Editing Leviathan:Volume 7 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 3===

"That silver dragon... Pavel Galad, yes?" Hinokagutsuchi spoke with mockery in her voice.

She was with Hal and Asya, walking in Kogetsu Academy's campus. Roughly half a day had gone by after the wielder of the dragonslaying sword had reappeared.

The morning sun they had witnessed from the tiny island in Tokyo Bay was already setting in the west. It was roughly 7pm right now.

"Yes. How did that dragon become so strong within just a few months? I can't believe even Hazumi-san's trump card didn't work..."

"Hmph, what is there to be surprised about?"

Asya was baffled while Hinokagutsuchi remained unfazed.

Inside the school, the young girl in a scarlet kimono should be quite conspicuous, but it was already after school and evening to boot. Practically no students could be seen along the path to the library.

Walking with her head up and chest puffed out, Hinokagutsuchi smiled arrogantly.

"The brat did it too. Do you believe the silver dragon to be less capable than he is?"

"I see, so that's the principle here?"

"Warrior, mage, hero... I'm confident that I'm inferior to him in talent for every job class," Hal could not help but agree.

Furthermore, Hinokagutsuchi continued, "If only that was all there is to it... Fully knowledgeable dragons would embark on long adventures for the sake of conquering the Road to Kingship. Up into the heavens, down into the oceans, deep into space, even crossing dimensions on occasion. Only by discovering flints and the power of dragonbane during their arduous travels can individuals become Tyrannoi&mdash;"

"A treasure hunting quest, in other words."

Hidden in the possessions left behind by Haruga Haruomi's late father was a treasure of dragonkind&mdash;a flint.

Only the flames generated when this type of stone shattered were able to awaken dragonslaying runes. Whether the Rune of the Bow or the Rune of the Twin Katana, both would be nothing more than symbols without the flints.

Hal had experienced this first hand. In other words&mdash;

"Having completed that challenging quest, Galad's abilities as a 'treasure hunter' might be superior to mine&mdash;I guess this could be a possible deduction..."

"The items and knowledge he obtained over the course of his travels ought to be quite abundant too..."

Previously, Pavel Galad had limited himself to "only sending the hero into battle."

But this time was different. Was he going to bring out all of his abilities in his attempt to defeat Haruga Haruomi followed by Princess Yukikaze?

After pointing this out, Hinokagutsuchi vanished into thin air.

They had reached the library, chatting while they walked. However, rather than the library, Hal and Asya's destination was the cultural clubs building opposite to it.

"Huh? No one's here."

Hal tilted his head. He had agreed to meet up with his companions here.

Juujouji Orihime, Shirasaka Hazumi, and Luna Francois. None of the trio were here.

"Let's get going first, since they will be coming later anyway. It'd be a hassle to keep that person waiting."

"You're right," Hal agreed with Asya's suggestion and walked up the stairs of the cultural clubs building.

The destination was the third floor. The room of the UFO Research Club.

"So you two have come."

The one they sought was waiting behind the door.

President of five cultural clubs, namely the Drama Club, the Mass Media Research Club, the Literature Club, the Science Insider Club, as well as the UFO Research Club, and at the same time, an extremely suspicious prophet.

Dressed in an outfit resembling maternity wear, gender indeterminate.

Her name was President M. Calling herself the "mother" of all club members, she was a superhuman unparalleled in both physical and mental greatness.

"I have been waiting here, focusing my mind, only because you lot requested for a discussion with me."

"Much appreciated. What we wanted to discuss is the same as what I mentioned over the phone last time," Hal immediately went straight to the point.

"I'll cut to the chase... We don't know if our enemy, who could potentially wreck Tokyo, be setting up some kind of trap?"

"How would I know? I am neither a clairvoyant nor Zhuge Kongming."

President M immediately offered a valuable oracle.

"Well, considering various circumstances, why not just handle things flexibly?"

"Is this a suggestion coming from one of your skills?"

"No, Haruga, this is simply my personal opinion and common sense."

"Hahahahaha."

Laughing wryly, Hal conversed with President M.

Forget it. He had not hoped for much to begin with. Trying to push the issue could end up bringing divine retribution. These were the feelings behind his wry smile.

Asya frowned.

"Can't we think of a solution? This is a crisis that could sink not only Tokyo but even all of Japan. It might even be the prelude to the world's destruction. Please offer us more of your guidance."

"My, how greedy you are."

They were on fairly good terms, perhaps because Asya had been under President M's tutelage on a one-to-one basis.

Asya made her request assertively, believing there was no need to be formal with President M. The prophet and possibly revolutionary species of human closed her eyes and began to meditate. The atmosphere was quite solemn.

"Let me see... From our conversation over the phone, there is one matter that bothers me greatly&mdash;That... trump card? ...Which the little angel used, you said the enemy blocked that move."

"Oh, yeah, that's right. The mystic ritual of a goddess to eliminate dragonslaying weapons." Asya nodded.

