Editing Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 1 Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 2===

Kizuna visited the laboratory of Heart Hybrid Gear, [Nayuta Lab].

{Hida Kizuna, what is your business?}

When he entered the laboratory, there was Shikina Kei there facing the console that was like a cockpit.

“Can I get the information about Chidorigafuchi’s past?”

{An authority to release the information is necessary. Chidorigafuchi Aine’s information level is high. It cannot be released with Hida Kizuna’s authority level.}

“No, it’s fine even if it’s not any important information. For example, something like her birthplace or her elementary school.”

{Everything is listed as secret. The information cannot be disclosed.}

What’s with that?

“Even though I have the authority to know everyone’s personal information as well as their three sizes and their location in the real time? Then who in the world can look at Chidorigafuchi’s information?”

{The only one with the authority for that in Ataraxia is only Hida Reiri.}

‘So it’s Nee-chan.’

“Got it, I’ll ask Nee-chan. Perhaps she is in the command headquarters right――”

“No need for that.”

The entrance of the room opened and Hida Reiri with her long black hair fluttering behind her entered.

“Nee-chan!”

“Kizuna, you want to know about Aine’s past?”

“Yeah. I want to know.”

“Why?”

“I’m…… worried about her. I have something worrying me even though I cannot say it clearly, but it feels really frustrating――”

No, wrong.

That was not it.

“――Perhaps, I’m feeling irritated. That girl is not thinking about other people, about herself, even whether she would die or anything at all.”

[A worthless worry isn’t it?] <ref>This is a flashback of Aine’s words, not Kei</ref>

“What is inside that girl’s head is just to obtain an even more powerful weapon, she is thinking that something like our worry is really trivial.”

[What I cannot forgive the most, is my low combat ability.]

“She is not thinking of raising her combat strength for the sake of surviving. I don’t understand her. Because I don’t understand, it irritates me.”

[I see…… it seems that this is pointless isn’t it.]

Her sad back was reflected in his eyelids.

“That’s why I want to know about her!”

Reiri crossed her arms and listened to Kizuna’s words.

“……Fine then. I’ll teach you.”

“Really!?”

“But, even the information that we have about Chidorigafuchi Aine is limited. Understand that.”

Kizuna nodded silently.

“The beginning of this matter is seven years ago. Tokyo…… not the one in Megafloat, it was at the mainland Tokyo, the imperial palace there is surrounded by canals around it and there is a canal there named Chidorigafuchi. A report that a girl was floating there was received. That girl was sheltered then, that was――”

“That’s Chidorigafuchi?”

“Correct. The girl who was sent to hospital and opened her eyes didn’t remember at all, just why was she in that kind of place. On the contrary, where did she come from, who was she, she couldn’t even recall those information. She didn’t even know her own name, that was the state she was in.”

“So she is…… amnesic?”

Reiri nodded.

“She didn’t have any external wound, so it was examined to be caused by temporary shock. However, even after that there was no sign at all that she was recovering her memory.”

“But, didn’t Chidorigafuchi’s family search for her? There must have been search requests coming out.”

“There was nothing. It seems the police made a search, but Aine’s family couldn’t be found in the end. Her appearance looked like she was around ten years old, so the elementary schools throughout Japan were searched, but there was not a single clue.”

“Then…… as expected she was from abroad?”

“Even asking around the Immigration Bureau didn’t result in any clue.”

Then, just where in the world Chidorigafuchi came from?

“The person herself was an extremely normal and healthy girl. There was also no problem in the examination result. But――”

Reiri knitted her eyebrows.

“It’s just, there was only one point that was worthy of special mention. Her aptitude for Heart Hybrid Gear is abnormally high.”

“Abnormally……? Is Chidorigafuchi that great?”

“Recently she is falling behind Yurishia and Himekawa. Her Zeros exhibited its ability in close range battle, but it’s disadvantaged when there is a distance with the enemy. It’s not that her talent is inferior, but the difference in the gear’s aptitude resulted in a large difference of battle results.”

……So that was how it was.

“――Anyway, the one who had an eye at that girl’s high aptitude, was our mother.”

Kizuna’s heart felt like it was grasped tightly.

