Editing Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 7 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 4===

Aldea evaded the flying arrow of light just before it could hit her. However the passing arrow drew a large arc and changed direction to attack at Aldea.

“Your arrow is troublesome!”

The imperial guard Tigris squad captain, Mercuria readied her bow and fired arrows one after another.

“Fufufu. In front of this [Arc Drive], you won’t be able to even enter the range for your spear.”

The arrows with automatic homing ability were coming at Aldea in succession.

“Really……surely the owner of this arrow has an underhanded personality.”

“I don’t want to be told anything about personality by you! Aldea!”

New arrow was fired from Arc Drive.

The arrow that flew straight suddenly burst open in the air.

“!?”

The arrow that split into several dozen arrows surrounded Aldea and attacked.

Mercuria grinned widely.

‘――No matter how solid your shields are, there is no way to defend against this number!’

Six shields were floating at Aldea’s surrounding. One of it was transformed into the shape of spear and settled inside Aldea’s hand. Without a moment’s delay Aldea swung that spear.

“Wha-!?”

That moment, the space in front of Aldea distorted. The arrows aiming at Aldea were pulled by an unseen power and distanced away from her.

“Ku……so that’s the space bending ability of Zeel.”

“Haa!”

Aldea swung her spear once more and this time she shrunk the distance until Mercuria in one go.

‘――Wha-!?’

Aldea appeared before her eyes instantly. The spear that shrunk the space attacked Mercuria this time.

“Ugh!”

The swung spear was barely blocked by the blade of the bow.

She wasted no time to rotate the bow and slashed at Aldea. The bow that was made from blade that looked like katana tore Aldea’s arm and scattered blood.

However at the same time the tip of the spear touched Mercuria’s thigh. With the effect of bending space, the leg felt like it was pulled and her body was blown away. The blood spurted out from the cut apart thigh dyed Aldea’s body red.

“You-!”

Controlling her blown away body with her thruster, Mercuria braced herself in the air.

Aldea puffed up her chest elatedly while chuckling ‘fufu’ delightedly.

“This dress is turning lovely from my blood and your blood spurt isn’t it……fufufu.”

Mercuria’s face grimaced from those words.

“Aldea……as always, you still act like a berserker. If only you are a proper human being, you could even become a platoon captain.”

Aldea scoffed toward Mercuria who looked really disappointed.

“I have no interest in such thing. I just want to live as I please. I wonder if you can stop pushing your small sense of values on me.”

Mercuria’s lips slightly slackened.

“Certainly……fufu. I too understand well that feeling. But……”

Mercuria pinched the bowstring and slowly pulled her arm. The arrow that appeared was different from everything until now in appearance. It was far larger and longer. Just like a cavalry’s spear.

Aldea too harbored vigilance towards that abnormal arrow.

‘――That is? It’s certain that’s not a mere arrow. What kind of ability it has?’

Mercuria’s huge arrow was fired. Rather than calling it an arrow, it was more like a large caliber particle cannon.

“You are too free, Aldea.”

‘――This is!?’

Violent light flew heading towards Aldea.

“Labyrinth Cube!”

Six pieces of shields changed shape into a cube in a flash and floated in front of Aldea. The arrow Mercuria fired was sucked into that cube.

Labyrinth Cube was a cube made from the shields that distorted space. It distorted all the space of the surfaces and created a space isolated from the outside world. Due to that, the inside of Labyrinth Cube became an absolute space of Aldea’s will. The thing sucked inside could be freely locked or carved apart.

However the arrow fired by Arc Drive rampaged with fierce destructive power inside Labyrinth Cube. The Labyrinth Cube fiercely vibrated and the shields raised anguished creaking.

“Kuh, this is……I’m, at my limit already!”

Unable to bear it, Aldea opened an exit of the Labyrinth Cube. Intense light traveled to all directions.

The flickering light was gradually vanishing and all the energy of the Arc Drive’s arrow locked inside Labyrinth Cube was all spitted out.

“For such an arrow with this kind of destructive power to exist, it’s shock――”

Aldea lost her words looking at Mercuria who was nocking the same arrow.

“My bad, I can prepare this arrow as many as I want. Besides just by changing the arrow, Arc Drive will transform into weapons that possesses various abilities. I wonder how far you can withstand it?”

Aldea sweated with cold sweat while smiling boldly.

