Editing Leviathan:Volume 3 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 4===

The materials Hal had prepared was a certain shrine's historical record.

A so-called historical record referred to a document recording a shrine or temple's roots and origins. This particular shrine was located in the Tokai region of Honshu on the Pacific shore. Established during the early Kamakura period, its history stretched quite far back.

Every generation of the chief priest left behind diaries and notes. All related documents that could be obtained were all gathered here.

"Tracing back to the root, my encounter with Hinokagutsuchi at the Witch Mansion was the beginning of everything."

Hal renewed his vigor and began to recount tirelessly.

"However, can my encounter with her be explained simply by coincidence?"

"Haruga-kun, do you believe there was a reason why you two met?"

A question from the audience, Orihime, prompted Hal to nod.

"Yes. In the beginning, I thought she was a ghost attracted by the Mansion's spiritual energy, but lately, I've thought of other possibilities."

''That'' dream was the clue that had inspired Hal.

The Crimson Queen had committed suicide to decide the battle between dragon kings. At the time, the queen i.e. Hinokagutsuchi had dug out her own heartmetal and cast it down to the earth.

After repeatedly experiencing the dream, Hal had confirmed clearly.

The heartmetal had undoubtedly fallen somewhere along a series of curved islands&mdash;Japan.

"These all come from the collection at Shin-Kiba's Witch Mansion... Books and objects related to magic and collected from all over Japan."

"Speaking of which, the library there was also where I met you, Haruga-kun."

"And then, rather than Hinokagutsuchi&mdash;a dragon's ghost&mdash;showing up in the Mansion for no reason, I believe it'd be more convincing to say that she was haunting an enchanted artifact related to her."

"What you mean, Haruga-kun... is that artifact has been moved here together with the Mansion?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm trying to say."

Saying that, Hal looked at Orihime squarely.

"Banking on this idea, which is more like a whim than a hypothesis, I tried to search through the Mansion's catalog. Among the densely written list of items, I ended up discovering the 'five types of divine treasures related to Goddess Hinokagutsuchi.'"

Iron sword, bronze pot, Gamontai divine beast mirror, great blade of gilt bronze and red agate.

These were itemized as the "five divine treasures."

Hal had picked out everything matching the description and placed them in this corner.

"This so-called Hinokagutsuchi was the name of the ''fire god'' appearing in Japanese mythology, right? But rather than a goddess, he was genuinely a male deity. But here, it's written as goddess on purpose."

Hal was quite well-versed in fields such as mythology, history, archaeology and folkloristics.

In order to gather the Grave Goods used in covenant rituals between "serpents" and witches&mdash;magical apparatus for enshrined object emulation&mdash;Hal had learnt a great deal of knowledge.

"There is one theory that the sun goddess Amaterasu was actually a ''male god''. However, this is my first time seeing Hinokagutsuchi in gender reversal. This really bothered me, so I tried to investigate the shrine that venerated Goddess Hinokagutsuchi's divine treasures... I investigated its origins."

Hence, Hal had made a request to Kenjou, asking him to delegate to a certain SAURU branch in the Tokai region the task of gathering information about the shrine in question.

"During the Ken'ei era&mdash;in other words, the early Kamakura period&mdash;the 'fire god's fragment' fell from the sky. Reportedly, 'a goddess that looked like a child' appeared beside the pillow of a villager who had collected the fragment."

"Looked like a child... That's the same as Kagutsuchi-san."

"Thereafter, the fire god's fragment was venerated as divine treasures for which a shrine was built."

"But concluding that Kagutsuchi-san's heartmetal comprises those treasures based on this... Aren't you overthinking things?"

"Responding to your point, I saw it in a dream."

"D-Dream!?"

Confronted with the surprised Orihime, Hal explained the magic gun's guidance and ''Hinokagutsuchi's last moments''.

In particular, "the heartmetal dropped by the red dragon king from the stratosphere" was related to "the origins of the shrine worshiping Goddess Hinokagutsuchi."

"Hinokagutsuchi had said something that could be construed as an admission to this, so I think it's surprisingly probable that my hunch is correct. But it also depends on whether she was lying or not."

"Kagutsuchi-san... probably wouldn't lie, right? After all, she has so much pride."