“Mother took custody of Aine. Even the one who named her Chidorigafuchi Aine was also our mother. And then, Aine was made to engage in the research and development of Heart Hybrid Gear.”

“Then…… since then, all this time?”

“Right. She was staying in this lab all day, becoming a guinea pig.”

“Then, her school?”

“She started attending school from high school.”

“I see…… so she finally started a normal life only since high school.”

“That was when the practical application test began.”

“……”

Then…… that girl.

Since she was a child, she was isolated in this lab,

All the time as a guinea pig,

All alone,

The only thing she had was the Heart Hybrid Gear and Professor Hida Nayuta.

Excellent talent.

But, she was overtook by her rivals.

――After that?

Suddenly, an alert window popped up. All over the room was filled with crimson floating windows and alarms.

“Kei! What’s going on.”

{Enemy attack. Enemy warship appeared two hundred kilometers ahead of Ataraxia.}

“Enemy scale?”

{One two thousand meter-class battleship. Roughly thirty warships below one thousand meter-class. Half among them are aircraft carriers, the remaining seem to be escort ships.}

“Wha……!”

As expected, even Reiri lost her words.

It was an unprecedented large fleet.

Until now, there were cases where they battled enemy ships, but the number of enemy ships were invariably only one. Even so each time they received vast damage from them.

And now there were thirty ships.

To encounter this large fleet, perhaps this was the first time since the mainland decisive battle of the Second Another Universe Conflict. If they entered battle situation like this, it couldn’t possibly be imagined that whether it was Ataraxia or Megafloat Japan could go through this safely.

“Kei, connect the line to the command room! There is no time to return there, I’ll take command from here.”

{Roger.}

The alert windows disappeared, and in their place windows that displayed the battle network and Megafloat Japan’s information appeared in large amount.

All those made a lump like a school of fish in the center of the room, connected to each other organically, building up a system. The walls in four directions and the ceiling, the floor surface too, all became monitors that were reproducing Ataraxia’s outside.

Kizuna saw the enemy fleet that was projected on the wall.

The black battleship that looked like it was cutting apart the blue sky was floating in the sky. Patterns that didn’t seem like words or shapes were shining on the ship’s body.

It was a fantastical battleship that was obviously made from different technology than mankind.

Its shape was completely unrelated with fluid mechanics or aerodynamics. Its width was wide, gun turrets were directed at every direction. It felt like a fortress or a castle of middle age Europe was flying in the sky together with its defensive wall.

That figure of an object with gigantic mass leisurely flying in the sky couldn’t be described as anything but absurd.

{Connection with the command room is finished. The time lag is about ten milliseconds. There will be no problem for you to give instructions thinking of me as the command room.}

Kei lifted her face a little. Her gaze met Reiri’s and both of them wordlessly nodded at each other.

“Okay, calculate the evasion course of Ataraxia.”

Kei’s arm was dashing on top of the console with tremendous speed.

{Most likely the enemy fleet is coming from Solomon direction. Ataraxia’s evasion course calculation complete. Now running away to the northwest direction with full speed.}

“The time until the encounter with the enemy!”

{If the situation doesn’t change, we will enter the enemy fleet’s firing range in fifteen more minutes.}

The flagship of the enemy fleet, the two thousand meter-class large battleship was magnified, its gun turret was largely projected.

{What will be the threat is the main cannon of this large battleship. If we are bombarded continuously by this, Megafloat Japan will sink.}

Reiri clicked her lips.

“All members of Amaterasu, reply!”

Responding to Reiri’s voice, Aine, Himekawa, and Yurishia’s faces were reflected in the appearing windows. Looking at the background behind them, it seemed that the three of them were in a classroom.

“You understand the situation? Then all hands, sortie!”

{Roger!}

The three saluted and cut off the transmission.

Reiri faced Kei and yelled.

“Activate all defensive systems of Ataraxia as well as Megafloat Japan’s all area!”

{Roger.}

Reiri pulled an operating window floating in the air to her. She tapped an icon for broadcasting towards the whole of Ataraxia from inside it.

“Informing all students! This is not practice or a school event, this is a real battle! Show your efforts’ result to those another universe lot!”

