cat’s tail.

“Don’t you dare to disturb this person and Nii-sama!! Only that, I will absolutely not forgive!!”

Kanae drew the black katana―Michikage, and swung down at the black magic power that was eating away at Mother. That slash―spontaneously he was inappropriately fascinated by the beautiful trajectory that slash drew. It was as if he was seeing a black rainbow.

Kanae’s spine, skeletal structure, all of her body was working together without even a little bit of wasteful movement. There was no deviation at all, it was a movement that looked perfect for Kanae’s flesh body. The quintessence movement.

The black rainbow that was unleashed from such a movement, tore apart the magic power that was encroaching into Mother in the timing right before it was going to swell up even larger.

It was a truly perfect timing, as if an expert martial artist had read the breathing of the opponent and took the sail out of the opponent’s move.

A perfect movement, and a perfect timing―it was exactly a divine work.

“Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword the Second, Shin’iki…!”

For some reason it was Kaguya-senpai who yelled that technique’s name while her body was trembling.

It was Kanae’s technique that even Kazuki didn’t know about. That instant, something miraculous happened. The instant the black blade was swung down―the magic phenomenon that completely covered Mother were all breaking down.

{That’s impossible! What just happened!?}

That Diva―Hel’s panicked voice was resounding. The black magic power was blown away from Mother’s back, where it formed the figure of a girl that fell on her butt. She was not an avatar but a materialized body, it was a Diva with the appearance of a very young girl.

In contrast with the materialized Hel, Mother powerlessly fell on her knees at that spot. It was not only power leaving her whole body, the magic power that constructed her body was also thinning down, faintly like an illusion, her figure was changing into a half-transparent light.

The powerful Diva that had already accomplished materializing was trying to steal the flesh body of Mother that materialized from the power of the seal. But that magic phenomenon was broken by Kanae.

However in that case―Mother’s little remaining magic power was completely stolen. Possibly her magic power had already been running out in the first place.

Kazuki caught the body of Mother, that was thinning out, in his arms in panic.

“You bastard… against my role for the sake of papa… how dare you…!!”

The Diva that fell on her butt―Hel was glaring at their way with a gaze filled with hatred. Her long blue hair that reminded him of Loki was bristling up from the blizzard right behind her.

This girl was going to steal Kaa-san… she was trying to make her a hostage.

Guessing that―violent emotion was surging inside Kazuki’s head. This girl…!!

Hel yelled. She turned at Mother.

“…Zero Knight! I won’t recognize you! Your role, your objective, I won’t let you accomplish them all! I won’t let you misunderstand, thinking that you won against papa!!”

At the same time a fierce magic power whirled out from that body. She was trying to cast some kind of powerful attack magic. The tip of that magic power was heading at Mother’s back.

Kazuki’s rage instantly changed into terror and trepidation.

If an attack was directed at Mother right now…!

It was a fear that he had never experienced before. His body and thought froze instantly.

“Lose and die again! O lamentation of the dead, carry away that soul from my hand… {{furigana|Nifl Driva|Hell Wind}}!!”

When Hel thrust out her bluish-white palm, from there was blowing a devilish wind as if the blizzard of the Haunted Ground that had been hurling at them thoroughly until now was compressed several hundred times in it.

“Kaa-san, dangerous!”

Kazuki immediately embraced Mother close to his body and covered her with his back.

Yet in front of them a black shadow was standing in the way.

“…Don’t you bother these two!!”

―It was Kanae. Kazuki covered his mother, and Kanae covered those two. The three of them were blown away altogether and fell from the ridgeline. In such dangerous situation Kazuki used his sword―<Ame no Murakumo> to pierce the ground and held out along with his mother that he held in his left hand.

“Kaa-san…!”

Inside Kazuki’s hugging left arm, like water that was spilling out from a cracked jar, the magic power that was composing mother’s existence was vanishing. She was vanishing!

Mother leaked out a weak voice. “…Just now, it looks like my last remaining magic power was used up. But I had already accomplished my role, so…”

Accomplished her role? Already?

Wait. Please wait! There is still….

“Don’t be a hindrance! Follow after Kanae!!” Liz Liza-sensei called out to the others and rushed at Hel’s direction.

“The final time between Kazuki and Hibiki-neesama… I absolutely won’t let you bother them!”

Don’t say that this is the last time…

Mio, Kaguya-senpai… all of his companions, they all cut in between them and Hel to protect him and mother, they were shining with the light of spell chanting simultaneously.

“You plan to stand in my way! You bunch of humans!”

Hel yelled. “Against a materialized Diva, it’s futile no matter how many humans gather here, futile! Are you looking down on me!? I’ll massacre you all and get one over papa!”

What incomprehensible thing was she yelling, this girl…

His head didn’t work watching the situation in front of his eyes. Rather than that kind of thing, mother was…

Even faster than his companions magic, Hel’s magic was invoked.

“…O Grand Haunted Ground of ancient times… please offer the souls that are rotting away in this land as the dress that is armoring my body… Helheim Drive!”

Once again several black lightning were falling to Hel’s body from the dark cloud. That black magic power was whirling on Hel’s body while creating Prima Materia, its substance changed―transforming into something like a Magic Dress.

It was a strange dress. As if several Magic Dresses were mixed up messily… there was no uniformity among every single part. However every single design of the parts had the shape that they had the feeling of seeing before somewhere.

The parts looked like the Magic Dresses that the students of the Magic Division wore on their bodies.

“STOP!”

Liz Liza-sensei yelled after noticing the true form of that power.

“Stop it, don’t you dirty those guys’ souls!! You trash!!”

One part of the Magic Dress that Hel wore―the red wings were emitting orange light like a fire shadow.

Unbelievably, Phoenix’s avatar emerged out beside Hel.

“The dead is my power, mine to use as I please! …Respond to my accusation and burn to ash! Israel Judgment!!”

It was a vortex of magic power he had seen before. It was a magic that even Kazuki and others had seen before, but it was activated with a lot more abbreviated chanting.

“I told you…! Don’t you dare become a hindrance for Nii-sama-!!”

Right before that magic was invoked, the shadow of a black cat leaped once again with a force that was like flying.

With a perfect step-in and timing―once again, it was that miraculous technique.

The wavelength of Hel’s magic power that swelled up right before the magic was invoked vanished like a lie with a *PACHIN!* sound.

“What’s going on, this technique!? …Eei!!”

Hel opened her eyes wide with rage and shock but―she immediately directed a different magic at Kanae.

“Freeze and be silent… Glacier Wind!!”

A part of Hel’s Magic Dress―the floating crystal on her back was emitting a deep blue light, Vepar’s avatar emerged out.

…She was making the soul of the Magika Stigmas that once died in this Fuji’s sea of trees to posses her own body and enslaved them. That death god was activating the magic of the contract through the souls of the dead.

This time even Kanae didn’t have the composure to unleash that technique. The cold magic that Koyuki was also specializing at assaulted Kanae without giving her time to dodge.

At exactly the same time, Hel also invoked her own magic.

“You that is already death come to this side too! Nifl Driva!!”

Hel raised her palm and then she overlapped the blowing blizzard with the [Glacier Wind] from just now.

The chill of the mermaid and the blizzard of the world of the dead mixed with each other, amplifying each other.

“Uguu-!!” Kanae raised a scream and got blown away helplessly.

Besides her defensive magic power that got smashed, she was also writhing around from the chill that was violating her mind.

The black breastplate of Hel’s Magic Dress shone. This time an avatar of a black bird, Halphas’ avatar was emerging. She was chanting magic one after another with a speed that was hard to believe.

“Suffer and die! O god of war of the spirit world, under thy Divine Protection, I’ll sacrifice the wailing of that bitter enemy… Inferno!!”

Hel created two gigantic pure black pillar of flame in both her hands, she then met both her palms and combined them into one and created a bow and arrow of black flame. It was Halphas’s level 7 magic that Yumeno-san once used to finish off her other self.

It was a rapid-fire of magic just like the Quad-core Magika that was the result of Naiarlatoteph’s research. No, her magic invocation was even faster than that.

The giant mass of black flame was fired at Kanae who was writhing in agony.

“O principle of time, listen to the calling voice of my sage! To the other side of the long stagnation, exile away that calamity… Leap Stasis!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s chanting―an avatar of clock emerged out in order to protect Kanae.

When he thought that the hand of that clock was fiercely rotating, the black flame that was flying near vanished.

“You trash Diva! I blew away your magic to the space-time!!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s Original One―it was once casted with her own body aging as the target, an evasion magic that postponed the <change> in exchange of vast magic power, especially with that short chanting.

This time Hel was not surprised.

“Hmph, there is no way the likes of human can consecutively use that kind of convenient magic!”

The red wings, the crystal, the black breastplate, all of them shone simultaneously. Hel’s own magic power that caused the blizzard of the world of the dead was also included.

“Hayashizaki Kanae! Do that technique more! Block them all!!”

“That technique is not something you can do successfully that many times! Damn-!”

Liz Liza-sensei and Kanae shouted angrily at each other.

Finally at that time, the magic that the others’ were chanting were all invoked simultaneously.

“O water surface that sway from my singing voice, manipulate the small wave skillfully, gather, and become a giant tsunami! Come from the beyond and wash away to the distant place… Tidal Wave!”

Koyuki invoked Vepar’s magic of tsunami. It ignored the space and a tsunami that was created behind Hel using magic power came surging.

“Nifl Driva!!”

Hel immediately turned back to the tsunami and fired a blizzard.

The violent blizzard froze the tsunami all over and destroyed the power of that phenomenon making it disappear.

“O the calling voice of the ruler of flame, set free the rage of the bottom of the earth! Open the gate of my rampart here… tower in heaven and earth, isolate the impurity! Fire Wall!!”

“O shapeless and mute shadow, become the fish that swim in the darkness that is pregnant with obstructive thought! The origin of nightmare, the vicissitudes of materialism, respond to both hope and fear and bite…! Deep Specter!”

Mio and Kaguya-senpai’s magic was invoked at the same time. A wall of flame was going to rise from the bottom of Hel’s feet. Pitch black shadow was crawling up from inside the shadow.

Hel detected the danger and tried to run away from that spot.

“This hand reached out to the height of Babel, right now this hand grasped the falling thunder of god! In accordance with my life, o lightning, whirl following my will! Collider Field!!”

But Lotte equipped a gauntlet on her left hand and locked Hel inside a barrier of electromagnetism. Hel’s body was paralyzed by the electricity and she was rooted to that spot.

Furthermore there was several small lights that were floating around Hel.

“The fate of all creation is inside the great celestial sphere… o binding of constellation, stop the revolution of the sky! Horoscope Stasis!”

Line of light was running between countless stars, that [constellation] tied up the paralyzed Hel.

“…This kind of irritating act!?”

The body of the yelling Hel was swallowed by a wall of flame. Even further her head was chewed apart by the giant monster that jumped out from the shadows.

From inside the wall of flame, from inside the mouth of the black monster, a dark blue defensive magic power was shining and scattered.

“O {{furigana|august lightning|Mikadzuchi}} that rain down due to god’s rage! The spilt blood of Kagutsuchi dripped down to the hilt and gather, become a flash of blade! The large drum of lightning sound of lightning speed, {{furigana|Mikafutsu no Mitama|Mikafutsu Soul}}!!”

Kazuha-senpai created a golden blade―with that heavily curving katana that hid a destructive power like lightning, she slashed at Hel with all her strength.

Hel that couldn’t move her body was blown away along with a thunderous roar.

Consecutive attack―but Hel immediately stood back up.

“Hikaru! Mio-chan! Koyuki-chan!” Kaguya-senpai yelled at her comrades of the Witch’s Mansion.

“This girl cannot be defeated with average magic! We are going to use Chorus Magic!!”

The four people began to match their magic power wavelength.

In order to protect them, Kanae and Kazuha-senpai and Lotte stood as the vanguards and prepared their weapons.

“…You bunch of humans… hand over the Zero Knight and the Sacred Treasure…!!”

Along with a voice that made the listener shudder, Hel tore off the binding of constellation with brute force and ripped apart the biting big jaw of the shadow monster with both her hands, at the same time she then once again shone with several magic power lights.

―Kazuki was largely unaware of the battle that was currently happening.

The sounds of the fighting felt like it was far away as if a thin membrane was filtering all of it.

That was how much Kazuki’s was concentrating on what was inside his embrace, his mother that even now was disappearing.

“Kazuki.”

His mother was, for the first time, calling Kazuki with the name that she named him with.

But just from such a little matter, it made Kazuki’s sight damp with tears.

“Kazuki… the Ame no Murakumo…”

He didn’t need that kind of thing.

Rather than such thing, right now, the person that was going to disappear inside his arms was someone that was far more important. His mother’s body temperature, body weight, were vanishing away in no time at all, he knew that.

“I don’t need that kind of thing, Kaa-san… Kaa-san, I, I’m living perfectly happy.”

Kazuki repeated the thing that he had already said like a spell. Even though what he wanted to say was not this kind of thing. For some reason, the feeling that was rampaging inside his chest couldn’t be turned into words.

Even though if he kept wasting time like this, she was going to vanish completely.

“I see. I’m glad.”

His mother smiled hearing that―she raised her thin white arm and stroked Kazuki’s head.

Even though it was weak like the branch of a tree that swayed from the wind, it was a gentle hand movement.

It was a completely unknown sensation for him.

He had the feeling that sparks scattered inside his head, inside his eyes that were wet with tears.

From inside the head of Kazuki who was searching for words, all words and reason disappeared, a pure white emotion completely covered everything.

He noticed. There was nothing that he still wanted to convey.

What he was looking for, was not that kind of thing.

He was only merely, overflowing with emotion.

When he noticed that emotion ―Kazuki hugged tightly the thin and weakened body of his mother, then he buried his face into her chest.

“Kaa-san… I don’t want you to go.”

―What was rampaging inside his head uncontrollably was easily coming out from his mouth.

He felt something that he had never noticed was armoring him until now, disappear completely.

Once it had come out, it was pouring out of him together with tears and scream.

“No! I don’t want this!! No!!”

It was not something exaggerated like something he wanted to convey or anything.

‘I―just want to be spoiled by Kaa-san.’

Their relation was not something exaggerated like the previous King and the King that succeeded after her.

‘I am my mother’s child!’

‘No! I don’t want this!’ Kazuki cried like a child.

“…Fufu-“

His mother returned his hug weakly and let escape a faint chuckle.

“You should not say something selfish.”

After saying that, she stroked his head once again.

‘―Kaa-san, I, have never said anything selfish through my life until now.’

No matter what happened even if it was unreasonable, he had never done anything like giving up.

Even without anyone rewarding him, he overcame all kinds of hardship with his hard work.

He had never seriously yelled words like ‘don’t wanna’ or anything like that.

He almost never cried at all.

Despite so, could what he did right now be called as selfishness.

What’s with that… that kind of thing…

“No way! I don’t want something like this! I don’t want…!!”

She was disappearing! Merely, just during this short instant, his mother was!

‘Don’t say what I’m doing is selfish!! By all rights, isn’t what I’m doing only natural!!’

“No! I have been patient for all these fifteen years!! There was no one at all that patted my head saying that I have done my best! I didn’t even realize that such a thing is strange! I realize now! That all this time I wanted my head to get patted by Kaa-san!! It’s strange you know! This kind of thing… I don’t want…!!”

‘I shouldn’t be defeated by this kind of thing’, Kazuki thought.

This is irrational. For the first time since he was born, Kazuki was overpowered by this monster called irrationality.

He pressed his face that was messily stained with tears onto his mother’s chest, he cried and shouted as if to spew out everything from the bottom of his throat out of his heart. It was as if he was completely changed into an existence that was just crying and shouting.

The tears and screams that had been piling up without him even noticing during these fifteen years were all overflowing without pause.

“Kazuki…”

His mother put a faint strength into her weak arm that was like a dry wood, and hugged him back.

Gently, sweetly, warmly, because of that his tears were overflowing out even harder.

“Thank you. For giving me a chance to spoil you in the end. With this I finally…”

His mother too, during this fifteen years she was enduring until now in this land.

When he understood that, the weight of this monster called irrationality became doubled.

“With this we could finally do something like a true mother and child…”

Vanished.

On the other side of his sight that was stained messily with tears, the chest of the mother that he was hugging, was turning into countless particles of light before disappearing.

Her lingering voice entered his ears before disappearing.

The warmth seeped into his chest and disappeared.

From within Kazuki’s embrace, a dried up sound was spilling out and fell onto the ground. It was a white skeleton.

“Aa, aaaa…”

She was a person that had already died fourteen years ago.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!”

Refusing the truth, Kazuki cried and shouted.

“NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

The countless light particles that were scattering were floating lightly in the air before entering into Kazuki’s chest.

{We are going to be together from now on you know. After all, we could even meet like this.}

Certainly that was a miracle.

{If we can just meet, humans can be changed forever in an instant. That kind of magic had already been used by humans since the time long ago.}

The small particle of magic power became the final voice and it was absorbed into his chest.

Certainly, he would never forget everything that happened here forever.

{Thank you for growing up happily, Kazuki.}

{Thank you.}

{I just keep saying thank you but, I’m really happy.}

{…Thank you.}

Suddenly a scene was opening up inside of Kazuki’s head.

Those were the scene that was shown by the small magic power that was absorbed into Kazuki’s chest. At the same time with the magic power making his mother’s feeling into voice and conveying that to him, his mother’s past memory was recalled inside Kazuki.

Kazuki’s oldest memory―this scene was the continuation of that.

The orphanage at night. Avoiding the eyes of the people, his mother abandoned Kazuki in front of the gate.

His mother turned her back at the crying Kazuki and even while looking back many times she kept walking through the night street with an unsteady gait.

Even her tears were drying up. This was her last determination.

She couldn’t consult anyone. She couldn’t even let anybody see her current figure.

If she didn’t head to the battle alone, the victims would only increase.

She had to fight no matter what. Without anybody seeing her off, without anybody even cheering her on, with her everything snatched away entirely, she even abandoned the child that she obtained at the very end from the person that she loved.

―She had to fight.

While walking alone unsteadily, the light of the town that she passed through cursed her. When she thought about how there was as many happy families as there were the light shining, it couldn’t be helped that she felt accursed. Negative emotions like rage and sorrow were raging crazy inside her chest.

Why was she the only one who couldn’t get her hands on such an ordinary thing.

No. I don’t want to fight. This is unreasonable.

Even so, other than her… there was no human that could fight that enemy.

When she was faced with such ultimate truth―it made her realized that this thing called self-sacrifice was by no means a deceit.

She was made to realize that she loved this unreasonable world.

Even with all her important people killed and torn away from her, still…

She had to fight.

Together with that determination―the world of memory was cut off.

Kazuki returned to reality.

―Inside the blizzard, Kazuki was hugging the white skeleton. While hugging the white skeleton so that it wouldn’t be blown away by the wind, Kazuki heard the sound of his comrades fighting. Those sounds were finally reaching his ears.

He understood just from the sounds that it was a difficult enemy. He understood that if it kept like this his comrades would fall into danger.

“No…”

Kazuki was still continuing to cry while hugging the skeleton.

But, he had to fight. No matter how unreasonable it was.

Fight, there was something he had to protect at all cost.

Until now, everything of this world had been kind to him.

He had already made a lot of people that he loved and that were important to him.

There was also the irrationality but, there was even miracles.

Such an obvious world, was obviously lovely.

He was not some special existence.

He was going to stand up after crying just for thirty more seconds, Kazuki decided.

“I… don’t resent anything Kaa-san. I’m not unhappy. That’s why…”

Kazuki grasped a handful of snow, using Pyrokinesis to plunder the heat he made the snow even colder and pressed it together. He made a small snow hut to store the skeleton there so that it wouldn’t be blown away by the wind.

“…I’m going to fight, Kaa-san.”

Holding Ame no Murakumo in hand, he stood up.

Kazuki rushed to the decisive battle at the crater.

He finally recovered the clearness of his head in order to fight.

Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, Mio, and Koyuki were entering the preparation for Chorus Magic. But that cooperation wouldn’t tolerate even a slight disturbance in it, it became even more difficult than normal inside this fierce blizzard.

The blue haired death god named Hel was displaying an absurd power.

Kanae and Kazuha-senpai and an armed Lotte challenged Hel determinedly, each time they dealt a single attack on the opponent, they received a fierce magic counter and got blown away. That divine work of Kanae also often failed, even if it worked it did nothing more than blocking a single gunport (opening) of Hel.

―There were three. There were three souls of Magika Stigmas that Hel made to possess her body and turned into parts of her dress. And then with her own magic there was a total of four rapid firing magic that was continuously invoked.

Even in the case where it was high level magic that was used, that casting speed of hers was dreadfully fast.

All three of the vanguards were equipped with the armor of [Seusenhofer] that Lotte chanted, yet the armors were already in destroyed shapes.

Their strategy was in the process of failure. The limit of the three vanguards for buying time was going to come first before the Chorus Magic could even finish.

―During such thing, Kanae who failed to make her divine work succeed was hit right from the front with a high level magic. Kanae’s small body was blown away like a scrapped rag.

“You, die while feeling a special agony!”

Hel’s black breastplate shone and made the avatar of Halphas emerge.

“Inferno!”

The jet black flame that possessed both physical destruction and mind destruction attacked Kanae at an inescapable timing.

“Leap Stasis!!”

Liz Liza-sensei just barely [postponed] that single arrow.

Combined with the previous one she had activated this magic twice in total, the magic postponed the magic that was heading to Kanae. But surely when this magic was cancelled later on Kanae would taste a hellish agony. Though that was only if they could safely go home.

Liz Liza-sensei’s magic power too was also wholly carried away to beyond the space-time as the compensation of the postponing. That magic power wouldn’t return back until after the magic was cancelled.

Hel also saw through that and directed the brunt of the attack magic at Liz Liza-sensei.

“You don’t have any magic power left anymore right! …Sink a hundred ships, o threat of the sea that is lurking in the deep sea…show that whole face!”

Vepar’s avatar floated on Hel’s back. The power of Solomon 72 Pillar was forcefully dragged out from their contract with the dead people. There was no one among his comrades that was in a state that could immediately react to that.

―He had to protect them.

Kazuki ran, passing through his comrades at the rear that were preparing for Chorus Magic and cut in front of Liz Liza-sensei with Ame no Murakumo in hand.

“Hayashizaki! …What about Hibiki-neesama!?”

For an instant, Kazuki’s chest was blocked up from Liz Liza-sensei’s words.

“…Stab your fang! Ice Breaker!!”

Several vortex of magic power were created in front of Kazuki’s eyes, giant icebergs were sticking out from there surging at him. Kazuki held up Ame no Murakumo.

How did his mother handle this sword ―he could faintly sense that <Battou Kaikon>.

“Mow down the whole creation, <Ame no Murakumo>! Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!!”

The power that Yamato no Takeru used in legend that time he was falling into the trap of the fire plan―inside this royal sword there was the power to bring an end to natural phenomenon.

His magic power was absorbed into the blade where it emitted a golden light.

When Kazuki swept Ame no Murakumo to the side, as if an unseen blade was flying, all the surging icebergs were bisected into two.

“That power… was Zero Knight’s…!”

Hel leaked out a shocked voice.

It seemed that she had fought his mother before.

Kazuki grasped the sword naturally and he felt power filling his hand.

“The power of Solomon King and, the power of Japanese Mythology’s King that Zero Knight used…? But even if you are a King twice, you are still just an inexperienced King aren’t you!? If that’s so then even I alone will suffice!”

“Everyone! The Chorus Magic will complete with just a little more! Until that time, I will buy time! Those whose exhaustion is severe are to draw back!”

Inexperienced King. Certainly, he might be so.

However the bonds had been already tied. ‘That is my power. I don’t know where this Diva came from but, I’ll make you regret making light of me as inexperienced’, Kazuki thought.

“Intending to win against me… I’ll make you regret that.”

Hel too spouted out words that were in the same mood as Kazuki.

In another words this Diva also still had a trump card. She was going to use that now.

Hel removed the eye patch that covered her right eye and from there a deep red light burst out.

The Magic Dress on Hel’s whole body disintegrated and reduced into a pure magic power light.

“O dead people that are tired of waiting for glory, you are together with me! Become my brethren!!”

Even more countless lightning ran from the dark cloud and went towards Hel. Enormous souls of the dead were gathering inside Hel’s small body. Hel’s body floated in the sky like a dark saint.

“Together right now, celebrate the beginning of Ragnarok loudly!”

The pitch black magic power that completely covered Hel’s body―called out to an endless number of dead people and brought to fruition a single magic.

“Now, let’s begin the legend! {{furigana|Naglfar|Announcing Ship of God and Evil’s Mortal Combat}}!!”

The assembly of the black magic power swelled out enormously. It was huge―as if covering the sky.

Yes, it was physically large.

What appeared from the materialization of that magic power was not in the scale of Magic Dress. Hel was buried in the core of that enormous mass, he was already unable to confirm by sight her shadow or shape.

The thing that was floating in the blizzard sky was―an outrageously gigantic jet black ship.

Naglfar―even Kazuki knew that name. It was the ship that brought about the huge turning point in the world of Norse Mythology. Until the promised day, Hel who was the king of the dead gathered the nails of the dead that were filled with grudge and magic power from all over the world in order to make a gigantic ship. And then in the advent of <{{furigana|the day of twilight of the gods|Ragnarok}}>, a great amount of evil giants would ride Naglfar and advanced to the world of the gods.

It was the huge symbol of nightmare of the end of the world.

That was Hel’s trump card.

There was no sail on the ship that was floating in front of Kazuki’s eyes, it was covered with thick board, rather than calling it a ship from the Middle Ages, it was more like a <battleship>.

Its black thick armor had an uneven surface with disorderly scaly appearance. When he looked more in detail the ship was exactly like in the myth―it was formed from the pitch black nails of the dead.

It was like the finger tips of humans that went into necrosis from the cold, a bloody jet black color that was mixed with purplish red color.

The grotesque battleship of darkness was lording over Kazuki and the others.

‘…I’m going to defeat her, and I’ll begin.’

“This is not a power on the level of gathering the souls of three Magika Stigmas from this mountain like before! Know the seriousness of the death god!!”

At the same time with her proclamation of war, there were several vortexes of magic power that floated up in the frontage of Naglfar. It was told in the myth that magic power was residing inside the nails of the dead. That magic power was floating in the frontage of Naglfar. The magic power was whirling while converging―*DON!* such sound rang out and a magic bullet was fired. *DON!* *DON!* *DON!* Several sparks of black magic power were scattered.

It was undoubtedly a ship’s bombardment.

“Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!”

