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Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 20

2013-10-15T03:47:34Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 20: Graduates Under the Moon */

==Chapter 20: Graduates Under the Moon==
[[File:Horizon1A 507.jpg|thumb]]
''answer.''

''only answer.''

''answer me.''

''only answer me.''

'''Point Allocation (Heroine)'''

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Under the night sky, people were gathered on the ships moored at the bottom of a mountain.

Aboard those eight ships that made up a giant city, people stood on the bow of the various ships or on the long, thick ropes holding the ships in place.

Everyone was looking south, toward Mikawa.

They were all watching the great change occurring in Mikawa. And they muttered to each other.

“The light…disappeared.”

Just as someone had said, the light which had been released into the air from the earth beyond the mountains was now gone.

The distant pulsating sound which they had heard through the air was gone as well.

“What happened?”

Someone asked that question, and it spread from person to person, but no one had an answer.

As they all asked questions and expressed their doubts, Masazumi walked with an automaton.

While Masazumi pulled on her hand, P-01s had Masazumi’s coat over her head. The bottom of the coat fluttered at her back.

“Masazumi-sama, aren’t you cold?”

“I’m fine,” said Masazumi as she walked on the path to the surface shopping district. Everyone they passed was walking toward the front of the ship where the Mikawa area was visible. However, Masazumi was hurrying away from there.

''This is awful,'' thought Masazumi. ''I haven’t the slightest clue what I should do.''

She had learned a lot that day.

She had learned about Remorse Way, the Logismoi Oplo, and the identity of P-01s.

The automaton whose hand she was currently holding was not technically an automaton.

She was a human with an automaton body and based on the soul of Matsudaira Motonobu’s daughter, Horizon.

''But,'' thought Masazumi. ''The Logismoi Oplo distributed to the world were created from her emotions.''

Her emotions had been used as a component to create those weapons of mass destruction which were based on humanity’s original sin. Masazumi did not know why that had been done, but she did know one thing.

…''The world is on the move.''

The ruler of Mikawa, Lord Motonobu, was now silent, but he had said one thing during the previous divine transmission: if someone obtained all of the Logismoi Oplo, they would gain the power to influence the Apocalypse.

In that case, the person being pulled along by her hand could influence the fate of the world.

And Masazumi had no idea what to do with her. After hearing Motonobu’s divine transmission, she had reflexively covered P-01s with her coat and taken her here.

…''Horizon.''

She was Lord Motonobu’s daughter as well as…

…''The girl that father and the others said Aoi killed.''

She did not know what that meant and asking P-01s would not help as she had no memories.

Not knowing what to do, Masazumi had decided to ask for advice from the woman owner of the snack shop. However…

“Masazumi-sama.”

“Eh?”

Masazumi stopped when P-01s spoke to her. They were just about to enter the shopping district. They were currently in a business district, so there were not many people around.

She turned around to find P-01s with her face hidden by the coat and her bangs.

“I am not actually P-01s, am I?”

She was looking directly at Masazumi.

As P-01s stared with a blank lack of expression, Masazumi could see her own eyes reflected in hers.

“I do not know.”

And so…

“I was referred to as Horizon,” said P-01s. “But then what should I do as Horizon?”

P-01s’s question left Masazumi at a loss for words.

How was she supposed to answer that?

She would likely be controlled by the Testament Union and the Far East for the rest of her life. Masazumi did not know exactly how that would play out, but being the heir to Mikawa and a Logismoi Oplo was more than enough reason to rob her of any freedom.

''But,'' thought Masazumi. ''Does she want a future like that?''

The P-01s Masazumi knew was an automaton that was always standing behind the counter or cleaning the front of the store or the graveyard. She and the shop owner had searched for where she had come from, but P-01s had ultimately chosen a peaceful life and that was what the others wanted as well.

But all of that would be taken away.

“You…”

Masazumi started to say something and then had a sudden thought.

…''What do I think?''

She had acted based on her hopes to inherit the position given by the name Honda Masazumi, but it had been impossible in the end.

However, the girl before her eyes had been given a large role in the world even though she did not want it.

As someone who had desired a role like that, shouldn’t she be jealous of her?

…''And yet…''

“You…”

She was Horizon Ariadust. She was Matsudaira Motonobu’s heir, the base for the Logismoi Oplo, and a girl who had been made into an automaton.

But how could she be accurately described using those?

Masazumi knew her as nothing more than a snack shop’s automaton.

And so Masazumi opened her mouth, hesitated, and tried to say something.

…''You…''

And just as she did, she heard distant voices.

This was a business district, so there was no one around at night. What she heard was…

“!?”

In every direction of that cityscape, she heard countless voices rising into the sky from the distant residential districts.

As if drawn by those voices, Masazumi looked up into the sky.

And she saw a giant shadow directly above in the night sky.

“Is that…?”

It was the shadow of a flying ship. It was the lead ship of the guard unit sent from Mikawa.

As Masazumi saw the shadow of that ship floating in the night sky, she heard a new sound.

It came from Musashi’s external speakers. The amplified voice of an automaton spoke into the air.

“Musashi bridge to lead guard ship. You have left your scheduled course. Also, ships are obligated to remain more than six hundred yards from each other. That is all.”

However, the automaton’s warning did not stop the approach of the guard unit’s lead ship.

Instead, the ship replied with a slightly staticky voice.

“Mikawa-owned Musashi lead guard ship to Musashi. We are here on emergency duty given by the Testament Union representative for this land. If you have any complaints, send them to the K.P.A. Italia contingent as they are the aforementioned representative.”

The guard ship reduced its speed and lowered down from above.

A number of ropes dropped down from its deck and over its side.

Figures stood on the edge of the deck above the ropes. They were armed and wore Far East uniforms.

…''It can’t be!''

“On the request of this land’s Testament Union representative, we will secure the Logismoi Oplo. We request Musashi’s assistance.”

As the guard ship made that announcement, countless figures dropped down from its deck.

The first wave lowered themselves down on the ropes but let go partway down and dropped. The second wave agilely jumped down from the main deck and the side decks. The third wave was directly dropped from landing craft. In total, at least one hundred troops dropped down.

Masazumi could not see across the cityscape, but…

“…!”

They were coming.

“The ether vibration pattern common to the Logismoi Oplo has been detected! This is a 90% match with the data from K.P.A. Italia headquarters… We have a visual!” shouted a voice overhead.

As Masazumi and P-01s stood in the middle of the road, a landing craft passed by overhead and armed students jumped down.

There were 16 of them. As they dropped, a torii-shaped crest appeared behind each of their backs for an instant to slow their fall.

They were positioned to surround Masazumi at a distance of about ten meters.

“…”

She took a breath and pulled strongly on the hand she held.

And then she tried to run.

Not even she knew what purpose there was in trying to flee. However…

…''This is wrong.''

She did not know what exactly was “wrong”. She did not even know if anything really was wrong.

“Masazumi-sama.”

The hand she pulled on did not move.

As the unit fell from the sky, that girl with her face hidden by the coat and her own bangs asked a question.

“Masazumi-sama, can you not tell me who I am or what I should do?”

P-01s thought. Horizon thought.

…''Ah.''

She thought.

That previous broadcast meant she did not have most of her emotions.

…''And I do not know what I should do now.''

She had no memories and little knowledge.

…''So…''

If possible, she wanted her identity to be something she could understand.

For example, being an automaton that worked at a snack shop. It may not have been a perfect understanding, but she mostly understood that.

But this was different.

She was the daughter of the ruler of a place called Mikawa and she was a weapon of mass destruction called a Logismoi Oplo.

What should she do if that was who she was?

…''I do not know.''

If she had emotions, she thought she would have reacted either positively or negatively toward it.

However, she did not even have that.

And so she thought and gave voice to those thoughts.

“I am P-01s…no, Horizon,” she said. “And there may not be anything you can do for me.”

Masazumi opened her mouth reflexively when she heard those words.

She wanted to say this was no time to be saying that.

But a male voice spoke up just as the unit landed around them.

“If you wish to speak as a politician, do not make a mistake here, Masazumi.”

The voice came from directly in front. A man wearing long clothes was walking down the road toward her.

“Father.”

As she spoke that word, the unit took action.

She heard the sounds of weaponry and the sounds of solid shoes. As they looked cautiously around the area, that heavily moving group cut between the man and her.

However, her father continued walking and spoke.

“Masazumi, excellent work.”

A few members of the unit standing between them frantically turned around. One pulled the Izumo-made bowl-shaped head protector deep over his eyes.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” he said as he touched her hand.

He touched the fingers that were holding P-01s’s hand.

And he removed her hand.

“Ah.”

The automaton’s freed hand moved aimlessly through the air. However…

“…”

It pulled back.

All that remained was Masazumi’s outstretched hand.

“Kh…”

As she slowly pulled her hand back, she saw the automaton standing stock still.

After greeting the recovery unit, Masazumi’s father circled around behind her.

“This is goodbye. When you see her again, she will hold a different position in society. How about you say something to her now for the sake of the future?”

Masazumi strongly clenched her back teeth.

…''The future!?''

Her inherited name had no future. But that automaton…

…''Are you saying she has a future!?''

Just when she was about to ask that, something else happened.

“In other words, this is what I am meant to do,” said the automaton. “I do not know what I should do. Knowing who I am does not tell me what to do and I cannot even leave that decision to my emotions. In that case, I should accept the identity I have been told is mine and act as history wishes me to. That is the best decision if I am to make no mistakes and not cause any problems.” She took a breath. “The best decision is to accept the name Horizon Ariadust and act as that identity would have me act.”

The retrieval unit and everyone else there turned toward her, but more because she spoke her name than because of what she was saying.

She stood still and opened the lips visible below her bangs and the coat over her head.

“I do not know who I am as Horizon, but I understand that the current situation is telling me what I should do. If I am indeed Horizon, the daughter of the ruler of Mikawa…”

She raised her head before Masazumi.

The coat fell from her head and to her shoulders, revealing her face.

Her expressionless face had white skin and eyes that appeared fixed in place. That was the same face as always.

Automata had no emotions.

Even if they had a soul, emotions were a different matter. They could gain emulated emotions from their knowledge and experiences, but she did not have the experience required for that.

However, her expressionless lips parted and produced words.

“…then I intellectually know who I am. In a time of emergency, one who rules a country will give up his or her life to take responsibility and let his or her people live on.”

Masazumi opened her mouth in response. She hung her head down in front of Horizon.

“That is…”

She could not bring herself to say “not true”.

This was the world of the warring states. It was often done in the form of retirement or expulsion, but it was not unusual for responsible parties to commit “suicide”. Some truly did commit suicide and some, like Motonobu’s son Lord Nobuyasu, were forced into it.

…''What can I say to comfort her?''

Masazumi could not come up with an answer, so she remained silent.

And amid that silence, a female member of the unit dropped down from the empty landing ship while attached to a suspension device.

After checking on the work and procedure, she bowed and took Horizon’s hand.

And she began to take Horizon away.

At that exact moment, a sudden voice reached them. It came from the shopping district at the stern of the ship.

“Horizon!”

It was a boy’s voice. Masazumi turned toward the owner of the voice and broke her silence.

“Aoi!?”

Masazumi saw a few people run in from the shopping district.

The person at the front of the group shouted out.

“Horizon!”

It was the boy named Aoi Toori who was nearly tripping as he ran.

He was not running particularly quickly, but he reached out with his arms in his desire to move forward and his body was tilting forward. His disheveled hair and lowered head hid his expression.

But his voice was clear.

“Please wait!”

He arrived.

After crossing the long block between the shopping district and the business district, he was more or less there. When the lights of the long block lit them up from the front, Masazumi realized they were all her classmates.

She saw Aoi, Urquiaga, Neshinbara, and Noriki.

Seeing them, Masazumi opened her eyes in self-realization.

She had learned a lot on this day. And…

…''Had you realized it!?''

Everyone aboard Musashi had been told that P-01s was Horizon during the earlier broadcast.

…''But why can you use that name so soon?''

Using that name made it sound like he had always known she was Horizon.

…''Why?''

As if to reject any possible answer, nearby guards frantically began to run over to Aoi and the others. Their initial reaction was to run over and the commander of the unit spread out his arms to block the students’ path.

“Wait! Stay back!!” shouted Neshinbara from behind Aoi. “The president of Musashi and of the student council has merely come to greet the household of Mikawa!!”

He was the president of both Musashi’s academy and its student council. He may have been called useless and incompetent, but he still had authority. And so the men running over hesitated and lowered their speed.

As if in response, Urquiaga and Noriki took a step forward and cut in.

“Open a path!”

The two of them created a path by using their running momentum to push aside the guards on the left and right.

There were now fewer than ten meters between Aoi and Horizon.

And when he stretched out his arm, Aoi and the other three were quickly defeated by some figures who fell down from the sky.

They were a unit from K.P.A. Italia.

They had arrived by way of an overhead landing ship from the Musashi guard ship.

They wore light armor and their faces were visible beneath protective headgear. All of them were in their twenties or thirties. Their builds were different from those of the Musashi students, as was the way they held their arms and legs.

Urquiaga was gigantic and had muscular strength on the level of the demon race, but he was unable to move when four of them held down the joints of his limbs. The only one who managed to act was Noriki. He immediately escaped the men restraining him and…

“…!”

Torii-shaped crests appeared on both his arms and he sent high-speed blows into the K.P.A. Italia commander.

Two clear sounds rang out.

However, the commander showed no concern. Finally, he tilted his head.

“Now that’s a light blow!” he said while sending a fist back at Noriki.

The man’s fist jabbed upwards directly into Noriki’s gut.

Air burst from Noriki’s mouth and he doubled over. The commander then slammed his fist into the top of Noriki’s head to send his slender body to the ground.

He instructed his nearby men to restrain Noriki.

“I am glad you came. On the Testament Union’s instructions, I would like to transfer your authority here. And…”

“Are you taking Horizon away!?” cried Toori.

One of the men holding him down moved.

The man holding Toori’s right arm bent that arm behind Toori’s back until it creaked. He then pushed.

He intended to dislocate the shoulder and he showed no sign of hesitation. He took action all at once.

To endure it, Toori changed his position and tried to lift his hips up. However…

“…!”

The other two holding him slammed him into the ground.

His arm stretched out all at once, the joint twisted, and Toori’s mouth opened.

“Kah!”

A noise halfway between a breath and a voice came out.

And…

“I have determined that is meaningless.”

Horizon’s voice brought it all to a stop.

Masazumi wordlessly looked toward Horizon who stood in front of her.

She looked at her expressionless face and eyes. She looked the same as always, but she was holding a book out toward Masazumi.

The book contained the words and actions of leaders and politicians.

Masazumi took the book and Horizon spoke.

“I merely have to do what that book described, correct? I can learn from the patterns of the past.”

“…”

“To be blunt, I can guess that this commotion would not have occurred if I had been quickly secured as a leader. I do not think dragging this out with this sort of commotion is the best plan.”

“Then why did this happen? Are you saying you don’t know this guy?” asked the commander.

Horizon looked straight back at him.

“Once I am secured, I will have no connection to him. …Does anything else matter?” She took a breath. “I have determined that this sort of commotion will not occur again once I have been secured. Please hurry. This should be enough. Or do you hope to injure those aboard Musashi by delaying my capture? To be honest, that is not the best decision.”

Masazumi could tell a few of her lines were identical to ones written in the book she held.

…''She is carrying out the “best decision” based on what is written in this book.

She had wanted to know what to do as a ruler. Masazumi could tell that she was desperately making use of the knowledge she had of the past.

As Horizon mixed together lines from the past, the K.P.A. Italia commander finally spoke.

“Testament,” he answered.

As he did, Masazumi heard another low, trembling, and muffled voice. It was a groan coming from Aoi as he was pressed against the ground.

“Horizon!”

He struggled and raised his head, but the men hurriedly pushed it back down.

But….

“Listen, Horizon. I…”

And just as Aoi said that, Masazumi saw something out of the corner of her eye: The K.P.A. Italia commander clicked his tongue and raised his right hand. He held up his fingers in preparation to snap them. And once he did…

…''Not good!''

Just as that thought came to her, her father whispered in her ear as if to urge her on.

“Did you know?” he asked. “It seems the reason Horizon Ariadust was hit by Lord Motonobu’s carriage was because of a fight with a certain boy. She was hit after running away from that fight. The boy tried to save her, but failed. Do you know who that boy was?”

She knew.

After the things she had learned today, she knew

That boy had arrived this time as well, but had once more been unable to reach her.

And she realized something else. That afternoon when she had felt cornered in her conversation with her father in that carriage, he had leaped in as if to save her.

She did not know why, but this was the same. Aoi was trying to save someone, and yet…

“…”

Masazumi shook her head.

''No. This won’t work,'' thought Masazumi. ''The significance of the situation is just too different.''

If Aoi continued speaking here and had his shoulder dislocated, not only would he be injured, but it would create a certain problem. The wound would remain as proof that the Far East had opposed the Testament Union’s decision.

A single hasty action could endanger an entire nation. And right now, Aoi was…

“I want to…!”

He spoke and the commander snapped his fingers. At the same moment, Masazumi charged forward.

She had made her decision in an instant.

She ran through the valley-like space between the Far East guards and the K.P.A. Italia guards.

“Shut up, you idiot!”

The K.P.A. Italia commander noticed her, but she took action before he could give any orders. Fortunately, the Far East guards were hesitant to approach the Testament Union ones and the all the Testament Union guards except the commander were busy restraining the others.

Masazumi kicked Aoi in the head as he tried to speak.

She did not know if this was the right decision or not, but she knew one thing about the method he was using.

…''That won’t save anyone right now!''

She doubted her method was the best, but at the very least, it would save Aoi and the Far East.

And so she threw the kick.

“!”

It hit. Masazumi was not a skilled fighter, but she knew what that kick would do.

Aoi’s head shook and finally…

“…”

His body went limp.

He was unconscious, so he could no longer speak. As if to prove it, the mobile shell-wearing men holding him down relaxed.

And then silence fell once more.

However, this renewed silence was quickly broken.

The lack of sound was first destroyed by muttering. Distant voices were heard in the direction of the bow.

Next came light, a trembling, a movement of the air, and finally a distinct voice.

“Hey,” said someone as if taking in a breath. “Mikawa has…”

“It has stopped, hasn’t it?”

A girl’s voice could be heard in the broken city.

After being broken into countless pieces, no light came from the city. The only illumination came from the two moons overhead and the reflections of their light.

Two things in the city reflected the moonlight.

The first was the two false arms of the girl standing unmoving while carrying a young man. The second was the spear held by the man facing her.

The girl adjusted her support of the young man’s back and spoke to the man facing her.

“Who won, Tadakatsu-sama?”

“I did of course, Tachibana Gin,” said Tadakatsu in a slightly hoarse voice. As he adjusted his stance, a sound similar to spilling water was scattered across the ground around him. “The leyline reactor wasn’t destroyed and I can still move.”

He gestured to the northwest with his chin. Both the city and New Nagoya Castle were destroyed there, but that destruction was limited to the bottom of the city and the top of the castle.

The barriers from the surface of New Nagoya Castle and a few blocks deep had been torn apart, but the inside was safe. The leyline reactor had not been destroyed. There was one major reason for that.

“Did you cut the Logismoi Oplo’s attack with Tonbokiri? That must have taken incredible skill.”

“It wasn’t hard. I just had Kazuno absorb it and then directly cut her. I tested that thing, if you recall. I can’t get rid of the attack altogether, but I can cut if I get the timing right.”

And…

“As a result, the attack wasn’t enough to destroy the leyline reactor, so I win. This is the short silence before the collapse, but all of this will be gone soon. You take him and leave.”

“Then you need to evacuate as well.”

“Can you carry that young guy and me at the same time?”

As Tadakatsu spoke, a dark red puddle was forming below his feet.

His leg and foot had been horribly gouged out and the steam of his body heat was constantly rising from it. When he had cut the tearing of Lype Katathlipse, his leg had been taken out by it.

“I am sorry,” said Gin while suddenly lowering her head.

Tadakatsu laughed as his blood spilled to the ground.

“Well, this is part of the job, too. And because I did a good job, Mikawa will soon disappear. That’s all there is to it.”

“Why does Lord Motonobu insist on destroying Mikawa with the leyline meltdown?”

“You heard what he said, right? This is the Genesis Project. The Genesis exam question can be answered with the Logismoi Oplo and the other teaching materials. And if you want to cheat and get a head start on everyone else...” He took a breath. “Then you can fight me.”

“Do not joke. I…”

“You are Tachibana Gin. …You are the daughter of Tachibana Dousetsu, master of Tachibana Muneshige. The Testament descriptions say you were forced to succeed Dousetsu because of your excellent combat skill.”

Gin half-closed her eyes as she listened to Tadakatsu, but she did not avert her gaze.

“Ultimately, my father accepted Muneshige-sama into the family as my husband and let him take the surname Tachibana. That was the decision.”

“None of that means you’re weak.”

“Unfortunately,” said Gin. “The higher ups have banned me from engaging in combat.”

Her uniform had a few different pieces of equipment attached and she used a finger of one false arm to press the controller crest on her side. With a light sound of air, various parts of her uniform entered a mode where they would harden when under pressure.

“Muneshige-sama fights enough for the two of us. He is a child who loves fighting.”

“Hey,” said Tadakatsu. He glanced around the area. “Did you decide to come here yourself?”

“No. I am not a child, so I asked for permission. …Although I did arrive before I received a response.”

As she spoke, Gin used her right false arm to drape Muneshige over her shoulder. He let out a small groan and his weight was supported by the hardening of her uniform.

Immediately afterwards, Tadakatsu took action.

He still stood in the same place while holding Tonbokiri, but his gaze definitely moved toward Gin and Muneshige.

“…”

But his movement stopped there.

A cannon had appeared in the space between him and Gin.

That two meter cannon resembled a cross and floated in midair.

“My false arms contain a Duet Space. I have pulled this Arcabuz Cruz from there,” explained Gin. “The higher ups do not permit me to fight. If you insist on fighting, I will use this as a shield and retreat.”

“Judge.”

Tadakatsu drew back and Gin had the cannon absorbed into the air.

“You will be dropping out of school now, won’t you?” she asked.

“Can’t you call it quitting while I’m ahead?”

“Even if you drop out here, the rules of heredity still apply. Muneshige-sama might have an opportunity to fight the second Tadakatsu-sama.”

“That guy really doesn’t like to lose, does he?”

“Do you need a mirror to look in? I have a hand-mirror you could use,” said Gin as she took a step back.

Even as she left, she did not take her eyes off of Tadakatsu.

As she watched, he smiled.

“Go. I’ll leave the battle to the next one. …I always wanted to battle your father, though. What a shame.”

“My father would often say the same. It was something about a grudge over you stealing the position of the main character for an Izumo divine transmission anime.”

“Oh, Cutting World Hondalia? That’s about a new breed of human that immediately tries to cut anything and everything. The main character cuts castles, gods of war, and continents. Whenever he sees a man, he wants to circumcise him. To be honest, it’s nothing but trouble for me. When I pass by a child in town, they run away shouting ‘Wah! I’m going to be made into an adult!’.”

“But it is even more trouble for my father. He was made into the uninteresting turtleneck-wearing rival character. Whenever he passes by a child, they shout ‘Ueno! Go to Ueno!’ and continue to repeat that holy land of the god of circumcision.”

“Kids sure are cruel. Tell him to get ready because the movie’ll be out soon.”

“I will,” said Gin while smiling for the first time and bowing.

Doing so shook Muneshige on her shoulder. And then…

“Ah.”

A dull sound came from the ground and the two remained silent for about two seconds. Finally, Tadakatsu spoke.

“Hey, his head hit that rock pretty hard. And now he’s kind of shaking…”

“N-no. Muneshige-sama’s body is soft. You could…um, you could call this a consumption tax on the battle.”

“Oh, so Tres España has started charging consumption taxes? Make sure to pay it off exactly afterwards. Also…”

Tadakatsu threw Tonbokiri toward Gin. She caught it in her empty false arm and frowned.

“What are you doing?”

“If he wants a rematch, he can’t have this blown away along with Mikawa. It may not be a Logismoi Oplo, but it’s still a divine weapon. It won’t be an even fight against that boy without this.”

“Testament,” said Gin as she held Tonbokiri up to test its weight.

She took a step backwards, then another, and another.

“I pray it will be an excellent rematch.”

With those words, Gin disappeared. She accelerated and the distance quickly grew.

Tadakatsu was left all alone.

“Now then.”

He turned behind him.

A group was seated around the main western entrance of New Nagoya Castle.

It was Matsudaira Motonobu and the automata.

While spilling blood from his entire body, Honda Tadakatsu walked toward the group seated in front of New Nagoya Castle.

With each step he took, damp spots fell to the ground, but he continued nonetheless. And…

“Hey there, teacher.”

He brought the left of his two empty hands up to his mouth.

“Can I and this join you?”

“Minors may not drink alcohol.”

Tadakatsu’s shoulders relaxed as he heard that voice and saw the automaton’s smile. He continued walking through the soundless, lightless, and empty city.

“Teacher, I’m dropping out.”

“Do not worry. Ii and Sakakibara were pretty much the same.”

“So that just leaves that idiot Sakai. …He always does really well for being an idiot.”

“That he does,” said Motonobu as he looked up toward the heavens.

Two moons could be seen in the sky.

“This is a good night for drinking while viewing the moon.”

“If this were a Japanese lesson, I would have you write a haiku. Look, the moons are floating in the sake cup. The moons are the surface of the sake. …That was pretty cool, wasn’t it?” Motonobu then turned toward Tadakatsu. “But who do you think will achieve Genesis?”

“How should I know? I’m not very smart. You’re the one that passed out the materials, so don’t you know?”

“Not at all. I only prepared those teaching materials. I do not know if they are enough on their own. I did not create a direct path to Genesis.” He took a breath. “I only prepared the materials I could. It is up to everyone else to use them or not. What matters is that everyone gives thought to the Apocalypse. All I did was give a few hints.”

“Oh, c’mon. You’re giving a lecture even as Mikawa disappears? Now I regret being the only one left.”

“You get to hear my most welcome advice, so I am sure the others are extremely jealous.” Motonobu stood up. “What will happen with Genesis? What will become of the Apocalypse? Even if the different countries have begun to move, there will still be a lot of people who are asleep, have not noticed, or are unconscious. I want to see how this turns out. I really do.” He turned toward Tadakatsu and showed his teeth in a smile. “But all of us here will take the first step. Participation is better than watching. Experimentation is better than observation. Battle is better than viewing. In that case, I have to charge in at the lead. And…”

Motonobu held up his microphone.

“Class is about to begin.”

In the next instant, New Nagoya Castle was annihilated in an explosion.

Tadakatsu smiled as he saw the light of the explosion approach.

He could not actually tell whether he was smiling or not, but his mind that was hazy with blood loss was convinced he was smiling.

…''Honestly.''

The pressure of the ether light and the approaching wall of light enveloped Motonobu and the automata first.

For an instant, Tadakatsu saw Motonobu lightly waving toward him. And so he opened his mouth.

“Hey,” he said in a voice not even he could hear. “I never got my sake.”

He felt a sudden presence to his left.

He looked over and saw a woman.

He knew her and had often enjoyed verbal exchanges resembling arguments with her.

She held a filled sake cup toward him with a smile. He smiled bitterly back.

“It’s still too soon for you to show up.”

He took the cup.

He could see the moons reflected in the cup.

''It’s just as he said,'' thought Tadakatsu.

Long ago, he had drunk sake while viewing the moon with his friends.

But this time, Tadakatsu took the jewel in his left hand and placed it in with the moons floating in the cup.

This was what he could do now.

“The finest elegance… Well, I actually don’t understand elegance enough to say for sure.”

He brought the sake cup to his mouth.

And he tasted blood. But then his consciousness suddenly cleared.

He sighed and his vision cleared as well.

He was there. He stood in an empty city with a wall of light pressure approaching.

“…!?”

He was holding his left hand up as if it held a sake cup. His fingertips held a bloody blue jewel.

When he noticed that, Tadakatsu smiled and held it up into the sky.

He held the jewel up alongside the two moons.

“I remember laughing long ago after telling you this: Look, the moon was already cut in two,” he said. “And you answered: Are you proposing to me because you want us to be together?”

Tadakatsu laughed. He laughed loudly. And as he looked at that blue jewel held up next to the moons, he mouthed her name.

“We will never be apart again.”

Immediately afterwards, his body, his voice, and the color of the jewel were swallowed up by the light.

Mikawa was annihilated with New Nagoya Castle in the center.

The annihilation caused light, darkness, and a massive annihilation of the atmosphere. The destruction covered a diameter of about a dozen kilometers and the light was seen as far away as Oshu and Kyushu.

The explosive annihilation at the blast site in the center of Mikawa began by gouging out a hole in the earth’s crust.

It opened a hole thirteen kilometers across.

Immediately afterwards, air begin surging into that large-scale opening. The air collided with itself, compressed, searched for a way out, and burst into the sky like it had been fired from a cannon barrel.

The earth’s crust at Mikawa and the city outside the annihilated area were sucked up into the air about three seconds after it began.

The wind had grown cold and white when it was compressed, so it looked like white swords were stabbing up into the night sky.

The blast reached a height of ten kilometers above the surface and wreckage from the city was scattered as far as thirty kilometers away. The movement of the atmosphere caused by the explosion led to localized rainclouds and downpours. The dust from the explosion was knocked to the ground before it could spread too far. Instead, dirty rain poured down across that narrow area.

The suburban areas and the land port had some difficulty defending against the small objects that were thrown that far and dealing with the heavy dust-filled rain. By dawn, they had been damaged a bit, but were headed toward recovery.

The next morning, the different countries began to take action and Musashi was filled with tension. Pope-President Innocentius, who had been visiting Mikawa, made a certain decision as the temporary representative of the Testament Union.

He announced that the Matsudaira family had to take responsibility for the loss of Mikawa as it was a trading port with the Middle East. Specifically, the family would be destroyed, a replacement family would inherit the name, and the Logismoi Oplo that Mikawa had kept hidden would be given to the Testament Union.

That ninth Logismoi Oplo was combined with the automaton soul of the daughter of Mikawa’s ruler.

The soul would be disassembled on Tres España’s interrogation ship and the Logismoi Oplo would be removed, but that would mean her suicide because breaking an automaton’s soul killed them.

The automaton was confirmed to be the heir to Mikawa in a summary succession check. At 6 AM, she agreed to take responsibility in her role as leader by committing suicide. To avoid any interference with the “suicide”, it would take place at Mikawa that same day.

The time was set for 6 PM.

That was the time of the automaton Horizon Ariadust’s “suicide”.

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 19|Chapter 19]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1A Afterword|Afterword]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 19

2013-10-15T03:05:58Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 19: He who Dashes through the Air */

==Chapter 19: He who Dashes through the Air==
[[File:Horizon1A 479.jpg|thumb]]
''Do ideas come from courage or recklessness?''

'''Point Allocation (Victory)'''

<center>●</center>

Sounds were heard.

Swords clashed, feet treaded on the ground, and breaths were taken.

Those sounds were sent via divine transmission and heard all over the world.

“————”

There were two warriors. One of the west and one of the east. One who was young and one who was old. One with a new weapon and one with an old weapon. There were several differences between them.
However…

“———!”

The music of battle they played together created equally loud cries which were broadcast in all places.

The sounds moved, flowed, passed by, and conveyed it all without stopping.

Someone standing before that broadcast spoke.

“What is going on?”

As a result of this, what would happen to Mikawa and what would happen to the world as it approached the Apocalypse. And…

“Which one will win?”

But there was one phrase none of them said: please do something about this.

The one thing none of them could do was ask for help.

After all, this battle would not save anything.

Motonobu’s voice could be heard giving one reason why.

“Yes. Even if this battle ends, that alone will no longer be enough to do anything. After this battle ends, everyone will have to do something about the world.”

So…

“This battle is the beginning. Go, Honda Tadakatsu. Ensure that the people can do something about the homework that is the Apocalypse!”

His words rang out.

“Show them where your loyalty ranks on a national level!!”

“Sure thing!” roared Tadakatsu in reply.

Immediately afterwards, Muneshige circled around behind Tadakatsu.

This was his high-speed movement using the Clásica Firma.

But Tadakatsu had already begun moving. He let loose a strike to cut Muneshige off.

…''I suppose this will not be easy!''

Muneshige took action. He raised his speed further.

“…!”

He struck with Lype Katathlipse’s blade, moved back, and fired repeatedly.

However, Tadakatsu deflected all of it.

“You’re pretty fast! Can you go even faster!?”

“I can! The Testamento Firma has no limit!!”

And so he raised his speed.

Muneshige’s speed achieved acceleration with the Testamento Firma and was controlled with his body.

A Testamento Firma was normally carried out by using a spell contract obtained at a church.

A spell contract was obtained in exchange for Catholic-style devotions or an offering of Bless. By stamping the written seal of approval it would activate and disappear. Catholic contracts were disposable, but they were highly effective and did not consume any of the user’s Bless when used.

Muneshige’s spell contracts were compressed to the size of a postage stamp and tens of thousands of them were stored in a cartridge below the radiator on his back. This spell had two effects.

The first was to raise the speed of his physical body.

The other…

…It creates multiple simultaneous footholds below my feet.

When he stepped on the ground in order to run, he would be stepping on those many footholds simultaneously.

Creating five simultaneously multiplied his speed by five. Ten at once multiplied it by ten.

Both of these were powerful spells, so they were not something that could be used in units of tens of thousands. However, Muneshige had used the fortune earned through the occupation he had inherited to alter the spell such that it was possible.

He had set the spell up so that it gave no thought to recoil.

Lessening the recoil would have made the spell more expensive, less effective, and more complex.

He had lowered the unit cost by eliminating that portion.

Also, he had shortened the active time so that the acceleration only lasted an instant. This had lowered the unit cost even further and allowed him to gather even greater numbers.

Those alterations allowed him to cheaply achieve high speeds with a great number of instantaneous accelerations, but his body took the full burden. It hurt his organs, affected his vision, and numbed his arms and legs.

However…

…''That is necessary for an opponent such as this!''

He moved.

The spell contract cartridge on his back vibrated and the scraps of the used compressed contracts scattered from the ejection port of the device. The pieces looked like ash or scattered scraps of light. A shimmering of heat shot from the cross-shaped radiator on his back that was a part of his body cooling system. That shimmering rose like smoke made of light.

Each time the light scattered, his speed increased.

On the other hand, Tadakatsu had no speed. He was also injured.

However, Tadakatsu more than kept up with Muneshige.

…''This is…''

Muneshige watched Tadakatsu’s movements.

His footwork looked relaxed as he swung his body and drove Tonbokiri into Muneshige’s path.

Tadakatsu was constantly moving slowly backwards. However, he would lure Muneshige in to circle behind him and then turn in the opposite direction. He was moving in a repeated S pattern.

“…”

The repeated circular motion of this S movement pattern allowed Tadakatsu to circle behind Muneshige by using Muneshige’s own attempts to circle behind him. And…

…''He keeps getting closer!''

It was a bit too late to activate Lype Katathlipse’s overdrive.

Pulling the trigger and waiting for the virtual cannon to appear would take three seconds. Once he fired it, it would be unavoidable even if the results would only arrive after about a dozen seconds. That was why the first three seconds were what mattered.

At the moment, he would never be given those three seconds.

He wanted to do something about it, but…

“Lype Katathlipse! Normal drive!”

The normal drive was a small activation that scraped off anyone whose name was on the blade.

The system was the same as Tonbokiri’s, so it was unavoidable for anyone reflected in the blade.

Muneshige was able to avoid Tonbokiri’s slicing because he could use his speed to escape the reflection range of the blade.

However, Tadakatsu had no way of moving at high speed, so he could not avoid it.

Or at least, he should not have been able to.

“Bind! Lype Katathlipse!!”

As soon Muneshige gave that cry, Tonbokiri moved.

…''This is…?''

Tadakatsu calmly pointed Tonbokiri toward Lype Katathlipse’s blade.

That was all.

“…!!”

With a sound like someone scratching at glass, light burst from Lype Katathlipse’s blade.

Lype Katathlipse’s normal drive had been neutralized.

And why?

…''Lype Katathlipse’s blade was reflected in Tonbokiri’s blade!

It was a mirror.

He had used Tonbokiri’s blade as a mirror to reflect the image of Lype Katathlipse as it activated its normal drive. That caused Lype Katathlipse to lose sight of its target and to cancel the effects of its normal drive when it almost sent that power into itself.

…''It sounds simple enough.''

But he could not do the same himself.

After all, it required reflecting the tip of the spear being swung at him. Tadakatsu had to have perfectly read Muneshige’s every action. If the angle had been off even slightly, he would have been struck by the technique.

But Tadakatsu had pulled it off.

“Kh!”

The word “skill” appeared in Muneshige’s mind.

…''That is not something one can do with speed alone!''

Muneshige had the greatest combat speed in Tres España.

According to the Testament descriptions, Garcia de Ceballos whose name he had inherited had been a man of the postal system. Muneshige viewed that power as being one of high-speed movement and actions. While studying the military arts, he had also earned a fortune supported by the Testament descriptions by working as a ''mensajero''.

However, after many twists and turns, he had trained as a warrior and gained Tachibana Muneshige as a double inherited name.

For that reason, Muneshige had possessed the power of speed before he began fighting.

With his speed, he could move to a more advantageous position.

With his speed, he could increase the force of his attacks.

With his speed, he could instantly evade any attack.

After training both his speed and combat skills, he had appeared on countless battlefields and learned to control that instantaneous speed so that it did not destroy his body.

His results in battle were appropriate for the man the Testament descriptions called the Peerless Man of the West.

…''However…''

The man before his eyes was handling him without that speed. That man had no spells or anything. In that case…

…''What is this!?''

Muneshige had obtained a single thing to live up to being the Peerless Man of the West.

“Kh!”

He raised his speed.

The shimmering of heat rising from the radiator grew thicker and the amount of scraps from the compressed contracts grew.

He felt as if his feet were stepping on thick books. It felt as if those books were sticking to, sinking into, and staining the bottom of his feet. The multiple footholds interfered with each other and vibrated but still produced their effects.

Repeated metallic-sounding noises came from the bottom of his feet and produced speed.

“…!”

As he accelerated as if struck, his bones creaked. The flesh on his cheeks, upper arms, thighs, and calves was all pinched and tugged backwards.

But that was the evidence of his speed.

He circled around Tadakatsu to the left and drove his sword toward the man, but…

“…!”

Tadakatsu rotated around on his S path and swung Tonbokiri backhanded from his right shoulder. That strike moved right toward Muneshige’s back as he circled around.

It was the same pattern as before. The swing of the spear was gentle and looked like it could be easily knocked out of the way, but it had definite power contained within. By the time Muneshige had avoided the attack, Tadakatsu had already rotated his body around in his S path such that he was standing behind Muneshige.

And then the S path began anew.

Muneshige could not allow it to repeat again. The more it repeated, the more time would be taken.

''Tadakatsu has only one goal,'' thought Muneshige.

That was to stall for time.

…''He wants to let the leyline run fully out of control.''

And so Muneshige had to stop this pattern.

But how could he stop this repeating S shape?

Muneshige thought back to his ability: speed.

That speed would not work on Tadakatsu as things were.

…''In that case…''

Muneshige took action as Tonbokiri was swung backhanded toward him.

He took the action he had thought up.

In the next instant…

“———”

Tadakatsu saw it.

…''This is…''

He saw Muneshige’s idea.

He saw Muneshige’s new action meant to cut off Tadakatsu’s footwork which was sealing off his speed.

Muneshige took action to create a foothold.

This was the foothold he used for his acceleration. This foothold would allow him to reach high speeds in an instant. What he used was…

“Tonbokiri!?”

Muneshige stepped on Tonbokiri’s blade as it was swung backhandedly.

It was a light step.

Tadakatsu felt no more movement than if a single feather had been laid on top of it.

But that foothold gave Muneshige one hundred times the counterforce.

And a noise rang out from below Muneshige’s foot.

It resembled a metallic noise.

It was the sound of a Testamento Firma. As the noise came to an end, the acceleration spell activated.

