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

===Part 4===

The prison building where Kizuna and the others were at was separated from the imperial castle. Around a hundred of half-sphere domes were lined up orderly. Actually inside the prison that was made from a gouged out lump of crystal was completely spherical because its lower part was buried in the ground. Inside the protective wall of the crystal, several layers of magic formula were imprinted, and due to that particular disposition, the person locked inside would be affected by the mechanism that absorbed the magic power from their body in fixed amounts. In other words, even if the prisoner attempted to escape or insurrection, they would soon run empty of their magic power and became unable to resist.

Kizuna passed a few days being imprisoned inside that prison. The wound that was inflicted by Zelsione had also mostly recovered. After finishing the daily flexibility exercises and muscle training that he decided himself, he lied down on the bed.

The size of the room was around eight tatami, but there wasn’t particularly any discomfort. Rather it was an extraordinary treatment for a prisoner. The inside was clean and he was given warm and delicious meals three times a day. He also wasn’t interrogated or tortured. But, he completely didn’t know anything else other than that. The crystal wasn’t that transparent, it was like a cloudy glass where the scenery outside looked ambiguous. Light penetrated inside, so he could somehow differentiate afternoon and night. However he didn’t understand about the others’ situation. He didn’t have any way of knowing whether the members of Amaterasu or everyone of Masters were put somewhere else, or were they put in the same prison nearby.

The color of the ceiling was dark. That was why he understood that it was night right now. However, the lighting of this prison was from outside, so inside became almost true darkness.

Kizuna stared hard at the bracelet which was fixed on his right hand. This thing interfered with putting on magic armor, so it was impossible to escape. However, he couldn’t stay like this forever. He was also worried about everyone, and also of Megafloat Japan and Ataraxia too.

When he imagined about this and that, his imagination would unconsciously go to a bad direction, so it felt like his heart would break.

‘――Get a hold of yourself, Hida Kizuna. Eventually there will be a chance to escape. It will come for sure. For the sake of that time, train your body, sharpen your mind. So that when the time comes that you meet the chance, you will notice it and not let it get away.’

After a while he also did push-ups and sit-ups. He laid down spread-eagled and rest his fatigued muscles. When he closed his eyes from the comfortable tiredness, there was a figure that naturally floated inside his heart.

The girl with silver hair and red eyes.

“Aine……what are you doing right now?”

If Aine was the princess of this world, then surely she wouldn’t meet any bad experience. But, he didn’t know about the AU. It would be great if she didn’t get involved with some kind of trouble or conflict.

Since they came to this world, Aine didn’t come to meet him for even once. It granted a stroke of uneasiness inside Kizuna’s chest.

‘By any chance, has Aine abandoned us already?

Has she become our enemy in body and soul?’

“That’s stupid.”

Kizuna opened his eyes and spoke to drown out the anxiety in his heart.

“Just calm down. Soon Aine will come to meet……no, she will come to help.”

‘That’s right. Even if she has the past of being the princess of another world, that girl is our comrade. She is Amaterasu’s Chidorigafuchi Aine.

Right now Aine too has only just arrived in another world, so she must be confused or busy. If she settle down, then she should be become our strength without fail――!?’

At that time, the door of the entrance opened without any previous sign.

Kizuna leaped up from his bed in shock.

“……-!”

And then, he looked at the silhouette of the person standing there and his voice hitched.

Aine wearing a glittering long dress of pink and white color was standing there.

“A……Aine!?”

“Kizuna……that, it’s been, a while.”

Aine couldn’t look at Kizuna’s face straight, she looked timid. She looked up as if to take a peek at Kizuna. It was as if she was a scolded puppy peeking at its master’s mood.

“Ho, how is your wound I wonder? Your health is fine?”

“Yeah……even the wound in my leg is fine already.”

Kizuna restrained the fierce beating of his heart and answered as natural as possible.

“I, see. That recovery degree is just like a lizard aren’t you?”

Aine too tried to act like how she usually was as much as possible. However it ended there, the two fell into complete silence. Aine tried to open her mouth several times, but each time she faltered.

Even though he wanted to meet Aine so much like that, now that he met her the inside of his head was pure white. He could only see what was reflected in his eyes. Her hair that was flowing beautifully, her make-up, most of his thoughts were occupied by Aine who was wearing a dress.

“Those clothes……it really suites you.”

“Eh? Right……that’s because, I asked Zelsione to secretly take me here in the middle of a party.”