Kazuki tore apart that first volley with one swept of Ame no Murakumo and extinguished them. But with a *JIIN* the heaviness of the bombardment numbed the hand that was holding the sword. He didn’t feel such thing at all when he cut apart the [Ice Buster] from before, the heaviness of the bombardment felt like it was several tens of times of that.

*DON!* *DON!* *DON!* ―the magic bullet was fired rapidly even now without pause. Kazuki took a stance of slashing with Ame no Murakumo.

…He was unable to invoke [Kusanagi no Tsurugi] with the same speed of the enemy’s rapid-fire.

Kazuki had such a hunch too.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!”

He had already chanting a magic that could deal with a large amount of magic power attack.

Countless Sacred Treasures were created behind him, then all of it was fired one after another.

The magic bullets and Futsunushi no Kami’s Sacred Treasures collided, the blizzard sky shined.

It couldn’t block them all―the magic bullets that couldn’t be neutralized were heading at Kazuki and his comrades behind him before raining down.

“Zekorbeni!”

While trembling from the intensity of the bombardment, Kazuki used his trump card.

Right now there was nothing he could do except using this power for the sake of defense.

“I will protect everyone! …Mode・Phoenix!!”

Enormous flame spewed out from Zekorbeni on Kazuki’s chest, creating an armor in firelight color. That orange light connected Kazuki’s mind with Phoenix directly.

“O the calling voice of the ruler of flame, liberate the rage of the bottom of the earth! Open the gate of my rampart here… tower in heaven and earth, isolate the impurity! Fire Wall!!”

With a loud voice the defensive magic of the flame wall was invoked. Zekorbeni could amplify the might of the magic the more magic power was poured into it. Kazuki poured several times the amount of magic power that was originally needed for this level 2 magic in one into Zekorbeni.

A thick wall of flame was built up all at once.

The flame wall swallowed the magic bullets that couldn’t be neutralized.

Even so the remaining small magic bullets that looked like dregs of the original were still raining down on Kazuki behind the wall like a shower. Even the comrades behind Kazuki were―.

“Kyaa-!” Mio’s scream was raised.

Even just this much might become a hindrance for the chanting of the Chorus Magic.

The flame wall lost its power and vanished. But Naglfar was still floating in the sky while creating vortexes of magic power even more. The bombardment would continue without pause…!!

The attack was simple, but it was an excessively thick curtain of attack.

“Damn-!” Kanae raised a voice that was irritated with herself who couldn’t do anything.

…A swordsman couldn’t do anything in this situation.

“Kanae, you move back with Liz Liza-sensei whose magic power is used up! Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!!”

Kazuki yelled while once again bisecting the raining down magic bullets all at once in a single slash.

He slashed Ame no Murakumo directly horizontal. There Kazuki’s movement that was controlling the sword stopped. The magic bullet unceasingly flew at him in that gap.

This gap had to be filled.

Ame no Murakumo was still hiding more power but―a Sacred Treasure was not something that could be mastered where the user could use all of its powers right from the start. Training was needed.

He couldn’t hold back the bombardment just with the power of Ame no Murakumo. His power as the King of Solomon was also necessary.

“Fire Wall!!”

Kazuki poured a lot more magic power into Zekorbeni and unfolded a thicker wall of flame. At the same time he chanted [Tenkuu Battou Rengehou]. He was working at full capacity.

“Lotte!” Kazuki shouted.

“Yes desu! …Hit and run attack right desu!!”

Lotte understood Kazuki’s intention even without being ordered.

“O guardian of human race, the wisdom for the sake of opposing the will of the tyrannical god right here… Custom Liberion!”

Lotte equipped armors that were lined up with countless small type thruster units on both her legs and arms, she immediately ignited them―flying to the blizzard sky. She circled to right beside the battleship of darkness that was flying in the sky and scattered bullets from the large type gatling that was attached on the armor.

“You’re a nuisance, you fly!”

Naglfar also directed several vortexes of magic power at Lotte and fired rapidly magic bullets from there.

Lotte who was clad in [Custom Liberion] that excelled in mobility flew around Naglfar and ran away from that line of fire. No, she was also gotten hit with several shots that she couldn’t evade. Each time she got hit, smoke rose from the armor. Yet Lotte continued her hit and run with preparedness for death.

But with a lot of the [gunport] directed at Lotte, the attack to Kazuki and everyone behind him that were chanting Chorus Magic was lessened. There was also a limit on how many gunport Naglfar could take out each time.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!!”

Kazuki intercepted the lessened attack with a countless Sacred Treasures.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!!” Kazuha-senpai too imitated Kazuki and invoked the same magic.

This time it was Naglfar that couldn’t neutralize the countless Sacred Treasures and the gatling bullets, the armor of the battleship of darkness was beginning to be impacted by the projectiles.

They displayed a situation of a fierce bombardment exchange.

“Many of you combining your power… it’s annoying! Even though I’m just alone! Even though papa too won’t lend his hand to me… everyone, everyone is ganging up and making fun of me!!”

A voice of an irritable child escaped from the inside of the eerie Naglfar.

…No, was she a child? Papa… did she mean Loki?

Putting that aside, she was held back enough.

Even with a materialized Diva as the opponent, if he united his will with his comrades in this number then they could hold her back.

They have arrived at the place where they could stand against a god with the power of a human.

And then, if there was the power of bonds, and this sword that he inherited from his mother… they could defeat her.

For that sake, a momentary opening was necessary. Naglfar’s bombardment would stop, Kazuki believe that that moment would come before long and persisted in defense.

“ “ “ “{{furigana|We know thy true name|Shem ha Meforash}}!!” “ “ “

That time was approaching.

Finally the Chorus Magic of everyone from the Witch’s Mansion entered the climax. Mio, Koyuki, Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, the four of them created enormous pillars of magic power that felt like it could reach the heavens.

Those magic power pillars emitted wavelengths that were accurate to the inch while mixing with each other.

“ “ “ “Thy true name is Baal… though that be so, all of evil was born in the Middle Ages! Calculating faith, and sham loyalty stained the sublime Baal! Born from falsehood the army of demons multiply in multiply and thy stand at the summit!” “ “ “

Behind the four people the golden great king that carried the power of the stars, Baal was floating and materialized.

But under the identity of Baal there was one other face that hid a more mighty power. Baal’s greatest magic was―obtained in posterior due to curses, now all of it was liberated.

The contractor, Hikaru-senpai, commanded.

“The great god of Ugalit Mythology Baal… answer my command, liberate all of that curses!! …Thy stained name is… {{furigana|Beelzebub|King of Flies}}!!”

“Very well… watch it thoroughly!!”

Together with a voice that was filled with rage―Baal’s golden figure was breaking down and decayed like mud.

He was stained jet black exactly the same like the accursed Naglfar in front of their eyes!

And then the thing that was Baal became {{furigana|a swarm of countless giant flies|Beelzebub}}.

Like a dark cloud that was flowing, the giant swarm of the flies passed overhead Kazuki and the others and surged to Naglfar.

Due to Christianity in the Middle Ages, Baal who was a god of a different teaching was repainted as a devil and received the curses of the people. That curse was―one of the seven deadly sins [gluttony].

Beelzebub was maximizing that nature.

The swarm of flies was bathed in countless magic bullets. But the flies ate at that. While eating away the bullet curtain one after another, the flies finally clung to the black armor of Naglfar. And then, even that armor that was made from the nails of the dead began to be eaten.

“Thi, this…!!”

Hel raised an impatient voice and created vortexes of magic power, she fired magic bullets at the side of the giant flies that were eating greedily. Several of the flies vanished from the hit at their side. But the flies too were eating greedily at the armor into shreds with momentum that was not inferior to that.

It was a fierce devouring at each other between the {{furigana|death god|Hel}} and {{furigana|the king of demon|Beelzebub}}.

Of course Beelzebub’s summoned body couldn’t stay in this world for long.

But―right now was the time to go out in offensive. The bombardment had stopped, Naglfar’s armor became littered with moth-eaten damage, the path for the sake of bathing Hel with a blow was opened widely.

“Everyone!”

Kazuki gave out a signal to his comrades. After that he immediately poured magic power into Zekorbeni.

“…O undying bird that soar from dusk to dawn, please grant that wings of hope on my back! The destruction for the sake of rebirth right here…! Blazing Wings!”

The swarm of flies moved aside and conceded a path to Kazuki that spread out wings of flame and flew away.

And then―the greatest magic that he could use from Mio’s positivity level of 155, level 8.

The trump card that he hadn’t used until now because of the intensity of his fatigue was now used.

“O undying bird that repeated life and death! Liberate the flame of one’s last moment, become the sun of the surface… {{furigana|Imitation Flare|Sun of the End}}!!”

The avatar of the firebird was liberated and headed to Naglfar from Kazuki.

The avatar of the firebird exploded like a bomb.

Phoenix that symbolized the sun liberated all of his own flame that was in the juncture of life and death and burned the target to ashes. That phenomenon was reenacted in this place.

The energy liberation that rivaled the solar flare(sun surface explosion) also sacrificed the flies that were late to escape while swallowing Naglfar.

The giant fire ball that even swallowed Naglfar whole floated in the air like a sun and continued to blaze. Inside it, they could see that the armor that was eaten away by the flies was melting in the blink of an eye.

“{{furigana|Mode・Merfolk(Mermaid Armament)!”

Kazuki instantly switched Zekorbeni―from Mio’s Phoenix, he went to Koyuki’s Vepar. He was enveloped in blue raiment that looked just like the shape of the sea itself. Koyuki’s positivity level had also reached 150 from that date. The greatest fire power of this bond, the level 8 was instantly invoked.

“Time turn drawing circle, the history repeated following the inevatibility, awaken the forgotten era right here… leave behind everything inside the dream, toward the era of glacier! {{furigana|Ice Age|Absolute Ice World}}!!”

The instant the fire ball liberated all of its energy and vanished, this time it was Vepar’s avatar that emerged―the surrounding of Kazuki and Naglfar was instantly freezing.

A pure cold that surpassed even the blizzard of the Haunted Ground and the blizzard of the world of death―a world of ice.

Naglfar, and Hel that rode inside it were freezing, their movement was stopped.

“Mode・Veritas!”

Kazuki switched Zekorbeni even further―from Koyuki’s Vepar to Lotte’s Prometheus. His body was wrapped with a silver suits with a texture that was hard to consider as something of this world.

Lotte’s positivity level was also surpassing 150. He poured his magic power into the greatest fire power of that, to level 8.

“Turning thy back to the god, pour the wisdom of human history to the dream of destruction… hear the roar of human’s independence! {{furigana|Gustav Dora|Betrayal’s Romance Cannon}}!!”

A gigantic ordnance towered erectly from Kazuki’s chest to the front direction. It was a gigantic gun battery with length of few dozen meters and the thickness diameter close to one meter. A recoil propulsion system in order to withstand the firing of that gun battery was created on his back. In front of Naglfar, Kazuki also turned into a large weapon and determined his aim.

The unrealistic cannon that possessed the power of magic―fired.

A high explosive projectile that was almost as large as a human’s stature with the weight of a few ton was fired rapidly along with a thunderous roar that pierced your ears.

Masses of destruction landed one after another on Naglfar’s armor that was subjected under rapid freezing right after a super high temperature and exploded grandly. The nails of the dead were peeled off and fell apart.

When Kazuki finished firing all the explosive bullets and made the ordnance vanished―it was at the same time where Naglfar was finally destroyed from the attacks that came one after another.

“For, for a human, moreover a male to fire magic this powerful in rapid succession, how can your magic not run out..?”

Hel opened her eyes wide inside Naglfar that was barely floating in the air with its barely remaining fragment of magic power.

“No… that magic power inside you… that is Zero Knight’s…!”

Hel still survived! Kazuki flapped his wings of flame while taking a stance with Ame no Murakumo.

It was at that time that following the signal of commencing attack from Kazuki just now, his comrades invoked the magic that they were chanting all at once.

“Tearing the skin and blooming the flower of blood, the scream that echoed eternally… fell the betrayer and awaken the hell right here! Cocytus!”

Behind Kazuki who was slashing at Hel, a piercing cold of hell was overtaking him.

At that time the Ame no Murakumo in Kazuki’s grasp reverberated *JIIN* as if saying something to him.

…He could hear, the voice of the Sacred Treasure!

In this kind of time, this Sacred Treasure must be… used in this kind of way!

“Carry the mystery in your blade crest <Ame no Murakumo>! Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Kazuki immediately made a half turn on the spot and ran his blade not at Hel but at the cold of [Cocytus]. While Ame no Murakumo was enveloped in cold, it shone as if in echo.

Like Kusanagi no Tsurugi that tore apart magical phenomenon and dispersed them―it was not, the magic phenomenon was absorbed into that shining blade. The golden blade was frozen into deep blue and all the cold was compressed in it.

The essence of [slash] was to compress the energy within the narrowly linear range.

Katana could [cut] things by compressing the movement energy into the sharp blade.

Ame no Murakumo could even compress the magic energy into the blade’s narrow range.

That was this Battou Kaikon―[Tsumugari no Tachi].

Kazuki used his movement of cutting Kaguya-senpai’s [Cocytus] just like that to rotate in full circle and cut at Hel with the blade that carried cold.

“UOOOOOOOOOO!”

With Ame no Murakumo that was carrying the power of [Cocytus], Kazuki pursued the blown away Hel and dealt her one more blow even further. Hel was thrown onto the rock surface of Mt. Fuji.

“O lightning god, disturb the law of heaven following my will, liberate the undulation of destruction that is hidden in the atmosphere! {{furigana|Arc Flash Hazard|Super Lightning Arc Discharge}}!!”

Hikaru-senpai also cast Baal’s level 7 magic. The power of the Haunted Ground’s atmosphere was compressed into the two poles of positive and negative energy and raised a vortex around Hel, that equilibrium broke and caused a pure white great explosion. That was not something that was caused by nature, but by plasma.

Instantly, Kazuki cut at that plasma with Ame no Murakumo.

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!” <ref>I don’t understand the meaning of Tsumu, maybe it’s just a name. But ‘gari’ means mow down while ‘tachi’ means long sword</ref>

He swung that blade at Hel that was crashed into a rock wall. The compressed electric heat destroyed Hel’s defensive magic power with each blow.

It didn’t stop at one attack. Second, third, fourth…he repeatedly hacked her to pieces. The recoil of the defensive magic power gouged a crater at the surface of Mt. Fuji like an explosion, with each blow Hel was buried even deeper.

“O bird of paradise whose body is carrying the light of heaven, respond to my accusation and burn to ash the sin on the surface! Israel Judgment!!”

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Mio had already guessed everything and directly fired Phoenix’s heat ray not at Hel but at Kazuki’s blade. That power was settled smoothly and the blade of sun’s heat slashed apart even further at Hel.

“Ga, ganging up on me like this while borrowing the power of a great number of people! You, you coward! Not fair! Even though papa is not helping me…!! Give me back Naglfar!!”

“O singing voice of mermaid, manifest the freezing thought. Sadness into ice flower, loneliness into light snowfall, cover the world with freezing blankness… White Album!”

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Koyuki also invoked her magic and Kazuki’a Ama no Murakumo accepted it. Hel was buried until a depth where she couldn’t even move her body anymore while Kazuki earnestly stabbed his sword.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I’m, vanishing! If you keep doing that… I’ll vanish!!”

It was evident that her defensive magic power was almost extinguished.

When Kazuki thought whether he was going to stab his blade just like this until the end, for an instant, he hesitated.

He could win. But, would he kill her?

{It’s not like the Diva will die you know? When she used up her strength then she will only fall asleep for a long, long time.}

Leme told him through the telepathic communication.

―Her appearance was a little girl but, this opponent was a terrifying Diva. For the sake of protecting his comrades he couldn’t afford to go easy on her.

If he gave her an instant of opening here―the next moment it would be Kazuki who fall into a pinch. He had already used up his magic power to the limit. He had already spent everything to bring the situation into this direction.

He would finish her off until the end! Kazuki resolved.

But suddenly―Kazuki felt a magic power expanding in circle shape around Hel. It was not a magic power that came from Hel. It was an unknown magic power from someone that was isolated from them with a distant space.

It was hard to predict what was going on.

This was not an attack magic. If he created [Futsu no Mitama] he thought that perhaps he could destroy the magic phenomenon, but he wouldn’t make it in time if he chanted only after he noticed this.

The circle shaped magic power that expanded with the buried Hel as the center instantly materialized into a huge ring.

Ring―the thing that was like a string that was connecting through several magatama.

This was an enlarged Yasakani no Magatama!

Its inside instantly became pitch black and connected into another dimension, a different space. The exhausted Hel was absorbed into the black dimension while the girl herself was making a confused face saying “What’s this!?”

“Ikousai!?”

Reflexively Kazuki almost threw his body into the other dimension, but recalling his own exhaustion he stumbled his step. If enemies were waiting at the destination of the other dimension, his current self would be unable to do anything.

There was no reply to answer Kazuki’s calling voice, after the ring swallowed Hel inside the other dimension, the ring of Yasakani no Magatama shrank in the blink of an eye and vanished.

===Part 8===

Aisu Ikousai with her body wrapped in her trademark Japanese clothes was standing still inside her own sword dojo that was prepared in Oosaka. Some composure came out in her expression ―her special training was bearing fruit.

At the space before her eyes the enlarged Yasakani no Magatama was floating along with magic power. It was connected with the deep black dimension in its inside and with a plop it dropped off Hel who was in a worn-out state of body and mind.

“You really got beaten up mercilessly huh. …If you got worn out until this bad then you won’t be able to come out at the frontline for a while until your divinity is restored.”

Hel was limply sinking on the cool floor of natural wood inside the sword dojo where it seemed she couldn’t even hear Ikousai’s voice.

Yasakani no Magatama smoothly became smaller and wrapped on Ikousai’s wrist naturally.

“Wh, why…?” Finally a voice escaped Hel.

“Yasakani no Magatama is a Sacred Treasure that can only display its effect within my perception sphere.”

Ikousai had already tested the Sacred Treasure many times, she was already able to completely grasp its effect.

“Something like exerting the power of this Sacred Treasure at the far away Fuji’s sea of trees originally should be something impossible. But… the Three Sacred Treasures resonated with each other, like a power that called to each other. Most likely it was the moment when Hayashizaki obtained Ame no Murakumo in his hand, that Yasakani no Magatama and Yata no Kagami reacted. Yata no Kagami projected your figure fighting that guy holding Ame no Murakumo. If it’s visible, then that place is a range where my imagination can reach… it’s inside my magic perception range. That was why I could save you using the power of Yasakani no Magatama.”

Yasakani no Magatama―it twisted the space between its string.

“Hel is my master that taught me the way to handle a Diva’s power. I heard the story from Loki… I was thinking whether there was any way for me to go help you. It was something miraculous, but I’m glad I made it.”

Ikousai had a really arrogant personality, but toward someone that gave her something―toward the existence that she called as mentor, she was someone that paid her respect from the bottom of her heart. Hel too was not an exception.

“Uu… uu, ueeee…”

“Hel?”

“UEEEE~N, IKOUSAI~!!”

When Ikousai just thought that she was seeing tears gathering inside Hel’s round eyes, Hel suddenly clung at Ikousai’s chest while crying loudly like a child.

“Uwaa, don’t you press your soppy face to my clothes.”

“Ueee~! Why~! Why is everyone making fun of me~! Why is papa not praising me~! Give me back my Naglfar~! Even though I worked really hard to gather a lot of dead people’s souls, why did it get broken like that~!! I hate everyone~!!”

Feeling troubled of how to deal with Hel that was crying like a child, Ikousai just kept patting her blue haired head for the time being.

“Ueee~! I hate everyone except Ikousai~!!”

Hel bawled even harder, like a child that was scolded for the first time.
<noinclude>

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

{{SimpleNav}}
</noinclude>

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9 Chapter 2

2016-01-24T12:47:32Z

Windsgrace: /* Chapter 2 – Sky of End */

==Chapter 2 – Sky of End==

===Part 1===

The Magic Division’s student council room was the strategy meeting room of Kazuki and co.

On this day there was a new face that was added as their comrade.

“This is our special advisor, Liz Liza-sensei.”

When Kazuki introduced Liz Liza-sensei, everyone applause *pachi pachi* that seemed to be forced, Liz Liza-sensei went “How about you trashes stop, that looks stupid” a little embarrassed.

“I have gone several times to the depth of Fuji’s sea of trees before the wall was built. There are various things I can give advice for.”

“But there will be no more interference from Yamato right?”

Mio tilted her head saying so. “If that’s so won’t this be just a simple journey of Kazuki taking the Sacred Treasure and going home? Easy, easy.”

‘Certainly’, Kazuki too thought so. From here on ahead both Loki and Ilyailiya too couldn’t stand in their way.

They would be shown the way by the seal and just needed to head to the promised place―he had such a sense of security.

His sense of danger was slacking, but Kazuki immediately tensed himself.

“Just because there will be no interference doesn’t mean that there is no danger. Where we will be going from now on is the deepest part of Japan’s largest Haunted Ground. It should be even more dangerous than even Level 1 and 2 until now.”

The inner part of Fuji’s sea of trees couldn’t be liberated by the Knight Order before, and then, to cope, they built the wall surrounding the area several times to hold back the expansion. Surrounded by walls, the Grand Haunted Ground was divided into three levels.

Thanks to the wall, the Haunted Ground’s expansion was slowed down, but in exchange the magic power was confined to the inner direction and beyond the wall became unimaginably thick with magic power.

The other side of the last wall―the Level 3 area should have became a type of Haunted Ground that had never before been seen in Japan.

“It’s just like he said. It’s not an exaggeration to say that, until now, you guys probably still haven’t even tasted half of the danger of the Grand Haunted Ground just from your experience in Level 1 and 2.”

Liz Liza-sensei talked with her usual strict tone like when she was teaching in class.

“If you ask me why, that’s because Level 1 and 2 are a forest, but ahead in Level 3 the area will become the Fuji Mountain. In short a place that was originally dangerous already is transformed into an even worst Haunted Ground. …From here on out what is necessary is not just simple battle strength, it’s better to head there with a few number of people that excel in adapting to the environment.”

“Adapting to the environment… is it?” Mio asked back with a dubious face.

“…What is waiting for us from now on is a snowy mountain climbing in a Haunted Ground.”

“Actually I also have a hobby of mountain climbing. Because Britain is a great country for mountain climbing.”

For some reason Liz Liza-sensei started to explain in a lively tone of voice.

Fuji Mountain―as Japan’s highest summit, it was a mountain that was said as Japan’s symbol.

Even now that it had become a Haunted Ground, that white peak seen from afar didn’t change at all since the ancient times.

But there was no more climber there to visit the place as a tourist attraction like in the past, the true state of the place right now was uncertain.

“Originally the snow should be gone when the season entered the summer, I hear that it was an easy to climb a mountain.”

Liz Liza-sensei said. If that was true then there should be no danger now that it had already been June.

“But Fuji Mountain that had been turned into a Haunted Ground is isolated by blizzard all year round and it was transformed into a mountain with intense cold. I think the harshness of that environment can even rival Everest or McKinley now. That’s my opinion.”

Everest―Even Kazuki and the others whose awareness of the world in general had faded knew about that name.

The mountain with the highest summit in the world. In a certain meaning it was a name that was like [a myth that existed in reality].

“Even if sensei said it’s like climbing a mountain in winter… we are strong against cold you know.”

Mio interjected into the lecture with a face that didn’t understand what Liz Liza-sensei wanted to say.

Magicians could manipulate heat using Pyrokinesis. Heat or cold wouldn’t become any problem for them.

In addition they also had defensive magic power, so even if they fell from the cliff or got hit by falling rocks, there would be no problem.

To put something like environment adaptation as a source of argument itself was strange.

“No, you see, the blizzard and the coldness of Mountain Fuji that had turned into a Haunted Ground resounded not in your flesh, but in your mind. It’s the same as a mind attack magic. The problem is not your defensive magic power, but your strength to maintain your [wall of heart].”

Resistance against mind attack magic―although Kazuki was better at it compared to the past, it was still a field that he was poor at.

“When the Haunted Ground’s coldness and chill resounds in your mind, you will be convinced that the feeling is real and its influence will come out for real in your body. Regardless of how you preserve your temperature using Pyrokinesis, you will still get hypothermia. Even though you are supposed to have produced oxygen with magic power already, an acute mountain sickness’ symptoms will still appear in you. There will be many agonies that you have forgotten since becoming a magician that will appear on parade. Even the knights in my generation had some people who died from challenging the Fuji Mountain that had been turned into a Haunted Ground.”

Death―for the people of this generation who could protect their body with defensive magic power, it was an extremely heavy concept.

“Won’t it be fine if we fly in the sky while chanting magic?”

Koyuki raised her hand and calmly stated her opinion. If it was Kazuki or Mio then it was possible for them.

“At that time too there was a contractor of Phoenix that tested that, but it was no good.” Liz Liza-sensei shook her head.

“When you get separated from the ground, a fierce wind will blow right overhead and beat you down to the ground. It’s as if the Haunted Ground is saying that a cunning act is prohibited. The Haunted Ground is forcing you to climb the mountain on foot. Even though that place is a world of magic, but it’s really obsessive with due form.”

Diva, Demon Beast, and Haunted Ground reproduced the form of Mythology and legend. The harsh challenge of climbing the snowy mountain that once existed in Fuji’s sea of trees―that legend enforced the people that stepped their foot in it to follow it.

“You guys have become magicians that are far more excellent than the magicians of my era. But the Grand Haunted Ground too has continued its expansion, the magic power in its center part has also been condensed even more than before. You guys had better prepare your heart beforehand as if you are seriously challenging to climb a snowy mountain without any magic power. And then there will be Demon Beasts too attacking us there.”“A blizzard where mind resistance is necessary… then it’s better for the members of the Magic Division to be the one to go there then.”

“I guess so. In the first place it’s not an environment where you can honestly do a close-quarter combat.”

“Then there will be no turn for this one is it…” Kohaku dropped her shoulders regretfully.

“Even if you tell me to go to that kind of harsh place, there is no way I want to go there.”

Torazou-san laughed carefreely, but Kanae besides him stood up noisily from her chair.

“Please wait, Nii-sama! Please let me go together with you there!!”

“No way. You too don’t have much training in resistance against mind attacks right?”

“But!”, Kanae tenaciously dogged Kazuki.

“I cannot give special treatment to only Kanae. It’s dangerous. I don’t plan to listen to your selfishness.”

Kazuki decisively omitted Kanae from the group, not as family, but as the Chief Student Council President.

“So that we can immediately react even if any victim appears, I think it will be better to make a team composed of Magika Stigmas with high positivity levels. The Sword Division members are also out of the question because of that requirement too.”

Liz Liza-sensei added her comment to Kazuki.

“Therefore…” Kazuki made an orderly list of names on the whiteboard.

