Editing Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 8 Chapter 1 (section)

===Part 7===

When Kizuna returned to the schoolyard, all members had already gathered there. Each one of them was wearing their exclusive pilot suits. Each of the suits had high exposure rate, on top of that the suits clung tightly on their bodies, the design clearly showed out their body line.

“You are late, Hida Kizuna.”

Zelsione glared at Kizuna. The pilot suit of Zelsione who took strict attitude looked nothing more than underwear with garter belt. Perhaps it was because of that mismatch feeling, he didn’t feel that bad even when he was being scolded.

Kizuna bowed his head while lining beside Himekawa and Sylvia. The three people of Amaterasu with Kizuna and the others. Six people of Masters. Nine people of Vatlantis with Grace as the leader. Izgard was a mixed team with Baldein, there were four people with Gravel as the leader. In total there were twenty two names gathered here.

“Then I will explain the outline of the training. This time’s──”

The moment Zelsione began explaining, it suddenly came.

“This sound is!?”

Eerie heavy bass sound, like gigantic metal grazing something resounded across the sky. The sound that made the listener harbor anxiety and dread assaulted everyone without discrimination.

That sound shook the people’s bodies, the building of the school, the ground of the courtyard – the whole of Ataraxia.

Kizuna immediately took out his mobile phone. Its screen gave the alert that notified him of the emergency time and also informed him of the abnormal curve generated in the sky.

“That’s an AU collision! It’s coming!”

The moment Kizuna yelled, a rip traveled the sky. It was generated at the place where the collision of this world with the alternate world happened, the rift of the sky [Entrance].

All the students looked up at the sky and raised shocked voices. The appearance probability of an Entrance for today was low. Normally it was more likely for no AU collision to happen. That was why, no one was thinking that an AU collision would happen.

{Don’t panic!}

Reiri’s voice reverberated throughout the whole school.

“Nee-chan!”

The several dozen digital signage displays and floating windows installed inside the school projected Reiri’s appearance. She had a sexy appearance with only her coat put on in a rush on her body, but right now there was nobody who paid attention to that.

{First class battle deployment! All Heart Hybrid Gear teama, carry on with emergency sortie}

“Ladies and gentleman, it’s just as you heard!”

Zelsione faced the gathered Heart Hybrid Gear squads and yelled.

“This is the same like the training we planned right now. Quickly deal with the enemy with composure!”

Kizuna nodded powerfully and called the name of his own Core.

“Eros!!”

The next instant, Kizuna’s body was enveloped in jet black armor and he flew to the sky in one go. The other members also equipped their Heart Hybrid Gears one after another and headed to the Entrance with shining particles jetting out from their thrusters.

The city of Ataraxia also began to change its look with one furnished for battle. Important facilities, factories, research labs and so on were sinking down into the ground one after another. The remaining buildings opened their outer wall like shutters and showed the missiles and railguns stored inside. The tactical defense academy Ataraxia began to show its true face.

In order to have a quick preparation, Kizuna, Scarlet, Gravel, and Grace, each team leader approached near each other. Kizuna faced the other leaders and spoke.

“The enemy haven’t shown their faces yet. First the enemy’s move――”

“I’ll be the vanguard! Leave being the raid team to Vatlantis!”

“Wait! It’s Masters that will be the vanguard!”

Kizuna and Gravel looked at each others’ faces in resignation due to the two hotblooded people. It seemed they first needed to calm down the two high-spirited girls.

“Scarlet, Masters specialize in long range attacks right? Just how are you going to be the raid team, huh?”

“Leave it to me! Recently we developed combination of shooting with CQC you see!”

Kizuna ignored Scarlet’s reckless remark and moved his gaze to Gravel.

“I’ll count on Izgard and Masters for the cover fire from long range.”

“Got it. Amaterasu will be in the middle range right? But Kizuna, you haven’t done Climax Hybrid yet. Leave the front line to Hayuru and Sylvia, Kizuna, you are together with me.”

“But……”

“Now then, I’m going! Quartum, Ragrus, Valdy, Hyakurath and Mercuria, follow me!”

As if being whipped by those words, Vatlantis’s members flew out of the group. Their destination was the rip across the sky. The crack was widening and the torn fragments were falling down. The crack was created from the collision of this world with another world. That was what an Entrance was. The only point of contact that linked this world with another world. From there, the AU peeked out its face in the shape of demon god weapons.

――But, this day was different.

It was as though the blue sky ruptured, the sky was torn and blown away in one go.

“What!?”