The window that projected the image inside the school showed the students standing up from their seat and exited the classroom. Each one of them were scattering to every department of Ataraxia in order to accomplish the order assigned to them. The technology department performed confirmation on the defense installation inside Ataraxia, combat department used those weapons and intercepted the enemy.

Ataraxia that entered battle state made a complete change at the city’s appearance. Shutter was lowered down on the buildings’ walls, important facilities was lowered underground. In reverse combat facilities were appearing from underground to the above ground.

The street opened and unmanned aircrafts appeared from inside, they made use of the straight road to launch. The camouflaged buildings opened, showing particle cannons which began charging while scattering electrical discharge. The ground of the park opened up like a shutter and middle-range missiles peeked out their heads from below.

“Yosh, then me too!”

Kizuna who was going to go outside was stopped by Reiri.

“Wait Kizuna. You are staying here.”

“W, why!?”

“It’s meaningless even if you go now. For now wait here.”

“Just why is it meaningless!? Even I can do something if it’s against the likes of category-C magic weapons!”

“That’s why. Currently, magic weapons of C-class and lower that even you can face still haven’t come out yet. Besides, exposing yourself towards the enemy warship’s firepower with your mobility is just suicidal.”

“Kuh……”

“If the enemy let out their landing unit, that time will be your turn. Until then prepare yourself.”

Kizuna stared at the figures of Himekawa, Yurishia, and Aine which were projected on the huge monitor.

The three of them were already putting on their Heart Hybrid Gear and flew heading to the enemy fleet.

Himekawa was staring at the information sent from the battlefield network so hard, a hole might be created in it.

“This is the first time a warship that huge came…… moreover, a fleet that large…… really, can we protect the Megafloat until the end…… when I think that the future of Ataraxia and everyone is put on our shoulders……”

A deeply depressed voice came out from Himekawa’s mouth.

“That’s really not like you Hayuru. Well, it’s going to be fine if we just do our best I wonder?”

In contrast, Yurishia’s voice was bright. She was carefree as if playing a game after going home from school.

“……Aine-san, are you okay?”

Aine was shouldering a machine gun on her back, a great number of magazines were hanged on her waist. And then in her hand was an anti-material rifle, Barrett M82A1 dangling down.

“I’m fine you ask? I don’t understand the meaning of your question.”

“Ah, no. The bombardment of the battleship will be fierce, so please don’t force yourself. Aine-san specializes in close range after all, so follow after us――”

“That’s unnecessary help.”

Aine declared to Himekawa coldly.

The enemy fleet visible far away was gradually becoming bigger.

In front of the three, Reiri’s floating window was opened.

{Listen well. What you need to shoot down is the enemy’s flagship, the two thousand meter-class large battleship. It will be fifteen more minutes until that ship catches Ataraxia in its shooting range. Before that happens, crush the enemy’s main cannon!}

“Rea―ally, commander says that so easily.”

Yurishia breathed out a deep sigh.

At that time, in front of Yurishia and the others, a glint of light the sign of an airplane could be seen.

“……Moreover, it doesn’t seem like we will be able to reach the enemy ship easily―”

Magic weapon groups taking off from the aircraft carriers were heading to their location.

It was a crowd of category-B Albatross. In total there were fifty.

“Well then, we are clearing them all at once now♪”

Yurishia stopped in place.

The Differential Frame on her back changed its distribution of energy from propulsive power into attack power.

Golden light flowed into the surface of the gear, carrying energy into the particle cannon.

The Differential Frame was deployed and the particle cannon’s muzzle was directed to the front.

Ahead of it was the squad of Albatross.

Aine and Himekawa who went ahead spread out to the left and right, running away from Yurishia’s line of fire toward the Albatrosses.

Energy was gathering in the muzzles of the particle cannons.

At that time, the Albatrosses’ bayonets were firing all at once.

“Yurishia-san!”

Himekawa turned around to Yurishia.

However Yurishia didn’t show any sign of moving.

The light bullets of the bayonets flew, grazing Yurishia.

Cross’ particle cannons were filled with energy until the limit. The radiance of the cannon muzzles were emitting light that couldn’t be suppressed.