Hayashizaki Kazuki. Amasaki Mio. Hiakari Koyuki. Lotte. Otonashi Kaguya. Hoshikaze Hikaru. Tsukahara Kazuha.

With this, the girls whose positivity level toward Kazuki were above 100 became the team members.

“Fufufu, Tsukahara-san usually always talks abusively to Kazuki, but you actually really love Kazuki don’t you? I wonder how much the number actually is?”

Hikaru-senpai teased Kazuha-senpai who was sitting just beside her.

“It, it’s not really like a love. I, I just like him a little…”

Kazuha-senpai’s face was beet red and she looked down completely.

“Ahaha, Tsukahara-san is so cute~!” Hikaru-senpai poked her from the side.

“Ge, geez! Stop it~” Kazuha-senpai shook off Hikaru-senpai’s hand but,

“I’m not gonna stop~” Hikaru-senpai hugged her. Kazuha-senpai then,

“Geez… Hoshikaze-san you dummy…” She became completely docile with a beet red face.

What’s with the two of them?

“Also as someone who is experienced about the mountain, I will give you all my guidance.”

Liz Liza-sensei said that with a face that looked a little excited.

“…I’m, being left out?”

Shinobu-senpai was pouting with her eyebrows knitted while saying that.

“Eerr, it’s decided from the sequential order of the positivity level after all.”

When Kazuki weakly said that, Shinobu-senpai stood up from her seat, *tetete* she approached Kazuki’s side with little run and crouched down. After that she talked to Kazuki with upturned eyes like an abandoned dog.

“I. …Really like Kazuki.”

“I, I know that, but, err…”

When Kazuki didn’t know how he should answer, Mio who sat beside him said “I’m the one that loves Kazu-nii the most here~!” while standing up and puffing out her chest. Shinobu-senpai frowned in dissatisfaction.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 065.jpg|thumb]]

Beside her a female wolf Diva―Marchosias’ avatar was floating. It was said that Marchosias could take the form of a human and also a wolf, but her true nature was more of a wolf.{Gau. O King, To leave out my contractor like this, unforgivable. Gau.}

Shinobu-senpai mimicked her Diva’s behavior and barked “Gau gau” while pulling *gui gui* at Kazuki’s arm.

“That way of acting as a spoiled doggy is still just second rate desu!”

While Kazuki was troubled, Lotte who was watching the development suddenly stood up from her seat.

After that Lotte rushed over to Kazuki’s side trottingly and hugged Kazuki’s neck. And then,

“Kazuki-oniisan, wan wan-!” She licked at Kazuki’s cheek *pero pero*.

“…I see.” Shinobu-senpai’s eyes sparkled.

And then “Gau gau” she hugged Kazuki’s neck from the other side and went *pero pero* at Kazuki’s other cheek.

“Wan wan!” “Gau gau.” Both of their soft tongues were teasing Kazuki’s cheeks. The warm saliva of girls besmeared his face all over. Kazuki’s feelings became a little strange.

“Both of you, we are still in the middle of a serious meeting here!”

After Kazuki kept being treated like that for a while, he finally pushed back the two of them off him.

Lotte said “Okay desu” and obediently returned to her seat.

“Shinobu, give up already and come back here.”

After Miyabi-senpai signaled Shinobu-senpai with her hand, Shinobu-senpai too went “Gau…” dejectedly before retuning to her own seat while crawling on all fours on the floor.

‘…No, senpai doesn’t need to become a wolf that much.’

“Well then, tomorrow let’s carry out the operation with these members! We are going to take the last Sacred Treasure!”

Kazuki declared with his face still wet with saliva.

It was only Kanae who still couldn’t accept it and she faced Kazuki with a dissatisfied look.

“You all don’t need a lot of climbing tools if you make a practical use of magic. But let’s prepare extra just for the food supply. Just in case, perhaps we will need to {{furigana|bivouac|camp in the open}} there.”

Liz Liza-sensei added that at the end of the meeting.

===Part 2===
With this, this was the third time they went on an expedition from the Knight Academy to the Grand Haunted Ground.

It took one hour from Tokyo to Gotenba Station at the bottom of the Mt. Fuji using the magic light train, from there they changed their transportation into the military use car that the Knight Order had prepared for them and they traversed through the empty town that had become an evacuation area.

Like that they arrived at the first wall that was the entrance into the Haunted Ground.

After following the procedure at the gate that was guarded by the Knight Order to not let anyone enter, they went inside.

For the time being their numbers until here were not few, a lot of volunteering students were also coming along.

The Level 1 area that was the most outer part of the Grand Haunted Ground had already been mostly liberated from the exploration that they had done twice until now in this place. Because of that, what greeted them right after they passed the wall was the calm forest at the foot of Mt. Fuji.

Signs and facilities that were built at the time where this place was still a bustling sightseeing course were left behind as if the time had been stopped.

Aiming for the second wall that was standing towering far away, they earnestly walked the path that was filled rampantly with green conifer trees.

“Walking through this area blessed by mother nature… I cannot suppress this uncomfortable feeling inside…”

In the crowd of students slightly behind, Kamimura-san in goth-loli clothing that was mismatched with the scenery was walking forward somehow even with an unsteady gait.

“You’re not tired, Kamimura-san?”

Kazuki drew back until the behind and felt anxious about the girl’s condition.

“The sky is so dazzling… Right now I’m fine, but surely I will get tired in time…”

Kamimura-san answered him with a way of talking like a prophet.

“Should I carry you on my back to preserve your stamina?”

“Eh, tha… that’s, it’s okay. Kazuki is the one that has to preserve your stamina no matter what.”

He was completely rejected. But there was no skull mark that came flying at him so he guessed she was just acting reserved. Kazuki cut in at the front of Kamimura-san, then with a ‘hyoi’ he lifted up her small body.

Kamimura-san went “Au! Awawa-!”, then she encircled her arms around Kazuki’s neck while she was about to blow her fuse.

“Let’s be like this until the second wall.”

“…Even though I’m being tactful here… Uu―. Normally when someone is about to do something like this they will get cold feet and become scared and so they won’t be able to do it, that’s what I thought. You are completely like the cool guy in a gal-game, this pushy attitude that cannot be hated… Something like this is unfair. So vexing. …But you will get wet-!!”

“What, wet you say? Not really, Kamimura-san’s weight is like paper, you are so light that I won’t sweat much.”

“Mumumu-!? Her weight is, light you say!?”

Kaguya-senpai who was walking at the side suddenly turned at their direction with a great vigor for some reason.

“Kaguya-senpai, Kamimura-san’s lightness isn’t in not in this dimension that you can get from something like a diet, so don’t mind it.”

Right now it was Kamimura-san’s existence that had already half-disappeared, not her fat.

“Why is Kaguya-senpai that sensitive about this weight talk?”

“No, no no not really. I don’t really care about something like my weight or anything!? Wow, it feels really good to walk among nature like this! La la laa― fu―n fun♪”

Kaguya-senpai’s eyes kept darting everywhere while skipping with a weird humming and whistling.

Everyone were all cute girls but… perhaps the hard work that the girls were doing behind the scene for their appeal was something that a male just couldn’t get a measure of.

“Even someone like me, have some aspects that a person that lovely is jealous of, that’s…”

On the other hand Kamimura-san was moved in a weird way.

“You are too light like this. I have to feed you a lot and make you gain weight.”

When Kazuki shook Kamimura-san up and down, she gave off a weird voice “au au au―”.

A gentle slope came into their view next, soft pastel blue manifested themselves from between the vivid green thickets.

“Kamimura-san, look, hydrangeas are growing en masse.”

“Oo…” Even Kamimura-san spontaneously raised a deeply moved voice. Everyone around them were also suddenly making a fuss about the sight.

“See, going outside once in a while is also good, right?”

Kazuki once again shook Kamimura-san on his back up and down while talking.

“…Kazuki, your way of talking, it looks like a father that took his daughter outside.”

Kamimura-san’s reply sounded like she was a little troubled of how to cope with the situation.

The reserved hue of the hydrangeas calmed down the hearts of the people watching it. If it was now, he had the feeling that he could step inside Kamimura-san’s heart for even just a little.

“Kamimura-san, you really work hard, that you even went with us into this place, you also properly attended the academy but, you’re not forcing yourself right?”

Kazuki slowed down his walk and then he asked while his gaze was following along the hydrangeas at the roadside.

It was a natural way of living, but for this girl who had been a shut-in for a long period of time such a way of living was supposed to be difficult for her.

“I’m not forcing myself. After all, I understand, that all this time you and Lotte-shishou are always being considerate of me. …Because I understand that I’m being paid attention to… I thought that in this kind of time, I have to become useful properly, by fighting.”

“You really are doing your best. Thank you.”

Why in the world would a good child like this become a complete shut-in?

Kamimura-san was scared to get along with other people. He had no doubt that she was too sensitive against other people’s attitude at herself, whether it was kindness or ill will. There was no problem in her personality, it was just that she was too sensitive.

‘In order to grant courage to such a girl, what should I do that would be good? …Let’s constantly fill her surroundings with the kindness of the people from around us.’ That was what Kazuki thought.

“Thank you, Kamimura-san.”

Kamimura-san noticed Kazuki and the others’ consideration for herself and so she tried her best to return the favor. Kazuki was happy of that and gave his thanks to her.

“…I think that the hydrangeas are certainly beautiful. I recognize it.”

As if searching for a way of how to express her own feelings, Kamimura-san talked slowly to Kazuki.

“Because you pulled my hand and led my outside from the Ise Imperial Shrine, maybe, surely, even I can become someone that tries to think of the things outside of my room as fun… I think.”

Kamimura-san was facing forward, just a little.

…The quiet promenade that was like a hiking route continued, and finally they arrived at the second wall.

Kazuki put Kamimura-san down from his back. In exchange of thanks for Kazuki’s assistance that let her legs were still mostly at ease, Kamimura-san wordlessly hopped up and down lightly.

They passed the second wall too and entered Level 2.

The area from here on mostly hadn’t been liberated yet. But the route to continue to the third wall had been opened by Kazuki’s reckless battle before this.

The elite squad led by Kazuki headed to the third wall while the other students spread out in order to advance the capturing of the Level 2 area. That was the arrangement that they had decided on.

“Leave this area to these ones!” “Leave it to us!” “I’ll work today.” “Gau.” “Fufufu.”

Kohaku, Karin, Kamimura-san, and the Ryuutaki-sisters saw off Kazuki and co. who were going forward.

The path that Kazuki and co. followed was gradually sloping drastically, they even had to follow some animal trails on the way.

Even so there was no Demon Beast coming out on this route that had been liberated once.They finally arrived at the third wall with the ease of advancing through a dungeon that had finished being captured completely.

There was a concrete wall that was built fourteen years ago before it was abandoned in front of them.

A plain door like a staff entrance door behind a building was installed in the lower part of the wall.

Both the wall and the door had gotten so old that it looked like it would turn into dust if it got hit with all their strength.

But a powerful barrier was set up on this wall that could even reject a King.

“Please wait! Nii-sama… as I thought, I too will go!”

Kanae chased them from the path behind. Kazuki turned around in surprise and shouted.

“I told you no already!”

He had to tell her sternly. He understood well of how Kanae’s obstinacy was.

“I can’t take you because your resistance against mind magic is weak. If something happened to Kanae, I cannot search for you like I can with everyone else. Saying it bluntly, you will just slow us down.”

“However… I have the feeling that there will be something important that is going to happen to Nii-sama after this… I have the feeling that I have to see that with my own eyes!!”

―Some kind of important thing. Leme had repeatedly said the word destiny before. Ahead of this path, there was a turning point waiting for him that would shake his future.

When he thought of that once more, Kazuki felt hesitation and his reply was caught inside his throat.

A turning point that would change his own life. To say that he was going to take Mio and Kaguya-senpai and everybody else there, but telling Kanae that he couldn’t take her was… as if he was inviting everyone to his wedding reception except for Kanae…

It could be seen as an act that threw away the existence of Kanae from his own life ahead of now.

Kanae’s feeling that wanted to witness with her own eyes the turning point of Kazuki’s life was something natural.

On the other hand, he too… he also felt that he wanted Kanae to be there at the turning point of his life.

His relation with Kanae was that deep. Even more than everybody else in this place…

―’I also want Kanae at my side.’ That kind of feeling gushed out inside him like a light shining over the darkness in his heart.

However, it was dangerous…

{…Kazuki.}

Inside Kazuki’s head who couldn’t say anything, a voice of someone was echoing. It was not Leme.

“This voice is…” It seemed that a similar voice also rang out inside Kanae’s head, she turned her head around looking for the voice’s owner.

The third wall that was right beside them emitted a faint magic power light.

That light linked Kazuki and Kanae’s consciousness and sent in a voice into them.

“The path ahead might be severe, but… take that person with you too.}

The seal that possessed its own consciousness told so to Kazuki.

{Undoubtedly, there are also things that have to be conveyed to that person too, that’s why…}

That time…*zuzuzu*, a heavy sound was reverberating.

The door of the wall that was emitting light opened by itself in invitation to Kazuki and Kanae.

“…I understand. Kanae, come together with me and ascertain what lies ahead of me with your own eyes.”

Kazuki resigned himself. He said that while shivering from the existence of someone that would once more change his life.“Certainly ahead of this path, it looks like there is something really important that is waiting.”

Kazuki and co. passed through the wall―there was a boundary line of the world there.

The other side of the opened door was pure white.

Silver grains were dancing in the air along with the wind. When they stepped inside with a step, their feet were buried right into the snow until their shin. All the trees in the surrounding had withered, turning into frost covered trees that were colored silver.

This level was a snow mountain in winter… he had been told that, but even so, the world line between the front of the wall and behind the wall was just too different.

It just told him even more clearly how incomparable the thickness of the magic power that distorted the world was in here.

“Well then everyone, let’s go.”

Kazuki stood in the lead and passed through the door, his companions followed after him.

Their feet was buried under the snow, silver wind hit the body right from the front, Kazuki’s teeth were clattering in no time at all. He entered strength into his shoulders and tensed the muscles in his whole body.

It had been a really long time since he felt the sensation of the cold.

Just like the story that he heard, it was still cold even though he produced heat in his body using Pyrokinesis. He deeply felt the cold.

“Hold your mind strongly! If not, you will get hypothermia just like your mind imagined!”

Liz Liza-sensei raised her voice. The coldness of this Haunted Ground reverberated in their minds.

“What an outrageous Haunted Ground…”

Kaguya-senpai knitted her eyebrows. Even so when he looked back to ascertain the countenance of the members, he could still feel some composure from everyone of the Witch’s Mansion.

“…Kanae, are you okay?” Kazuki was concerned with Kanae’s condition.

“I’m fine.” Kanae bit her lips and answered while glaring at the path ahead.

Her stout-heartedness that wouldn’t let any complaint escape her mouth made Kazuki feel even more anxious instead.

“This place should be at the height of around two thousand meters above the sea. As expected even the snow mountain of a Haunted Ground, too, will become even colder the higher it is, ahaha.”

Hikaru-senpai made a desperate laugh.

“The height too is like that, but thanks to the trees that are still growing around here the wind is weak. When we pass through the forest border and there is nothing in the surroundings, the blizzard will hit us fully at that time.”

Liz Liza-sensei added in a fact that he didn’t even want to imagine.

What was a little strange was how everyone was exposing their bare skin because of their Magic Dress even though they were in the middle of a snowy mountain. Though Kazuki was also just in his normal uniform. This clothing had no meaning at all for physical cold protection.

“O Divine Protection of mermaid, please block the step of the hated enemy and hasten the step of the chosen person… O ice blade, run! Moves in the Field!”

Koyuki cast an environmental control magic before they advanced through the snow for real.

Usually this magic froze the ground and formed ice blades on the allies’ feet. The allies could move around freely like ice skating while the enemy would be unable to move about… this magic had been used a lot in that way.

But this time the magic didn’t grant any effect on the ground and formed ice claws on the allies’ feet. Further it also created ice picks in the shape of a ‘T’.

“It really created a fitting atmosphere huh.” Hikaru-senpai swung around her pick’s like a kid.

An ice pick is a tool used to stab the blade into a snow surface of rock wall in order to keep the holder’s balance when they fell off from the slope or their balance was broken.

“And then if we stab this claw into the snow surface, we can then walk forward and not slip.”

Mio said that while immediately moving through the path of new snow with the ice claws on her feet.

“Even if we don’t use something like this, there is also a method of walking while using friction control magic.”

The expert in general magic, Kazuha-senpai, was once more saying an amazing thing so nonchalantly.

“That’s also fine but Hiakari has already troubled herself to make this, so just use this to suppress the consumption of excess magic power. After all even just standing around like this will have your magic power consumed to endure the blizzard.”

Liz Liza-sensei said so and then she urged them on.

“Oi, Hayashizaki siblings and Tsukahara, what are we going to do if you guys don’t walk in the lead.”

Kazuki, Kanae, and Kazuha-senpai moved forward in panic with crunching sounds to catch up with Mio who went ahead.

“Wait, Mio!”

They had to stab the picks into the snow surface each time they took a step forward and stepped firmly with the ice claws while climbing in long stride so as to not slip. Just advancing forward like this in a snowy mountain was surprisingly hard.

Their feet that were buried in the snow too was so cold with a chill that seeped right inside until their bone.

Kazuki finally overtook Mio and stood in front of the whole party.

Suddenly the snow field ahead vibrated *gogogo*.

…That’s right, of course this kind of thing would naturally happen. At the other side of the sloping path―inside the white screen of the blizzard, a faint figure of a <ice giant> so big they needed to look up appeared.

They had to fight Demon Beasts in this Haunted Ground.

“That Demon Beast… be careful! It’s going to throw ice lumps from afar!”

Liz Liza-sensei yelled. The ice giant broke his own body with his fist. And then it raised high the ice lump that was a part of its own body, he faced Kazuki and co. and threw it.

The enemy was located on the higher ground. The ice lump was approaching them by borrowing the force of gravity.

Kazuki jumped to the side and evaded the ice lump.

But the instant he evaded a step to the side, *BAKIBAKIBAKI!* there was a strange sensation under his feet.

There was no ground at the place his foot was going to step on. That spot was where shrubbery was growing on the slope and looked like the ground just from the snow that was piling up on top of it. There was no footing at the place where he was going to step, Kazuki almost rolled down from the slope.

He supported his body with the pick in panic and raised a yell.

“Like, like this we are not going to be able to move our body well!?”

The ground looked like a brand new snow surface at a glance, but they couldn’t know what was going on under the snow with just one look.

The giant didn’t miss the opening and threw another ice lump at them. With this timing, he couldn’t dodge.

“Flapped the wings and scatter sparks. Trail behind the spiral wind, become the bullet that gouge life! Flap and shoot! Barrett!!”A flame bullet collided into the ice lump just in the nick of time. Ice grains and steam exploded in front of Kazuki’s eyes.

“Geez Kazu-nii, be careful there!”

With Mio as the beginning, the other companions shot out their attack magic all at once.

“My wicked thought is filled with curse, I beseech thy agony… I have no shame of my ominous thinking! Feel Pain!”

“O the will of god of the whirling sky! Converge in my hand, please grant me the authority of judgment! O radiance of royalty divine gift, become the drawn bow of splendor! Lightning Line!”

“Howl! The civilization grant destruction to human! The roar of wisdom scorch, break thy body, bury that dignity under the rubble!! Mitrailleuse!”

Kaguya-senpai’s bullet of agony. Hikaru-senpai’s lightning arrow. Lotte’s gatling bullets.

The giant staggered from the raining down magic. Its movement that was trying to throw ice lumps was stopped.

“Barrett!”

Kazuki too ran through the snow field while chanting attack magic. When Kazuki pushed his way through the snow and advanced in the front, it also made it easier for everyone that was following after him to advance.

Ahead on the pure white path of the blizzard, Kazuki sensed even more moving presences.

“Everyone, there’s not just one!”

At the same time with Kazuki yelling to inform his party, three more giants showed their majestic appearances from the depth of the blizzard and the three raised up ice lumps all at once.

“O hour hand, please blunt down the gait of the fools and show contempt for their worth… {{furigana|Chrono Stutter|Stupefaction Time Lost}}!!”

Liz Liza-sensei chanted a magic that he had never seen before.

Three avatar of clock floated in front of the three ice giants, those three clocks had its hour hand moved really slowly while melting into the giants.

Thereupon in the blink of an eye, the giants’ movement became sluggish.

A magic that slowed a great number of enemies all at once―perhaps Liz Liza-sensei had assumed from the start that the enemy might be more than one.

The thrown ice lumps from the giants whose movements were slowed flew flimsily and fell in the middle without reaching Kazuki’s location. The fallen ice raised *DON!* a large sound and a curtain of snow was raised on the snow field.

“O craftsman’s forging that scatter the flower of night performance, fill the woven sky with sword’s tip! The role of the sword is for the sake of victory… under my command, become thunderstorm and pour down! Tenkuu Battou Renge Hou!”

Kazuha-senpai too was chanting a magic that was suited for a great number of enemies.

It was an attack magic that created a large number of Sacred Treasures and launched them like missiles<ref>Gilgamesh's ability in fate/stay night anyone?</ref>.

“Burn brightly!”

When Kazuha-senpai commanded, the Sacred Treasures that were floating in the air were all covered with flames.

Kazuha-senpai’s contracted Diva, Futsunushi no Kami had his power increased from combining with Take Mikadzuchi. It seems that now senpai was able to freely control the element that the Sacred Treasures possessed.

The flame Sacred Treasures pierced into the ice giants one after another.

…But, the giants were not falling down.

“Barrett!” “Lightning Line!”

Low level magic were flying without pause. But the giants planted themselves on the snow field and stood dauntingly.

“…They are tougher than we think. Perhaps it will be better to take it slow and chant a high level magic.” Hikaru-senpai murmured.

“Or else, with close quarter combat.”Kanae who was pushing through the snow together with Kazuki murmured subduedly. It was a heavy tone of voice as if she was being cornered in some respect. …Kanae was waiting for her chance.

But the distance between her and the opponent was far with snow blocking the path.

“O shapeless and mute shadow, become the fish that swim inside the darkness that is teeming with obstructive thoughts! The origin of nightmare, vicissitudes materialism, respond to the fear and hope and sink your teeth…! Deep Specter!”

Kaguya-senpai had already concluded to aim for a high level magic and put it into practice.

A soul was residing inside the shadow of the ice giants. The black shadow that was like a spot of stain inside this white world swelled up in one go and turned into a monster with size that was not inferior with the ice giant.

The shadow monster opened its big mouth where fangs were lining up inside like a shark’s mouth, then it sunk its teeth into the ice giant.

But the ice giant didn’t even pay any heed of how their shoulder was bitten by a monster and continued to throw ice lump at Kazuki and co.’s direction. Their movements were sluggish due to Liz Liza-sensei’s magic, yet they were still throwing ice lumps even though it didn’t reach. Several of the ice lumps were falling just right in the middle.

“Their toughness is amazing, but… those Demon Beasts, are they doing something?”

Mio raised an amazed voice. The ice giants kept continuing to throw ice lumps that didn’t even reach them with sluggish movement like broken robots. Over and over they kept throwing, raising a curtain of snow on the snow field.

―A crack sharply entered the snow field. With a look of realization Liz Liza-sensei yelled.

“…Those guys’ aim to cause an avalanche! Someone use wind or flame magic!!”

Right at that instant, the snow field in front of their eyes split into two of up and down.

For Kazuki who was fighting while looking up to the slope, it looked like the world itself was cleaved down.

The lower half of the snow field in their path was all slipping down at Kazuki and co.’s direction. The snow in the shape of a plate broke down like smoke and built up, in the blink of an eye it became a wave of snow with an height of ten-odd meters.

The snow volume that could swallow all of them whole, surged, nearing them while roaring with a vibration like an earthquake.

The one who could immediately react was Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai. Both of them chanted the same magic.

“O wind of bellows, awaken the scorching heat of steel on my forging! Take into hand the hammer that had tempered hundred and strike away the impurity of the soul! Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazadzuchi!”

Kazuha-senpai finished her chanting an instant faster. When she raised her palm at the approaching avalanche, a wind of flame explosion whirled out from there. Like a katana blacksmith that awakens flames with the wind of bellows―this was a double element magic of flame and wind of Futsunushi no Kami who was the god of blacksmith. Its might had increased even more after obtaining the power of Take Mikadzuchi.

Wind explosion was blown into the approaching avalanche and evaporated it.

“Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazadzuchi!”

For the following avalanche that Kazuha-senpai couldn’t blow away completely, it was Kazuki’s turn to blow them away after casting the same magic with a time difference.

Even so, there was still more…*DODODODODO!* Tremors of the snow was approaching. The avalanche was continuing.

There were still magicians of wind and flame among them.

“O stream of atmosphere, converge in this body, become the storm that reject the hated person! The eye of the typhoon is exactly my throne! Storm Fort!”

“Burn to ash all that you touch… o scorching heat of rejection that has no place to depend! Self Burning!”

Hikaru-senpai and Mio invoked wind and flame defensive magic at the same time. Vortex of wind hid his companions from the surrounding and then flame mixed into the vortex of wind.

A storm of flames repelled away the avalanche that had its force greatly reduced from Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai’s magic and all of it was terminated.Because all of the snow that covered the snow field had moved down with the avalanche, the ground in the space between them until the ice giants was laid bare.

The snow was cleared exposing the original scraggy rock surface under it, like a path that guided them to the enemies.

Kanae quickly start to dash without hesitation―she had belief that her comrades would repel the avalanche.

Kazuki noticed that Kanae had change from her two sword style of kodachi into using a single pure black katana. It was <Michikage> that formed a pair with Kazuki’s <Doufuu>. Kanae’s beloved sword in the past that she used when she was a child.

“Nii-sama, Amasaki Mio! Give me the protection of fire!!”

Kanae yelled while closing her distance with the ice giants in one go.

“Burn to ash everything touched… the scorching heat of rejection without any place to depend! Self Burning!”

Kazuki immediately guessed what Kanae wanted and chanted the magic that enveloped Kanae’s whole body with flame.

Mio too attached the same magic to Kanae a moment later.

Kanae used the flame that clad her whole body not for defense, but for attack, she used Psychokinesis to concentrate the flame onto her katana. And then she kicked the rock surface and flew high until the neck of the giants.

“Pierce the vital spot against a tough enemy!!”

When Kanae leaped at the giants whose movements were dulled, Kanae stabbed the flaming blade into its neck.

The ice giant writhed in agony like a living thing. …No, the giant looked like a lump of ice, but as a Demon Beast it possessed the disposition as a living thing.

There was no mistake that Kanae’s blade had severed the electric signal circuit that governed the giant’s body activity.

