Editing Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Chapter 5

No matter how high their magic power was, to not defend or dodge at all were the fatal weak points of the Quad-core Magica. Rather it could even be seen as their wish to be completely liberated that they accepted all the attacks.

Kazuki brushed aside the cheek of his childhood friend and step-sister who used every chance to try to have skinship with a serious expression. “Munyu” “Funya” Both of them leaked out a voice free from all worry.

Kazuki sensed the magic power approaching them.

It was a magic power he was familiar with.

“You solved this wonderfully. You haven’t used up all your strength against the small fishes in the opening act right, lad.”

A voice that reminded one of steel even though it was female, could be heard.

From the opposite side of the school building wreckage and dust that told the aftermath of a fierce battle, a familiar woman in armor appeared.

…Einherjar! So these guys finally came with this kind of timing!

“I missed you so lad…no, Kazuki! How about we meet our affections blade to blade again!!”

On either side of her, two other armored soldiers were waiting.

A short girl, an Einherjar with an appearance and voice that looked and sounded like a cheeky child introduced herself with the middle finger of both her hands pointed up.

The other person, the tall statured Einherjar continued with her self-introduction. She was a female with gentle eyes but, she was not supposed to be an average magician.

There was no mistake that these girls were called here by Headmaster Otonashi― Nyarlatoteph.

Kazuki realized all of Nyarlatoteph’s contrivance. After dealing with Kazuki and Lotte in this place, there was no doubt that he plans to blame the turmoil the Quad-core Magica caused as the work of [the unknown Diva Hayashiki Kazuki was contracted with].

In the rear of the Einherjar, Kaguya-senpai was also waiting on standby.

“I am...Otouto-kun has to…”

Kaguya-senpai who was wrapped in her Magic Dress cast her eyes down with a mournful face.

Hoshikaze-senpai raised her voice to try to persuade Kaguya-senpai. Hoshikaze-senpai was still of the wrong impression that Kazuki would end up transferring to the Sword Division. However even if that would happen, Lotte’s life was still in serious threat.

Kaguya-senpai distorted her expression from getting stuck in the dilemma between her sense of responsibility and emotions.

“Don’t listen to them. You understand, Kaguya. You, as the strongest magician, just enjoy fighting the strongest magic swordsman.”

At Kaguya-senpai’s side, Headmaster Otonashi whispered to Kaguya-senpai. Magic power was generated from that whisper.

Nyarlatoteph’s characteristic magic!?

In that instant, from the eyes of Kaguya-senpai―the color of emotion vanished.

The only one who noticed this magic phenomenon was Kazuki who reinforced his senses. Beatrix’s group didn’t even turn back at the situation behind them.

What was left inside Kaguya-senpai right now was just the logic and responsibility that Headmaster Otonashi planted, and then―the craving of her own self somewhere in her heart, nothing but to fight a stronger person.

“…Everyone, if it's us then we can win! Those Einherjar aren't a big deal. After all the strongest class from the Magic Division and the Sword Division had also gathered on this side.”

“Kanae, cooperate with Kohaku and stop Beatrix in the middle. Her physical strength and reflexes are reinforced. The only one who can dodge her attacks is only you of the Hayashizaki-syle.”

Kazuki glanced back to the back and handed Raikiri to Kanae.

“The one most reliable among us is senpai. The Einherjar are all-purpose Magica Stigma who can even perform close-quarters combat skillfully, but if it is senpai who can use Ride Lightning then senpai should be able to exchange swords with them.”

“Okay, leave it to me! After all I’m a senior and your friend. It’s okay to rely on me as much as you like!”

Hoshikaze-senpai replied happily. That brightness of hers gave some encouragement to Kazuki.

“Koyuki…Koyuki is not alone anymore. Not fighting solo, so cooperate with your comrades and fight.”

“…To trust other people besides Kazuki, it’s scary.”

“Kazuha-senpai needs to avoid close-quarters combat as much as possible, please support the comrades who are in a pinch from the rear.”

“Youu…I don’t want to accept instructions of someone like you but…I will recognize those instructions as the right call!!”