“GOOOOOO-!”

Together with an explosive light, a bundle of light was fired from the Differential Frame.

The radiance of the particle cannons opened a hole in the Albatross squad for a moment.

The Differential Frame moved as if opening to left and right and the beam of light traced a line horizontally through the enemy squad.

As if chasing after the particle cannons’ line, the Albatrosses were exploding one after another.

Half of them turned into fragments of light in a flash.

“Thank you very much for the opening attack-!”

Himekawa charged at the surviving units.

“Blade!”

The large swords freely flying on her back flew out. While drawing large arcs, the swords circled the explosion smoke.

Albatrosses appeared from inside that explosion. They headed to Himekawa in front of them and prepared their bayonet.

Himekawa drew out the sword on her hips.

However, she had no projectile weapon.

The distance until the Albatrosses was roughly three hundred meters.

Himekawa’s sword couldn’t possibly reach.

And then, the Albatrosses’ bayonets spouted out fire――,

At that instant, Blades piercing through the Albatrosses’ chest appeared.

The Albatrosses exploded greatly while exposing out their internal mechanism.

The Blades that cut apart the magic weapons continued to move in high speed and aimed for the next prey.

They attacked from the top of the Albatross’ head, bisecting the enemy from its head until its crotch into two.

The Blades flew around freely in this air combat and raised bloodbath from the magic weapons one after another. They were weapons that displayed unparalleled might in middle-range combat.

However, high concentration was needed for its operation. Because of that, Himekawa herself easily showed an opening.

Himekawa who was naturally hovering in place was attacked by an Albatross from behind.

“!!”

Himekawa who noticed that turned around holding her sword.

The Albatross’ sword was swung down.

Fierce sparks scattered.

A roar from torn off metal resounded, the head of the Albatross was torn off and blown away.

“Aine-san!?”

Aine kicked away the Albatross.

She halted as if sliding in the sky. There, another Albatross was lying in wait and rained her down with its shooting.

“Kuh!”

She deployed a shield of light and repelled the magic bullets.

Zeros’ defense system, the Life Saver was instantly deployed and protected Aine’s body.

Aine looked around her surroundings with a grim face.

When she confirmed the attacking enemy, Zeros was already circling into the enemy’s flank.

However the Albatross was also trying to maintain the distance with Aine and moved back.

And then, it directed the gun at the charging Aine.

However, Aine readied the anti material rifle in her hand and pulled the trigger.

Staggering explosive sound resounded, wind pressure that seemed like a strike had hit her face.

Even the rifle that could destroy trucks and armored cars wasn’t effective against magic weapons. However, it was enough to divert the gun muzzle directed at Aine.

The magic weapon’s bullet grazed Aine right from the side.

Aine threw away the rifle and pulled back her arm. The thruster on her elbow was gathering light.

“HAAAAA!”

The thruster ignited.

Like a fired bullet, Aine’s fist was driven into the enemy.

The sound and destructive power that were like an explosion pierced through the Albatross’ body.

The shockwave passed through until the back and a large hole was gouged into the Albatross’ body.

Together with a large explosion, fragments of light scattered apart.

When Aine came out from the smoke, she could confirm the enemy fleet.

“The distance is only about…… two, thirty kilometers more.”

“Ah! Please look at that.”

When they looked at the direction Himekawa’s finger pointed at, magic weapons were flying out one after another from the enemy fleet’s aircraft carrier.

Even Yurishia who was in a slightly separated location made a fed-up face.

{Hurry! Only seven minutes left!}

Reiri’s impatient voice resounded in their ears.

Yurishia’s voice that was answering her was also irritated.

“We know already! If I can just get a little bit closer, I can settle this with my particle cannon!”

Even while they were talking, the Albatrosses were attacking them. The enemy number was just too many in any case.

“Just how many are they launching here!?”

Himekawa was cautious to the enemy attack while confirming the map of the battle state.

The circle that displayed the enemy range was going to reach Ataraxia soon already.

Blood left Himekawa’s face.

“F, for now let’s not get too focused on the magic weapons! Anyways we have to hit the enemy’s main――kyaaaa!”