“…Die!” It was a really tough giant but it was smashed up into many small ice grains under one attack.

After Kanae ripped up the neck of one giant, she kicked its body before it could break and jumped onto the next giant and tore up the neck of the giants one after another.

It was a murder technique where the match was decided already once she got close, that it even made Kazuki go ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ in admiration.

“Kanae! Be careful where you are going to land!!”

Kazuki noticed and shouted. Kanae who had finished dealing with the giants landed on the snow field.

But regardless of Kazuki’s warning, it seemed that under that snow there was no foothold, *zubo-* Kanae’s lower body was buried into the snow and she raised a scream of “Nya nya nya!?”

“Don’t get too carried away. …It’s better not to get too close to the snow.”

With an amazed voice, Kazuki pulled out the MVP Kanae from the snow.

The coldness of this snow inflicted harm to the mind. That was exactly why that avalanche was dangerous. It would be nothing if it was just a normal snow, but it’d be bad if they got buried under this snow.

If everyone of the Magic Division that was lacking in Enchant Aura got buried under a few tons of snow, surely they wouldn’t be able to move at all. And then they would rapidly get cornered into a dangerous situation from the coldness of the snow.

Kanae whose body was half inside the snow was shivering and her face turned blue.

“So, something like this… is not a big deal…”

“Don’t act tough. …We should warm you a little like this.”

Kazuki tightly hugged the shivering Kanae.

“Ni, Nii-sama!? Nii-sama―!! It’s a super ultra warmth!! Right now Kanae is like a cat that is inside a kotetsu―!” <ref>Kotetsu is a table over an electric heater (originally a charcoal brazier in a floor well) with a hanging quilt that retains heat</ref>

“…But this is a cold that happened mentally so maybe doing this is irrelevant?”

“That, there’s no such thing! If it’s a problem of mind then right now Kanae’s heart is going puff-puff hotly!!”“…You look like your head is going to explode, let’s end it with this much.”

When Kazuki separated both his hands, Kanae was unsteady on her legs with a boiling face.

…If Kanae got buried under the avalanche―it was only Kanae and Liz Liza-sensei among the current member that he couldn’t search their whereabouts with the power of bond. When he thought so his body hair shuddered.

“Rotate to the rear Kanae. I’ll be the one that pushes through the snow.”

Kanae looked down in frustration but she followed what he said and moved to the rear.

“No, I’ll be the one at the head. I’m the one better suited for it right?”

In replacement of Kanae, Kazuha-senpai approached near him and said that.

…Certainly because she was a swordsman she had the proper strength to push through the snow with Enchant Aura, her resistance against mind magic was also better than Kazuki, and she could also deal against the assault of Demon Beast as a front liner.

Even if Kazuha-senpai fell she could stop her momentum using friction control, and even if she was buried under the snow she could blow it away using [Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazatsuchi].

There was the flexibility that could do everything even if something happened to Kazuha-senpai.

“Let’s do it with the two of us taking turn.”

“Yosh, tag.”

Kazuha-senpai laughed “he he he” and presented her palm, Kazuki high fived her with a clear sound of *pachin*.

“When it’s the time to alternate, let’s warm each other by hugging like just now.”

“Do, don’t make a needless banter-! Idiot-!” Kazuha-senpai hit Kazuki’s head.

Kazuki and co. formed a single line and resumed climbing the mountain.

…At first the fallen snow only reached until their shin, but the snow became higher when they climbed even more ahead.

The snow passed their knee… then when the height reached around their waist, it became difficult even just to move ahead.

Kazuha-senpai who stood in the lead swept away the snow in front of her with the ice picks, and then she pushed further into the snow surface that had been torn down lower with her knee, finally when the height of the snow became something that her feet could lift over she could take a step forward.

Kazuha-senpai raised a scream “Thi, this is harsh!” while her beauty was ruined from being forced to walk bow-legged.

Thanks to her pushing aside the snow in the front, the second in line could advance with a fair ease.

As expected this was an absurd task if they didn’t alternately take turns.

“Standing in the lead and pushing through the snow is called Russell<ref>snowplow</ref>. It’s one of the hardest task in climbing a snow mountain.” Liz Liza-sensei said that from the back.

“In proportion of the two that are working hard in the front, we the rear guard will work hard if there are Demon Beasts coming out!”

Kaguya-senpai went ‘Ei ei ouu―” while raising her hand. Right at that moment an ice giant appeared at the front where it was going to slide down at them, while from the sky a pure white giant bird that was covered with thick fur was flying.

The Demon Beasts appeared as if answering the request, so Hikaru-senpai yelled “Kaguya you idiot!”

“I’m not the one who is bad here!” While yelling, Kaguya-senpai began to chant.

The ice giant threw ice lumps and the giant bird breathed out a cold breath.

“Barrett!”

“O rejection of absolute zero, become the armor of isolation that protect our body! Freeze Barrier!”

Mio shot down the ice lump with [Barrett] and Koyuki protected the comrades from the cold breath with the barrier of chill.

Suddenly Kazuki looked behind. Interposed between Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai who was in charge of Russell and everyone of the Witch’s Mansion that performed magic battle―Kanae was looking down in frustration because she could not move even when there was no avalanche.

An absurd time was necessary just to advance ahead a little.

More than anything, the exhaustion of Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai was bigger than everyone who was doing battle.They rotated the turn every one hour, he and Kazuha-senpai hugged each other each time they were taking turns. Kazuha-senpai was cute with her face bright red. Perhaps if there was no reward like this then even Kazuki would have his heart broken.

Liz Liza-sensei had warned them before about the possibility of needing to bivouac, but as expected this was not a Haunted Ground that could be cleared in a day trip.

When he was became engrossed in the Russell duty and the battle, before he realized the surrounding had become dark from being evening.

The pure white world was transforming into orchid color. Like this they would soon meet with night.

“So this is what appeared in the end…”

Kazuki who had alternated with Kazuha-senpai of being Russell in the front unintentionally groaned.

…What appeared before their eyes was a rock wall without end in sight. The upper part was obstructed by the blizzard that formed white mist, they couldn’t determine how high this wall would continue.

If they didn’t claw their way up this wall, they would be unable to advance forward. This was like a bad joke.

“It’s better to stop one night here for the moment.” Liz Liza-sensei said.

“Come to think of it, sensei said that a tent is unnecessary so we didn’t bring any, but without blocking the blizzard we are only going to get exhausted one-sidedly even if we rest.”

“No need to worry about that. There is so much snow piling up in the surrounding. …We are making a snow hut here.”

Snow hut. …It was a proposal that made him strangely excited.

They immediately move to work. Everyone piled up snow, pressed and condensed it, plundered the heat with Pyrokinesis, and froze and hardened the snow.

“Making it too big will only make you anxious if it’s going to break down from its own weight, so let’s make two snow huts.”

Although they could make the hut strong and solid with magic, they guessed that making it with a diameter of around four or five meters was the sensible limit. Thereupon Mio murmured while pushing and hardening the snow.

“…For the groups, how will we split the members?”

Everyone’s hands stopped.

Everyone raised their face all at once and looked at Kazuki’s direction. Leaving out Kanae and Liz Liza-sensei, there were only girls who understood that everyone in this place had more than 100 point in positivity level towards Kazuki.

“Kazuki. If I’m not mistaken your ability will unleash a special power when there is someone whose positivity level towards you became 150, right?”

When Kazuki was stumped to give out an answer towards the difficult question, Liz Liza-sensei gave an advice.

“Think about what will it do for you in the decisive battle if you raised someone’s positivity level. Make your answer from the side of profit.”

When it became something like that…

A single snow hut with high transparency that had been half transformed into ice was completed first.

“Enter the snow hut first and prepare the meal Kazu-nii. During that time everyone will complete one more of the snow hut.”

While talking Mio and Koyuki released their Magic Dress temporarily and their appearance turned into their uniform with a large rucksack on their back. They took out some plastic container and pot and a solid fuel from there. It was an underhanded trick that made use of a Magic Dress’ material conversion phenomenon.

Leme emerged out from his side and frowned her eyebrows while saying “Do this moderately okay, it’s just for this time only.”

“Even Leme also wants to eat a delicious meal right?”

Mio acted the same to Leme like when she was still kid-sized and poked her nose lightly. Though when the two of them stood side-by-side, Leme was already the bigger one between the two of them.

“How cheeky, to treat Leme like a kid when Leme had turned into this adult appearance already―!”

“So what―, Leme is Leme right―”

Both of them screwed around with each other by hitting the other *pechi pechi* repeatedly. …Looks like Mio still had some composure in her.

“Even if you called it preparation, I only need to warm the stew. It doesn’t really need to be me…”“I’m telling you to rest obediently here, so that Kazuki won’t get tired by doing something trivial like making a snow hut. We don’t know what is going to happen ahead of us you know!”

“Right right, just like she said!”

Hikaru-senpai butted in from the side and launched a hip attack at him with a boing.

The butt that was covered with a Magic Dress in T-back style blew away Kazuki inside the snow hut.

…If he was forced until this point then there was nothing he could do except to let himself get spoiled by their words.

Inside the snow hut, Kazuki spread out a sheet with high insulation rate and settled down his body on top of it. He set the solid fuel and lit up a fire. It was an alchemic fuel that boasted fire power of an average gas stove.

When he was staring at the burning flame, Kazuki’s feeling finally settled down.

…If he had to talk truthfully, he was nearing his limit.

Repeatedly becoming the Russell, the coldness of the snow stiffened his whole body that now he couldn’t even shiver.

The heart was also made of flesh―with a dysfunction occurring in the heart, the blood flow in the whole body was stagnating.

Due to the blood not circulating, the oxygen wouldn’t reach the brain. If he let his guard down, his thought would grow dim and turn pure white.

He planned to consume enough water, but even with his sweat not flowing out he felt a maddening dehydration in his body.

He had to warm his body. Kazuki instinctively thought so.

Now that he had escaped from the blizzard into the snow hut, surely his body would immediately recover if the fire of the solid fuel hit his body. Kazuki rubbed his coldly stiffening hands and fingers on top of the flame.

He had already upped his resistance toward mind magic but he was still immature in it.

Kanae too was feeling frustrated but… just because someone was a swordsman it didn’t mean that it was fine to only train in swordsmanship without caring for anything else. Even if comrades would help each other, there were many fields of expertise that had to be improved.

Waiting until after his blood flow recovered its vigor, Kazuki finally put the pot on top of the solid fuel.

The content of the pot was stew. The cold stew didn’t emit any aroma at all. Regardless Kazuki spontaneously gulped his saliva.

Rather than calling him starving, what he felt was closer to a breakdown. This was the first time his own cooking looked this delicious to himself. Since he was born, this was the first time his mind was ravaged by the taboo desire to snitch a food secretly like this.

But if he didn’t eat the food together with all his companions that were even now still building the snow hut outside…

Kazuki was gazing blankly at nothing while waiting for the pot to become warm.

The voices of everyone that were continuing their task outside felt awfully far. Perhaps his head was still lacking in oxygen. Feeling the warmth of the burning fuel, he dimly felt like he was in the middle of a dream.

Suddenly, he felt a presence right beside him. It was as if a ghost was standing right besides his pillow when he was sleeping.

After slowly turning his head―a slightly dazzling silhouette of a woman that was formed from magic power was peeking at the pot’s content from behind Kazuki.

It was as if a teacher was ascertaining a student’s cooking skill in the middle of a home economics class.

―It was the master of the seal. The First Knight. The wavelength of that light that dimly shone was the same with the light that appeared in his battle with Ilyailiya.

The light gave off a pondering voice.

{…Why are you, giving your all that much for your surroundings?}

Without tearing off her eyes from the pot, the woman’s voice sounded anxious in some respect.

‘What in the world is she feeling anxious for?’, before answering her, Kazuki first felt such doubt inside him.

“I am just doing it because I want everyone to be happy.”

Kazuki honestly talked about his own feelings.

“It looks like I am being quite misunderstood but, I’m doing this not because I am an orphan and so my self-esteem became really low that it makes me flatter my surroundings, it’s because I love everyone.”

When Kazuki said that, the woman became much more dejected and looked down.

{That stew is} The woman changed the topic. {…the flavor of your home?}

“I am an adopted child so, this is the flavor of the Hayashizaki’s… the family I was given to to be raised.”

Kazuki answered.“With Hayashizaki’s flavor as the base, I improved it in various ways so that I can make Kanae and father happy…”

The woman’s silhouette looked sad from something of what he said, she felt even more sorrowful in dejection.

“…Is something wrong?”

{I, can’t even teach my cooking to my own child. The flavor characteristics of just that family that every household has, I couldn’t impart it to him…}

Not only the pot, but the inside of the plastic containers were also loaded by Kazuki’s handmade cooking.

While her gaze kept wandering unable to calm down, the woman, rather than to be called a hero, she was more like an ordinary female, talked in sorrow.

Kazuki pondered about the woman’s life. There was no doubt that this woman staked her life for the sake of the seal.

To fight as a knight without looking back at her family… due to that this country was saved.

If so, then this person, should think of that proudly with her chest held high.

Kazuki tried to say such comforting words, and hesitated.

The child of this woman, could he understood that? Even though she had saved the country where she was born, and yet she left her own child in sorrow, as a mother could she really take pride of such a thing from the bottom of her heart?

For an existence of a mother to put in scale the world and her own child―it was not something that could be encouraged so simply.

“…Are you regretting it?”

{…Yes.}

The woman said as if spewing out the stagnation at the bottom of her heart.

An affirmation that a hero by no means should ever do.

Kazuki imagined what he would do if it was himself. ‘If, it was me in the position of this person. Or, if I was in the position of this person’s child…

When he thought that, a numb sensation ran through his brain.

This person, was someone. The master of the seal. The First Knight. The hero that saved this country.

The previous generation’s contractor of Lemegeton.

Not only that. ‘This person, who is she to me…’

This time Kazuki turned back his whole body behind.

He faced the silhouette of light of the woman right from the front.

Both her face and her body build were uncertain. Her voice too felt somewhat chaotic as if a wave was shaking it.

“…You are…”

{The pot, will be cooked soon. It looks really delicious… I too, want to try to eat it, but…}

As if running away from Kazuki’s gaze, the woman’s silhouette pointed out at the pot.

Even so when Kazuki continued to stare at her, the woman silhouette dimmed and began to vanish.

{In the center of this Haunted Ground―at the peak of the Fuji, I’m waiting for you. I’m sending my avatar here like this, because I’m too impatient to wait…}

“Wait…!”

Raising his voice unintentionally, Kazuki reached out his hand as if trying to catch an empty air.

But, the woman’s figure disappeared and escaped from his hand smoothly.Silence returned to the surroundings. Were his companions really continuing their work outside the snow hut even now? Or perhaps it was just the inside of this snow hut that was completely transferred somewhere to a different world.

‘…I too have something that I have to convey.’

Suddenly, such feeling was gushing out from inside Kazuki’s chest.

He had to convey it to the woman that was waiting for him ahead.

That ‘I didn’t become unhappy or anything you know’.

That ‘I’m not resenting or blaming anyone’.

===Part 3===
When everyone finished their meal, the members were split up into two snow huts. To prepare against Demon Beast’s attack, there would be lookout posted alternately, they would pass a night in this place.

“Ahaha, hooray! I’m in Kazuki’s side!” Hikaru-senpai raised a joyful voice and she threw herself down before rolling around everywhere *goron goron* the moment she entered the snow hut.

“…Don’t go wild and destroy the snow hut okay?”

Kaguya-senpai warned her with a troubled face.

“The one at this side… are you saying that we are the ones with a half-baked positivity level?”

Kazuha-senpai was the last one that entered the snow hut while being fidgety, unable to calm down.

Kazuki, Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, Kazuha-senpai. This snow hut was for these four people.

“No, in the first place the members that entered this Grand Haunted Ground all have high positivity levels. Among these members, Mio, Koyuki, and Lotte had all passed over 150.”

Otonashi Kaguya―142 Hoshikaze Hikaru―130 Tsukahara Kazuha―128

The three of them had passed 100, but they were still short of 150. From Kazuki’s experience, when someone had their positivity level passed 100, from thereon raising their positivity level became not as easy as before.

Surely it would be difficult to raise their positivity until 150 in this one night. But if he became able to use these three’s high level magic, it would be very reassuring in his preparation for the decisive battle.

He didn’t mean to raise everyone’s positivity level in order to become strong, but…

“Hmmm… it feels like after the classmates, now it’s the seniors’ turns.”

Hikaru-senpai noticed the common point of the members here and murmured. Now when she said that, unexpectedly the situation really had turned out like that. Although he had never intended at all to leave the seniors for later just because they were older, things just developed like this.

In order to dodge the issue, Kazuki followed after Hikaru-senpai and rolled on top of the sheet.

The sheet insulated the chill from entering and only transmitted the softness of the new snow.

“Ahaha-, Kazuki baa―m!”

Hikaru-senpai delightfully rolled and rolled and rammed her body at him.

Hikaru-senpai that came rolling at him with quite a power behind her was blocked and then embraced by Kazuki.

Hikaru-senpai became docile and rubbed her body against Kazuki in his embrace.

Gently, Kaguya-senpai too quietly lied down behind Kazuki.

“Fufufu… we are expected to pass a night in this cramped place with the objective to raise our positivity level. It feels quite lewd.” Her expression was filled with seductiveness while she whispered into Kazuki’s ears.

Both of them were in the appearance of their Magic Dress that had been simplified into really light clothing. Hikaru-senpai that was hugged by Kazuki was in the appearance of leotard-style complemented with tight high leg, while Kaguya-senpai who clung at his back was in the appearance of only having her breast from her neck and between her legs slightly hidden.

Being glued tightly to such two people, sandwiched between them, had already made him in an inflammatory state of emotion.

“Gulp.”

With an expression that gulped her saliva, Kazuha-senpai was snugly sitting in seiza at the corner of the snow hut.

“Kazuki… I’m sleepy…”

With a tone of voice that seemed like acting, Hikaru-senpai closed both her eyes with a snap.

“Senpai is going to sleep already? That’s right isn’t it… we have to wake up early tomorrow.”

“Of course that’s not it! There is a stereotype pattern in this kind of time right!?”

Kazuki went ‘hah’ with realization and from then he grew ashamed of his own slow wittedness.

“Senpai, you are going to die if you sleep here!” He lightly slapped Hikaru-senpai’s cheek.

Hikaru-senpai went “Uhyaa―” and received the slaps happily while laughing.

“Kazuki… I grew cold.”

“Ee―rr, what should I do this time…”

“Let’s warm each other by hugging together naked-!!”

With a fierce momentum Hikaru-senpai put her hand on Kazuki’s upper uniform.

Kazuki raised a scream “Uwaa-“ and resisted that act, like a pure maiden.

But both his arms was firmly restrained from behind.

“Otouto-kun, isn’t it no good to sleep with your uniform I wonder?”

Kaguya-senpai sealed Kazuki’s movement and whispered in his ear while pressing her breasts at him with ‘boing boing’.

Certainly it was just like she said, however!

“E, even you two senpai are not naked aren’t you!?”

After he said that carelessly, he thought of what he was going to do if both of them undressed from even their Magic Dress here.

“Ahaha☆ Well then I’ll pardon Kazuki and leave your shorts behind!”

Hikaru-senpai that was once extolled like a prince proclaimed that with a smiling face.

Hikaru-senpai’s hand unfastened all the buttons at his upper wear and Kaguya-senpai behind him took it off. It was a joint action that had been polished. Next they put their hands on the shirt’s buttons.

It was fine already if he could preserve his short… Kazuki completely thought like that.

In a flash his white shirt and trouser were pulled off.

‘If it keeps like this then it will become something awesome’… Kazuki thought with only a single shorts on him.

“Wawawa-!” Kazuha-senpai who was sitting in seiza covered her face with both her hands in extreme shyness.

But she was properly watching from the gaps between her fingers. This person was that kind of person.

“Ooo―, a boy’s chest!”

Admiring something that she didn’t have herself, Hikaru-senpai hugged at Kazuki’s chest.

Kaguya-senpai who had a muscle fetish was trying to draw Kazuki’s body at her direction while saying “My pectoral muscle~”. “I find the treasure~” “This is the treasure of this snow hut~” The two of them joked while rubbing their cheeks against Kazuki’s chest. Getting stripped into his underwear and getting treated like a treasure by older ladies like this…

Kaguya-senpai kissed lightly at Kazuki’s neck muscle and pressed her lips stimulatingly. He shuddered. The small tongue that that came out from her lips gently licked from his neck until his chest glidingly.

Hikaru-senpai too “I see” nodded and then she did the same act. Everywhere on Kazuki’s naked upper body, the two’s lips and tongues were crawling around bewitchingly.

He felt his body, that had completely chilled from the blizzard, grow hot as if his blood flow was running wild inside.

He never knew that it felt this good to have his body licked.

This is bad. Although there were two persons that became his partner here, be that as it may, it would be bad if he got driven into the receiving party.

To have his side as the attacking side instead was… on the contrary a situation where he could keep hold of his reasoning more.

Kazuki stopped the face of Kaguya-senpai who was moving on top of his chest with a manner of hand picking out something.

They exchanged gazes. The eyes of Kaguya-senpai were… just as he thought, they had become violet in color.

First he had to calm down this person, if he didn’t crush them one by one, this night would become something too awesome.

“Kaguya-senpai, rather than playing with my chest, you want to have your body touched instead, right?”

Saying that he aimed for the substitution of offense and defense, he traced Kaguya-senpai’s nape of the neck with his finger. Copying the act of senpai just before this, this time it was Kazuki that kissed Kaguya-senpai’s body and softly licked.

He licked through Kaguya-senpai’s stomach, her back, her sides, while keeping her weak in suspense where he was going to lick. He licked sleekly all over, making Kaguya-senpai’s spine quiver in shivers.

“…Yes. My breast, I want you to touch them.”The desire of Kaguya-senpai that had become completely sensitive from Asmoudeus’ influence, had been received. She responded to Kazuki’s words without resistance before encircling both her hands on his back and averting her back.

With a jiggle, that earth-shattering breasts were pushed out at him.

His feeling became as if a main dish had been suddenly presented at him, Kazuki lifted up that heavy fruit profoundly. Lifting it up, his palm enveloped half of it from below and then he massaged.

“Ann-, ann-“ Each time he massaged, Kaguya-senpai let out a stimulated cute voice for him.

Kazuha-senpai took a glance at Kaguya-senpai and her gaze displayed a sign of being embarrassed.

“Kaguya-senpai when she uses Asmodeus’ power, she will be unable to contain herself all night. That’s why…”

Kazuki nonchalantly inserted a follow up about this situation. ‘That’s why, it can’t be helped.’

“Is, is that so, so it cannot be stopped in any way…”

Kazuha-senpai leaned her body forward even while still covering her face with both her hands.

“It’s true, a sensation reinforcement magic is running on Otonashi-san’s skin. It made her completely sensitive.

Kazuha-senpai’s magic intuition saw through Kaguya-senpai’s condition.

The breast covering vanished from Kaguya-senpai’s Magic Dress. The pink pointed end had swelled up sharply as if saying that it wanted to be touched.

“Waa…” Kazuha-senpai leaned her body forward.

Kaguya-senpai was already impatient. Victory went to the one who made the first move, Kazuki aimed for that and suddenly sucked at the pointed ends. He slide his tongue from the side, played with it in circles and pecked on the peak.

“Fuaaaaaaan!♡” Kaguya-senpai raised a shout of joy while small heart marks scattered from her. How much she felt good could be understood from the minute changes in her positivity level.

“Ahaha, Kazuki, you look like a baby. …Me too!”Hikaru-senpai sucked at Kaguya-senpai’s right breast competitively.

“Hikaru!?” Do, don’t…nnnn-!!♡”

Kaguya-senpai’s sensitive body reacted fiercely even against the stimulation from the same sex.

Rather than calling the stimulation had doubled physically, it seemed the abnormal situation of being stimulated by the same sex made Kaguya-senpai completely aroused.

“Waa… a, amazing…” Kazuha-senpai’s posture was now standing on her legs.

Even further Kazuki used his empty hand to stroke Kaguya-senpai‘s thighs. Kazuki took the lower body, while Hikaru-senpai attacked the back and the nape of the neck in the upper body.

The body of Kaguya-senpai who had completely become sensitive several times over was filled with a vortex of pleasure from the two.

“Do, don’t, if you do that to me… even though I’m being watched…ANN-♡“

Kaguya-senpai rapidly turned heated. Like a heat that lost its place to go and ran amok, Kaguya-senpai wriggled her voluptuous thighs back and forth and she rubbed her nether region at Kazuki.

“This place, does senpai want it to be touched?” He asked with a slightly tormenting tone.

“It, it’s embarrassing…” Kaguya-senpai murmured with a look of dimming reasoning.

“It can’t be helped because it’s Asmodeus’ fault, senpai.”

Kazuki said so and removed the binding of Kaguya-senpai’s reasoning.

He remembered Koyuki’s disheveled state when he stimulated that spot of hers while she was in delirium in the movie theater. The passion of a girl was saved up in this spot. Kaguya-senpai too was also like that… she was more sensitive in this spot than anywhere else.

He pressed his finger on the nether region part of Kaguya-senpai’s Magic Dress―the Magic Dress vanished as if melting the instant his finger touched, his finger directly went into Kaguya-senpai.

Even while surprised, Kazuki caressed that sensitive spot as gently as he could.

“Otouto-kun…Otouto-kun-!♡ More!! ♡”

Even though Kazuki was touching gently, it was Kaguya-senpai who shook her waist in order to make Kazuki’s finger pressed on that spot.

In the case that it actually hurt her, such thing should also be able to be understood from the change of positivity level.

That was why, Kazuki moved his finger relentlessly and resolutely. What way that would make Kaguya-senpai feel even better… while looking for such a way from the change of the positivity level… he strengthened his movement in one go.

Her small bead that would make a girl feel even better was generally similar with Koyuki.

The protuberance on the outside’s upper part, the dripping wet inside, he massaged both with his finger tips.

Kaguya-senpai raised a voice that was nearly a scream. “Aaa! AAA―!” With such a raised voice, before long Kaguya-senpai’s face looked like it was going to cry “Fuaaa―!”, and then it changed into a distorted expression that tried to endure “Hyii!”. But she didn’t dislike what he did. She was opening both her legs slovenly with liquids flooding out soppily from her lower body. An amazing amount of heart marks were flying at him.

He whispered “Kaguya, you are really cute” with wholehearted expression at her ear, and then he kissed her white cheek.

“Otouto-kun… Kazuki-kun! HYAAAAAANN-!!♡”

At the end of Kaguya’s sensitivity that had been raised several times over, she reached the highest peak. She was pierced with a sensation unimaginable for a man like Kazuki before her body went limp in a half-fainted state.