A sound rang out for an instant.

And as that sound rang out, Tadakatsu thought.

…''An excellent decision.''

Tadakatsu assumed Muneshige intended to circle behind him like this.

…''Yes, truly an excellent decision.''

“But!” shouted Tadakatsu. He gripped the socket portion of Tonbokiri’s extension mechanism. “Don’t think a common method like that will work in this day and age!!”

As his body swung to the right, Tadakatsu dropped down with all his strength.

The spell Muneshige had chosen multiplied the counterforce of the foothold he placed his foot on.

In that case, the foothold would disappear if it was lowered down before he could step on it.

And that was exactly what Tadakatsu did.

Immediately afterwards, a space was created between Muneshige’s foot and Tonbokiri.

“…!”

Light ran across the bottom of Muneshige’s foot and that light scattered through the air. A sound similar to shattering glass could be heard.

That proved Muneshige’s spell had been neutralized.

And Tadakatsu opened his mouth.

“Bind! …Tonbokiri!”

Long, narrow sign frames opened around Tonbokiri’s blade one after another.

Those sign frames were filled with writing in an instant.

And this produced the power of cutting. He was targeting Muneshige as he floated in midair.

He took action.

But in that instant, Tadakatsu heard a new sound.

It resembled a metallic noise.

It was the sound of a Clásica Firma. It was the sound of the acceleration spell.

“…!?”

A roar came from the bottom of Muneshige’s airborne foot.

What had happened? What was about to happen? The answer to both questions came to Tadakatsu.

He realized what Muneshige had done.

“You used the air as a foothold!?”

Muneshige stepped on the air.

Stepping on the blade had not been a feint. If his acceleration had succeeded at that stage, he would have used it. However, Tadakatsu had not allowed the fight to remain at that level.

And so he had gone further.

He carried out an acceleration method he had never used before and had never even thought of before. He stepped on the air to accelerate in midair.

The method was simple.

The air was not completely empty. It had the moisture of humidity and it had the minute pieces of dust. The leyline expression and Lype Katathlipse’s earlier overdrive had left an abundance of dust in the air.

But that was far from being enough to use as a normal foothold.

To step on that dust and accelerate would require thousands or even tens of thousands of accelerations in an instant.

Muneshige’s acceleration spell used charms. They produced massive and instantaneous effects, but put a great burden on his body.

If he went too far, it would damage his body.

But…

…''I must do it!''

Muneshige estimated the necessary level of acceleration on instinct alone.

“Seventeen thousands times acceleration!”

Seventeen thousand steps’ worth of burden was placed on his right leg all at once.

A cross-shaped ''cadena firma'' appeared to the right of his face. It displayed a warning about the excessive burden. It said the administrative church held no liability if the spell was used like this.

He ignored it.

“…!!”

He heard a snapping sound come from his right leg.

It was the sound of his muscles splitting and bursting.

It was possible the bones and tendons had been taken out as well.

But the limb had not been severed. And as proof…

“Ohhh…!!”

Muneshige kicked off the air and accelerated.

He leaped while wrapped in the shimmering of heat and a band of light.

[[Image:Horizon1A_495.jpg|thumb]]

It all occurred in a succession of instants.

Muneshige travelled diagonally down and forward. He struck the ground and slid across it with his momentum.

He landed on his left leg. His heel struck and dug into the ground and he bent backwards to turn toward Tadakatsu.

He was there.

Tadakatsu had his back partially turned to Muneshige.

The tip of Tonbokiri was pointed the other way.

That blade could not reflect Muneshige.

Muneshige was convinced he had won.

“…!?”

The bottom of Tonbokiri jabbed back toward him with the force of a rapid-firing gun.

Attached to the butt end of the spear was a weapon developed by the Houzouin brand to attack behind oneself while using a spear that could not be turned around quickly. It was nothing more than a piece of metal for jabbing with the bottom of the grip, but it eliminated the opening behind the wielder.

Hitting someone with it would drive the entire weight of the spear into them, so it could easily break bones.

And that was now flying toward Muneshige’s face.

It flew straight toward his position diagonally down.

Tadakatsu had not turned toward him, so this attack had to be based on nothing but experience and prediction. However…

…''Such accuracy!''

He could never have seen that midair acceleration before and yet he had been able to see through how Muneshige would handle the landing.

How much experience did one need to build up to pull off something like that?

“Kh.”

Muneshige twisted his body and sank down. He lowered his hips and his upper body to bring himself down against the ground.

However, not all of his body lowered. The reason for this was readily apparent.

…''My right leg!?''

His right leg would not move. He could not even tell if the knee and toes were touching the ground. He simply felt the weight of a hot mass attached below his right hip.

His right leg failed to move and its position prevented him from lowering his hips properly. His body pitched forward.

The bottom of the spear was on a direct course for his forehead.

And so Muneshige made up his mind.

“Left foot acceleration!!”

Because of his attempt to lower himself, his left knee was bent. Because his right leg would not lower, his hips were raised.

He was in a crouching start position.

And so he shot himself forward with his left leg.

Before the back of the spear could strike him from diagonally upwards, he slipped below it.

“…!!”

The back of the spear suddenly jabbed into the left side of his angled head just above the ear. He heard a sound similar to someone scratching at his head with their fingernails. The sound travelled in a straight line to the back of his head and his flesh felt the chill of the air.

However, he made it through.

As Tadakatsu stood diagonally to him, Muneshige moved right up to the man.

He held Lype Katathlipse’s blade in preparation to stab Tadakatsu through the gut.

But Muneshige heard a voice.

“Bind and cut. Tonbokiri.”

…''What?''

Tonbokiri’s blade was not turned toward Muneshige.

So what was he going to cut?

The answer showed itself before him.

Tadakatsu disappeared from before his eyes.

“!?”

''How?'' wondered Muneshige as his eyes opened wide before sensing a presence to his left.

Charging at him from that direction, the north, was Tadakatsu with the automaton in his left arm and Tonbokiri held under his right arm.

Muneshige wondered when he had moved there, but then the answer came to him.

…''It can’t be…''

“All I did was cut the ‘north’! Lype Katathlipse’s tearing can’t do that! Only I can do it with the superior drive of Tonbokiri, the divine weapon of cutting!”

Tonbokiri’s effective range was thirty meters. By cutting the direction of north from his perspective, he could travel the distance he had cut away, 15 meters.

“Cutting a phenomenon uses a lot of output. But it was necessary, so that’s fine.”

…''That’s ridiculous!''

But it was the truth.

The dragonfly-pattern fuel system on the side of Tonbokiri at the base of the blade was almost empty and had lost its color. Even with the normal drive, he only had a few uses left.

But it was enough.

This was the same.

That technique had used the special characteristics of the divine weapon Tonbokiri as a Logismoi Oplo prototype and as the possessor of a superior drive. And now Tadakatsu charged directly toward Muneshige.

“Tonbokiri!”

Sign frames were already surrounding Tonbokiri’s blade.

It was targeting Muneshige. However, he could avoid it even with just one leg. If he took a step with all his strength, he could escape Tonbokiri’s cut.

And so Muneshige took that step of acceleration. A metallic noise rang out.

“Go!”

His body blasted forward.

In the next instant, an impact struck Muneshige’s entire body.

It was too soft to call a strike. It was more like the vibration of running directly into a wall.

“!?”

''What happened?'' he wondered in his shaken head.

He turned toward the impact that had struck his entire body. And he found…

“This is…?”

It was a wall.

A wall had appeared where there had not been one before. The wall was made of the road he stood on.

“Tadakatsu-sama!”

It was the automaton. With Tadakatsu embracing her, the automaton had its arms free. Her right hand was pointed toward Muneshige.

Her power was gravitational control. What she had created was…

“I will surround you!” she shouted just as a dome-shaped wall surrounded Muneshige.

A sealed oblong space with no path of escape had been created. And piercing through that wall that blocked off even the sky was…

…''Tonbokiri’s blade!?''

Just as Muneshige realized what it was, he heard a voice. It was Tadakatsu’s voice coming from the other side of the wall.

“Bind!!”

Tadakatsu held Tonbokiri as it stabbed through that oblong dome-shaped wall.

“…”

He silently pushed it in with great strength.

This was necessary to pull the blade out of an object.

By pushing it in, he would widen the hole in the object enough to easily pull the blade out. By doing this, he ensured that he did not bend the blade or bring the stabbed object with the blade. When stabbing into flesh or bone, the tension could cause the flesh or bone to constrict, so it was especially necessary in those cases.

But Tadakatsu tilted his head before pulling Tonbokiri out.

Kazuno nodded slightly in his arm.

“I apologize for being so presumptuous as to interfere.”

“That’s a special function of my armor, so don’t worry about it. He’s swinging around the finished product, after all.”

“Judge. It must be difficult being so inferior.”

“Damn you,” muttered Tadakatsu.

And then light appeared before their eyes.

“!?”

It came from within the wall as if to act as the opposite of Tonbokiri.

Kazuno frowned and spoke up.

“The virtual cannon of Lype Katathlipse’s overdrive!?”

An automaton like her was describing the truth before her eyes as a question because there was something she found baffling.

Kazuno spoke the question even an automaton like her could not determine the answer to.

“How did he survive Tonbokiri’s cut!? Was I right and you really did screw it up!?”

“What do you mean, were you right!?”

As if in response, the wall collapsed.

The wall made from the road peeled apart from top to bottom and fell down as if it had lost its strength.

And Muneshige stood within.

However, his body had not been cut anywhere.

Instead…

“Tonbokiri’s blade is…”

Muneshige had stabbed Tonbokiri’s blade into the right side of his chest up to the base.

Tonbokiri’s cutting power activated when the target was reflected in the blade.

Muneshige had used a method to seal that power. By stabbing the blade into his body, it could no longer reflect anything.

To drive the entire length of the blade into his body, he had stabbed it in diagonally from his right armpit and toward his back. His ribs and lung had to have been pierced, but his digestive organs and heart would be fine.

“I see. So that’s why it felt a bit odd.”

As Tadakatsu watched, Lype Katathlipse continued its overdrive in Muneshige’s raised right hand.

Muneshige’s pale face was turned toward Tadakatsu. However…

“He’s unconscious…”

Blood spilled from the corner of Muneshige’s mouth and his right chest by the armpit. Not long before, Tadakatsu had loosened the wound in his chest to pull Tonbokiri out. In sync with Muneshige’s pulse, blood spilled from his right chest and would not stop. However…

“Tadakatsu-sama.”

“Yeah,” said Tadakatsu with a nod.

Kazuno nodded as well.

“Lype Katathlipse was fired. It merely has not converged yet.”

“Yeah,” said Tadakatsu again. And then, “Judge. I suppose so. He’s already aimed it, so Lype Katathlipse will probably let loose its greatest output. That will destroy the leyline reactor behind us and bring the leyline back under control.”

“Could you cut a direction as you did before?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t fire the superior drive again.”

“Judge. You really are a useless person.” Kazuno looked up at Tadakatsu. “In that case, we must hurry. However, my gravitational control in this state is not perfect, so I cannot use the same method as before. At the very least, I cannot alter its direction in the time it passes through my arm to my chest. So…” Kazuno narrowed her eyes. “You know more or less what must be done, do you not?”

Kazuno closed her eyes without waiting for Tadakatsu to answer. And she opened her mouth.

“Nn.”

She stuck her tongue out over her lower teeth and toward Tadakatsu’s face.

And that exposed a wet artificial tongue with a single blue jewel embedded in it.

Tadakatsu glanced at the blue jewel.

“I made my wife’s ring into the soul and… well, her sharp tongue sure stuck around.”

Having said that, he pulled Kazuno toward him. He embraced the automaton and their lips met. He ran his upper and lower teeth over her tongue, pulled back, scraped its moisture off with the back of his teeth, and filled the area below his own tongue with it.

“…”

As if plucking it off like a fruit, he bit off Kazuno’s jewel.

With the sound of fibers breaking, Kazuno’s eyebrows moved slightly and her throat moved once.

“…Nn.”

Their lips parted and their faces moved back.

Kazuno narrowed her eyes. Artificial blood flowed from her lips, so she licked it off with her tongue that was also wet with blood. Her gaze met Tadakatsu’s.

“This automaton is running in economy mode off of reserve power. If you require anything, please ask quickly.”

“Just something simple. Take care of the last order I left with Kazuno.”

“Judge.”

The automaton looked over her shoulder.

Muneshige stood there unconscious and motionless, but the light of the virtual cannon continued to grow stronger.

“Here it comes!”

Having experienced it once, the automaton was able to sense when it would fire.

In the very next instant, the automaton released her arms from around Tadakatsu’s neck.

At the same time, Tadakatsu took action. He threw the automaton into the air.

“Tonbokiri!”

As he spoke that word, it came.

“It” being soundlessness.

All that existed was a faint darkness produced from Lype Katathlipse’s muzzle.

This was the suffering silence before the crying and tearing.

But the automaton moved. She held her right hand up toward the muzzle of the virtual cannon.

“…!”

It was in the very next moment that a hole was opened in the palm of that outstretched hand.

The automaton frowned while twisting her body in midair. A great creaking rose from her body.

“Tadakatsu-sama!”

In response to the automaton’s cry, Tadakatsu nodded, shortened Tonbokiri, and swung it.

“Bind!”

Hearing that word, the automaton’s eyes narrowed in a small smile.

And Tonbokiri began to perform its cut.

It had a single target.

“Once the bullet is contained within the automaton, I cut the automaton with the bullet as a part of her body!”

Immediately afterwards, the cutting power split the automaton in two.

“…!”

Lype Katathlipse’s overdrive, that power of tearing, activated over a large area.

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 18|Chapter 18]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 20|Chapter 20]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 18

2013-10-15T02:47:21Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 18: The School Teacher */

==Chapter 18: The School Teacher==
[[File:Horizon1A 449.jpg|thumb]]
''I know what I am being asked''

''But why am I being asked it?''

'''Point Allocation (True Intent)'''

Kazuno was still alive despite having her body split in two.

She could not move properly, but she did not fall to the ground because Tadakatsu’s left arm was embracing her.

However, her body had lost the ether extraction ability of an automaton’s heart, so she was slowly becoming unable to move at all.

…''I do not have long.

But despite that thought, Kazuno could still see everything.

Muneshige was down on his knee breathing heavily five meters in front of Tadakatsu.

He had been behind Tadakatsu only a moment before, so he should have been struck by the power of cutting.

But he had not been sliced in two.

…''What does this mean?

As she thought that, her body shook. This was due to Tadakatsu standing up.

And as he moved, a few points of heat fell onto Kazuno’s cheek.

It was blood dripping from Tadakatsu’s brow.

She heard the men speak.

“Speed, is that it?”

“Testament,” replied Muneshige while still breathing heavily. “The activation system for the divine weapon known as Tonbokiri acquires the name of the target reflected in Tonbokiri’s blade and then carries out the cut. Its effective range is approximately thirty meters.”

And so…

“I need only to instantly escape to that distance or to a location in which the blade cannot reflect me.”

Kazuno frowned weakly at Muneshige’s words.

“How do you know that?”

When her lips moved, Tadakatsu’s shoulders relaxed.

“What? So you’re alive, Kazuno?”

“Oh? I did not think you were the type to embrace corpses.”

“No, the thing is…” Tadakatsu looked away from Muneshige. “I was using you as armor.”

“I can determine no reason to embrace armor. And if I am to be armor, this would be the better method.”

Kazuno moved her body.

She wrapped her arms around Tadakatsu’s neck and embraced him such that she covered his body with her own.

The core of her left hand had been penetrated by something earlier, so she wrapped her right hand around and grabbed her left wrist.

She looked up at Tadakatsu, but he did not look at her.

“Y’know…”

“What is it?”

“I’m gonna tease you for being so cute later.”

“How about I just strangle you now?” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Earlier, a bullet-like field flew into my left hand and I somehow managed to send it to the side with repeated usage of my gravitational control. What was that?”

“The overdrive of the Logismoi Oplo called Lype Katathlipse. …Boy, how much can you use?”

“Testament,” answered Muneshige’s voice. “With my adaptability, around 50% at once is the limit.”

Kazuno turned just her head and saw Muneshige slowly stand up.

His breathing was slowing to normal.

“Please surrender.”

“How can you say that when you’re so out of breath?”

“I was ill-prepared this time. I now know I can evade it,” said Muneshige. “Please surrender. And assist me in stopping the meltdown of the ley line reactors. If you do not…” He used his right hand to hold the sword of Lype Katathlipse at a low position. “I too will use this next time. If I do, you will lose. You should understand what I mean.”

“True enough,” Kazuno heard Tadakatsu say. “Tonbokiri was a prototype for Lype Katathlipse and Akedia Katathlipse, the Logismoi Oplo given to Tres España. …I suppose they were both tested using me.”

“Tes. Tonbokiri’s normal drive cuts its target by binding the target’s name and its superior drive can apparently bind to and cut phenomena. …I heard the mountain guardhouse was guarded before this rebellion began, yet it was taken without anyone realizing. You cut the phenomena of ‘guards’, didn’t you?”

Muneshige looked toward Tonbokiri. Its fuel meter was located at the base of the blade. Only about half of the red color remained.

Tadakatsu saw that, too.

“Well, I had to do it without being noticed. I can do the same thing about once more. But the normal drive can cut physical objects, so I should be fine.”

Kazuno nodded and opened her mouth. She gathered strength in the arms wrapped around Tadakatsu’s neck.

“Tadakatsu-sama. What you mean is, his is the newest version and yours is the prototype?”

“Yeah. It’s classed as a divine weapon, so they were able to get the combat proof they needed. What about it?”

“You have lost. Thank you very much. This has been a life filled with many worthless things, but I have determined that it was very broad experience-wise. And that is a breadth stretching from top to bottom.”

“Why is my armor getting all pessimistic?”

“Then please tell me how you can win.”

“Well,” began Tadakatsu as he looked over at Muneshige. “I’m older than that boy.”

“I have determined that is not an advantage once you grow too old.”

“Then I’m more important than that boy.”

“Between a young man with a future and an old man at the end of his career, which do you think holds more meaning?”

“Then…I’m cooler.”

“Yes, yes. Judge, judge.”

“Not only are you pessimistic, you’re pissing me off. Anyway, listen up,” began Tadakatsu. “I know the characteristics of that Logismoi Oplo.”

“For example?”

“Its design is lame.”

Kazuno nodded and turned toward Muneshige.

“I apologize. He is not attempting to have you lower your guard. This is what he truly believes.”

“But he’s stalling for time, is he not?”

Kazuno gasped at Muneshige’s question. She shook Tadakatsu’s neck with her arms.

“Tadakatsu-sama, that young man is a user of positive thinking. You still have your honor, so it would be best if you tried not messing up from here on.”

“You make fun of everything you happen to see, don’t you?”

Tadakatsu held up Tonbokiri in both hands.

As he did, several wet sounds fell to the ground.

The objects which had fallen to the ground like raindrops appeared dark red in the illumination of the surrounding ether light. But Tadakatsu showed no concern over that “rain” not letting up.

“Lype Katathlipse has three functions. The first is that of a normal gunblade. The second is the normal drive which can slice the name of anyone visible on the blade just like with Tonbokiri. The final one is its overdrive as one of the weapons of mass destruction known as the Logismoi Oplo.”

That was…

“Lype Katathlipse’s overdrive will cut away anything in range that has been seen in the blade.”

“Yes. When activated, the ‘ripping’ that represents sorrow is fired.”

“That’s right,” said Tadakatsu. “At 50% output, the overdrive should have an effective range of approximately three kilometers. From the looks of it, I’d say he has one shot left. It must have taken a while to store up that much.”

“One month with Henares’s ether tank, El Tanque.” 

“You have one more shot. How about I tell you how you’ll use it?” said Tadakatsu. He indicated to the left and right, to the north and south, with his chin. “Y’see, the northwest and southeast leyline reactors are just barely in range from here. So you will use your remaining shot to destroy one of them. Destroying one might cause a large-scale disturbance in the leyline, but…”

“Testament. The ether extracted by the three leyline reactors will gain an escape route which will avoid an explosion. Mikawa will most likely experience frequent strange phenomena due to the saturation of ether, but I believe that is better than losing Mikawa to an explosion.”

“I thought as much.”

Tadakatsu laughed.

“But,” he said while indicating behind him with his chin. “It looks like Mikawa’s owner doesn’t agree. …Look.”

…''Eh?

With that thought, Kazuno gathered strength in her arms.

She looked over Tadakatsu’s shoulder and looked toward New Nagoya Castle behind him.

Down the straight road, she could see the western gate of New Nagoya Castle.

The large gate was opening. The gate was made up of two twenty-meter-wide, single-panel sliding doors made of sacred tree wood. Those fully opened.

And beyond that gate, the western shell of New Nagoya Castle was opened as well.

Light was spilling from within.

New Nagoya Castle was showing its inner light.

Through the opened western main entrance, several barrier walls had been opened as well.

Light came from that opened hole that extended in a straight line for several kilometers.

“…The supervising leyline reactor.”

Kazuno’s voice was referring to the mass of wooden walls at the center of New Nagoya Castle several kilometers away.

That supervising reactor was about a kilometer across. It was covered by an inner metal shell and an outer wooden shell.

“The four extraction reactors have already had a full meltdown and ether is accumulating.”

As Kazuno spoke, the wooden outer shell of the supervising reactor emitted lights through its gaps in sync with the pulsation. It would also occasionally swell slightly and vibrate.

But that was not all.

The ether around the supervising reactor had already transformed into a mist of light. This was creating countless rings on top of each other which altogether looked something like a diagram of the heavens.

In the center of that glowing diagram of the heavens at the center of New Nagoya Castle, a tower of light stood gently up into the sky.

It was made of the same thing as the rings of glowing mist that rotated around the leyline reactor.

The emitted light was broad at the bottom and narrow at the top. The tower of light resembled an upside down funnel.

That tower grew taller along with the pulsation, but it was also crumbling.

At the very top where it was piling higher and higher, it was slowly spilling inwards.

That fall gradually grew faster and it started to surpass the speed of the tower piling up higher.

“So when that entire tower of light falls inwards, it will cause an overload of too much ether for even the supervising reactor to handle,” commented Tadakatsu.

A voice answered him. That voice came from New Nagoya Castle’s external loudspeakers.

“Precisely, precisely. We have somehow managed to bring it this far. If you plan to stop it, you probably have about five minutes left. Now, what does Tachibana-kun there intend to do? He needs to use his time effectively.”

Kazuno mentioned the name of the person speaking.

“Lord Motonobu…”

“Yes,” replied the person standing before the supervising reactor.

He was Motonobu, the head of the Matsudaira family.

He wore an academic cap and wore a white coat over his clothes. He was holding a microphone in his right hand with the pinky raised.

And he opened his mouth before that microphone.

“Okay, people of this country! Good eveniiiinnnnggg!”

He took a breath and snapped his fingers. An automaton with a video recorder appeared next to him.

Motonobu held the microphone to his mouth and struck a pose in front of the filming automaton who had circled around in front of him.

“This broadcast is being sent across the entire country over the common network! All you good children need to watch your teacher who is prepared down to the smallest detail! Don’t change the channel!” He took a breath. “Today, your teacher has come to Mikawa where the leyline reactors are melting down quite splendidly!!”

Aboard Musashi, everyone who had gathered for the fireworks saw and heard Motonobu’s delighted face and voice from the sign frame which had appeared in midair.

“Oh, what’s this!? Is that Tachibana Muneshige-kun I see? Did you come all this way for a field trip!?”

“A field trip…?”

“Yes. A field trip to the destruction of Mikawa from the meltdown of the leyline reactors.”

As everyone watched on, Motonobu spoke perfectly casually.

“What do you think? Could there be any better extracurricular lesson?”

People all over the world and of all social statuses watched or listened to Motonobu with monitors or radios. He smiled with the light-filled supervising leyline reactor in the background.

“What do you think about this leyline reactor meltdown? Okay. Everyone who wants to see Mikawa’s destruction raise your hand with plenty of energy.”

Motonobu lightly jumped up and raised his left hand in response to his own line.

“Me! Me! I do! I do!”

No one there was able to react to Motonobu’s actions.

Muneshige, Tadakatsu, and Kazuno could not move in the slightest as they watched him.

However, people that could move entered the scene.

These people were inside New Nagoya Castle. From behind either side of the countless opened barrier walls stretching from the entrance to Motonobu, automata entered with their right hands raised.

Taken aback, Muneshige took a slight defensive stance.

“Those are…”

Hundreds of automata dressed as maids had appeared.

As they entered from either the right or the left of the passageway, they kept their right hands raised.

And Motonobu began walking between those raised hands while shaking his body.

“Come,” he said while shaking his head.

Only his silhouette was visible, so his expression could not be seen.

However…

“Come, come, come!”

As Motonobu walked forward, the maids who had watched him pass lined up behind him.

Both the pulsation of the earth and those many footsteps resounded loudly throughout the area.

But as those maids with their right hands raised began to follow Motonobu, they held up certain objects.

They were musical instruments. There were sheng, hichiriki, flutes, biwa, drums, san-no-tsuzumi, yamatogoto, as well as many other types of wind, string, and percussion instruments. The maids held their instruments along with a corresponding amp.

“———”

A single strike of a shakubyoshi sounded loudly.

Immediately afterwards, the maids brought their instruments in toward their own bodies.

“———!”

They began tuning the instruments.

Multiple tones and sound pressures followed along with Motonobu’s raised left hand as he walked down the center. As he slowly moved his hand in an arc, the tone of the tuning instruments would occasionally rise and occasionally lower as if being drawn in. Finally, he clenched his fist and the sound quieted down.

“…!”

As Motonobu continued walking, he swung down his clenched left fist.

Immediately afterwards, the automata carrying instruments began playing and the empty-handed ones opened their mouths.

“——————”

They sang.

The tempo changed and a tsuzumi could be heard.

“Let me pass.”

It was the Song of Passage.

“Let me pass, let me pass

If I follow this narrow path, where will it take me?

This narrow path leads to the gods in heaven

Your opinion is not needed. You cannot pass through here

I have come to celebrate this child’s tenth birthday

By dedicating these two talismans

Going may be easy, but returning is frightening

Can I pass despite my fear?”

The song came to an end, but Motonobu’s walking did not. The inside of New Nagoya Castle was vast, so it was going to take him several minutes to reach the entrance. The musical accompaniment continued and the vocalists continued with a chorus of “ahs”.

Even the pulsation coming from underground had become just one of many noises.

And then a voice sounded loudly. It was Motonobu’s voice as he spoke into the microphone.

“Okay, is everyone ready!? This song and everything related to the Apocalypse will be on the test. (Point allocation: the fate of the world.) Now, everyone, do you have any questions for your teacher?”

A voice rose up in response.

It was the voice of the young man outside of New Nagoya Castle who was watching Motonobu through the Logismoi Oplo.

“Lord Motonobu!” Tachibana Muneshige took in a breath. “For what purpose are you sending the leylines out of control, destroying Mikawa, and sending the Far East into a crisis!?”

“Muneshige-kun of Tres España’s Alcalá de Henares. Please raise your hand when asking a question.”

Muneshige responded by lifting Lype Katathlipse up to right and aiming it. He was looking past Tadakatsu and at Motonobu.

But Motonobu remained perfectly calm.

“Good,” he said. “Muneshige-kun, that was an excellent question, so I will ask you a question of my own: Aren’t crises fun?”

Motonobu continued to speak.

“Your teacher often says that thinking is fun, don’t I? In that case, crises have to be fun, don’t they?”

After all…

“If you don’t think, you will die or be destroyed. If you don’t think really, really hard, you can’t resolve it. And that means it’s the most fun you could ever have, right?”

“…”

Muneshigue gulped and did not respond.

However, Motonobu scratched his head with the hand not holding the microphone and continued speaking.

“Crises are incredibly fun, but there is something even more fun, isn’t there? Okay, Muneshige-kun. What is it that you need to think even more about?”

“I do not know!” answered Muneshige loudly without a moment’s delay. “Are you trying to stall for time!?”

“Oh, an excellent answer,” said Motonobu in response to Muneshige’s refusal to answer. “You don’t know. That’s right. You don’t. And why is that? The answer is simple, Muneshige-kun. It is because you did not think. You have avoided thinking about whether there is anything more frightening than a crisis. That is only natural for a human. We don’t want to think about unpleasant things.”

However…

“You are the type who will look away and die when faced with something more frightening than a crisis.”

“…”

“If you don’t want that, then think. That is what it means to overcome your fear. And Honda-kun, what is more frightening than a crisis and requires that you think really, really hard? Well, Honda-kun?”

“I don’t knowwww.”

“Okay, as punishment you must stand out on the road with an automaton hanging from your neck.”

“Wait a second, teacher. Aren’t you treating the two of us a little too differently!?”

The teacher ignored him.

“There is only one thing more frightening than a crisis to the Far East. Are you listening? That is the Apocalypse. The destruction of this world. This is the ultimate entertainment for every student in the world.”

Muneshige gasped when he heard what Motonobu said.

…''Entertainment!?''

He had heard of the Apocalypse through various routes. It seemed it really was going to happen and that no countermeasure had been taken. However…

“Fun? How undisciplined can you be!?”

“Muneshige-kun, your teacher is being serious here. I am extremely serious.”

A voice arrived accompanied by the sounds of footsteps, a pulsation, and music.

“The massive closing time known as the Apocalypse cannot wait until after class. Or perhaps I should rephrase that as you are a current student: this ‘graduation’ cannot wait until your future afterwards. Do you understand? As you all face the Apocalypse, everything leading up to that has been class time. Now, tomorrow, the day after that, the time you spend awake, and the time you spend asleep are all valuable class time leading to the futureless graduation known as the Apocalypse. Once that time comes to an end and the Apocalypse arrives, you will be unable to return to your academy and unable to even speak with your friends.”

“…”

“Fun, isn’t it? Fun, isn’t it? After all, if the world is to head toward the graduation known as the Apocalypse, you need to desperately make the best use of your precious remaining time. And if you do not want to head toward the Apocalypse, you need to think so you can overturn the Apocalypse and continue past it.”

Muneshige opened his mouth in response to Motonobu’s continuing words.

“But…” He seemed defiant, but he still gave it some thought. “When faced with the Apocalypse, I think a lot of people will feel powerless and fall into despair.”

“And what’s wrong with that? If instead of going to the academy and complaining about how boring it is, you hole up in your house and tremble under your blanket as the Apocalypse approaches, it shows you understand that you are the type to grow afraid. At the very least, you will learn what kind of person you are before dying in the Apocalypse. And if you do nothing when faced with the graduation known as the Apocalypse,” he said, “then you are the type of person who can help make the world a boring place. To put it another way, those that wish to make the world more interesting will be desperate to defeat you, so while you fight, shout ‘the world is boring’ and ‘if you don’t like that, let’s work to make it more interesting’. Someone will surely answer your call. If you do that, even boring people have plenty of value as spectators.”

So…

“What type are you? Are you a critic who only enjoys mocking the world or are you the type who enjoys the world? Or…Are you the type who will head off to construct the world?”

Motonobu stopped walking.

He was still within New Nagoya Castle. He had reached the halfway point between the center and the entrance.

With instrument-playing maids behind him and a line of maids with their right hands raised on either side of him, he spoke into the microphone he held in one hand.

“Anyone who did an excellent job and came up with the answer will receive a reward. And that reward may be able to overturn the Apocalypse.”

That reward was…

“The Logismoi Oplo.”

Motonobu looked to Lype Katathlipse in Muneshige’s right hand.

He paid no heed to Muneshige’s eyebrows bending in confusion.

“That is not all, but for now, they are the easiest to understand. So let me say one thing. Listen up, everyone. The person who obtains all of the Logismoi Oplo…” He took a breath. “…will gain the power to influence the Apocalypse.”

“Such nonsense!” shouted Muneshige. “You are the one who distributed the Logismoi Oplo to each country! And now you are saying obtaining all of them will let you drive away the Apocalypse? Are you trying to start a war between the six countries you gave them to!?”

“Six countries? No. You mean seven countries.”

Muneshige froze in place. He frowned.

“Seven…!?” He shook his head. “Ridiculous. The Logismoi Oplo were based on the eight thoughts at the foundation of the seven deadly sins. You distributed all of those to six countries. For there to be a seventh country…”

“Oh? Listen up, Muneshige-kun. It is true the Logismoi Oplo were based on those eight thoughts, but is that really all there is?”

“What…do you mean?” asked Muneshige.

Motonobu replied with a smile.

“Those eight thoughts were also based on something. …And what if there were nine deadly sins?”

A man wearing white papal vestments stood in the center of the Regno Unito’s bridge. His eyes were fixated on the lights in Mikawa visible through the window.

Pope-President Innocentius gnashed his teeth.

“Motonobu! You couldn’t have!!”

“When the eight thoughts were gathered into the seven deadly sins, the thoughts were changed to six and Phthonos – aka envy – was added. For that reason, envy is often seen as a new deadly sin,” explained Motonobu. “Evagrius, the man who discussed the eight thoughts, actually wrote of nine evils in a letter to a friend. The ninth evil not included in his eight thoughts was envy. What do you think of that? Why did Evagrius not add the deadly sin of envy to his eight thoughts? Why did Gregory I later count envy as one of the deadly sins? Do you understand why? Do you know why? Each of the deadly sins is associated with a demon from the age of the gods, but…”

At that point, Motonobu placed a hand to his ear. It was as if he were trying to hear what was being said on the bridge of that ship.

And as if response, Innocentius shouted out.

“The demon associated with envy is the Leviathan!!”

Motonobu nodded within the sign frame, but Innocentius gnashed his teeth and continued speaking.

“The Leviathan is history’s greatest dragon which possesses aspects of all other monsters! Are you trying to say the ninth deadly sin, envy, is the ultimate vice that gathers together all the other deadly sins!?”

“Yes, yes. Gastrimargia, Porneia, Philargyria, Lype, Orge, Akedia, Kenodoxia, and Hyperephania all come from envying something or wanting to be something and either going too far or receiving backlash from that. …I think Evagrius did not include that great evil in the deadly sins because he feared exposing its existence. And Gregory I added envy in an attempt to belittle it by giving it the image of a newcomer. But the people still saw the Leviathan there.”

“Then… Assuming I cannot make an additional order for my Logismoi Oplo,” shouted Innocentius. “Where is this envy!?”

“The Leviathan already exists.”

That is…

“Have you not heard the rumors?”

“The rumors?”

“Yes,” said Motonobu with a nod. “The rumors that the Logismoi Oplo are made from humans. The rumors say that is why they can use abilities based on the original sin of humanity.”

And…

“That’s true, you know?”

Masazumi listened to Motonobu with P-01s next to her.

What she heard was almost the same to what Sakai had told her during the day.

But it went further here.

She heard Motonobu speak and take a breath in the middle.

“Those rumors are true. …The Logismoi Oplo use a human’s emotions as a component.”

That is…

“That human’s name is Horizon Ariadust.”

“Eh…?”

She had heard that name. It was the name of the girl Toori was said to have killed.

“Horizon. That is the name of the child who I hit in an accident ten years ago and then become the Logismoi Oplo. Last year, her soul had the emotion of Phthonos placed within it to make her the ninth Logismoi Oplo. …Afterwards, she was given an automaton body and sent to Musashi.”

That automaton’s name was…

“P-01s. That is the name she goes by as she lives aboard Musashi.”

Masazumi turned toward P-10s as she felt something cold crumble down within the bottom of her gut.

And everyone on Musashi heard the following words:

“The automaton P-01s, that child’s soul, is the Logismoi Oplo of envy, Olos Phthonos.”

Sakai ran down a dark mountain path as if the light behind him were chasing him.

Motonobu’s voice reverberated throughout the mountain and into the depths of the valley.

“That is the identity of the Logismoi Oplo and the location of the ninth one.”

“I was right…”

Sakai gritted his teeth. He lowered his head slightly and spoke as if groaning deep in his throat.

“What exactly has changed over these past ten years?”

Masazumi looked to the side.

On the road, below the two moons, and in the wind was an expressionless automaton.

She had to have heard that broadcast, but P-01s said nothing and almost seemed not to understand the situation. She only responded to the fact that Masazumi was looking at her.

“Is something the matter, Masazumi-sama?”

And…

“I believe I heard a broadcast that mentioned my name and my identity, but…”

But she only tilted her head.

''Of course,'' thought Masazumi.

She had no memories. Even if she knew that broadcast was about her, it would not feel real.

But Masazumi spilled out her thoughts by forming words in her heart and uttering them from her mouth.

“Why?”

Why?

“Why would you turn an automaton with a soul into a Logismoi Oplo!?”

She received no response, but the broadcast continued.

“I saw Horizon today. …She waved at me.”

“I am glad that Horizon seems to be doing well.”

Someone on Musashi began running when he heard that voice. It was…

“Foolish brother!?”

Toori ran at an average speed, but for him, it was every last bit of speed he could muster.

Everyone was still gasping and exchanging glances at the truth they had heard.

As if to cut off that atmosphere of pause and confusion, Toori ran. While he was halfway down the stairs in front of the school, Kimi called out from behind him.

“Foolish brother! Where are you going!?”

But Toori gave no response. He only ran, breathed, and arrived at Remorse Way.

Everyone let out an “ah” and Toori hesitated for a moment, but then…

“…!”

He gathered speed and charged down that dark road. He swung his body to gain as much speed as he could.

“…!!”

Some of those in the crowd reacted to Toori’s desperate dash. The three figures that took action were Neshinbara, Urquiaga, and Noriki.

As those three ran and quickly caught up to Toori, Kimi took a few steps and shouted out.

“After him! Please!”

“Impossible!!” roared Muneshige.

Tadakatsu stood directly in front of him. In the distance beyond that man was Motonobu.

Tadakatsu was the man who had tested the Lype Katathlipse that Muneshige held.

…''In that case, he must have known everything.''

Of the senior officials of Mikawa, the only ones not to be replaced with automata or demoted were three members of the Four Heavenly Kings of Matsudaira. For ten years, they and Motonobu had remained silent, done nothing when slandered by other countries, and walked a tightrope between P.A.ODA and the Testament Union.

…And amid that, they added this secret to the Logismoi Oplo!

Muneshige wondered why they would do something like that and he spoke a single answer.

“Do you think this is valuable enough to sacrifice everything from the past ten years!? Did you think it was that valuable to create the Logismoi Oplo which can influence the Apocalypse and give them to each country as sparks that could start a war!?”

“That is not all there is to this. You must not make a judgment based only on what you see directly before you. I managed to provide the world with plenty of teaching materials in these ten years. It is now up to all of you.” He took a breath. “Depending on your actions, there might be a world war. Maybe the Far East will be blamed and finally put under absolute rule. And if that happens, I am sure people will blame my guidance.”

With that great light behind him, Motonobu spoke into the microphone.

“But I do want to see the first ever world war not in the Testament descriptions.”

“I will stop you!” roared Muneshige.

“Excellent! That’s right, Muneshige-kun! An excellent answer!”

Muneshige deepened his stance while Motonobu bent backwards and raised his voice.

“Muneshige-kun! This is the answer you arrived at when you actually thought about it! Yes. That’s right, that’s right. Acting based on the answer you arrived at is the most wonderful way to use your time! And the answer you arrived at was to cause a disruption in the middle of class! Even as I am distributing the teaching materials I have made, you have chosen to deny this lesson which can stop the-…”

“Lord Motonobu! Your lesson is wrong!” cried Muneshige. “I will destroy the leyline reactor, stop the leyline from running out of control, and drag you out in front of everyone!”

“Are you sure?”

After all…

“What if destroying Mikawa with the leyline is necessary to influence the Apocalypse?”

“I will simply create teaching materials different from yours. Yours are simply too inappropriate.”

“I see,” said Motonobu. “Normally, a student who refuses to listen to his teacher would receive corporal punishment, but lately people seem to think a teacher is at fault when he hits a student. …So vice president, you do something about it.”

Immediately afterwards, Muneshige felt a wind. It was an intimidating wind that seemed to push him. It was coming from…

“Honda Tadakatsu!!”