Orihime commented on the personality of the self-styled devil who was nowhere to be seen.

"As if anyone would stoop as low as lying to you, that's what I feel she'd say."

"I agree. That's why I tried to pick out all the artifacts whose appearance match the five types of divine treasures related to Goddess Hinokagutsuchi. The heartmetals of dragons and 'serpents' are mostly precious metals in spherical form, so the red agate&mdash;one of them&mdash;should be the most likely."

Just red agate alone, there were already nine pieces. Every orb was chipped or cracked.

Then there were six iron swords, four bronze pots, two divine beast mirrors made of bronze and a blade of gilt bronze. Looking at these selected objects, Hal crossed his arms.

"It's also possible that rocks or metals fallen from the sky were melted down and processed, so I can't jump to conclusions. How should I confirm...?"

"Can't you use a treasure hunter's intuition or experience to find a solution?"

"Unfortunately, a dragon's heartmetal isn't part of my professional expertise."

Hal shrugged and muttered, "Although I tried reading a part of the collected information, hoping there might be clues... It was futile. I'm guessing nothing essential will be found in the unread remainder too."

The gathered ancient texts were laid out on the table.

Hal had hastily read through the shrine's historical record, which the chief priest had recompiled during the Meiji period, as well as the chief priest's diary that had recorded shrine related matters.

The remainder consisted of materials dating earlier back to the Edo period and even the Muromachi period.

However, he would have to be prepared to spend a great deal of time if he wanted to read these materials in detail. And he was not optimistic regarding whether corresponding rewards could be reaped.

"Even if I used magical methods to check&mdash;"

Hal stared intently and activated magical sight.

The majority of the various artifacts selected as heartmetal candidates glowed faintly. The rest of them were shrouded in dim mist instead. However, enchanted artifacts carried magical or mystical energies to begin with, which was why they were housed in the Witch Mansion. This was an expected and logical result.

"It doesn't seem particularly meaningful..."

"How difficult..."

"I might as well bring a police dog and have it look for things with Hinokagutsuchi's scent, how about that?"

"But she is a ghost without a scent to begin with, right?"

"Since she's able to eat and touch things, she should have a tangible body of sorts. I've also gathered a portion of her remains."

Hal picked up a flask kept on the side of the table.

"Back when I received the Rune of the Bow, Hinokagutsuchi had briefly and temporarily revived her past body&mdash;the one she had as a dragon&mdash;to drive away the pursuing dragon."

"Ahhh! It was when the dragons were targeting us in Old Tokyo!"

"Yeah. Back then, Hinokagutsuchi's body quickly crumbled into dust and was blown away by the wind... But I gathered some of it from the scene at Tokyo Station. After thoroughly eliminating sand and dust, this remaining powder is what used to be part of a dragon's body."

The flask in Hal's hand was filled with white powder.

The dragon king known as the Crimson Queen in the past&mdash;part of the scattered remains when her body collapsed. Hal had gathered it as a sample.

Looking at the flash and the white powder, Orihime exhaled.

"How astounding, to think you went to such lengths... It's a bit beyond my imagination."

"Rather, it's better to say this is my field of expertise in the first place. Brandishing a weird gun to fight dragons in massive battles is the special exception instead. However&mdash;"

Hal sighed, naturally because of gloom.

"What comes next is hard to say."

"Eh? Haruga-kun, don't tell me you intend to switch careers to become a hero!?"

"I know I'm not cut out for it, at least. If I'm going to switch careers, I'd most likely change to something even more useless."

After chuckling ironically, Hal looked up above him.

"Sigh, let's get back on topic. The current problem is finding the heartmetal. It's probably pointless even if I bring a police dog or a drug detection dog. What to do?"

"Speaking of dogs... Isn't Akuro-Ou similar to a dog?"

Hal could not help but smile wryly because Orihime was speaking with a serious expression.

"No no, no matter the resemblance, she's ultimately just a dog-like non-living creature&mdash;"

"But if it's her, she should be quite sensitive towards magic-related things and dragon presences, shouldn't she?"

Hal wanted to dismiss the notion with a laugh, but immediately changed his mind.

The leviathan named Akuro-Ou possessed a form intermediate between a fox and a wolf. But regardless, nothing changed the fact that she belonged in the canid family.

