Editing Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 5 Chapter 1 (section)

===Part 2===

That night, Aine took a bath together with Grace and now she would talk with Grace in her room until late at night.

“Ainess-sama is also looking tired, how about resting early for today.”

Not lending her ear to those words of Zelsione, Grace dragged Aine to her room no matter what. On top of the bed where five or six people could sleep in lines, the two of them were sitting cross-legged slovenly. There was no guard inside the room, it was a time for the sisters where there was no interruption. Both of them exposed unladylike figures without minding over anyone’s opinion.

The matching negligees they were wearing were something that first class artisans tailored using high class material. Laces that looked like works of art and fluffy frills were arranged in lovely result. The fabric with texture like a silk was excellent to retain one’s temperature, but it was really light and so thin that it looked transparent. The two large round breasts, and the shape and color of the protrusion on the summits became exposed without anything hiding it.

How did Aine pass these ten years until now, that was what Grace asked and talked about. Grace felt shocked and angered at each and every story of Aine, she was listening in a daze. Aine who was looking at Grace’s expression that kept changing frequently naturally burst out in a smile.

“Hmm……so Nee-sama was really going on a great adventure. Just from listening makes my heart feel like it’s going to stop.”

Grace’s hand touched her chest and she sighed deeply.

“That’s exaggerated. Grace was the one that was really in difficulty right? Really……I’m very sorry.”

Grace shook her head left and right and touched Aine’s lips with her index finger.

“Nee-sama. Apologizing is forbidden already. I don’t think that it’s difficult or anything at all. I protected this place in Nee-sama’s absence as a little sister. That’s all there is to it.”

Grace smiled happily. That was not a face as the representative of the Vatlantis Empire. It was the honest face of a fifteen year old girl.

“But……”

Even if she was told that, the feeling of guilt couldn’t be easily wiped off. Aine disappeared from this world at seven years old. Grace was five years old at that time. She was made to sit in the seat of emperor at a little under five years old and passed these ten years at this whirlpool of trickery that was this imperial castle. Even Aine could easily imagine, that it wasn’t merely something ordinary.

Suddenly, she recalled about the incident in the audience room.

That Grace who innocently chased after her back, killed with her own hands one of the nobles of the faction that supported herself. She did it very easily, without any hesitation at all.

When Aine’s face looked down in melancholy feeling, she could hear a nostalgic melody.

{The goddess is dancing. With nothingness, with death, with the emperor. And then to eternity.}

Grace closed her eyes and hummed a song.

That was a song that was handed down in the royal family.

Aldea once sang this song for Aine to hear. That was to test Aine. If she showed a reaction, that would mean she had some kind of connection with the first princess Ainess whose whereabouts was unknown.

“……I even completely forgot, about that song too.”

“Is that so? Even though Nee-sama liked this song in your childhood.”

She didn’t understand the meaning of the song lyrics, but she had heard that it came from the inscription on Genesis. She didn’t know more than that. Even so, she liked this melody, she liked singing this song together with her little sister.

“Nee-sama. Just like when we were small, let’s together――”

There was the sound of the door being knocked, after that Zelsione’s voice could be heard.

“Grace-sama, Ainess-sama, excuse me.”

The door opened and Zelsione’s face peeked inside.

“What is it? I should have told you to not disturb us tonight.”

To soothe the displeased Grace, Zelsione lowered her head with a smiling face.

“My apologies. Tomorrow morning, there will be a ceremony held for the greeting of Ainess-sama’s return towards the people of the empire. The dress will be tailored throughout this night, so at least we have to take the measurements.”

Grace pursed her lips “Mu” and her words stayed in her throat.

“Then it can’t be helped. After all there is no way we can let Nee-sama come out in front of the people of the empire in a shabby appearance.”

After emphasizing to Aine persistently to return back after the measurements, she was finally permitted to go out from Grace’s room. Aine followed behind Zelsione, walking through the astonishing wide and long corridor. After turning over several corners and up a stair, they came to a halt.

“This way.”

Zelsione opened a door. When she entered inside, Aine reflexively felt like her chest was constricted.

“This is……my”

“Yes. This is the room of Ainess-sama.”

Aine stepped her feet inside her room from ten years ago.