“As I thought it looks like defending is pointless. Then, I too will attack.”

Disassembling Labyrinth Cube, this time Aldea transformed all her shields into spears. Six spears were floating around Aldea.

“Here I go, Tigris captain!”

“I’ll finish you, berserker!”

The second huge spear of light pierced the sky.

That light was reflected on the eyes of Gravel that was crossing sword with Hyakurath.

Pushing back at each other, they took distance for the moment.

“That light……”

“That’s Mercuria’s Arc Drive you know?”

“I see, so that’s Mercuria of Arc Drive. I have heard rumors about her.”

Hyakurath smiled proudly.

“Mercuria is strong. While Aldea still hasn’t been killed yet, you too surrender yourself.”

“So she will kill Aldea for me……that might be refreshing in its own way.”

Hyakurath’s voice trembled with a startled face.

“Yo-, you, she is your comrade even temporarily! What kind of thing you are――”

Gravel smiled wryly and lowered the tip of her gunsword.

“But, I know about you. The captain of Leon squad that is lauded as holy sword Hyakurath-dono. It is in this kind of situation, but it is an unexpected delight to be able to cross swords like this.”

“How calm, you tanned beast.”

Even as she pretended to be calm, Hyakurath couldn’t restrain her disarrayed heart.

Gravel was a veteran hero of the frontier. Even when she was lowered as the general of Vatlantis, her sixth subjugation army boasted to be undefeated.

Hyakurath’s throat gulped.

She shouldn’t be losing in strength. She was thinking so but……however, why could her heart not calm down like this?

Hyakurath bit her lower lip.

Honestly speaking, the opponent was scary. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

Hyakurath put strength in the sword she was gripping. She readied the wide bladed sword with magic letters carved on it, her most reliable weapon. And then she persuaded herself inside her heart the same like usual.

‘――Do your best Hyakurath!’

“Here I go tanned beast! Disappear as the dew of my sword [Gloria]!”

[[Image:Masou Gakuen HxH V07 BW 03.jpg|thumb]]

Hyakurath faced Gravel and raised Gloria overhead.

“I’ll block it.”

The revolver of Gravel’s gunsword rotated and a bullet was loaded.

“HAAAA!”

A spirited slash from far distance, Hyakurath’s Gloria was swung. Thereupon belt of light was fired from the sword like a particle cannon.

Gravel pulled the trigger of her gunsword. From the gun nuzzle, a large caliber particle cannon was shot. The two lights clashed fiercely in the air. Together with a dazzling explosion of light, particles of light scattered like fireworks. With that as a smoke screen, Hyakurath flew forward in one go.

“DEYAAAA!”

She cut apart the smoke by swinging down Gloria. When it was blocked by the gunsword’s side, sparks scattered intensely. It was a sharp attack. Something shuddering ran inside Gravel’s chest.

Without any time to rest, Hyakurath wielded her sword with a quick rotation. Appropriate for an imperial guard that originated from nobles, it was a sword technique that was elegantly beautiful like a dance.

Gravel gritted her teeth.

‘――But it’s not just beautiful. This strength is the real thing.’

Gravel rotated her revolver and loaded a new bullet.

“Reaver!”

Sword of light extended from the gunsword.

“!?”

Hyakurath evaded the sword of a light in a hairbreadth. The tips of her hair were cut from being late in escaping, golden hair danced in the air.

“……tsuu!”

Hyakurath received a shock that her sword didn’t reach the enemy. Gravel opened the distance using the opening where her movement dulled a little.

“So I cannot win without going all out.”

Gravel stored her gunsword on her back and extended one of her hands. A magic circle opened at her fingertips, a hilt of sword appeared from inside it. She casually grasped that hilt and pulled out a new weapon from inside the magic circle. It was a weapon with six gun barrels lining up as a circle and a cross sword at the center, the [Sword Gatling]. It was the Corruption Armament of Gravel’s magic armor Zoros.

It was a powerful weapon, but for Gravel this was a bet. Sword Gatling was a weapon that was harder to wield than gunsword. If she was approached near, it would be hard to defend Hyakurath’s sword attacks.

‘――Victory or defeat.’

Both of them took their stance, at that time――,

{Emergency transmission!}

The communication windows of both Gravel and Hyakurath opened.

Having the wind taken out of their sails, the two of them embarrassedly replied to the windows.