And just as Orihime had pointed out, one might place their hopes on her superior senses to surpass what could be achieved by smell&mdash;


"So this is what Akuro-Ou selected."

Hal pointed at an orb of red agate, seven centimeters or so in diameter. Roughly a third of it was missing and the surface was covered with tiny cracks.

Next to the outdoor dining table in front of the library, Hal was explaining to Asya and Luna Francois.

As a side note, the two girls were dressed identically in the Academy's uniform.

"A former dragon king's heartmetal. The 'fire god's fragment' that had fallen from the sky roughly eight hundred years ago. Hinokagutsuchi's spirit dwells within this thing."

A night had passed since Akuro-Ou finished appraising.

This was already the fourth morning after the dragon king's army had "occupied" Tokyo.

Last night, Hal and Orihime had moved the various artifacts, heartmetal candidates, out to the sports ground then summoned Akuro-Ou. As before when they summoned her in Old Tokyo, she was shrunk down to roughly three meters in body length.

Then Akuro-Ou examined these artifacts like a drug detection dog.

The result of the appraisal was now reflecting the sun's morning rays on the table. It was one of the nine orbs of red agate.

"...But we still can't be 100% certain."

"However, judging from your description, this possibility seems to be highly likely."

Luna Francois nodded while Asya murmured on the side, "R-Right. Thanks to Haruomi and Orihime-san, the dragon king's heartmetal was found... But come to think of it, I can't believe you were happily flirting away with a girl under the same roof..."

"Fufu. This is also an outcome of camping together<nowiki>~~</nowiki>"

Asya was making a sour face for some reason. In contrast, Luna Francois was beaming on purpose.

"After thoroughly enjoying a camping life served by two young beauties, commonly known as having a lady on each arm, Harry's motivation must have risen to the highest point, yes?"

"Haruomi! You're better off acting like a herbivore and doing nothing as always!"

"But actually, I enjoyed it quite a bit... It's also true that they helped out a lot..."

"Fufu. If it pleases you, I could arrange another one next time, how about that?"

"...If a chance comes up, please do lend your assistance."

"Gah, you traitor!"

"It's clearly just camping together in harmony, why am I getting scolded...?"

Denounced by Asya, Hal tilted his head in puzzlement.

Meanwhile, Orihime and Hazumi had gone over to the cultural clubs building next door to deliver breakfast to President M.

Hal looked at the table again. Apart from the heartmetal of red agate, there was also the flask of white powder gathered from the remains of Hinokagutsuchi's collapsed body.

"We need to gather samples of this type in vast quantities for research. The ultimate goal is to create 'new imitations,' I guess."

"New imitations?"

"Different from the current leviathans?"

"Yeah. Instead of imitation dragons, imitation dragon kings."

Hearing Hal, the master witches jumped in surprise.

The "serpents" they controlled were precisely "imitation dragons," but compared to elites and dragon kings, "serpents" were undoubtedly feeble beings.

"Think about it for a second. Didn't our parents' generation discover within arctic ice the creation of ancient magi, a homunculus in dragon form&mdash;a goddess of antiquity&mdash;thereby using them as a reference to synthesize leviathans?"

"Yes. That goddess is Grandmother Immortal."

"And right now, she continues to live in Istanbul's underground, the grandmother and archetype of all 'serpents.'"

Since the trio had been involved with SAURU starting from their parents' generation, communication was particularly easy.

The two girls immediately understood what Hal was implying.

"Anyway, after securing this heartmetal&mdash;"

Looking at the red agate on the table, Hal whispered quietly, "As the first modern human to discover 'the power of dragonbane,' I wish to fulfill my obligations to future generations. Even if I were to perish in the immediate future, resulting in the loss of the Rune of the Bow... My intent is to leave something like a sapling of hope for future generations by securing this heartmetal."

"Haruomi, it's time for&mdash;"

Just by listening to this introduction, Asya understood.

Completely setting aside her earlier expression of bitterness, she nodded solemnly.

"Yeah, Rushalka's rebirth. Apart from that, I guess we've got to attempt the challenge of retaking Tokyo New Town. Still, it feels like 'there's nothing to lose' in trying to retake New Town."

