Leviathan:Volume 7 Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Lost Witches

Part 1

The equilateral triangular prism of pure black, towering at over a thousand meters, stood in the Old Tokyo Concession at the former district of Ginza.

People called this type of object a "Monolith." However, dragonkind simply called it a "wedge."

Of course, humans of Earth were unaware of this difference.

The only exceptions were probably Haruga Haruomi, who had frequent contact with dragons—and one other person.

That man was named Sophocles.

A tall handsome man in the prime of life with very mature airs.

His complexion was too dark for a Caucasian, his facial features too deep-set for an oriental, no negroid characteristics. Let alone his real identity, even his race was indeterminate.

Sophocles was standing on the top of the Monolith.

Again, he was dressed in a black suit today, always showing up in front of others in this attire.

"Princess, your mood seems... not too great."

"Say no more. I cannot believe that Haruomi dared to lose before our duel... Defeated by the likes of that silver dragon. What a disgrace!"

The eccentric dressed in black inquired why Princess Yukikaze was unhappy.

This was a height over a thousand meters from the ground. Strong gusts of wind were blowing across the top without any hindrances.

In spite of that, the princess and Sophocles were conversing normally.

"The Road to Kingship, a game whose participants are Tyrannoi aiming for the position of dragon king... Shouldn't this victory be seen as a brilliant comeback executed by the latecomer Pavel Galad? Such open-mindedness is only fitting for a dragon king."

"I, Yukikaze, could not care less."

Princess Yukikaze's tone was clearly sulking.

Acting in this manner when her appearance was that of a fourteen or fifteen year old made her seem very childish. In contrast, Sophocles was talking to her with a calm and respectful attitude the whole time.

"Then why did you allow that dragon to have a match against the young man?"

"Do you even need to ask? This was to tell Haruomi that he is not worthy of dueling me, Yukikaze, if he were unable to overcome a trial of that level."

"Meaning you had no intention of fighting Pavel Galad from the very start?"

"Not necessarily. However, to this day, I, Yukikaze, have confronted similar opponents countless times. It has long become stale and boring. In that case, I prefer to fight Haruomi. He—"

Princess Yukikaze was outlandish, seeking not just simple victory or life and death but also pleasure on the battlefield.

Due to this type of personality, she asserted firmly, "He is far more interesting than others and pleasing to me."

"But that young man lost."

Sophocles' tone was gloomy.

"Just as you say, princess... He is not even worthy of competing against current royalty, much less ascending to the position of dragon king. Your discerning eye has proven this."

"Hmph."

Even when praised, Princess Yukikaze still turned her head away with displeasure like a sulking child.

She was the youngest dragon king. Very youthful in mind as well as appearance—Or rather, young. Full of childishness.

Preciesely because of that, her mood would not improve simply because a suspicious human being offered her a few words of praise.

However, it was not like she would sulk nonstop.

"Fine. I, Yukikaze, shall reward that silver dragon a little as befits the victor. I shall personally send him to the afterlife."

"Take care."

"Your name is Sophocles, isn't it? What are your plans?"

"I—There is a matter that intrigues me."

If Princess Yukikaze was a conqueror and warrior, then Sophocles was the game master who saw through everything from a god's eye view. Out of a game master's sense of responsibility, he said calmly, "Pavel Galad gained the advantage by carefully setting up the combat arena. However, the young man's allies—those priestesses—have yet to exit the stage."

"Now that you mention it, there were always a few humans hanging by Haruomi's side."

"Those girls are fairly resourceful. Perhaps they may become the key to victory—The second key."

"...Oh?"

Noticing Sophocles' intent, Princess Yukikaze finally smiled.

It was a radiant smile exuding pride and ambition. It was also evidence that the beautiful maiden, reminiscent of a snow fairy, had switched to a seasoned warrior's countenance.

"In other words, you believe there could be further twists and developments."

"Who knows? Mere speculation on my part. I cannot make any guarantees to you about whether the situation would unfold in this way unless I bear witness with my own eyes."

"Hahahaha. In that case, make haste and be on your way. Use your eyes properly to watch clearly!" Recovering her former vitality, Princess Yukikaze commanded gallantly.

"In the meantime, I, Yukikaze, shall play with Pavel Galad a little while waiting for your good news. Off I go to enter the fray. Heaven and earth shall bear witness—Even with the Rune of the Sword in his possession, the dragonslaying arrow cannot be stopped!"

Part 2

Inside the barrier created by Pavel Galad...

A great battle was taking place the mysterious ruins resembling an open-pit mine. Four witches and four leviathans were cornered.

A huge number of Raptors had them heavily surrounded.

The initial pack of more than five hundred dragons were finally reduced to three hundred or so.

However, the girls were still severely outnumbered.

Furthermore, the aces Asya and Luna Francois were incapacitated. They lacked the power of dragonbane on their side yet the enemy possessed the Rune of the Sword.