Vatlantis team stopped in the air and raised shocked voices. Hyakurath that was in the farthest back yelled at all the team members’ backs.

“This is different from usual! Everyone, be careful!”

The sky was smashed and large hole was gouged in the blue sky. From inside that hole, overflowing light was shining through.

“Uwaaa……to make this kind of world and escape! I’m really shocked!”

A girl appeared from inside that light.

“Wha……”

Looking at that appearance, all present lost their words.

What, is that?

It wasn’t a magic god weapon.

And then, it also wasn’t a normal human.

That girl was wearing a large type Heart Hybrid Gear. But the shape was bizarre, it didn’t look like a normal Heart Hybrid Gear.

It was like Kizuna and the others weren’t inside the sight of the girl wearing clothes that looked like a China dress, she was looking down at Ataraxia with a delighted face.

Her appearance looked like she was around a middle school student’s age. Her brown hair was braided like a dumpling ball, her remaining hair dangled down like twintails. Her large transparent eyes were shining in curiosity, it was like vigor was overflowing from her small body. And then each time she moved, her breasts shook, it was so big to the degree that it was ill-matched with her small stature.

The armor worn by that unbalanced body looked as though it was integrated into one with her body. That design was more organic then the Heart Hybrid Gear that Kizuna and the others knew about, for some reason it made them associate it with the holy beast Kirin.<ref>Kirin is a Chinese unicorn.</ref>

The horns protruding out to the left and right like hair ornaments. The ornaments on her hair that was like clouds modeled after flames.

Both her arms were bestial rather than that of a human’s. There were sharp large claws like a dragon, they were big to the degree that they could crush a human body with one hand. The leg part was also long and thick. The knee joint was lengthening to the back becoming reverse joint, expressing the bestiality of the appearance even more.

Furthermore, the tail that was like a flame. And then the wings on her back that, while they were in the shape of bat wings, yet they were shining bright beautifully. That godlike appearance was even like being mixed with demonic shape.

‘――That’s right, I, know that girl.’

The Deus ex Machina that introduced herself as Thanatos. The three people inside the bright light behind her. One of that three.

[{{furigana|Deus ex Machina|Machine God}}]

Suddenly those words flashed inside his head.

That girl raised a high-spirited voice like a tinkling bell.

“It’s fine to consult first with Thanatos and the others but, as I thought I was the one that discovered this, I’ll be the one taking care of it! Fufufu, although it’s a failure, this is still important data. I think that what was happening in this world, will absolutely be useful!”

The members of Vatlantis were warily observing the state of the girl who was making merry by herself. Ragrus asked the girl without any further thought.

“Hey, don’t tell me that’s…… an AU person?”

Ragrus herself who asked that didn’t really think that was the case. No matter how they looked, the girl was nothing else but a human, she was also talking normally using words. Also even though the armor she was wearing had a greatly different atmosphere, but it still looked like a Heart Hybrid Gear.

‘――Then, just what in the world is she?’

All the members of Vatlantis, Izgard, Masters, and Amaterasu asked that question inside their mind. Among all the people present staring at the girl dumbfoundedly, it was only Kizuna whose condition was different.

Cold sweat was oozing out from his whole body, his heart’s palpitation got violent.

He didn’t understand what he was getting scared about. However his body was trembling on its own, he was unable to stop his shaking.

‘Why? Certainly this is the first time I see her, but why am I being this scared?’

At that time, a certain scene flashbacked inside his head.

That was the pillar piercing the heaven that supported the sky.

The figures of four people appearing by splitting that sky.

Crumbling down Genesis. Annihilated city.

‘――I, had fought, that, before.

Fought, and then lost.

Horribly without anything I could do.

And then――,

The world, was destroyed.

Yes.

Earth and Atlantis too, the worlds were annihilated.

I too should have died.

?’

“What……am I thinking?”

There was no way such thing happened!

The inside of his head was teeming with incomprehensible scenes.

By any chance he was seeing a dream of a world being destroyed like that……perhaps that was it. Maybe, he jumbled the memory of his dream with reality. Surely…….

“Oi, Kizuna! Are you listening to me?”

Gravel’s angry yell flew into his head. His body was shaken and Kizuna returned to his senses.

“A, yeah……sorry. Can you repeat it once more?”

“Let’s try to contact that girl. We don’t know whether we can establish dialogue but……come together with me.”

“……Got it.”

Kizuna pressed on his chest to restrain his violently beating heart. However his heart that felt like it was going to jump out of his chest was uncontrollable. It even felt like Kizuna’s instincts was ringing out alarm bells to warn him.