The room with a space of more than a hundred tatami was fitting for a princess, it was overflowing with elegant and lovely furnishings. At the center was a bed attached with canopy. A little distance away was a large desk for studying and a chair. Near the window was a dressing table. Bookshelves were lined up along the wall, she could see the lighting of the castle town from the large window. Aine touched every single furniture inside the room as if to ascertain their texture, making sure of their existences.

‘――That’s right. Certainly this is my room.’

Aine had three rooms. One was this room. The second was the one at Nayuta Lab, the bland room without anything in it. And then the third was the one in the exclusive floor for Amaterasu at the student dormitory, the room where there were many books and videos piling up like mountains.

Each of the room didn’t resemble each other at all. But, without any doubt all of them were her rooms. They were like the mirror that reflected her self at the respective times.

‘――Which room is the most fitting for the current me I wonder?’

“The artisan will arrive in no time, so please wait here for a while.”

“I understand……hey, Zel. Can you, leave me alone for a little?”

“Ainess-sama?”

Zelsione showed her a worried expression, so Aine replied with a wry smile.

“It’s nothing big. I have been surrounded by everyone all this time, so I want to calm myself down alone. I won’t go anywhere by myself so rest easy.”

“I understand. Forgive me for my lack of consideration.”

Zelsione bowed faithfully and then left the room.

Listening to the distancing steps, Aine released a sigh of relief. She stared at the city of Zeltis that was visible from the window and released a large sigh once more.

Her battle with the AU as a member of Amaterasu just a little under half a day before felt like a lie. Her facing the Tokyo recapture operation with the preparedness to die felt like something of the distant past.

‘――Is this, really okay like this?’

Such thinking flashed in her head.

‘No, what am I thinking? In the first place I’m a human of this side am I not? It was only because I lost my memory and fell to the enemy’s hand that I helplessly lived there.’

She thought so. Yet despite thinking so, for some reason it was hard for her to swallow that excuse right now.

More than half of her life was spent as Chidorigafuchi Aine. In these ten years, what was constructing her current self was the time she spent as Aine which was longer than the time she spent as Ainess.

Aine pressed her head as if she was feeling a headache.

Herself was created from two selves that ran counter with each other. But it didn’t mean that she had two personalities. Both of them were herself, existences that were hard to throw away.

However the two selves that composed herself, Aine and Ainess wouldn’t tolerate each other’s existence.

And that this could even change the position of the war between Lemuria and Vatlantis.

‘――What should I do?’

She didn’t understand. But, there was important things. The safety of Kizuna and the others who became prisoner, of Amaterasu and Masters. She had strictly ordered so that they wouldn’t be treated cruelly, but tomorrow she would confirm it properly.

Aine clenched her hand tightly and resolved herself. At that time, there was the sound of the door opening behind her.

“Zel? You came back?”

A different person was standing where she turned her head at.

“Excuse me, Aine.”

There was only one person in this Vatlantis who called Aine like that.

White long coat like a doctor’s robe and long black hair. The face that really resembled the commander of Amaterasu, Hida Reiri made one unable to feel her age. Since Aine met her ten years ago, she looked like she hadn’t changed at all.

“Professor……Nayuta.”

“Aah, excuse me. Right now you are your highness the emperor of Vatlantis aren’t you? Or else should I better call you Ainess?”

“……Aine is fine. Just what business do you have with me I wonder?”

“No, until now I didn’t know that your highness is the emperor and acted impolitely so often, and so I came to beg for your forgiveness.”

Aine stared hard at Nayuta with a grim face.

“You didn’t know……you?”

The corner of Nayuta’s lips rose.

“Correct.”

There was no way that was true. If it was this person.

“Actually you had noticed my true identity right? Perhaps, since a long time ago already. That was why you used that kind of forceful method to try to release the Forbidden Armament. Because you knew that if you do that then my memory will come back.”

Nayuta raised her voice cheerfully towards Aine’s pressing.

“A good reasoning. If I honestly speak, I didn’t have the definite proof that Aine is a human of Vatlantis……that’s how it is. I understood that Zeros is loaded with a weapon other than Corruption Armament. Your memory didn’t really return with normal Climax Hybrid, so I attempted to release the Forbidden Armament. For that, suitable resolve of Aine herself and an urgent situation were necessary. A situation where it was unavoidable. For that sake I took a hundred thousand people hostage. Although――”

Nayuta narrowed her eyes and stared fixedly at Aine, it was unclear whether she was happy, or being mean.