“This is Gravel. What’s wrong?”

The operator girl of Ataraxia rattled on in panic.

{The fleet of Ataraxia and Izgard is seriously damaged! A third of the fleet has sunk! Half of our magic weapons are shot down! Ataraxia’s shield is also lost! Requesting reinforcement urgently!}

“Kuh……”

Gravel’s teeth gritted audibly.

“Gravel!”

Aldea came at that timing.

“Aldea…..you really got done in huh.”

Aldea answered happily with a smile splattered in blood.

“Hehehe, isn’t it fine? Half of this is the opponent’s blood.”

Her face and also her clothes were sticky wet with blood. She said that half was the opponent’s blood, but looking at the gashes at her arms and legs, it could be perceived that she had received quiet a damage.

“Rather than that, Ataraxia is in a tight spot. We have to reinforce them.”

Mercuria also arrived at Hyakurath’s position.

“You, you okay!? Those are really terrible injuries you know?”

Mercuria was also bearing wounds about the same as Aldea. Her face warped in vexation and she talked as if spitting out.

“That’s unnecessary concern. Just this much is nothing.”

“Wha, what’s with you! ……Wait, this is not the time for that. Gravel, emergency communication also came at your place right? Your flagship will soon fall.”

“Is that so? The report I got is that we still have some room to breath though?”

Hyakurath breathed out deeply.

“Surrender here Gravel.”

“……It’s unfortunate, but right now I’m not the commander. I’m just a mere magic knight.”

“I see……then, is it fine for you to not rescue the fleet? We too have to chase after Ainess-sama, so it will help us if you step aside.”

“……ku”

Even as she dressed a calm face, the inside of Gravel’s chest was whirling with impatience.

Ataraxia would fall while they were taking on Hyakurath and Mercuria here. But, if they went to help Ataraxia, a hindrance would enter Aine’s mission to persuade Grace.

Even during this time, the figure of the allied battleships were vanishing from the data that conveyed to her the battle situation.

‘――Shit-! Is this as far as we go!?’

{Okaay★ Everyone―! Are you energetic―!?}

In front of Gravel’s face, a window with Yurishia’s close up suddenly appeared.

“Yu……Yurishia!?”

It was not just Gravel that was shocked. When she lifted her face, not to mention Aldea, the same windows were also displayed in front of Hyakurath and Mercuria.

Yurishia was wearing a showy and sparkling stage costume. And then when the camera pulled back, Himekawa and Sylvia’s figures entered the screen.

{This is Amaterasu desu!}

{Andd~}

The three presented one of their hands to the side as if to give introduction.

{Masters de―su!}

This time Scarlet at the center, Henrietta, Clementine, Sharon, and Leila of Masters entered the stage side by side. Naturally, they were wearing gorgeous and lovely stage costumes.

“Wha, what’s this……this kind of carefreeness, in a time of crisis like this……”

Hyakurath whispered with a face that was more dumbfounded than amazed.

When Gravel took a peek at Ataraxia’s communication window, she understood that the same image was sent to Ataraxia’s bridge. People looking up at the screen in befuddlement and people moving about in confusion searching for the origin of the transmission were mixed.

Reiri whispered with a complicated face while rubbing her lips.

“Just what in the world……this broadcast is?”

Kei was collecting data while typing her keyboard.

{This is not a two way communication. Most likely this is directed to all communication terminals in this whole battlefield area, this is being transmitted all over.}

“What did you say……?”

Just like Kei’s information, this broadcast was transmitted towards the whole battlefield area, it was also further sent to the communication terminals all over the city of Zeltis. Regardless whether it was public or personal, the transmission forcefully entered all information interface and opened windows.

This was something using the emergency broadcast line that Vatlantis’s publicity department managed. In other words this was an abuse of authority by Marisu.

The allied forces of Izgard and Ataraxia, Vatlantis army, the city of Zeltis, all the screens everywhere were projecting Amaterasu and Masters’s figures.

Inside that screen, Yurishia showed a mischievous smile.

{Everyone― actually is thinking inside their heart right? I don’t want to kill others, just why do we have to do something like this―, something like that.}

Himekawa clapped her hands and threw a straight forward earnest gaze.