Kazuki felt shy at this late hour looking at Kaguya’s naked body that was drenched with sweat and he averted his eyes. He couldn’t look at her in the eyes.

“Kazuki-! Me too…!”

Without even any time to take a breather, Hikaru-senpai hugged at Kazuki.

*Chuu* She sucked strongly at Kazuki’s lips. This was something he couldn’t do with Kaguya-senpai, a kiss on the lips.

“The pleasant feeling of a girl, teach it to me too♪ I also want to become like Kaguya there…”It seemed that Hikaru-senpai was honestly yearning for a pleasure like what Kaguya-senpai experienced.

Perhaps he was making her learn something dangerous here. Thanks to being treated like a prince until now, this person didn’t have such vulgar thoughts about this kind of thing.

He embraced her body that was even more slender than Kaguya-senpai and caressed her back and her spine.

But as if saying that what he did was too slow, Hikaru-senpai

“Kazuki, my breast♪ Touch my breast♪” She coaxed him.

When he obediently did what she asked, immediately this time she urged him on “Suck my nipple♪”

“Fuaaaaaa-! Kazuki is sucking at my breast♡”

She said it to herself as if making a self-hypnosis to heighten her feelings rapidly. She was in high spirits with all her strength. Hikaru-senpai shook her butt and coaxed him “Ne, my butthole, touch it♪”.

“Eh, the hole of the butt, senpai says?”

“Because, in the manga that I read everyone was doing that you know?”

Before this Hikaru-senpai often read with pleasure boys love manga and mistakenly thought of it as the friendship between men.

Perhaps it was only a natural curiosity for her too to want to obtain the pleasure that was drawn in the manga for herself.

A magician could use Psychokinesis to float any filth thoroughly and remove it, so that place was not a dirty place. Kazuki also didn’t have much reluctance for such a thing―he pressed his finger at the leotard that dug into the bottom part.

“Haaa…♡”

Hikaru-senpai’s expression became joyous as if she had obtained the sensation that she had yearned from since she was just a child.

He shifted the digging clothes to the side and exposed the covered part. He poked weakly with his finger as if knocking. His finger tips caressed the narrow spot and drew circle as if observing the situation.

Hikaru-senpai’s expression was melting with bewitching feeling of expectation. Kazuki then determinedly buried his finger into the inside of that place.

“Aa-, it echoed until the inside of my stomach-“

He moved in and out his finger like a moving piston, Hikaru-senpai’s dignified face that was called a prince was melting in ecstasy.

“Haaa, somehow my butt, feels really hot…”

Rather than calling the sensation she felt intense, it seems that what she felt was more like a heat that slowly surged inside.

“Aaaaa… something is coming… this is the sensation of a girl…?”

Even if she called it as a girl’s sensation, he had the feeling that it was not actually something decent. While playing the behind with his right hand, Kazuki reached out his left hand to Hikaru-senpai’s front.

“Aaaa, from the front and behind… Kazuki is entering my front and behind… you are resounding inside me-!”

Strength filled the spine of Hikaru-senpai that looked like she had slowly reached prostrate orgasm.

“Kazuki, my girl place, more!♡”

So that Kazuki could touch the front and behind at the same time easier, Hikaru-senpai held both her own legs under her arms and floated her waist. Her vulgar places were all exposed, making Kazuki reflexively avert his eyes.

“Kazuki, look at my girl places properly here!”

Hikaru-senpai said that in dissatisfaction. Kazuki continued his stimulation in place of a reply.

“It comes! …Something good is coming…!!”

Kazuki stopped sucking her breast and sucked at the shivering girlish lips of Hikaru-senpai.

“Nnn… nnnnnnn-!!♡”

Hikaru-senpai’s body was fiercely trembling while heart marks flew at him, her body stopped moving with an ecstatic expression. There was no vestige of a prince left anywhere in her. Kazuki gently stroked the girl Hikaru-senpai on her head.

“Kazuki… me, me too…”

Kazuha-senpai who was leaning her body forward on her knees approached him while still on her knees.

Even though this was Kazuha-senpai who was supposed to be the owner of the most upright personality among the members here, she had been thoroughly changed by the two girls before her.

“I, I too want to feel good just like this…”

Kazuki too stood on his knees and faced Kazuha-senpai.

“Then senpai too should vanish your Magic Dress.”

He said that planning to tease her meanly, but Kazuha-senpai even while looking down in shame made her Magic Dress disappear like a mist. The naked body of Kazuha-senpai that he last witnessed in the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave was now bared in front of his eyes.

Kazuki reflexively let his gaze crawl through her white skin.

“Kazuha-senpai, you are really beautiful.”

“Do, don’t stare at me that intently, quickly, that…”

“How does senpai want it?”

“I, I want you to touch me…”

Kazuki embraced her close with his left hand at her waist. Kazuha-senpai who let herself get pulled clung at Kazuki’s chest. When he impatiently caressed her skin, her white skin was rapidly dyed red.

That skin of hers dimly emitted magic power light.

“Kazuha-senpai, are you using some kind of magic?”

Like a kid whose misdeed was discovered, Kazuha-senpai twitched.

“O, Otonashi-san became until like this, so…”

This was―a sensation strengthening magic. This magic was a complete copy of Asmodeus’ influence that was mimicked using general magic.

When Kazuki pinched the tips of her breast strongly in a surprise attack, Kazuha-senpai’s body trembled exaggeratedly. Her body became almost as sensitive as Kaguya-senpai, and also even more from how she had been made to wait until the last turn where her passion had been piling up.

“Kazuki, make me become just like those two…”

“Like those two, like what senpai?”

“…Li, lick my nipple, suck it…”

Kazuha-senpai became more excited while saying such thing herself, her breath became rough.

Kazuki did just as she said. He pinched with his left hand, sucked with his mouth at the right side, and his right hand reached out toward her lower body and caressed her butt and thigh.

After stroking the inside of her thigh for a while, Kazuha-senpai began to fidget her body.

“Kazukiii…”

“How does senpai want it, I won’t understand if senpai doesn’t say it out.”

“Wh, Why are you talking that meanly only to me since a while ago―!”

“I know that Kazuha-senpai’s reaction when getting bullied is the cutest.”

“So you have a really warped fetish like that―!”

Although no matter how he imagined it, it was Kazuha-senpai’s own words and action that made other people want to do such things to her.

“…Kazu-kun! My, my important place too, I want you to make it feel good!!”

“Well then senpai, please open your legs yourself.”

Kazuha-senpai who was in the posture of standing on her knees turned her butt at Kazuki before she opened both her legs so that it would be easier for Kazuki’s right hand to touch. A hot liquid ran along the thigh and wet Kazuki’s hand.

Kazuki moved his hand in the way that purposefully made a watery sound intensely sounded and inflamed Kazuha-senpai’s shyness.

“Actually, I can understand what kind of way that makes senpai feel good from the minute changes of the positivity level.”

“Wha, what’s with that, if that’s true then don’t bully me like that. Uu… your way of touching that raises a sound like that…”

“That’s why senpai, it’s fine for you to let out your voice honestly and feel good.”

Kazuha-senpai’s expression brightened with a feeling of expectation at Kazuki’s declaration.

Kazuki searched for a spot where Kazuha-senpai really felt it―and immediately discovered it.“-! The place just now!”

When he concentrated at that spot, the piling up passion inside her flamed up all at once.

“FUAAAAAAAAA-!♡ Kazu-kun! ♡ It feels good, so good!!♡”

Kazuha-senpai’s body and heart became honest and clung at Kazuki, a line of saliva trailed down along with a wild breathing in her sweetly melting expression. Kazuki felt it wasteful seeing that and licked the trail with his tongue.

“Kazu-kun, kiss me too!”

Maintaining that movement Kazuki indulged deeply at Kazuha-senpai’s lips.

“NNN-!♡”

Kazuha-senpai too trembled in shivers and then she sunk down to the floor like a puppet whose strings were cut.

“Kazu-kun you idiott~”

He stroked the head of Kazuha-senpai whose face was messed up with shame.

Immediately after that, “Kazuki-kun-!” “Kazuki!” Kaguya-senpai and Hikaru-senpai embraced him from behind as if saying that they had recovered. Their bodies were still feeling hot, the two of them rubbed their bodies and fawned at him. His whole body was enveloped in the softness of girls.

Kazuki thought of the three girls as cute from the bottom of his heart.

At the same time he felt that he had to endure his own body’s demand with a self-restraint of steel.

Until the end Kazuki would only admire the three girls’ lovely reactions.

He absolutely must not do something more than that.

===Part 4===
Kanae couldn’t help herself from becoming concerned towards the other snow hut even while standing guard.

When the day became night, the blizzard became even more terrible. Perhaps this kind of thing was not really a big deal for the bunch of the Magic Division, but for Kanae this was a fierce blizzard even though she was just standing guard like this.

‘What kind of ordinary day that Nii-sama always spent with everyone of the Witch’s Mansion I wonder…’ Kanae was staring fixedly at the snow hut. Usually she could move such thought away from her mind thanks to the distance between the Witch’s Mansion and the Sword Division’s dormitory, but tonight, that was impossible and she became really concerned.

‘Even Nii-sama is not a blockhead that doesn’t have any desire.’ When she tempted Nii-sama, even while saying unkind things from his mouth, Kanae had noticed that inside, his heart was beating really fast.

If Nii-sama was surrounded by that many girls and be loved… surely they would even do something a little perverted many times already. Though of course, Nii-sama was a person that absolutely wouldn’t pass the line that must not be passed.

Kanae felt the loneliness of having only herself left alone.

Nii-sama felt a debt of gratitude toward the Hayashizaki house and obstinately tried to maintain the distance of a brother and a sister in regards to Kanae.

And then he shouldered the destiny where he had to create bonds with women that possessed Stigmata.

Thinking about Nii-sama’s sincerity and the weight of the destiny he shouldered, I thought that I must not feel something like jealousy. However…

If she at least had a Stigmata, she wondered whether she too would obtain the qualification to be loved by Nii-sama as a woman…

{Have thou felt like it to make a contract with I…?}

At the feet of Kanae who was standing still inside the blizzard, an avatar of a small black cat was approaching.

“…It’s only a weakness that welled up because of the cold wind.”

Kanae looked down at the black cat with a glare.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 090.jpg|thumb]]

The avatar of the black cat snuggled close to Kanae’s foot with a brisk step―and entered into the body of Kanae who had grown cold from the blizzard. The sensation gradually changed into a mysterious heat.

“…You, you were shadowing me since the afternoon weren’t you? You were the one that was frequently sending heat into me like this.”

{The most that I can do for a human that is not contracted with me is only something to this degree.}

“Stop a behavior like this that pushes for a favor from me. My answer will not change for eternity.”

{…I understand well thy temperament. Thou are a proud human with purity inside. Completely like the blade of the katana that thou wield.}

“That’s right, I am a single katana.”

{I… don’t mean to push any favor to you. It’s purely just my wish to aid thou. I just want to take away thy suffering. I don’t know anything else that I can do to help.}

Despite how he was a terribly obstinate Diva that didn’t have even a single contractor until now, that voice of his was mysteriously gentle.

“Besides why don’t I have an Enigma? Pushing Enigma to the contractor one-sidedly that is enforced by the law is you guys’ original way of doing things right?”

{…Bestowing Enigma to thee is going against the rule of Enigma. Enigma was a simple mark for the sake of reserving early a possessor of excellent talent. And then Solomon 72 Pillar, certainly, we made the humans create the law that forcefully raised the people who received an Enigma into a Magika Stigma without fail. That is to make the excellent human think that they have the obligation. If the humans with excellent talent don’t become Magika Stigma then this country will not be able to maintain itself… there is also that kind of circumstances. …However there is no talent inside thee as a Magika Stigma.}

Kanae harbored a good impression towards Beleth’s honest manner of speaking.

{Falling in love at first sight based on a completely personal interest towards someone who has no talent, moreover bestowing the Enigma only after confirming it, such an act that makes someone lose the freedom of their life doesn’t stand to any reason. That’s why there is nothing I can do except to negotiate with thee whether thou will do me a favor and receive the Stigma.}

“I see, you mean that I have the right to refuse. Then, I refuse. …Even though you give me the consideration until that much, but can you really be this persistent just because of the problem of your own preference?”

{If it keeps like this thou… shall inevitably be left behind from the path where Hayashizaki Kazuki is going to advance, and so I thought that it can’t be kept like this. Thou should become the conquer target of Hayashizaki Kazuki, that’s what I thought.}

“…Is that so. But your thinking is mistaken. That is something that I absolutely mustn’t do.”

{Why?}

It was not bad to be frank about her true feelings towards this resident of another world that didn’t have any ties of obligation.

“Since I was a child, I continued to live thinking only about becoming the strongest swordsman as the successor of the Hayashizaki-style. I am a single katana since I was born. But I am not blessed with a physique of a swordsman. The truth is, I was always insecure whether I was really worthy as the successor. At that kind of time, father brought Nii-sama home from the orphanage after seeing his talent. At that time I thought [It doesn’t matter anymore].”

{…That’s so unlike thee.}

“Actually, I am not even that strong as a human. But mysteriously, the moment I gave up to be the successor… doing sword practice together with Nii-sama became fun. And then Nii-sama also taught me the joy of life outside of the sword art. Nii-sama was the person that made me human.”

{But currently, thou is trying to become a single katana once again. Rejecting to make a contract with me.}

“That’s because an enigma appeared on Nii-sama’s hand. Nii-sama shouldered the destiny where he could not become the successor of the Hayashizaki-style, that position rolled back to me once again. All this time I didn’t want to recognize that. It was great to be together with Nii-sama. I wanted Nii-sama to be the strongest swordsman. I was… scared to return back into being a single katana again. It was scary to face my own powerlessness.”

Kanae spewed out her true feelings that she had never leaked out to anyone before.

“I won’t recognize Nii-sama’s departure to the Magic Division! …The true feelings of me, who had continued to say such things all along is what I just told you. I didn’t want to become the successor. It was scary. I was going to continue to drag Nii-sama’s feet behind like that. Does this kind of me… have the qualifications to think of wanting to be loved by Nii-sama?”

Kanae once again directed her gaze at the snow hut where her big brother was in.

Nii-sama was shouldering an enormous destiny, he was being affectionate to other girls.

‘I, who am always holding Nii-sama back, don’t have the qualifications to enter into that…’

“Nii-sama is going to stand on his own feet, independent from the Hayashizaki house. He is going to step into an even grander destiny. Then, I too have to face my own destiny. I have to become the strongest swordsman and see off Nii-sama’s becoming independent. As the eldest daughter of the Hayashizaki house. You understand now, Beleth. By receiving a Stigmata from you and becoming Nii-sama’s conquer target, Nii-sama will worry about the genealogy of the Hayshizaki-style coming to an end, he will notice my weak heart that escaped from my destiny, he will only harbor despair and pity towards me. A human that cannot face her own destiny has no qualifications at all to be loved by anyone!”

She would continue the Hayashizaki-style as the strongest swordsman, with that Nii-sama would be able to leave the nest of the Hayashizaki house with relief, to step out onto an even more rigorous destiny.

At such a time, she would be able to face Nii-sama once more.

The blizzard suddenly stopped. Kanae looked up to the night sky. Wind that was several times stronger than at the surface blew and washed away the clouds in the blink of an eye, the weather of the mountain changed suddenly in an instant.

At that moment, the cloud flowed away and the blizzard vanished like a miracle, opening the starry night all over the sky. It was as if she was seeing the night sky for the first time. The sky looked close as if her hand could reach out to it, countless millions of stars were shining.

“I will become a single katana.”

The radiance of the stars had not a single murkiness in it, like the clearness of a katana.

She, too, wanted to be like that, Kanae thought.

{Thou art sublimely beautiful right now. Thy heart is undoubtedly like a polished blade.}

===Part 5===

Late at night―the executive room at the highest floor of Oosaka’s government office building.

Inside, a strange soliloquy was resounding.

“7-6 knight, checkmate. …Aa―, it’s impossible already! As I thought shogi is just impossible, impossible! Amberjack! Greater Amberjack!” <ref>I don’t really understand this part. I think it’s something like a word play here. At first the person here was talking impossible impossible, which in Japanese is ‘muri, muri’. And then he continued with ‘buri’, which is amberjack fish in Japanese, and continued again with ‘kanpachi’ which means greater amberjack, but the word also sound similar with ‘kanpai’ which is a word that the Japanese people say when they toast their glass. Mind you, I could be totally wrong</ref>

It was a girl’s voice ―the voice of Kaya.

The tone of voice was Kaya’s, but a way of talking that was different than Kaya was alternately mixing in it.

“…That’s why I told you already, the random factor in shogi is zero, it was reckless of you. But playing against someone that omitted his eight pieces of rook, bishop, lance, knight, and silver general, ‘as expected maybe I can win here―’ anybody will think like that ain’t it! If you are gonna play then let’s play a game that has some random factor in it yeah, this kind of logic game just ain’t suited for you y’know? Don’t talk to me like I’m an idiot, c’mon―!”

The girl’s arm toppled over the shogi board that was on top of the marble table. The shogi pieces that were depicting a disastrous war situation were scattered everywhere with clattering sounds.

“Even me don’t like a game with zero random factor in it. <ref>The me just now is referring to man</ref> Why? ‘Cause there ain’t any chaos in it. A game without any uncertain factor in it is just too boring, this is just the Cosmos Side’s game.”

―This was a soliloquy that was not a soliloquy.

The two minds that occupied a single body were alternately talking.

Using just a single mouth that Kaya had, the one who was talking with Kaya was Loki.

Both of them could also exchange words only inside their head, but they much preferred to actually let out their voices when talking. Especially for a Diva, just moving their flesh body was a really pleasant thing.

After talking too much they now wanted to drink. Kaya reached out her hand to the pet bottle on top of the table and drank it all in one go. What she drank was a carbonated drink from the former era named [Root beer] that she recently got addicted to.

Loki who shared Kaya’s senses suddenly raised a scream.

“It stinks! That drink is just too stinky!! Drink something more natural, you! Don’t wanna! This chemical flavor is just unbearable y’know. Eei, shit!”

In order to remove the bad taste, Loki gulped down the whole bottle of the sweet potato shochu <ref>Japanese liquor</ref> named [Invitation to Hell] that had been put beforehand on top of the table. It was a sake that he bought because he was pleased with the name. A scream suddenly resounded all of a sudden.

“GYAA―! My throat is burning! Hahaha, serves you right, get sterilized you idiot tongue!”

Kaya’s body was in agony while laughing.

“C’mon, just drink a lighter sake. No way, the balance between the punch of the alcohol strength and the taste is important in what is called as alcohol, the nasty sake with alcohol below 20% is not alcohol at all. Geez―, Loki you idiot! Being an alcoholic even though you are sharing a body with a girl is just the worst! The idiot one is your sense of taste here! What are you gonna do if you even get me addicted with this root beer addiction of yours!! Ah, just as I thought? Looks like you also started to get to like it eh!? …Yeah. It’s vexing but yeah. Yeeeiii, my root beer comrade♪”

They got along well with each other.

Loki was thinking ―he left alone the consciousness of this girl on a whim, but she made things fairly interesting here and there.

Sharing a life with another person like this was filled with many really new discoveries.

Both of them had an open personality that knew no shame, so they were not bothered at all even with a life of zero privacy like this.

For Kaya, even in the case when she was sleeping and during that time both of their flesh body got strangely mixed up, so when she woke up she found her own body grew out the penis of Loki’s giant’s body, she could still laugh explosively while holding her stomach. She was the owner of a personality that could do such a thing.

Loki too was so Loki that he was not flustered, even when he was sharing a body with a girl. In the first place he was the ultimate borderless god whose forte was sex change, on the contrary he even had an incomprehensible heroic saga where he transformed into a mare where he was then brought into a reverse rape as the Sasoi’uke by a giant’s powerful male horse. At that time he got pregnant and the foal that was born from that later on became Odin’s beloved horse, the famous <Sleipnir>. With rape being the case.

Both of them were completely a match made in heaven.

While the two of them were getting roused up from their matching mood in one body, there was a knocking sound *kon kon* from the door.

“It’s fine to just enter anytime without knocking. This great me doesn’t have any moment where I’m gonna get ashamed of being seen.”

Loki who didn’t have any shame lightly permitted the visitor who came this late at night to enter the room.

The door was opened and the one who entered was a group of three of male and female.

All of them were wearing the hooded robe that was the proof of being an illegal magician.

“Oh, it’s you guys.” Loki’s voice brightened and he welcomed them.

The three respectively were the illegal magicians that were possessed by Midgardsormr, Fenrir, and Hel.

These three Divas were Loki’s real children.

However they were quite unworthy of their father because they couldn’t really succeed in taking over their human’s flesh body.

‘Despite being my kids why are their performances this bad huh?’ Loki thought inside his heart in marvel.

In front of his children, Loki transformed Kaya’s body into his own body. His body contour distorted flabbily like an amoeba and without even emitting any magic power light the body smoothly morphed into Loki’s appearance.

“Nyoro nyoro.”

“Midgardsormr, you too has become considerably like a snake huh. Quickly shed off your skin already.”

“Aoo―n, ao―n.”

“Fenrir, you too have turned like a dog this far huh. Can you pee while raising one of your legs now?”

Towards the illegal magicians whose bodies had began to be deeply influenced by the Divas possessing them, Loki ignored the original personalities of the bodies and called them with the name of his own child. After stroking the heads of the two, he turned towards his youngest daughter Hel.

“…”

“Ou, Hel. You too have your complexion worsened like a death god… hm? Hel, you…?”

“Papa. I, have reached it already see.”

At that time, the body that was clad in a dark robe emitted a powerful light.

“Ooooh-!?” Loki raised a joyful voice. Inside the light, the silhouette of the illegal magician change its shape like a jelly. In the blink of an eye it drew out the small―petite silhouette of a girl.

“Hel, you finally did it! As expected from my daughter!!”

Loki tried to hug the girl’s silhouette by jumping into the light.

The girl’s silhouette sleekly dodged the jump.

“Papa… I’m, not a child anymore you see. Stop trying to hug me already.”

The shining light settled down―Hel had clearly materialized her body.

With a bluish-white skin, her appearance was of a very young girl. Her body was clad in pure black gothic cloths that matched Kaya’s taste, her right eye was covered with an eyepatch.

Her noble look and blue hair that were inherited from Loki emitted a ghastliness that was not from a person of this world.

Hel―because she was Loki’s biological child she was still young, but in Norse Mythology she was the Queen of the World of the Dead that accomplished an important role. Loki greeted her materialization with a radiant smile.

“Hahaha, you shy kid. Papa is very lonely just by myself y’know. Comrades that papa can trust right from the heart are only you three after all.”

Loki forcefully hugged Hel while sinking his waist on the black-leather sofa.

Hel averted her face to the side and replied with a coldness of hell.

“Even without us, papa doesn’t really mind and is always having fun right? Papa is saying things like comrade, even though papa actually doesn’t need anything like that in your heart.”

“Why are saying such a cold thing to your papa that you have met after a long time? If you don’t act more honest and be sweet to papa, papa is gonna get lonely here…”

“Nyoro nyoro” “Aoo―n”

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.09 096.jpg|thumb]]

When Loki hung his head down dejectedly, the two persons possessed by Midgardsormr and Fenrir consoled him.

In the past it was also like this but, these two were stupidly kind to Loki.

“Hmph. I hate papa so much.”

“Is that so? If so then, well, it’s fine already. However, why did you suddenly become able to steal the body in one go?”

Loki raised his face in a snap and asked.

“…Putting me aside like that… Hmph, it’s Ikousai. When I went along with that girl’s training I grasped the trick.”

Ikousai lately made these three to accompany her training. It was the special training for the sake of perfectly controlling the power of Susanoo that resided inside her. So that was it, by observing the state of Ikousai, who was controlling the power of her Diva, she grasped the trick to steal a human’s body using the reverse operation of that process.

“Oi, Midgardsomr and Fenrir. You guys also went along with Ikousai’s training right? Why is there no progress with you guys. This ain’t the time to go ‘nyoro nyoro’ or ‘aoo―n’ y’know.”

“It’s impossible for these two, they are idiots after all. I’m the smartest here after all.”

With a proud huff Hel turned up her nose haughtily, “…I’m the best, I’m taking after papa the closest” she added so with a small voice.

“Right. However this is a joyous occasion. Should we have red rice for the meal tomorrow? Papa is going to fill this room with humans until bursting and make them make a lot of red rice yeah.” <ref>Red rice or sekihan, made from beans and mochi for auspicious occasions</ref>

“Re, red rice or whatever isn’t tasty, so it’s not like I’m happy or anything with that. Well, if you are going to congratulate me then it’s fine even if you do as you please…”

“Well, that’s just a joke though. I too don’t like red rice, it’s troublesome.”

“…!!” Hel stood up from on top of Loki’s knees and hit Loki’s shoulder repeatedly.

Even while those hits got repelled by a blue defensive magic power, Loki got flustered while saying “What, what’s with you!”

“…Papa is no different whether now or in the past. Papa is only joking around or saying insincere words. Even though I’m now able to materialize after a long time, why is papa not facing me with more of your real feelings…”

Hel murmured in complaint with a small voice.

“Nn? What are you grumbling there?”

“Nothing at all!”

Hel raised an angry voice that sounded like a flame of hell. Loki went “Sca, scary…” and shrank back from his biological daughter.

{Heh heh… Loki, so when you are in front of your kids you are like this.}

Kaya who was watching over the situation laughed sardonically inside Loki’s head.

“Anyway, I’ll go after that guy called Hayashizaki Kazuki. Just leave the rest to me.”

Hel crossed her arms and suddenly began to talk.

“Hah? Leave it to you? Papa is not blessed withcapable people, so papa never got to test whether leaving something to another person is gonna go well or not.”

“I have grasped the situation even while just possessing this body. Hayashizaki Kazuki is going to the deepest parts of Fuji’s sea of trees to take the last one of the Three Sacred Treasures. …Ame no Murakumo. That thing is probably, the thing that made us thoroughly miserable 14 years ago right? That kind of thing, must not be handed over to the enemy.”

“Even if you say that, that place is sealed by that woman’s power. We cannot enter there.”

“It’s possible. If it’s me. That seal is something that was put up by that woman… a dead person.”

Hel puffed up her chest as if wanting to say “It’s fine for you to praise me.”

“Is that so, if you have recovered your power… now you can make full use of your power as the god of death.”

“Dead person is my attribute. I can look up the soul of dead people that I know from Astrum and form a connection to them. The soul of the dead that is maintaining the seal in that Haunted Ground… when that woman shows her appearance in front of Hayashizaki Kazuki, I’ll do that and I’ll eat that woman’s soul. And then I’m going to materialize my figure in that place.”