Kizuna ignited his thruster and followed behind Gravel. Grace flew out from among the Vatlantis team, and together with them, went until in front of the girl’s eyes, they then hovered still in the air.

Grace started the conversation after getting tired waiting for the girl to notice them.

“You over there. Who are you?”

Grace’s dignified voice made the girl turn to her. It was like she was noticing their existences for the first time, her eyes stopped at Grace.

“Hm? You all are the living things inside this experimental world aren’t you?”

Grace frowned her face.

“Experimental world? I don’t know what you mean, but if it’s about us living in this world, then you are not mistaken. So, who are you?”

The girl puffed out her chest and acted high and mighty. The breast that didn’t match her small body shook up and down.

“I am a Deus ex Machina Hokuto. One of the people who created your world and you all!”

“!?”

For a moment, Kizuna felt like his heart stopped.

‘――Deus ex Machina.’

And then his heart was fiercely rampaging.

‘――It’s not a dream. We were once, killed by these guys.’

Hokuto smiled widely in delight.

“Your world failed the experiment. That was why we collected the data once and then started it over again. Ah, but, although it failed, I think that the data of you all is going to be useful you know? Yet despite so, for the data to leak out, even though just a part of it……”

Hokuto looked over the sea and Ataraxia below, and then at the sky spreading above.

“Just who in the world did this?”

Kizuna clenched his fist tight to stop his trembling finger.

“Who cares about that! Rather than that you guys, you destroyed Genesis, and then our worlds……you annihilated it once! Isn’t that right!?”

Hokuto tilted her head with a puzzled face.

“That’s right but……you don’t remember?”

Kizuna was attacked by a new confusion.

‘――That’s right. Why, did I forget something that important? What is this world we are in right now?’

Kizuna shook his head as if to drive away his anxiety and doubt.

‘――This is not the time to worry about that kind of thing!’

“Everyone be careful! This girl’s power is beyond imagination!”

Gravel grasped Kizuna’s shoulder with a bewildered expression.

“What are you talking about since just now! You are acting strange Kizuna!”

“That’s right! Explain it so we can understand-!”

Hokuto crossed her arms while looking at the exchange of Kizuna’s group.

“Uu―m, so it’s not intentional that you guys stole the data? Then, this is just an accident?”

Hokuto half closed her eyes and further pondered.

“That should be right. There should not be any existence that can jump the gun on us. But, saying that we made a miss is also, strange, but……well, it’s fine.”

Hokuto opened her eyes suddenly and nodded as if she had comprehended the situation.

“Understood. Then, I’ll deal with you guys here. I’ll convert you into data and make this world stop existing physically with this.”

Red light traveled Hokuto’s whole body. It was the proof that magic power was circulating through her body.

{Everyone! Move!}

Scarlet’s voice reverberated from a floating window.

Kizuna, Grace, and Gravel parted to the left and right in a rush. Several streaks of light passed through between them. Masters’ all out attack was heading to Hokuto in offense.

“Scarlet!”

The shooting drowned out even Kizuna’s voice. From pistol until anti-material rifle, various firearms were firing. The bullets that came from the compressed magic power of the Heart Hybrid Gears impacted Hokuto and particles of light burst open. Scarlet yelled with a ferocious smile.

“I don’t really get it but, what you said is a war declaration on us! I’ll make you regret picking a fight with this Masters!”

Scarlet’s Ares launched a large amount of missiles. It was the weapon possessing the greatest destructive power among Masters. However Hokuto didn’t dodge and received the missiles. A flower of flame bloomed in the sky.

“How’s that!”

Scarlet clenched her fist proudly. As if to mock Scarlet who was like that, a disappointed voice could be heard from inside the flame explosion.

“Uu―n, something like this is completely no good you know.”

“What did you say!?”

Scarlet opened her eyes wide looking at Hokuto who appeared from inside the flame.

There was not a single wound on Hokuto’s body. Regardless of that much bombardment in full power attacking her, it was useless.

“Wha, what’s, with this girl!?”

Henrietta fixed the placement of her glasses and observed Hokuto. Even Kizuna who was looking at a position closer than the Masters didn’t understand how she blocked that.

“For something like that, I don’t even need to defend……well, I don’t even think that there is anything in this world that can hurt me though.”

Scarlet was taken aback.

“Don’t tell me, that bombardment……all of that hit?”

Masters were ruled by despair from the shock. Their weapons that kicked around all those demon god weapons until now weren’t useful at all here.

“Hmph, interesting. Next is my turn.”