At the end of his line of sight, Beatrix was eagerly sending a heated gaze, but Kazuki ignored that and stared at Kaguya-senpai directly.

“Fufufu! This is the continuation from the fight before, Kazuki!! …I will have a good fight, welcoming a good death, wishing to participate in even more fights in the heavens! The divine protection of the color of the blood in my pupils! Berserk!!”

“…There is no free time to accompany you! Stop the steps of the hated enemy, hasten the steps of the chosen one…. O divine protection of mermaid, grant me the blade to dance on top of the ice! Moves in the Field!”

The surface of the battlefield was frozen in the blink of an eye. It was a magic that exhibited heavy effect to the Einherjar whose core was close-quarters combat.

Beatrix’s feet slipped on the icy surface―there, Kazuki accelerated and slipped through from the side using ice-skating boots. Beatrix saw off Kazuki’s back with an astonished expression.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

“What the…is this the taste of unrequited love…? Fufufu, so even I have some of a maiden's heart left inside me.”

Damian gave a tsukkomi to Beatrix who said such an incomprehensible thing.

“…We act in accordance of Hodur’s wish, I entrust my body to the exaltation of battle! The war fires of violent emotion running in the fat and blood on my sword!! {{furigana|Stories Flame|Merit of the Slaughterer}}!”

Damian drew out her sword and invoked her magic. The sword in her hand was enveloped in fierce flames.

Damian stabbed the sword of flame into the ground. Thereupon, the flame residing in the sword was transmitted in a wave motion, the frozen surface of the ground were melted in the time it took to say ‘ah’.

Beatrix’s eyes, that were full with obsession, chased Kazuki’s back.

―At that time, the shadow of a black cat had already drawn close to Beatrix.

Kanae poured on kodachi slashes at Beatrix.

Beatrix avoided all of those attacks with superhuman reflexes.

There Damian attempted to provide assistance. But a streak of lightning came flying as if to hold her back. Hoshikaze Hikaru was setting up a bow of lighting and aimed at Damian.

“I won’t let you be a hindrance to Kanae-san. I will pin you down myself.”

“{{furigana|Classe|Heee}}! An immature ass of a student dares to say such a cheeky line! I’ll make that pretty face messed uppppppp!”

Damian had gone from that place. Kanae and Beatrix clashed against each other. Kanae evaded Beatrix’s attacks lightly and loosely then counter-attacked with her kodachi. Beatrix dodged the kodachi again with her superhuman reflexes.

“You are even faster than Kazuki huh! But I’m going to accelerate even more you know!? O divine protection of military men, double the {{furigana|Megin|divine power}} whirling in my body! Dashing to endless fights as the will of the god, in this body! …Megingjord!”

A glittering light was raining down from the sky heading to Beatrix, Beatrix’s whole body carried on even more strength. Even faster, even stronger, she came swinging her sword at Kanae.

Beatrix’s posture was broken. Kanae turned in a circle like a spinning top and visited<!--raw check pls--> Beatrix a slash after a full rotation. With her reinforced body balance, Beatrix corrected her disordered stance forcefully and dodged Kanae’s kodachi. However her movement was a dodging technique of heavy work, it caused an unnaturalness in her stance.

Not letting Beatrix’s gap go to waste, Kohaku came charging.

“This guy’s weapon is reflexes! Use that Sacred Treasure the moment I do it!!”

From the seven Sacred Treasures she owned, Kohaku drew the one for the use of close-quarters combat from her hip.

That Battou Kaikon reversed cause and effect, the moment the hand grasped the sword, a slash had already occurred.

It might be possible for the Hayashizaki-style with Foresight as its forte, but by no means was it a technique that could be seen through by reflexes alone.

―They can’t be made light of. These guys are master hands that can’t be killed instantly.

Thereupon, the summoning magic that was aimed at her right at this moment was becoming a problem. Concentrating only at the swordsmen would land you through bitter experience, this was the tactic of Japan’s Knight Order that was called the [Heaven and Earth Formation].