So to speak, a warp that was using the desecration of a dead person.

By reducing her own flesh into a mass of enormous magic power, she was going to connect to the soul of a dead person that was in a different place through the mental world. The soul of a dead person was the remains of magic power that kept clinging at Astrum―so to speak the remaining dregs of a mind.

By consuming the soul of that dead person, she would reveal her appearance by moving into the soul of the dead person that was in that place.

Warp magic―it was a feat that not many Divas could do even if they had materialized.

“He will see the one that he is talking with right in front of his eyes suddenly change into me. I’m going to launch a surprise attack right there when he is shocked. He is going to be helpless. And then I’m going to massacre the lot and bring back the Sacred Treasure. How’s that, papa? It’s perfect right? It’s fine even if you praise me. Though it’s not like I’m happy or anything getting praised by Papa.”

‘That strategy is gonna make Hayashizaki Kazuki go into rage huh’ , Loki thought.

‘That strategy is going to make Kazuki-oniichan go mad with rage huh’, Kaya also thought,

When [a person that knew Hayashizaki Kazuki] imagined that strategy’s progression, for some reason rather than success there was only a dangerous premonition welling up inside their heart. That was how much Loki and Kaya were being in awe of his force of will.

“…Just stop it, that’s dangerous.”

“Eh? Why?”

“Because the one who can warp like that, is just you right? Hayashizaki Kazuki that snapped, is just scary. If that guy fight without thinking of the consequences, he could even fight against the other Kings.”

“There is no way for me who has already materialized to lose against something like a human at all!”

“You say that but, even papa has the experience of almost losing against that guy y’know. See, this in papa’s chest, it’s the scar from that time.”

When Loki exposed the chest behind his shirt and showed his scar, Hel’s face went beet red and covered her face with both hands.

“I, idiot! Don’t take it off out of nowhere like that! Papa really doesn’t have any delicacy! You perverted father! Since the long time ago you always loitered around naked after rising from the bath, that kind of papa is just the worst!”

Loki fixed back his shirt while being dejected.

“Why are you this shy of a person despite being my daughter… daughters at that age are really troublesome eh. I get along much better with Kaya.”

Hel’s expression went stiff in a snap from that nonchalant comment and she became even more obstinate.

“Besides papa’s win and loss cannot become any consideration at all! Anyway that time papa was just careless right!? If we just leave that guy alone and get careless, it will immediately become a pinch for us.”

“There was also that but… Papa you see, is just worried for you.”

“That’s a lie!” Hel refuted that with a menacing look like the earthquake of hell.

“Papa isn’t worried or anything at all for me! Papa is just making light of me all along! Telling me that I cannot do anything right, papa is always, always looking down on me!!”

“I ain’t looking down on you at all here. No, strictly speaking I’m looking down on you though. Everyone except papa are all idiots after all, so it’s not like papa is specially thinking of you as an idiot y’see.”

{Ahaha, you’re the worst―} Kaya was laughing hard.

“Papa is not worrying about me, papa is just thinking of that guy Hayashizaki Kazuki as more important than me! Even though all this time papa has already had so many chances to kill that guy already!”

His biological daughter’s discerning eye made Loki shocked instead. Kaya too {Ooo-} reflexively ooh-ed in admiration.

“Just why does papa let that guy live until now!? That kind of man, can be nothing else but an hindrance to our plan!”

“That guy is also one of the pawns that I can use. …Among the Magic Advanced Countries, Japan is the only country that can form an alliance with another country. With Japan becoming a force that cannot be ignored, the balance between the countries that struggle for supremacy coulda be broken. I don’t want to face those Magic Advanced Countries honestly from the front.”

“That’s just an excuse! Our original plan was too make this country, Japan as the base of us, the Divas of the Chaos Side, as the abode of demons where we can hijack the humans of this country that had no divine protection of the advanced countries! That’s the original expectation of us of the Loki’s Einherjar!”

“It doesn’t really matter where we gotta do that, anywhere is fine. …The first plan had become hard because the <Zero Knight> really whooped our asses. That couldn’t be helped.”

Kaya was shocked hearing Loki’s way of speaking. This was the first time this Diva had the sense of defeat mixed into his actions.

To steal this country and turn it into their own base, couldn’t be done except in that era.

Right now, the Magic Advanced Countries had already gathered too much strength. They already couldn’t do anything that stood out.

That was why, rather than gathering strength, they had to plan that prioritized shaving off their surrounding’s strength. …Loki was thinking like that.

“…Papa right now, just wanted Hayashizaki Kazuki to inherit the will of the Zero Knight, and then try to fight it once more.”

“You are thinking too much.”

Hel shook her head vigorously and turned on her heel.

“I don’t know anybody like papa anymore! I’m going to kill that guy!!”

Just like that she rushed out of the door with a force that almost smashed apart the door and left the room. Having been left behind, the two humans that were possessed by Fenrir and Midgardsormr were lost “Nyoro” “Ao―n”.

“…Aaa, she went and left. Why is she like… wonder if she didn’t hear what I told her. Ain’t her plan just a suicide attack when she ain’t preparing any escape route like this?”

Loki sank his waist into the sofa and gulped his sweet potato shochu.

“Why is she that stupid despite being my kid I wonder. <ref>That’s not surprising when the father of your kid is just dumb animal right? Edit(Omega): Actually, Fenrir, Midgardsomr and Hel were fathered by Loki, while the mother was a Frost giant… Sleipnir was the only child of his he mothered</ref> When I was having children, the ones that come out were suddenly a snake, a dog, and a corpse, well, like that there ain’t no way these bunches are going to turn out decent though, but even so I thought that the girl was still better cos’ she had human shape. What a stupid daughter.”

{…Loki, why did you even make something like children?}

Kaya asked while enduring the numbing sensation of the alcohol.

“I wanted them in the past see. I thought that for comrades that I can have faith in, one that absolutely won’t betray me, ain’t it fine if I just make them myself.” Loki leaked out a voice that was unexpectedly crestfallen and lonely.

“…After all whether it was those gods of Asgard, or those giants, in the end, none of them can be trusted.”

Loki’s birth origin was the giant race. The Norse Mythology was a legend about the enfolding conflict between the gods of Asgard and the giant race. Kaya vividly imagined Loki’s position in the middle of such conflict.

Loki joined the group of Asgard’s gods, exchanged the cup of sworn brother with Odin, and his relation with Thor became something that was called as bosom friend.

But in the end he betrayed the gods of Asgard and a fierce battle was enfolding.

In the end, his words that no one could be trusted was heavy.

“But I noticed in the middle that such thinking was too naïve. It’s not about fearing treachery, what’s important is to corner the surrounding bunches into a situation where they have no way to betray you. I’m not looking for something like other people that you can trust. Other people are to be used. They are pawns. That way of thinking really worked well.”

{But that girl, Hel, you cannot handle her as pawn well eh.}

Kaya pointed out with a sharpness that stabbed right at the heart of the matter. Loki gulped his shochu.

“That girl, I cannot move her well. What is that girl looking for, what kind of bait that girl will take, I really don’t understand at all.”

{I think that what that girl is looking for is really easy to understand though.}

“Is that so? …It’s incomprehensible for me.”

Surely he was just pretending to not understand, Kaya thought.

Surely Hel had seen through something like a fake love completely. That was why she was constantly angry.

But a love that was right from the heart couldn’t be called as bait anymore.

Loki who had decided to treat everything as a pawn was unable to give something like love right from his heart to other people. That was why, even for Loki the trickster, that attempted to manipulate everything, Hel was the only one in the world that he couldn’t use.

Perhaps all the words that Hel threw at him were all truth. Loki had lost the argument against his daughter.

“Really… the matter just cannot go my way.”

Kaya noticed. How that murmur sounded a little happy.

{…It doesn’t go your way, that’s why you’re looking forward to it aren’t you? An uncertain factor. Basically it’s that kind of thing isn’t it?}

Loki loved something uncertain. Surely Loki―loved Hel as an uncertain factor.

“It’s just like what you are thinking.” Loki laughed.

Hel couldn’t understand a love in such shape. That child from now on too would hunger for love, wander, and continue to act in an astounding way. Loki continued to watch that while drinking his sake.

Kaya also thought that it was pleasant. She couldn’t explain why she was having fun with such an unpleasant hobby but, without doubt, such things brought joy to Kaya and Loki.

She and Kazuki-oniichan were also the same. When saying “I want love”, Kazuki-oniichan would surely face the other party directly. But for her, she already didn’t want such a straightforward feeling. That was why she rejected that, did crazy things―and just earnestly wanting to trouble Onii-chan.

That kind of reliable Onii-chan was manipulated around with her every single action. That was great.

Inside her head was becoming full with contradiction and bankrupt personality. It was pleasant for such tragedy to be her aesthetics.

Kaya felt her [bond of chaos] with Loki that could understand that become even more irreplaceable.

“…By the way, what kind of person that Zero Knight was?”

Kaya was interested with Loki’s past. She felt that his past that she was completely ignorant of, was like a large river that stretched out between her bonds with Loki.

“I had several chances to meet her face to face and talked to her. That woman was someone that said things like [I fight in order to protect everyone!] with sparkling eyes.”

“Ugee―. That’s the honor student type that I’m bad with.”

“Hearing that I… more like my host was thinking like this. This guy is strong. So let’s massacre all her important people and plunder the will to fight, the will to live from this woman. I’m going to make that sparkling eyes get polluted.”

“O, ooo… what an awesome idea.”

“My host and my comrades ran around from the Zero Knight and massacred the Zero Knight’s family, friend, acquaintance, we cleaned all of them up. So that she won’t even have any feelings of revenge, we did it thoroughly. There was only this one strange pipsqueak foreigner that called the Zero Knight [Nee-sama] that we failed to kill because she was quiet strong, but, other than that one pipsqueak, we killed them all.”

There was no more reason for the Zero Knight to fight―the circumstance became something like that.

There was no more will to protect or anything that she could feel. It wouldn’t even be strange if she commited suicide because of the despair.

“And then, what did the Zero Knight do?”

“For a while her whereabouts was concealed. During that time my host and comrades went wild as much as we wanted. But… that woman came back.”

“Ooo-…! She came back for revenge?”

“No, she didn’t have the desire for revenge. That woman said [Someone like you has to be defeated without fail] with a steady gaze. She was not talking pretty things with sparkling eyes… she talked justice with piercingly threatening eyes.”

“…That woman, was scary wasn’t she?”

“Yeah, even my host was trembling. My consciousness that time was vague but, maybe I too was shaking in my boots. We ran away until the depth of a left alone Haunted Ground that was surrounded by a wall but we got pursued, and then she entered a one-on-one fight at the summit of Mt. Fuji. There, they simultaneously killed each other.”

“Then that means you guys didn’t lose then.”

“Well, it felt like a lost. Our plan also got toppled over. Right before the Zero Knight’s death, so that the special Sacred Treasure that she used could be handed over to the hands of a worthy human, she burned her remaining life and put up a seal.”

“Loki is thinking that you want for that Sacred Treasure to be handed over to Kazuki-oniichan aren’t you?”

There was reverence towards the Zero Knight inside Loki’s chest.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki is… a worthy guy to inherit the conviction of the Zero Knight. In the deepest part of the Grand Haunted Ground, that kind of thing is waiting for that guy.”

===Part 6===

The next morning, Kazuki and the others crept out from the snow huts along with the dawn and lined up in front of the tremendous rock wall while looking up at it. When they tried to take a detour, they soon hit a deep valley in their way. No matter what they had to challenge this wall in order to climb to their destination.

What was in front of them was not a slope anymore, but a wall that stood upright like a folding screen. The angle began from around 50°, and then the angle gradually became closer to being vertical. The rock surface was exposed due to the wind but here and there were snows piling up inside rock cavities, making the wall look like a pattern of brown and white speckles. The wall continued until very high without the end in sight.

It was as if they were witnessing the god of earth.

“When I climbed this mountain in the past, there was no wall like this that looked like the Grandes Jorasses though.”

Liz Liza-sensei said that while breathing out white vapor. “Haunted Grounds will change even its terrain with the thickness of its magic power. With days and months that passed, the Haunted Ground will evolve into something outrageous.”

“This, how will we climb this?”

“There is not other way than to cling onto the wall with both legs and arms like a lizard and climb. Let’s have Koyuki create one more ice axe for each of us.”

Ice axe―a hammer in a T-shape model. It was a mountain climbing assistance tool in a shape like a bar with its tip turned into a sharp blade. With ice axes in both hands, they had to drive in the blade in position as high as they could one hand at a time.

Crampons―similarly with the ice claws Koyuki made for them on both of their legs, they had to kick in the claws on their toes in position as high as they could one foot at a time. They nailed the ice axes at their hands and the crampons on their feet alternately into the rock surface. They crawled up little by little. There was no other way to go up other than to steadily do that.

They supported their body by alternately stabbing the blade and claw into the rock surface deeply. So that they would be fine even if their balance broke and fell, they stretched out a rope between them so that all members were supporting each other.

They wouldn’t die even if they fell, but… they would need to climb back steadily from the start again.

“There will be falling rock, Demon Beasts will also come attacking.”

The one in the head that would support the comrades that were following after him in critical times must be excellent in stamina.

“Should the one that becomes the lead be me or Kazuha-senpai?”

“Shall I do it?”

“There is no doubt that Kazuha-senpai who can manipulate general magic flexibly is competent for this role, but what is really demanded in this role is being calm, cool, and collected to quickly deal with the problem that can happen.”

If just that one point was excluded, Kazuha-senpai would be even more suitable than Kazuki for this. But just that one aspect made him thoroughly uneasy about letting Kazuha-senpai do this.

Kazuha-senpai focused her eyes and considered Kazuki’s words. And then she immediately averted her eyes uneasily.

But she also couldn’t retract her previous offer and so her mouth kept closing and opening wordlessly.

“Also with a girl in her Magic Dress right above me will only make me unable to concentrate from all the lewdness, so as I thought it’s better if I’m the one in the lead.”

Kazuki threw out a life line to Kazuha-senpai which made Kazuha-senpai’s expression relieved before she pushed Kazuki’s shoulder while saying “Yo, you pervert! As I thought you are the one that will be in the lead!”

With Kazuki being in the lead decided, all of them were joined with each other using rope in turns.

At last Kazuki half-crawled the steep slope and began to climb. The ice axe and the crampons which had its hardness increased due to Koyuki’s power over cold easily pierced the wall when Kazuki strengthened his physical ability and nailed it on the wall. Relying on that Kazuki advanced above step by step.

“Like this… steadily…”

Looking at Kazuki’s figure that was clinging on the wall, Mio let out her impressions.

When Kazuki had climbed around three meters, that Mio also clung to the wall. She only had the power of a girl that wasn’t used to use Enchant Aura habitually, but her ice axes and crampons easily drove into the wall.

“Kazu-nii-, pull me up if I’m going to fall okay♪”

Mio looked up at him while saying that.

Kazuki looked down right below him and replied “Naturally.”

“Ehehe~, how reliable♪ I wonder if I should try to fall purposefully.”

“You are going to fall at me then.”

Koyuki who was following right under Mio replied with a cold voice.

“I’m going to thrust this ice axe into the bottom of the falling Amasaki-san.”

“FUEEEEEEEEE-!?”

Mio spontaneously raised a scream but she had defensive magic power so she wouldn’t actually get stabbed if that happened. It was just a frivolous talk. The relation between these two had also improved really well.

With only pain accumulating inside him, the monotone act where he couldn’t see when it would end was continuing.

The scenery of white mist above him didn’t change at all no matter how far he was steadily climbing up. The wind that was whirling in rumbles in the air was filled with snow and turned into blizzard that crashed into the rock surface and got blown below. Kazuki and co who were clinging into the rock wall and were trying to climb up―especially Kazuki who was climbing in the lead had his face struck fiercely by all the falling snow.

However he had to keep his face lifted up by all means, after all they didn’t know when the Demon Beasts would come attacking from the sky. The really violent blizzard reduced the visibility to zero with just his naked eyes, but he continued to focus single-mindedly on reinforcing his eye sight with magic power and saw through the other side of the blizzard.

And then it came―a swarm of giant bird that was covered in pure white fur where they were flapping their large wings to draw near and to peck at Kazuki and co. with their sharp beaks.

His companions shot them to death with a rapid-fire of attack magic.

When Kazuki tried to chant his magic, his companions scolded him to preserve his strength.

―His body that should have been warmed already inside the snow hut was once again beginning to creak. During his war of attrition against the rock wall where he didn’t know when it would end, the cold was gnawing into his body unstoppably.

What was exposed into the fierceness of the blizzard right at the foremost was not just his face but also both his hands. The tips farthest from the heart that were his fingers were the first to have ischemia occurring at it from the hypothermia.

Kazuki was witnessing his fingertips slowly changing color into brown.

Even so as long as the wall was continuing vertically, he kept raising high both his hands alternately above his head, he must not stop driving his ice axe into the wall’s surface by any means.

How far he had climbed, he wondered. He had no sense of distance and sense of time.

The surrounding was isolated by the blizzard. The senses of his whole body also went numb and began to vanish. He was feeling as if he was floating in a world of pure white.

Kazuki’s heart was suddenly assaulted by anxiety.

Were his comrades still there at the end of the rope that was tied onto his waist, following after him?

If the rope didn’t get pulled then that meant that there was no one that fell down. In the first place Kazuki was able to sense the current location of his companions.

Yet regardless… it couldn’t be helped that he felt uneasy from how he was unable to detect the existence of everyone inside this world of pure white.

“Everyone, are you still there!”

Kazuki called out to right under him.

“I’m fine!” “I’m still here!” Replies were coming from numerous mouths, Kazuki was relieved from the bottom of his heart.

His chest became warm. Everyone’s voices became a second breath for him and turned into strength inside his body.

“Hey! Let’s take a roll-call periodically okay!!”

Kaguya-senpai proposed that perhaps from feeling the same uneasiness as Kazuki.

“Then when I call out [Everyone!], everyone will give their reply in order!”

“Understood!” Mio who was right under Kazuki replied. “But what should we reply with?”

“Anything is fine, within appropriateness! Let’s try it now… everyone!”

“Nyaa―!” Mio immediately replied after she was told that anything was fine.

“Puu.” Koyuki continued.

“Wan wan-!” Lotte energetically said.

“Pan pan!” Kaguya-senpai who recently began as a panda character raised a panda’s barking voice(?).

“Eh!? I don’t have any material for that kind of impression though!?” Kazuha-senpai raised a troubled voice.

“NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Kanae shouted.

“PENIS!” Hikaru-senpai yelled out something incomprehensible.

“What the hell are you saying!?” Liz Liza-sensei who was at the end of the line scolded with a baffled voice.

Spontaneously Kazuki was experiencing a building up laughter inside of him. That laugh was again changed into energy and he thought that he could still do his best.

While climbing Kazuki periodically took a roll-call.

“Nyaa―!”

“Puu.”

“Wan wan-!”

“Pan pan!”

“I don’t have that kind of special voice desu! I’m a normal human desu!” <ref>This is Kazuha speaking</ref>

“NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAA! NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”

“PENIS!”

“I told you not to say anything obscene already!?”

The end of the path came too quick―what appeared at the other side of the blizzard was not a rock surface but the clear sky.

What got fixed at the edge of the rock surface was not an ice axe but fingers, Kazuki lifted up his body.

===Part 7===

The edge of the mountains―Kazuki and co formed a single line and advanced following the ridgeline. The scenery made them think that the ridge line would continue on forever, but finally they met the end of the line. A circle was drawn in the end of the ridge line like a crown, waiting for Kazuki and co. The summit of Fuji Mountain, the crater on the very top.

At one of the edge that formed the circle, there was a light that was obviously of a different nature.

They immediately understood the true identity of the light when they got near. A single sword that pierced the edge of the crater was emitting a glaring light of sharpness that the blizzard couldn’t hide.

That sword that was waiting for them at the highest summit of Japan, looked exactly like the proof of the King just from its appearance.

When they forced their exhausted bodies and got nearer, they discovered that a human shadow was standing beside the sword.

Her long black hair was swaying due to the blizzard.

It was the female that held a mysterious and dear impression for him―the master of the seal.

The woman was already dead. But as the result of changing her very own life into the power of the seal, the woman’s mental body was haunting this ground together with the seal.

The woman and the sword were waiting for Kazuki. Kazuki and others that were forming a line at the edge of the crater dragged along their exhausted body to walk. The woman was watching that directly and quietly without even hurrying them along.

With Kazuki in the lead, they advanced forward while receiving that gaze and the blizzard right from the front.

When they arrived until a distance of just a few meters, the woman of the seal suddenly pulled out the sword that was pierced on the mountain summit and heroically thrust it to the heaven.

A figure of a hero of the ancient era was right in front of their eyes.

The woman kicked the edge of the crater―and sharply stepped into Kazuki’s direction.

The heroically raised sword was directed at Kazuki and swung down powerfully.

Even while being shocked, Kazuki ran his sword out from its sheath with a natural movement. With a flash from the drawn sword he warded off the opponent’s swung down sword and parried its strength diagonally below. After the opponent’s posture broke down, he flipped up his blade in a sharp angle and swung up his blade as the second slash.

The most basic of the Hayashizaki-style, two stage preparation of sword drawing art.

But Kazuki stopped his second slash right before it cut.

The woman whose posture was broken by Kazuki had also stopped her movement while still in the low posture from swinging down her sword.

“You really have become strong.”

The woman said with a mellow voice like a silk.

“You too…”

Kazuki felt a cold, uncomfortable feeling from the echo of the word [you] that came out from his mouth.

But he didn’t understand what would be fine to call her with other than that word.

“I understand that you are also strong from that single slash just now.”

The woman’s step-in was sharp and the force of the swung down blade was truly powerful. The force was similar with a single blow from Beatrix―truly in reverse from her willowy appearance.

Kazuki’s sword was something that was backed with the sword art that had been handed down in generations and steady training.

On the other hand, the woman’s sword was―a <wild technique> that was honed by necessity in the middle of real battles that were approaching her.

Surely, this person was originally not a knight or anything like that.

The truth was that she just recklessly continued to fight, and became strong until this much.

Thinking of such hardship, Kazuki’s chest was blocked.

“You are…”

Kazuki sheathed his katana. And then he gripped the hand of the woman that was still in the swinging down posture. It was a thin and delicate hand that was really like a female. It transmitted warmth through Kazuki’s fingers that were covered with frostbite.

The woman was not just a mere mental body, but a materialized body.

She must be using up the magic power of the seal that had finished its task and temporarily created a physical body of flesh.

“You are… my mother aren’t you?”

In no way the shaking of Kazuki’s words originated from the cold.

The woman released the sword from her hand and made Kazuki took a hold of it.

“I didn’t know about the true identity of this sword for a long time. The name of this sword is… <Ame no Murakumo>. Symbolizing the King’s authority, a sword of great destiny,”

The woman’s silky voice was slightly dyed in sadness.

“…This is a sword that forces a person to fight. This sword was waiting for you in this place.”

The woman drew back reservedly from the distance where their breath seemed to be able to touch each other.

“Long time no see huh, Hibiki.”

When Leme materialized beside Kazuki, the woman replied like she was meeting an old acquaintance.

“Leme too, long time no see. Though I never really had the chance to feel you this clearly before.”

The woman’s shoulders were slightly downcast while she began to talk to Leme.

“There is one thing that I want to ask, but… this fate, how much of it was really destiny?”

“What do you mean?”

“…This child is, my child after all, is that why you chose him?”

It was a question that really went into the heart of the matter. But Leme didn’t show any agitation and shook her neck.

“Certainly he caught my attention because he was your child, but Leme is also not such a cheap kind person that would choose him just because of that. This guy happened to have the qualities that is worthy for Leme’s choice. Sword skill, exceptional ambition and mental strength, and above all his aspect that treasured his bonds… The Hayashizaki house raised up that kind of guy by their own accord.”

“Aah, now that you mentioned it… isn’t your ability more convenient when it’s used by a male child I wonder?”

“Of course that’s also one of the factors. The concept this time is a lovey-dovey harem king. Well, though you too could also use the magic of the same sex Liz Liza Westwood well enough before.”

When Leme said that jokingly, Kaa-san narrowed her eyes for the first time with her mouth bursting open in smile. <ref>Kaa-san = mother</ref>

“Fufufu-, Liza and I were lovey-dovey after all.”

“Wha, what are you saying, Hibiki-neesama!!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s face went beet red and advanced forward out from the group of everyone.

“Be, besides you, you made a boyfriend but you kept it quiet from me… furthermore you even had a child without me knowing!”

“Because if I told that to Liza who loved me, I thought that it would make you jealous♪”

The woman―no, Mother unexpectedly stuck out her tongue playfully.

“I’m not jealous or anything, I just wanted you to talk with me properly!” <ref>Here Liz Liza’s way of talking turns into a polite way of talking when she talks with Hibiki, unlike her usual severe tone when talking with her students.</ref>

However Liz Liza-sensei’s eyes were both wet with tears and her body was trembling in shivers while she talked in reproach, it looked completely fitting with her child-like appearance.

“You didn’t tell me anything! You also entrusted your child that was just born to the orphanage! …Even though it would be fine even if you relied on me! You didn’t say anything and left to fight, and then you didn’t return back…!”

Mother smiled wryly in sadness.

“I’m sorry, Liza. At that time all the people around me were targeted, so I didn’t tell any of that to anyone. I also didn’t tell anything to the people at the orphanage and left him in front of the gate… without doing anything else.”

Mother was stealing a glance at Kazuki worriedly with her voice dulling.

Not saying anything and then in front of the orphanage’s gate… she abandoned him without doing anything else.

That was what she said.

“You were not doing nothing.” Kazuki interrupted between the two.

“At the spot where I was left behind, I had been told that there was a memo accompanying me where the name [Kazuki] was written.”

Mother looked at Kazuki with a look of realization and immediately looked down awkwardly.

“…Yes. I conveyed just that. I was thinking that I wanted to raise a boy that is really close to what is important for him, and possessed the strength to protect that important thing to the end like a large tree…”

“It might be thanks to that naming, that this guy was growing up into an ideal harem king.”

Leme interjected. “That’s also a form of education you know. Just as I thought this might really be a destiny.”

Name―perhaps unconsciously he wanted to become a human that was suitable for the name [Kazuki(一樹)]. He felt that he had the awareness more than average person that his name was really important. <ref>The meaning of 一樹 is a single tree</ref>

“But things like naming… just something like that cannot be called as an education or raising him up. Just as I thought, I have never done anything that is like a mother…”

“Kaa-san!” Kazuki interrupted her from a sad and gloomy tone.