Gravel came out in front of Masters who lost their fighting spirit. And then she rotated her gunblade’s cylinder and loaded a special bullet. It was a sure-kill bullet with the destructive power several times the normal bullet. Gravel fixed her aim at Hokuto and pulled the trigger.

“Bullet!!”

Together with tearing sound that pierced the ear, the gunsword fired a lump of compressed particles.

That bombardment could defeat several demon god weapons altogether. If one got hit with that, even  Kizuna’s Life Saver that boasted high defensive power would be smashed apart. Even though the girl was Deus ex Machina, she should dodge it.

But even looking at the approaching gigantic bullet of light, Hokuto didn’t show any sign of dodging.

A large explosion occurred and dazzling light became a ring that was spreading wide. That radiance made all the people spontaneously squint their eyes and used their hand to block the light. From the gaps of their fingers, they could see a flame explosion spreading in the sky.

“Did that do it!?”

Kizuna focused his eyes and a floating window started up automatically. And then the display was zoomed up in order to see through the flame. Flame and smoke were scattered by the wind flow. And then, there was a figure floating in the air at the other side.

“Hee, that’s quite a power there. I got a little dirty.”

“What……the?”

Hokuto lightly shook off the soot that clung on her armor. The light of the bombardment that Gravel fired was running across her armor. It was as though the fired bullet was disassembled into magic power and then taken in into the armor. Gravel’s mouth opened without closing back and she stared at that figure dumbfoundedly.

“We were the ones making you guys you know? There is no way the creation can win against the creator. Besides――”

Hokuto slowly put her hands to the front. Several pebbles materialized ahead of her hands.

“What? That’s……”

Cold sweat trickled down Gravel’s neck. Anxiety was swelling up inside her heart. Masters too felt a bad premonition at the mysterious thing Hokuto started to do.

“……What is, that?”

Gertrude’s whisper was answered by Clementine with a trembling voice.

“Is……isn’t that, rock, I think?”

The pebbles inside Hokuto’s hand grew bigger in the blink of an eye, every single one became a large rock. The scene was as though an asteroid belt was materialized suddenly in the sky. Henrietta manipulated her floating window and analyzed those rocks.

“Those are, real rocks. I don’t understand at all just how she is materializing those.”

Hokuto showed a sweet smile.

“We are ruling over everything that exists in this world. Water and air, land and rock, we can even create things like that. Umm, rather than saying it like that, there is nothing that we cannot do you know.”

Scarlet harbored wariness towards Hokuto who was wielding that mysterious power. Rather than calling it being alert, her emotion was more that of fear. However, there was no way they could recognize that. The hearts of all the members of Masters would break. Scarlet lied to her shaking heart and declared with cheers.

“Hah! Isn’t that just something like a party trick. So what, are you saying you can make rocks, is that it? It’s not like it has any offensive power or anything!”

The countless floating fragments of stone came forward and Hokuto swung up her right hand to the left of her face.

“Then here I go.”

Hokuto waved her right hand horizontally and the rocks vanished.

And then at the same time the figures of Scarlet and the others vanished from in front of Kizuna.

Kizuna doubted his own eyes.

“What!?”

The communication windows were also closed all at once. The information of Masters, Aldea and Gravel, all suddenly became gone. Fretfulness was welling up inside Kizuna’s heart.

“Just where in the world……Scarlet! Gravel! Where are you, answer back!”

There was no reply no matter how many times he called. Kizuna displayed the information of the battlefield network and confirmed their position.

“……!?”

There was the reaction from Scarlet and others from the outer edge of Ataraxia, two kilometers from where he was.

“Scarlet!?”

His head snapped to look at that direction. The defensive building that was at the outer wall of Ataraxia far from here. A part of that area had smoke rising up. Something shuddering cold was driving through Kizuna’s back.

‘――Don’t tell me.’

“What happened! Everyone answer back!”

In place of reply, floating windows started up in front of Kizuna. Those were the windows for the emergency occasion that the Heart Hybrid Gears automatically started when the pilot fell into a state that was unable to fight.

“-……!!”

In each of the windows, the figures of the pilot spilling blood were projected. A voice came from one of the windows.

“Gu……e, eh? This place……where?”

Scarlet who sank into the rubble murmured deliriously. Her trademark ponytail came apart with her face dirtied by blood and dust.

“Scarlet!”

“Ki, Kizuna? Eh……? I, why……”

Two more windows opened.

“Gravel!?”

Zoros’s armor was smashed, a figure collapsed powerlessly on the ground was projected.

“Ku……Kizuna. What, happened?”