“When I saw you wearing a dress before I thought that you looked like a princess, but……I never thought, that you are actually a real princess.”

Seemingly reassured by Kizuna’s calm attitude, Aine showed a smiling face even if an awkward one.

“Hey, Kizuna……that, are you fine from the earthquake just now?”

“Yeah, that was quite big. Does Vatlantis also have a lot of earthquakes? It’s like in Japan huh.”

Aine suddenly pursed her lips tightly, and then she entered the prison in resolve.

“Li, listen, Kizuna. Actually――”

“Is everyone else safe?”

Just when she stepped forward in resolve, Kizuna’s question hit her like a counter. Aine wanted to escape, but she somehow held her ground. She forcefully created a smile under her knitted eyebrows.

“Ye-, yes……of course, they are safe. I didn’t allow them……to be hurt.”

“Is that so……I’m relieved if you say that. I have various things that I want to ask. What happened with our original world? Right now, how is the relation with the AU?”

Kizuna stared straight at Aine with a serious look. Aine flinched from that gaze. She averted her eyes and she intertwined the fingers of both her hands.

“I, I have something to discuss about that……right now even the world on this side, is in a little trouble……it’s difficult to explain it but……it needs magic power.”

“Magic power?”

Kizuna’s look became grim. Aine’s shoulders twitched just from that as if she was being scolded.

“And so, if it’s possible it will be like helping each other, I want everyone of Lemuria……of earth to share their magic power. I want to ask Kizuna’s opinion about what do you think……ah, of course I think that if Vatlantis settles down we will need to give compensation or something.”

Kizuna felt confusion from the sudden story. However he desperately tried to understand what Aine was talking about.

“That’s, something like the magic power plant in Tokyo?”

“Tha, that is……”

Aine’s eyes swam everywhere.

“Perhaps, like that.”

Kizuna flared up and reflexively yelled.

“What are you saying! You saw it too right? That state of Tokyo. Are you saying that a horrible installation like that is needed? Rather, it’s no good unless we stop it right now!”

“Yes, I don’t want to do the brainwashing. But, unless everyone obediently gives their cooperation……if there is no magic power from earth……this world will break.”

“……What?”

“In this world, there is a pillar which is supporting the world……if there is no magic power, it won’t function normally. Like that, right now Vatlantis is facing a danger of destruction. The earthquake just now was also because of this.”

Kizuna lost his words from the story of Aine which he had never even imagined.

He couldn’t understand what he should say.

‘――This world is breaking down? Because of that they invaded our world?

What Kaa-san created, that magic power plant is also a facility for that.

However……while that may be true, can the things the AU had done to us be forgiven?

Can a facility that treats us as livestock be allowed?

But, Aine is positive of that.

Moreover, Aine desired to stand in the position of the AU.’

Kizuna clenched his fist. His body was trembling from indescribable emotion.

“Aine. Even if that’s the case……it cannot become a good reason to invade the earth. Or else, Aine, do you think if it’s for the sake of saving the people of Vatlantis, it doesn’t matter whatever is being done to the people of earth? That it’s fine even if people are being brainwashed and their life sucked out like livestock?”

“-……!? I don’t think of them as livestock or anything! Isn’t that obvious! I’m not making them like that, I just want help. I want them to share their energy a little. With that……everyone will be saved. That’s why-”

“Then, this shouldn’t be a one-sided talk like this. Isn’t that right?”

The prison wasn’t that spacious. After Kizuna took two, three steps forward, he had already approached until the spot where he could immediately touch Aine.

“Ki, Kizuna.”

Aine almost stepped back. She bit her lips and held her ground.

“Aine. If you are really thinking of wanting help, that you want to cooperate, we should talk to each other as equals.”

“I know that. But, there is no time. What happened just now is not just an earthquake. That was Genesis causing malfunction and beginning to collapse this world. Because of that earthquake, a lot of innocent people died you know?”

“We had our people killed in numbers many times over by the AU fellows. Even you understand that well right? After all you also fought the AU.”

“That’s……”

“After massacring us utterly like that, now to ask for help so suddenly, isn’t that too selfish?”

Aine dropped her gaze and stared at her feet. Her legs were trembling.

She understood Kizuna’s point so well that it hurt.

But, she had the duty of protecting the people of Vatlantis. Aine raised her face in resolve.

“Perhaps right now your freedom is taken, but it won’t stay like that. Absolutely. I will return the freedom and make it so both sides can speak equally for sure. The act that was done to Lemuria, I will compensate for it in some kind of way for sure. That’s why……believe me.”