“Sure thing.”

That warrior with an automaton hanging from his neck charged straight toward Muneshige.

With the light to his back, Tadakatsu’s smiling mouth opened.

“I’ll stop this classroom disturbance!”

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 17|Chapter 17]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 19|Chapter 19]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 17

2013-10-14T10:59:14Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 17: Usurper in the Street */

==Chapter 17: Usurper in the Street==
[[File:Horizon1A 411.jpg|thumb]]
''Something which holds not the figure of a human yet is a human.''

''Something which takes the figure of a human yet is not human.''

''What can we call the chance meeting of the two.''

'''Point Allocation (Battlefield)'''

<center>●</center>

In the nighttime sky, the sky in which two moons hovered, a ship had moored.

It was an aerial ship emblazoned with the emblem of the Far East, Musashi Ariadust Academy, the leading ship of the group that had been advancing towards the west. It only had one cannon, which was mounted on its bow.

The ship had stop signals created with illumination Ability placed by its flanks. It stayed unmoving in the sky.

The lights in the bridge, which was located towards the stern of the ship, were lit up.

A flight map was spread out on the work table in the middle of the bridge, and several people, the ship's captain included, were speaking to each other as they stood around it.

A single girl stood amongst them. Her hair was tied up behind her head.

The captain spoke to her.

"Futayo-sama...what should we do? Should we go on ahead to the border or go back? According to the Testament Union's Divine Communications, Mikawa is currently in an emergency situation. The Leyline Reactors have started to overload, and the Testament Union have tried to ascertain the cause. The automatons are resisting their efforts."

"I see."

Folding her arms, Futayo nodded.

''I want to reach a decision concerning what we should do now, but we cannot simply move when the Testament Union is involved. I wish there was someone here that was both decisive and good with politics.''

...If only Masazumi was here..."

''Such a wish will never be fulfilled.'' Even as she thought of her classmate, Futayo understood this.

''If she is a vice-president at Musashi, then as always, she is probably doing her best using her knowledge and decisiveness.''

However, at this moment, she was not here.

"Well then," Futayo said. Though she was interested in the fate of Kazuno and her father, she did not show it.

"The important thing is what we should do for the good of the Far East. However, I am unfamiliar with this. Is there someone who could tell me?"

Hearing Futayo's question, the captain looked around at everyone. His gaze landed on the vice-captain of the escort squadron.

"Under your role as an advisor, do you have any opinions, vice-captain?"

The well-built vice-captain nodded in response to the question.

"If the overloading of the Leyline Reactors is intentional on Mikawa's part, Mikawa's status as the Far East's representative will be taken away, or Mikawa won't disappear."

"If what you're saying is true--"

"Jud, there's the possibility that Mikawa has parted with the Far East and will come under the control of the Testament Union. In this event, Musashi will also eventually come under their control, and any real substance of the Far East will be gone..."

Hearing those words and seeing his gaze covertly flick from face to face, everyone looked at each other.

Seeing all those expressions enter her field of vision, Futayo realised that everyone was thinking the same thing. As such, in order to ascertain this, she said this:

"...As regards the current situation, what are the advantages of the Far East taking control of the Far East and Musashi?"

"There are many."

The vice-captain started by saying this.

"This could be the solution to the division between the people of the Far East and other countries living within and without the Harmonic Territories. In addition, due to the circulation of money and their complete control, the people of the Far East will be concentrated in certain locations. Also, they'll be able to usurp Musashi's trading powers and technical skills...This depends on the level of their control, but the worst case scenario for us is their best case scenario."

"If so..." Futayo said.

"Then we are the ones that can step between the Testament Union and Musashi...We are people of Mikawa, and because of this, we have the strength to support Musashi's views without colluding with them."

"Then..."

The ship's captain said. He exchanged looks with the on-board head of Divine Communications.

"Probe the Testament Union. Tell them that we want them to use us if there's an emergency. Even if the Testament Union does something to Musashi, they won't want to commit the mistake of bringing people from other countries aboard."

"Jud."

The head of Divine Communications turned towards the Divine Communications systems. It was then that the ship's captain said this.

"Well then, this vessel will wait. We will await the Testament Union's response. Futayo-sama, according to the situation, this may seem like we are going against how we truly feel, but..."

"Jud." Futayo nodded and smiled. A smile that she herself felt was forced. In addition to this, she spoke thus:

"Loyalty...it is in such behaviour that we see its meaning."

Hearing those words, the ship's captain nodded after a moment. Besides him, the sailors and the vice-captain of the escort squadron also nodded and bowed.

...Thank goodness.

Futayo felt relieved that, at the very least, she had not said something wrong.

It was at that moment.

Having intercepted a Divine Communication, the head of Divine Communications screamed its contents at her.

"--Tres Espana's vanguard has entered Mikawa! They're heading towards New Nagoya Castle, gods of war in tow!"

A breath.

"According to their estimates...there's 15 minutes until the overload of the Leyline Reactors is set!"

<center>●</center>

The nighttime village was painted with light and darkness.

The darkness had two forms: the darkness of the night and the shadows of the houses and cracks in the earth.

There were three types of light. One was the light coming from within the houses. Another was the light of the Leyline, coming forth from the depths of the vast cracks that split the crust, on which the roads, the waterways, and the houses were built. The last light was this.

"--!"

The light of shots continually fired along the surface.

Of course, there was a certain sound that accompanied the barrage of bullets.

This was the overlapping sound of guns and cannons.

Finishing off the confluence of sound was the sound of the heartbeat, reaching out from below the earth.

Every time the periodic pulse rang out with a noise that shook all things, the fissures which ran through the surface spread, moving as if they were in search of air, and the light that could be seen in the depths of the earth grew stronger.

Darkness and light painted the village, and sound traveled within them. Something was moving as if to cut through the pulse, which pushed upwards.

"A1, we've started to take point!!"

Shouting and accelerating down the streets, the god-of-war was an armoured figure in white and crimson, half its height again taller than the roofs of the village. Four wings in the style of a cross were on its back, and a rifle the size of a cannon was wielded by its right arm.

The leader of the god-of-war squadron, a1, looked forward. At the end of his vision was the straight line that made up a street, and beyond it, the colossal New Nagoya Castle that lay in the depths of the town.

He went.

Because it was originally meant for aerial usage, the crimson and white mechanical body had no legs. However, in its stead, the god-of-war extended graviton particles from its legs, running on the virtual feet that this created.

The street was the shortest path. Despite this, it was the path that the enemies were targeting.

However, the warriors of the assault team were behind him and starting to advance with A2.

Going first and drawing the enemy out was his duty.

"--!"

A1 expelled the air that had been stored to the limit within its wings.

Pressed forward by the resulting explosion of air, a1 burst forth in a straight line forward. Chaining some shots from his cannon, he blew apart the enemies that came within his automatic targeting sights. Even as he did this, he simply continued straight on, scattering white papers in his wake.

For the sake of clearing the path that led to the success of the operation...

He gusted down the road at the lowest of altitudes.

<center>●</center>

Maintaining his initial velocity, a1 led the way, ahead of the main group by a few hundred meters.

He was within the support range of his comrades, so it should have been within the range that the land divisions could advance. Behind him, A2 should have started up immediately, performing his duty as the land divisions's escort. As such, all he could rely on now was aerial support from A3 and his own power.

He went.

Looking at the displays of information overlaying his vision, A1 confirmed the route he was to take. Nagoya was the remains of a town. Every road, street and name was left in the state it had been found when the ruin had been discovered during the the age of the gods.

It was roughly three kilometers before they reached New Nagoya Castle. Currently, he was nearly directly west of New Nagoya Castle, on highway 79.

If you left the town of Jinmokuji to the north and the town of Ouharu to the south and continued traveling east, you would reach the rivers Shinkawa and Shounaigawa, which flowed to the west of New Nagoya Castle.

The bridge that crossed the two rivers had a north-south orientation, but the road on the opposite bank went eastwards. If you traveled it for one kilometer, you would reach the side of New Nagoya Castle.

Heading there, his duty was close to acting as the bait. Using his speed, defense and firepower, all superior to a human's, he would lure out the enemies lying in ambush and blow them apart.

He had a rough idea of the enemies' weapons.

...Compressed lumps of metal.

Automatons have the ability to control gravity. Using that power, they harden and fire scrap iron.

The manner in which they did this could be likened to how children throw clumps of mud. However, instead of dirt, the ammunition were blades, nails and clamps that had been twisted and crushed into a hard mass, and the firing speed was nearly subsonic.

Of course, this work puts enormous strains on the automatons. He had already shot down tens of automatons.

"----"

No. Standing ready on the rooftops, they were in a state that could be likened to his own busted automatic firing mechanism. Smoke and heat spewed visibly from their shoulders and wrists.

Depending on their state, there were already people that had become unable to move and were toppling off the walls of the houses, smoke rising from their arms and chests.

...Why?

Why is it that the automatons are fighting without fear of their own destruction?

And this is happening in spite of the Leyline Reactors overloading.

...Why--?

As he thought, A1 went. Not only was he taking care to renew his vision and the targeting sights of his automatic firing mechanism, which controlled the right arm that held the rifle, he aligned the order of his shots to the swaying of his body and feet.

There were enemies. As he went further in, their number increased.

Because of this, A1 cut through the wind, flipping his armored body and firing.

Shoot, spin, accelerate forward to dodge.

From time to time, his sights would be off, and he would think that he wouldn't hit.

When this happened, a shot would come from the skies and he would be saved. It was A3, in the high skies. The reason he was able to fire the long range air-superiority weaponry against the surface was because he was sharing targeting information with A1. A1 was also using A3's audiovisual information to roughly calculate the enemies positions before firing.

He went. Even while supporting and firing, A1 simply chose to move forward.

"--!"

A crossover entered his vision.

A1 evaded the cannon-fire coming from the left and right by accelerating forward, returning fire with his rifle.

The rifle was made in the short-barreled style of Tres Espana's government-managed industry: 'San Mercado'. It was muzzle loaded, according to the technical specifications of the Testament's descriptions. The gun's defining characteristic was the fact that, in order to reduce the charge, the barrel of the gun was cut as far down as possible, and in its place it deployed a virtual barrel made with Classica Filma in the shape of a cross.

Its load came in a magazine, 32 steel bullets in every one. Because of the large-scale Testament-Sign contract used to accelerate the shot and the automatic loading mechanism, it could continuously fire six shots in the space of a second.

He went full auto.

The Testament-Sign contracts that had been used were ejected and scattered. He had hit seven times. He had taken a bullet in the shoulder of his armor. The lump of metal had deeply gouged into the cross armor that Tres Espana was so proud of, but...

...It didn't reach the core.

Several other parts had also been pierced, but he went straight ahead, relying on his speed and concentration.

Continuing to shoot, a1 flapped his wings twice.

Directly behind him, warning sounds erupted from the audiovisual mechanisms situated directly behind his head. Warning signs appeared to the left and right of his vision.

ADVERTENCIA!!

The meaning was clear. Behind him, the automatons had appeared from the houses on the left and right in which they had been hiding.

They were most likely thinking of surprise attacking him from the back.

However, they were naive. a3 is in the skies. The information from the sky is being sent almost in real-time. If a1 could obtain the information of the enemies behind him, his automatic firing mechanism would adjust for them. In this case, he was unable to confirm by sight, but there should not be any problems with pursuing bullets.

There were none.

Leaving it to the mechanism, his right hand, which held the rifle currently swung behind him, squeezed the trigger.

Three direct hits rang out, and the warnings disappeared. He could see the pieces of paper scattering in the corner of his vision.

At that moment. A Divine Communication came.

"a1! --The enemy has moved! She has horns!"

He had already entered a battle situation with the enemy. Ignoring that, the person that should be designated as his 'enemy' was...

...Could it be--!?

A warning sign flashed into being at the right of his vision. The sign transmitted the name of the hostile machine's name.

"--Kazuno!!?"

<center>●</center>

Above the streets of Nagoya, which had been protected by the environmental gods during the age of the gods, a god-of-war and an automaton clashed.

In terms of their relationship to each other, the god-of-war was accelerating and chasing Kazuno, who was ahead of him and drawing further away.

However, though an automaton's athletic ability is high, it cannot match a god-of-war.

If the god-of-war went all out, it would not take even one minute to reach their destination, New Nagoya Castle.

Despite this, the Ether disturbance was swirling around the skies like a storm, and the god-of-war could not fly to its full capacity. As if she had expected this, the automaton braked, challenging the god-of-war to a land battle.

Kazuno was using two weapons.

The first was her skill in battle, kept in her mind.

The second was gravity control and the multitudes of weapons and battle techniques that could be created with it.

"--!"

Kazuno shouted while running backwards.

"--By the luck of my fingers, a sword!"

Running in a manner where it was almost like she was leaping, Kazuno shouted. She brought both her hands downward.

Simultaneously. The ground erupted because of her gravity control.

And what had been made was a pair of broadswords built from the road, no less than seven meters in length.

The twin swords instantaneously rose up into the air, following the movements of her arms.

However, the god-of-war she was facing moved.

The white and crimson god-of-war readied his rifle, not slackening his speed.

He fired directly after.

The shot that could be said to be an artillery shell barreled towards Kazuno's chest as she was in the midst of raising her swords.

The muzzle sound rang out and the shreds of the contract scattered into the air.

The bullet hurtled down a straight line. Yet...

"--By my gaze, a shield!"

Responding to Kazuno lifting her chin, the ground between her and the god-of-war leaped upwards.

It was a shield.

However, the road's structure was based in gravel, so it was weak against impact.

The 10 cm thick shield-wall hovering in the air was torn through by the steel bullet.

The piercing bullet continued to come.

It did not pass all the way through. Since that was the case, countermeasures should be simple. Kazuno quickly forced her gaze, which had been turned upwards, down.

"--Placing an additional order!!"

Seven shields stood up in succession and flew between Kazuno and the god-of-war.

The metal bullet collided with the seven shields floating in midair. It hit. It broke. It burrowed. It pierced. It shattered, it ripped apart, it went in, it pierced through, but...

"I have judged that it has stopped!!"

As her voice rang out, the shell, having been stopped by the succession of shields, ricocheted behind her. Lowering her arms as if to flap a pair of wings, she thundered the two swords hovering in the air into the god-of-war, attacking from the left and right of the half-destroyed shields.

As they came hurtling down, the blades lost half their thickness. As if being crushed by a steamroller, the swords were flattened from the base to the tip.

This was compression done by gravity control. By doing this, she increased the hardness of the swords.

And they sliced into the god-of-war.

In response, the god-of-war brought the rifle up, connecting it to the link on its back. Both his arms free, he grasped the short swords in his waist. Still running, he drew the short swords into both of his hands. Holding them in a backhand grip, he swung the swords upwards, completely breaking apart the shields that lay between them.

He broke through.

The gravel stained with black scattered into the air, and the two short swords collided with the Kazuno's twin blades.

Sparks flew.

"--!"

<center>●</center>

The sound of metal clashing screamed twice. It was certain that Kazuno's twin swords had slowed the god-of-war's movements.

Even as they matched blades, Kazuno and the god-of-war continued to sprint.

Sparks flew between the weapons of the two as they locked blades, lighting up the night.

Immediately after. The god-of-war stopped low.

"A marionette playing the puppeteer to a bunch of swords? Like hell!"

An explosion of air burst from behind the god-of-war. It was the acceleration of its four wings.

He came.

Keeping a slight distance between them, the god-of-war deflected Kazuno's twin blades outwards not with the strength of his arms, but the strength of his entire body, thrusting her forward.

"...!"

Continuing onward, the god-of-war swung his body, moving it forward in a tackle headed towards Kazuno, who was hanging in the air.

They were facing each other. Kazuno pulled back her two airborne swords, bringing them to bear again.

But she was too late. In order to swing the broadswords, she had to pull them back extremely far. Afterward, it would take time to slash with them. As she was withdrawing the broadswords, the god-of-war's short swords were stabbing towards her left and right.

At that moment, a clear sound rang out.

It was the sound of Kazuno's broadswords cracking, splitting directly in the middle into two pieces.

Kazuno shouted the reason that caused both her weapons to crack in two.

"--I am recreating them!"

Split into two pieces, the broadswords on her left and right were reformed by her gravity manipulation.

Their shapes were altering towards that of a short sword. Four of them.

At the same time, Kazuno swung both of her arms even while sprinting, catching the four blades in her gravity control.

All she had to do was swing. These weapons, able to be handled in a more compact manner than the broadswords, were now headed towards the god-of-war's short swords, challenging them to a direct confrontation.

The god-of-war accelerated to meet the attack. The first round of blades collided.

"...!"

However, after the space of a heartbeat, a chain of attacks commenced from both sides, and the shrieks and sparks of swordplay continued.

"Ooooohhh...!"

Something which went down the street and someone who pulled back along the street. Even as each of them were receiving their comrades' support, they were trying to consume the flow of battle, the attacks and counterattacks as the main course.

The four short swords scratched away at the god-of-war's armour while his pair ripped the automaton's clothing to shreds.

The sparks flying off illuminated the damage and results of their exchanges before fading away.

Kazuno's body was visible beneath the remains of her shredded clothing. Her skin, made out of a material like porcelain, was wrapped with something which looked like bandages. It was a cloth charm imbued with Shinto Ability, which gave it a cooling effect.

Kazuno accelerated further without her body heating up. Despite this...

"...!"

When she increased the number of her attacks, the god-of-war went all out on speed.

And the result could be visibly seen; all their movements and their speeds were closely matched.

Both of them would step in and out, leaping here and there, and layered onto these movements were the dance of their blades.

Their speeds increased every time the sparks of deflection and sounds of rejection came into being.

They sprinted forth.

They spun, they swept inwards, they leaped backwards.
[[File:Horizon1A_427.jpg|thumb]]
The trail of their opponent's swords would dart into the air that they had been occupying just a moment before, cutting through the air.

This held for both of them.

They went. They passed under the overpass. And they entered into its shadow.

"--!!"

The moment they did, the overpass above them was sliced into by the collateral damage from their slashing, and it collapsed.

However, the two of them had removed themselves from the space that the building materials were falling on after being shredded.

They continued to run, their attacks unending.

Direct attacks were deflected. When attacks were slightly off, they were dodged. She spun, twisting her body as if dancing.

"--!"

She launched a flurry of blows. However...

"--A1, this is A2! Seven minutes have passed! Only eight minutes are left!"

"I'll leave the rest to you and A3! Also...don't talk to me until the order to retreat is given!"

"Yeah!"

That voice spilled from the god-of-war.

He went.

<center>●</center>

The god-of-war thrust himself forward, cutting through the wind. He jabbed the short sword in his right hand at Kazuno.

In response, Kazuno thrust her arms outward, counterattacking with her four short swords.

With two of the four short swords, she deflected the god-of-war's right-hand sword upwards, the other two heading to smash his right arm down. By slipping her swords under the god-of-war's right arm, the movement would strike them upwards.

Directly after. The god-of-war exhibited a single judgement. Just before his right-hand sword was snapped upwards, the god-of-war took his hand from the blade.

The god-of-war's short sword was flicked away, dancing through the air as the sound of metal accompanied it. However, his left arm was left where it was.

And then the god-of-war did this.

"Uooo...!"

He extended the fingers of his now free right hand.

"...oh!!"

Before the blades could cut into him, his own right hand grabbed hold of them.

He had grabbed them such that his wrist and forearm armor were the first to be hit, but the two blades dug into his hand, piercing about halfway into his steel palm.

Still, he was able to do it. It was a rather forceful method, but it could not be denied that he had sealed half of Kazuno's blades.

The god-of-war did not stop there.

Adjusting his grip on the short sword in his left hand, he threw it at Kazuno. Snapping his wrist from below, it was a high-speed underhand throw.

An action similar to discarding his weapons.

Yet, Kazuno had to react.

She used the two swords that had not been pinned down to repel the throw.

Simultaneously. The god-of-war used the left hand that he had swung up from below to grasp the rifle on his back.

The cross-model virtual barrel had already been deployed.

The distance between them was short. She was in a location that he was sure to hit.

The tip of the rifle caught hold of Kazuno's face.

The god-of-war's optical mechanisms definitely saw the automaton's face.

It was frowning.

It would work.

Even if shields were brought up from the surface of the road, he had held the right hand that pinned down two of Kazuno's swords below his rifle. His right arm would probably be fractured by the shields that sprung up, but he would be able to fire while he was able to stand it.

As he predicted, the ground between the god-of-war and the automaton burst upwards in the same manner as the shields had before.

It was too late.

The god-of-war squeezed the rifle's trigger.

White scraps of paper were ejected from the slot for paper disposal.

"...Hit!!"

<center>●</center>

Kazuno saw the shell come.

However, in response to the warhead flying her way, she did not choose to dodge or in fact, anything of the like.

She chose to perform a two-pronged attack.

The first attack used the two short swords that were still living.

"It is possible to judge that it will hit...!"

She jammed them into the barrel right before her eyes.

She melded the blades she had used in the attack, compressing them. By making the two into one, she further hardened it.

"As my hands have directed!!"

The shell impacted the blade.

Due the explosion, the air ruptured, and the melded blades were shattered.

The shell was still alive.

However, the barrel had bent because of the impact.

To the right. The shell flew past Kazuno's head.

Kazuno's black hair scattered into the night, but the bullet did not hit.

However, the shots did not stop at one. There were still bullets left in the magazine, and the god-of-war's rifle could fire six times in one second.

Before her eyes, the second shot was about to be fired.

At that moment, Kazuno thundered in her second attack.

It was not an attack using short swords. What she used were the fragments of the road that had burst upwards below the god-of-war's right hand.

And what she had constructed was a single weapon. It thrust upwards, as if it had been thrown into the air.

"This is...!?"

Between Kazuno and the god-of-war, a cannon made of the road's construction materials had been created.

The tip of the cannon was aimed towards the god-of-war's stomach.

Ammunition had been prepared, sitting ready at the other end of the cannon. This was the shot that Kazuno had stopped with the succession of shields, and had been deflected behind her. However, the fact that the bullet was now here meant one thing.

"--Could it be that you hadn't thrown it away but had instead kept it behind you using gravity control!?"

"...Jud. My possessions are dear to me!"

The shell, which had been stopped by the successive weak shields, had not undergone a large change in its shape.

She loaded. The bottom of the cannon closed, and Kazuno's right hand was flung downwards.

The next instant. From the bottom of the cannon to its tip, an undulation burst forth.

It was accelerating.

Using gravity control to chain together multiple bursts of acceleration at high speed, Kazuno drove the shell forward multiple times.

The god-of-war faced this.

"--!!"

Before he could squeeze the trigger.

"--By my gaze, hit!!"

It impacted him.

<center>●</center>

The god-of-war realised that he had received a heavy blow to his stomach.

His whole body rocked with the impact, and he was left unable to put power into any of his limbs.

His fingers fell from the rifle, and his knees dropped. Warnings notifying him of the destruction of his somatch-armour and the heavy damage to the exoskeleton were being displayed in his optical mechanisms.

Despite this, the god-of-war screamed.

His words were released into the air.

"Shoot...!!"

As his voice rang out. Something appeared behind the god-of-war.

It was the mechanical body of the other machine, A2, who had been following from behind.

A2 stood up from behind the god-of-war who was kneeling and readied his rifle.

<center>●</center>

A2 went.

...This is our fight!

He had been advancing together with the assault team, but he had left them behind and went ahead.

There was a reason for this. When he had told A1 that he would support him, A1 had stopped. However, at that time, a1 had definitely said this:

..."I'll leave the rest to you and A3..."

Why did he ask this of both of the people supporting him?

This was not a battlefield where he had the time to ask him about what he meant.

Therefore, A2 acted on his own decisions, and as a result, A1 shouted a plea for him to fire without even turning back to look at him.

And A2 was where A1 wanted him to be, doing what A1 wanted him to do.

He had dropped his waist, leaving his body in a crouching position. His rifle was placed against his hip, ready to fire.

It had accurately placed Kazuno within its sights.

Behind A2, the surface forces were coming. All seventy-one of them were using the Catholica Filma, which enhanced their physical capabilities, and were following him. Some distance had opened up between them, but as a result of A1's advancement, the enemies up till this point had almost all been dealt with.

That being the case...

...the problem lies before us!

Our time limit before infiltration is seven minutes. As our current position is a kilometer and a half from New Nagoya Castle, we don't have the time to stop. Therefore...

"A3...! Support me!"

His aural mechanisms heard the footsteps of the surface forces, who had come running up from behind.

Sending a scout to run ahead of the, the platoon had formed an elliptical formation and was approaching at high speed.

A2 depressed the trigger. The automatic firing mechanism had entered its adjustments, but he kept aware of his own movements.

He squeezed.

At that moment.

A2's aural mechanisms heard a voice. It was a man's voice.

"A heavy god-of-war of Tres-Espana make, 'El Azul', huh. Also, the surface forces are over there. Kazuno, don't move, alright? ...I'll bind them."

The next instant, the god-of-war El Azul, A2, saw this.

A man holding a spear was standing behind Kazuno.

Apparently having realised that A2 was looking at him, the man swung his spear to the right.

A movement which cut nothing but air.

Yet, two strange things occurred.

The first was this: many miniature signframes displaying several words could be seen around the tip of the spear that the man had swung.

The second was this.

...My finger.

It wouldn't move. The finger touching the trigger of the high-powered rifle in my hands could not, no matter how much I tried, squeeze it.

That was not all.

Behind me. The footsteps of the assault team that had been approaching until now came to a stop.

What's happening? Why is that neither my fingers nor their footsteps are moving?

The instant the question entered his mind.

A voice spoke one more time.

"--Bind, Tonbokiri."

The man who had swung the spear spoke.

Immediately after. A2's eyes saw that his right hand and leg had split.

<center>●</center>

"--!?"

As Kazuno watched, beyond A1, who was on already on his knees and unmoving, A2, the other machine, fell to the floor.

A2 fell, still unable to comprehend why he had been taken out. His right elbow and knee had been torn apart.

It had been caused by a single blow that had cut halfway into the afflicted areas from the front.

No strength entered the arm that had wielded the rifle, and there was no longer any support in his knees, which had held up his crouching position. The artificial tendons unique to heavy gods-of-war of Tres Espana make were made out of fine wire coiled into cylinders. They had been severed more than halfway through, and all the winding Drive Tool did was make the dry noise of a whistle.

The wire's lubricant spilled from his two legs like blood, forming a viscous puddle on the floor.

He fell. A voice spilled from his external vocal mechanisms.

"This is..."

''I can judge that you do not understand.'' Within the confines of her artificial brain, Kazuno thought thus.

Tonbokiri.

The weapon indicated in the Testament's description, carried by Honda Tadakatsu. It was named thus because a dragonfly that landed on its tip was sliced in half, and the Tonbokiri that Tadakatsu wields possess a similar power.

"It severs names that reflect upon its blade."

Everything in this world holds a name in tandem with its existence. Whether it might be an undefined name, or whether it is unnamed, it is still a name, and it is something that indicates the body that holds the name.

By severing the name, it slices the body.

Because it cuts names, when the name it cuts does not directly indicate the body or the name is plural, the effect is lessened. The reason that it was not the god-of-war's body but his legs that had been severed was because that which had been cut was not the pilot's name, but the name of the god-of-war, and Tadakatsu was also unable to specify the god-of-war's individual name.

...However...

Kazuno looked behind A2.

Several figures had fallen onto the road.

The seventy one names of the surface force that had been running this way.

All of them had one knee severed.

Not one of them was an exception.

They were the same. In that all of them were clutching their knee, in that they wriggled as they tried to stand though they were unable, and in that they squirmed about, they were the same.

This was the result of the instant severing of the title 'surface force'.

Behind her, Tadakatsu's voice could be heard.

"--Well, that's how this is. Six minutes are left till the time limit to prevent this is over. This ended with a lot of time to spare, huh."

<center>●</center>

Standing in the middle of the nighttime street, filled with the pulse and light, Kazuno sighed, the breath full of waste heat.

She did not turn back to look at Tadakatsu.

"You are rather late. I am especially troubled."

"Sorry for being late...The lord has finally finished the final preparations and entered the center.

I was thinking about following the lord to protect him. More bugs are probably going to come, after all. What will you do?...This is your last chance to pick up the souls of your comrades and run to the outskirts."

In response to Tadakatsu's voice, Kazuno straightened her posture and turned towards him.

Tadakatsu stood there, Tonbokiri at the ready. Looking at his face, which made her feel his ease, Kazuno nodded at him.

"Tadakatsu-sama...we are owned by Mikawa. All that is left for us is to serve the will of the lord of Mikawa, Motonobu-sama. And Motonobu-sama..."

"Told us to protect the castle. And protect it we did. Also, I'll take this opportunity to ask since we're talking about it already, but do you listen to what I say or what the lord says? Even though you're in my family, you don't really listen to me."

"If I listened to what Tadakatsu-sama said, my status as an automaton would be lowered. I would not clean up. I would not do the laundry. I would go to buy unnecessary weapons, books, and meat that was not even planned for dinner, and immediately after I would bring back a dog or cat and say: 'Isn't it pitiful!? From now onwards this is ours!' I would explode from having become such a failure as a human."

"I mean, wasn't it pitiful!? Are you a devil!?"

"Yes, yes, Jud, Jud. This is a response well used by Tadakatsu-sama towards me, but...I wonder about that?"

"Woman..."

Hearing Tadakatsu's words, Kazuno tilted her head. She straightened her shredded, mussed clothing, even if only the hem was left.

"I do not have experience with being blown up by a Leyline Reactor's overloading, so I cannot speak accurately, but if we start running to Motonobu-sama now..."

"We won't be able to live, huh."

"...Really, I cannot understand your line of thought. Tadakatsu-sama, are you a human? Are you not actually an automaton?"

"Shut up," Tadakatsu said, replacing Tonbokiri on his shoulder.

He looked around at the area, and matching his movements, Kazuno also confirmed her surroundings.

The entire area. The sound of the pulse was becoming stronger. The distention of the surface was facing its limit, and rather than rising up, it was time for the surface to collapse into fissures.

The sound of buildings everywhere collapsing and the sound of the pulse in the background, Tadakatsu looked at the light all around them.

"Mikawa's become a pretty bright town while I wasn't aware."

"Jud. Tonight is the first time I have noticed. When you listen to the pulsing of the Leyline for a while, it starts to sound like trance. I can judge that it is a fine feeling."

"Be a little more sad, won't you? Also...you've decided to stay? You're not going to go out?"

'Jud.', Kazuno nodded in answer. Exhaling, he turned his back to her.

Behind Tadakatsu, who slowly started to walk towards New Nagoya Castle, Kazuno checked whether his clothing was disheveled.

"If it were possible, I would like to change."

"That's because you're wearing that kind of frilly western clothing."

"This is a serving maid's clothing, the racial clothing of automatons. As such, it is a grand thing. I wanted one that could be used in battle, but the Testament Union did not comply."

Kazuno stepped forward, going to walk beside Tadakatsu.

"----"

She suddenly moved.

<center>●</center>

Tadakatsu heard footsteps.

Kazuno's footsteps. Though she had been walking up next to him, she suddenly turned to the left.

...?

Thinking that she had found some part of his clothing mussed, Tadakatsu turned to Kazuno.

Kazno was facing left, towards the northwest.

She was not moving.

Looking closely, Kazuno was raising her left hand. Kept horizontal, it pointed towards the west.

"Kazuno?"

"What's wrong?" Tadakatsu asked as he drew closer to Kazuno.

Kazuno moved. She lifted her right hand.

A movement that instructed him not to come her way.

"Hey...?"

Despite this, Tadakatsu avoided Kazuno's right hand as she stood there expressionless, moving towards her left from behind.

He looked at Kazuno from beyond her upraised left hand.

A hole had opened in Kazuno's chest.

<center>●</center>

By Kazuno's chest, in her maid uniform and the skin made of pottery below it, a hole the size of a fingertip gaped open.

Tadakatsu, who had taken a look at her in order to check on her, grasped yet another fact.

There was a small, black hole pierced through the middle of the palm of the left hand that Kazuno had raised.

Furthermore, Kazuno's head moved slightly, turning to face him.

"There is an enemy."

Her words halted there.

Directly after. Kazuno's body, her chest to her stomach, shattered into fragments, as if she had been crushed by a colossal claw.

"--!"

Moreover, across a vast area before Kazuno, countless fragments of Mikawa's earth had been chipped off.

<center>●</center>

The power to fragment attacked Mikawa in a barrage.

The range covered three kilometers in width and one hundred kilometers in length. There were multiple cuts, and it continued for several seconds. In effect, the crust, the surface, the streets, the waterways, the atmosphere, the night sky, and everything included within them would fragment into pieces over a few seconds.

Sliced into as if to engrave, they were cut into and torn to shreds.

Carrying a hint of freshness, the short sound caused by the cutting and the grating sound of tearing screamed from everything within the area of effect.

The trails of the cuts changed, dependent upon the size of what was being sliced into. The crust and surface of the earth was gouged out of the ground meters at a time. Diagonal lines akin to claw marks ran across every pillar and wall of each house.

In its current state, the entirety of the town had received slashes that left gashes running throughout.

The atmosphere was the same. Accompanying the sound of tearing cloth, white lines cascaded in midair, covering several meters. The next instant, those lines ruptured.

"--!!"

They screamed.

Comparable to the sound of applause, the sound of air rupturing drowned the surroundings, and the gusts of wind it raised echoed, the noise sounding like cheers.

The gashes assaulted anything and everything; the fragments that had been sliced off danced into the air, carried by the wind.

Because of clashes with the atmosphere, the portion of the town that had been sliced into faced further destruction. As if being crashed into by the waves of the sea, it was folded and crushed, cracked and burst. Embraced by the wind, the remains were blown away.

Yet it did not end there.

Even as they coalesced as waves, the air that had burst open had the duty of filling the vacuums they had left behind.

The air around the vacuums was stretched as if being torn into pieces before streaming in.

However, this too happened instantaneously. The air that accompanied this flow was cooled, wrapped by microscopic ice particles akin to mist. The next instant, it exploded in all directions.

Sound and fury reigned.

The space that had been sliced into was dyed white by the cold air.

The white faded into all directions as wind, creating a thin mist in the west of Mikawa.

Below it. Within the village in which the mist swirled, there were shadows.

Even as the wind howled, even as the atmosphere trembled, two figures stood within them.

Tadakatsu, who embraced the remains of Kazuno, and the figure of the young man facing him.

<center>●</center>

Tadakatsu avoided the spatial slicing and fell back toward the Shounai River. He held Tonbokiri up in his right hand and embraced Kazuno’s upper body in his left.

Someone was facing him.

It was a single young man.

He was tall and had short blond hair. His clothes fluttering in the wind were embroidered with the school emblem of Alcalá de Henares, the primary academy of Tres España.

And he held a single weapon in his right arm.

It was a sword over a meter long and made of black and white metal. A cannon was attached to the bottom of the sword and the needle of the analog meter located at the joint between the two was pointed about halfway up from zero.

He held the weapon such that the sword was pointed down and the cannon muzzle was pointed up.

However, that gunblade had a single unique characteristic.

Countless lines of light ran up from the muzzle and created a single holographic figure.

That figure was a barrel approximately five meters long.

The light creating the barrel slowly thinned.

The young man checked the gunblade’s meter beyond the fading light and closed his eyes a bit.

“…”

He lowered the sword to the right and looked behind him.

There he saw the people Tadakatsu and Kazuno had defeated earlier. What appeared to be a withdrawal unit was supporting the injured men and helping them retreat. They were being commanded by a girl with two false arms.

She nodded toward the young man while holding a god-of-war pilot in one arm and a member of the assault team in the other.

The young man nodded back as she left and then he turned back toward Tadakatsu.

As Tadakatsu held up Tonbokiri and embraced the automaton, the young man opened his mouth.

“I do not recognize you.” He took a breath and spoke in a clear voice. “I am Tachibana Muneshige, member of Tres España and inheritor of the name ‘Velocidad de Dios’ Garcia de Ceballos. My battle style is Strike Forcer.”

Tadakatsu spoke up when he heard that name.

“The inheritor of the name Tachibana Muneshige who is said to be the Peerless in the West!?”

“Testament. I have also inherited the name ‘Velocidad de Dios’ Garcia for gaining a reputation as a ''mensajero''. Also…”

Tachibana held up the hilt at the center of the gunblade which had a cross-shaped shield.

And he spoke.

“I have been given Lype Katathlipse, one of the Logismoi Oplo given to Tres España. I am one of those known as the Eight Great Dragon Lords.”

“Oh!” said Tadakatsu with a nod. “You’re really onboard with this!!”

“Tes.” Muneshige did not deny Tadakatsu’s words. His eyes were still slightly closed. “I apologize for arriving so late.”

When he heard that, Tadakatsu opened his mouth and, forcing blood from the scrape on his cheek.

“If you’re that sorry, how about you leave right this instant? But I guess that isn’t happening.”

As soon as Tadakatsu said that, Muneshige was standing behind him.

His movement had been instantaneous. Wind blew. That rough wind was proof that the young man had moved by at high speed. Low footsteps that also resembled a vibration sounded loudly.

And along with that wind and noise, Muneshige spoke.

“I must ask that you surrend-…”

He never managed to say “er”.

This was because the tip of Tonbokiri was thrust in front of his nose.

Multiple sign frames had already appeared in the air and Tadakatsu’s voice could be heard beyond Tonbokiri.

“Bind, Tonbokiri.”

Immediately afterwards, the power of cutting shot toward Tachibana Muneshige.

[[Image:Horizon1A_448.jpg|thumb]]
Study:

The Internal Situation of the Far East

Toori: Nee-chan! Nee-chan! This has gotten confusing, so quickly go over the current situation in the Far East!

Kimi: Heh heh heh. Foolish brother, I see you are forcing another troublesome task on me. Well, whatever. Make sure to rely on me, okay? This is more or less how it is:

The Internal Situation of the Far East

Overview

:WMD Disarmament

:In the reservations prepared by each country, the Far East’s culture can be maintained, but they have little autonomy. (In each country’s provisionally ruled territories, that country’s culture takes precedence.)

Territory and Government

-Independent Territory [Aerial City Ship Musashi]

:The internal representative of the Far East.

:The Testament Union actually controls it through restricting its route and interfering in the election of the King of Musashi and the academy president.

-Neutral Territory [Mikawa]

:The external representative of the Far East. Mikawa’s ruler negotiates with the Testament Union.

:It is the representative of the Far East, but due to the Testament descriptions, it is allied with P.A.ODA. As P.A.ODA has partially left the Testament Union, it is neutral.

Non-Aggression Territory [Kyou]

:As the emperor who controls the ley lines is here, it is off limits to not just the Far East but the other countries as well.

:Kyou cannot interfere with the rest of the world.

-Managed Territory [Far East Reservations]

:Reservations prepared for the Far East people by the other countries. They have little autonomy and are greatly influenced by the other countries.

:Act as Musashi’s ports to the various countries.

-Provisionally Ruled Territory

:All Far East land not listed above falls here. These areas are under provisional rule by the other countries.

:Looking at area alone, over 90% of the Far East is here.

Kimi: Well, that is more or less it. Something exciting is going on in Mikawa right now, so this could be bad. After all, it stands at the top of the Far East, so if it starts a rebellion, the Testament Union might take away Mikawa’s authority and bring the Far East under its complete control.

Toori: Eh? Isn’t that bad!? Like, really bad!? Nee-chan, I’m relying on you!

Kimi: Yes, yes. If there is anything your wise sister can do…

{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 16|Chapter 16]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 18|Chapter 18]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 16

2013-10-14T09:35:29Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 16: Those Who Prepare in the Courtyard */

==Chapter 16: Those Who Prepare in the Courtyard==
[[File:Horizon1A 375.jpg|thumb]]
''Will the festival eventually end.''

''And, will '''the''' festival start.''

'''Point Allocation (Density)'''

<center>●</center>

In the courtyard, you could see the tremors running through the Academy.

The mayhem seemed to have been noticed by others; an audience stood outside the Academy's outer fence.

"Ahh, again...?"

No-one entered the school grounds, though they all spoke.