Aldea was also collapsing beside her. Both of them didn’t seem able to stand up even if they were trying. Kizuna gritted his teeth hard.

“The rock, hit us? However, something like that……”

Hokuto put her hand on her hips and sighed in amazement.

“You cannot underestimate it just because it’s rock. After all any kind of thing will become a terrifying weapon if given enough speed and mass. This time how about I fill this world with the soil of land and bury all of you alive? Or else I can fill this world with sea water and drown it.”

Kizuna glared piercingly at Hokuto who was smiling.

‘――Just like god creating heaven and earth, this girl is saying that she can also create land and sea.’

Kizuna clenched his fist.

“But! It’s unforgivable for you to do something like that to my comrades! It doesn’t matter who you are!”

His fist that was going to rush forward was held back by Grace’s small hand.

“Wait! Nii-sama hasn’t done Climax Hybrid. Leave this to me!”

After saying that Grace spread her gold and silver wings, from there she pulled out a feather that was created from a blade. After she rotated it rapidly, its shaped changed into a scythe with handle attached before he knew it.

“We won’t reveal her limit in distance! We are cutting her up! Everyone, follow after me! Ragrus and Valdy will protect Nii-sama. Let’s go!”

“Grace! Wait!”

Not listening to Kizuna’s call, Grace and the Vatlantis team flew out.

“This me won’t allow any further transgression!”

Grace came from the front, and then the Quartum came from left, right, above and below, from behind was Hyakurath sneaking close. Mercuria was readying her Arc Drive from a distance and prepared to give support.

“Here we go! All-out attack formation!”

The wings with only bones made from blades grew out feathers of light.

“Harvest!”

Feathers of light fired out from the wings. The feathers became arrows and attacked by surrounding Hokuto.

“Eat everything!”

The arrows of Harvest pierced Hokuto. And then those arrows were absorbing the magic power from her body many times over.

However Hokuto was staring at the flying around arrows with a composed face.

“This thing……what effect does it have?”

“Wha……what the!? It’s not effective!”

Grace’s eyes opened wide in shock. Certainly, even with the feathers sucking and sucking, it was as though there was no effect at all. Grace was feeling as though she was scooping out seawater using a ladle.

“By any chance, are you absorbing my magic power?”

After saying that, Hokuto laughed in amusement.

“You see, I myself am a single world.”

“What did you say?”

“Your stomach, it cannot eat something like the energy of the world in its entirety right?”

Even being told that, Grace didn’t understand at all just what was Hokuto talking about. What she understood was only the fact, that Harvest didn’t work.

“Then, I’ll cut you down!”

Grace accelerated in one go and slashed at Hokuto. In that timing Mercuria’s arrow headed to Hokuto in support. That arrow was like the big spear that a cavalry carried.

“You cannot run away from this arrow of mine!”

The huge arrow fired from Mercuria’s Arc Drive drew a parabola while heading to Hokuto.

“Something like that, won’t work on me!”

Hokuto thrust out her left hand that had large claws growing out. Mercuria’s arrow hit that large palm.

“Wha……-!?”

However that arrow didn’t pierce Hokuto’s hand or got repelled back. Its movement stopped the moment it touched the palm and got deconstructed into light particles. However――,

“You did great Mercuria!”

An opening was created, Grace slashed her scythe at Hokuto’s armor in a flash. However Hokuto’s right arm leaped up, fierce sparks and metallic sounds thundered loudly.

“Nu……-!”

Hokuto’s palm blocked the scythe.

However at the same time the Quartum slashed from four directions all at once.

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!”

Clayda, Elma, Lunora, Ramza, all four were formidable people, possessing master class skills. They wouldn’t fall behind most opponents. Furthermore Hokuto’s left hand was occupied by Arc Drive and her right hand was sealed by Grace’s scythe. Her body was left defenseless, Clayda with her Selene, Elma with her hammer, Lunora with her twin swords, Ramza with her tomahawk, each of them struck.

Fierce sounds of blows resounded.

Hokuto didn’t evade and received the attack of the Quartum with her armor that looked like a Kirin. Ramza yelled while pushing her tomahawk with her whole body.

“Not yet! Everyone press on!”

“Ou-!”

Quartum put the strength of their whole body and pinned down Hokuto’s wings and legs. Hokuto’s armor raised sparks. Quartum ignited their thrusters with full strength and frantically trying to cut into Hokuto’s armor with their prided weapons.

“Ahahaha, something like that won’t be able to scratch my armor.”

Grace grinned broadly hearing that mocking laugh of Hokuto.

“The finishing blow! Go Hyakurath!”