No chance of victory at all.

Even so, Juujouji Orihime still stood up straight and glared at the Raptors flying freely in the sky, equipped with the dragonslaying sword.

The enemy had yet to launch an offensive, because Akuro-Ou and Minadzuki were growling to keep them at baby.

Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Rahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Akuro-Ou kept her head and upper torso low while raising her rear in a threatening pose. The nine tails were standing on end, completely extended, like an open fan.

On the other hand, Minadzuki was hovering closer to the witches.

Instead of intentionally putting on a ferocious appearance, the emerald serpentine dragon growled, staring aloofly at the enemies in the air.

Looking at her injured companions, Minadzuki's gentle partner showed worry.

"Everybody..." Hazumi said sadly.

Glinda had a massive wound on her back while Rushalka had her left wing completely amputated. Luna had fainted and looked unconscious. Sprawled on the ground in pain, Asya was groaning.

All Hazumi had to do was ask Minadzuki and she would be able to use the power of healing to cure everyone.

But doing so would present an opening to the enemy. The instant Minadzuki stopped keeping them at bay, would the Raptors in the air attack at the same time?

This premonition gave pause to Hazumi. It was probably not paranoia on her part.

Then at that moment, the witches jumped in surprise.

The one most dear to them was thinking of them, worrying about their safety—For some reason, they knew with certainty.

"...Eh? Senpai?"

"It's Haruga-kun!?"

The feeling just now only lasted a brief instant. Hazumi and Orihime were stunned.

Alone on the Earth's surface, stuck in a crisis—He had transmitted his thoughts through a brief connection. In his fight against a fellow Tyrannos, he had been stabbed by the dragonslaying sword in the end. With his fading consciousness, Haruga Haruomi recalled his companions and transmitted his thoughts...

"Oh no! At this rate, Senpai will—"

"Then no one can go save him? Oh my goodness...!"

Thinking of the worst outcome, the two girls were very shocked.

Such a reaction was very normal for Hazumi and Orihime who had grown up in Japan.

Indeed. They were the exemplars of kindhearted girls and wholesome humans. Hence, Anastasya Rubashvili was highly unusual to think of such things.

That was the way things were. The difference between her and the Japanese witches was as great as night and day to begin with.

"What the heck..."

The phantom pain felt as though her left arm had been severed whole.

While groaning because of this unbearable pain, Asya figured things out at the same time. In a powerless voice as though on her last breath, she murmured, "The link between our minds with Haruomi's... did not disappear—It's just hard to confirm its presence because we're on a different world line..."

However, thanks to Haruomi's intense worry for the witches' safety, their minds had connected for an instant.

In other words, this spiritual link could be created through artificial means. In abject agony, Asya was certain of this.

It was apparently thanks to that mysterious crystal ball that the enemy was able to use the Rune of the Sword—

Such methods were unorthodox.

However, if Europe's strongest Shootdown Ace and her companions were doing it, her senses and magical power as a witch were sufficient. Through my own strength, I must reproduce the link with Haruomi!

The pain had caused Asya's recent pursuit of "increased feminine prowess" to vanish from her mind completely.

Probably because of that, at this very moment, Asya began to perform a magic technique of extremely challenging difficulty, as a "complete witch" devoid of all impurities.

"O ancient... divine seal of purity. Once again, grant me and Rushalka power."

She petitioned the pentagram worshiped by witches and leviathans.

It was not a prayer. Rather, she was "extracting" power from that magical emblem.

Naturally gifted, Asya had been certified as a master-class witch at an early age, hence, her understanding of magic was founded upon inborn instinctive sensing rather than knowledge.

So-called magic was not a method where one prayed to others, hoping for someone else to make your wish come true.

Suppose magical power existed here. Powerful magic that could demolish an entire city if one were to mistime one's breathing by a fraction of a second—

Using the spellcaster's sensitivity and knowledge to subjugate such power and make it obey.

That was magic.

Failure never crossed her mind. Even if she actually failed, she would not care either. Even if it meant that a city would be blown away, there was no helping it. She would simply succeed next time.

Only by attaining a realm of such an extent could one achieve Ars Magna, epic magic.

Prayer, altruism, or some such should be left to any random religion. Arrogant recklessness, certainty of one's success, self-centeredness, only those with their soul tainted by darkness and fiendishness could attain the same realm as Asya and others!

"...Gah!"

Sprawling, Asya barely managed to lift her upper torso.

Her left shoulder was in excruciating pain. In fact, it was impossible for her to move normally in this state. But by this juncture, even pain itself had turned into an important factor to increase concentration instead.

She focused her mind to forget her body's pain, then felt it.

On her chest—the left breast, closest to the source of magical power's creation, a witch's heart. Something was fondling her small breasts, in the same manner as how Haruomi had done so in the past.

