Editing City Series:Volume4b Chapter 7 (section)

===Part 3===

'''5:29 AM

There were two times when purple filled the sky.

In evening it was known as twilight and in morning it was known as daybreak.

A few people were gathered on the Minato Ward beach on the coast of Osaka Bay.

Thanks to modern development, Osaka had few beaches left.

A few men in black coats seemed to surround that beach.

They were corporate combat personnel from the Houzenji Group. The Izumo Company LMGs they wore suggested their Combat Style was Strike Gunner. They probably normally worked as guards.

They all wore combat helmets and spoke quietly using the communicators embedded in them.

They surrounded four people on the beach.

Two of them were at the top of the beach slope descending from the embankment to the ocean.

They were Yuuki Senga and Iwai Sanzou.

They sat directly on the sand and looked to the water’s edge.

They looked to the edge of the dark ocean that was not yet lit by the sunlight.

Two other people were there.

They were Osaka 1st Special Duty Officer Saki Seiji and Osaka Chancellor Nanba Souichirou.

Saki remained seated and spoke to Souichirou who swung a large sword around.

Based on the expression visible through his sunglasses, he was chatting with the other boy to calm the pre battle tension.

Some words escaped Iwai Sanzou as he watched the two.

“They are a good pair.”

“Are you going to hire them?”

“Of course not. They need to make even more of a name for the Modified Purple Electricity Style.”

“That’s unusually impartial for you.”

“In the coming age, an outward-facing charisma will be as necessary as our sort of strength.”

“Is that what Kusanagi is for?”

Iwai nodded.

“Any corporate group connected to the emperor will gather below that Rhythm. And if the Houzenji Group has absolute control of Kusanagi, I hope to begin a full business partnership with Izumo and their Wind High.”

“I see. Sounds like you have big plans.”

“I could say the same about you, couldn’t I?” Iwai looked to Senga. “It is your doing that Tokyo’s Student Council has remained silent about this entire affair, isn’t it?”

“I wouldn’t know anything about that.”

“Oh, I heard that the Emergency Teachers and the Mountain were working together to use this incident to reunite the east and west schools.”

Senga said nothing, so Iwai continued.

“The adults failed to combine the east and west, so you are trying to use the children’s war as a trigger. Only you would come up with an idea like that.”

“But I intend to give all the credit to the adults. By keeping this riot entirely secret, it will all be credited to groundwork laid by the politicians and corporations.”

“Why would you manipulate the information like that?”

“In exchange for the credit for such a historic accomplishment, the crimes of all those involved will be wiped clean,” declared Senga.

Her eyes were fixated on Souichirou as he swung his sword on the beach below.

“At this point, all of this is in violation of the academy rules. This riot should be banished into the darkness.”

“And to do that, something must be done about the Flame High.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s what you corporations think.” She smiled bitterly. “If the Flame High wins, the east and west will still be unified, but if Tokyo wins…it will greatly shift the east-west power balance even if all this is kept secret.”

“Indeed. Souichirou-sama must emerge victorious.”

“Don’t be stupid. It’s Osaka that’ll win, right? If Osaka wins, Tokyo will have to support the unification to preserve their pride and we’ll have peace as long as Osaka doesn’t invade Tokyo for retribution.”

“To be honest, there is no guarantee Osaka can win if they do invade.”

“If we have peace, then we’re better off without a king.”

At that moment, the morning sun rose from behind the eastern mountains.

Light raced across the ground and everyone’s shadows grew more pronounced.

Souichirou’s sword dully reflected the sunlight.

Iwai looked to that light.

“That sword…is it true it is a Device pulled from the treasures at Nandaimon?”

“We had it made by Hong Kong’s top Buster. He visited Nandaimon 5 years ago to study Death Techno.”

“I see. That would explain why it is shaped differently from the Japanese-made holy items. I must thank you for that. …This will allow Souichirou-sama to draw out his full strength.”

“His full strength?”

“Do you know why he always makes a diagonal swing starting from the bottom?”

Senga thought about that for a moment.

And she reached a certain conclusion.

“It’s to make sure he doesn’t go too far and hit the ground while swinging downwards, isn’t it?”

“Normal swords and holy items cannot bear that much force, so the hilt or blade will break. …But that Device will turn even the ground to dust when it strikes.”

“That isn’t good news for Shoui as his opponent.”

Iwai said nothing to that.

And Senga finally turned his way.

“What’s the silence for?”

“Oh, I’m just surprised you actually offered him up for this. …He was a prized student worth letting live with you, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah, but this battle is sure to be necessary for him too.”

“…Necessary?”

“He might be able to work through something he failed to resolve over the past 2 years. Think of it like swapping out all your cards to turn your boar into a blue ribbon.”

“Unfortunately, I am not one for gambling.”

As soon as Iwai said that, they heard a slight sound from the direction of the city.

At the same time, a voice came from the communicator in Iwai’s pocket.

“Iba and Hizaka have arrived. They have both passed the ID scan. Should we double check up to Level 55?”

“No, that will not be necessary. Let them through.”

“Understood.”

Iwai and Senga exchanged a glance.

The morning sun was rising.

It was the perfect time for a sparring match.