Still with her eyes closed, President M continued, "Rather than blocking it... The enemy rekindled the flame instead. That is the answer to the riddle."

"How did he do it?"

"I am not the one who should be figuring that out."

"Got it. Can you give us more concrete advice?"

"How shameless of you. When encountering situations where feminine charm cannot be applied, you really turn into a monster the farthest thing away from being useless."

"W-Why are you bringing up feminine charm now!?"

"Fine, fine&mdash;Oh, but I seem to be seeing something vaguely. Let me see, 'Counter a treasure with another treasure. You are advised to release the stored goods'."

"Such a cryptic oracle..."

"Something is better than nothing. A drowning man would gratefully grasp for even straws."

President M suddenly opened her eyes and stopped meditating.

It looked like that was her last piece of advice. As far as Hal and Asya knew so far, President M's prophesies always matched "the future's outline." Hopefully, it would be the case this time too&mdash;

Regardless, the paradoxical being of the "Amazon of indeterminate gender" told Hal and Asya, "Allow me to add a final word. When it is time to make a decision, think about the future&mdash;three months from now, three years from now. What consequences will your decision have on the future... If you take that into consideration, things will work out perhaps?"


"In a way, the President might be the most reliable of all humans."

"That's because the President often gives us honest advice, though it's mostly impossible to understand."

"This time, she was like a real fortune-teller, leaving so much room for interpretation and concluding with a suggestion that's like life advice."

"I really wish she'd give hints that were easy to understand."

Hal and Asya exchanged remarks poignantly.

They had left the UFO Research Club's room and were standing in front of the clubs building again.

It was almost 8pm but Orihime, Luna, and Hazumi still had not arrived. They could not be reached by cellphone either. What happened?

While Hal was puzzling over this, Asya suddenly said, "Anyway, let's go. I think there must've been a minor mistake or accident. If it's a serious incident, I'm sure Hiiragi-san would contact us, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about."

She made a good point.

Hence, Hal and Asya began to wander aimlessly on campus during the evening.

The school yard was deserted. All the students in athletic teams and clubs had apparently gone home already. In an unexpected turn of events, Hal and Asya got to spend time alone with each other.

"But are you sure you don't need to have dinner?"

"I ate a sandwich before coming to school, so that's plenty enough."

Plenty enough! Hal could not believe he heard these words coming from Asya on the subject of eating.

The bottomless abyss of a stomach and humanoid typhoon&mdash;Recalling his childhood friend's former image, Hal was overcome with a strong wave of nostalgia.

But he ought to accept this sort of change with an open mind, probably.

Hal switched mindsets and decided to change the subject.

"Say, I never thought we'd be studying at a normal school."

"And we're taking our studies pretty seriously too."

"By the time I noticed, even though it's not a lot, I've gotten to know a couple of people I can call friends."

"Didn't you gain a whole bunch of female friends over the past six months?"

"Well yeah, but the people I know have always been skewed towards the female side. After all, my line of work revolves around witches."

"True, but&mdash;"

Walking side by side with Hal, Asya poked fun at him, "Haven't you always insisted you'd never date a witch?"

"That's because all witches are weird... No, all witches have too much personality. They're fine as coworkers, but dating is out of the question."

"That's what you claim, but what's the truth? Right now, Luna is pursuing you, Hazumi-san calls you 'Senpai♪' and super likes you, Orihime-san is on really good terms with you, and finally, even the WotC in New York..."

"Oh dear."

"But judging from the situation, it looks like you've retracted your statement."

"Retracted?"

"What you said just now, that 'dating is out of the question.' It's quite infuriating, but at the same time, I feel a sense of relief too."

"What do you mean?"

"Because&mdash;It means that I count as one of your romantic prospects."

"Huh...?"

Asya's sudden bomb drop caused Hal to freeze on the spot.

Just as he was thinking "what did Asya just say?" in surprise, the childhood friend continued.

"You still don't get it? I think of you as a prospective romantic partner and I want to go out with you&mdash;as girlfriend and boyfriend."

"......"

"Speaking of which, didn't we kiss in New York last time?"

"Oh&mdash;Uh... yeah."

"Then how much do you fail as a man if you still don't get how I feel? Yet when it comes to others, you're always so nitpicky."

Asya chuckled with a smile and looked up to gaze at Hal's face.

The two of them naturally stopped walking. The silver-haired childhood friend was shorter so of course, she had to look up. Hal's heart skipped a beat.

The way she was looking at him seemed to emphasize her adorable and fairy-like face.

Being together with Asya like this&mdash;It could very well be the first time.

Furthermore, her gorgeous lips looked irresistible, as though urging him to do something. All Hal needed to do was bend over slightly, and Asya to tiptoe a little, and they could probably touch. A kiss was within reach.

Hal was certain of this&mdash;then he jumped in fright. What on earth was he thinking?

He knew his heart was beating rapidly.