To call the young woman in front of his eyes that he was still unfamiliar with as mother from his mouth needed courage.

The important name of [Kazuki] encouraged the courage inside his chest, Kazuki spouted out the thing that he felt had to be said no matter what.

“I, don’t resent Kaa-san at all! Because I’m not unhappy or unfortunate! I am happy all this time!”

Kazuki lowered his head and thanked her.

“For giving birth to me… thank you very much. For continuing to fight, for this country, for protecting the future where we lived, thank you very much.”

“…You really have grown up strong, aren’t you? And then the one that raised you up this happy…”

Mother averted her eyes away from the bowing Kazuki as if to escape.

After that she was facing to the direction of his companions.

“Kanae-san.”

“Ye, yes! Okaa-sama <ref>A really respectful way of calling mother</ref>!!” Kanae straightened her back and answered with a nervous voice.

Mother then lowered her head deeply.

“Thank you very much. For raising this child into a person this kind and strong. Your family was the one that did what I couldn’t, pouring the greatest love and growth for him…”

“That’s preposterous! I’m exactly the one… who received the best Nii-sama that I can ask for!”

Kanae to lowered her head. Kazuki too, Mother too, Kanae too were lowering their heads.

Mother then laughed “Fufu-“ amusedly.

“How weird… despite how I’m supposed to be the worst mother. Everyone happily lowered their head like this… I wonder if this is what they called a fortune.”

She was not the worst or anything. The situation just couldn’t be helped. Mother had to fight no matter what the cost at that time.

The current Kazuki understood well about such a position.

Mother loved someone. But that time was different with now, at that time it was not known that a strong emotion would become a trigger of magic power and distorted the reality completely. Magic power influenced the act of mixing the strongest feelings of man and woman, and completely hindered any contraception, such thing was unknown at that time.

If he himself didn’t know about such thing beforehand, then even he would surely have done the same act already.

Mother loved someone and conceived a child. That was why she went away from the battle.

But during the time Mother was leaving the battlefield… the situation rapidly worsened.

Moreover the people around Mother were targeted.

That was why… she had no other choice than to not tell anyone about her child and abandoned him.

And then without even informing her best friend that was Liz Liza-sensei, she went ahead to the battle alone without doing anything else.

That kind of mother, who in the world could condemn her?

―’Why in the world was it only Kaa-san who had to shoulder such an heavy burden?’

‘Tou-san<ref>Tou-san = father</ref> is’… Kazuki was going to ask, and hesitated.

[All of my important person were targeted]. Those words had already implicated the heavy and painful fact.

“…This is not destiny or anything like that.”

Once again Mother murmured to herself.

“Kanae-san, to let me reunite with this child, thank you…”

Mother lowered her head to Kanae once again.

After that with a timid manner she faced Kazuki once more.

“While protecting the seal in this place, I have regretted the fact that I abandoned you and headed to the fight all this time. Why do I have to fight, I always thought that it was unreasonable. Now, you are chosen by Leme and this sword, inside me there is also the sad feeling that you are shouldering the same fate like me. I wanted to raise my boy normally, unrelated from all this fighting… But… I also had the dream of you being chosen and you coming to this place. I wanted to have a glance of the grown up you. After all, I’m just something like a bounded ghost that cannot leave this place.”

That’s just like a doting parent though, saying that Mother smiled self-derisively.

“You know, the moment when I gave birth to you, I had the feeling that a special, strong child had just been born. That was why I was hoping, that surely you will be chosen and then you will come here. For such a thing to happen, the possibility must be so low like expecting a miracle to happen, but… Kanae-san, everyone that is here, you all had raised Kazuki to be this strong. You let us to meet fortuitously like this once more. …To come until this far here, I’m really thankful to all of you.”

Again Mother lowered her head, to Kazuki, to Kanae, to everyone else, one by one she lowered her head at them.

She was just earnestly lowering her thin back with a sorrowful face, and continued to lower her head.

He wanted to say something. But his feeling couldn’t be turned into any word. He was not unhappy. He didn’t resent anything. He was thankful. All his feeling that he wanted to convey beforehand, he had easily finished conveying them all.

He had the feeling that there was something more that he should say.

However that feeling couldn’t come out beautifully as words from his mouth.

Mother too was wordlessly and timidly staring at Kazuki as if holding herself back.

Amidst the pure white blizzard, they were staring at each other as if the time had stopped.

Suddenly―something changed.

The warm atmosphere was―sharply changed into cold.

The magic blizzard around them was not becoming stronger. Mother suddenly realized something with a ‘hah’ and her gaze became grim, then she thrust away Kazuki beside her strongly.

“Kaa-san…!?” Spontaneously and unintentionally, Kazuki leaked out a voice like an abandoned child.

No, wrong, this situation…

“Get away! Everyone, get away from me!!”

Mother yelled with a sharp voice as if a hero’s sense of responsibility was awakened inside her.

The sky at the other side of the blizzard was roaring thunderingly from the blowing wind. The wind moved pitch black clouds to their direction and completely covered the sky. The surroundings suddenly turned dark.

From the dark clouds, a dreadful voice was reverberating.

{O people that continue to stop at the boundary of life and death, know the karma of your deep sin.}

Kazuki and the others looked at the sky altogether.

{My name is Hel. Thou is already a dead person. …In accordance with that fate, offer that everything to me!!}

Pitch black lightning flashed from the dark cloud―piercing the back of Mother.

{{{furigana|Helheim Drive|Death God Encroachment}}}!!”

It was something that happened in an instant where no one could do anything. He was not even allowed to Foresight what kind of magic phenomenon would be caused by the dreadful and strange magic power.

The black lightning melted into Mother like an evil spirit. Mother went “Guh-!” and her body writhed in pain, blue magic power light was emitted from her whole body.

Kazuki knew this light. He had seen it before.

This emitted light was completely the same like that time when Loki encroached into Kaya.

It was the light of the existence itself being usurped by a Diva.

The emitted blue magic power and the encroaching pure black magic power mixed with each other, depicting a marble pattern. Little by little the pure black surface was increasing, it was trying to erase the existence of Mother.

It was as if he was seeing the process of a food that became spoiled in fast forward.

‘…This is a lie right?’

Kazuki stood stock still in a daze. He couldn’t possibly think that the happening in front of his eyes was reality.

Whether it was the miracle that he could reunite with Mother like this.

And even how such a miracle was currently disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Whichever it was… was unbelievable.

He couldn’t think that everything in this moment was all reality.

Kaa-san is disappearing. He couldn’t believe it.

‘This is a lie right… The thing that I still haven’t conveyed yet…”

However he didn’t understand what kind of words he should use…

They were just exchanging awkward gazes while holding back just now…

Not yet… not like this…

Who was it, the one with this black magic power.

Why would they do something like this!?

His body couldn’t move from the numbness. His situational judgment, didn’t work at all.

This was his first experience, having his body and his heart freezing completely like this in a time where he should fight.

Even his lips were freezing. ‘This is a lie right? Stop’, he thought that, but he couldn’t even raise a voice to yell.

“STOPPPPPPPPPPP!!”

―Someone was yelling as Kazuki’s proxy.

A gust of black shadow was jumping forward in front of his eyes.

It was the back of Kanae with her ponytail trailing behind like a cat’s tail.

“Don’t you dare to disturb this person and Nii-sama!! Only that, I will absolutely not forgive!!”

Kanae drew the black katana―Michikage, and swung down at the black magic power that was eating away at Mother. That slash―spontaneously he was inappropriately fascinated by the beautiful trajectory that slash drew. It was as if he was seeing a black rainbow.

Kanae’s spine, skeletal structure, all of her body was working together without even a little bit of wasteful movement. There was no deviation at all, it was a movement that looked perfect for Kanae’s flesh body. The quintessence movement.

The black rainbow that was unleashed from such a movement, tore apart the magic power that was encroaching into Mother in the timing right before it was going to swell up even larger.

It was a truly perfect timing, as if an expert martial artist had read the breathing of the opponent and took the sail out of the opponent’s move.

A perfect movement, and a perfect timing―it was exactly a divine work.

“Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword the Second, Shin’iki…!”

For some reason it was Kaguya-senpai who yelled that technique’s name while her body was trembling.

It was Kanae’s technique that even Kazuki didn’t know about. That instant, something miraculous happened. The instant the black blade was swung down―the magic phenomenon that completely covered Mother were all breaking down.

{That’s impossible! What just happened!?}

That Diva―Hel’s panicked voice was resounding. The black magic power was blown away from Mother’s back, where it formed the figure of a girl that fell on her butt. She was not an avatar but a materialized body, it was a Diva with the appearance of a very young girl.

In contrast with the materialized Hel, Mother powerlessly fell on her knees at that spot. It was not only power leaving her whole body, the magic power that constructed her body was also thinning down, faintly like an illusion, her figure was changing into a half-transparent light.

The powerful Diva that had already accomplished materializing was trying to steal the flesh body of Mother that materialized from the power of the seal. But that magic phenomenon was broken by Kanae.

However in that case―Mother’s little remaining magic power was completely stolen. Possibly her magic power had already been running out in the first place.

Kazuki caught the body of Mother, that was thinning out, in his arms in panic.

“You bastard… against my role for the sake of papa… how dare you…!!”

The Diva that fell on her butt―Hel was glaring at their way with a gaze filled with hatred. Her long blue hair that reminded him of Loki was bristling up from the blizzard right behind her.

This girl was going to steal Kaa-san… she was trying to make her a hostage.

Guessing that―violent emotion was surging inside Kazuki’s head. This girl…!!

Hel yelled. She turned at Mother.

“…Zero Knight! I won’t recognize you! Your role, your objective, I won’t let you accomplish them all! I won’t let you misunderstand, thinking that you won against papa!!”

At the same time a fierce magic power whirled out from that body. She was trying to cast some kind of powerful attack magic. The tip of that magic power was heading at Mother’s back.

Kazuki’s rage instantly changed into terror and trepidation.

If an attack was directed at Mother right now…!

It was a fear that he had never experienced before. His body and thought froze instantly.

“Lose and die again! O lamentation of the dead, carry away that soul from my hand… {{furigana|Nifl Driva|Hell Wind}}!!”

When Hel thrust out her bluish-white palm, from there was blowing a devilish wind as if the blizzard of the Haunted Ground that had been hurling at them thoroughly until now was compressed several hundred times in it.

“Kaa-san, dangerous!”

Kazuki immediately embraced Mother close to his body and covered her with his back.

Yet in front of them a black shadow was standing in the way.

“…Don’t you bother these two!!”

―It was Kanae. Kazuki covered his mother, and Kanae covered those two. The three of them were blown away altogether and fell from the ridgeline. In such dangerous situation Kazuki used his sword―<Ame no Murakumo> to pierce the ground and held out along with his mother that he held in his left hand.

“Kaa-san…!”

Inside Kazuki’s hugging left arm, like water that was spilling out from a cracked jar, the magic power that was composing mother’s existence was vanishing. She was vanishing!

Mother leaked out a weak voice. “…Just now, it looks like my last remaining magic power was used up. But I had already accomplished my role, so…”

Accomplished her role? Already?

Wait. Please wait! There is still….

“Don’t be a hindrance! Follow after Kanae!!” Liz Liza-sensei called out to the others and rushed at Hel’s direction.

“The final time between Kazuki and Hibiki-neesama… I absolutely won’t let you bother them!”

Don’t say that this is the last time…

Mio, Kaguya-senpai… all of his companions, they all cut in between them and Hel to protect him and mother, they were shining with the light of spell chanting simultaneously.

“You plan to stand in my way! You bunch of humans!”

Hel yelled. “Against a materialized Diva, it’s futile no matter how many humans gather here, futile! Are you looking down on me!? I’ll massacre you all and get one over papa!”

What incomprehensible thing was she yelling, this girl…

His head didn’t work watching the situation in front of his eyes. Rather than that kind of thing, mother was…

Even faster than his companions magic, Hel’s magic was invoked.

“…O Grand Haunted Ground of ancient times… please offer the souls that are rotting away in this land as the dress that is armoring my body… Helheim Drive!”

Once again several black lightning were falling to Hel’s body from the dark cloud. That black magic power was whirling on Hel’s body while creating Prima Materia, its substance changed―transforming into something like a Magic Dress.

It was a strange dress. As if several Magic Dresses were mixed up messily… there was no uniformity among every single part. However every single design of the parts had the shape that they had the feeling of seeing before somewhere.

The parts looked like the Magic Dresses that the students of the Magic Division wore on their bodies.

“STOP!”

Liz Liza-sensei yelled after noticing the true form of that power.

“Stop it, don’t you dirty those guys’ souls!! You trash!!”

One part of the Magic Dress that Hel wore―the red wings were emitting orange light like a fire shadow.

Unbelievably, Phoenix’s avatar emerged out beside Hel.

“The dead is my power, mine to use as I please! …Respond to my accusation and burn to ash! Israel Judgment!!”

It was a vortex of magic power he had seen before. It was a magic that even Kazuki and others had seen before, but it was activated with a lot more abbreviated chanting.

“I told you…! Don’t you dare become a hindrance for Nii-sama-!!”

Right before that magic was invoked, the shadow of a black cat leaped once again with a force that was like flying.

With a perfect step-in and timing―once again, it was that miraculous technique.

The wavelength of Hel’s magic power that swelled up right before the magic was invoked vanished like a lie with a *PACHIN!* sound.

“What’s going on, this technique!? …Eei!!”

Hel opened her eyes wide with rage and shock but―she immediately directed a different magic at Kanae.

“Freeze and be silent… Glacier Wind!!”

A part of Hel’s Magic Dress―the floating crystal on her back was emitting a deep blue light, Vepar’s avatar emerged out.

…She was making the soul of the Magika Stigmas that once died in this Fuji’s sea of trees to posses her own body and enslaved them. That death god was activating the magic of the contract through the souls of the dead.

This time even Kanae didn’t have the composure to unleash that technique. The cold magic that Koyuki was also specializing at assaulted Kanae without giving her time to dodge.

At exactly the same time, Hel also invoked her own magic.

“You that is already death come to this side too! Nifl Driva!!”

Hel raised her palm and then she overlapped the blowing blizzard with the [Glacier Wind] from just now.

The chill of the mermaid and the blizzard of the world of the dead mixed with each other, amplifying each other.

“Uguu-!!” Kanae raised a scream and got blown away helplessly.

Besides her defensive magic power that got smashed, she was also writhing around from the chill that was violating her mind.

The black breastplate of Hel’s Magic Dress shone. This time an avatar of a black bird, Halphas’ avatar was emerging. She was chanting magic one after another with a speed that was hard to believe.

“Suffer and die! O god of war of the spirit world, under thy Divine Protection, I’ll sacrifice the wailing of that bitter enemy… Inferno!!”

Hel created two gigantic pure black pillar of flame in both her hands, she then met both her palms and combined them into one and created a bow and arrow of black flame. It was Halphas’s level 7 magic that Yumeno-san once used to finish off her other self.

It was a rapid-fire of magic just like the Quad-core Magika that was the result of Naiarlatoteph’s research. No, her magic invocation was even faster than that.

The giant mass of black flame was fired at Kanae who was writhing in agony.

“O principle of time, listen to the calling voice of my sage! To the other side of the long stagnation, exile away that calamity… Leap Stasis!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s chanting―an avatar of clock emerged out in order to protect Kanae.

When he thought that the hand of that clock was fiercely rotating, the black flame that was flying near vanished.

“You trash Diva! I blew away your magic to the space-time!!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s Original One―it was once casted with her own body aging as the target, an evasion magic that postponed the <change> in exchange of vast magic power, especially with that short chanting.

This time Hel was not surprised.

“Hmph, there is no way the likes of human can consecutively use that kind of convenient magic!”

The red wings, the crystal, the black breastplate, all of them shone simultaneously. Hel’s own magic power that caused the blizzard of the world of the dead was also included.

“Hayashizaki Kanae! Do that technique more! Block them all!!”

“That technique is not something you can do successfully that many times! Damn-!”

Liz Liza-sensei and Kanae shouted angrily at each other.

Finally at that time, the magic that the others’ were chanting were all invoked simultaneously.

“O water surface that sway from my singing voice, manipulate the small wave skillfully, gather, and become a giant tsunami! Come from the beyond and wash away to the distant place… Tidal Wave!”

Koyuki invoked Vepar’s magic of tsunami. It ignored the space and a tsunami that was created behind Hel using magic power came surging.

“Nifl Driva!!”

Hel immediately turned back to the tsunami and fired a blizzard.

The violent blizzard froze the tsunami all over and destroyed the power of that phenomenon making it disappear.

“O the calling voice of the ruler of flame, set free the rage of the bottom of the earth! Open the gate of my rampart here… tower in heaven and earth, isolate the impurity! Fire Wall!!”

“O shapeless and mute shadow, become the fish that swim in the darkness that is pregnant with obstructive thought! The origin of nightmare, the vicissitudes of materialism, respond to both hope and fear and bite…! Deep Specter!”

Mio and Kaguya-senpai’s magic was invoked at the same time. A wall of flame was going to rise from the bottom of Hel’s feet. Pitch black shadow was crawling up from inside the shadow.

Hel detected the danger and tried to run away from that spot.

“This hand reached out to the height of Babel, right now this hand grasped the falling thunder of god! In accordance with my life, o lightning, whirl following my will! Collider Field!!”

But Lotte equipped a gauntlet on her left hand and locked Hel inside a barrier of electromagnetism. Hel’s body was paralyzed by the electricity and she was rooted to that spot.

Furthermore there was several small lights that were floating around Hel.

“The fate of all creation is inside the great celestial sphere… o binding of constellation, stop the revolution of the sky! Horoscope Stasis!”

Line of light was running between countless stars, that [constellation] tied up the paralyzed Hel.

“…This kind of irritating act!?”

The body of the yelling Hel was swallowed by a wall of flame. Even further her head was chewed apart by the giant monster that jumped out from the shadows.

From inside the wall of flame, from inside the mouth of the black monster, a dark blue defensive magic power was shining and scattered.

“O {{furigana|august lightning|Mikadzuchi}} that rain down due to god’s rage! The spilt blood of Kagutsuchi dripped down to the hilt and gather, become a flash of blade! The large drum of lightning sound of lightning speed, {{furigana|Mikafutsu no Mitama|Mikafutsu Soul}}!!”

Kazuha-senpai created a golden blade―with that heavily curving katana that hid a destructive power like lightning, she slashed at Hel with all her strength.

Hel that couldn’t move her body was blown away along with a thunderous roar.

Consecutive attack―but Hel immediately stood back up.

“Hikaru! Mio-chan! Koyuki-chan!” Kaguya-senpai yelled at her comrades of the Witch’s Mansion.

“This girl cannot be defeated with average magic! We are going to use Chorus Magic!!”

The four people began to match their magic power wavelength.

In order to protect them, Kanae and Kazuha-senpai and Lotte stood as the vanguards and prepared their weapons.

“…You bunch of humans… hand over the Zero Knight and the Sacred Treasure…!!”

Along with a voice that made the listener shudder, Hel tore off the binding of constellation with brute force and ripped apart the biting big jaw of the shadow monster with both her hands, at the same time she then once again shone with several magic power lights.

―Kazuki was largely unaware of the battle that was currently happening.

The sounds of the fighting felt like it was far away as if a thin membrane was filtering all of it.

That was how much Kazuki’s was concentrating on what was inside his embrace, his mother that even now was disappearing.

“Kazuki.”

His mother was, for the first time, calling Kazuki with the name that she named him with.

But just from such a little matter, it made Kazuki’s sight damp with tears.

“Kazuki… the Ame no Murakumo…”

He didn’t need that kind of thing.

Rather than such thing, right now, the person that was going to disappear inside his arms was someone that was far more important. His mother’s body temperature, body weight, were vanishing away in no time at all, he knew that.

“I don’t need that kind of thing, Kaa-san… Kaa-san, I, I’m living perfectly happy.”

Kazuki repeated the thing that he had already said like a spell. Even though what he wanted to say was not this kind of thing. For some reason, the feeling that was rampaging inside his chest couldn’t be turned into words.

Even though if he kept wasting time like this, she was going to vanish completely.

“I see. I’m glad.”

His mother smiled hearing that―she raised her thin white arm and stroked Kazuki’s head.

Even though it was weak like the branch of a tree that swayed from the wind, it was a gentle hand movement.

It was a completely unknown sensation for him.

He had the feeling that sparks scattered inside his head, inside his eyes that were wet with tears.

From inside the head of Kazuki who was searching for words, all words and reason disappeared, a pure white emotion completely covered everything.

He noticed. There was nothing that he still wanted to convey.

What he was looking for, was not that kind of thing.

He was only merely, overflowing with emotion.

When he noticed that emotion ―Kazuki hugged tightly the thin and weakened body of his mother, then he buried his face into her chest.

“Kaa-san… I don’t want you to go.”

―What was rampaging inside his head uncontrollably was easily coming out from his mouth.

He felt something that he had never noticed was armoring him until now, disappear completely.

Once it had come out, it was pouring out of him together with tears and scream.

“No! I don’t want this!! No!!”

It was not something exaggerated like something he wanted to convey or anything.

‘I―just want to be spoiled by Kaa-san.’

Their relation was not something exaggerated like the previous King and the King that succeeded after her.

‘I am my mother’s child!’

‘No! I don’t want this!’ Kazuki cried like a child.

“…Fufu-“

His mother returned his hug weakly and let escape a faint chuckle.

“You should not say something selfish.”

After saying that, she stroked his head once again.

‘―Kaa-san, I, have never said anything selfish through my life until now.’

No matter what happened even if it was unreasonable, he had never done anything like giving up.

Even without anyone rewarding him, he overcame all kinds of hardship with his hard work.

He had never seriously yelled words like ‘don’t wanna’ or anything like that.

He almost never cried at all.

Despite so, could what he did right now be called as selfishness.

What’s with that… that kind of thing…

“No way! I don’t want something like this! I don’t want…!!”

She was disappearing! Merely, just during this short instant, his mother was!

‘Don’t say what I’m doing is selfish!! By all rights, isn’t what I’m doing only natural!!’

“No! I have been patient for all these fifteen years!! There was no one at all that patted my head saying that I have done my best! I didn’t even realize that such a thing is strange! I realize now! That all this time I wanted my head to get patted by Kaa-san!! It’s strange you know! This kind of thing… I don’t want…!!”

‘I shouldn’t be defeated by this kind of thing’, Kazuki thought.

This is irrational. For the first time since he was born, Kazuki was overpowered by this monster called irrationality.

He pressed his face that was messily stained with tears onto his mother’s chest, he cried and shouted as if to spew out everything from the bottom of his throat out of his heart. It was as if he was completely changed into an existence that was just crying and shouting.

The tears and screams that had been piling up without him even noticing during these fifteen years were all overflowing without pause.

“Kazuki…”

His mother put a faint strength into her weak arm that was like a dry wood, and hugged him back.

Gently, sweetly, warmly, because of that his tears were overflowing out even harder.

“Thank you. For giving me a chance to spoil you in the end. With this I finally…”

His mother too, during this fifteen years she was enduring until now in this land.

When he understood that, the weight of this monster called irrationality became doubled.

“With this we could finally do something like a true mother and child…”

Vanished.

On the other side of his sight that was stained messily with tears, the chest of the mother that he was hugging, was turning into countless particles of light before disappearing.

Her lingering voice entered his ears before disappearing.

The warmth seeped into his chest and disappeared.

From within Kazuki’s embrace, a dried up sound was spilling out and fell onto the ground. It was a white skeleton.

“Aa, aaaa…”

She was a person that had already died fourteen years ago.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!”

Refusing the truth, Kazuki cried and shouted.

“NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

The countless light particles that were scattering were floating lightly in the air before entering into Kazuki’s chest.

{We are going to be together from now on you know. After all, we could even meet like this.}

Certainly that was a miracle.

{If we can just meet, humans can be changed forever in an instant. That kind of magic had already been used by humans since the time long ago.}

The small particle of magic power became the final voice and it was absorbed into his chest.

Certainly, he would never forget everything that happened here forever.

{Thank you for growing up happily, Kazuki.}

{Thank you.}

{I just keep saying thank you but, I’m really happy.}

{…Thank you.}

Suddenly a scene was opening up inside of Kazuki’s head.

Those were the scene that was shown by the small magic power that was absorbed into Kazuki’s chest. At the same time with the magic power making his mother’s feeling into voice and conveying that to him, his mother’s past memory was recalled inside Kazuki.

Kazuki’s oldest memory―this scene was the continuation of that.

The orphanage at night. Avoiding the eyes of the people, his mother abandoned Kazuki in front of the gate.

His mother turned her back at the crying Kazuki and even while looking back many times she kept walking through the night street with an unsteady gait.

Even her tears were drying up. This was her last determination.

She couldn’t consult anyone. She couldn’t even let anybody see her current figure.

If she didn’t head to the battle alone, the victims would only increase.

She had to fight no matter what. Without anybody seeing her off, without anybody even cheering her on, with her everything snatched away entirely, she even abandoned the child that she obtained at the very end from the person that she loved.

―She had to fight.

While walking alone unsteadily, the light of the town that she passed through cursed her. When she thought about how there was as many happy families as there were the light shining, it couldn’t be helped that she felt accursed. Negative emotions like rage and sorrow were raging crazy inside her chest.

Why was she the only one who couldn’t get her hands on such an ordinary thing.

No. I don’t want to fight. This is unreasonable.

Even so, other than her… there was no human that could fight that enemy.

When she was faced with such ultimate truth―it made her realized that this thing called self-sacrifice was by no means a deceit.

She was made to realize that she loved this unreasonable world.

Even with all her important people killed and torn away from her, still…

She had to fight.

Together with that determination―the world of memory was cut off.

Kazuki returned to reality.

―Inside the blizzard, Kazuki was hugging the white skeleton. While hugging the white skeleton so that it wouldn’t be blown away by the wind, Kazuki heard the sound of his comrades fighting. Those sounds were finally reaching his ears.

He understood just from the sounds that it was a difficult enemy. He understood that if it kept like this his comrades would fall into danger.

“No…”

Kazuki was still continuing to cry while hugging the skeleton.

But, he had to fight. No matter how unreasonable it was.

Fight, there was something he had to protect at all cost.

Until now, everything of this world had been kind to him.

He had already made a lot of people that he loved and that were important to him.

There was also the irrationality but, there was even miracles.

Such an obvious world, was obviously lovely.

He was not some special existence.

He was going to stand up after crying just for thirty more seconds, Kazuki decided.

“I… don’t resent anything Kaa-san. I’m not unhappy. That’s why…”

Kazuki grasped a handful of snow, using Pyrokinesis to plunder the heat he made the snow even colder and pressed it together. He made a small snow hut to store the skeleton there so that it wouldn’t be blown away by the wind.