“It was a little shocking, that what the lives of a hundred thousand people couldn’t achieve, could be achieved with the single life of Kizuna. Is this what is called the power of a maiden in love?”

Aine’s cheeks became red in a flash.

“Shut up! Why can you do such inhuman things so calmly!? Those innocent people……even Kizuna almost really died there. He is your child!”

“That was the most efficient method, so it cannot be helped.”

“That……that’s really, unbelievable……”

Aine couldn’t close her opened mouth from the calm answer of Nayuta.

“Actually I planned for Aine to recover your memory with my hand. To have the distinguished service of rescuing the first princess will make it easier to approach Grace-sama, it will be convenient to act in Vatlantis then. But, unfortunately you failed your Climax Hybrid. And there I had to let Zelsione-sama take the credit.”

Aine’s body was shivering. She didn’t know if it was from rage or from helplessness. Emotions were rampaging inside her chest. If she didn’t clench her fist and bit her lips, it felt like she would explode.

“The commander said it didn’t she? That you are a demon.”

“Yeah, it seemed so. What a cruel way of talking towards her biological mother.”

“It’s only natural that she said that!”

Nayuta smiled cheerfully with her usual gentle expression.

“Is that so? In reality, Ainess-sama could recover her memory like this and returned home to Vatlantis. Besides, the unprecedented danger which the current Vatlantis is falling into will be resolved in the near future. Rather than a demon, am I not closer to an angel instead?”

‘――Just what is this person talking about so shamelessly?’

“……Professor Nayuta. What is your objective?”

“My objective?”

Nayuta put her finger on her lips and pondered with a gesture like a child. And then she lifted her face as if she had thought of something, making a smile like a holy mother.

“There is particularly nothing.”

“Nothing you say……”

Aine lost her words.

“There is no way that’s true!? Why did you create Heart Hybrid Gear? Despite doing that, why did you now defect to Vatlantis? I don’t understand what do you want to do. Are you the ally of mankind? Or else the ally of Vatlantis? Why are you acting as if you are only inviting chaos?”

“That itself is not my objective. Of course, I could hypothesize that such fact would take place, but it was the result of advancing my experiment, it was only a side effect that such fact occurred.”

Nayuta answered with her usual smile.

“You know, I cannot tolerate that there is something in this world that I don’t know about.”

Gentle smiling face. But that was a fixed mask. Her eyes were not laughing. Those were eyes that were constantly observing and analyzing the target.

“That’s why if there is something that I don’t know about, I become wanting to obtain and investigate it. Whether it’s Heart Hybrid Gear, or the Entrance, or the magic weapon, and then even this world too.”

A purity in the level of absurdity, a simplicity in which one could feel madness.

Endless greed for knowledge and transcendental curiosity.

The result of those things granted with gifted intellect was this human called Hida Nayuta.

“This world……is that so, you plan to obtain this Vatlantis next aren’t you? Using this me as your puppet.”

Nayuta pleasantly laughed.

“Fufufu, no way. I don’t have any interest for this country’s influence. After this I don’t think I will have anything to do with all of you. Please rest assured.”

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“……Really?”

“Yes. I won’t do anything at all to Kizuna and the others, and to Aine too. From now on, please, all of you do whatever you please with both worlds, Vatlantis and Earth.”

Aine felt anticlimax from Nayuta’s unexpected words. No, could she even believe what she said?

About Nayuta. She might be still thinking about something outrageous. Aine stared fixedly at Nayuta’s face from the side in order to read what was inside her heart.

Nayuta was staring outside from the window.

Ahead of her gaze was the center of this world. The pillar that supported this world and created life.

“……It seems that I’ve stayed a little too long. Zelsione-san will return here soon so I better leave.”

“Ah, wait. I still have――”

“Right, how about I give you just one advice. About dealing with Kizuna and the others, isn’t it better to leave them alone for a while? I earnestly ask you not to go to meet them or favor them specially.”

“Eh? Wait――”

Nayuta exited the room while her white coat flapped behind.

Aine sighed and stared outside the window. She stared at the same scenery that Nayuta was looking at just now. That was the Genesis, which was towering tall inside the darkness of the night.

‘Professor Nayuta said, that she won’t do anything to Kizuna and all of us anymore. If that’s really true, then one uneasiness should be resolved with this.’

However, an anxiety that couldn’t be wiped out was lurking inside Aine’s chest.