Right, she already understood the tactic. …Like who it was that she needed to target first.

“You see, I’m not someone foolhardy enough that I will go nuts to fight only the opponent in front of my eyes…I’m going to ignore you bastards! First is you!”

Beatrix ignored Kanae and Kohaku and dashed at Mio like a meteor. She shook off Kanae and Kohaku in one breath. They couldn’t pursue Beatrix with pure speed.

This guy's current actions, I don’t need to be Kazuki to Foresight what she is going to do.

That was why Mio didn’t chant any superfluous magic, she was chanting the greatest magic she could chant and waiting in preparation for the moment Beatrix was heading for her.

“Just try to defend this with your shield if you really…!”

“O bird of paradise where the light of the heavens is residing in that body, answer my accusation and reduce to ashes the sin on the earth! Israel Judgment!!”

A heat ray was fired right from the front of the charging Beatrix.

Beatrix who was inside the highly concentrated oxygen that had a highly combustible property was fired at with an ultra-heat laser. The oxygen was bursting out all at once in a raging explosion!

It was a level 6 magic even at the best of times but, with the application of common magic Mio used however, that magic could be bragged to fire destructive power equal to magic of level 7 or 8.

Due to the tremendous impact of her smashed magic, Beatrix was blown away a far distance and crashed into the wreckage of the school building.

“Fufun. Because Kazu-nii had already said that the guy who challenges the same opponent in the same way from the previous fight is an idiot! That brain tissue of yours, it's made of muscle isn’t it?”

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Hoshikaze Hikaru was challenging Damian in a one-to-one fight.

“The destiny of all creation is inside the great celestial sphere…O binding of the constellation, suspend the motion of the sky! {{furigana|Horoscope Stasis|Star Gauze Sky Prison}}!”

“Annoyiiiiing! We are Hodur’s, negate all obstacles toward the sacred battle and distribute the divine protection of Norn to us! {{furigana|Norngjord|Belt of Victory of the Three Goddesses}}!”

Damian’s body was wrapped in a flaring strong light, and right at that moment the lines of light disappeared.

―If Hikaru doesn’t make any strange mistakes then you are about as strong as me you know?

Bow and arrow was created in Damian’s hands, quickly she fired the arrow.

Mistilteinn―the bow and arrow of mistletoe that pierced the son of god Baldur in Norse Mythology.

The Diva that Damian was a believer of was the blind god, Hodur. In Norse Mythology, holding the bow and arrow and the magic sword of mistletoe in hand he was the Diva that would unroll the fight of destiny with Baldur.

Hikaru chanted her defensive magic of wind. However {{furigana|Damian’s arrow|Mistilteinn}} slipped through and pierced Hikaru. The blue defensive magic power was smashed.

Something like a bow and arrow was a projectile weapon that was supposed to be blown away by wind. Despite the attribute superiority that was supposed to be there, this arrow slipped through the defensive magic and came flying. Probably, this bow and arrow possessed the power to make every defense powerless. Identical with the legend where it shot Baldur to death.

Hikaru judged that challenging her in close-quarters combat was a good plan and she stepped forward.

At the same time Damian was also opting for close-quarters combat.

Hikaru and Damian were invoking magic for close range combat at the same time.

Damian swung the western sword that was clad in flame of karma. Hikaru dodged it with the use of skillful agility, but she couldn’t dodge everything repeatedly and received large damage from the hit she got.

The offense and defense of Hikaru that shredded minutely small damages and Damian that inflicted large damage in one shot, if it was seen comprehensively, they were even.

Hikaru thought―she had confidence in her concentration toward spells. It seemed the opponent couldn’t chant in this exchange. I’m going to chant a high level magic during these exchanges of slashes and decide the victory and defeat right here!

And then during the exchange of close-quarters combat, both of them invoked magic at the same time.

“Know the rage of god with this sacred flame’s thunderous roar! All the howls of the sky reside in this hand, bring down the world destroying hammer! Break the world with one attack! Yagrush!!”