Azuma, standing in the courtyard, had gathered everyone who had run away from the disturbances happening everywhere in the school. He heaved a sigh as as they all stood there, atop the lawn.

Somehow, it seemed that inside, a fight had broken out between the students and the mercenary groups. From time to time, some white thing, or people in bodysuits, or cosplay that was hard to even describe would be ejected from the emergency exit or windows of the first floor.

...They're really going at it.

He thought. Beside him, Ohiroshiki shoveled the snacks he had brought with him as a late night stack into his mouth.

"Mmm. I am of the humble opinion that we should call the teacher on night duty. Will she be alright?"

"Oriotorai-sensei...? When I went to see her just now, she was sleeping soundly, a sake bottle in her arms."

The person who answered him was Adele. Using her handkerchief, she was fanning Asama, who was lying on the lawn face up.

'So we can't...' Everyone muttered this, Azuma included.

As they muttered this, another person in a black bodysuit fell after being blasted through the wall. He looked this way, thrusting out his chest, on which the word 'Love' was written in red. Afterward, he disappeared to the starboard.

"...Anyone know him?"

Hearing Noriki's voice, Naomasa folded her arms and tilted her head to the side.

"That guy who left just now was prob'bly Koide Ou from Shinagawa's chamber of industry and commerce. That pillar before was wavin' at Asama-chi, so...Asama-chi, your father didn't leave the shrine tonight without tellin' you where he was going, did he?...Hey, why're you glarin' this way. It's time to accept your father's true end."

"T-This isn't over, t-this hasn't been decided!"

Asama said before she collapsed. It was Suzu's duty to lay the handkerchief out under her face.

And looking at everyone, who was doing this, Azuma thought.

...''It's just like always, huh.''

He nodded in his heart, but today, he felt this way again.

...''Everyone's in a good mood?''

Tomorrow, Toori will confess to the girl he loves. Everyone's in good spirits because of that, right? Because I came to Musashi after secondary school, I didn't know what they were like before then. It seems like many of them have been with Aoi since elementary school. Because of this, I wasn't excluded, but, the way I feel during these times is different.

He thought this as well.

Hassan took a drink from the curry he kept inside a thermos.

"Ah, it's the Schaeder couple. They're always a big help at our stationery shop."

The skeleton couple ran out of the emergency exit on the first floor, clutching the suspension platform used to hold samples. While they were dashed out, the husband's rib bone fell off. The wife grabbed it out of the air and inserted it back, bowing to the group as she did so.

"It's gradually become the sideshow of a carnival..."

Looking closely, there was a mummy on the roof.

"Ah, that's Mishra the Third. He runs the dried foods restaurant, 'Horus'<ref group="1Q">Written with the verb meaning 'to dry'.</ref>"

He hung his bandages from the edge of the rooftop and started to rappel down, his movements hurried. As he did so, when he was around the second floor, Aoi's sister ran to the edge of the rooftop. She grabbed the edge of the bandages.

"Teeheehee, there were some nice dried goods here! What do you want me to do with this lifeline, your bandages!? Should I cut it!? Take it off!? If you don't want to fall, then worship me! If you don't, not only will I drop you, I'll spin you around like a handmaiden!<ref group="1Q">http://youtu.be/1pRGRcYTo6c?t=7m19s</ref>"

"That girl really doesn't know how to threaten people. Or rather, Mishra the Third can't talk, can he, since his throat's dry?."

Azuma nodded at those words, which everyone spoke. But really, amongst everyone, it seemed that it was Aoi's sister that was devoid of energy.

...If things were normal, she would have definitely said that she'd drop him ''and'' still order him to worship her.

Something about her is strange tonight. Well, she's always strange, but the way she's being strange is different, or should I say, not dropping him immediately is in itself strange.

<nowiki>'</nowiki>''It's a difficult question to answer,''<nowiki>'</nowiki> Azuma thought. As he watched, Mishra the Third, dangling in the air, had put his arms over his head, making a heart shape with them.

Seeing this, Aoi's sister put her hands on her cheeks and shook her head.

"Hehehe, it's wonderful to be so beautiful that even dried goods acknowledge it~!'

Because she had released the bandages, Mishra the Third fell.

However, below them, Nenji had come from behind the school building.

"Hrmph, no-one was behind the school building! It must have been because of the invincibility of my party's majesty!!"

His invincible majesty was blown apart by the dried humanoid that came falling from above.

Everyone watched as Itoken, a refreshing smile on his face came from behind Nenji. He was completely naked.

"Hiiii! Everyone! The back of the school is fi--waitwaitwait, Nenji-kun! Are you alright!?"

While he was speaking, Mishra the Third rose. Wrapping his bandages around himself, he raised a hand to gesture sorry several times before leaving. Nenji, left behind, slowly reformed.

"He, Hehe...that was dangerous."

...He's serious, as usual.

Azuma thought.

It would be perfect if Oriotorai was here, or rather, if she was here the mayhem would be quelled with overwhelming levels of violence. But if that were to happen, it would definitely become a bigger disturbance than it already was, so it was a matter of whether to go with 'quality' or 'duration'.

Suddenly, there was a movement beside him.

Suzu had stood up.

"U-Um, w-water, A-Asama-san...'s b-breath is, r-ragged."

She was going to draw water. The tap that sprinkled water to the school from the waterways was close to the entrance, but it wasn't drinking water, as this was the water that circulated throughout the interior of the ship. The drinking water was inside the school.

"Bell-san, um, if you go there now, you'll get drawn in."

Adele tried to stop her, her tone suggesting that she had no idea what she was doing. At that moment.

A large voice boomed out nearby, coming from the direction Suzu was trying to go.

"--What on Earth is this outrage--! This disturbance in my town!!"

Everyone turned to look up at Yoshinao, who had stood in front of Suzu at some point in time.

He, Yoshinao, seemed to realise that everyone had fallen silent at his shout. He looked around.

"This is completely inexcusable! Who started this! Get out here!"

'He's got a point.' Everyone nodded, but one person reacted differently.

"--Hyaah...!"

That sound, a breath filled with fear, came from directly in front of Yoshinao.

"--Hy...aaa...ah..."

Her arms clutched before her chest, Suzu was trying to keep her trembling back.

<nowiki>'</nowiki>''Ah''<nowiki>'</nowiki>, Azuma thought. <nowiki>'</nowiki>''This is bad''<nowiki>'</nowiki>.

If a large voice suddenly comes at you while you're nervous...

Suzu, who was blind, had entered a state akin to one where she had been punched.

Her breath caught, but when she tried to breathe out, she felt like vomiting.

And apparently, Yoshinao had just noticed her.

"--? What is the matter with you? If there is something you want to say, then come right out and say it!"

At his insistence, Suzu opened her mouth wide and screamed.

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"

<center>●</center>

Suzu burst into tears.

Everyone reared back at the sound, which seemed to blow away all the noise that had been happening till then. Yoshinao stood there, panicked.

"H-Hey, you, w-what..."

"I-I-I-I d-don't like, t-this guy...!"

'Wow, Suzu-san, you're completely in the right.' Everyone nodded. However, Yoshinao heard this.

"A-All of you! Causing such a disturbance is-"

"Hyaaaaaaan!!"

Her voice rang out. As might be expected, the crowd had started to panic. But despite this, Azuma, in the midst of them, waved his hands about, attracting attention to himself.

"U-Umm, about what we should do now..."

Hassan nodded at Azuma's proposal. Taking a medicinal pouch from his chest, he poured white powder from it and into his magic bottle, which he had only drunk a little curry from. Replacing the lid, he shook the bottle.

"Well, if you drink curry, all your worries will fly away~"

"W-What did you put in there just now!?"

Hearing Naomasa's question, Hassan nodded, his face expressionless.

"Spice."

"That can't be right! That was definitely a drug!"

"You're wrong. Curry is made out of several different spices. So what you put in curry is spice. It's only logical."

"Somebody take a dump in his curry next time!!"

"I am trying to say that you kids have been ignor--"

Yoshinao said. Just as those words left his mouth, all the windows of the school opened at once. The people inside the building thrust their heads outside.

For a moment, they all looked to the left and right, but not long after, they noticed Suzu, who stood there crying.

"Nuuah--! Warning! Warning! Musashi's important system with bangs has been brought to tears!"

"Damn it, how did this happen! Whatever the cause, we seek everyone's opinion concerning the offender's punishment!"

Everyone who had their head sticking out the window stuck their fist out, thumbs facing downward. All of them nodded.

"Alright! Unanimously decided to be the death penalty! No problems, no questions, no mercy! The offender is--"

Toori, who had stuck his head out of a window on the top floor, found Yoshinao.

Yoshinao's eyes met his.

"Y-you! Chancellor Student Council President! The disturbance this time is--"

"Hey, guys, everyone look! There's an idiot who's cosplaying as a king, right over there! He must be the culprit! Seriously, that's a douche move, dressing like the king so he can lower everyone's inhibitions!"

"W-What are you saying!? I am the real thing! I am the true king of Musashi, Lord Yoshinao!!"

"Huh? What did you say? The king's got no friends, so he wouldn't come here. As expected, the fake doesn't know anything about the king. The real king's playing minesweeper on his PC, alright? Didn't you know?"

"You bastaaard--!!"

"Uwaaaaaan!!'

Suzu's voice resounded again.

The instant directly after.

"----"

Suddenly, the sound of Suzu's crying halted.

She fell silent.

Almost as if her voice itself had been stopped.

<center>●</center>

'Eh?' Everyone looked at Suzu, who stood in the middle of them. She softly closed her mouth, which had been wide open.

Suzu touched her ears with her hands.

"Eh...?"

She spoke the question that everyone had been thinking.

As she stood there frowning, a voice came from above her.

"Hey, king, move! And get down! You're getting in Bell-san's way!!"

Hearing these instructions, Yoshinao felt lost. But matching everyone's movements, he lowered himself.

Left in the middle of the crowd, all of whom had knelt down, Suzu tilted her ears to the left and right without even wiping the tears from her cheeks.

After a moment...

"--O-Over there."

She looked towards Musashi's port. The east.

Located there was Kagamihara's mountain range.

However, in the depths of night, all that was there was a pitch black, bottomless space. Beyond the mountains, towards the south, should have been the town of Mikawa, but from Musashi's point of view it lay in the mountain's shadow, so you could not see the light from the town.

Black. It was even unclear whether the mountain itself was there. There was just a darkness that seemed like a black fog, beyond which nothing could be seen.

Despite this, the darkness suddenly shattered. Within the embracing dark, a light shined.

It was the light of a fire starting.

Flames. On the peak of Kagamihara's mountain, an inferno was born.

"Huh..."

Exactly as Suzu spoke, a sound which seemed like distant thunder could be heard.

Hearing that noise, Naomasa muttered, her body still kept low.

"Isn't that an explosion?"

As if responding to her, Neshinbara, whose head was thrust out of the school building's windows, said this.

"Of the watchhouses the Testament Union set up to maintain surveillance of Mikawa, there should be one at the top, around there...It's true that they should be packed with Tres Espana's students now, but what could it be? An accident? Maybe it's just a fire...the watchhouse below it can't be seen from here, but I wonder...hasn't it noticed?

As the flames in the distance became stronger, small voices began to break out from within the crowd.

'What's wrong?' 'What's going on?' People were saying. There were also people who had started trying to make calls with their phones.

"Oookaaaay! We'll have to wait till next time for the continuation!!"

Hearing Toori's voice, everyone besides Yoshinao nodded.

They started to move. Everyone left the windows, exiting the building from the entrance. Everyone stood up and started to walk off.

They started to move.

As they started to move out, Yoshinao gave the crowd a glance before lightly bowing his head to Suzu.

In response, Suzu drew back slightly. However, Yoshinao dropped to one knee, right before her eyes. He did this even as the people in the crowd were headed towards their homes or the places they needed to be. Upon kneeling, he said this.

"I had no intention of scaring you. Please forgive me. Also..."

He stood up and pointed to Toori, who was above them.

"I play solitaire, not minesweeper. Understand?"

He corrected him before turning his back.

He left. Seeing his back start to walk off, everyone in the class heaved a sigh.

Pushing her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose, Adele clutched her practice lance.

"It seems like we managed to cover it up somehow, but...what could those flames be?"

Shirojiro exited from the entrance of the building. He spoke together with Heidi.

"I can't contact the Mikawa's chamber of industry and commerce. There should be automatons there, though."

"Even looking at it now, the light coming from Mikawa isn't increasing...Could it be the town isn't working?"

All around, they could see all the cosplayers and the real monsters had left, following the spectators outside the Academy. Only the people who had gathered on the bridge at the beginning and Azuma were left behind.

Shirojiro cast his gaze upon everyone before folding his arms. He took his Mouse, a white fox, out of the armour by his neck.

"...The phones' circuits are probably scrambled. The effect should be reduced if we use the Mouse's direct Divine Communication or written Divine Communication. If you're a hurry, everyone do it themselves. That's fine, right? In general, the fee for sound Divine Communications are high--"

"Shiro-kun, Shiro-kun, you're starting to lecture."

Hearing Heidi's warning, Shirojiro nodded. After a while, he raised a hand lightly.

"I'll be busy. Heidi, please use Erimaki to enable the opening of Divine Communications to all of the Far East residential areas in each country. I'm going to pull a step ahead of the other people in Musashi's merchant group. Please prepare the introduction of hard currency for all countries into my finances within Musashi. Not just yen, the common currency."

"Jud. Haha, I think we're going to be glared at after this, but that happens every time...Then, everyone, it's time for us to dispe--"

"P-Please wait..."

Suzu formed that voice.

She had noticed the flames first. Hearing her words, everyone opened their eyes and stopped moving.

Suzu shrank back a little, but she stretched her right hand forward, as if to grasp at something.

"U-Um...Excuse me..."

Everyone looked in the direction Suzu was pointing. At a single boy, who stood there. It was...

"--Me?"<ref group="1Q">The pronoun used here indicates that the speaker is Azuma. (There are several first person pronouns in Japanese, far more than English.)</ref>

<center>●</center>

Having been pointed out by Suzu, Azuma tilted his head to the side.

...What?

Did something happen? Suzu pays attention to sound. So, if something happened...

"Um."

I'm still wearing my uniform. There's nothing on my head, chest, or my waist. Despite this...

"----"

By the time I realised it, everyone was looking at me. Looking up, I could see that even Toori was.

Azuma leaned his head forward and looked at his feet. Yet, there was nothing there.

''<nowiki>'</nowiki>What's going on?''<nowiki>'</nowiki> Inclining his neck again, he searched his sides.

Seeing this, everyone spoke.

"You! <ref group="1Q">The pronoun Azuma uses to refer to himself is pronounced 'yo'.</ref> Not there! Behind you! Behind you!!"

"Behind me?"

Having been told this, Azuma asked this question. He turned to look at the direction the question was directed and his eyes fixed upon the first thing they saw.

It was a small hand holding the hem of his uniform.

There stood a girl. Her long white hair mussed, her skin was white. Azuma didn't know this girl.

Her face was on the brink of tears.

"----"

Her feet stepped onto the lawn, their owner staying silent. Suzu must have noticed those footsteps. Despite this...

"She's transparent...?"

The girl's body, not even one meter tall, was half transparent. Even the ground and the grass looked transparent because of the flickering. The cloth on my hem that she had grabbed could also be seen through.

Everyone held their breath upon seeing this. At that moment, the girl spoke. Her black eyes looked at me.

"Daddy isn't here..."

And looking down...
[[File:Horizon1A 389.jpg|thumb]]
"I can't find Mommy..."

<nowiki>'</nowiki>''Is she lost?'' Azuma thought. However, before considering that, there was something he had to say.

Instead of Azuma, it was everyone else who shouted the words.

"It's..."

They took a breath.

"It's heeeeeereeeeee!!"

<center>●</center>

He heard a sound.

In the middle of the study in Sakakibara's estate, Sakai had indeed heard a sound.

It was a sound he had become familiar with. A sound that echoed in his gut before dropping. It was the sound of an explosion. That, he knew. In that case, what he now thought was this.

...Why? Why is there an explosion?

I don't know. There's no way I would know. There are so many things that I don't know.

Ii has disappeared. Sakakibara has also disappeared. He told me to chase after the Princesses and the Genesis Project. And now...

...An explosion?

What's going on?

Ten years. I was transferred to Musashi. Even when I disembarked, nobody would face me. But when we met today, we were able to talk, just like we used to.

Why is that changing as the night grows older?

"Damn it..."

Sakai moved. He went. He exited the study, moving into the hallway, and ran to the entrance. Behind him, the maid automaton was asking him where he was going, but there was no point in answering. He just went outside. In order to reconfirm the fact that he knew nothing, in order to just look at what was happening.

He went outside.

Sakai opened the entrance's sliding door by throwing his body against it, simultaneously thrusting his body out.

The garden was formed from stone and pine trees. There were stepping stones lined up to formed a 'Ç≠'. With such momentum that he only touched the first and the last one, he bounded over them.

The gate was open. Beyond it, the streets on which darkness had descended could be seen.

He went. In order to pass through the gate, he leaped. In the air, he lowered his hip, preparing to hit the ground.

That instant. Sakai saw two colours.

The first was the mountains in Kagamihara. The Testament Union's observatories for Mikawa on the mountain were the colour of blazing flame.

The second came at his right leg as if to trap it.

...A butt of a spear!?

His right foot shrank back, but it was too late.

From the out to the in, he was driven to the side, the butt catching his foot. Sakai lost his balance in the air.

<center>●</center>

"--!?"

Sakai forced his body to struggle against the movement which led his right shoulder to fall towards the floor.

By thrusting his left hip up, he added another half of a revolution to his movement.

A full turn. He landed in a crouching position.

His feet touched the ground, stepping onto the sand.

Simultaneously, he drew the dagger kept behind his waist halfway out of the scabbard, preparing for an attack coming from above.

While bringing his left hand inward to restrain any attacks coming from the left, he hauled himself up with the same hand.

He stood. By dropping his hip, he was able to take a stance where his right shoulder was sticking out, his hand holding his knife in a backhand grip.

Sakai swept his gaze through and focused his hearing on his surroundings.

"--Who is it?"

At the place his question was directed, two figures appeared on the street.

They appeared from within the shadows of the buildings, dyed darker than the already dark street.

"Dacchan and..."

"Jud., I am the controller of all automatons linked to the Honda family, Kazuno."

<center>●</center>

As Sakai watched, Kazuno clasped her empty hands in front of her and bowed.

Tadakatsu stood next to her. He held a spear in his hands and was looking at Sakai.

Sakai looked at Tadakatsu before his eyes locked onto the spear. The spear with a blade tipped like a bamboo's leaf.

"...Tonbokiri. A Divine Armament class weapon. A weapon with the power to slice even matter itself..."

"--You've gotten older. You can't avoid it anymore."

Tadakatsu spoke, bringing up Tonbokiri, which he had used to hook Sakai's foot by stretching it outward. Having done this, he shortened it. Tightening the socket which controlled Tonbokiri's lengthening mechanism, he took a straight pipe from his chest.

An instant. As Kazuno stood beside him, her wrist flicked up, flicking the tip of the pipe with enough force to send it jumping up.

Along with a muffled thump, a fire was lit in the crushed leaves stuffed inside the tip of the pipe.

"--I apologise for my discourtesy."

"Don't worry 'bout it...Then, Sakai, about you."

Three noises rang out as Tadakatsu spoke.

The first was the sound of the Testament Union's aerial gods of war taking flight in the skies high above, going from the west to the east in order to maintain air superiority.

The second was the sound of of the Testament Union's escort ships rising from the western continental port and heading towards the flames at Kagamihara.

And the final one was this.

"Hey, Dacchan...This sound is..."

A faint noise, but a noise with real depth. A noise that seemed to soak into and through all that it touched.

"...coming from the ground...no, from even deeper..."

Sakai was able to predict what it was beneath the ground that was causing this noise. However...

...''This is reckless''...

Despite this, the noise came slowly. An 'oh' here, a 'do' there...these sounds could be heard. This was not because the ground was shaking, but because the crust, the earth above it and the air itself was being shaken.

It was floating up.

"----"

A long, long beat was struck.

It was a pulse.

The periodic pulse that you could feel when pressing down a vein, except stretched out for a long time, for tens of seconds.

The earth pulsed.

...This is...

Gulping down a breath, I directed my gaze forward, and in front of me, next to Kazuno, stood Tadakatsu.

The edge of Tadakatsu's mouth was curled upward.

That crook in his mouth slowly opened.

"It's the Leyline, Sakai. You remember it, don't you? When we constructed Old Nagoya Castle during our time of service, the Leyline Reactor, which filters Ether, was made badly, and it often would come to the brink of overload. When it did, this sound would fill the air."

I remember. What he's saying is true. This was from more than ten years ago, when I still served as one of the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings.

Leyline Reactors were interdicted by the countries of the Tsirch Testament, but since Mikawa didn't fall under their jurisdiction, it continued to run. Because of this, Mikawa was relied upon by the countries of the Tsirch Testament for the manufacturing of aerial ships and arms, and these countries would then order them from us. We somehow managed to keep the old style Leyline Reactors running and fulfilling their function.

Leyline Reactors' function is to disaggregate Ether from the Leyline, purifying it into Ether fuel. By spending exorbitant amounts of money on its costs of operation, it is possible to acquire higher levels of Ether fuel. However, because this drains the Leyline, the Leylines in the vicinity will narrow and become unstable.

As such, it is feared that the appearance of the pulsing noise of the Leyline, which indicates the instability of the Leyline Reactor, calls out monsters and Phenomena.

"We were the ones calmly eating and smoking as this sound boomed out, weren't we, Dacchan?"

"Yeah. But Sakai...you, who were called the Grand Head, have become old."

As he spoke, a thunderous roar ripped through the sky above Tadakatsu, which was already pulsing.

The Testament Union's gods of war. Robotic bodies with four wings, spread in the style of a cross. They had originally come to keep watch on Mikawa, but they had been deployed by the Testament Union, who had seen the flames from the watchhouse.

Each of the three units circled clockwise through Mikawa's airspace, striving to preserve their air superiority.

If anything were to happen, Tres Espana, in charge of Mikawa's surveillance, would be held responsible. The gods of war traversing the sky and the fact that they had even mobilized their aerial ships to control the watchhouse were both shows of force as well as manifestations of their impatience.

However, there were probably people in the Testament Union who had not noticed this heartbeat.

Tres Espana had started to move out. Their attentions were drawn by the diversion by the mountain range. As such, they should not have noticed the real danger, which lay on the ground, at the Leyline Reactor in New Nagoya Castle. Therefore...

"...The gods of war above us aren't armed for anti-surface but anti-air warfare. The ships are filled with infantry armed for mountainous warfare, so they can take over the watchhouse. In other words...they've come into Mikawa unsuitably armed."

"Yeah, that's right. They've made the worst possible adjustments, or in other words...they're entering Mikawa with a disadvantage."

Still, Tadakatsu said this.

"The enemy hasn't grasped the situation yet. They're communicating with New Nagoya Castle in order to inform them of the incident's details. The automatons receiving their messages should be buying time."

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? If they just marched right in so simply, we'd get rolled."

Tadakatsu puffed out smoke.

"Three of 'em are going, so the balance's tipped, and the pulse's started. It's probably been noticed by now, so the diversion's over. Now, it's time to get inside and hold out till the other two start up."

"Wait."

Sakai spoke. He asked about the numbers that Tadakatsu had told him.

"By three and two, you mean..."

"I'm obviously talking about New Nagoya Castle's Leyline Reactors, right? The four in the rectangle and the unified one in the center. We're carefully making them overload right now."

Hearing Tadakatsu speak, Sakai's thoughts stopped for an instant.

...Overloading the Leyline Reactors?

It's easy to do. All you have to do is run the mechanism that extracts the Ether at a higher setting. If you do this, the extracted Ether will be captured in large amounts inside the reactor before heading to the storage and preparation chambers, and it will erode the reactor from the inside.

Unrefined Ether is able to freely cause variants in space. Because it has no tendencies towards a certain direction, continual accumulation will begin interferences and erode the surroundings. Eventually, they will cause 'alterations' in each other.

When it reaches that stage, it will come to an end. It will devour the reactor, and the 'alterations' will reflux in the Leyline Reactor, expanding at high speed. The effects of erosion will continue to spread until it mixes with other space and its individuality is diluted.

Once, before the Divine States were oppressed, a Leyline Reactor in the Harmonic Divine States' RUS had overloaded and self-destructed. In the same way, eight years ago, directly after his inheritance of the name, Nobunaga of P.A. ODA destroyed all remnants of the Mlasi rebellion's military power with the overloading and eventual self-destruction of a Leyline Reactor. They hunted them down until they were gathered in Mount Hiei, where a temple was built, and they annihilated it.

In both of these incidents...

"Everything within a radius of a few kilometers was obliterated...If you start five of them, Mikawa, let alone Nagoya, will be destroyed!"

"That's why I'm saying, you've gotten old."

Tadakatsu told him, a smile on his face.

"There is no-one in Mikawa. Just the automatons and us. Because of this...Hell, I really want to see it. The destruction of Mikawa, caused not by that piece of junk during our time of service, but by the collapse of the Leyline due to the overloading of this new model of Leyline Reactors."

"----"

"Since you've come from Sakakibara's mansion, you were asking him, weren't you? About why we were doing this?"

"Sakakibara's disappeared...He was spirited away by the Princesses."

'Oh?', Tadakatsu said. He looked up at the shadows of the gods of war flying around in the sky.

"So, you haven't asked why. That's a shame...there were a lot of things I wanted to ask. A disappointment."

"Disappointment...?"

"I'm talking about myself, alright? I've just been following the orders of my lord. Ii and Sakakibara seemed to know something, but I don't really know anything, let alone what's happening. All that the Lord told me was that this..."

A breath.

"That this was the start of the Genesis Project."

<center>●</center>

'Didn't you realise?' Tadakatsu said.

"The Genesis Project is something P.A. ODA began. But, you know, don't you? That Mikawa is allied with P.A. ODA? And P.A. ODA won't release the details of the Genesis Project. Why? The answer is simple, isn't it?"

"--The Genesis Project was brought to P.A. ODA by Mikawa!?"

"You finally know one thing. Information that even I know, but at least it's something."

Indeed.

"The Lord hasn't yet made everything clear to P.A. ODA. Neither has he told us. The only thing we asked was: 'Can everything be saved by this?'"

In response to Tadakatsu's words, Sakai moved. He drew the dagger from his waste and took a step forward.

"Stop this now...or I'll bind you."

Tonbokiri's tip pierced the air before my eyes.

No. In terms of distance, there was still three meters between him and the blade and I. However, because Tadakatsu was aiming along the line that traversed the shortest distance between them, the blade felt close.

"...You haven't lost your intuition as much as you've lost what you know."

"And if I had?"

"Can't do anything but stab you, right? That's my job. 'Loyalty' and 'victory' make up Tadakatsu."

Even while speaking, the tip of his spear moved not an inch. If I move, I'll be pierced where I stand.

As he stayed there unmoving, the heartbeat rumbled, and the sounds of the ships and gods of war in the skies echoed.

Tadakatsu spoke, as if to further stack up the sound.

"Go, Sakai...I don't have the time to care about you. Now, I have to go intercept the land forces that K.P. Italia and Tres Espana will send, while they're unable to completely grasp the situation."

"You idiot, if the Leyline Reactors overload while you're doing that--"

"To be victorious in the name of my lord's wishes. Without asking his reasons. Merely abiding. This is what Tadakatsu means to me. So, Tadatsugu, how does your devotion take shape? Wasn't it 'loyalty' and 'to link to the next'?"

'Go,' Tadakatsu told him.

"This is no longer the place you belong. Just like how the place you are to go isn't the place we belong."

"...Sakakibara said that we'd always be together as the Four Heavenly Kings, you know?"

"Yeah."

Tadakatsu withdrew Tonbokiri.

"We will always be together in the past. And we are always heading into the past together."

Saying this, he snapped his fingers and turned his back to Kazuno.

Kazuno bowed to Sakai over Tadakatsu's shoulder and started to walk towards the center of Nagoya.

In the same way, Tadakatsu turned in that direction. However, he turned his head back.

"Now, I am going to become the past, together with my lord. Come too, eventually. And when you do, tell me what the hell the Genesis Project was. Also..."

He smiled.

"If the thing I am to do is the first step in order to save us from the Apocalypse, praise me then."

"Dacchan."

Sakai called out to Tadakatsu, who had already turned his back.

"What about your daughter!? There's a lot of other things too, you know!? What are you going to do about--"

His words stopped there.

...The shaking was...

The heartbeat had turned to quaking.

Simultaneously. As if the sky had lost its support, everything was pushed down.

"...!?"

Directly after. Mikawa cracked apart.

The overloading of the Leyline Reactor interfered with the Leyline running through the crust and space, and space split open like a blood vessel bursting.

Sound shattered, the atmosphere fell, the ground was torn off.

"--!?"

The collapse had started.

<center>●</center>

On the second ship on Musashi's starboard, Tama, murmurs were starting to rise at the bow. These murmurs were the first stage of an uproar.

The reason for the crowd's voices being brought forth was the inferno burning in the eastern mountains, and...

"Mikawa is..."

From the ship, Mikawa was in a direction where it could not be seen because of the mountains. In the same direction, the skies beyond the mountain were lit up by light shining from the ground. It resonated with the sound that could be likened to a heartbeat.

The air swayed. Not wind, but a swaying that came and went. The swaying of air maintained constant pressure, reaching the ships from Mikawa.

Following the rumour of fireworks, a crowd was gathered on the deck of the surface layer. Stalls had been set up along the length of the crowd, and the lights had come on. However, it was still dim, and within that dimness, the people watched the flames and the light shining from Mikawa.

In the midst of them was Masazumi, dressed in her school uniform. Masazumi was looking in the direction of Mikawa.

"This is..."

The moment she wondered whether President Sakai had returned.

"--Masazumi-sama."

Masazumi turned back to face the woman whose voice had called out to her from behind. She caught a white-haired automaton at the tip of her vision, P-01s. A thick book clutched under her arm, she was hiding black algae creatures behind her feet.

"It has been a while. I did not really understand what fireworks were, so I read the book that you gave me. I have finally finished reading it. To speak bluntly, P-01s has done well."

Masazumi listened to her quiet voice as they stood within the murmurs that ran back and forth through the crowd. However, P-01s' words stopped there.

Masazumi felt lost at the break in the conversation, but after a while, she noticed why.

"Ah, yeah, you did well. I can't believe you read the whole thing."

"Jud, I am honoured to receive your compliments. This book was extremely informative concerning the response patterns of the people acting as politicians and leaders. It seems that the greater the person, the more they suddenly in agony, or by drowning, or in fits of anger, but it seems that the recent trend is to take responsibility by committing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppuku harakiri].

''What on Earth was she interested in when she was reading,'' Masazumi thought. Despite this, she let it alone.

...Maybe the fact that she wants to know about humans' behavioral patterns, is because of ''that''.

As an automaton who doesn't know where she comes from, what does she want to think of herself as? Isn't she looking at humans' judgements from books in order to learn from them? Masazumi thought.

Where had P-01s come from this time? She had brought a few black algae creatures with her, but because of the darkness, they didn't stand out.

"Worked hard　・　Did well."

Crouching down to look at the black algae creatures, who were saying things like that, she showed them a lightly clenched fist.

"Jud, there is a proverb about this. Persistence is a form of strength. No matter the difficulty, it is possible to overcome it."

''Was the book that difficult to read?'' Masazumi thought, but for now, there was something that she was able to judge.

...The light shining into the skies wasn't that of fireworks.

Something is happening. It's probably possible to watch from here, but we'd eventually be unable to move around. After all, even now there are people coming up from below, and the density of the crowd is increasing. Therefore...

"I'm thinking about moving away from here, but what will you do, P-01s?"

"Are there no fireworks?"

"Probably not."

"A shame　・　Regret"

'Jud.,' P-01s nodded down at her feet. Looking up slightly, she thought about it for a moment.

"Where are you going?

"Where?"

<nowiki>'</nowiki>Somehow it seems like I'm gradually being excluded from the conversation,''<nowiki>'</nowiki> Masazumi thought.

"Well, first of all, let's leave this place...There's a monitor at the Blue Thunder, right? I don't know if the shopkeeper's there, but if she is, I think she'll know a lot about it."

'Jud.', P-01s nodded. Pushing her forward once, Masazumi started to walk. Her footsteps were a little hurried, but the automaton was walking at her own pace. So, she thrust her body outward, moving through the crowd of people, in which there were still gaps, and creating a path for P-01s. Having done this, the black algae creatures said this.

"Going first"

They hid themselves in a nearby gutter. P-01s waved and saw them off.

Right now, the paces of those around them were slow and perplexed.

However, there was a doubt in Masazumi's heart, a vague suspicion that came close to impatience. The suspicion was this.

...This couldn't be the Leyline Reactors in New Nagoya Castle overloading, could it...?

There were four basic models and one unified model. If the Leyline is drawn in and explodes because of the overload...

...In the reactor core explosion that had happened in Russia, just one had annihilated tens of kilometers.

The events surrounding the overloading in Russia are unknown. In any case, everything, let alone evidence, had disappeared.

But having used that explosion as a basis, the countries of the Tsirch Testament no longer had any Leyline Reactors.

The fact that Mikawa was allowed to have them meant, for the countries of the Tsirch Testament, that they would be borrowing this forbidden power from Mikawa. Because of this, they became debtors in exchange for the ability to mass produce goods that had undergone Ether treatment through the output of the reactors.

The output of the modern Leyline Reactors had been heightened, and the area of the Leyline it affected was also bigger.

''If several of them overloaded...''

Masazumi did not say those words, but she said this instead.

"...Let's hurry to a place where we can ascertain the truth."

The moment she said it. Suddenly, a light came from behind her.

"!?"

Turning to face the voices of surprise from the crowd, she saw that the light shining from the ground of Mikawa was stronger. It looked like moonlight, but it was clearly some luminescent phenomenon.

"Are those fireworks?"

'No'.

That word wouldn't leave her mouth.

A sound came. The sound of the entirety of space screaming, as if the atmosphere itself had a voice.

The next instant, the thunder of Mikawa cracking apart made the world quake for the space of a heartbeat.

<center>●</center>

In the midst of the night, Mikawa started to split apart.

Only one place hadn't split apart. It was the black rectangle in the heart of Mikawa, New Nagoya Castle.

Of the rectangle that made up New Nagoya Castle, the area around three of the corners, the southwest corner excluded, was shining brightly.

The light erupted outwards from the three points on the castle. The castle at its center, the surface of Mikawa burst out over an area ten kilometers in diameter, bringing light into being. It was a movement that brought the pulsing to the surface, like capillaries popping up.

The vast amounts of light ran across the surface in an instant, and leaping into the air, it gave rise to a mist and forest of beams of light.

It climbed.

The three gods of war that flew through the nighttime skies stalled as soon as they came into contact with the mist of light that formed a half-sphere in the skies above Mikawa and the clumped up beams of light that was shaken by the heartbeat.

Gods of war are armored warriors that move using artificial joints and the Drive system. It is piloted, so upon insertion, the armor disaggregates the pilot into information, and it moves through the streaming of information into the machine's Drive-management systems and nerves. By doing this, the pilots can handle the machine body as if it were their own.

However, the altitude of the three machines dropped suddenly. Panicking, they flipped their armored selves over, taking control of their posture.

"...My energy output's suddenly been consumed! The unification has been canceled!"

In a panic, the three machines beat at the wind with their wings, straitening themselves. They had opened up Divine Communications to each other.

"--When you touch the light, your energy output is drained...! This is because of the core of the light, New Nagoya Castle's Leyline Reactor! The Leyline Reactors are sucking up ether from the Leyline without any limits!"

"If that's true, does that mean that this light isn't being emitted from the Leyline Reactor but being absorbed by it, and is converging there...!?"

"That...Isn't that the representative pattern for the collapse due to the overloading of an Leyline Reactor...!?"

Currently, the Ether running through the Leyline around Mikawa was streaming towards New Nagoya Castle. As such, the assembled Leylines were shining, expanding and splitting the earth.

The three machines fled, flapping away from the expanding light.

"The protective layer of molla benzina and vestido made for aerial usage are thin, so they are more easily interfered with by the Leyline! --HQ, in this situation, we cannot go in. Please review our orders."

"This is Base1, head towards the god of war squadron, Gran Muneca. Currently, it is proposed that the god of war squadron takes point for the batallion responsible for the destruction of the Leyline Reactors. Do the field operatives have any suggestions?"

"If we're going in, then we'd like to be fitted with equipment buffered against the Leyline, but we don't have time to exchange parts. Just prepare the weaponry and upper layers of armor able to cover our entire body. Equipment that's able to destroy New Nagoya Castle is--"

"Because it's impossible to completely destroy New Nagoya Castle's Leyline Reactors with god of war class armaments, the probability of an explosion of the accumulated Ether has been identified.

To release the Ether accumulated in New Nagoya Castle's Leyline Reactors, we have judged that we need to completely and instantaneously destroy the reactor or interrupt the purification process by setting a large number of explosives."

"Gods of war are unsuitable for both, huh. Please prepare weaponry to clear the path of the infiltration team. Since the air superiority guns we are currently equipped with are specialised for long-distance battles and have as such very low tracking capability in close ranges, we're unable to respond appropriately to the mid or close range battles that dominate street battles. Also, blade-type close range weaponry and equipment to move through buildings is necessary. You're able to arm us so that we can get through the walls of New Nagoya Castle, right?"

'Tes.' The answer came over the Divine Communication.

"We will do as you request. In the current situation, as regards the interference from the Leyline..."

'Cover the upper plates of the anti-Leyline interference armor with kinetic dynamos. We'll deal with it by raising the isolationist properties of the armor's mobile state. Because the power output has lowered, we are unable to perform anything but anti-surface combat, but safety is confirmed. We should be able to fully fulfill our roles as long as we're just acting as the vanguard and assault support. We're changing our upper plates and rearming, so we'll finish that up and meet up."

"Tes, then, A1 and A2 will act as the vanguard and assault support. a3 is armed for information warfare, so please stay above the Ether light and collect information while supporting from that location."

"--Tes! Come, A2! The faster we are, the longer our turn will be! a3, circle around up here! Since you're a newlywed, a place at the top of the world is just right!"

"Being in a place where he'll die if he falls is a married man's life, isn't it?"

'Haha.'

The sound of laughter echoed through the Divine Communication, and two gods of the war flew to the west.

The person on the Divine Communication from headquarters took a breath.

"--Attention, all units. 2036, the objective of the Tres Espana battalion stationed in Mikawa is the stopping of the Leyline Reactor in Mikawa's New Nagoya Castle. After the god of war squadron has secured the way forward, the battalion, centered around the assault team, will infiltrate New Nagoya Castle. They will then destroy a single Leyline Reactor and use the ensuing leakage of Ether in order to forcefully dissipate the accumulation of Ether, which is reaching levels of overload. In this way, they will stop the overload. Furthermore, this is something that has not been recorded in history recreation, but--we judge that this is the most dangerous incident of the Tres Espana battalion stationed in Mikawa. Everyone, please obey the contents of the communiques coming from your superior's Divine Communication."

And...

"Tes!"

As if to respond to the nods through the Divine Communication, a movement from the west was born.

Two of Tres Espana's escorts ships approached the stable stretch of land and air that ran along the waterway in the west of Mikawa.

"Assault team B, team C, disembark onto the stable ground--"

However, before the Divine Communication could receive confirmation, the two ships suddenly received a response from Mikawa.

The leading ship took cannon fire to its port, and it sunk instantly.

That which had fired the cannon that had pierced the hull was a single automaton, standing above the rooftops of the village, which quaked as it split and collapsed while light shone from it.

The information officer of the ship that had been sunk confirmed the identify of the automaton of unknown model, who carried a long shadow which seemed like an anti-cruiser cannon, as 'Kazuno'. He sent this information to all his comrades, including those that had evacuated the ship right before it impacted the ground.