{This kind of battle is meaningless. Everyone should actually understand that too. Rather than quarreling like this, let’s think of combining our strength to get through the danger threatening this world. Even the people of Izgard and Lemuria should be troubled if this world breaks down. Isn’t it because of that reason, that they are acting reckless and came here to Zeltis?}

Sylvia clenched both her hands and appealed with a desperate face.

{First let’s hear what they have to say desu. With that, if everyone of Izgard and Lemuria is planning to invade Zeltis, only then we can start fighting from there desu.}

Clementine scratched her head while facing above.

{Even if we said that, those guys whose blood has rushed to their heads might not listen to this though―}

Sharon softly spread the fringe of her skirt and twirled.

{It’s better to try doing it like usual……wearing your favorite clothes. Passing time together with the people close to you……talking, what is it that I want to do, what is the best thing to do……think.}

Different from usual, Leila was talking with a serious tone.

{That’s right. Everyone wants their important people to go back home safely. Even the people in the battlefield want to return home safely. Isn’t that something obvious? Because, life is something money cannot buy.}

Henrietta came forward while fixing the position of her glasses.

{Anyways, don’t get flustered or get excited into panic! Not just soldiers but all of you citizens too, calm down before taking action. Don’t do any unbecoming riots even mistakenly! Let’s welcome the guest with a dignified attitude.}

Scarlet whose face was looking down looked up, she raised one of her hands and pointed to the sky.

{Because, all of you are the proud people of Vatlantis right? And then, above all……}

She vigorously brought down her arm and pointed towards the screen.

{Because all of you are the fans of these us!}

Fireworks went up behind Amaterasu and Masters. The fireworks created from sorcery shined in seven colors, turned into fragments and rained down on the stage. And then the lighting illuminated the stage and made the figures of the idols stood out.

The voice of the eight girls of Amaterasu and Master united, and when the intro singing voice started flowing, music began to play in unison. The moment the melody started, the eight made a big jump.

As if to express joy and happiness from their whole body.

Light of magic power was rushing everywhere inside the empty Vatlantis Empire theater. Beads of light that were sparkling from reflection were raining down. The performance of light began to enliven up the stage. And then singing voices that charmed the people of Vatlantis Empire reverberated throughout the whole Zeltis and battlefield area.

The feet of the people that tried to escape Zeltis and rushed for the castle wall stopped.

“This song is Amaterasu and Masters? They are doing live in this kind of time?”

“This is a good song……I fell in love hearing it.”

“Didn’t you hear? Right now they are doing a live in the empire theater.”

“Eh!? Wasn’t it cancelled?”

“There is no way they are doing it in this kind of emergency right?”

The citizens in possession of personal receiver showed the screen of the live show to the nearby person.

“No, this is undoubtedly a live broadcast. But Amaterasu is doing a live right now you know? Isn’t it fine even if we don’t get this panicked to escape?”

“Certainly……if the situation is really that bad, Amaterasu won’t do a live or anything……”

The city was gradually recovering its calm. Charmed by the song and dance, everyone was fixed on the screen. The children looked at the image and danced by mimicking it. Smile returned to the faces of the people seeing that. And then the adults too waved their hands in unison with the tune and jumped.

Among the crowd, a lone girl was slipping through.

“Wait, where are you going!?”

When a worried person called out to her, the girl’s step stopped. It was a petite girl with bigly rolled twintail as her characteristic. On her young looking cute face, a smile of expectation was floating.

“To the theater of course! There is no way I can overlook something like a reserved stage of Amaterasu!”

After yelling that, she turned on her heel and ran in the direction opposite of the flow of the people.

Former imperial guard. The girl Ragrus who lost her memory at the occasion when she fought Sylvia at the Tokyo recapture operation, was running with a face that was hopelessly joyful.

Looking at that smile, the Amaterasu and Masters’s fans that were in that place made faces of realization.

“I see……if we go there now, we can watch this stage isn’t it?”

“Shitt, I was chased out because they said the performance was cancelled but……they are actually doing it!”

Spurred by those words, the fans that similarly got out of the venue due to receiving notification that the performance was cancelled went after the girl. The audience that had gone home for once were returning to the empire theater one after another. Even people without tickets were thinking that they might be able to just enter if it was now and they were rapidly gathering. The hearts of the people of Zeltis was already not directed to the battlefield.

The imperial capital Zeltis had been completely controlled by Amaterasu and Masters right now.