“The sword clutched in this hand turns the blessing into a curse of malice! While wishing for the rebirth in time, this hand severs the son of god’s immortal thread of life! {{furigana|Mistilteinn II|Annihilation Divine Sword}}!”

Both of their arias were Sacred Treasure creation magic.

Both of them opened their eyes wide in astonishment and surprise. And then they thought of the same thing―a simultaneous strike is bad! If I got hit with that magic power, I’m going to be sorry!

What Damian held in her hand was the magic sword of instant death that could murder even god. Mistilteinn that severed the life of Baldur was told in legend as a bow and arrow and also as a cursed magic sword.

“You bastaaaard, what the hell are you doing giving praise so haughtily while looking down at me! You think you're equal with this me!? {{furigana| Scheiße|Shit}}! {{furigana| Scheiße|Stop bullshitting me}}! {{furigana| Scheiße|I’ll fucking kill you}}!”

They are even but, it was fine even if the victory or defeat hadn’t been decided yet. Her objective was to wait for Hayashizaki-kun to liberate Kaguya. …With that line of thought, Hikaru had far more leeway compared to Damian.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Lotte invoked Prometheus’ level 5 magic.

The armament this magic summoned covered Lotte’s shoulders until her back completely, a multi-purpose large-type thruster system. It was installed with an arms container and enemy searching unit.

The thruster unit spewed out flame, Lotte soared into the high-altitude sky forcefully.

Lotte equipped the enemy searching unit on her head. Across the goggles, the magic power swirling in the battlefield was visualized and displayed.

Her role was to sense the enemy who attempted to chant high level magic like Mjollnir and run interference.

Damian brought forth a huge magic power, but Hoshikaze-senpai also produced magic power equal with her opponent, it was an even battle. The target was not these two.

Lotte directed her caution to the remaining sole Einherjar, Eleonora.

―On the surface Koyuki was confronting Eleonora.

“We are Ægir‘s, lend me the fear of the unknown bottom of the ocean! The raging waves toying with the small people, to me…. {{furigana|Himinglæva|The Sea That Reflects the Light of the Sky}}!”

“O water's surface that sways from my singing voice, manipulate the small wave and gather them into a large tsunami! Coming from beyond and washed away to the unknown…Tidal Wave!”

The Diva that Eleonora was a believer of was the sea god of Norse Mythology, Ægir.

Eleonora and Koyuki both summoned enormous sea waters. Both of them controlled the sea waters and crashed tsunami against each other. Tsunami and tsunami were colliding and smashed against each other violently.

The Sacred Treasures that Kazuha summoned were caught up in the sea water too and their momentum was killed.

When Eleonora commanded it, the lump of sea water was torn to pieces and turned into water bullets flying at Koyuki.

Eleonora’s offense was not stopping at just that. The water bullets were coming consecutively.

At that moment Koyuki couldn’t make it in time with her defensive magic. Just then, the phantoms of the swordsmen that Kazuha summoned covered Koyuki and were exterminated. …She was helped by her comrade!

It was impossible for Koyuki to not recognize the excellent skill the opponent had in manipulating the sea.

While Eleonora was protected by a body of sea water that used for offense and defense, she began to chant a high level spell.

“When the opponent’s sea get hit it scatters, we're going to shave it all! Let’s speed up our attack!”

Koyuki lined her shoulders with Kazuha and called out.

Kazuha too was creating Sacred Treasures one after another and rained them down. However even with the two of them together they couldn’t break Eleonora’s wall of sea. If it kept like this then she would finish chanting the high level magic first.

Using Prometheus’ level 4 magic, Lotte equipped a lance on her left hand.

With the lance positioned firmly, the thruster unit spouted up fire with its energy in full throttle. Lotte swooped down while her body was receiving that fierce acceleration. Exceeding mach speed, Lotte’s defensive magic power was removing the air resistance. Not even noticing such a trivial thing, she changed into an enormous meteorite.