From behind Grace, Hyakurath with her beloved sword Gloria readied leaped out. However the shaking of her fingertips were transmitted to her sword and the sword tip was shaking left and right.

Hyakurath bit her lips tight.

‘――Do your best, do your best, Hyakurath!’

By encouraging herself like that, the shaking of her fingers stopped. The large sword she brandished drew an admirable arc and swung down on Hokuto’s head.

Hyakurath’s attack that was extolled as a holy sword split open Hokuto’s head――was what they thought.

“Wha-……!?”

Red light shone above Hokuto’s head. That radiance clashed with Gloria. The sword of light that collided at it emitted explosive light.

“What the!? This is!”

Hyakurath unintentionally yelled. The dazzling light made her unable to open her eyes properly.

The streak of light suddenly appeared above Hokuto’s head blocked the sure-kill sword. Hyakurath was completely unable to understand what happened.

“You guys, you put a scar on my body didn’t you?”

“What did you say?”

Hokuto was staring at the puzzled Grace with a severe expression.

That face was an angry expression that they saw for the first time. Until now she was always showing a smile that made them think she was fooling around, acting as if she was having fun. However, now her look made a sudden change.

“Your scythe, is scratching my palm.”

“My scythe?”

Grace stared really really close at the palm of Hokuto that was blocking her scythe.

Indeed, it was just for a little, the scythe was digging into it for a few millimeters.

That was possible due to Koros’s ability to whittle down magic power. However, frankly it wasn’t something in the level that could be called as damage.

“If you call that a scratch, that’s really a scratch. Unfortunately I cannot be satisfied by something of that degree.”

Magic power was circling in Koros’s wings. All that power was sent into the scythe in Grace’s hand. The scythe was further digging into Hokuto’s hand, scattering fierce sparks and particles of light.

“You too were laughing when there was nobody who could inflict a wound on that prided body of yours, weren’t you? How is it now? The feeling of being wounded? Is it refreshing?”

“Don’t mess with me!!”

Hokuto’s rage exploded.

“-!”

Hokuto’s shriek and rage became a shockwave, blowing away Grace and the others.

“Wha, what in the world!?”

The impact that made her feel like she was kicked flying blew the Vatlantis team for a hundred meters. They controlled their posture back somehow and stopped in the air.

“My body is the world itself! To injure me means destroying my world, it’s the same like killing people. If such a thing is done to me then I……”

Hokuto’s eyes turned moist and she yelled with a painful voice.

“Cannot keep having fun!”

Hokuto grasped the red light floating above her head. At that moment, the light that was fiercely emitted settled down and an object wrapped in red light appeared.

It was a crimson sword. The blade with the color of dark blood had shining red light running on it like blood vessels. It was an eerie and ominous sword.

“My body is composed with world. But taking out a weapon and offensive ability from there and granting it a single shape……that is this [{{furigana|Hakke Kirin|Eight Trigrams Kirin}}].”

At that time Hokuto’s eyes shined.

‘――This is bad.’

All present in that place perceived that not with logic, but by their instincts.

“Everyone, pull back for the moment! Hurry――”

Hokuto’s Hakke Kirin flashed.

At that moment, flame and shockwave spread as if a nuclear explosion was occurring.

“UOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

The radiance that was like the sun and sparking thunder swept over Ataraxia. Grace and the Vatlantis team had their armor broken by that shockwave while being blown away.

Even with the thrusters fully opened, it was impossible to maintain a posture. Grace and Hyakurath that was blown away crashed into the commercial buildings of Ataraxia in the far distance. Quartum and Mercuria fell on the ground and sunk into the street, piercing through until the underground layer.

“GUAH!”

Kizuna was also blown away by the incredible impact and struck a building’s wall.

“Ku……Himekawa, Sylvia……are you two safe!?”

He somehow opened his communication window and tried to confirm his comrade’s safety. However there was no reply.

Before long the pressure pressing on his body became light. The raging flame passed over him and the disastrous scene of Ataraxia entered his eyes.

“Thi……this is……”

With Hokuto as the center, the buildings around were struck down like dominos. The whole of Ataraxia was wrapped in flames, explosions occurred everywhere, black smoke was rising up.

“Aah! Geez, I won’t forgive you all!”

Hokuto swung Hakke Kirin once more. From the blade of the sword, flame and shockwave ran and flew towards Kizuna.

“UWAA!”

He flew up and evaded the shockwave with only a paper thin difference. When he looked back, a group of Ataraxia’s skyscrapers were split into two at the center.