After a few minutes, the two gods of war that had secured their equipment at the headquarters came hurrying from the western skies. In order to check the safety of the trailing ship and the assault team members, the two machines entered the battleground of the automaton platoon that Kazuno commanded.

They moved out.

The battle between the collapse of Mikawa due to the Leyline Reactor, Tres Espana, who was attempting to stop it from happening, and Mikawa's automatons, who were hindering Tres Espana, had opened.

However, there was a question going through Tres Espana's Divine Communications. The question was this.

"Why are they doing this?"

They were screaming.

"This overloading of the Leyline Reactor, which will most likely annihilate Mikawa...why are they doing this!?"

==Translator Notes==
<references group="1Q" /> "

{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 15|Chapter 15]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 17|Chapter 17]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 15

2013-10-14T08:28:50Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 15: Gathered Friends in the Confined Room */

==Chapter 15: Gathered Friends in the Confined Room==
[[File:Horizon1A 361.jpg|thumb]]
''Idiots are not cured even if they die.''

''If even the flux of life, death, and rebirth cannot match them.''

''Which part of contradiction is that.''

'''Point Allocation (Human Nature)'''

<center>●</center>

"We have arrived at the library."

The three figures nodded in response to those words. They had been following Asama through the dark corridors of the Academy.

One of the figures, Naomasa was shouldering a meter and a half long wrench used to maintain the interior of the ship. She had a bored look on her face.

"How is it, Asama-chi? We don't have spirit vision, so unless somethin' really massive appears, we won't be able to see it."

Adele, who had stuck an exorcism charm to the Support Knight's spear normally used for practice, also spoke, her voice half a sigh.

"I know, right...? It'd be nice if there were like rapping noises or something else that's easy to understand..."

The final person, who had started to turn her head left and right after hearing the words 'rapping noises', was Suzu. She shuffled backwards a step, the chip under her shoes clicking on the floor.

"..no, that's, wa, I-I, scared, sound...no..."

"It's alright, there is nothing here. Konoha doesn't see anything strange either."

Asama pointed at her green eye as she spoke, and both Adele and Suzu's shoulders sagged with relief. The two drew a breath, but...

"But well, there's something over there."

Asama suddenly nocked her bow and sent an arrow flying down the corridor. After a second...

"Alright."

Asama nodded. Naomasa stayed indifferent and silent, but Adele was panicked and Suzu trembling.

"W-What? What is it? What's going on!?"

"Ah, please don't worry about it...It'll be fine if you stay with me, alright?"

"How am I supposed to calm down!"

Adele's scream echoed through the hallway.

The word 'down' rang through the hallway, echoing back to them.

Hearing this, Naomasa spoke.

"If you shout so much, they'll come to us. Even if they're nice and quiet at noon, they start movin' around at night."

"N-Nao-san...y-you're, quite, knowledgeable about this, a-aren't you?"

"That's 'cause I head to Asama-chi's place to play quite a lot. Since you're a Support Knight, you should've brought your mobile shell. You still can't wear the mobile shell that you inherited from your father? All I ever see is the one that you use for practice, never the real thing."

"Ah, I've finally become able to wear it~ But it's somehow seriously heavy...it still doesn't really feel like I'll be able to make my debut with it yet."

'I'd like to see it,' Naoamasa said, nodding with interest. Yet once again, she looked around at everyone and spoke.

"...But well, just like in the afternoon, we got ditched by Kimi and now we're stuck."

The three answered those words with dry laughter.

"Well, if you include that, tonight's the 'Ghost Hunt', huh. Asama-chi's just been shooting all day like it's some sort of stress relief."

"Mmm, I wonder. The small ones don't put up a fight."

'But still,' Asama said.

"Tomorrow morning, let's invite everyone to come and intrude. After that, there'll be the confession until we see them off and go home."

"What'll you do after you get home?"

'Who knows?' Asama turned her back to them. Her gaze rested on the sliding door to the library.

"Well, let's talk about his antics after this and see whether we can view them in some sort of positive light. Also, I want to hear the details about what happened during Suzu-san's entrance ceremony."

Asama turned towards the library's sliding door. As she did, Suzu spoke.

"Ah, um, wa-wait, i-if there's r-really one there, w-what're we g-going to do? U-um, g-ghosts, and, l-libraries, i-it happens a lot, in, s-stories. Ms. Oriotorai s-said, that, t-the library..."

"It's alright. I've reflected on my failure the previous year and practiced exterminating monsters. And you saw, right? This year, Toori-kun went with the patrolling class, so the gold bodysuit incident that happened last year isn't happening again. In short..."

Asama smiled at Suzu. Her lips, curved into a smile, gave colour to her words.

"The chance of nothing happening is high. Even if something does happen, I will be able to deal with it without problems. In conclusion, I'll be able to handle it no matter what. So, please be at ease."

Having said this, once again, Asama turned to the library, which had a shrine raised above its entrance.

She put her hands together and bowed once to the shrine above the sliding door. Clapping twice...

"Now then."

Asama opened the door with a smile.

Inside the library stood two two-legged white clumps.

<center>●</center>

The two clumps 10 meters in front of Asama seemed to be made out of white cloth.

On the surfaces of both of of the clumps, there were pictures printed of the beautiful girl in 'Magical (Celtic) Girl Banzok', which had been recently released in Musashi. Asama knew this character. According to Asama's knowledge, Banzok said things like...

...'Yes, I will immediately flay the skin off my enemies' heads. I love live sacrifices too.' And that was the extent of her knowledge. However, the difference in size between the two bodies was large. One was thin, the other was broad. In terms of size...

...one was about the size of a hugging pillow, and the other was around the size of a bedsheet...

And both of them had feet clad in white tights stretching from the bottom.

The two of them wriggled around as they faced each other, breathing heavily. However...

"... ..."

They looked Asama's way.

There were two black holes opened in the cloth, around where their eyes would be. Apparently because it had been opened in a hurry, the holes were pierced through the cheek of the beautiful girl printed on the cloth. But then again, Asama didn't understand the sense of worth.

Still uncomprehending, she stayed completely still, and it was her opponents who started to change.

The slender one. The one whose contents were tight, if one had to pick from the two of them. From its nose...

"--Nn."

Something crimson dyed the cloth from the inside. It happened with great force, such that the white cloth vibrated even as it turned red. Seeing this, the bedsheet next to him spoke out of worry with the soft voice of a man.

"Are you alright!? Are you alright!?"

"Nn, I'm fine, I'm fine Koni-tan...the iron just came out a bit..."

Asama ignored him.

...Yes, I can't hear anything. Can't hear anything. Noooope, caaaan't hear anything.

The white sheet and the sheet dyed half red looked her way.

Both of them ran straight towards her, their bodies tucked inside. They were shouting this:

"A new sense of worth...!"

Uncaring of their voices, Asama hammered in a shot.

<center>●</center>

A sound that could be nothing other than that of an explosion rang out from the southern side of the building at the front of the courtyard.

By to the buildings towards the back, a row of people were walking down the first floor corridor on the starboard side. A majority of them were first years. Hearing the sound, they stopped.

"Toori, what did you set up? Does it have to do with money? Or are you going to die?"

"Hey, c'mon Shiro, don't just suspect me all the time. I didn't do anything."

"Is that so? Really? Absolutely? Want to put some money down on that?"

"What!? What's with you!? Are you doubting me agaaaain!?"

Toori thumped the floor with a textbook he had pulled out of nowhere and pointed at Shirojiro with the hand holding it.

"It's aaalwaaays, aaaaalways me!! Isn't that stupid!? Really, you just have the bad habit of suspecting other people all the time, huh! Like before, right after I stole some food from your lunchbox, you thought it was me right after! I was seriously sad! Suspect other people for once!"

"...Right, I knew I was correct. But this brain of yours can't be fixed with even ''money''! Is it truly impossible!?"

Heidi came between the two. She looked to Azuma, who was standing behind them, bemused.

"Guys, Azuma-kun's just transferred here and he can't keep up, so let's go back to what we were originally talking about, alright?"

'Can't be helped,' Shirojiro said, looking at Toori. He spoke again.

"What did you set up? It's something that's going to be concluded with money, isn't it!? If it doesn't end there, I'm going to have to make you sit below the waterfall in front of the Academy and charge a viewing fee, got it!?"

"You really love money, huh. But seriously, I didn't set anything up! Do you think that I had the time for that today!? I spent the majority of the day mashing the 'next sentence' button on the signframe of my eroge, alright!?"

"That half-day you wasted on 2D girls is a half-day that someone desperately desires!"

Heidi tapped Shirojiro on the shoulder. After he turned, she whispered this to him.

"Shhh, don't get carried away, Shiro-kun. If you do that you'll get pulled into his pace."

"Yeah, I was nearly reeled in. I've got to be careful or I'll end up wasting money."

"H-Hey, don't go off and have a battle plan over there! You guys just have the most horrible atmosphere."

Just for a moment, Shirojiro looked at the ceiling of the corridor and the dust falling from the vibrations.

"You...really didn't do anything, did you."

"Of course! I didn't do anything!...I just asked someone to do it for me!"

"Whoooooooo!?"

Shirojiro turned, his eyes half-closed. Standing half a head taller than Toori, he made to tower over him.

"Listen closely. Who did you ask? It's someone that will be alright with money, right? Not somebody honest, right? That's the thing that's going to hang around the longest. What're you going to do if something happens? Die?"

"Shiro, if you tell me all that all at once, I'm not going to understand a thing. What should I do?"

"Just talking about the outcome...you pay and then die."

"Whaaat--!? Why's the ball rolling in such an unexpected direction!?"

As he was talking, the sound of another explosion resounded from afar. Hearing this, Azuma frowned.

"You really asked them to do a lot..."

"My room's below, right? I'm thinking it won't be damaged, but it might be."

'Yeah,' Azuma nodded at the shaking vibrations.

"Ah, but, Poqou-san's probably going to get angry. She'll probably ask what we were doing."

The moment he spoke. The school shook as a massive roar sounded out from the floor directly above them. There was even the sound of glass breaking.

Also audible amongst this was Knight's voice.

"Wahaaa--!!"

It was a voice that could have been a scream of either joy or terror. Hearing this, Shirojiro looked up at the ceiling again.

"...Just like I thought, on this, money's going to be spent."

"Wow, it's awesome how your sentence structure was totally flipped! Ah, I'll do it too! Your sentence structure, it's awesome, in other words, I--!"

"Yes, yes, yes. Anyway, shouldn't we go take a look? It seems like it might get pretty dangerous..."

Heidi said. Azuma drew a step back from her. He pointed at the ceiling, which was shaking again from vibrations.

"...Eh? We're going? ...W-We'll die, won't we?"

Hearing those words, the two merchants cast their eyes downwards. Despite this, Toori flashed an idiotic, brilliant smile.

"Well then, leave this place to me and you guys head there! I won't let anyone through! H-Hey, c'mon, the atmosphere's getting really heavy! Super heavy! If I don't support the air, this atmosphere'll really get bad...!"

"Shut up."

The two merchants hooked their elbows on Toori's throat, coming from the left and right. Doing this, they dragged him off.

Toori kicked and screamed as he was dragged off.

"Eh!? Ah, hey, y-you guys, you can't treat people like this! Be more gentle, like a mother's touch! Like I said, heyheyhey, why’re you drawing targets and points on my back, Oge-chan! Don't raise the points even more!...No wait, my face shouldn't be a hundred points, it should be the committee head! Ah, I'm the chancellor!!"

As that voice got further and further away, Azuma stood there, left behind.

"Um...I'm..."

"Azuma, there should still be people retaining their sanity, so for now, once you walk around the places where nothing stupid is happening and meet up, please evacuate to the courtyard. I can't pay you, so please do this voluntarily."

Shirojiro's voice, mixed with a sigh, continued to echo about.

'Seriously,' Saying this, he continued.

"--Why is it that my friends are my biggest embarrassment?"

<center>●</center>

A single man stood within the pale and fleeting light.

Clutching documents in his arms, the man was Sakai.

His breath ragged, he was standing in a corridor lit up by lamps.

"Sakakibara..."

It was inside his colleague's home.

The maid-type automaton that had followed him here was behind him.

"Jud, that is my master's study."

On the other side of the sliding screen, which had been left open, there existed the space called a study.

It was a room floored with six tatami mats. Further inside, there was a paper sliding window, half opened in order to look upon the garden.

Just in front of him, there were bookcases containing texts to his left and right. With two on the right and one on the left, there was alcove to the left where a bookcase had not been placed, but it had been buried with boxes containing brush cases and paper.

There was a writing desk in the middle of the room.

On the side of the writing desk facing Sakai, there was a futon made for sitting.

If you sat on the futon, you could work while looking at the lantern-lit garden. That was how the study was laid out.

However, its owner was not there. In his place...

"The Emblem of Two Boundaries..."

On the space from the desk to the floor, a large crimson-black design had been drawn. It was facing the window, shallowly reaching the paper window, and wrote letters on the plaster of the wall. The words marked there were, as Sakai read...

"'What are you doing'..."

There were letters in the room.

But not Sakakibara.

No...

...he disappeared somewhere.

He had noticed this when he took the documents from the automaton.

The automaton said this: 'Jud, ''before he went to work, I received an instruction'' to take what was lying on his table and bring it to you afterward, so I fulfilled it.'

That meant it wasn't an instruction given after he finished his work.

Furthermore, the papers that had been lying on his writing desk were now in his hands, but...

"They're blank..."

There was no way Sakakibara would hand over a bundle of blank papers. However, the fact that the automatons brought it meant that he had finished his work. Regarding this, the automaton spoke.

"--My master was not here, so I judged that he had finished his work. I was considering whether or not to start cleaning this room..."

Sakakibara was nowhere to be found.

On the writing desk was Japanese paper, laid atop black cloth, and an inkstone sprinkled with nothing but water.

It was as if he stood up from his seat just as he was about to rub it with ink.

Sakai walked a step into the room, checking for signs of Sakakibara.

Doing this, he noticed something strange. Water was jumping from the inkstone.

...This...

Was he repelling the water with ink? No, Sakakibara's the type to be anal with writing. He would be strict with the usage of the tools. He shouldn't use them in a disorderly fashion.

'Then...'

Taking his second step into the room, Sakai saw it.

The black cloth as well as the Japanese paper, held down by a paperweight, on the table. There was a crease in the paper.

The signs of a water stain on paper, which had then dried.

The remains showed that the handwriting was like a brush being dragged across the paper, writing something.

Two things.

One of them was...

"The Emblem of Two Boundaries..."

The second one was a word. It was a word that Sakai knew. It was...

"--Chase."

The mumbled word ended there.

As if reaffirming what his next step was, Sakai looked at the bundle of papers he was clutching to his chest.

The bundle of papers on which nothing was written.

However, on the paper on the top of the bundle, there were slender creases. Water stains.

It was something that Sakakibara had marked before writing on the paper that he had held down with a paperweight. Something that lay on top of the stack of papers.

Written there was this.

"'The Genesis Project'...!?"

The words that seemed to have been written in advance, the meaning of the symbol, the words that came next...Sakai lined them up and muttered them.

"The Genesis Project, the Princess...Chase."

I know that he's telling me to chase the Princess. However...

...The Genesis Project is...P.A. ODA's countermeasure against the Apocalypse, right? Why would he...

I don't understand. These things before me...whether or not Sakakibara noticed that he would disappear, the contents of the water stains he hurriedly left with his brush, the fact that he himself disappeared...I don't understand any of it.

...What does this mean!?

Everyone has heard about the Phenomena of spiriting away. However, if my colleagues have all been subjected to it recently, then we're talking about something else entirely. Even as it happens before my eyes, I keep thinking that I can't believe it.

<nowiki>'</nowiki>''Ahh...''<nowiki>'</nowiki> Sakai thought.

He wished that Sakakibara would come from behind him and say that everything was just a joke.

"Yet...when Ii disappeared, did you think that as well?"

That which he asked, the paper with water stains, was beginning to dry, and the creases were beginning to fade.

To disappear.

At this fact, Sakai felt the needlessness in staying any longer.

The instant he tried to take one step back.

He could hear a sound. A sound which came from beyond the opened window in front of him.

A low rumble which sounded like distant thunder.

A sound which spoke of an explosion.
<noinclude>

{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 14|Chapter 14]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 16|Chapter 16]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 14

2013-10-14T08:19:21Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 14: Covert Operatives Under the Night Sky */

==Chapter 14: Covert Operatives Under the Night Sky==
[[File:Horizon1A 339.jpg|thumb]]
''How is the darkness of temptation.''

''Which makes the night fun.''

''Seducing you.''

'''Point Allocation (Night Games)'''

<center>●</center>

There existed light in the depths of darkness.

The light accumulated like particles, each one of them the light of a building or house.

The group of lights formed the shape of a city, which looked out to a bay.

However, the light was scarce.

Furthermore, a gigantic rectangular darkness existed in the middle of the city. The darkness that consumed over half the city extended outwards like a spiderweb, the roads and waterways filled with darkness going every direction.

Even though its center was wrapped in darkness' embrace, several lights continued in various directions from the nighttime town. Those were the lights from the homes and villages in the outskirts that followed the main roads; in other words, the streets and mountain paths.

A voice took form at a place where all this could be seen: the northwestern surface of the mountain.

"Musashi is to the north while Tres Espana's Inquisition's ship as well as Regno Unito, the ship of the Pope-Chancellor-sama who came to await the new Logismoi Oplo, lie to our west. And to our south is Mikawa, which is making an offering to P.A. ODA."

The owner of the voice was standing atop a ridge. It was a young man on the roof of the watchhouse constructed there. He was wearing the uniform of the main Academy in Tres Espana, Alacalá de Henares. However, the uniform was modified for mountainous use. It was covered with a fabric without pores, meant to protect against the cold.

Sitting in a folding chair, he looked over Mikawa and the mountains leading there.

His hands, sticking out of the uniform, were holding a sniper rifle. From time to time, he would use his scope to look around.

There was a small noise. Something was tapping from within the collar of his uniform.

Without dropping his gaze to look at his collar, he looked at the ridge reaching from the town to the watchtower where he sat.

"-Well done, Gabriel-san."

He spoke, and a girl opened his collar and crawled out. About three heads tall, she had two wings.

She took a seat on the young man's shoulder.

"'''You have a call'''"

As soon as she said those words, the girl Gabriel took a trumpet from out of her wings. The trumpet shook.

"-B2T3, this is B1T3. Report your status."

"B1T3, this is B2T3 responding. Tes, there are no changes in the situation - I just have one complaint."

He responded.

A voice boomed out from the trumpet.

"The Gabriel you have is really good. My mouse is a symbol type, so its speech patterns are really businesslike."

"I'm not going to modify you, you're really good."

"Aren't you going to strengthen its functionality? The Catholics have started discounting functionality as a measure against the Protestants."

"It'll become big if I strengthen its functionality, though. It's nice when it's small. Yeah, the fact that it's small is really good."

"That's deep..."

The young man nodded. Atop his shoulder, Gabriel inclined her small head, tilting it to the side.

"'''Deep?'''"

"Yeah, it means that you're worth a lot."

Having heard that, Gabriel smiled after a while. B2T3 nodded.

"Man, damn this. I'll be doing this forever. When I'm done with this job, I'll turn on its false jamming so we can cuddle. Jealous, aren't you?"

"There's no way you're ever getting married. Also, don't raise strange death flags. If you're going to, then at least do it with a 3D person."

"Rest easy, we'll be able to head back home the day after, so we just have to sit tight. Well, disregarding the fact that the majority of classes other than the extracurricular ones you choose are canceled, night duty is tough."

Suddenly, the young man could hear a noise. A high-pitched noise. Along with the noise came a sound close to murmuring.

"Is that a disturbance in the Leyline? Did New Nagoya Castle's Leyline Reactor start up for work?"

"Down here, I've been able to pick it up for a while. Somehow, it seems like something outside the schedule we were given. A communique came in that said that the higher ups were going to ask New Nagoya Castle about it before reporting to headquarters."

B1T3 spoke from the other side of the Divine Communication.

"Rather than that, did you see the advance ship that switched places with us coming out of the dock? It seems like the girl that's rumored to be the next inheritor of the Honda name was riding on it."

"-Never cut anyone before."

"Are you talking about yourself?"

Having been asked about that, B2T3 gave an answer.

"I've shot someone. That was in a little skirmish we had with Hexagon Français. As for killing...only animals. Male students of Tres Espana always doing it during bullfighting lessons."

Gabriel's eyebrows crinkled and she stared into my face.

"'''...Sad?'''"

"Thanks for asking."

"Eh!? Are you talking to me!? Oh damn, how far back is the savepoint I'm going to have to load for this!?"

"Shut up, asshole. Don't disturb Gabriel and I. If you peek out from the watchhouse and smirk, It'd probably be my first time killing someone..."

"Hey now, don't stand up. I can see you from here."

Hearing those words, B2T3's body shook.

...Eh?

"'''What's wrong?'''"

"Nothing."

...I'm sitting down, though?

The instant that thought ran through his mind. Gabriel lightly tapped his cheek. Directly after. The trumpet shook.

'B2T3, this is B1T1."

A girl's voice rang out. B1T1 was, in short, the internal supervisor of the base of operations at the foot of the mountain B2T3 was on. Because this was an extra-curricular by choice, they weren't from the same class, but he recalled the face.

It shouldn't have been a girl.

"B2T3, this is B1T1."

Yet, the calls continued.

"-Is all well?"

<center>●</center>

B2T3 moved in response to the voice he had heard. He threw his sniper rifle to the floor and drew his knife out of the sheathe he kept under his uniform.

The sheathe was facing downwards, so when he released the clasp, the knife slid into his hand.

Gripping the knife, he ducked low and stepped to the left. He turned to face his back.

...Who was there?

B1T3 had said 'Don't stand up'. That meant that there was someone standing behind him.

...Was something there?

'That's strange.' The thought rose to his head. After all, I was watching the road coming from the base of the mountain. The base of operations at the foot of the mountain is detecting Ability-type stealth, so they should be checking for even the slightest reactions.

How did they bypass the surveillance and come all the way here?

If it's the type of stealth that blocks all sensory output like the one Musashi uses, they would be able to get up here, but I heard that it requires large scale machinery, so it's only possible because it's a ship. It shouldn't be something that can be adapted to personal use.

To find out why, I need information. And to let my comrades know what's happening...

"Gabriel, open up a different Divine Communication, emergency-"

"'''Error.'''"

Gabriel shook her head. She was close to tears.

"'''We cannot establish a connection.'''"

She was saying that she was unable to connect to Mouses, used for short distance communication, or established Divine Communication, used for long distance communication.

This loss of connectivity pointed to two facts.

The first was the suppression of the main base of operation's watchhouse. This was demonstrated by the sealing of the established Divine Communication, which relied on the base of operations for functionality.

The second concerned the users of the Mouses' Divine Communication. In short, his comrades were all unable to use Divine Communication.

...Which means...

Just a moment ago, B1T3 saw a figure standing on this roof. If that is true, the chance that the watchhouse whose roof I'm standing on has been suppressed as well.

<nowiki>'</nowiki>''I'm in danger.''<nowiki>'</nowiki>

Thinking this, B2T3 brought the hand gripping the knife out of his uniform, readying himself.

It was nighttime. His vision had not been given a night vision blessing. The night vision Ability he ''did'' have was used for the scope.

Because of this, B2T3 did not use the center of his vision but his peripheral vision to confirm his surroundings. The edge of the retina is more able to different things in the dark than the middle.

However...

...No one's here?

No one was on the roof.

...What does this mean?

There was a problem. However, he could see no-one. Was this all a misunderstanding?

...No.

Even now, Gabriel was shaking atop his shoulder. That meant that her ability to carry out Divine Communication was being interrupted, leaving her unable to do anything.

B2T3 looked at Gabriel.

...Then...!

He thought, and his next movements showed no hesitation.

Carrying Gabriel, he dropped to the floor.

Lying there, he searched his chest.

Gripped in his hand was a signal flare concealed in his chest. If thrown into the sky, it would flash into light, taking a few seconds to shower down. The light intensity was high, and his comrades at the continental port should notice it as well. Therefore, B2T3 reared up, still clutching Gabriel. Standing on the edge of the roof, he tried to throw the flare above him.

"--!?"

B2T3 saw a figure under him. Not on the floor or the air, but on the wall of the watchhouse.

On the surface of the wall, close to the edge of the roof, a figure stood horizontally.

...A woman!?

The instant he thought this.

Her body not moving, the woman rose up to him with movements like a mannequin's.

"--Fuck."

B2T3 toppled back, trying to throw the flare while keeping Gabriel behind his head.

However, the opposition's movements were faster and stronger.

The woman, clad in the black and white of a serving maid, stretched out her arms, wrapping them around his neck.

He was being embraced from the front.

Clung to in that manner, his body was being pulled off the edge of the roof.

"...!"

Once again, the woman stood on the wall. She had let her body fall backwards, into the empty air.

Since his neck was being gripped, he was being pulled forward and downward. As such, he lost his balance.

"...!!"

He let the knife in his hand swing wide. It was a forced reversal, meant to sever the hold.

However, his hand felt nothing but the clank of metal. Both the sound and touch was hard. The knife had bounced back.

...What!?

Though she didn't seem to be wearing any protection, the knife had, for some reason, not worked.

'Why?'

The instant he thought this.

B2T3's body had been drawn all the way forward, and he realised that he was floating in the air.

From a neck hold, he was drawn into a front suplex throw.

Because he had reflexively tried to resist, his body spun in a half-circle. As a result, his head was now facing downwards.

As he fell through the sky, having been thrown out, B2T3 heard a sound. This sound was a voice.

It said this.

"This is the operative in charge of B2T3. I judge that I have reached a satisfying conclusion."

He looked at the owner of the voice he could hear. The figure in the corner of his vision, who was standing on a wall. It was...

"A Mikawa automaton...!?"

For security use, it was one of those he had seen so many times in the village.

But his shout screamed a question at the fact he had just confirmed.

...Why!?

Two questions filled his mind.

The first question was why the automatons were suppressing the surveillance on Mikawa.

The second question was why the automatons, who expended Ether to move, had come here without being detected by the base of operations below.

Yet, the prior 'why' was meaningless. After all, automatons exist to listen to their master's orders. Therefore, the fact that the automatons had come to suppress surveillance meant that...

...Mikawa's lord had started to rebel against the Testament Union.

The remaining puzzle, how they had slipped through the surveilance, was unknown. However...

"Gabriel! Bring them the information!"

In response to this shout, the angel at the back of his neck readied a camera.

B2T3 heard the click of a picture being taken. However, he heard another noise as well.

It was a voice. The voice of an automaton.

"My apologies. If you fall on your head, you will be injured."

Speaking to the falling B2T3, the automaton calmly leaped off the wall. The hem of her clothing fluttering, the automaton came to a position to the right of him.

"-I will now turn your body so it is horizontal. Your safety is assured."

The automaton kicked the wall. The doll's velocity increased as a result of the recoil from that action.

She let loose a kick.

"Pardon me for this discourtesy."

The next thing he heard was the sound of a kick jarring his bones.

<center>●</center>

"--So."

A young voice rang out on the bridge looking up towards the two moons.

The voice came from the bridge that led up to the entrance of the Academy. The bridge that displayed the sign of the Musashi Ariadust Academy.

Because it was night, the light stemmed from the lanterns on the bridge and in the courtyard. And within it, Shirojiro, the only one standing, addressed everyone else, who was sitting around him.

"Toori hasn't come yet, but without a doubt, he's wasting our money to prepare. Therefore, let's consider his feelings and tell some ghost stories before we go on our 'ghost hunt'...For free, of course."

"Shiro-kun, I'm not really sure if you're trying to get everyone fired up or speaking from a business point of view..."

Heidi said, frowning. Beside her, Asama raised her hand. Nodding to her, Shirojiro invited her to continue.

Asama nodded.

"Um...I'd like to talk about something, something I can only talk about here. It isn't a ghost story, but it's about the recent Phenomena that have been happening so often..."

Behind her, the Aoi sister thrust her hands into the air.

"Alright, it's time for Asama's super erotic storytiiiiime!"

"Ehhh!? Wha-, Kimi, what are you saying all by your...rather than that, don't suddenly sit up straight, you guys! Um, Kimi does this kind of thing all the time..."

"Well, I worship the God of eroticism after all. Specifically, Sada of the Goddess of performance, Uzume."

Asama was at a loss for words. On the other hand, the Aoi sister thumped Asama on the shoulder with a smile.

"Could it be there's a priestess here who refuse to do things their God orders?"

"Eh? No, nothing like that...I mean, that's one of the Goddesses of our shrine."

"Hehehe, that's stupid of you. I made my substitution contract at your place, after all. Back then, only women could be involved in rituals, so you came to help me out. We stripped together in the waterfall in the back and-"

"Oohhhwaaahh--!!"

Asama interrupted the Aoi sister with a loud scream. Afterward, she turned towards everyone, and hurriedly said this.

"W-We didn't do anything weird, alright? Alright!? B-Basically, rituals are kept a secret so talking about them is like divulging a God's personal information, or rather-"

"There were a lot of things we didn't know, so we used the tools in one hand with the manual in the other. We had to do it three times, I think."

"D-Don't call [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamagushi tamagushi] tools! We didn't even swing it up and down with one hand, the reason we failed twice was because you wrote weird fake names in the book! Wait, don't record this, guys!"

'Hurry up and notice that you're just being toyed with,' everyone muttered.

Shirojiro spoke.

"Aoi's sister, please don't play with Asama just because you don't like scary stories."

"Th-That's right, he's right, don't! Kimi's so cowardly that she fainted the moment she got into her chair when we sent to see a Noh horror play, and she's trying to hide it with those erotic stories!"

"Yeah. That's why I'm saying that you should sell me those stories. I'll pay five times the market price."

"Y-You're the worst!"

'Now, now...' Heidi interjected. Furthermore, she said this.

"Yes, yes, Asama-chii. Won't you continue your story? What do you mean by something that can only be said here?"

"Y-Yes, about that..."

Heidi glared at Aoi's sister, who was about to say something again, shutting her up.

Checking that everyone around had fallen silent, Asama slowly said this.

"The truth is...there's quite a lot of it."

Hearing those words, Aoi's sister started to push up her chest from below, a smile on her face. Once again, Heidi stilled her with a smiling glare.

"Ah, don't mind us. Think of us like we're just the background. Just like people watching a fighting game, you shouldn't care about us even if we're doing really outrageous stuff."

"Y-Yes. Well, actually...I want everyone to be careful."

"Of what?"

Asama nodded.

"Recently, amongst the Phenomena, the higher-ups in the shrine have started to regard the 'Princess Disappearances' as a danger."

<center>●</center>

Everyone fell silent at the words Asama had said, the "Princess Disappearances".

However, after a while, there was someone who spoke out.

It was Neshinbara.

"-Well, it's basically an urban legend from long ago, right? It seems like it's revived recently though. When we were small, the rumors of it happening in Musashi and Mikawa were going around as an urban legend. I did a little personal research on it for use as an idea, since I wanted to be an author."

Neshinbara was tapping on the keyboard of the armrest attached to his waist. He opened up several signframes in the air.

"When I looked it up, it really was something huge back then. In the library, there were books for children about it. A few books about 'the Lady Princess' were published around thirty years ago, though there were none about the 'Princess Disappearances.'"

"Neshinbara, can you explain this for free?"

Neshinbara nodded in response to Shirojiro's urging.

He reversed the view of a number of signframes, showing them to everyone.

"This should be easy to understand. The figure called The Lady Princess kidnaps children and leaves scrawls around town. Sources like the daily newspaper cite this as an actual example."

Neshinbara looked over them all before he turned a signframe to face them.

"Recently in the Far East...One year ago, in fact, an incident occured...Everyone knows about this, right? Honda-kun spoke about this. The reason Honda-kun came to Musashi was because her mother was involved in a 'Princess Disappearance'."

In the midst of the silent group, Kimi covered her ears with her hands and was saying: 'Aahhhhhh, ahhhhhhh'. In spite of this, Asama, who was sitting beside her, looked directly at Neshinbara and nodded deeply.

She summoned Hanami and displayed a signframe in the air.

"The 'Princess Disappearances' are different from the ordinary Phenomena, being spirited away. A normal spiriting away causes a disturbance in the Ether that makes up space. Because the people are just going behind the distortion, the people who disappeared haven't actually disappeared. If an Ability is used, you can track them down using the existence of that which used to belong to them, either the spirit or body."

"However, the victims of the 'Princess Disappearances'...have all disappeared, never to return. Their soul and body, their possessions...they all disappeared. It's like they came into contact with the destruction-type Ability that belong to Testament Sign or Technomagi."

'Yes,' Asama said.

"Also, the 'Princess Disappearances' started to occur around thirty years ago. And it seems like several incidents have happened this year. Because of this, this is being said in one part of the shrine: 'Couldn't the 'Princess Disappearances' be an organized chain of murders imitating incidents of spiriting away?'"

A breath.

Asama looked down, touching the tip of her thumb to her lips.

"Couldn't it be true that the 'Princess Disappearances' aren't Phenomena but a method of killing an organization uses because they fear being found out? And that this method of killing doesn't even leave behind a body, let alone the life of those they suspect?"

Now, Asama drew a diagram on the bridge with her finger. A circle with a line piercing it horizontally.

"This is the symbol that is always left behind at the scene of a 'Princess Disappearance'. I myself have seen it several times at the scene of what appears to be a spiriting away. It's always sealed off, and the search always cut off by the higher ups."

<center>●</center>

Hearing Asama's words, everyone grew silent.

However, within that silence, Kimi, who had been covering her ears, spoke with forced bravery as she tried to hide her trembling.

"...Tee...heehee, i-it's not like that's definitely the sign of a crime or anything. It could be that they were trying to make some erotic symbol when people came running, so they messed up, right? That must be it, right!?　Everyone loves erotic symbols! They love them!"

"There's no crime organization that'd try to draw that kind of mark after finishing their business!"

Hearing everyone berate her, Kimi covered her ears again. Asama spoke, her manner indicating her approval of the good timing.

"And so, well, that's starting to happen often. There's other things happening too, and the higher ups at the shrine recently issued the order that we weren't to speak about the Phenomena to anyone. That order was mostly directed towards the type of Phenomena that would fan the unrest in the world, but the 'Princess Disappearances' that we talked about earlier, with the symbol of the Princesses...those are definitely included in that statement."

Everyone nodded.

Despite this, from within the group, one hand rose up. It was Naomasa, who was sitting right next to Asama. She was propping up her left cheek with the prosthetic right arm that she had rested on her knee.

Her body was curled up like that of a cat's.

"I'm from China originally. When ya say 'Princess', yer talking about the girls born into the Chinese royal family, aren't ya?"

"Then, have you heard anything about these 'Princess Disappearances'?"

"In Kantou, the rumor comes up from time to time. Somethin' like...when Qing took control of China, the princess of Ming, who'd managed to run away, used Ability to kill those she had grudges against. Well, I thought that it was jus' a rumor, but..."

'People really were killed,' Naomasa said.

"What doesn't make sense to me is this. If you're talking about princesses, then these disappearances are happening even outside of Qing, right? Asama-chi?"

"It's happening most often in Mikawa and at the edge of Kyou, isn't it?"

"...Wow, we're all the way inside the area of effect, huh. Even if we take care, there's not really anything we can do...I mean, if there's a line of crimes that the organization or whatever it is is drawing, then I think that the magistrates and night watch will be following it. If it's a Phenomena, then it doesn't really discriminate between its victims..."

"Hehehe, that's right, it's useless! There's nothing we can do! You hit the nail on the head, Adele!"

Kimi suddenly stood up. She laughed delightedly.

"It's useless! Just like how no matter what an unpopular guy does, it's useless, no matter how much you think about how to deal with an urban legend, it's useless, it's all useless! Hehehe, you unpopular bastards! You! And you!"

"H-Hey, Kimi! Stop pointing at Tenzou and Ulquiaga! Pointing is a bad omen, so just say their names! Also, it's not like they like being unpopular! These are qualities they worked hard to earn, so there's nothing they can do! Stop digging it in!"

Ignoring the fact that Tenzou and Ulquiaga had fallen to the ground, starting to weep, Asama and Kimi continued to talk, their argument heating up.

Completely different from them, Ohiroshiki raised his hand.

"I humbly think that we should slowly think on this urban legend...in any case, I think that it has worked well as a ghost story, so, um, where is everyone else tonight? Like the little kids from the kindergarten here!"

"Cast away all desire that won't lead you to money. Anyway, as for the other people, Masazumi is going to see Mikawa's fireworks from Tama's stern, where she lives. Azuma's late because he's moving, Miriam Poqou can't come, and it's forbidden for Mitotsudaira to leave her house at night. Therefore...all that's left is Toori, who's setting up, but..."

The instant he said this.

"Okay! I'm late! Sorry, sorry!"

Suddenly, the front gate of the school building opened, and Toori stuck his face out from inside.

'Were you inside there!?'

Faced with those expressions, he gestured towards the darkness inside the school building, a smile on his face.

"Hurry up and get in! It's dark in here, and super fun!!"

<center>●</center>

Beneath the night sky, sitting on a bench under a building's eave was a single figure. Light shone out from the building behind him.

It was Sakai.

He was sitting in front of a small eatery, on a bamboo bench meant for a short respite.

Placing the teacup whose contents he had drained next to him, he puffed smoke out from the pipe he held in his mouth.

"The second moon also looks beautiful today. The Lord Teacher said that he'd prepared fireworks during his afternoon broadcast, but I don't even feel like adding any colour to the sake...All I've got going is a bad feeling."

Trying to check the time, Sakai peered inside the shop.

No-one was inside the tatami room or behind the counter of the fairly narrow shop.

Two automatons wearing aprons were standing in the kitchen, but apart from the sound of boiling water and the periodic washing of chopping boards, no sounds of cooking could be heard.

Sakai glanced at the mini Shinto shrine on the inner wall, which doubled as a clock. In front of the shrine affixed to the wall, a chicken Mouse, the spirit of the God of time, was wandering around with its chicks.

There were four chicks, so...

"...It's 8:00."

Sakakibara said that he would have the documents delivered at 8:30. The checkpoint above will close at 10:00, so I want to head to the entrance of the mountain path by 9:00. If I have the documents, I can bring them home and read them.

Sakai looked at the menu hanging on the wall.

"...You serve a lot of curry here. A kid back at our place, Hassan, really likes it, but you seem to enjoy it as well."

He said. The automatons in the kitchen looked his way and dipped their heads.

"Jud, we were made in Houjou."

"So you were made for the Indo-alliance. Well, do you have any recommendations for something to go with sake?"

"If that is your wish, then this minced curry is suitable. It is made from fresh ingredients just taken from Suruga."

"Um, it's fine if it isn't curry..."

Sakai said. As he spoke, someone tapped him from the back.

'Hm?'

Sakai turned around, and standing in the dark, nighttime street was an automaton dressed like a maid.

The automaton was carrying a bundle of paper in her arms. She offered them to Sakai without expression.

"Sakai-sama, this is for you."

"Ah, thanks. This is from Sakakibara?"

Sakai took it while rising from his chair. The automaton in the maid uniform nodded.

"Jud., before he went to work, I received an instruction to take what was lying on his table and bring it to you afterward, so I fulfilled it."

"In other words, he started up a new one. That's just like him..."

"Is that so?"

Sakai nodded. He recalled something from times long past.

"We called him the 'Manifesto'. He worshipped a God of compositions, after all, and he could write with some serious fervour. He could also organize information well. What happened this time was probably all stored neatly in his head, and he wrote it up specifically for my use..."

If Tadakatsu had forbidden him to speak of Ii, all he could do was stay in his house without bringing the materials concerning the 'Princess' outside.

...If so.

Sakakibara had spit out a summary onto paper and given it to Sakai.

Sakai flipped through the pages held in his arms. He had thought to look at it after returning to Musashi, but curiosity moved him. His heart saying 'just a little,' he flipped through the fairly thick Japanese paper with his finger.

"Has he already established that he has nothing to do with it? Or..."

...Has he resolved to drag me into it?

Sakai's words stopped there, as he flipped through the pages. This was because...