Aiming for a part of the sea wall that Koyuki and Kazuha’s magic whittled off and became thinner, Lotte’s spear pierced through. While the heat of the electricity evaporated the sea, the super accelerated enormous mass smashed down the barrier of sea water in one attack. Even after piercing through everything, Lotte’s charge didn’t lose its momentum. The violent lance charge blew away Eleonora to the wreckage of the school building a few dozen meters away.

“Kaguya-senpai, please return to your senses!”

“Senses? I'm fine though.”

Toward Kazuki’s shouts, a flat voice like a doll's replied.

…It’s no good. Headmaster Otonashi was also like this but, the human’s mind that Nyarlatoteph made abnormal with his magic didn’t have any symptoms of self-awareness at all.

The Kaguya-senpai that he dearly missed was so coldhearted, like she was a completely different person.

Kazuki made up his mind to fight, preparing his katana he ran ahead.

Right now in this situation it was fine even if he ignored Nyarlatoteph. In front of Germany’s Einherjar, the guy was supposed to be unable to reveal his true colors.

Those Einherjar were pinned down by his comrades.

“O shapeless mute shadow, become a fish swimming in the darkness filled with obstructive thoughts. Origin of nightmares, materialism vicissitudes, respond to terror and hope and eat…Deep Specter!”

The shadow under Kazuki’s feet shined with the violet color of magical power and turned three dimensional like it was swelling up. It was a shadow monster possessing a big mouth like a shark's, it opened its mouth and came to bite Kazuki.

However the shadow monster was, so to speak, just a lump of magical power. Kazuki was able to Foresight its movements.

Kaguya-senpai was covered with a dark haze. If this haze was faced with an attack, that attack’s [pain] would be reflected entirely to the attacker as if that attack reached the body.

Kazuki was hallucinating the pain of his own Iai draw cutting his belly diagonally up to his chest.

An intense pain of steel blade digging into his internal organs. It felt completely like his insides were scorched.

Kazuki immediately shut out his sense of pain using the Trance that he learned from Lotte. The sharp pain was dulled like it was wrapped by a silk floss, decreasing to the degree he could endure it.

There's no way I’ll lose to this kind of pain…!

Kazuki paid no concern to the pain and let loose a second slash. A diagonal slash starting from Kaguya-senpai’s shoulder scraped off her magic power. Kazuki received even more hallucinations of pain but the pain was abating and he endured. Endure!

Kazuki screamed in a loud voice. Endure it. He was able to keep his sanity thanks to Lotte.

In the previous fight the tremendous pain was doubled. But this time what was doubled was only the reduced pain in the degree that he could endure. Just barely, it was really just barely that he could endure it.

“O desire lurking in the sea of the heart, passing through the sinful flesh this hand reaches out to that hand! O avatar of violation, entangle according to my desire! Desire Tentacle!”

But the me right now can still endure the pain! Possessing a will of steel, Kazuki Foresighted the timing of the tentacles creation, dodged, and then he cut away the tentacles.

At that moment the Deep Specter came to assault him. While enduring the intense pain, Kazuki must also deal with the monster of shadow. This guy’s attack was…a physical attack!

Kazuki blocked the bite of the monster with heavy armor. Most of the armor was broken apart with one attack, but Kazuki was mostly unharmed.

Judging from the scale of the magic power―a large-scale attack magic. A magic of Asmodeus that he had never seen until now. Probably it was around the border of level 4 or 5. Its attribute was…freezing!

Even if he attacked with his sword right now, he wouldn’t make it in time to obstruct Kaguya-senpai's spell chanting!

The space that surrounded Kazuki and Kaguya-senpai was wrapped in a pure white cold wave. If this cold wave touched human skin, the skin would immediately get torn apart from the cold, making red flowers blooming in profusion inside this white space.

As expected it couldn’t protect from Kaguya-senpai’s attack magic completely, the Freeze Barrier was soon smashed up, but Kazuki managed to reduce the damage from cold drastically.

The Hayashizaki–style was able to Foresight all uncomplicated offensive magic and dodged them. However large-scale offense magic that you couldn’t evade even if you try was the Hayashizaki-style’s natural enemy.