Himekawa was grazed by a flame pillar.

That fierce heat and pressure blew away Himekawa altogether with her Life Saver.

“Hayuru!?”

When Himekawa stopped with her brake, she looked at the enemy that attacked her.

It was a magic weapon in the shape of a dragon with a person buried on its back.

A Dragre.

It was a category-A magic weapon that troubled Yurishia before this.

“I hate persistent guys, really!”

Yurishia raised her output and headed to the battleship. Himekawa too immediately pursued behind.

“Yurishia-san! What about the Dragre?”

When she looked back, she could see the Dragre pursuing them.

“There is no free time right now for taking on a category-A!”

However the Dragre couldn’t be shaken off. It was gaining in its pursuit of the two.

When the dragon’s mouth opened, flame was forming a vortex in it. Faster than the two could fly, it hit directly at their backs.

“HIAAAAAAAAAA-!”

The impact was like being hit from behind by a car.

“Guh…… you bastard!”

They forcefully changed their direction and escaped from the flame attack. However, although they were protected by the Life Saver, their Hybrid Count was considerably shaved off.

Yurishia wiped off her sweat.

“If it stays like this, we won’t have any energy left to destroy the main cannon!”

“Yurishia-san!”

Himekawa put her hand on the sword on her hips.

Looking at that, Yurishia stopped her pace.

Himekawa also imitated her.

“We are killing it, Hayuru!”

“Yes, that’s what I wish for!”

However, there was no time. The remaining time until the starting of the battleship bombardment was only three minutes.

“Both of you, head to the battleship.”

The wind that passed through the side of the two left those words behind.

“Aine!?”

With a tremendous speed, Aine was charging at the Dragre.

Dragre’s flame attacked Aine.

However Aine didn’t dodge it and deployed her Life Saver.

The flame and the Life Saver collided.

“HAAAAAA-!”

The Life Saver parted the flame heading to the Dragre.

Inside the flame, a floating window was opened.

“You idiot! What are you doing!”

“That’s absurd! Aine-san!”

Both of them screamed.

Kizuna who was also looking at that situation opened a line unable to bear it.

{Chidorigafuchi! Stop!}

Aine yelled as if to shake off those voices.

“UAAAAAAAAA-!”

She pierced through the flame.

She passed through the dragon neck.

In front of her eyes was the humanoid upper body.

The thrusters on Aine’s waist and legs spouted fire.

“HAAA-!!”

The full power acceleration added to the force of her charge. A flying kick like a meteor was settled on the Dragre’s body. The shockwave made the Dragre twist its body.

The next moment, the upper body of the Dragre exploded. The dragon body was broken into two and the internal mechanism protruded out. A sound of metal getting wrenched sounded like the death cry of the monster.

The Dragre caused a large explosion.

{Aine!}

{Aine-san!}

Aine’s shoulders were heaving from her painful breathing.

“Even I, can defeat, A-class…… I don’t lose, to, Yurishia……”

A monologue leaked out between her gasping breaths.

A communication came from the two that were going ahead.

{Aine, don’t be rash! Think of combination!}

{That’s right! Let’s form formation! Quickly, this way――}

Aine waved off the noisy windows with her hand and hurried towards the battleship.

In front of that Aine, Kizuna’s window was projected.

{What are you doing so rashly! You use the Life Saver too much!}

“I defeated the category-A right, I didn’t use it pointlessly.”

{Right now your Hybrid Count is…… o, oi! It’s already in 10% see!?}

“If there is that much then it’s enough.”

Aine answered nonchalantly.

“If there is that much――”

Yurishia looked back and confirmed Aine’s figure.

“Good grief…… what a stupid girl-!”

Yurishia clicked her tongue and distributed the Differential Frame’s energy a hundred percent as propelling force.

“We are going ahead!”

“Ah! Even Yurishia-san!”

Himekawa seemed like she was going to cry, but she went away to the rear of the enemy.

The commencement of the bombardment was one more minute.

Cross’s full acceleration shook off the enemies’ pursuit and brought Yurishia until above the battleship.

“Looks like, I somehow made it.”