"...Blank pages!?"

Sakai stopped, unmoving at the sight of the stack of papers on which nothing was written.

"...Sakai-sama?"

In response to the maid's question, Sakai flipped through a few pages, confirming that they were completely blank.

"--It couldn't be."

Throwing those words to the floor, he started to move. Clutching the ''documents'' given to him under his right arm...

"What's going on!? No, could it be--"

...he broke into a run.

His destination was where the maid-type automaton had come from, Sakakibara's home.

The automaton that he left behind him raised her voice, but he didn't care.

Sakai sped from the the front of the shop into the darkness.

"Sakakibara...!"

Sucking in a breath, he thrust his body forwards, hurtling through the empty nighttime streets.

"What did you find out!?"

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 13|Chapter 13]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 15|Chapter 15]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 13

2013-10-14T07:41:39Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 13: The Authorities at the Rendezvous Point */

==Chapter 13: The Authorities at the Rendezvous Point==
[[File:Horizon1A 323.jpg|thumb]]
''Even if you are one with power.''

''What do you have to do.''

''To stand in a person's ground.''

'''Point Allocation (Overlooking)'''

<center>●</center>

The sky started to turn from the colour of afternoon to that of evening.

At this time, the sky's blue lightly loses its hue, becoming a colour not quite described by aquamarine or yellow.

Below that particular sky. There existed a town with a vast, flat surface at its center.

In the town, the wooden surface spread out as it hammered flat. Its four walls and surroundings all showed the following display: "NEW CASTLE of NAGOYA ATELIER on MATSUDAIRA."

New Nagoya Castle. The colossal workshop that occupied the majority of Mikawa's streets.

However, at every entrance to the workshop and every cargo loading door, automatons armed for security stood unmoving. Machines were everywhere.

Conversely, there were no people anywhere.

Between the workshop and town, there lay a moat. And on the other side of the moat, there were also automatons patrolling and cleaning the roads of the town, but the majority of the town was devoid of humans.　The entrances and shutters to the majority of the houses were closed.

And now, two figures were walking the streets, on which the long shadows of the houses lay.

It was Sakai and Sakakibara.

Sakakibara was walking ahead, but the one who did most of the talking was Sakai, who followed Sakakibara from behind.

"--So, in our Academy, it seems like there's people who took names. Like Naomasa, and there's Neshinbara, which you get if you take out one of the things in your name.<ref group="1N">榊原 (Sakakibara) as opposed to 神原 ([Ne]shinbara). The 木 is removed.</ref>
...Also, are we going to your new place? I never come this far, since I always finish my business at the checkpoint. This place's changed quite a lot too. The canal that everyone threw you in after you kept on complaining that it was hot that one summer was around here, wasn't it?"

"That canal was buried because of the construction of New Nagoya Castle, I took the initiative to take command of that particular project."

"Then, this was the place? Stop stepping all over my memories. You're a horrible man."

Sakai spoke. Uncaring of the fact that Sakakibara had hunched his shoulders up in anger and was walking quicker, he looked around the area while whistling.

His roaming gaze looked over the automatons that were maintaining the ground and the walls of the road. Every one of them was...

"...I thought they were simply cleaning, but this...the words of blood due to the Phenomena are pretty common, aren't they? Like things from beyond, the holes in the floor, those were caused by claws, weren't they?"

"Many things are coming out here, and not just things that had happened in past records. After this year got started, the frequency and type suddenly increased. One night, black figures lined up and marched around the town. We think that it was one type of night wandering. Carriages drawn by headless horses, things that cannot be seen, but whose footsteps can be heard...words of blood appearing on the wall and floor happens every day this year. That's why I don't go outside at night. It seems that Honda-kun does differently, though."

"Does Dacchan still like that kind of thing like he did before? -Well, how's the town's defenses?"

"The Atsuta Shrine's barrier is still effective when it comes to the houses. They need something on the level of a vital point, though."

'Isn't that for the use of a castle?' Sakai shrugged. In response, Sakakibara mirrored the movement.

"Well, the Atsuta style specialises in battle."

So he said before suddenly looking up to the sky.

The sky's colour had faded, becoming thin, and there was the outline of a ship in the western reaches.

Sakakibara said this concerning the rectangular black ship.

"...Immediately after the ship of the Pope-Chancellor, Tres España's ship has come. They most likely plan to switch places with Honda-kun's daughter's advance ship and land in the port. That's..."

"It's Tres España's Kraken class Inquisition cruiser. In essence, Tres España's special squadron, well versed even against monsters. They transport the Andamio de la Ejecución, able to perform Ether Decomposition on even earth dragon levels. By showing it off, they display the measure of their power. Though it may be in a territory where P.A. ODA's power extends, if there's any incident, they will act without mercy."

Outlined in black by the light shining behind it, the bottom of its stern carried a massive battle platform.

Seeing that, Sakai heaved a sigh.

"The user of the Logismoi Oplo should be riding inside that. That would be because Tres España's user of the Logismoi Oplo, one of the Eight Great Dragon Kings, Tachibana Muneshige was the vice-squadron leader of the the Inquisition squad. Maybe to escort the Pope-Chancellor? This is really bad...two of the Dragon Kings coming here? It's almost like this is a war-torn territory."

"Well, no continental ports bar like the one in the outskirts are currently in operation, so they won't be coming here. They've probably come here to hinder us while showing their forced loyalty to the Pope-Chancellor. Tres España, being the great power that it is, won't have any plans of giving K.P.A. Italia, who want to come back from the ashes, a new Logismoi Oplo, will they?"

'I see.'

So Sakai spoke. He looked at New Nagoya Castle, its flat shadow coming into view.

"Mikawa's this popular with every country, but needless to say, no countries can have any exchanges with Musashi, huh. With the clearing out of the populace and the many phenomena, there isn't anybody here - Is that really alright?"

"If I said that it was?"

"-I'd say: 'You can't be hiding something strange that you're doing, can you?"

A breath.

"Our students said this. It's true that the flow of goods from Mikawa is strange. "It seems like they're distributing mementos,' I think they said - What's going on with Mikawa right now? What are you thinking?"

Starting up his feet again, which had stopped at some point, Sakai asked. Sakakibara had stopped as well. Tapping him on the shoulder, Sakai hurried him to start walking.

"What's wrong with Ii? He was in charge of politics and innovation, wasn't he? I want to hear his response..."

"He was spirited away."

Suddenly yet softly, he said this.

"Do you know of the person who's said to have started this spiriting away...the 'Princess'?"

<center>●</center>

Beneath the sky where the sun was starting to set, Sakai and Sakakibara continued to walk. And as they did, Sakai asked Sakakibara a question in return.

"Ii's spiriting away...and the Princess?"

"Have you heard about it? It's an existence that started to be spoken of around thirty years ago. At that time, it spread around as an urban legend amongst the children, but more recently, it seems that it's been spreading around a little."

"Then or now, if it's among the children's generation, then it's way out of my jurisdiction."

Sakai smiled wryly while saying this.

"'Princess' refers to the daughter of the Chinese royal family...And if I know about the Princess Disappearances, then it follows that I'd know about it. Even recently, Musashi's Asama and Masazumi have been involved with it. When Masazumi transferred to Musashi, her mother had been a victim of a Princess Disappearance, and there's a mention of it amongst the phenomena Asama occasionally talks about."

"Jud., I see. Then, this will be quick."

With that, Sakakibara cleared his throat.

"Let me say one thing in advance. Now, Mikawa is extremely different from what it was when you were here."

Also...

"Please try to hunt down the Princess. For the sake of learning everything."

"The Princess...?"

"Jud. I'm talking about the person who's leaving the words of blood and carrying out the spiriting away amongst all the other Phenomena. I don't know who chose this name, but we call them 'Princess' or even 'Princesses'. Well, according to rumour, their true identity is that of a noble's illegitimate child, or that the perpetrator's actual name is Koushu Tachi<ref group="1N">Koushu is the pronunciation of 公主 (Princess) Tachi is a word which establishes plurality, so it is used in the case of the name 'Princesses'.</ref>. There are many other explanations."

"Wait..."

Bathing in the wind that had started to blow through the town, Sakai asked a question to Sakakibara's back as Sakakibara walked ahead of him.

"Why do you know that someone like that exists? Weren't the Princess Disappearances a type of spiriting away?"

"When Ii-kun's whereabouts became unknown, there was something in the study in which he was supposed to be."

Sakai watched as Sakakibara looked back, even while walking.

However, he couldn't see Sakakibara's expression. His face had fallen into shadow due to the sun's light from the mountains.

Sakai listened to Sakakibara's voice, which could still be heard though his face remained wreathed in shadow.

"'Playtime is over' was written on the sliding screen of the study from which Ii-kun disappeared. The inkstone and pen that he should have been using up till that point were left as they were. The paper he had opened up was untouched."

"...And the perpetrator? If the perpetrator was there, the guard automatons must have seen someone, right?"

"Isn't passing through automatons' defense a simple thing for you and I? Also, Ii-kun's study was slightly apart from his main mansion. Even the automatons patrolling the gardens have blind spots."

A wry smile.

"The Lord said that: 'It's because Ii's naive'. Now, I think that way as well."

Sakakibara suddenly stopped.

However, he was still making noise. It came from his feet. The sound was of Sakakibara drawing a diagram in the sand with the toe of his grass slippers.

What he drew was a circle with a a line crossing horizontally through it.

"-This is called the Emblem of Two Boundaries. A double boundary line formed by the boundary line of the circle as well as the boundary line piercing it. When the Princesses appeared, it was a symbol they always left behind. It was also found in Ii-kun's study."

A breath.

Once again, Sakakibara turned to face forward.

Once again, he started to walk.

Once again, all Sakai could see was his back.

"The Princesses exist. To be honest, I didn't believe it myself, but...the people who follow the incidents of spiriting away as well as the other Phenomena should have noticed its existence. The existence of the symbol that is always left behind at the Phenomena."

'Do you know about this?'

Sakakibara asked.

"Ii-kun told me about it. The Princesses are trying to save the world by kidnapping people, giving the world a warning. And every time...they intentionally finish with a symbol."

Having been told this, Sakai noticed something. The automatons were wiping off letters of blood from everywhere in town, but...

...Were there any among them that were written by the Princess?

The Phenomena don't exhibit any kind of clear will, and it's rare that they have any kind of continuity. However, the Princess Disappearances have that trait. If the Princesses that Sakakibara had spoke of further were a part of this...

...They're an organization?

In this age, organizations are limited to faiths and Academies. Judging from the name 'Princess', they should be related to China, specifically the Far East, but there are kingdoms in Europe as well, so if if you hold the lords there as 'Princesses', the possibilities suddenly widen. So, I shouldn't be asking about the country, but I should be asking...

"Who...are they? Are they people from some Academy or faith? How are they related to the current situation in Mikawa!?"

"I plan on giving those materials to you."

Sakakibara's feet halted.

In front of him.

There stood a single residence. A mansion surrounded by a bamboo fence.

In front of the small gate, Sakakibara raised his right hand slightly.

"There's a teashop over there. It's a shop run by the automatons that control my district. I'll have them bring the documents there until 8:30. Please wait a little bit."

"Hey, c'mon, let me wait inside your house."

"-My house is in the same neighbourhood as Honda-kun's, you know? It seems that Honda-kun doesn't want to talk to you about Ii-kun...I think he doesn't want to make you worry."

"So that means that you want to make me worry?...You're a disgusting man."

Sakakibara did not immediately respond to those words. He stayed silent for a few moments, eventually smiling and lifting his head.

"I don't want the Four Heavenly Kings to lose one comrade."

'Yeah, that's right,' he said. His tone lightened, as if to change the topic.

"This is a little off-topic, but regarding P-01s, who you asked about earlier...it's just like what you think."

"If that's so..."

Sakai inhaled, tensing his body. Sakakibara waved his hand at him lightly.

He started by saying, 'You're getting ahead of yourself.'

"The Lord will tell you the reasoning tonight. Please wait for that."

"Tonight...Mikawa is celebrating with fireworks, right?"

'Jud.'

Sakakibara nodded.

"It will be an interesting festival. I've only till it starts to go home, so please wait at the teashop there. I'll have the automatons bring the documents over."

"Then...we part here?"

Sakai asked.

Sakakibara smiled. It felt like he smiled.

Shoulders trembling from suppressed emotion, Sakakibara lowered his right hand, cast in shadow due to the light behind it.

"This isn't a parting - we are the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings. I believe that we, Ii-kun included, are always together."

<center>●</center>

A ship traversed the sky.

As if in answer, another ship came.

This location was southwest of Mikawa, in the skies close to the open-air continental port meant for common-usage. The wooden ship of the security squad, boasting Musashi Ariadust Academy's school emblem on its sides, was headed towards the west. In its place, a black rectangular ship marked with the emblem of Tres España's Alcalá de Henares, representing the country's emblem, came.

The two ships took a course that would take them past each others right side, heading towards their respective destinations with great turns.

The wooden ship took a trajectory that rose up and to the west. The black ship took a trajectory that descended down towards Mikawa's continental port.

The rectangular black ship lowered its altitude. It had kept the Andamio de la Ejecución, which was like a folded scaffold, below the prow. There were several figures riding atop the black deck, but the majority of them were sailors, signalling and running final checks for their arrival at the port.

Close to the prow, on the part of the deck further forward where they worked, there was a boy and a girl

The girl was short and the boy was tall. The girl had black hair and the boy was blonde. The girl was looking towards the continental port with the binoculars she was holding in her prosthetic arms.

Both of them were clad in the uniforms of Tres España, and they were wearing the school emblem that signified that they were past their third year.

In the midst of the gentle wind, they felt the sunlight of the afternoon's end as it streamed towards them from the west. As they did this, the boy lightly dipped his blonde head towards the nearby sailors. The ends of his eyebrows curved downwards as he smiled.

"I'm sorry for disturbing your work."

He said, and the sailors smiled back at him while continuing their work.

"When Muneshige, the vice-squadron leader, goes to a place all can see, the attitudes of the ships around are different - after all, you're one of the Eight Great Dragon Kings, Muneshige-san, able to wield the Logismoi Oplo and hold your own against Papa Scuola."

"My Lypē Katarripsi is just one of the two given by Tres España. Its relative priority has fallen compared to the one that the Pope-Chancellor carries, Stithos Porneia, so whether or not it would go through if I were to fight him is unclear."

Still looking through her binoculars, the girl said this in response to his self-deprecating words.

"Muneshige-sama, please refrain from treating the Tachibana name as something for show. You, the 'Peerless Man of the West', have the skill to make up for the difference in weapons, and your double inheritance of the names Garcia and Tachibana means-"

"Tes, I understand, Gin-san. I was just talking about our weapons."

She took a breath, pulling her face away from the binoculars in response to his words. Hanging the binoculars around her neck, she looked at Musashi's advance ship. It flew the skies to the west of them, leaving.

"It seems that the daughter of the 'Peerless Man of the East', Honda Tadakatsu, was riding that advance ship."

"I've never met either of them, but I wonder if Honda-sama is thinking of passing on his name to his daughter."

"I wonder. When you think about it, it is a bit of a waste."

Speaking those words, Gin narrowed her eyes and lightly hugged herself with her two prosthetic arms. While doing this, she looked at Muneshige.

"Please go to a place where you can be seen even from below the ship earlier. If he knew that a user of the Logismoi Oplo had come, Papa Scuola would hurry the production of new Logismoi Oplo made at Mikawa. He will know that he will be unable to do this using brute force."

"Even though I can't do nothing but fight, I'm used quite often in a political manner."

'Well.' Gin turned to Muneshige's back, pushing him towards the prow. Muneshige scratched his head and nodded in acknowledgement as everyone watching the scene unfold gave a small chuckle.

"Yet, the Tsirch faith places heavy weight on the Commandments. It's strange that the leader of the Catholics, the Pope-Chancellor, would come to hurry the manufacturing of the Logismoi Oplo, since they take the deadly sins as their motif."

"That would be because men are all idiots that want to go: 'I are super strong!'"

"...Gin-san, you say some amazing things once in a while."

'Yes, I do.'

She did not refute him.

"Well, the Logismoi Oplo are different from the Commandments and the Testamenta Arma, which is restricted to a certain area. They are weapons that that aim to teach through bad examples, weapons whose usage embody the idea that, 'humanity's deadly sins are this terrifying.'...They are weapons surrounded by mystery."

During the latter half of her speech, her tone dipped slightly, becoming low.

No longer being pushed from the back, Muneshige stood on the prow. He turned to look at Muneshige over his shoulder.

"Gin-san, do you really believe in the rumors surrounding the Logismoi Oplo?"

"Tes. There are some rumors that have raised some doubts. Such as the one concerning that says the Logismoi Oplo are weapons that hold humanity's deadly sins as their motifs, but the materials for their creation are humans themselves..."

Gin breathed in, the sound tinged with a slight fatigue.

"If possible, I'd like to think that it's a lie. I don't want to think that the strength of the Tachibana name is built upon the sacrifice of human lives."

"Yes...But well, I can understand why such rumors would circulate."

'Can you?'

Held implicitly within Gin's gaze was that question. As the end of that gaze, Muneshige was at a loss for a moment. However...

"The deadly sins are things that humanity will always possess. It cannot be separated from us...By a certain definition, it is because they exist that we can say that we are human. Therefore, it's obvious that it would be thought that to make weapons with the deadly sins as their motif would require humans as raw material. And even if it were true-"

A breath.

"It would be a martyrdom to die in order to bring balance to the world as well as let the world know of the deadly sins, so it was concluded that it was a trivial matter by a conference in the past...Well, I would be one of those to hate it if it were true."

"Tes, all I wanted to hear was what you said last. Also, Muneshige-sama..."

Gin stood within the wind, which had begun to contain the scent of surf. She did not push on Muneshige's back, but supported it.

"...Please don't lose. I'll be able to ignore all the excuses and distrust if you do."

"The Lypē Katarripsi isn't responsible for {{Furigana|Kenodoxia|Vainglory|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} and {{Furigana|Hyperēphania|Pride|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} , though."

"It's alright. You would lose if you slack and don't perform at your best, and I would be sad if you lost. So, in order to keep me from being sad, please be your all, {{Furigana|Kenodoxia|Vainglory|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=900|margin=11|okurispacing=0px}} and {{Furigana|Hyperēphania|Pride|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=900|margin=11|okurispacing=0px}} included."

'Tes.' Muneshige nodded. He looked at the wide continental port, which had come into view as they descended, and the ships anchored there.

He saw the colossal white ship in the midst of them...

"'Papa Scuola Innocentius is aboard Regno Unito. He's wearing white. And also..."

Beside the white, long robe, there stood a massive crimson frame. It was one of the irregular races, goat horns sprouting from its head.

"The former professor, Galileo the demon. I heard that they restored him as a student in preparation for the Apocalypse. Now, he's K.P. Italia's Second Special Duty Officer...It seems like everyone wants to show off that 'I are super strong!'"

"No matter how you think about it, I was definitely pushed to stand out here by Gin-san."

"That's within the error range. It's alright. Tes, because Muneshige-sama is the strongest."

Saying this, the two looked.

They looked at the man clad in the white robes of clergy, standing there on the deck of Regno Unito, anchored below them.

His black hair rustling in the sea breeze, the man with a slender frame held down his papal hat, such that it would not be blown away. His face, past middle age, and crooked smile were directed their way.

Now, the black ship started to heavily turn to the west.

"A ship of the Tsirch faith cannot look down on the Pope-Chancellor and make port...There's only space to the south, quite far away from Nagoya."

"It'd be troublesome if there was an emergency...Well, Lord Motonobu is holding a fireworks festival tonight, or something."

Taking a breath, Gin looked up to the heavens. Staring at the twin moons that floated in the sky, she said this.

"-A celebration for whom and of what, I wonder..."

<center>●</center>

"Then, everyone. The festival will be starting now."

A voice echoed through the empty town.

The town, bathed in the crimson remnants of daylight, was devoid of people. That which ''was'' there was...

"Automatons of Mikawa. Begin your respective activities."

The automaton announcing this was Kazuno. And around her, things ground into action. Beyond the shadows, several movements set the wind spinning before dispersing and fading away.

Simultaneously. A Torii-shaped signframe opened up before Kazuno's eyes. Displayed on it was...

"Lord Motonobu - It has begun as scheduled. As for New Nagoya Castle's Leyline Reactor-"

In the middle of the signframe, Motonobu smiled and nodded. He brought his glasses up to the bridge of his nose.

"Just as scheduled. The celebrations will only be leaked after eight. I'll leave it to you until then. Tadakatsu is armed and heading towards the first location...But about him, is that really fine with you, Kazuno?"

"Jud. He was able to enjoy himself. Just like ten years ago. I have given a sufficient farewell."

Saying this, Kazuno dipped her head.

"We do not know what Lord Motonobu is thinking, but as one who serves, I will be together with Tadakatsu-sama, I will protect him, staying with him to the last. You may start whenever you so wish-"

A breath. She raised her face, devoid of all expression. The object of her gaze was New Nagoya Castle, the square building which housed four Leyline Reactors and an Unified Reactor. She nodded in its direction.

"As the host, please enjoy this. It will be starting now...the final festival of Mikawa, who chose to face the world."

==Translator's notes and references==

<references group="1N" />
<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 12|Chapter 12]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 14|Chapter 14]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 11

2013-10-14T04:36:35Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 11: Adults in the Pub */

==Chapter 11: Adults in the Pub==
[[File:Horizon1A 287.jpg|thumb]]
''To be able to say that oneself is worthless.''

''Is because one is not in a worthless position.''

''If so, that one is able to laugh at that oneself.''

''Why is that so.''

'''Point Allocation (Point of View)'''

<center>●</center>

"--That's how it is. There's nothing but bad memories when it comes to what happened before."

Inside the wooden building, the voice of a stocky man could be heard.

The location was a space in the outskirts of Mikawa, a space which included a kitchen and counter, around 20-tatami in size. It was a cafeteria which served alcohol and snacks.

By the entrance, tables and chairs of wood were lined up, but the inner half was merely covered with tatami. From that expanse of tatami, the voice-

"Alright, let's put that past behind us and have a change of heart. Faced with you, who's become perverted, we've finally, after ten years, said that we should meet, and we went so far as to prepare a place that you're familiar with, yet--"

Sakai, Tadakatsu, Sakakibara, and the girl who followed Tadakatsu surrounded a table in the heart of the building, and within them, Tadakatsu simultaneously thudded a medium-sized sake bottle, drained of its contents, against the table as his voice rang out.

"Sakai, you still touch your opponent's butt in the middle of combat, just like you used to!?"

"You know, normally, one wouldn't make their daughter fight against their great friend upon a reunion, you know? Futayo, right? I've seen your name before, but you've really become strong. Seriously setting someone like that on me, Dacchan, just like ten years ago, there's something wrong with your brain, huh? If we were playing an RPG, you're the type who acts like you've immediately been cursed with Doom in a battle."

"You're damned noisy. You always do stuff like that, doing things by yourself, so you were demoted to the Student President of Musaashi, you know!? In other words--"

"Hey, hey, Dacchan, I won't let you get drunk at noon and loop your story three times. Rather, it's nice being a Student President, y'know? When I want to talk with young girls, when I want to talk to female teachers, when I want to line up all the youngsters and pretend that I'm the commander of a elite squadron in my heart while having a morning assembly, how do you think it is, being a Student President? Right, Sakakibara!?"

"Why are you turning to me?"

So he said, and Sakai and Tadakatsu looked at Sakakibara in unison-

"--Hey you, your reactions have always really been horrible!"

The girl behind Tadakatsu, Futayo, slightly raised her hand.

"Father, since before, during the triple-loop, it feels as if Sakakibara-sama has been oppressed, but..."

"Ahh, Futayo, don't you remember our rhythm from ten years ago? It's been 10 years since I've met them, I didn't think it'd return to the refrain situation of that time if I came this far..."

'Jud.,' Futayo nodded. Bowing lightly while remaining seated-

"If it is possible, please introduce yourself again-"

<center>●</center>

For Honda Futayo, who studies the sword, the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings who include her father, Tadakatsu, are a special existence.

Currently, because of the frequent occurrences of Phenomena in Mikawa due to the 'clearing out' and the operations of New Nagoya Castle, the number of people have become few. Those who act as representative of the few people there are left are but her father and Sakakibara; the others have had their inheritance of names stolen by automatons and withdrew, leaving Mikawa.

The Honda family also moved what was important to them to the alternate territory of Matsudaira, Edo, and they had a small mansion in the outskirts. In these few years, even Futayo had not set foot near the central district. However, today, because this place, called "the place that you're familiar with", was near the center, in her heart, she remained alert of the occurrence of Phenomena.

...Despite that, Father and them are bold...

Their, the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings' popularity was still high among those who had moved to the outskirts. Recently, I have not seen Ii Naomasa who had left on something like a business trip, but he, Father, and Sakakibara had become great among those who remained in Mikawa.

And now, the people always spoke of Sakai.

...In essence, the person who was treated as the leader of the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings.

I had met him before. I had talked to him before. However, these were things which had happened more than ten years ago, and I do not really remember them, so I also did not know the worth or meaning of my opponent's existence. I just assumed that he was simply a hunchbacked old man.

Therefore, for Futayo, only Sakai is excluded from the Four Heavenly Kings.

How deep is the acclamation of his worth, government, martial arts, and personality which people speak of?

Now, the person himself was before her eyes, but-

"Ah, I'm Sakai Tadatsugu. I'm seriously way more awesome than your father. Your father and I were in a local class, and Sakakibara over there and Ii, who isn't here, were in the admitted class since the fourth year of elementary school. Something like thirty years ago, when Musashi Ariadust Academy was made on Musashi, these guys tried to get in from somewhere else, but they couldn't."

"That's because, at that time, they were prioritizing applicants from different countries as a sign that Ariadust was very open. Ii-kun and I were thinking about the good of the Divine States, to the point where we withdrew our admission."

"That's a good excuse, huh. Anyways, during our school days, Lord-sensei--Lord Motonobu was the Student President and permanent Student Council President, so I was the Chancellor, and your Father was the leader of the Special Attack Division."

"Say Vice-President, you damned idiot. Even now, I'm the exception of Mikawa, the special security vice-president, allowed by the Testament Union."

"I'm ignoring you, but that's nice. Then, Ii was the Vice-Student Council President, and Sakakibara was just all talk."

"All talk..."

Sakakibara was drinking barley tea, but upon receiving Futayo's gaze, he waved his hand hurriedly-

"Th-that wasn't it at all! I was the secretary, and I was gifted in humanities!"

'Something like that,' Father and Sakai nodded. First, Father-

"Certainly, you were talented in humanities, Sakakibara. During the Academy Festival, when you recited the poem in the graduation anthology of the elementary school, "The We of Tomorrow", it was pretty well received--by us only."

"I know, right? Even now, it's a nice memory. During elementary school, we used to play a lot by throwing a pile of firecrackers from the fourth floor of the Academy, right? A 'Bang!' noise would sound, and when you looked downwards from the window, Sakakibara, who was going home, would be lying flat on his face, smoke rising from his head. Ah, no, I still remember it clearly. The arms of people who've fainted always hang really loosely, huh."

'Ahh,' Futayo nodded, and in her vision, veins had popped out on Sakakibara's temple as he twisted the side of his mouth, but Futayo said nothing. ''These are the topics of adults,'' Futayo thought. It is best for children to not speak out.

However, the topic had headed towards me, coming from the adults.

Sakai, who had picked up a handcrafted clay pitcher of Japanese sake, asked me a question, a smile on his face.

"Damusume-kun<ref group="1L">Daughter of Da (HonDA TaDAkatsu/Da''c''chan)</ref>, you're about the age where you throw off the brainwashing of your athletic-type dad, right? A time of rebellion, right? Won't you come to our Academy? I rather want people like you. Honda Masazumi is there too, y'know? Do you remember her?"

Damusume...Futayo twisted the edges of her mouth, and muttered. However, in the words he had uttered just now, there was a name she was familiar with.

"I have not really met face to face with Masazumi ever since middle school, but I had heard that she had went to Musashi. I also heard that she's the Vice-Student Council President now..."

"That's right, that's right, so, won't you come? I think that stereo-Honda would be interesting."

With that, Father, who was between Sakai and I, first flipped the medium-sized sake bottle upside down and confirmed that there was nothing inside. That done, he glanced towards me, and with a voice that could be heard by Sakai-

"Futayo, pay him no mind. Ever since before, he's a pitiful man who's had the misunderstanding that, 'I'm loved by everyone else!' In elementary school, he was the type to answer 'Everyone!' without hesitation when asked the question: "How many friends have you made?" by the graduation anthology teacher. He's the super-opposite of Sakakibara, who wrote 'None', but there was no helping it, so we became his bulkhead."

After about halfway through what he said, Sakakibara, on the other side of table, waved his hand to the left and right with a slight motion.

...''It must have been difficult.''

Futayo thought. However, it was certain that she had been questioned by Sakai just now.

...''Come to Musashi, huh.''

The Far East's only territory. Because it moved, an Aerial Ship which circled the entire Far East.

The Student President of Musashi, which was in good circumstances, had invited her, so what would follow would be perfect.

However, I could not give an answer immediately. Because-

"--Wait a bit, Sakai."

Father spoke with a clear-cut tone.

He asked the automaton working in the kitchen for another sake-bottle and a dozen chicken skewers-

"Whatever she chooses, right now, Mikawa is not allowed to have any exchanges with Musashi or other countries. It would be different if this was a year ago, but this year you cannot even try to have her go to Musashi."

Therefore-

"The leading ship of the security team is always out of Mikawa as a scout ship, going with you guys, right? It goes all the way to Aki to check the safety of the corridor--This time, Futayo will be managing the leading ship. After all, right now, Futayo is the commanding officer of Mikawa's security team."

"Ehh? The commanding officer of Mikawa's security team, the self-defense military force allowed by the Testament Union? You probably can't have any guns yet, being restricted by the Testament's History Recreation, but you're pretty good with close combat battles and skirmishes, right?"

"I told her that this had to be done during the period when she goes and comes back from Aki, but after that, when she disembarks, she can do whatever she likes."

"By whatever she likes, you--"

Father answered Sakai's question.

That was something which I had decided with father the day before. What I would do with myself from now on-

"--I told her to decide everything by herself. So, invite her then. If Futayo needs you or Musashi, she'll join you. If she wants to inherit my name, she'll do something else. That's what it means."

Father spoke.

"From now on, the world will move--I want my daughter to do as she wills."

"That's nice."

...Eh?

Sakai's eyes flicked this way. He raised his eyebrows slightly, and with a smile-

"You're the talent which Honda Tadakatsu, strongest of the Matsudaira...no, Honda Tadakatsu, called the 'Peerless Man of the East' of the Far East, has chosen--It must've been interesting growing up, right? How much is expected of you? Really."

"...It seems like you're praising me, but you're not interested in anything but Futayo, huh."

"Shouldn't that be obvious? A young child is far more easy to deceive than a geezer who's still serving as vice-president even though he's decided to retire. However, the name of the 'Peerless Man of the West' Tachibana Muneshige, has been inherited at Ootomo in Tres Espana, so since I've connections here, I was wondering if something wouldn't come out of this."

Sakai took a breath. In response, Futayo had her hands full stopping the trembling in her heart.

The former leader of the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings. To test him, who had drawn a 10 year blank, I challenged him, who was in plain clothes, by my father's orders. Furthermore, I had asked my father about the opponent's habits, and made preparations for acceleration Abilities.

However, the result was clear.

I was able to reach my hand out, but I could not touch him.

That that kind of opponent has interest in me is something to be thankful for.

In any case, Futayo had mostly never left Mikawa. Basically, the only ones she had shown her talent to were her father and the instructional automatons. Along with the feeling that she had slacked off in her training-

...I am uneasy as to whether or not my power is sure.

The Tachibana Muneshige who had been mentioned just now was the adopted son of one of the strongest of the west, who had been called unparalleled in the past, Tachibana Dousetsu. I had heard that he had already fought in other places.

I had thought that this would eventually happen to me to, but finally, it is reality.

At that moment. Sakai opened his mouth and looked at the surroundings.

"--In the end, it seems that Ii didn't come. What happened to him?"

<center>●</center>

Sakai asked. Sakakibara-

"Ii-kun is--"

"Ii's gone out on some business."

Sakai saw. Saw the fact that Futayo jerked her head upwards at Tadakatsu's words, which had interrupted Sakakibara. Her eyes seemed to want to ask, 'Is that so?'. ''Then-'', what Sakai thought was-

"...Is it confidential?"

'Jud.', Tadakatsu said. At that instant.

From afar, outside the shop, footsteps rang out. Futayo looked at the exit of the shop, at the owner of the footsteps which entered-

"Kazuno-sama."

"Jud."

Answering and stopping on the entrance of the tatami room was a tall figure in a maid uniform. Sakai, who looked at the black horn shaped sensors extending from the top of her head, dropped the sake bottle in his hand.

"Geh, Kazuno...!"

"Jud.--how sad. I was thinking about who this might be, was it Sakai-sama after all?"

She, Kazuno, brought her gaze to Sakai, her eyes half-closed-

"Coming to this place after getting demoted, drinking sake without regard of a young girl in the room, who actually has a future...I am able to judge that you are a serious adult. Futayo-sama, please return to the mansion."

"...Dacchan, just like 10 years ago, this woman's still with you?"

"I couldn't help it. She's able to replicate the cooking of my best wife, able to replicate her sword skills as well, and she's also able to teach people etiquette..."
[[File:Horizon1A 297.jpg|thumb]]
'Jud.'

Kazuno dipped her head this way.

"Currently, I am serving as an instructor for the basics to Futayo-sama's. Futayo-sama is a woman of marrying age, but when she accompanies Tadakatsu-sama, she will try to enter the bath with him, or go to barbecue stores, so she is a failure at the moment - It is a sorry state of affairs."

"Yeah, even back then, the 'Da' in 'Dacchan' has been the 'Da' in 'Damn, I'm a failure as a human being'."

It happened just as Sakai spoke.

Something sharp pierced the air about three centimeters in front of his right eye.

It was a bamboo skewer.

A bamboo skewer, barbecued chicken still on it, floated in the air, aimed towards my right eye.

Looking further, Kazuno had thrust her hand out at shoulder height.

"-It is well within the effective range of my gravity control. Though you are such a failure, you are still the master of this house, so please refrain from performing such stupid actions."

"...Dacchan. Does this woman still go by the devilish rule: 'I am good, others are worthless', just like she used to!? If you're her master, then do something! Being like this for more than ten years...her personality as an automaton is broken."

"I'm pretty bad at verbal fights."

"It is not as if this personality is the basic one for automatons, so there are no problems. Ever since the Divine Age, automatons have been set to serve humans, but we were never set to respect them."

"Automatons' right of existence<ref group="1L">Like [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_life| right to life], except in terms of existence.</ref>, huh."

'Jud.'

Kazuno nodded.

"I am unable to fling people other than the people I am supposed to serve left and right using gravity control, but I am able to indirectly cause harm to them. Please be careful from now on."

As she said those words, she lowered the bamboo skewer to the plate, lining it up next to the others.

Simultaneously, Kazuno bowed and spoke.

"It is time for the preparations for Futayo-sama's ship to be made."

'Jud., Jud.' Tadakatsu stood up, and with a bow, Futayo also stood herself up.

'See you later.' Tadakatsu turned his back, but raising his right hand lightly, he spoke these words:

"-Well then, this is it for us. Stay sharp."

<center>●</center>

After that, Sakai and Sakaibara watched as the two women and one man, all three of them possessing the strength of a warrior, exited the restaurant. After they vanished from sight, their footsteps disappeared, and the sound of their conversation could no longer reach Sakai and Sakakibara's ears, after the only thing that could be heard were the sounds of kitchen knives and flowing water coming from the kitchen, Sakai propped his elbow against the table.

"Sakakibara...the truth is that...Dacchan ate and ran?"

"I only ordered a barley tea."

"Hey, c'mon, I have no money. If I put it on my bill, the payment'll come during our visit to Mikawa next year, you know?"

"It's not as if I pay..."

"Then it'll be my debt, won't it?"

Sakai's voice echoed softly through the shop, empty if not for them.

"I'll make a debt. That's what I'm talking about. You understand, don't you?"

"What do you mean by 'That's what I'm talking about'?"

"The reason that you and I are still here. That's right, I'll pay your share and Dacchan's share, creating two debts...so in exchange, you'll tell me two things."

The first was...

"About Ii. Dacchan was avoiding it all along, but you tried to talk about it, didn't you? What's wrong with Ii?...The End of Days is approaching, and being in Mikawa, the site of so many Phenomena...did something happen to him?"

And the other was...

"-There is an automaton in Musashi called P-01s. She came to Musashi last year. What is she?"

"If I were to say what she was..."

Having spoken up till that point, Sakakibara shook his head. He tore his gaze from Sakai, standing up slowly...

"Well, shall we head outside?...After all, it's easier to talk while walking."

==Translator's notes and references==

<references group="1L" />

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 10|Chapter 10]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 12|Chapter 12]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 10

2013-10-14T04:14:54Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 10: Commandos in Town */

==Chapter 10: Commandos in Town==
[[File:Horizon1A 257.jpg|thumb]]
''Our everyday passes by.''

''Time passes by.''

''Destiny passes by.''

''What is it that does not pass.''

'''Point Allocation (Human Relationships)'''

<center>●</center>

Sakai's judgements connected within an instant.

Just from the flow of wind behind him, he understood that the girl from just now had come.

No hesitation in his movements, he turned and confirmed.

...Her style is that of a {{Furigana|Strike Forcer|Close-combat martial artist|.7em|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}!? This is pretty serious, but she is--

There was a vague memory. Ten years ago, he indeed had met this girl.

Honda Tadakatsu's daughter. The girl whom Masazumi had said was her acquaintance.

What was her name? I don't remember, but-

...She's had sharp movements ever since before! She always carries a spear...!

I don't understand what's happening, but having suddenly twisted around to my back, is she attacking or protecting me?

And now, the movements he felt against his skin was the oscillation of air which the girl, twisting her body, had caused.

The oscillation was large, the initial speed slow.

'Then it's an attack,' Sakai judged. If she was stretching her arms for the sake of protection, then the oscillation would be small, and the initial speed fast. However, because the wind that is raised during an attack is caused by the wielder carrying his own volume, and is for the sake of swinging through completely, at first it's slow, but the movement is large.

Now, it's the latter.

'How will she come?' it was not Sakai's thoughts which formed that question, but his instinct.

I remember this girl's weapon. When she was standing behind Tadakatsu, I was looking at it.

It was not that I became aware of it and was looking at it. The experience of the battles I had cut my way through as a former corner of the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings was sunk into a deeper position than awareness. That weapon is of the Shirasu Industries brand. The wooden handle, having been applied with a black matte finish, was a colour contrary to the name of Shirasu<ref group="1K">Shirasu contains the character 白, which means white.</ref>, and is sold as something with a durable structure.

The hilt was straight, and because of its length, it looked as if it compensated for the instability which stemmed from its lightness.

...If so.

In that the long hilt is aimed towards easy handling of the blade, it holds a single problem.

A katana is a weapon which slices by touching the opponent and retracting as if shaving a piece off. However that denotes the reality in which the wielder has to cut by pulling the blade, which has touched its victim, towards their own chest.

As such, the blade of a katana cannot cut at any distance but a distance where it is able to be retracted. Because of the judgement of strength in the slicing, it is possible to slice deeply, but the distance which can be cut is the distance it can be retracted.

And if it's a katana which has a long hilt, when it's pulled towards one's front, the hilt will touch one's body.

The distance which can be retracted is short.

In that case, what will the wielder do to make a long cut?

...They will drop their body and swing the blade far!

Dropping their entire body, they will extend their blade far to the front, and pull with their entire body.

If that is done, they will be able to gain the twist of their body as a distance in which to retract the blade.

Now, the wind I feel behind my back is large.

A wind for the sake of stepping her entire body in with all her strength.

The target is my right abdomen. A horizontal slice from my back.

'She's good,' Sakai's instinct acknowledged his opponent.