Aine looked up at Kizuna with moist eyes.

Her expression was desperate.

However, looking at Aine’s entreaty to him, on the contrary fury was seething inside Kizuna helplessly.

‘So she is this desperate in order to save the AU.

This is not in the least something for saving us and the earth.

 

――The Chidorigafuchi Aine that we know is not here anymore.’

 

“Got it.”

Aine’s face enthusiastically became bright from those words.

“Kizuna! Thank you. Of course I understand that this doesn’t mean that I received permission. But, I’m happy that I can understand each other with Kizuna.”

Tears were floating in the corners of Aine’s eyes, with her expression as if she had received the greatest happiness. She was really happy that she took Kizuna’s hand and talked without stopping.

“Now I have confidence just from you telling me that. I will show you that Vatlantis and Lemuria can both become happy without fail.”

“……If we are talking about that, first, can you let me out from here?”

“That’s……I can’t. Yet.”

Aine made a bewildered expression.

“Bu, but, from today I will come to meet you everyday. I want to consult about various things. That, I will begin to work, so that you can even go outside. Ah, of course, eventually you will become a free man. Like, I, becoming a bridge that connected the two worlds……with Kizuna.”

Aine spun her words desperately with reddened cheeks. Anxious expression floated behind the smiling face, cold sweat was flowing out. As if to convey her feeling, Aine put her palm on Kizuna’s chest timidly.

Kizuna’s hand grasped that wrist.

“Then, when will it be?”

“Ki, Kizuna?”

“Even while we are doing something like this, the range of the magic power plant in our world should be spreading wider. We are also the same in that we don’t have time. We cannot be so carefree. Aine, cooperate with me so I can escape from here.”

“Wa, wait. Calm down Kizuna. I beg you so――”

At that moment, a light blue light appeared from behind Aine. A supple whip entangled around Kizuna’s neck like a snake and lifted his body really easily.

“Guh! Wh, at?”

Just when he heard *hyuu* a sound that was like cutting wind, Kizuna’s body was thrown away and struck the wall of the prison.

“Guha-!”

His back was struck hard, then he dropped to the floor still unable to breath.

“Kizuna!”

A magic armored arm held back the shoulder of Aine who was going to rush to him.

“Zel……”

It was Zelsione with the magic armor [Teros] equipped. She was glaring at Kizuna with a gaze filled with killing intent.

“Zel, I begged you that much to leave the two of us alone……!”

Zelsione gently pushed Aine’s body behind her and swung the whip towards Kizuna. Together with a sharp sound, Kizuna’s back was carved with a red line.

“GUAA!”

Severe pain assaulted Kizuna’s whole body. That pain made him literally writhe on the floor.

“You insolent fool! Even though originally you wouldn’t even be allowed to talk directly to Ainess-sama……you took advantage of Ainess-sama’s generosity and made so many outrage, this is the limit of my patience already!”

Zelsione changed her whip into a sword and held aloft the sword towards Kizuna.

“Zeros!”

Zeros was instantly equipped on the body of Aine which was wearing a dress. Aine cut in front of the sword that Zelsione swung down with a terrific speed.

“!?”

The hand of Zelsione that was swinging the sword down was grasped with Aine standing in her way to protect Kizuna.

“Zel! Stop it!”

“Please release me Ainess-sama!”

Aine clung to Zelsione and like that she pushed her until outside the prison.

Right after that, the door of the entrance was closing. Aine turned to that gap and yelled.

“Kizuna! I’ll absolutely save you. That’s why, wait quietly there for now. Please!”

And then Kizuna was locked inside the prison once more, with a large wall separating the two from the inside.

“Ainess-sama.”

Aine lowered her head towards Zelsione who seemed to want to complain.

“I’m sorry Zel……but, I”

Zelsione sighed and glared at the dome prison with irritated eyes.

“Please be careful Ainess-sama. He was once your comrade, but right now the positions of the both of you are respectively different. We won’t understand what he will do when he is in a corner.”

However Aine glared at Zelsione rigidly and showed an enraged face.

“No way! Kizuna won’t do such thing. Even what happened just now was only because he was a little flustered. Kizuna won’t harm me or anything, absolutely.”

Aine turned on her heel and walked the path towards the imperial castle.

“Ainess-sama……”

Looking at the back figure of Aine who was like that, Zelsione’s face clouded. And then she glared once more at the prison where Kizuna was locked. Those eyes were shining with cold killing intent.

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