Yurishia stopped stock still in the sky.

She deployed the Differential Frame, and this time she directed the whole output into the particle cannon’s attack power.

Below her the large battleship was slowly but surely invading forward.

While she was charging her attack, Himekawa and Aine caught up.

“Yurishia-san!”

“Yes. I’ll settle this now.”

In contrast with her light tone, Yurishia was glaring grimly at the battleship.

Yurishia’s particle cannon was directed at the battleship’s main cannon.

“Now, prepare yourself, Hell Fi――”

At that time when Yurishia was going to start shooting, the enemy battleship was flashing momentarily.

――!?

The next moment, barrage of light was fired spreading from the enemy battleship filling their whole field of vision.

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

They barely defended against the enemy’s bombardment using the Life Saver.

“Kuh……! Thi, this thing…… uu!”

Yurishia couldn’t endure and moved back from the pressure.

Himekawa and Aine were also the same.

It was anti air shooting with dreadful density. There was no place to evade or escape.

{Oi! You all okay!?}

Communication from Reiri came, but they couldn’t even respond.

And then, the large battleship’s main cannon began to move. The cannon turret was facing diagonally above and ominous light began to gather in that direction.

Aine and the others opened their eyes wide.

――Time up.

The battleship from another universe was beginning the bombardment.

Glaring flash ran. The explosion shockwave assaulted the three above the sky like an earthquake.

“-!?”

A giant ball of light flew heading to Ataraxia.

The ball of light landed on Ataraxia in a flash, it crashed into the defensive wall at the outer circumference and exploded. The building’s armor was torn off and broke down.

Intense bombardment was beginning.

Bombing of light was thrown from the enemy battleship one after another.

It hit the city one after another, the streets and buildings that lowered down shutters were blown away ridiculously. Large amount of glasses and fragments scattered apart, they were breaking down in flame.

Enemy bombardment covered the sky and literally rained down.

“Aaa, geez! What should we do now!?”

Nearby the large battleship, Yurishia and the others were also bathed in concentrated firing.

“If, if it keeps like this, our Hybrid Count will only decrease little by little! We have to do something!”

Aine was staring at the enemy’s flagship.

“――Nothing we can do but flying into its bosom.”

Aine’s thrusters radiated light, raising its output.

“Aine-san? What are you planning to do?”

“We have no chance of victory in bombardment battle. If that’s so, then we have to board the enemy’s battleship and fight hand-to-hand.”

Himekawa and Yurishia doubted their ears.

“Please don’t say something absurd! There is no way you can get close through this barrage!”

“That’s right. First we have to take distance, yes, from different direction we――”

Aine flew away without listening to the two’s talk.

“Aine-san!”

Himekawa immediately yelled.

“No-! Aine!!”

Aine deployed the shield of Life Saver right from the start and charged into the enemy ship with her full speed.

Enemy’s shell hit her and greatly affected her trajectory. Even so, she pushed on.

At that time, her lifeline the Life Saver vanished.

“Wha-……!?”

‘――Why!?’

She immediately understood the reason.

There was no more energy.

Aine bit her lips.

She had no means of defense anymore. Aine dodged the enemy’s shot while heading to the battleship. She predicted the orbit of the enemy’s main cannon and evaded with marvelous mobility.

‘――Just, a little more.’

The anti-air cannons at her flank fired all at once.

With a turn she largely rotated to the side, from there she spun and took a nose dive.

The enemy’s anti-air cannons too couldn’t follow that movement.

‘――Reach!’

She could feel the battleship’s deck was within the range where her hands could reach.

At that instant, she felt an impact as if she was fiercely struck from the side.

‘――Wha……?’

It was the bombarding of the escort ships accompanying the flagship which were silent until now.

Getting hit directly straight from the side, Aine was sent flying.

“CHIDORIGAFUCHIIII-!”

Kizuna screamed while looking up at the monitor of the command room.

Her silver hair was spreading out, Aine’s body was falling to the sea.

Kizuna rushed out from the command room.

“Wait, Kizuna!”

He shook off Reiri’s restraint and ran through the corridor.

‘――Just wait, Chidorigafuchi!’

“Eros!!”