If she aimed for my upper body, the thick muscle and bone of my shoulder and chest would interrupt her. If it's below the stomach, things will end with just the severing or snapping of the wrist, but she can split the thin flesh of the side-abdomen which is stretched with the pressure of the stomach.

Furthermore, if it's a horizontal flash, then she can pull the blade horizontally.

If she does so, then the she will automatically pull the blade with just a turning movement of her body, and the retracted pommel won't touch her chest or stomach. If she chains with a twisting motion inwards, she doesn't even need to steady her footing.

It's a horrible sword technique in terms of regulation. It's not something that is learned on the practice ground. This is a sword technique from true battle.

What should I do to avoid it?

Faster than he thought, Sakai moved.

<center>●</center>

Sakai moved in a way which could not be called an evasion.

In response to the whirling blow behind him, he-

"This.'

Lightly, took one step back.

"--!"

The slice which came after the step-in, naturally leaped in.

If it's a weapon which slices, by leaping in from this direction, I'm able to make the distance in which to retract zero. Even if the opponent stepped backwards, it should become a distance shorter than the original one where she was able to pull.

The question was, am I able to step back faster than the slice from the horizontal flash.

Therefore, I twisted my body. Not directly to the rear, but towards my left as well as to the rear.

I went.

And furthermore-

"And then-"

Sakai half-drew the tanto he was concealing at the back of his waist.

The draw method was a right backhand, a movement where I pull my shoulder up along with my arm. Because of this, I'm able to protect my right waist with the tanto's blade, and I can protect my right chest with my slanted arm. And even further, I protect the right part of my neck with my raised shoulder.

By doing this, I respond to the opponent's slice, take a good position, and defend.

Having played his best card, Sakai suddenly twisted his body, having leaped towards his posterior-left, to the right.

The opponent who swung the blade should be there.

She was there.

Black hair was visible.

And now, I touch her body, and from the next instant onwards, the initiative is in my hands.

Originally, this would be the time to insert a blow, make her obedient, and show her the difference in form, but now I am the Student President of an Academy. I can't really do anything horrible to a young girl. Approximately, groping breasts is allowed.

And, the opponent's blade tried to hit my blade.

However-

"...h!?"

Sakai saw. That the girl behind him suddenly moved to his anterior-right.

...This is--

The place the girl was standing was directly in front of my right shoulder. She was showing me her back. She seemed to have dropped her hip.

I don't know what's happening.

I don't know, but that there was an instantaneous movement is a fact.

And I know the reason for her having moved to the right and front of me.

..So that her own blade wouldn't clash with mine, huh!?

Blades are made of metal. Even if it's polymerized such that it has durability, even if it's tempered, if it hits something hard, it will bend or even crack. If one is a master, one can sever metal with a blade without Ability or blessings, but that was not something easy to do for even Sakai while he was still in service.

As such, the girl avoided the clashing of blades.

Evading, bursting forward, she controlled her body, twisted for the sake of her slice, by dropping her hip.

The katana, readied to the left as if shouldered, matched with the movement of her standing up, and leaped upwards-

"----"

It came.

Swinging a blade upwards from a bent position, and biting into my neck from the bottom right with that movement. An irregular cut.

Sakai's right arm, the hand which held the tanto, was suppressed by her back.

...She's good.

Reading my movements, she always aims for a fatal blow. That she's not afraid of contacting the opponent is the result of her training.

Sakai tried to evade before the blade leaped up to meat him-

"No."

The tip of his right foot was stepped upon by her deeply retracted left heel.

I withdrew my toes. But, it was too slow. On the contrary, my attention was taken by the act of withdrawing my toes.
[[File:Horizon1A 263.jpg|thumb]]
I cannot dodge. And before my eyes, the girl showed the initial movements of swinging the blade.

This is bad. But when I looked at the two former colleagues in front of me-

...Those bastards, what are they clenching their fists and watching the battle for...!

If I could attach voices to them, I could not come up with anything but, "Go--!", on their faces.

While thinking 'I'll lay them flat afterward,' Sakai moved.

Now, he cannot draw his tanto. Therefore, Sakai made an instantaneous decision. An instinctive movement. That was-

"Slap."

Sakai released his tanto, stuck that hand between the girl's back and shouldered blade, and touched her left butt.

He held her left buttcheek with his hand, which had become free. And-

"--!?"

From the girl's mouth, a scream which held a tint of surprise existed.

<center>●</center>

"Yes, as such, have you just about gathered it all? The ingredients for the food for the celebration tomorrow?"

At Asama's words, dressed in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miko miko] garments, the three figures following her nodded.

The location was the commercial street on the starboard section of the surface segment of the Second Starboard Ship - Tama.　Having the benefit of being a ship aimed towards sightseers, it was an attractive place. Within the people who were walking back and forth, there were those who had come up from Mikawa, and the students of K.P.A. Italia and Tres Espana who had come from the southern continental port.

While one of the four who were standing in the midst of that, Naomasa, was spinning and fiddling around with the large wrench used for ship-interior maintenance with her prosthetic arm, she looked the other three, Adele, Suzu and Asama.

"Number of people notwithstanding, didn't we buy too much in one go?"

What Naomasa's words indicated was the mountain of paper bags that everyone was holding. Let alone the arms of the four, they were even hanging at their elbows, and were even suspended on the hard points of their waist.

"I-If Ga-Gacchan and Gocchan...came, it would have been nice, but-"

While Suzu, comparatively slight and light, shook the object-oriented hanging sensors at the side of her waste-, she adjusted her hold on the burden she was clutching, and spoke. That done, Asama-

"Knight and Naruze, those two, are doing some transportation work. I think that they are flying around between the ships right now, but earlier, when Toori was blown away by Mito<ref group="1K">This is the name which Nate has inherited, if you do not remember.</ref>, we should have asked them in advance."

At Asama's words, the girl with glasses, Adele, sighed with a 'Haaah,'-

"Well, thanks for your work too, Asama-san. Being in miko garments, the work of the Asama Shrine is pretty busy now, isn't it?"

"Yes. At the end of spring, there's a lot of contract-related work, and I'm really busy with counter operations...Even with Ability, everyone seems to want overpowered ones, so the amount of our monthly orders are getting huge."

"Doesn't everyone think that they can get overpowered ones if they go to your shrine?"

Naomasa spun the wrench, and while ｆlipping it over her shoulder from her side, she spoke.

"Didn't you go for the archery club's human target practice at the culture festival last year and completely take out even the club members who were seriously running away from the archery range? And then, you took all the prizes and gave them to the orphanage. Even the orphans thought that the presents were something which were acquired in exchange for sacrifices, right? The lives of people are lighter than that of prizes, huh."

"Masa, I mean, something like shooting people that don't even include Acceleration-types is easier than shooting ducks, so I couldn't have helped it, could I? Screaming and trying to come running outside would have really troubled the people outside, so I just blew them away."

"...Please understand the word 'disturbance'."

'Hmm?' in response to Asama, who tilted her head, Naomasa gave the wrench on her shoulder a glance.

"Anyways, coming with us like this, you'll be coming to the 'ghost hunting' today, right? I've also gotten a night shift off from the chief, Taizou-jii-san, but--"

Naomasa indicated towards Asakusa with her chin. The cargo ships which were Asakusa and Shinagawa lowered the sails from their masts, their entire heights above 100 meters, and were opening up the derricks which used the left and right arms of the masts. Pulling the ropes going through the pulley on the tip of the arms, the suspended derricks utilized the labor-use Gods of War, Aerial-races, and workers for the sake of pulling the ropes and managing the movements of the upper segment.

"Well, there's that, but if I'm going to help with Jizurisuzaku, I'm going to head off right now."

As she was speaking, she used a pull of the rope, and the God of War was suspended above the derrick, descending towards her. Adele, who saw that, twisted her eyes into bow-shapes-

"Occasionally, let's use it as a gondola or play with it as swings. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Just by the way, that's work research too. Anyways--somehow the sky's become really noisy, hasn't it."

The sky. Between Asakusa and Shinagawa, between every ship, trailing behind streams of white mist, there were numerous figures which had started to soar the sky.They were Aerial-races and Technohexen. While taking trajectories which seemed to intertwine at high speed, each of them traversed between the ships, but-

"The supervision of Tres Espana's Gods of War has ended, so the delivery workers have started to race and have mock battles. Naruze said that there're a lot of people who were aces from every country, but couldn't compromise with their churches, so they fled here; because of that, the exchange of technique and knowledge is world-class."

"Ah, Naruze and Knight were also flying around just now, you know? At a speed which would be invisible if not for 'Konoha'...According to what they were saying, their two-man unit is of the strongest class."

"Well, those two are also doing their work and things like that right now, and they're going to gather at the Academy at night. Really, around me, there's nobody that's good."

"...Masa, please look in a mirror and say the last line again."

At Asama's words, Adele laughed softly. She placed the paper bags and packages on her raised knee and adjusted her grasp-

"But well, there's also Mikawa's fireworks, but as expected, everyone's going to the Chancellor, huh...I'm also going to join battle with a mock-use support-lance with a Anti-ghost Ability, though."

"I-I'm al-also going."

Suzu also spoke, and nodded. Asama, who was looking at everyone with her two-coloured eyes, lowered the corners of her eyebrows, and laughed.

"What is this, everyone's interested in Toori-kun, aren't they?"

"That's true. The entire world is noisy with Oda and the Logismoi Oplo and the End of Days, but well, within that, whether an idiot's confession will make it through or not is really, not the Song of Passage, but--"<ref group="1K">告白を通る (To succeed in a confession) -> 通し道歌 (Song of Passage); take note of the shared character.</ref>

Naomasa, shouldering the wrench behind her neck, looked up at the mid-afternoon sky and spoke.

"It's scary, huh.<ref group="1K">Last line of the Song of Passage.</ref>...That idiot has really gotten motivated."

And Naomasa, lowering her gaze, looked at Asama and opened her mouth. The words which exited were-

"You, along with Kimi, have been with him longer than all of us, haven't you."

<center>●</center>

After Asama, who had been questioned by Naomasa, had thought for a little while, she nodded. Looking at everyone-

"Well, even if you say 'longer', there's the relationship between our parents, and the memories from when we were young are rather vague."

"But, only you have being together with him before elementary schooling. Everyone else was after elementary school. So everyone, well, knows what kind of person Toori is, but--"

"Ma-Masazumi-san is di-diffe-rent. And al-also, A-Azuma-san."

Asama nodded in response to Suzu's words.

"That's because Masazumi transferred here last year...Even today, she didn't come to the Academy and set off towards Mikawa with the School President--different from us, she seems to treat the Academy as just a waypoint of her life."

And also-

"Azuma-kun also entered after middle school, so I don't think that he completely understands Toori-kun."

'But,' Asama tilted her head. Looking at Naomasa-

"Why do you ask?"

At the question, Naomasa smiled wryly.

"--We, who are here, just like Toori, know about Horizon."

At those words, Asama fell silent along with everybody. 'What should I say, and how should I say it', they all thought.

Even Naomasa, who had spoken, shut her mouth lightly, but after a while, she-

"Shall we continue walking?"

Naomasa indicated the road with her chin. That too was while she was lightly playing around with her wrench like it was a pendulum.

However, while passing people by, the road she was walking was-

"Um, th-the end of this path is-"

She knows. The reason Suzu is shaking her head is-

"Ahh, the snack shop that Toori always comes to in the morning is here, huh. But don't worry, at this time, the person whom Suzu fears has gone out--She's doing her afternoon grave visit. You should know."

At Naomasa's line, Asama felt surprise in her heart. Stepping one step as if following Naomasa, who had started walking-

"I'm a little surprised. That Masa would be interested in her."

"--There's no difference between me and you, who know of her grave visiting. When I take a break in the outer shell's emergency level after my morning or afternoon work, it mostly becomes audible, you know. That song."

"By that song..."

'You know about that, right?' Masa, who had already gone to the front of everyone, starting walking-

"The Song of Passage. The song that we sang when we played together with Horizon. Outlining formations on the road with rocks, everyone would pass under each other's arms...whoever was left in the middle of the formation when we finished singing was the loser."

"Horizon had this strange part of her which would be concerned about all of us, and occasionally, there were times when she would lose because of herself. She thought that nobody found out, but everyone knew..."

After a while, Asama, who had spoken, noticed that everyone, who was walking, was looking at her-

And now, Asama understood the intent of Naomasa's words just now. The reason she was asked about the length of her companionship was-

...They're telling me to talk about old memories of Horizon, aren't they.

Horizon.

What was left in her memories was a black-haired, blue-eyed girl. The lines of her body were slender, but even if she thinks back upon it now, there were times when Asama had thought that she was a girl with a strong heart - a heart too gentle. However, that too-

"Her birth was as a really troubled person...Toori-kun, by her side, was gradually becoming an idiot. With just that, her birth would be extremely severe. Well, I knew about that--"

A breath.

"-only after she died."

Asama saw that everyone dipped their heads at those words. But Asama was the only one not to bow her own head-

"I wonder what Toori-kun thinks. Is the confession this time the beginning of his atonement, is it a continuation, or could it be a change in his state of mind...I really wonder what he thinks."

"At the least...isn't the fact that he's going to fondle some boobs certain?"

"Y-Yes, I wouldn't say such severe, realistic words at such a serious time."

However, even while saying that to Adele, Asama could not stop her own shoulder's from sagging. There was a trace of pitifulness within the herself who thought: ''It really was like that; it really was, wasn't it.'' But, Adele continued her words-

"Now that you say that Asama-san, just not the Chancellor was making some references, but have you been fondled by the Chancellor before? To the limit of my knowledge, I feel like that kind of thing never happened, but..."

This can of worms was a good one. Asama panicked, and while shaking her head-

"No, um, I..."

"Ah? You don't remember, do you Adele? When Asamacchi first wore a bra, a 'That's cheating! Dirty! A breast cover!?' burst out from Toori, and he started doing it slowly from behind."

"Uwaaaa--! What are you saying, Masa--!"

'Hahahahaha', Naomasa laughed five times, and patted my shoulder with the palm of her hand.

"It's fine, just laugh--right? Adele, she seriously started to cry, and Toori was scolded by Teach, but afterward, Toori said: 'Alright, then fondle my breasts and things will add up to zero!!' in response to her, grabbed her hand, who was crying, and made her fondle his own bosom, saying 'Is that nice!? IS THIS GOOD!?', and was scolded by Teach a second time."

"...Ahh, my morning practice did drag on and I came late that day, but hmm, wasn't Asama-san, having been Chancellor fondled, crying out of happiness...?"

"I-I'm sorry, wh-what kind of character did I have inside Adele's head!?"

'Isn't it fine?' Naomasa said.

"--It might be that from tomorrow onwards, this kind of topic might be hard to bring up after all."

<center>●</center>

"Isn't that right?"

With her double-coloured eyes, Asama looked at the friend with an artificial arm who had asked a question.

When she did that, Naomasa, walking, also glanced her way.

"Well, Kimi also knows about that."

She kept silent and listened. With that, Naomasa looked forward-

"That idiot Kimi is continuing to be like an idiot, and seriously acts like an idiot, but she's an idiot who's really caring, isn't she. People that care about other people too much are the true idiots, though. If tomorrow, Toori confesses and it goes well, the person that will take the most pain will be herself after all--And despite that, that idiot isn't among us, who are talking here."

"That's--"

Asama remembered. About the time earlier, when everyone had split up atop the stairs. Asama, who had left the Tea Club and ran to them, couldn't do anything but confirm the plans for the night. Even after that, Kimi-

"...Stayed sitting atop the stairs, didn't she?"

"Yeah, when we split up earlier, when we left each other, Toori said that he'd try and go to 'Remorse Way' after all--You know, right?"

"About?"

"That idiot Toori hasn't walked 'Remorse Way' for ten years since that happened."

'You do know it, don't you?' Naomasa continued her words.

"It seems like it was this morning. At the time which we were informed yesterday that our gathering would be outside, I pretty much know what he was doing during our morning exercise. And when we sprinted and leaped outwards from the Academy, straight ahead, on the right side of the two roads to take, the starboard and port, is 'Remorse Way'. And--"

"Last time, during the lesson at the end of the second year, he ran through the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dango dango] shop on the port of Asakusa...Looking in terms of progression, this time would be the starboard."

Asama answered, and Adele looked towards Okutama. Narrowing her eyes, hidden deep beneath her glasses-

"Then, um, the reason that Kimi-san continued to sit on the stairs was--"

"Because she was watching over whether or not her idiotic brother would be able to pass 'Remorse Way' as an idiotic sister."

'She's an idiotic woman,' Naomasa said whilst taking a step forward.

"Being there, we're also idiots. Everyone who's here, no, everyone who's part of our class shouldn't have raised our heads up to her. In any case--"

In any case.

"The person who couldn't make Toori cross to the other side was that idiot woman."

At those words, everyone held their breath even while walking. With an attitude which indicated that they no longer cared about the busyness or noise of the commercial street around them, the silence continued for a while, but-

"That's right."

Finally, Asama found her words.

"And everything--was because of Horizon, I think."

"Hori...zon..."

Suzu opened her mouth while dipping her head. While softly ringing the metal cylinders, the hanging object-oriented sensors at her waist-

"Sh-She was a...gentle person."

Suzu spoke with a soft voice. And besides that, 'You know', she bridged to her next line. And-

"D-Did you know? When Toori-kun...called me, at first, 'Heeeyy', or 'You know,' he would definitely say. And, h-he would reach his hand out to me and...when he touched me, u-um, hi-his hands would do...do this."

At the tip of everybody's gaze, Asama included, Suzu's hand touched the area around the waist of her uniform, in a manner as if brushing past it.

That was a moment which looked as if she was wiping her hands. However, it was something which included the noise of rustling clothes.

"Th-This is a signal--I-I'm...bl-blind, so if my name is su-suddenly called, and I'm touched...I-I'll ge-get shocked, and cause trouble, s-so, before that, they'd make another voice or noise."

"Yeah, we also copied them. During elementary school, when we noticed that the idiot was doing that, I thought that idiot earns points in the small things, but..."

'No,' Suzu shook her head, slightly rushed.

"Horizon...started that."

She sucked in a breath.

"Even when Horizon di-died, Toori-kun...di-didn't forget. "

'I see,' Naomasa said. 'I'm sorry,' as well.

Asama could do nothing but hold a smile.

...Perhaps--

''It could be that Suzu-san loves him'', so she thought.

At that moment. From in front of them, a voice came.

"Huh? In the end, you guys also went shopping here?"

''This voice is-'', turning their faces towards it, on the walkway directly in front of them, several male students were walking.

As expected, clutching bags, Neshinbara, Ulquiaga, Shirojiro and Heidi.

"What is this, you guys? How much are you looking forward to the festival tomorrow?"

"Ah, we're buying the share for tonight. But--it looks like we overlapped in terms of the food."

At Neshinbara's wry smile, everyone also smiled dryly. With the expression of the corners of her eyes drooping, Heidi-

"But...is there anywhere else but here? If it's Okutama, then we'll disturb Toori-kun and Kimi-san after all, and this shop isn't at Murayama."

Heidi looked at the row of shops on the starboard-side, at the walkway across the street.

Everyone followed suit, and the the destination of their sight, there was a single snack shop. A shop with a bakery as its side-business, at this time, it was on standby. Whilst the woman who was the shopkeeper did the cleaning of the storefront, she was making conversation with the owners of the adjacent stores.

Asama noticed that Suzu had turned to her back. Therefore, surreptitiously, with a small voice-

"Suzu-san, from last year onward, you haven't come here, have you?"

"Yes...Wh-when I passed by, i-it was scary."

'I see,' after Asama, who nodded, lightly touched the binder skirt at her waist, she took Suzu's shoulder.

At that moment. The female shopkeeper of the snack shop turned to face them. When she noticed them, she showed a smile-

"What could this be? From the mornin', there've been a lot of customers from the Academy, huh. It's still out of openin' hours, y'know?"

"Ah, I'm sorry."

Answering was Heidi. Heidi touched her cheek with her hand, and after bowing shallowly-

"Um...tomorrow, we might be making a racket..."

"Ya want to have a party? If that's so, I guess I'll have P-01s work hard?"

'Haha,' Asama listened to the words which Heidi told the shopkeeper, who was laughing, in response to the her.

"A party...that's right. Yes. I believe it'll be alright."

A breath.

"Because, everyone is praying that this will be a fun party."

<center>●</center>

"It'd be nice if it was fun tomorrow. Don't you think so? Gacchan?"

A resounding voice was brought to life in the opened pathway.

Walking the pathway, where the blue sky, beginning to tint with the colour of afternoon, was visible was one with six golden-wings. It was Margot Knight in her uniform. While opening up her speedometer-type Figur of Magi by her head, the place she was traveling was the long direct pathway where people and goods went back and forth. It was a transport horizontal-passage on the starboard of Murayama, where ships and winged-figures came and went.

In the center-segment of Musashi, the starboard transport horizontal-passage which opened up in the starboard wall through a hatch was a delivery opening which sent the goods received from the continental port on the opposite side of the ship during Musashi's stop to Musashino and Okutama.

At this time, the passage would be bustling with deliverers come on behalf of each business or personal things-

"Gacchan, by 'upwards', you're doing an ascending race in a gravitated space, right? Will you be coming out afterward?"

"That's right, once I finish one job, let's go again. Should we earn from Almirante or Marine? We've finally gotten recommended to EDEL Brocken as aerial-equipment testers by that lady from Wildkamelie, so I want to do some customization of Weissfräulein. Same for your Schwarzfräulein right?"

'Yeah,' nodding at Naruze's voice, audible from the Figur of Magi, Knight re-raised the work permit carried by her right arm. Sticking a broom into the cart laden with numerous small packages, she hurried towards the bow.

While moving through the voices and movements of the crowd, each time she sent her voice through, in response to the Figur of Magi, its needle waving-

"Just wait a little bit, okay? Somehow today, the coming and going of goods is kinda strange, and everyone is packed together. Nai-chan feels a little troubled. Just like Shiro said, it's all goods that are coming onboard."

"That's fine, if there's a lot coming from Mikawa then I should also move."

From the other side of the Figur of Magi, a voice sounded from Naruze's line. With her kouhai's voice-

"--The senpai are going out to the sky! We'll be cheering for you!　We bet our club fees on you!"

"Ah, that's right, this is also for the Manga Research's new work, 'Kobo-san'...but, how much more goods do you need to transport?"

"The only thing that's urgent is one, I think? All the rest should be fine at night, I think. But well, it's not good to hurry too much either, right? Before, the KKK delivery section stuffed the Manga Research goods into K.P.A. Italia's guest ship after all."

"Yeah, three thousand books our club's homo-section made for events. The King was a skillful-[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaoi#Seme_and_uke seme], wasn't he?"

"Please refrain from putting real characters into your stories, Gacchan. I mean, I think that the King is a clumsy-seme."

"I wasn't the one who drew it, you know. Well, I didn't think that the King, who was sent here, planned to voice an objection to Hexagone Francaise, but instead objected to Lord Ita. The invention of printing techniques as a result of History Recreation is cruel."

'Well,' Naruze's voice was audible from the handheld.

"I'll finish up quickly, take my third victory today, and prepare for tonight. It'd be shameful if a Weisshexen and Schwarzhexen made a night's activities stink of the mood when returning from work."

'That's right,' Knight stopped in her tracks. Because they were bringing a 10-meter class large-scale wooden box from the transportation ship into the ship interior, the security officers of the transport horizontal-passage had given the traffic signals for pedestrians to stop for a while.

Knight, who lined up in the queue of people who had stopped, sighed and looked at Okutama and Musashino, visible beyond the windshield of Ability.

The special characteristics of Musashino was the ship-type bow and the Ability Controller which blanketed the sky of the stern like a roof. And as for Okutama, it had floors of residential districts and natural districts, layered upon it like stairs. Musashi Ariadust Academy was located on the highest level of those stairs, and the stair which went towards the starboard-side Remorse Way from in front of the Academy was clearly visible even from here.

It was a distance where one could make out the figures of those atop the stairs, where individuals could be determined.

However, Knight looked at a single small figure sitting at the Academy stairs.

"Gacchan...Can you see Kimi-chan?"

"Jud.--I can see her clearly from Musashino. Because, Kimi isn't moving."

"Which is to say, the Chancellor hasn't moved from the front of Remorse Way either, has he?"

"Yeah...Is there anything you'd like to say regarding those two?"

'Yeah,' Knight reached into the cart of small packages and grabbed hold of one of them.

"One urgent piece of luggage is addressed to the Student Council, you know? The delivery label is printed with 'Climax! Virgin Queen Elizabeth First Edition,' so the one who asked for this is the Chancellor, huh."

"Please choose whether you want to be serious or make a tsukkomi about it, Knight. Rather, didn't he say that the eroge this morning the last one?"

"This's camouflaged as an educational package from Izumo {{Furigana|Divine Transmission's|Communication's|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} educational program, 'Working Grandpa,' but it failed because of the delivery label. This should be the continuation of 'Alternating Henry the 8th!'"

"Like I said, please don't make your comment include difficult references."

'That so?' Knight, who tilted her head, looked beside her, looked at a figure there who, just like her, was waiting on the traffic-

"Ah, it's Seijun."

<center>●</center>

At the sudden voice, Masazumi's body shook.

She turned back, and at the tip of her gaze, the six golden-winged Knight was there. Masazumi looked at her pushcart-

"...Your part-time job?"

"No, this is Nai-chan's real job. What're you doing?"

"Ah, I'm returning from Mikawa. And well, I was thinking of going towards the school, towards Remorse Way."

"Jud., I see, at this time the ship exterior is pretty crowded, huh."

"? Knight? Has Masazumi come? If she has, tell her about tonight and that item--"

'Night?' At the voice which leaked from the Figur of Magi, Masazumi tilted her neck. In response, Knight nodded-

"Gacchan, I'll go there right now, so wait--Then, um, Seijun, the Chancellor said he was going to have a 'Ghost Hunt' at the school tonight. The stairs at 8:00 PM. Are you coming?"

Being asked, Masazumi felt a slight relief. ''They invited me, huh?'' However-

"Ah, no, before, when we were outside, I was told by President Sakai, but..."

"You can't?"

In response to the question, Masazumi averted her gaze unintentionally. And-

"If everyone from the Student Council is there, then...It'd be a bad example."

She, who muttered, "I'm sorry," thought: ''I'm a letdown, aren't I.'' But, if speaking by common understanding-

"I'll be at Murayama, so if I tried to go to Okutama at night, I'd have to pass the police-box during its night shift. If I did that, I'd be troubling my father as well."

"Masazumi's father is a big member of the Provisional Parliament, right?"

"Well...That's right."

She was a bit lost about how to answer, when suddenly Knight raised the package in her hand, along with a smile.

"Then, I'll give you this. It's an item addressed to the Student Council."

'Huh?' Accepting it even while asking, Masazumi looked at the delivery label of the package in her hand-

"Why's this addressed to the Student Council..."

"Could you just put that aside and bring it there for me? I mean, the Chancellor is close to Remorse Way right now after all...I think you should go meet him, you know?"

"Why? Why should I meet him?"

At Masazumi's question, Knight attached the portable vault she had taken from the cart to the latch behind her waist, and answered with a smile.

"Mm--It has something to do with the topic tomorrow. What's popular is important to a young girl, after all."

Right after she said it, Knight brought the cart right up to the wall, and removing her broom, she covered the cart. She locked it, and faster than she turned around, behind me, a breeze blew threw the air where the wind passed through.

...Eh?

Turning around, men and women, each of them wearing the old flight uniforms of every country, were flying through the air with brooms, flying instruments, or with their own wings, stopped.

Several of them looked this way, in Knight's direction-

"Come up here, 'Zwei Fräuleins!' We won't lose this time! We'll show you the power of the old generation!"

<center>●</center>

Knight brushed the {{Furigana|Orei Metallo|Wisdom Ore|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} at the tip of her broom, and turned around while carrying out her start-up operations.

She faced her delivery rivals, who were in the air, beyond the startled Masazumi-

"Won't you wait a bit? Ascending in gravitated space is Nai-chan and Gacchan's weakness, so I'd like to do it."

"Overcoming your weakness, what spirit! You're worthy of our training!"

"'Almirante', you're already a geezer, so back down. When it comes to a two-man unit, us, the former aces of Hexagon Francaise have barely above a 60% chance of victory against you two, who aren't Technohexen."

"Yeah? I'll seriously drag out the anti-God of War combat manual from when I was in active duty and do some combat maneuvers--The fact that I was a small fry like you three years ago was because I'd been taught by troublesome brats."

'Ahaha,' Knight laughed, and ran. Masaszumi, who stood on the pathway-

"...What...is all of this?"

"Ah, the race and mock battle that everyone from the delivery businesses is doing. We start when the observers are gone, so it's called 'Geheimnis Sabbat'. We do technical research and training, and we also make some money on the side by displaying it and betting on it."

"I haven't seen it from up close, but..."

"You should come with everyone this time, you know? Strange snacks are going to be there, and we're going to pull an all-nighter at Tsukiichi."

'Right?' She called out, and everyone in the air nodded. Now, the clothes and equipment of those who had gathered was all from the aerial-squadrons of every country. There were many people of the same grade or younger, but I had heard that the reason that it was mainly irregular races and witches who were older was because they were people who had evaded the oppression brought on by the hunting of heretics and gathered at Musashi.

In each country, there's no time limit on the graduation from the Academy, but in the Far East, it's been decided that graduation from the Academy comes at 18. Therefore, ever since they've come to Musashi, they couldn't be in service. However-

"Come now, aces of the current duty! The old aces have come to learn! Show us the skills that brought 'Wildkamelie' low and led you to become testers for 'EDEL Brocken'!"

"Ahaha, if Gacchan isn't here I can't match you guys, though--If she's here, we're invincible."

Leaving everyone, who said, "Go on, Go on!", in front of her, Knight waved to Masazumi-

"Then, please give the item to the Chancellor, alright?"

'Ah, yes.' Turning her back to Masazumi, who said those words, Knight launched her body into the air.

The empty sky.　In response to the wind which naturally caught in her wings and the sensation of suspension where there's no longer any support for her legs, Knight stuck the speedometer-type Figur of Magi into her palm.

'''"Model Summon : Product Name "Beginning of a Sleeping Face" : Confirm"'''

Technomagi is an Ability which ARIA-calculates the expended Ether with the most elementary unit ATELL. However, the created Ability is saved as a Focal Instrument, and if it's necessary, that calculation can be summoned immediately, with no need for an ARIA. What was being carried out was that-<ref group="1K">The following is an interpretation: Where an Ability is the use of Ether to make a miracle, Technomagi involves creating an Ability with a calculation, somewhat like an equation. This is called an 'aria calculation,' possibly because they sing an aria while calculating. The created equation can be stored in a Folder as a pattern and saved, which in turn allows it to be used freely without having to undergo the calculation again. Saved equations are referred to as Models of a Focal Instrument, and the Product Name is just the name of the Model. (Once again, this is just theory.)</ref>

'''"'Beginning of a Sleeping Face' : Quintet Activation : ----Confirm"'''

At the same time. Three speedometers appeared at the brush-part of the broom. Two appeared at the tip. 'Oooh,' "Almirante," who spoke-

"You really aren't making any Abilities other than that! What umpteenth Model is that?"

"Spontaneous creation is full of wastage, so I'm just saving the most appropriate one as a pattern. Everyone's copying me, so the division of the pattern folder is troublesome...Anyways, I'll do this without 'Schwarzfräulein', so let's race one round, alright? On the way there I'll meet up with Gacchan, and we'll do the second week, which is upwards, right?"<ref group="1K">The pronunciation for 'round' and 'week' is the same, and the second week Margot is referring to here is the one where they race upwards in a gravitated space.</ref>

'Oooh,' As if taking in their voices, a shockwave of air burst out from the brush-part of the broom.

In the next instant, Knight's body and vision rose up into the sky above Musashi.

The sky.

Below her, on the top of Musashi, bathing in the rays of the afternoon sun, there lay the expanses of towns and natural parks.

''It's so big''. As she thought that, the heat waves and wind chasing her from below was visible to her gaze.

Everyone is chasing. Each one is adapting to my form, and learning.　For me, who has no place where I belong as a witch and was brought along by the flow of life to Musashi, they're an existence I'm thankful for. At the beginning, we had clashes, but as we kept going, I was recognized, I learned, and now we're equal.

And furthermore-

...The Chancellor and Kimi-chan...

In front of the Academy on Okutama, there were two figures she knew in front of "Remorse Way", but confirming that the two stayed unmoving, while Knight brought the tip of her broom to face the northern skies-

One round. ''Even if I do that, those two won't move, right?'' She thought.

==Translator's notes and references==

<references group="1K" />

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 09|Chapter 09]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 11|Chapter 11]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 09

2013-10-11T08:53:04Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 09: The One Waiting Beyond the Door */

==Chapter 09: The One Waiting Beyond the Door==
[[File:Horizon1A 243.jpg|thumb]]
''When I had thought that it was {{Furigana|'''nobody'''|nobody exists|.7em|fontWeight=400|margin=15|okurispacing=0px}}
.''

''That was not it.''

''It was not {{Furigana|'''no body'''|no need for somebody|fontWeight=400|margin=15|okurispacing=0px}} either.''

''Then, what was it.''

'''Point Allocation (The Edge of Death)'''

<center>●</center>

An underground passage exists. A horizontal passage of the residential divisions, an underground passage with lights present.

In its corner, in front of a single western sliding door, a boy was standing, his shoulders sagged.

It was Azuma.

Without even paying attention to his mussed hair, he-

"In the end, I came back here, but I really failed..."

I was planning on resolving the situation where there was already a previous resident of the room which would be my new residence, but-

...What kind of wild goose chase was I subjected to.

First, I went to the office which manages the room. In a position outside of the horizontal passage, the manager's office at the entrance to the vertical　passage.

However, at the office, even though the managing of the rooms was going on, they weren't proceeding with the paperwork of things like my move. Therefore, I was told that I would have to bring residence change documents from the Academy if I wanted to change my room.

At least, I was able to confirm at the office the existence of the previous resident who had moved into the room.

Miriam Poqou, 18 years old. She was in the same class. The aged werewolf who was the manager looked at that and burst into laughter-

"Isn't that fine! Is appearance so important among the young!!"

-he said, but: 'If that's the case, then as expected, this won't do,' I thought. I had largely completed my transition into normal life the day before, but staying together with a girl from the same class the moment I become a citizen after being one of the imperial family is too large a character change.

...Rather than that, the other side of this equation is troubling.

However, when I went to the Academy's business office in an attempt to acquire residence change documents-

...'You need the permission of your guardian,', I was told.

After, I was stuck with searching for Oriotorai, but it was important. Even though she wasn't carrying the paperwork for my return home, it wasn't in the teacher's office either, and to find it I looked around the school. In the classroom which the tea ceremony club was using, Asama, who counted as a an acquaintance of mine, was there, and along with her club members she was performing the tea ceremony with sports drinks for the athletics club. And then, Asama placed a hat, pierced with arrows, on its side, drinking IZUMO-type's lemon-flavoured sports drink "CC-EMON" while kneeling, so I was able to explain myself, but-

"Isn't that fine? Is appearance so important among the young?"

In short, all that happened was that it was made known to me that this girl was also an exception.

However, according to their information, Oriotorai had the habit of checking her territory around this time, and with everyone's cooperation, I found Oriotorai at the cafeteria after two hours.

And, when I tried to head to the cafeteria, breaking out in laughter, having drunk the local brand of sake since noon and being completely smashed, an amazing woman was there.

I don't really understand, but at what Oriotorai, recklessly cheerful, was saying-

"Ain't that fine!? Is appearance really so important among the young!?"

...Could it be that the residents of Musashi had been brainwashed such that their thought patterns have been completely standardized?

And besides conversing for about an hour about a lot of things-

"I've been overruled..."

Anyways, Azuma was now in front of the room. The thought, 'this is bad,' was in his heart.

Being overruled meant that I can do nothing but stay in this room. But, if I stay in this room, appearance will be a lot of trouble, even from this young age. As I thought, I can't. Let's live outside. There should be a place sheltered from the wind and rain even outside, right? But, isn't being homeless immediately after my return to normal life too large a character change too?

...Could it be that now, I<ref group="1J">Azuma uses 余, a rather old masculine first-person pronoun.</ref> am in the midst of running away from reality?

He thought. At that moment. From the other side of the sliding door before his eyes, the voice of a girl could be heard.

"Even though it's fine if you come in, what are you doing?"

...Eh?

At the question, he panicked and glanced around at his surroundings. The time now is after school. The sun is leaning towards the setting side. The students in clubs are going out to each of their respective activity areas, all that are in the roads are the people walking the roads on their way for the cleanup of their rooms or the laundry. However, the voice just now was indeed audible from the room in front of him. Therefore-

"Is it...fine?"

In response to that voice of question, a pause came.

In the empty time, he continued with one breath, two breaths, and around the third breath-

...Huh? Did I say something wrong?

At that question, he started sweating heatedly. At that moment.

"--I don't really understand what you mean, but it's fine even if you don't come in, I guess?"

"Ah, no."

Naturally, his hand reached to the sliding door. 'Is this fine?' he thought. But, he felt that not entering was more wrong. Therefore, Azuma opened the door to the left-

"Um."

Faster than he was able to clearly look at the figure of the girl seated in the wheelchair in front of him, she said this.

"Azuma--I want to talk with you a little, is it fine?"

<center>●</center>

Azuma did not close the sliding door.

He didn't want to give the feeling that he was going to stay by closing the door, but-

"Please close it. This is a room with a girl in it, you know."

Spoken to, he decided to close the door. He closed it, hands behind his back. Such that he would make the least amount of noise possible.

Directly in front. A girl, Miriam Poqou continued to face her wheelchair towards the desk, and looked this way with nothing but her face.

...Then...

What should I say? No, what should I start talking from is the question.

"I was told that I would stay in this room from today onwards by the Academy--"

"That's fine."

His words were cut off. Miriam seemed as if she was thinking a little, but-

"It's something that happens all the time. Generally, everone gets perplexed, but you'll get used to it."

"Get used to it..."

"This isn't the first time I've shared a room--It's the first time a boy came, though."

"I-if that's so-"

"It'll be fine once we get used to it, that applies for the both of us. Until now, there's been a lot of cases where boys and girls are assigned to the same room. I think that that's just what happened this time...Also, if this room was assigned to you, then your right is the same as mine.

Even so, asking whether it's fine for yourself to be here is the same thing as asking me whether you should leave, you know? I don't want to leave. So it's fine if you stay as well."

And-

"Use the space in front of you as you please. I'll be in the corner. Also, I want to use the bed on the bottom, but is that fine?"

Azuma could not answer the question. His actual position was one where he had lost all words.

...Doesn't she think it's a problem?

She said, 'It's something that happens all the time.' The girl who lives the life of one in a wheelchair. The 'all the time' she's saying is different from my 'all the time.' When he thought about that meaning, Miriam tilted her head.

"...Well, whether it's some sort of consideration or whether it's a mistake, it's something the Academy decided upon, right? It's something that happens all the time. I think that I'll be able to get used to it, but is it fine for you? Staying in the same room as I."

"For me?"

He said himself and realized, 'Is this about the distance between boys and girls?' Therefore, Azuma returned a question with the same words.

"For you, is it really fine to share a room with a boy?"

"...Umm, you don't really understand what I'm saying, do you--Well, whatever. You know Azuma, if you really think that it's wrong for boys and girls to live together, why're you standing there?"

Miriam's voice could be heard.

"I'm at a level where I've showed things like my body to doctors, you know. And there's no distinction between doctors and male students in that if there's a mistake, it'll become a crime, and I don't think you're that kind of person."

"Why--"

'You know,' Miriam said.

"I basically understand what you did after you left earlier. You understand the meaning of boys and girls being in the same room, so you went to object, and you were argued with because you're too nice. You're honest to an extent where you couldn't think, 'but it's fine if she understands,' so you were standing in front of the door, right?