Hal was at a loss. The person in front of him was neither Luna Francois nor Juujouji Orihime, yet she was making him feel in this way...

In addition, he had no choice but to admit this.

At this very moment, Haruga Haruomi was seeing his childhood friend, whom he originally considered family, as a ''girl''!

"U-Uh, although it was so long ago, New York, umm..."

"Those were my feelings for you. It was an action I took, hoping you'd understand that I love you."

Asya's response could not be more direct. There was no room to misinterpret.

"It's because I can't lose to Luna. Or Orihime-san. Or Hazumi-san."

"I-I don't think this is a contest..."

"No, but precisely this is the kind of issue we have here, winning and losing is quite important. Perhaps you're currently very conscious of the girls around you, causing you to spontaneously set your sights on others, making it hard for you to express a clear stance."

"I-It's not like that."

As soon as he spoke, Hal remembered last night.

This memory made Hal unable to make any counterarguments. While he was silent, Asya added, "Actually... I am very certain."

"Certain?"

"Yes. Even though you are surrounded by many girls right now, I'll definitely become number one in your heart."

"......"

Asya asserted with secret confidence in her words.

Adorable and mischievous, it seemed like she was teasing her childhood friend Hal.

There was an attractiveness in her movements and expression that Hal had never seen before. While surprised by this new side of Asya, whom he knew for so many long years, Hal also found it very novel and refreshing.

Faced with this Asya who was practically like a different person, Hal felt his heart pounding nonstop.

"Fufufufu. It's almost time to change the subject. Too serious a chat might affect tomorrow's decisive battle."

"I-I'm glad you're willing to change the subject."

"But Haruomi, please don't forget. Once the matters of Princess Yukikaze and Pavel Galad are resolved... I'll show you my true power."

"True power!?"

"Yes. I will make sure you know that even Luna, Orihime-san, and Hazumi-san will seem to have no presence when compared to my charm. Even someone as dense as you will be able to easily decide whom to choose."

Asya's gallant declaration sounded even a bit awesome.

Incredibly, her confidence and assertiveness did not feel off-putting. Rather, it would be better to say that it paired well to emphasize her coolness and charm.

Feeling that the gallant Asya from the battlefield seemed to be making an appearance in everyday life, Hal was rendered speechless. His childhood friend was undoubtedly a beautiful maiden of limitless attractiveness right now.

If he had to find a flaw to nitpick, there was only one thing at most.

Indeed. At most, there was a tiny sliver of doubt, was Haruga Haruomi's childhood friend really someone like this...?


"Okay, let me have a look over there."

After parting ways with Haruomi in the school yard, Asya went back the way she had come.

Her destination was somewhere between the cultural clubs building and the library. This time, instead of the UFO Research Club, she was headed to the underground level of the library.

She entered an underground floor that only SAURU personnel had authorized access.

Asya had locked one of the rooms there. Furthermore, this was Padlock magic cast by a master-class witch.

Finally releasing the lock, Asya stepped into the room.

"Sorry everyone, thanks for being patient."

Asya greeted first. Three girls responded to her.

"A-Asya-san!"

"My goodness! Where did you run off on your own while imprisoning us here!?"

"How dare you set a trap for me..."

Shirasaka Hazumi, Juujouji Orihime, and Luna Francois Gregory.

They were the trio who had failed to make the appointment. In fact, Asya had called them to the library's underground level ahead of time, trapping them here and confiscating their cellphones.

This was all done so that she could spend the evening with Haruomi alone.

The kindhearted Orihime and Hazumi simply looked uncomfortable, but Luna Francois was clearly very displeased.

Asya told her three companions very simply, "I went to see Haruomi&mdash;Since all of you have been secretly seducing the Haruga family's Haruomi-kun behind my back lately... Please allow me to ask&mdash;"

Deciding she should cut to the straight directly, Asya inquired, "What on earth are you trying to hide by excluding me?"

" "!?" "

The two honest Japanese girls jumped in surprise and looked at Luna.

She was evidently the one who had issued the order to leave Asya out. The American girl shrugged and grumbled with displeasure, "You really haven't been acting like yourself recently. I never thought you'd be woman enough to notice something like this."

"I am no longer my past self. Please don't underestimate me."

On the evening prior to the decisive battle, Asya's purpose for imprisoning the three girls was not just for the sake of spending time alone with Haruomi.

"Not just you three, but Haruomi himself is also acting sneaky."

"Indeed... Asya, I admit that you are no longer the same. The reason why I excluded you was because I feared your feminine charm was too lacking&mdash;"

"So that's why..."

"After all, this matter is of paramount importance to Harry currently. But since you have devoted so much thought into this already, perhaps I could allow you to help..."

Luna Francois sighed.

"But do know that this is a very depressing topic. The situation is more serious than Harry himself realizes and he will soon become cornered. Do you still wish to listen?"

"Gladly."

Step by step, Luna Francois began to explain the situation.

After understanding the whole story, Asya found her heart dominated by surprise and anxiety.