"Rushalka, use the Rune of the Bow."

Almost about to faint from pain, Asya smiled confidently.

The "tilted half-moon," the emblem of the Rune of the Bow, appeared on the back of her left hand.

Traversing worlds, a spiritual link between her and Haruomi had been reconstructed. The brief instant earlier had told Asya the key principle to this magic. Simply stated, all that was required was recreating "the same feeling as from that time." Even though it was a difficult undertaking, Asya succeeded in her goal through her natural magic talent.

That being said, Haruomi seemed to be unconscious in the other world, wandering on the brink between life and death—

Oh well, he should be able to hang in there a little longer. He could watch his life flash before his eyes or whatever, so long as he endured until Asya executed her attack.

"Rushalka, begin attacking with pseudo-divinity. Technique of assured annihilation!"

Asya yelled hoarsely, as hard as she could.

Her blue partner was no slouch either. Having lost one wing, fallen on the white desert, groaning, she was in no state to fight. However, Rushalka still raised her head bravely, glaring forcefully at the sky, and roared with all her might.

Kyuahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Two white arrowheads suddenly appeared over Rushalka's head and hurtled towards the dead center of the three hundred Raptors in the sky that were biding their time to launch a heavy offensive.

Thus, through Asyand Rushalka's desperate efforts and magical power, a technique of assured annihilation was unleashed.

"Isn't that—Haruga-kun's power!?"

A smile bloomed on Orihime's face.

Rushalka had suddenly used offensive magic. Ice, snowflakes, and cold air were blowing in the sky above, rampaging unchecked, slaughtering the sword-wielding Raptors.

Apart from the blizzard, Rushalka also created white arrowheads.

Similar to ceramics in material, their texture resembled white porcelain.

These beautiful arrowheads were vicious too. Firing sweeping blue-white lasers from their tips nonstop, they sliced through the Raptors' bodies.

Unmistakable. Asya-san was using the Rune of the Bow!

Orihime glanced at Asya the senior witch, lying on the ground nearby.

The feedback of Rushalka's pain had rendered Asya unconscious, but the former Shootdown Ace of Europe had succeeded in her difficult task.

Attacked by the technique of assured annihilation, the Raptors in the sky above were now in disarray.

Preoccupied with fleeing from the dragonslaying laser beams, they even forgot about attacking Orihime and the others on the ground. However, whether this attack alone was able to wipe out the enemies... One could not be so sure.

Orihime had a faint feeling that Rushalka would probably exhaust her strength before then.

Was it a witch's instinct? For some reason, Orihime was quite certain. She had to do something herself too.

"Akuro-Ou... Lend me strength."

If Asya-san could do it, so can I.

Such a thought did not cross Orihime's mind at all. Juujouji Orihime had neither the talent nor that kind of confidence. However—

"Simply stated, all that was required was recreating the same feeling as from that time...!"

After feeling "connected" to Hal for a brief instant, Asya had immediately summoned the rune.

Through this, Orihime reasoned out the cause on her own. She knew that chances of success were not high, but regardless, what she needed to do now was do everything in her power and struggle as hard as she could.

Taking the challenge. Courage. Determination. Foolhardiness. Resignation. Trusting to chance.

Orihime's mindset was optimistic and a little irresponsible, while very resigned to the notion that "In the end, success still depended on whether God was accommodating"—

She thought of the boy she loved the most in the whole wide world.

To be honest, she felt that Haruga Haruomi had quite a lot of flaws despite his areas of excellence. Lack of sociability, keeping many secrets, inexplicably obstinate.

But even after pointing out so many of his flaws, Orihime could not help but say.

(But I love you. I love you so much.)

She truly dared not say this in front of others. Too embarrassing.

These words should be left until a time when the two of them were alone. Besides, Orihime thought, I love Haruga-kun so much, and Haruga-kun also _____ me, so—

"The bond between us should be enough for him to transmit magical power to me across worlds."

This confidence allowed her to recall the feeling when she was "one with" her beloved.

Then Orihime felt it.

Something was fondling her chest—the left breast nearest to a witch's heart. Probably as before, it was his right hand groping randomly.

"My goodness. Sure enough, Haruga-kun is so perverted."

By now, Orihime had already memorized the sensation of these hands.

"I will let you... grope as much as you want. You are the only one I would say these words to. Because that is how much—I love you."

Carefully savoring her loving feelings for Haruga Haruomi, she reconstructed her spiritual link.

The Rune of the Bow appeared on the back of her left hand. Then all she needed to do next was use a technique of assured annihilation as usual, unleashing magical power to the max—

At that very moment, Orihime and her partner Akuro-Ou underwent a dramatic change.

Feeling as though she were struck by lightning, Orihime came to a sudden realization.

Part 3

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Part 4

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Part 5

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