“Not only sword but also Foresighting magic, then choosing defensive magic with superior attributes to use. I see, so this is a magic swordsman, Hayashizaki Kazuki’s new possibility…”

Kaguya-senpai whispered admiringly. This was something that could only exist solely due to the presence of the Hayashizaki-style’s Foresight and {{furigana|Basilleus Goetia|King of Solomon's 72 Pillars Omni-magic}}.

Using a katana he could only whittle away Kaguya-senpai’s magic little by little.

Summoning the human’s five-senses stealing sycthe, Kaguya-senpai aimed for the timing of simultaneous striking when she swung the sycthe. Kazuki dodged with paper-thin difference, so that only his own katana can manage to hit senpai.

A bullet of curses flew at Kazuki!

While enduring the illusionary pain, dodge…dodge…dodge! Everything was dodged with a paper-thin gap.

He never fought a Magica Stigma as strong as Kaguya-senpai in a one-on-one fight like this. Even the attack of the scythe, the assault of the monster, if he got hit by even one it would have become a fatal wound.

Even so if he didn’t defeat Kaguya-senpai, there would be no chance of victory in this battle!

“It’s useless. Senpai’s attacks…all had been sealed.”

“I like senpai, and senpai also likes me. The illusionary pain is scary. That sense-stealing scythe is also scary. The Deep Specter is scary too. However from the start I didn’t fear senpai’s flame of hatred for even a second.”

Kazuki remembered that time when Mio was dying inside his arms. Not believing in the feelings of the other party and because of that he hurt his very important person, he didn’t want to do that.

Kaguya-senpai whose emotions were sealed by Nyarlatoteph’s magic directed a cold voice to Kazuki.

It is a fight between Nyarlatoteph’s mind manipulation and the strength of the bonds between me and senpai.

The time flowed in an instant and an eternity. He could hear the sounds of fighting of Beatrix and Mio and all the others, but even all of that gradually moved far away from his consciousness, Kazuki and Kaguya-senpai were shut inside the silence.

Kazuki’s mind recalled his memories with Kaguya-senpai. Kaguya-senpai who kindly came to him who was assaulted with feelings of alienation in the Magic Division. The sweet aroma that tickled his reasoning when she embraced him. Kaguya-senpai who was embarrassed with her Magic Dress. Tempting Kazuki due to Asmodeus’ side effect and then crying in shame from the embarrassment, that kind of senpai.

“This is baad<!--This is not a typo, don’t correct this, Asmodeus likes to stretch her last word when talking-->, Kaguya.”

A color of surprise mixed out into Kaguya-senpai’s face who was expressionless throughout all of this.

“Why, I can't fight like this…?”

It was absurd in the first place, Kazuki thought. The current Kaguya-senpai who held a fabricated sense of duty with her emotions suppressed by magic, how would she chant something like an attack magic that was fueled by emotion?

The backlash from doing such an absurd thing that ended in failure woke up Kaguya-senpai from her hypnosis.

The fake sense of duty was peeled off, what was laid bare were intense regret and feelings of guilt.

The original emotions of the kind Kaguya-senpai were overflowing all at once.

“Even though I don’t like that kind of thing …why did I do such things without mercy, there is no reason I can do that…why…Why!?”

In the sadness and confusion, Kaguya-senpai raised a voice that was tinged with a shriek.

Sensing that Kaguya-senpai had no will to fight anymore, Kazuki approached her. Kaguya-senpai twitched in fright and looked hard at Kazuki.

“Senpai, haven’t I said it before? I like senpai very much. I won’t turn to hate senpai just because of something like this so, please look forward and don’t cry okay?”

Kazuki said so to prevent Kaguya-senpai from crying, but in the blink of an eye tears were pooling in senpai’s eyes.

“Senpai was seeing a bad dream. But it’s okay already. Just like how senpai protected me who is her kouhai, from now on I will protect senpai too.”

“Even if senpai is the student council president, it’s okay to not bear the burden by yourself alone.”

Those words didn’t lose its glow no matter how many times he said them.

With every single word, Kazuki unraveled the things that were binding Kaguya-senpai’s heart.