“Wha……”

The buildings were breaking into two one after another, the upper part collapsed and slowly falling down to the ground. Even the remaining buildings were on fire and began to raise black smoke.

“Captain! Sylvia and the others will do something about this somehow desu!”

Two huge frames were flying towards Hokuto. Those were Sylvia’s Taros and Ragrus’s Demon. As if chasing after those two gears, one more light was following behind.

“I will go too!”

Himekawa with her Sword readied was heading to Hokuto accompanied with her Blades. Kizuna gave instruction to them in a hurry.

“Stop! Even if you all attack her――”

Just when he was about to say that, Kizuna pursed his mouth.

‘――Then, what to do?’

Against the Deus ex Machina who possessed overwhelming power, any tactic was meaningless. If Hokuto felt like it, then total annihilation would be unavoidable.

“Damn it!”

Kizuna was also going to follow after Himekawa and the others,  just when he was going to do that, Hokuto’s figure vanished.

“Wha……”

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

Sylvia and Ragrus crashed into the defensive wall building with terrific speed.

Hokuto who didn’t move for even a single step since she appeared now moved. She moved and then crushed Sylvia and Ragrus who were approaching.

However, that movement completely could not be followed. It was excessively too fast, he couldn’t even be aware of it.

“Himekawa! Her movement is fast. Be caref――”

Himekawa’s back was in front of his eyes.

“GUAH……-!?”

The body of Himekawa that flew at him crashed on Kizuna. He couldn’t hold back her body at all. Kizuna was blown away together with Himekawa’s body, the two of them were falling towards the ground.

“Gu……”

There was no countermeasure that could be taken. Kizuna embraced Himekawa as if to wrap over her to protect her from the impact of the fall. ‘――At the very least just Himekawa.’

Just when he was trying to soften the impact with his thruster and Life Saver, Kizuna and Himekawa’s body crashed through the high school building. They destroyed and pierced through the building before colliding in the schoolyard. Their bodies somehow stopped crashing after digging through the schoolyard’s ground.

“Guhah!”

Impact that felt like it would make his body fall into pieces attacked him. He lost consciousness from the pain for a moment.

“Shi, shit……-“

To avert his mind from the writhing pain, Kizuna gritted his teeth and raised his body.

“Ku……Hi, Himekawa. You okay?”

Thanks to Kizuna volunteering his body to cover for her, Himekawa wasn’t seriously injured. But she completely lost consciousness.

He entered strength into his limbs to try to stand up somehow. However, he couldn’t put any strength, on top of that his dizziness was also severe. His knees lost strength and he fell on the ground.

The black smoke from fire made the surrounding dim like it was night. When he laid down with his face up, he could see the figure of Hokuto floating in the sky from the gap of the black smoke.

‘――Something needs to be done about her.’

When he thought that, a new window opened and Reiri’s face was projected there.

{Kizuna! You are no match against her. Return back!}

“Ku……”

At that time, he noticed that his fingertip touched something.

‘――This is, Neros’s Blade.’

Kizuna grasped that flying sword and stood up somehow. Kizuna ignited his thruster then.

{Stop! Kizuna!}

Reiri’s voice was getting farther. Kizuna headed to Hokuto and accelerated. He wrung out the last of his strength and flew straight at Hokuto.

“Don’t you look down on humans! God-samAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

He readied the Blade.

“URAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!”

Putting in his whole strength, Kizuna headed to Hokuto and thrust the Blade.

“!?”

Hokuto’s index finger and thumb pinched the blade of the Blade.

“How persistent.”

That fingertips curved down tightly. At that moment, Kiuzna’s body was blown away towards the ground.

“GUWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”

With the speed that far surpassed the speed of natural falling, Kizuna struck the ground once more.

“-…..kahah”

Blood spewed out from his mouth.

His body couldn’t move, as if all his bones were broken.

‘――No good. Not even my finger, can move.’

Explosive sounds roared in the far away. Hokuto’s attack made the city get wrapped in flames, the facilities of Ataraxia were beginning to explode. At this rate, Ataraxia would sink.

‘――Everything, will be erased again.’

‘――I, cannot do anything again.’

Suddenly a voice entered his ear.

“Ah, which reminds me, you are the person that was quarreling with Thanatos previously right?”

Hokuto landed down on the ground without him noticing, she was peeking into Kizuna’s face. Perhaps flames were approaching nearby, flame sparks were dancing in the dim space like scattered sakura petals.

“You don’t even have the ability to learn, you cannot even predict what will happen if you challenge us. I wonder if you are not as evolved as I thought?”

She was smiling in delight, as though her mood had been fixed.