“…I’m going to fight, Kaa-san.”

Holding Ame no Murakumo in hand, he stood up.

Kazuki rushed to the decisive battle at the crater.

He finally recovered the clearness of his head in order to fight.

Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, Mio, and Koyuki were entering the preparation for Chorus Magic. But that cooperation wouldn’t tolerate even a slight disturbance in it, it became even more difficult than normal inside this fierce blizzard.

The blue haired death god named Hel was displaying an absurd power.

Kanae and Kazuha-senpai and an armed Lotte challenged Hel determinedly, each time they dealt a single attack on the opponent, they received a fierce magic counter and got blown away. That divine work of Kanae also often failed, even if it worked it did nothing more than blocking a single gunport (opening) of Hel.

―There were three. There were three souls of Magika Stigmas that Hel made to possess her body and turned into parts of her dress. And then with her own magic there was a total of four rapid firing magic that was continuously invoked.

Even in the case where it was high level magic that was used, that casting speed of hers was dreadfully fast.

All three of the vanguards were equipped with the armor of [Seusenhofer] that Lotte chanted, yet the armors were already in destroyed shapes.

Their strategy was in the process of failure. The limit of the three vanguards for buying time was going to come first before the Chorus Magic could even finish.

―During such thing, Kanae who failed to make her divine work succeed was hit right from the front with a high level magic. Kanae’s small body was blown away like a scrapped rag.

“You, die while feeling a special agony!”

Hel’s black breastplate shone and made the avatar of Halphas emerge.

“Inferno!”

The jet black flame that possessed both physical destruction and mind destruction attacked Kanae at an inescapable timing.

“Leap Stasis!!”

Liz Liza-sensei just barely [postponed] that single arrow.

Combined with the previous one she had activated this magic twice in total, the magic postponed the magic that was heading to Kanae. But surely when this magic was cancelled later on Kanae would taste a hellish agony. Though that was only if they could safely go home.

Liz Liza-sensei’s magic power too was also wholly carried away to beyond the space-time as the compensation of the postponing. That magic power wouldn’t return back until after the magic was cancelled.

Hel also saw through that and directed the brunt of the attack magic at Liz Liza-sensei.

“You don’t have any magic power left anymore right! …Sink a hundred ships, o threat of the sea that is lurking in the deep sea…show that whole face!”

Vepar’s avatar floated on Hel’s back. The power of Solomon 72 Pillar was forcefully dragged out from their contract with the dead people. There was no one among his comrades that was in a state that could immediately react to that.

―He had to protect them.

Kazuki ran, passing through his comrades at the rear that were preparing for Chorus Magic and cut in front of Liz Liza-sensei with Ame no Murakumo in hand.

“Hayashizaki! …What about Hibiki-neesama!?”

For an instant, Kazuki’s chest was blocked up from Liz Liza-sensei’s words.

“…Stab your fang! Ice Breaker!!”

Several vortex of magic power were created in front of Kazuki’s eyes, giant icebergs were sticking out from there surging at him. Kazuki held up Ame no Murakumo.

How did his mother handle this sword ―he could faintly sense that <Battou Kaikon>.

“Mow down the whole creation, <Ame no Murakumo>! Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!!”

The power that Yamato no Takeru used in legend that time he was falling into the trap of the fire plan―inside this royal sword there was the power to bring an end to natural phenomenon.

His magic power was absorbed into the blade where it emitted a golden light.

When Kazuki swept Ame no Murakumo to the side, as if an unseen blade was flying, all the surging icebergs were bisected into two.

“That power… was Zero Knight’s…!”

Hel leaked out a shocked voice.

It seemed that she had fought his mother before.

Kazuki grasped the sword naturally and he felt power filling his hand.

“The power of Solomon King and, the power of Japanese Mythology’s King that Zero Knight used…? But even if you are a King twice, you are still just an inexperienced King aren’t you!? If that’s so then even I alone will suffice!”

“Everyone! The Chorus Magic will complete with just a little more! Until that time, I will buy time! Those whose exhaustion is severe are to draw back!”

Inexperienced King. Certainly, he might be so.

However the bonds had been already tied. ‘That is my power. I don’t know where this Diva came from but, I’ll make you regret making light of me as inexperienced’, Kazuki thought.

“Intending to win against me… I’ll make you regret that.”

Hel too spouted out words that were in the same mood as Kazuki.

In another words this Diva also still had a trump card. She was going to use that now.

Hel removed the eye patch that covered her right eye and from there a deep red light burst out.

The Magic Dress on Hel’s whole body disintegrated and reduced into a pure magic power light.

“O dead people that are tired of waiting for glory, you are together with me! Become my brethren!!”

Even more countless lightning ran from the dark cloud and went towards Hel. Enormous souls of the dead were gathering inside Hel’s small body. Hel’s body floated in the sky like a dark saint.

“Together right now, celebrate the beginning of Ragnarok loudly!”

The pitch black magic power that completely covered Hel’s body―called out to an endless number of dead people and brought to fruition a single magic.

“Now, let’s begin the legend! {{furigana|Naglfar|Announcing Ship of God and Evil’s Mortal Combat}}!!”

The assembly of the black magic power swelled out enormously. It was huge―as if covering the sky.

Yes, it was physically large.

What appeared from the materialization of that magic power was not in the scale of Magic Dress. Hel was buried in the core of that enormous mass, he was already unable to confirm by sight her shadow or shape.

The thing that was floating in the blizzard sky was―an outrageously gigantic jet black ship.

Naglfar―even Kazuki knew that name. It was the ship that brought about the huge turning point in the world of Norse Mythology. Until the promised day, Hel who was the king of the dead gathered the nails of the dead that were filled with grudge and magic power from all over the world in order to make a gigantic ship. And then in the advent of <{{furigana|the day of twilight of the gods|Ragnarok}}>, a great amount of evil giants would ride Naglfar and advanced to the world of the gods.

It was the huge symbol of nightmare of the end of the world.

That was Hel’s trump card.

There was no sail on the ship that was floating in front of Kazuki’s eyes, it was covered with thick board, rather than calling it a ship from the Middle Ages, it was more like a <battleship>.

Its black thick armor had an uneven surface with disorderly scaly appearance. When he looked more in detail the ship was exactly like in the myth―it was formed from the pitch black nails of the dead.

It was like the finger tips of humans that went into necrosis from the cold, a bloody jet black color that was mixed with purplish red color.

The grotesque battleship of darkness was lording over Kazuki and the others.

‘…I’m going to defeat her, and I’ll begin.’

“This is not a power on the level of gathering the souls of three Magika Stigmas from this mountain like before! Know the seriousness of the death god!!”

At the same time with her proclamation of war, there were several vortexes of magic power that floated up in the frontage of Naglfar. It was told in the myth that magic power was residing inside the nails of the dead. That magic power was floating in the frontage of Naglfar. The magic power was whirling while converging―*DON!* such sound rang out and a magic bullet was fired. *DON!* *DON!* *DON!* Several sparks of black magic power were scattered.

It was undoubtedly a ship’s bombardment.

“Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!”

Kazuki tore apart that first volley with one swept of Ame no Murakumo and extinguished them. But with a *JIIN* the heaviness of the bombardment numbed the hand that was holding the sword. He didn’t feel such thing at all when he cut apart the [Ice Buster] from before, the heaviness of the bombardment felt like it was several tens of times of that.

*DON!* *DON!* *DON!* ―the magic bullet was fired rapidly even now without pause. Kazuki took a stance of slashing with Ame no Murakumo.

…He was unable to invoke [Kusanagi no Tsurugi] with the same speed of the enemy’s rapid-fire.

Kazuki had such a hunch too.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!”

He had already chanting a magic that could deal with a large amount of magic power attack.

Countless Sacred Treasures were created behind him, then all of it was fired one after another.

The magic bullets and Futsunushi no Kami’s Sacred Treasures collided, the blizzard sky shined.

It couldn’t block them all―the magic bullets that couldn’t be neutralized were heading at Kazuki and his comrades behind him before raining down.

“Zekorbeni!”

While trembling from the intensity of the bombardment, Kazuki used his trump card.

Right now there was nothing he could do except using this power for the sake of defense.

“I will protect everyone! …Mode・Phoenix!!”

Enormous flame spewed out from Zekorbeni on Kazuki’s chest, creating an armor in firelight color. That orange light connected Kazuki’s mind with Phoenix directly.

“O the calling voice of the ruler of flame, liberate the rage of the bottom of the earth! Open the gate of my rampart here… tower in heaven and earth, isolate the impurity! Fire Wall!!”

With a loud voice the defensive magic of the flame wall was invoked. Zekorbeni could amplify the might of the magic the more magic power was poured into it. Kazuki poured several times the amount of magic power that was originally needed for this level 2 magic in one into Zekorbeni.

A thick wall of flame was built up all at once.

The flame wall swallowed the magic bullets that couldn’t be neutralized.

Even so the remaining small magic bullets that looked like dregs of the original were still raining down on Kazuki behind the wall like a shower. Even the comrades behind Kazuki were―.

“Kyaa-!” Mio’s scream was raised.

Even just this much might become a hindrance for the chanting of the Chorus Magic.

The flame wall lost its power and vanished. But Naglfar was still floating in the sky while creating vortexes of magic power even more. The bombardment would continue without pause…!!

The attack was simple, but it was an excessively thick curtain of attack.

“Damn-!” Kanae raised a voice that was irritated with herself who couldn’t do anything.

…A swordsman couldn’t do anything in this situation.

“Kanae, you move back with Liz Liza-sensei whose magic power is used up! Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!!”

Kazuki yelled while once again bisecting the raining down magic bullets all at once in a single slash.

He slashed Ame no Murakumo directly horizontal. There Kazuki’s movement that was controlling the sword stopped. The magic bullet unceasingly flew at him in that gap.

This gap had to be filled.

Ame no Murakumo was still hiding more power but―a Sacred Treasure was not something that could be mastered where the user could use all of its powers right from the start. Training was needed.

He couldn’t hold back the bombardment just with the power of Ame no Murakumo. His power as the King of Solomon was also necessary.

“Fire Wall!!”

Kazuki poured a lot more magic power into Zekorbeni and unfolded a thicker wall of flame. At the same time he chanted [Tenkuu Battou Rengehou]. He was working at full capacity.

“Lotte!” Kazuki shouted.

“Yes desu! …Hit and run attack right desu!!”

Lotte understood Kazuki’s intention even without being ordered.

“O guardian of human race, the wisdom for the sake of opposing the will of the tyrannical god right here… Custom Liberion!”

Lotte equipped armors that were lined up with countless small type thruster units on both her legs and arms, she immediately ignited them―flying to the blizzard sky. She circled to right beside the battleship of darkness that was flying in the sky and scattered bullets from the large type gatling that was attached on the armor.

“You’re a nuisance, you fly!”

Naglfar also directed several vortexes of magic power at Lotte and fired rapidly magic bullets from there.

Lotte who was clad in [Custom Liberion] that excelled in mobility flew around Naglfar and ran away from that line of fire. No, she was also gotten hit with several shots that she couldn’t evade. Each time she got hit, smoke rose from the armor. Yet Lotte continued her hit and run with preparedness for death.

But with a lot of the [gunport] directed at Lotte, the attack to Kazuki and everyone behind him that were chanting Chorus Magic was lessened. There was also a limit on how many gunport Naglfar could take out each time.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!!”

Kazuki intercepted the lessened attack with a countless Sacred Treasures.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!!” Kazuha-senpai too imitated Kazuki and invoked the same magic.

This time it was Naglfar that couldn’t neutralize the countless Sacred Treasures and the gatling bullets, the armor of the battleship of darkness was beginning to be impacted by the projectiles.

They displayed a situation of a fierce bombardment exchange.

“Many of you combining your power… it’s annoying! Even though I’m just alone! Even though papa too won’t lend his hand to me… everyone, everyone is ganging up and making fun of me!!”

A voice of an irritable child escaped from the inside of the eerie Naglfar.

…No, was she a child? Papa… did she mean Loki?

Putting that aside, she was held back enough.

Even with a materialized Diva as the opponent, if he united his will with his comrades in this number then they could hold her back.

They have arrived at the place where they could stand against a god with the power of a human.

And then, if there was the power of bonds, and this sword that he inherited from his mother… they could defeat her.

For that sake, a momentary opening was necessary. Naglfar’s bombardment would stop, Kazuki believe that that moment would come before long and persisted in defense.

“ “ “ “{{furigana|We know thy true name|Shem ha Meforash}}!!” “ “ “

That time was approaching.

Finally the Chorus Magic of everyone from the Witch’s Mansion entered the climax. Mio, Koyuki, Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, the four of them created enormous pillars of magic power that felt like it could reach the heavens.

Those magic power pillars emitted wavelengths that were accurate to the inch while mixing with each other.

“ “ “ “Thy true name is Baal… though that be so, all of evil was born in the Middle Ages! Calculating faith, and sham loyalty stained the sublime Baal! Born from falsehood the army of demons multiply in multiply and thy stand at the summit!” “ “ “

Behind the four people the golden great king that carried the power of the stars, Baal was floating and materialized.

But under the identity of Baal there was one other face that hid a more mighty power. Baal’s greatest magic was―obtained in posterior due to curses, now all of it was liberated.

The contractor, Hikaru-senpai, commanded.

“The great god of Ugalit Mythology Baal… answer my command, liberate all of that curses!! …Thy stained name is… {{furigana|Beelzebub|King of Flies}}!!”

“Very well… watch it thoroughly!!”

Together with a voice that was filled with rage―Baal’s golden figure was breaking down and decayed like mud.

He was stained jet black exactly the same like the accursed Naglfar in front of their eyes!

And then the thing that was Baal became {{furigana|a swarm of countless giant flies|Beelzebub}}.

Like a dark cloud that was flowing, the giant swarm of the flies passed overhead Kazuki and the others and surged to Naglfar.

Due to Christianity in the Middle Ages, Baal who was a god of a different teaching was repainted as a devil and received the curses of the people. That curse was―one of the seven deadly sins [gluttony].

Beelzebub was maximizing that nature.

The swarm of flies was bathed in countless magic bullets. But the flies ate at that. While eating away the bullet curtain one after another, the flies finally clung to the black armor of Naglfar. And then, even that armor that was made from the nails of the dead began to be eaten.

“Thi, this…!!”

Hel raised an impatient voice and created vortexes of magic power, she fired magic bullets at the side of the giant flies that were eating greedily. Several of the flies vanished from the hit at their side. But the flies too were eating greedily at the armor into shreds with momentum that was not inferior to that.

It was a fierce devouring at each other between the {{furigana|death god|Hel}} and {{furigana|the king of demon|Beelzebub}}.

Of course Beelzebub’s summoned body couldn’t stay in this world for long.

But―right now was the time to go out in offensive. The bombardment had stopped, Naglfar’s armor became littered with moth-eaten damage, the path for the sake of bathing Hel with a blow was opened widely.

“Everyone!”

Kazuki gave out a signal to his comrades. After that he immediately poured magic power into Zekorbeni.

“…O undying bird that soar from dusk to dawn, please grant that wings of hope on my back! The destruction for the sake of rebirth right here…! Blazing Wings!”

The swarm of flies moved aside and conceded a path to Kazuki that spread out wings of flame and flew away.

And then―the greatest magic that he could use from Mio’s positivity level of 155, level 8.

The trump card that he hadn’t used until now because of the intensity of his fatigue was now used.

“O undying bird that repeated life and death! Liberate the flame of one’s last moment, become the sun of the surface… {{furigana|Imitation Flare|Sun of the End}}!!”

The avatar of the firebird was liberated and headed to Naglfar from Kazuki.

The avatar of the firebird exploded like a bomb.

Phoenix that symbolized the sun liberated all of his own flame that was in the juncture of life and death and burned the target to ashes. That phenomenon was reenacted in this place.

The energy liberation that rivaled the solar flare(sun surface explosion) also sacrificed the flies that were late to escape while swallowing Naglfar.

The giant fire ball that even swallowed Naglfar whole floated in the air like a sun and continued to blaze. Inside it, they could see that the armor that was eaten away by the flies was melting in the blink of an eye.

“{{furigana|Mode・Merfolk(Mermaid Armament)!”

Kazuki instantly switched Zekorbeni―from Mio’s Phoenix, he went to Koyuki’s Vepar. He was enveloped in blue raiment that looked just like the shape of the sea itself. Koyuki’s positivity level had also reached 150 from that date. The greatest fire power of this bond, the level 8 was instantly invoked.

“Time turn drawing circle, the history repeated following the inevatibility, awaken the forgotten era right here… leave behind everything inside the dream, toward the era of glacier! {{furigana|Ice Age|Absolute Ice World}}!!”

The instant the fire ball liberated all of its energy and vanished, this time it was Vepar’s avatar that emerged―the surrounding of Kazuki and Naglfar was instantly freezing.

A pure cold that surpassed even the blizzard of the Haunted Ground and the blizzard of the world of death―a world of ice.

Naglfar, and Hel that rode inside it were freezing, their movement was stopped.

“Mode・Veritas!”

Kazuki switched Zekorbeni even further―from Koyuki’s Vepar to Lotte’s Prometheus. His body was wrapped with a silver suits with a texture that was hard to consider as something of this world.

Lotte’s positivity level was also surpassing 150. He poured his magic power into the greatest fire power of that, to level 8.

“Turning thy back to the god, pour the wisdom of human history to the dream of destruction… hear the roar of human’s independence! {{furigana|Gustav Dora|Betrayal’s Romance Cannon}}!!”

A gigantic ordnance towered erectly from Kazuki’s chest to the front direction. It was a gigantic gun battery with length of few dozen meters and the thickness diameter close to one meter. A recoil propulsion system in order to withstand the firing of that gun battery was created on his back. In front of Naglfar, Kazuki also turned into a large weapon and determined his aim.

The unrealistic cannon that possessed the power of magic―fired.

A high explosive projectile that was almost as large as a human’s stature with the weight of a few ton was fired rapidly along with a thunderous roar that pierced your ears.

Masses of destruction landed one after another on Naglfar’s armor that was subjected under rapid freezing right after a super high temperature and exploded grandly. The nails of the dead were peeled off and fell apart.

When Kazuki finished firing all the explosive bullets and made the ordnance vanished―it was at the same time where Naglfar was finally destroyed from the attacks that came one after another.

“For, for a human, moreover a male to fire magic this powerful in rapid succession, how can your magic not run out..?”

Hel opened her eyes wide inside Naglfar that was barely floating in the air with its barely remaining fragment of magic power.

“No… that magic power inside you… that is Zero Knight’s…!”

Hel still survived! Kazuki flapped his wings of flame while taking a stance with Ame no Murakumo.

It was at that time that following the signal of commencing attack from Kazuki just now, his comrades invoked the magic that they were chanting all at once.

“Tearing the skin and blooming the flower of blood, the scream that echoed eternally… fell the betrayer and awaken the hell right here! Cocytus!”

Behind Kazuki who was slashing at Hel, a piercing cold of hell was overtaking him.

At that time the Ame no Murakumo in Kazuki’s grasp reverberated *JIIN* as if saying something to him.

…He could hear, the voice of the Sacred Treasure!

In this kind of time, this Sacred Treasure must be… used in this kind of way!

“Carry the mystery in your blade crest <Ame no Murakumo>! Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Kazuki immediately made a half turn on the spot and ran his blade not at Hel but at the cold of [Cocytus]. While Ame no Murakumo was enveloped in cold, it shone as if in echo.

Like Kusanagi no Tsurugi that tore apart magical phenomenon and dispersed them―it was not, the magic phenomenon was absorbed into that shining blade. The golden blade was frozen into deep blue and all the cold was compressed in it.

The essence of [slash] was to compress the energy within the narrowly linear range.

Katana could [cut] things by compressing the movement energy into the sharp blade.

Ame no Murakumo could even compress the magic energy into the blade’s narrow range.

That was this Battou Kaikon―[Tsumugari no Tachi].

Kazuki used his movement of cutting Kaguya-senpai’s [Cocytus] just like that to rotate in full circle and cut at Hel with the blade that carried cold.

“UOOOOOOOOOO!”

With Ame no Murakumo that was carrying the power of [Cocytus], Kazuki pursued the blown away Hel and dealt her one more blow even further. Hel was thrown onto the rock surface of Mt. Fuji.

“O lightning god, disturb the law of heaven following my will, liberate the undulation of destruction that is hidden in the atmosphere! {{furigana|Arc Flash Hazard|Super Lightning Arc Discharge}}!!”

Hikaru-senpai also cast Baal’s level 7 magic. The power of the Haunted Ground’s atmosphere was compressed into the two poles of positive and negative energy and raised a vortex around Hel, that equilibrium broke and caused a pure white great explosion. That was not something that was caused by nature, but by plasma.

Instantly, Kazuki cut at that plasma with Ame no Murakumo.

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!” <ref>I don’t understand the meaning of Tsumu, maybe it’s just a name. But ‘gari’ means mow down while ‘tachi’ means long sword</ref>

He swung that blade at Hel that was crashed into a rock wall. The compressed electric heat destroyed Hel’s defensive magic power with each blow.

It didn’t stop at one attack. Second, third, fourth…he repeatedly hacked her to pieces. The recoil of the defensive magic power gouged a crater at the surface of Mt. Fuji like an explosion, with each blow Hel was buried even deeper.

“O bird of paradise whose body is carrying the light of heaven, respond to my accusation and burn to ash the sin on the surface! Israel Judgment!!”

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Mio had already guessed everything and directly fired Phoenix’s heat ray not at Hel but at Kazuki’s blade. That power was settled smoothly and the blade of sun’s heat slashed apart even further at Hel.

“Ga, ganging up on me like this while borrowing the power of a great number of people! You, you coward! Not fair! Even though papa is not helping me…!! Give me back Naglfar!!”

“O singing voice of mermaid, manifest the freezing thought. Sadness into ice flower, loneliness into light snowfall, cover the world with freezing blankness… White Album!”

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Koyuki also invoked her magic and Kazuki’a Ama no Murakumo accepted it. Hel was buried until a depth where she couldn’t even move her body anymore while Kazuki earnestly stabbed his sword.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I’m, vanishing! If you keep doing that… I’ll vanish!!”

It was evident that her defensive magic power was almost extinguished.

When Kazuki thought whether he was going to stab his blade just like this until the end, for an instant, he hesitated.

He could win. But, would he kill her?

{It’s not like the Diva will die you know? When she used up her strength then she will only fall asleep for a long, long time.}

Leme told him through the telepathic communication.

―Her appearance was a little girl but, this opponent was a terrifying Diva. For the sake of protecting his comrades he couldn’t afford to go easy on her.

If he gave her an instant of opening here―the next moment it would be Kazuki who fall into a pinch. He had already used up his magic power to the limit. He had already spent everything to bring the situation into this direction.

He would finish her off until the end! Kazuki resolved.

But suddenly―Kazuki felt a magic power expanding in circle shape around Hel. It was not a magic power that came from Hel. It was an unknown magic power from someone that was isolated from them with a distant space.

It was hard to predict what was going on.

This was not an attack magic. If he created [Futsu no Mitama] he thought that perhaps he could destroy the magic phenomenon, but he wouldn’t make it in time if he chanted only after he noticed this.

The circle shaped magic power that expanded with the buried Hel as the center instantly materialized into a huge ring.

Ring―the thing that was like a string that was connecting through several magatama.

This was an enlarged Yasakani no Magatama!

Its inside instantly became pitch black and connected into another dimension, a different space. The exhausted Hel was absorbed into the black dimension while the girl herself was making a confused face saying “What’s this!?”

“Ikousai!?”

Reflexively Kazuki almost threw his body into the other dimension, but recalling his own exhaustion he stumbled his step. If enemies were waiting at the destination of the other dimension, his current self would be unable to do anything.

There was no reply to answer Kazuki’s calling voice, after the ring swallowed Hel inside the other dimension, the ring of Yasakani no Magatama shrank in the blink of an eye and vanished.

===Part 8===

Aisu Ikousai with her body wrapped in her trademark Japanese clothes was standing still inside her own sword dojo that was prepared in Oosaka. Some composure came out in her expression ―her special training was bearing fruit.

At the space before her eyes the enlarged Yasakani no Magatama was floating along with magic power. It was connected with the deep black dimension in its inside and with a plop it dropped off Hel who was in a worn-out state of body and mind.

“You really got beaten up mercilessly huh. …If you got worn out until this bad then you won’t be able to come out at the frontline for a while until your divinity is restored.”

Hel was limply sinking on the cool floor of natural wood inside the sword dojo where it seemed she couldn’t even hear Ikousai’s voice.

Yasakani no Magatama smoothly became smaller and wrapped on Ikousai’s wrist naturally.

“Wh, why…?” Finally a voice escaped Hel.

“Yasakani no Magatama is a Sacred Treasure that can only display its effect within my perception sphere.”

Ikousai had already tested the Sacred Treasure many times, she was already able to completely grasp its effect.

“Something like exerting the power of this Sacred Treasure at the far away Fuji’s sea of trees originally should be something impossible. But… the Three Sacred Treasures resonated with each other, like a power that called to each other. Most likely it was the moment when Hayashizaki obtained Ame no Murakumo in his hand, that Yasakani no Magatama and Yata no Kagami reacted. Yata no Kagami projected your figure fighting that guy holding Ame no Murakumo. If it’s visible, then that place is a range where my imagination can reach… it’s inside my magic perception range. That was why I could save you using the power of Yasakani no Magatama.”

Yasakani no Magatama―it twisted the space between its string.

“Hel is my master that taught me the way to handle a Diva’s power. I heard the story from Loki… I was thinking whether there was any way for me to go help you. It was something miraculous, but I’m glad I made it.”

Ikousai had a really arrogant personality, but toward someone that gave her something―toward the existence that she called as mentor, she was someone that paid her respect from the bottom of her heart. Hel too was not an exception.

“Uu… uu, ueeee…”

“Hel?”

“UEEEE~N, IKOUSAI~!!”

When Ikousai just thought that she was seeing tears gathering inside Hel’s round eyes, Hel suddenly clung at Ikousai’s chest while crying loudly like a child.

“Uwaa, don’t you press your soppy face to my clothes.”

“Ueee~! Why~! Why is everyone making fun of me~! Why is papa not praising me~! Give me back my Naglfar~! Even though I worked really hard to gather a lot of dead people’s souls, why did it get broken like that~!! I hate everyone~!!”

Feeling troubled of how to deal with Hel that was crying like a child, Ikousai just kept patting her blue haired head for the time being.

“Ueee~! I hate everyone except Ikousai~!!”

Hel bawled even harder, like a child that was scolded for the first time.
<noinclude>

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

{{SimpleNav}}
</noinclude>