Hal chanted a magic incantation. In truth, it was an exceedingly difficult mission.

"An elite alone would be fine, but this time, there is a dragon king and her minion backing him."

"If we were to fail, New Town would be abandoned immediately, scrapping the city&mdash;Isn't that right?"

Luna Francois and Asya concurred rather irresponsibly.

Precisely because they knew best how formidable were the enemies that had shown up at New Town, they did not recklessly speak in optimistic tones.

In any case, the master-class witches and Hal nodded at one another.

"By the way, can I ask a question, Luna?"

Once the discussion reached a conclusion, Hal changed the subject.

At the same time, he stared at this American girl who had inexplicably changed into the Academy's female uniform like Asya. Starting from the moment he saw her this morning, Hal had been very curious.

"Why are you in uniform today?"

"Do as the Romans do, so the saying goes. Besides, wearing the same attire allows my physical traits to be more clearly contrasted against Asya's♪"

"W-What do you mean by contrast!? Sure, it's true that Luna's slightly more curvy!"

"Not slightly but far more voluptuous, yes? However, I might possibly lose out to Orihime-san. Japanese figures are marvelous these days."

At this moment, Hal's cellphone rang.

It happened to be the subject of their conversation. The owner of an outstanding figure was calling.

"What's up, Juujouji?"

'Ah, Haruga-kun? President M has issued emergency summons. Hurry over now!'


Reportedly, President M was apparently on the clubs building's roof when breakfast was delivered.

Ignoring the arrival of Orihime and Hazumi, she kept her eyes closed and meditated for thirty minutes. Then without warning, she opened her eyes wide and emitted a mighty shout.

Emergency breakfast time followed immediately.

After finishing an entire rice cooker's worth of white rice, cooked from four cups of raw rice, President M said, "Get me everyone involved in my clubs! I shall show you the fruits of my training!"

Consequently, Hal and Asya rushed over in haste.

Under the gazes of four people including Hazumi and Orihime, President M slowly began to speak, "Two full days of training has led to my ascension to a new realm. The way I am now, I feel that I can even oppose the Great Old Ones and phantasmal demons from the macrocosm's abyss..."

"A-Amazing..."

"Although it's worth pointing out that training duration was only two days..."

Ignoring the whispers between Hazumi and Orihime, President M shouted "Hah!" loudly.

Expecting a massive explosion, Hal entered a precautionary stance but surprisingly, nothing happened at all. On everyone's behalf, Asya asked skeptically, "...Are you trying to do something like a transformation?"

"Don't be ludicrous, it's not like I have some kind of hyperbolic whatever chamber. Two mere days of training won't amount to monumental changes. Nevertheless, I still achieved distinct results. Am I right, Haruga?"

Stared at by President M's round eyes, Hal could not help but feel a pang of fright.

"When I 'looked' at you last time, I could not see anything resembling a proper destiny. But as I am now, I might be able to see something. Would you like a try?"

"Uh, my destiny?"

"Indeed. The high-level skill of Life Consultant is an ultimate finishing move. Even a boy as irregular as you would surely beg me for life coaching out of admiration. You are welcome."

"Sure... Then I'll try it out."

The instant Hal made his request, President M leaned over without warning.

Her flowing steps were surprisingly agile, By the time he realized, the president had already struck Hal in the chest with her palm.

"Hah!"

"Uwah!?"

Hal's body was sent flying spectacularly by the sudden palm strike.

Then he fell on his bottom just like that. Meanwhile, President M gazed down at Hal aloofly and said with solemnity, "...Your guiding light has been in your hand since a long time ago. Please remember it when you find yourself cornered and unsure what do do..."

"I-In my hand?"

However, President M did not answer his question.

Her massive body, estimated to weigh 140kg approximately, swayed left and right before collapsing limply. The eccentric, whom Hal and the others ought to call their leader, remained lying on the floor like that.

"She fell asleep...?"

Regular breathing sounds could be heard from the president's mouth. Her eyes were closed.

Had she used up her energy? Next, Hal noticed that his chest was stinging dully even though it was just a light strike.

"As always, anything is possible with her..."

Watching the sleeping president, Hal felt impressed from the bottom of his heart. However, he totally could not comprehend the meaning of the advice she had just offered him&mdash;

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