But, for some reason.

For Kizuna, that smile looked like something really false.

She had been like that since the time she first appeared. She was constantly smiling and made merry in delight. But, all of that looked forced.

“You……”

“Hm?”

“Why, are you……looking that bored?”

Hokuto’s face stiffened for an instant. However, she soon smiled broadly again and twirled around with her hands spread wide, looking really in delight.

“Just what are you saying? I’m always having fun. So happy, so fun, that I really cannot help it♪”

That smile increasingly seemed more hollow to him.

‘――This girl, is she really an existence just like what we imagined from the word [god]?’

Even her reaction when her hand was scratched by Grace,

{Cannot keep having fun!}

That reaction didn’t come from having her pride hurt, or even because her hand was hurt. The fact that she was hurt exerted some kind of influence on her. Her way of talking then was as if she feared that.

“I don’t, really get it but……even gods, have it hard huh.”

Hokuto’s face distorted. She was trying to force herself to smile, but her eyes were burning in rage.

‘――That’s it.’

“That face……I think, that’s, the only one……that is your real face.”

At that moment, emotion vanished from Hokuto’s face.

“You, are saying weird things.”

And then she squatted down and touched Kizuna’s chest with her fingertip.

“I’m having fun here. It’s no good if I’m not having fun. Everyday, everyday, no matter where, no matter when, always. I’ve got to have fun no matter what. That’s why I must not even get hurt.”

Saying that, she made a smiling face that seemed sad.

“That is, my role as a god.”

“……”

Kizuna’s consciousness was becoming far. His eyes turned hazy and Hokuto’s smiling face became blurred.

“Am I…..dying?”

“That’s right. You don’t even understand that?”

Hokuto suddenly stood up and floated a dry smile. And then the red sword in her hand, Hakken Kirin’s tip was aimed at Kizuna.

“How really stupid.”

The sword where all weapons were compressed touched his chest.

The tip tore open his skin. However, he was already unable to move even a single finger.

It was becoming dark in front of Kizuna’s eyes.

Even the sound of the burning flames became inaudible, all sounds were going further away.

He was invited into stillness, towards the darkness of death.

At that time,

“There is this saying, that a stupid kid is cuter, isn’t it.”

There was a voice.

Kizuna’s eyelids opened again.

The flame was whirling with a thundering sound.

It was a voice that was really calm, and soothing.

Black smoke was rising, flame was giving rise to squall.

Fanned by that wind, the kimono that looked like a furisode was flapping.

Sparks were raining down with rain.

The long glossy black hair fluttered.

That figure which looked like a young girl, yet with a bewitching appearance.

It was too sudden.

However it was inevitable.




Hida Nayuta was standing.




“――You are”

“This is our first meeting. I am called Hida Nayuta.”

Hokuto was staring at the suddenly appearing young girl with a bewildered face.

“What……are you?”

Showing a soft smile, Nayuta took out a fan from her chest.

“The person who restored this world.”

The fan spread open in a flash, it gracefully sent flickering wind.

Power entered Hokuto’s eyes.

“I see……you are, the cause.”

Hokuto’s hand flashed.

Definite killing intent cut Nayuta.

Hakke Kirin was swung at Nayuta with speed and destructive power incomparable to anything until now.

“!?”

However in the middle, that blade stopped.

Nayuta’s fan blocked Hakke Kirin.

“This is the world that I reconstructed with great pain. I didn’t want to allow destruction until this much, but in this urgent transfer, it took a little time to manufacture the program for the use of your enforced removal.”

Saying that Nayuta gently turned her fan the other way. Hakke Kirin was repelled and Hokuto leaped backwards.

“You are an existence of the same kind like us, is that how it is I wonder?”

When Hokuto readied her Hakke Kirin once more, the world tilted with a violent shaking.

“Hm? This is!?”

Hokuto let out a panicked voice. Nayuta’s figure was distorting. Not only that, with Ataraxia as the start, everything of this world was distorting flabbily, whirling and elongating into strange shape. It was just like water that was being absorbed into a hole.

Inside the world where everything was rotating, only the Entrance carved in the sky retained its original shape, approaching towards Hokuto.

“My deepest apologies, but the preparation to fight all of you is still not finished. Please take your leave for today. Adieu.”

“Wai-……!”

The fingertips of Hokuto that reached out were vanishing. She was being absorbed into the Entrance approaching her. It seemed that she was being forcefully ejected from this space.

“Hida, Nayuta……I see, the one using Genesis as they pleased was――”

Leaving behind those words, Hokuto vanished inside the Entrance.

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