Isn't it fine? If you understand just that one thing, I know that when both of us get rid of this nervousness, it'll be over and done with. That's why...first, I want to make a promise from my side, but is that fine?"

"A promise?"

"Yes--to not speak out against each others' lives. For example, I'm an overly religious Catholic but you're a Shintoist, right? That's also included...that's right, if we were to talk about the extremes, I wouldn't say anything even if you brought a girl here."

"I-I won't do anything like that."

"My, 'won't' means that it's something that you 'can' but won't do?"

Spoken to, Azuma felt that heat was rising to his cheeks. Words like 'No' or 'Um' leaked from his mouth, but in response, Miriam suddenly relaxed her eyes, and with a small laugh she waved her hand.

"I'm sorry, I was joking. That was my bad. I know that you're serious."

"That's why you made fun of me?"

"Not that. I wanted to confirm if you were even more serious than what I had known. It was unnecessary, I apologize."

'You know,' Miriam said again.

"Fundamentally, that I take classes through the notes that everyone brings to me means I'm treated the same as taking lessons at home. And, I'll choose times when the bath and meals are empty, so if you're interrupted by my life, you won't be able to do anything. I move at different times from everyone else."

"Sh-should I help you?"

"Eh?"

Her eyes opened, and being asked in question, Azuma noticed that he had reflexively said the words of just now.

Therefore, while feeling panic in his heart-

"I mean, things like the movement of people in wheelchairs..."

Following how the feeling that he was saying something unnecessary became strong, his voice became small.

In response, Miriam closed her opened eyes in a relaxed manner and narrowed them, smiling wryly.

"You didn't share a room for that purpose, did you?"

He was remonstrated. And, Miriam looked around the room-

"Is it fine? Being treated the same as us, if that wasn't a mistake or a misunderstanding--then it means you'll be trusted by us, you know? Looking from your viewpoint, this is probably because there was some sort of mistake or misunderstanding, but looking from my viewpoint, it'd be nice if the guilt stemming from the fact this room is being wasted was gone. That I'm treated equivalently as a human is also proof of my thankfulness."

At her words, Azuma felt something hard around his throat.

...equivalently as a human...huh?

Something is the equivalency which the girl in the wheelchair hopes for.

...That is, to welcome the resident of the same room just like other people--.

That what everyone is doing, she herself can do. She can say that she is thankful for that kind of normal thing.

"----"

Azuma thought of himself. His power sealed, he returned to normal life, and started to live as a normal person, but-

...That it was something to be thankful for, he didn't even try to think.

It was not something which he had to think. Because, his and Miriam's standpoints were different. However, Azuma thought this. 'The daily life of she and I hold a different weight for both of us'.

And now, Miriam was saying not to care about her legs.

She was saying that it was fine even to live together with a boy if she got used to it. Even saying that: besides, this had happened before.

'She also has something like obstinacy in her,' Azuma thought. To not make others hold concern for her, she tried to be normal, and there were also times where she would use the words 'it's alright', he thought. Therefore-

"Then, let me also make a promise."

"?...What? What promise can I make to you?"

To she, who was frowning slightly and tilting her head, Azuma spoke. After giving a single gesture-

"--If the other looks troubled, I hope that it will be allowed for one to at least ask about that."

"...You won't suddenly make a move?"

He nodded, and Miriam showed a smile where the corners of her eyes dipped.

"Serious, aren't you."

With the same expression, Miriam shook her head up and down.

However, when she raised her face, she had already changed her expression to its regular smile-

"But, if asking questions is allowed, then can I ask a single question right now?--You know? Why have you been talking while being afraid since earlier?"

"--Eh? No, um."

"Would it have been better if I were a cute, silent girl?"

No matter what he answered, it seemed as if it would be an insult, but without a doubt, denying that would be a lie. Therefore, Azuma-

"That's unfair--it seemed as if you were testing me since before."

"Is that so? Even if I'm the one to give you points, you're the one that can earn points, you know?"

"? Why is it that girls can't earn points?"

"That is, a girl's points are...the points of the boy she's with."

'Huh?' Azuma faltered. In front of him, Miriam was laughing softly while waving the palm of her hand.

"Is that fine? No matter how one is dressed up, if it's just dressing up then it's a hobby. An expression of being aware of the self that people see, and dressing up. Because of that, it's fashionable if you are able to dress up such that people are captivated. And if you are able to dress up such that you can steal the eyes of a person who holds the points that you want--"

Thickening her smile, she looked up from drooping her head-

"--To reach your hand to the one you yearn for, is what it is."

Saying that, Miriam looked this way. She left a smile at the edge of her lips-

"What kind of person are you? An honest person, a caring person, unable to throw away your seriousness--"

"Le-let's stop giving points."

"--you're rather conceited, so I jumped to the wrong conclusion, didn't I."

He was laughed at. 'But, that really is true,' the himself who thought that--

...Am I serious?

'That's a bad point,' he also thought.

And looking at Miriam, who wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes which came about from laughing, Azuma thought this.

...It's fine.

Marking the lines of each others' spaces, without interfering in each others' lives, we ask if we take interest. In short, this is-

"Good for strangers, isn't it."

"If you say 'let's start as strangers,' that'll be the time I say, 'what's the end. Get out.', you know."

"Ahh, then--now, my points have been given."

So he said, and Miriam raised her eyebrows. For about a breath, she looked this way with an expression which could not take hold of either a smile or surprise, but suddenly she bent her body forward, burst out laughing, and formed words.

"--If you didn't say that you'd have rather high points. You really are an idiot, and you really are serious."

'But', saying that, Miriam stuck her left hand out this way. Lightly opening her hand of handshake-

"--I can't be suspicious of stupid, serious people."

<center>●</center>

The checkpoint at the foot of Kagamihara had a bridge.

It was a checkpoint different from the quarantine and trade checkpoint at the upper side of the mountain. Such that things that descended from the mountain would be unable to immediately enter Mikawa, it was a place whose purpose was a second inspection.

The gate which was proof of the checkpoint was built on the riverbank of the river running down the mountain, in front of a bridge.

The wide, roofless gate was open, and from the opened gate, a bridge around 10 meters in width was visible.

And south from the bridge, if one looked at the sea, on the other side of the wide fields and forests, at the foot of the gentle slope, a village stained with blue was there.

At the center of the village, the flat New Nagoya Castle existed, as if covered by brown cloth.

Before its background, there were three figures.

One was a past middling, slender man.

One was a full-figured man, around the same age.

And the other was a girl sticking close to the back of the second.

The three were standing, the village of Mikawa to their backs.

To that place, another figure came. He too was a past-middling, hunchbacked man-

"Oh, that two of the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings, Sakakibara Yasumasa and Honda Tadakatsu would come to greet me. Was this to not disappoint me? Where's Ii? Sakakibara, Dacchan."

At his words, the middling, slender man called Sakakibara raised his face slightly. He brushed his white hair aside-

"About that, Sakai-kun, actually, Ii-kun has--"

"Don't say a word about Ii. Have you forgotten, Sakakibara?"

The middling, full-figured man called Tadakatsu spoke without turning his gaze to Sakakibara.

Sakakibara, beside him, let his lips falter, but looking in Sakai's direction, he shut his mouth together with a nod.

As if a substitute, Tadakatsu stepped forwards half a step. Tilting his body forward a little-

"--Show me."

An instant. The figure of the girl at Tadakatsu's back disappeared.

In response, Sakai raised his face slightly-

"Huh? Heyheyhey, the 'show me' that you're saying isn't something good is i--"

Faster than the end of his line, a figure which outlined two arcs approached Sakai's back.

One of the arcs was the trajectory that the tied hair of the girl from just now had traced.

The other arc was a silver trajectory which told of a drawn blade.

The movement did not stop. And as such-

"--!"

Sakai also put his body into motion.

==Translator's notes and references==

<references group="1J" />

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 08|Chapter 08]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 10|Chapter 10]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 09

2013-10-11T08:33:44Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 09: The One Waiting Beyond the Door */

==Chapter 09: The One Waiting Beyond the Door==
[[File:Horizon1A 243.jpg|thumb]]
''When I had thought that it was {{Furigana|'''nobody'''|nobody exists|.7em|fontWeight=400|margin=15|okurispacing=0px}}
.''

''That was not it.''

''It was not {{Furigana|'''no body'''|no need for somebody|fontWeight=400|margin=15|okurispacing=0px}} either.''

''Then, what was it.''

'''Point Allocation (The Edge of Death)'''

<center>●</center>

An underground passage exists. A horizontal passage of the residential divisions, an underground passage with lights present.

In its corner, in front of a single western sliding door, a boy was standing, his shoulders sagged.

It was Azuma.

Without even paying attention to his mussed hair, he-

"In the end, I came back here, but I really failed..."

I was planning on resolving the situation where there was already a previous resident of the room which would be my new residence, but-

...What kind of wild goose chase was I subjected to.

First, I went to the office which manages the room. In a position outside of the horizontal passage, the manager's office at the entrance to the vertical　passage.

However, at the office, even though the managing of the rooms was going on, they weren't proceeding with the paperwork of things like my move. Therefore, I was told that I would have to bring residence change documents from the Academy if I wanted to change my room.

At least, I was able to confirm at the office the existence of the previous resident who had moved into the room.

Miriam Poqou, 18 years old. She was in the same class. The aged werewolf who was the manager looked at that and burst into laughter-

"Isn't that fine! Is appearance so important among the young!!"

-he said, but: 'If that's the case, then as expected, this won't do,' I thought. I had largely completed my transition into normal life the day before, but staying together with a girl from the same class the moment I become a citizen after being one of the imperial family is too large a character change.

...Rather than that, the other side of this equation is troubling.

However, when I went to the Academy's business office in an attempt to acquire residence change documents-

...'You need the permission of your guardian,', I was told.

After, I was stuck with searching for Oriotorai, but it was important. Even though she wasn't carrying the paperwork for my return home, it wasn't in the teacher's office either, and to find it I looked around the school. In the classroom which the tea ceremony club was using, Asama, who counted as a an acquaintance of mine, was there, and along with her club members she was performing the tea ceremony with sports drinks for the athletics club. And then, Asama placed a hat, pierced with arrows, on its side, drinking IZUMO-type's lemon-flavoured sports drink "CC-EMON" while kneeling, so I was able to explain myself, but-

"Isn't that fine? Is appearance so important among the young?"

In short, all that happened was that it was made known to me that this girl was also an exception.

However, according to their information, Oriotorai had the habit of checking her territory around this time, and with everyone's cooperation, I found Oriotorai at the cafeteria after two hours.

And, when I tried to head to the cafeteria, breaking out in laughter, having drunk the local brand of sake since noon and being completely smashed, an amazing woman was there.

I don't really understand, but at what Oriotorai, recklessly cheerful, was saying-

"Ain't that fine!? Is appearance really so important among the young!?"

...Could it be that the residents of Musashi had been brainwashed such that their thought patterns have been completely standardized?

And besides conversing for about an hour about a lot of things-

"I've been overruled..."

Anyways, Azuma was now in front of the room. The thought, 'this is bad,' was in his heart.

Being overruled meant that I can do nothing but stay in this room. But, if I stay in this room, appearance will be a lot of trouble, even from this young age. As I thought, I can't. Let's live outside. There should be a place sheltered from the wind and rain even outside, right? But, isn't being homeless immediately after my return to normal life too large a character change too?

...Could it be that now, I<ref group="1J">Azuma uses 余, a rather old masculine first-person pronoun.</ref> am in the midst of running away from reality?

He thought. At that moment. From the other side of the sliding door before his eyes, the voice of a girl could be heard.

"Even though it's fine if you come in, what are you doing?"

...Eh?

At the question, he panicked and glanced around at his surroundings. The time now is after school. The sun is leaning towards the setting side. The students in clubs are going out to each of their respective activity areas, all that are in the roads are the people walking the roads on their way for the cleanup of their rooms or the laundry. However, the voice just now was indeed audible from the room in front of him. Therefore-

"Is it...fine?"

In response to that voice of question, a pause came.

In the empty time, he continued with one breath, two breaths, and around the third breath-

...Huh? Did I say something wrong?

At that question, he started sweating heatedly. At that moment.

"--I don't really understand what you mean, but it's fine even if you don't come in, I guess?"

"Ah, no."

Naturally, his hand reached to the sliding door. 'Is this fine?' he thought. But, he felt that not entering was more wrong. Therefore, Azuma opened the door to the left-

"Um."

Faster than he was able to clearly look at the figure of the girl seated in the wheelchair in front of him, she said this.

"Azuma--I want to talk with you a little, is it fine?"

<center>●</center>

Azuma did not close the sliding door.

He didn't want to give the feeling that he was going to stay by closing the door, but-

"Please close it. This is a room with a girl in it, you know."

Spoken to, he decided to close the door. He closed it, hands behind his back. Such that he would make the least amount of noise possible.

Directly in front. A girl, Miriam Poquo continued to face her wheelchair towards the desk, and looked this way with nothing but her face.

...Then...

What should I say? No, what should I start talking from is the question.

"I was told that I would stay in this room from today onwards by the Academy--"

"That's fine."

His words were cut off. Miriam seemed as if she was thinking a little, but-

"It's something that happens all the time. Generally, everone gets perplexed, but you'll get used to it."

"Get used to it..."

"This isn't the first time I've shared a room--It's the first time a boy came, though."

"I-if that's so-"

"It'll be fine once we get used to it, that applies for the both of us. Until now, there's been a lot of cases where boys and girls are assigned to the same room. I think that that's just what happened this time...Also, if this room was assigned to you, then your right is the same as mine.

Even so, asking whether it's fine for yourself to be here is the same thing as asking me whether you should leave, you know? I don't want to leave. So it's fine if you stay as well."

And-

"Use the space in front of you as you please. I'll be in the corner. Also, I want to use the bed on the bottom, but is that fine?"

Azuma could not answer the question. His actual position was one where he had lost all words.

...Doesn't she think it's a problem?

She said, 'It's something that happens all the time.' The girl who lives the life of one in a wheelchair. The 'all the time' she's saying is different from my 'all the time.' When he thought about that meaning, Miriam tilted her head.

"...Well, whether it's some sort of consideration or whether it's a mistake, it's something the Academy decided upon, right? It's something that happens all the time. I think that I'll be able to get used to it, but is it fine for you? Staying in the same room as I."

"For me?"

He said himself and realized, 'Is this about the distance between boys and girls?' Therefore, Azuma returned a question with the same words.

"For you, is it really fine to share a room with a boy?"

"...Umm, you don't really understand what I'm saying, do you--Well, whatever. You know Azuma, if you really think that it's wrong for boys and girls to live together, why're you standing there?"

Miriam's voice could be heard.

"I'm at a level where I've showed things like my body to doctors, you know. And there's no distinction between doctors and male students in that if there's a mistake, it'll become a crime, and I don't think you're that kind of person."

"Why--"

'You know,' Miriam said.

"I basically understand what you did after you left earlier. You understand the meaning of boys and girls being in the same room, so you went to object, and you were argued with because you're too nice. You're honest to an extent where you couldn't think, 'but it's fine if she understands,' so you were standing in front of the door, right?

Isn't it fine? If you understand just that one thing, I know that when both of us get rid of this nervousness, it'll be over and done with. That's why...first, I want to make a promise from my side, but is that fine?"

"A promise?"

"Yes--to not speak out against each others' lives. For example, I'm an overly religious Catholic but you're a Shintoist, right? That's also included...that's right, if we were to talk about the extremes, I wouldn't say anything even if you brought a girl here."

"I-I won't do anything like that."

"My, 'won't' means that it's something that you 'can' but won't do?"

Spoken to, Azuma felt that heat was rising to his cheeks. Words like 'No' or 'Um' leaked from his mouth, but in response, Miriam suddenly relaxed her eyes, and with a small laugh she waved her hand.

"I'm sorry, I was joking. That was my bad. I know that you're serious."

"That's why you made fun of me?"

"Not that. I wanted to confirm if you were even more serious than what I had known. It was unnecessary, I apologize."

'You know,' Miriam said again.

"Fundamentally, that I take classes through the notes that everyone brings to me means I'm treated the same as taking lessons at home. And, I'll choose times when the bath and meals are empty, so if you're interrupted by my life, you won't be able to do anything. I move at different times from everyone else."

"Sh-should I help you?"

"Eh?"

Her eyes opened, and being asked in question, Azuma noticed that he had reflexively said the words of just now.

Therefore, while feeling panic in his heart-

"I mean, things like the movement of people in wheelchairs..."

Following how the feeling that he was saying something unnecessary became strong, his voice became small.

In response, Miriam closed her opened eyes in a relaxed manner and narrowed them, smiling wryly.

"You didn't share a room for that purpose, did you?"

He was remonstrated. And, Miriam looked around the room-

"Is it fine? Being treated the same as us, if that wasn't a mistake or a misunderstanding--then it means you'll be trusted by us, you know? Looking from your viewpoint, this is probably because there was some sort of mistake or misunderstanding, but looking from my viewpoint, it'd be nice if the guilt stemming from the fact this room is being wasted was gone. That I'm treated equivalently as a human is also proof of my thankfulness."

At her words, Azuma felt something hard around his throat.

...equivalently as a human...huh?

Something is the equivalency which the girl in the wheelchair hopes for.

...That is, to welcome the resident of the same room just like other people--.

That what everyone is doing, she herself can do. She can say that she is thankful for that kind of normal thing.

"----"

Azuma thought of himself. His power sealed, he returned to normal life, and started to live as a normal person, but-

...That it was something to be thankful for, he didn't even try to think.

It was not something which he had to think. Because, his and Miriam's standpoints were different. However, Azuma thought this. 'The daily life of she and I hold a different weight for both of us'.

And now, Miriam was saying not to care about her legs.

She was saying that it was fine even to live together with a boy if she got used to it. Even saying that: besides, this had happened before.

'She also has something like obstinacy in her,' Azuma thought. To not make others hold concern for her, she tried to be normal, and there were also times where she would use the words 'it's alright', he thought. Therefore-

"Then, let me also make a promise."

"?...What? What promise can I make to you?"

To she, who was frowning slightly and tilting her head, Azuma spoke. After giving a single gesture-

"--If the other looks troubled, I hope that it will be allowed for one to at least ask about that."

"...You won't suddenly make a move?"

He nodded, and Miriam showed a smile where the corners of her eyes dipped.

"Serious, aren't you."

With the same expression, Miriam shook her head up and down.

However, when she raised her face, she had already changed her expression to its regular smile-

"But, if asking questions is allowed, then can I ask a single question right now?--You know? Why have you been talking while being afraid since earlier?"

"--Eh? No, um."

"Would it have been better if I were a cute, silent girl?"

No matter what he answered, it seemed as if it would be an insult, but without a doubt, denying that would be a lie. Therefore, Azuma-

"That's unfair--it seemed as if you were testing me since before."

"Is that so? Even if I'm the one to give you points, you're the one that can earn points, you know?"

"? Why is it that girls can't earn points?"

"That is, a girl's points are...the points of the boy she's with."

'Huh?' Azuma faltered. In front of him, Miriam was laughing softly while waving the palm of her hand.

"Is that fine? No matter how one is dressed up, if it's just dressing up then it's a hobby. An expression of being aware of the self that people see, and dressing up. Because of that, it's fashionable if you are able to dress up such that people are captivated. And if you are able to dress up such that you can steal the eyes of a person who holds the points that you want--"

Thickening her smile, she looked up from drooping her head-

"--To reach your hand to the one you yearn for, is what it is."

Saying that, Miriam looked this way. She left a smile at the edge of her lips-

"What kind of person are you? An honest person, a caring person, unable to throw away your seriousness--"

"Le-let's stop giving points."

"--you're rather conceited, so I jumped to the wrong conclusion, didn't I."

He was laughed at. 'But, that really is true,' the himself who thought that--

...Am I serious?

'That's a bad point,' he also thought.

And looking at Miriam, who wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes which came about from laughing, Azuma thought this.

...It's fine.

Marking the lines of each others' spaces, without interfering in each others' lives, we ask if we take interest. In short, this is-

"Good for strangers, isn't it."

"If you say 'let's start as strangers,' that'll be the time I say, 'what's the end. Get out.', you know."

"Ahh, then--now, my points have been given."

So he said, and Miriam raised her eyebrows. For about a breath, she looked this way with an expression which could not take hold of either a smile or surprise, but suddenly she bent her body forward, burst out laughing, and formed words.

"--If you didn't say that you'd have rather high points. You really are an idiot, and you really are serious."

'But', saying that, Miriam stuck her left hand out this way. Lightly opening her hand of handshake-

"--I can't be suspicious of stupid, serious people."

<center>●</center>

The checkpoint at the foot of Kagamihara had a bridge.

It was a checkpoint different from the quarantine and trade checkpoint at the upper side of the mountain. Such that things that descended from the mountain would be unable to immediately enter Mikawa, it was a place whose purpose was a second inspection.

The gate which was proof of the checkpoint was built on the riverbank of the river running down the mountain, in front of a bridge.

The wide, roofless gate was open, and from the opened gate, a bridge around 10 meters in width was visible.

And south from the bridge, if one looked at the sea, on the other side of the wide fields and forests, at the foot of the gentle slope, a village stained with blue was there.

At the center of the village, the flat New Nagoya Castle existed, as if covered by brown cloth.

Before its background, there were three figures.

One was a past middling, slender man.

One was a full-figured man, around the same age.

And the other was a girl sticking close to the back of the second.

The three were standing, the village of Mikawa to their backs.

To that place, another figure came. He too was a past-middling, hunchbacked man-

"Oh, that two of the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings, Sakakibara Yasumasa and Honda Tadakatsu would come to greet me. Was this to not disappoint me? Where's Ii? Sakakibara, Dacchan."

At his words, the middling, slender man called Sakakibara raised his face slightly. He brushed his white hair aside-

"About that, Sakai-kun, actually, Ii-kun has--"

"Don't say a word about Ii. Have you forgotten, Sakakibara?"

The middling, full-figured man called Tadakatsu spoke without turning his gaze to Sakakibara.

Sakakibara, beside him, let his lips falter, but looking in Sakai's direction, he shut his mouth together with a nod.

As if a substitute, Tadakatsu stepped forwards half a step. Tilting his body forward a little-

"--Show me."

An instant. The figure of the girl at Tadakatsu's back disappeared.

In response, Sakai raised his face slightly-

"Huh? Heyheyhey, the 'show me' that you're saying isn't something good is i--"

Faster than the end of his line, a figure which outlined two arcs approached Sakai's back.

One of the arcs was the trajectory that the tied hair of the girl from just now had traced.

The other arc was a silver trajectory which told of a drawn blade.

The movement did not stop. And as such-

"--!"

Sakai also put his body into motion.

==Translator's notes and references==

<references group="1J" />

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 08|Chapter 08]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 10|Chapter 10]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 06

2013-10-11T08:32:33Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 06: Fated Ones Beyond the Door */

==Chapter 06: Fated Ones Beyond the Door==
[[File:Horizon1A 191.jpg|thumb]]

''What should we call that suddenness.''

''We hope for while still fearful of.''

'''Point Allocation (Romantist)'''

<center>●</center>

A bell rang.

Sounding a fixed melody, the sound of a bell which let one know of the school's noon break. A tone which told of Musashi's noon.

That sound was not only above Musashi, it also used the ships' interior broadcasters; the inside was also informed.

The ships' interior.

An underground residential area where rooms were lined up in a wall. On that pathway, three meters in width, a single boy was walking.

A boy dragging a long a travel bag on which the name "Azuma" was written.

"...The room farthest in, huh? Even though I finished moving quickly, I spent a really long time on the paperwork."

On the pathway he looked at, on the wall there was "Okutama: Horizontal Passage 1-15" "Musashi Ariadust Academy Student Dormitory".

A joint housing-type horizontal passage placed underground Ariadust Academy.

In the villages' roads, even during the lunch break figures were many. Because, people who were going to work after noon were there.

Between the people returning to their own rooms, and furthermore people leaving them, the everyday sound of voices being exchanged which he had not heard for so long was audible.

A certain male student was walking together with his friends, and while counting up numbers on the fingers of his hands-

"--The time for my part-time, I think I'll do it for one more hour. After next year, it'll be my full-time job, so from now on I think I'll get clothes for outside work, but the citizens' weight limit won't be enough above two kilos--"

Behind the words being exchanged, a certain female student pressed a company cell-phone type Divine Transmitter to her ear-

"--Yeah, a part-time job at Suwa Shrine's contract stand, so let's bring back some eggs for our rationing on our way ba--Eh? It's a family ticket, so we can't do an individual refund. If that's the case--yeah, the horizontal passage at Okutama 1-7, you coming?"

-she formed a smile, and as the boys walking nearby were comparing the personal armaments pulled from their waists with each others'-

'--As I thought, it was a straight sword; I think that it's good that the grip is the imperial "Eisen Ritter" brand. Just, impacts with Mobile Shells are a prerequisite, so won't it be tail heavy if you install an attachment?"

They exchanged opinions with each other.

There were similarities in the types of topics, but for each person, occasionally the name of some known people would be said.

Oriotorai and Tenzou in an equipment related topic, and for Ability, Shinto's Asama and Shirojiro; For a Europe-type topic, Naruze, Knight and Ulquiaga's names would appear. What Azuma, stories about them entering his ear, thought was-

...I've returned.

For this one month, I was summoned by the Testament Union from my second year's summer break, and I finished up the restoration of authority as well the sealing of my own powers.

Without meeting up with anybody from the same generation, all I heard were things that I had to understand. Compared to that-

...It's somehow pretty varied.

In the fact that I thought that this atmosphere was really pleasant, I was thinking that I had gotten used to this place. If I too were to talk, I'd definitely be a pretty varied person.

For other topics too, thanks to the fact that he was at the Testament Union, he knew a lot of things. Even concerning the fact that K.P.A. Italia's Pope-Chancellor and Tres Espana's Special Duty are coming to Mikawa, rising up to the topics of many people, Azuma knows.

When he left the Academy, he was spoken to by Heidi regarding those kinds of information.

"If you're going to sell information about the Testament Union, let it be special please...huh."

At night, I'm probably going to do that. Whatever the case, I had been invited by Toori and company.

...Ghost hunting at night, huh.

<center>●</center>

Ghost hunting.

'They've thought of something weird again', Azuma thought.

At what Toori said-

"That End of Days something seems to be mainstream, I wondered if there weren't any phenomenon, and when I tried looking, at our Academy, there was a rumour from a long time ago that ghosts would come out! Don't you want to search a little!?"

Wasn't that a pretty major ghost story in Academies everywhere?

...Because of the disturbance in the Leylines, I wonder if that kind of small Phenomena is becoming easier to occur.

Just, gathering at the Academy at night is an event which draws one's interests even while small.

It certainly seems that last year we did something similar to this. That was about monsters coming out in a　clubroom in Okutama's seventh underground floor, it was taken as looking around at night with everyone, and I joined in. If I state the conclusion first-

...A huge disaster.

Toori had wrapped his entire body up to his face in gold tights, playing the role of the ghost, but seriously getting freaked out by the weird dance at the scene, Asama started rapid firing her bow along with a scream, and that was the start of the disaster.

...I wonder what it's going to be like this year.

And, what I had taken interest in was what Toori had spoken of, what made this ghost hunt an eve, "Tomorrow's Confession'. Who it was to seemed to be a secret, but it probably won't turn out well; the feeling that everyone in the class was nervous couldn't be anything other than that they had great expectations.

...What will tomorrow be like?

'Well, it'll probably be something fun,' walking while smiling wrly, Azuma passed by the decorative plants and the baggage left by the residents, eventually reaching the inner tip of the horizontal passage.

There was a room. A room which held the room number of his goal.

What was on the front was a six-[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatami#Size tatami] room with a [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%BF%E6%88%B8#.E9.81.A3.E6.88.B8.E3.80.81.E8.88.9E.E8.89.AF.E6.88.B8.E3.81.AE.E8.AA.95.E7.94.9F sliding door]. In a student dormitory where four-tatami rooms were many, a six-tatami solitary room was precious. He did think about whether this had any relation to his birth, but he decided to rethought it, 'there were rooms left over, right?".

And, Azuma inserted the key into the sliding door's keyhole.

At that interval, there was something he noticed. The room that Azuma is using from now on has a sliding door, but-

...Not a paper sliding door, but a western-style sliding door made of boards? Was the previous user a European?

Because Musashi's interior was fundamentally a Far East style, its sliding doors were of paper, and in the case that one wanted a western style one, it was normal to replace it with a door. However, right now, before his eyes was an eclectic object, a sliding door made out of boards.

...That's a strange modification. Well, it's fine, people messing with rooms are pretty numerous though.

In the same grade, for example the two people Knight and Naruze, the modificiations of the western rooms that they owned were known.

Once, Azuma had been tasked by Oriotorai with the distribution of topic printouts, and he had seen the two's room, but it was the structure of a workshop where half the four-tatami floor, re-coated with resin, was a closet and half was pots and kettles on which desks and work tables were placed. In its center, decorations of things like lace and stuffed animals were there, and the bed on the walls was a state where one was meant to be shared by two, but the courage to ask the meaning of that, as expected, did not well up.

Anyway, the one agreement between everyone was that because there was no difference in floor level in a western room, modification was easy.

...If it's me, what would I do?

Thinking, Azuma turned the lock and opened the sliding door.

There was a room. Because it was inside the ship, there were no windows.

A six-tatami room has a passage, one-tatami wide, in the middle, and from the left and right walls, beds and extensions with adjustable heights that could be used as large desks existed on the upper and lower levels. Therefore, in terms of structure it was a four-person room, but so the stuffiness could be removed, it was basically used as a three-person room; one of the extensions could be used freely.

However, as for the room which Azuma had entered, two of the extensions on the left hand side had been removed.

There in place of them was a wooden table, and furthermore-

"...Eh?"

The front where his gaze sent a question. In front of the placed table, a single girl existed.

<center>●</center>

...Eh?

Azuma dropped his neck forwards.

The girl with flaxen-coloured hair was seated in a large chair, facing the desk.

She was in the middle of working. With a pen, she was writing words on the notes placed on the desk.

However, was she concentrating on the notes? She did not notice me.

...Uum.

In the inside of the room, seen by the gaze of I, who was confused, nothing was stuck onto the wooden walls but a calendar. As if a substitute, on the wall bed which was set to be low, a large futon was spread out, and passing below the large shelf which was the top plank of the desk, a clothes hanger made of string was there.

On the hanger, shirts, skirts, and things which had an underwear-like tint were also visible.

When Azuma had confirmed up until that point.

She suddenly looked this way. Stopping the pen which was writing on her notes, the absolute middle of her movement of taking a breath. Her gaze, lightly turning her neck and taking a breath, stopped this way.

Blue eyes, the instant he saw those. Azuma drew his body back-

"Ah! I-I'm sorry! It seems like I've mistaken my room...!"

Moving backwards, he panicked and returned to the corridor. While doing so, the sound of his travel bag hitting the sliding door sounded, but-

"I'm sorry!"

-saying that, he placed his hand on the sliding door and shut it. But, right before, Azuma certainly saw it. That beyond the closing sliding door, the girl with flaxen-coloured hair opened her eyes wide and was looking this way.

And, Azuma saw one more fact. That was-

...That large chair.

Was a weelchair.

"----"

It being now, he understood the meaning of closing the sliding door with great force. Why it was a western style sliding door. That was-

...Because, in a state where one is riding a wheelchair, an opening door is inconvenient.

However, in the case of a sliding door, all one has to do is slide it to the side. You can open it with the same operation from outside and inside, and one's wheelchair won't hit the door. If that's the case-

...This is a room for the sake of that person.

Azuma raised his face and looked at the nameplate case above the sliding door. The nameplate case, displaying the name of the resident, had a paper, a handwritten name written on it, inserted inside. There was-

"Miram Poqou..."

He muttered and nodded; Azuma looked at the residential guide in his hand. However, the number of his designated room was not mistaken. If that is the case, saying that he had gotten the room wrong to the girl inside was not a true excuse-

...Who should I consult about this?

Azuma sighed and spun on his heel. First, the horizontal passage management room which handles the management of the rooms.

<center>●</center>

The sunlight was below the sky which started to move from noon towards the afternoon.

The mountain surface of Mikawa's north side; towards the valley on which "Kagamihara" "Matsudaira Family" was written with greenery, Musashi descended.

On the southwest of the Musashi-use continental port which Musashi entered as if sinking into, the flat ground which leveled the mountains expanded outwards in continuity, there was the flat ground-type common use continental port where Aerial Ships from other countries landed.

And, at the south of the continental port which Musashi entered, the east of the common use continental port, there was a large city which had surroundings of outskirt settlements and fields.

It was Mikawa. The owner of Musashi, while being the representative of the Far East, opposing the Testament Union, it formed a formal alliance with the Oda family, who swallowed the Osman, which opposed Europe; it was the territory of the Matsudaira family.

And, Musashi, sinking its body towards the place of its own settlement, sounded the warning sirens of its eight ships at the same time.

It was the clamor which told of Musashi's stop.

[[File:Horizon1A 200.jpg|thumb]]

<center>●Mikawa Surroundings Outline Map●</center>

''Toori'': "Sis! Sis! We've arrived at Mikawa, so teach me about the area!"

''Kimi'': "Guess there's no helping it...first of all, the outline of the surroundings is something like this."

:■ '''Mikawa Surroundings Summary Map'''
[From most northwards to most southwards.]
::● Musashi-use continental port
::● Eastern mountain range
::● Western mountain range
::● Western mountain corridor
::● Eastern mountain corridor
::● Central mountain range
::● Mikawa
::● Western hall
::● New Nagoya Castle
::● Mikawa outskirts
::● Common use continental port
:: The Sea
※The western mountain corridor is very rugged; nothing but centaurs can move across it.

(This is so that Gods of War and large armies from Musashi cannot invade the common use continental port used by other countries.)

''Toori'': "Alllrigghtt! Then, while munching on miso pork cutlet [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kishimen#Regional_varieties kishimen] and chicken-flavoured tempura, let's go 'Oohhhhh, ahhhhhhh' and have [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uirou uiro] as our finisher!"

''Kimi'': "...Nobody cares about you, so please go grovel in front of Nagoya's people."
<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 05|Chapter 05]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 07|Chapter 07]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 08

2013-10-11T05:50:25Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 08: Doubters in the Depths of a Ravine */

==Chapter 08: Doubters in the Depths of a Ravine==
[[File:Horizon1A 225.jpg|thumb]]

''To go and to return is the path there and back.''

''If so.''

''To descend and to ascend is a valley's path and...''

'''Point Allocation (Life)'''

<center>●</center>

On the mountainside, bathing in the light of noon, a wooden structure exists.

It was a security house built on the surface of the mountain where "Kagamihara" was written with trees. It was beside the eastern mountain corridor which connects Musashi's continental port with the streets below, a house built in a position where it looked down upon the mountain checkpoint.

The house carried two figures above its six-tatami structure.

Holding rifles and sitting in chairs were two people in crimson uniforms wearing Tres Espana's emblem.

While one person was watching the mountain and one person watching the base of it, they exchanged words. Even now, the one in the senior uniform looking at the mountain-

"--As expected, today there were a lot of transport squads. Has the confusion of the checkpoint over here somehow ended?"

At that voice, the boy watching Mikawa, the foot of the mountain, nodded. He looked at the checkpoint at the base with his rifle's scope-

"...Right now, the bottom is pretty packed. Recently, it's been said that it'd be quicker to detour over to the other side, the western corridor which connects to the common use continental port where our squad is, but on the other side there's things like wooden bridges, and the roads are pretty narrow. Gods of War and large wagons can't travel it, so they had to send out transport ships all the way to the western hall."

"That was pretty detailed. Were you an immigrant from Mikawa?"

'Tes.', the boy responded.

"I'm a naturalized citizen of Tres Espana. Ten years ago, thanks to Lord Motonobu's 'clearing out' and the construction of New Nagoya Castle, now I'm not Shinto, but a Catholic, and I'm making an angel's community site on the net."

The watcher who was a boy gestured towards the village of Mikawa with his rifle.

In response, the senior turned back with his neck, and at the end of his sight was the center segment of Nagoya City.

Facing the sea from the base of the mountain, a piece of flat ground that was a street of the village existed. And, as if covering a large portion of the center of the flat ground, a brown surface was there. The true identity of the flat surface which took up nearly the entire territory of Nagoya City was-

"Because of the simple shape, it doesn't make you feel its size, but it's a wooden structure ten kilometers from east to west, and eleven kilometers north to south. It's a large workshop that used one Unified Reactor and four Leyline Reactors, which have been forbidden in Tsirchian Testament Territories since the Harmonic Unification War, "New Nagoya Castle". The Nagoya<ref group="1I">那古野 (Nagoya) =/= 新名古屋城 (New Nagoya Castle)</ref> which had existed since ever before was modified ten years ago under the request of P.A. ODA--It is a workshop which was born under the "clearing out" political policy."

"'Clearing out', huh..."

The senior, he who had the senpai character, glanced at the side of his kouhai's face-

"It's a crazy story...The needed inheritance of names of important people in terms of history for the sake of the Testament's History Recreation. To avoid that chaos, other than a few important officials, they made all the automatons inherit names, huh. Your family too?"

"We were at the lowest position, so there wasn't really any trouble. Afterward, because of things like reduction of staff expenses and the protection of classified information, over a period of three years, they had three thousand automatons take charge of the business and administration of the town, but that became more of a true 'clearing out', and there was a lot of trouble."

'Also', the kouhai shrugged his shoulders. As if avoiding the topic, he peered at New Nagoya Castle through his scope-

"This 'clearing out' was not just about the automatons. Thanks to the fact that four of the Leyline Reactors of New Nagoya Castle that extract Ether from the Leyline were made operational, it became strange phenomena occurred frequently in the core of the city. Things like the night wanders of monsters, or the warping of roads, and light mysterious disappearances."

'Those kinds of things also happened,' the kouhai smiled bitterly.

"But, with this and that, people started leaving, a 'clearing out'. It's a messed up castle, you know. Since its design, since its construction, the only ones who've been managing everything and know everything is the lord of the Matsudaira family, 'Yes-man' Lord Motonobu and the few important officials who are his subjects. The work of the construction was carried out by the 1200 extra automaton which were ordered from Sagami, and even now they are carrying out the operation of the interior."

A breath.

"The interior is segmented into several floors, and is protected by barriers; just that would be large scale, but the only people who know what is carried out inside are Lord Motonobu and a few others. The automatons are subjected to memory controls, if they try to break the protection of confidentiality, they will automatically erase their memory."

"Even so, before, a special squadron from Hexagone Francaise sneaked inside and searched out information, didn't they?"

At his senpai's words, the junior watcher gave a small laugh.

"After a week, wasn't every one of them found at Nihonbashi with paper-bags dropped in their hands, having become otaku? Putting aside that all of them had no memory for whatever reason, there was the super strange phenomenon where they were stripped naked and young girl characters were tattooed with two-colour tattoos on their ass and back...Ever after, for fear of the shame, no country inserted any squadrons."

A breath.

"The Tsirch Testament, who regarded this as dangerous, spread rumours of 'The danger of runaway explosions of the Leyline Reactor' didn't they? In truth, they remade the recorded opera 'Sodom and Gomorrah have disappeared!' about a time where that had happened and everything in a ten kilometer radius was annihilated, into a elegiac tragedy through the whole of Europe. By now, other than the automatons and Lord Motonobu, it seems that nobody lives in the surroundings. The day before, I tried to descend to the outskirts, but--"

'Look', the kouhai tapped the senpai's shoulder. Gesturing at the village with that finger-

"...Even though it's noon, the smoke of cooking is completely nonexistent, right? In the vicinity of the center, it seems that even the city isn't moving. Even in the villages, strange words of blood were on the walls...I returned immediately, you know."

"I see...Sure is a troublesome country, Mikawa that is."

The instant the senpai figure spoke till that point.

'Oh', along with that voice, the kouhai figure pointed towards the mountain road.

"Ah, look down below, at the street road descending to the checkpoint. What's amazing is that two people came--The Musashi School President, Sakai Tadatsugu and the Vice-President Honda Masazumi. Nimble even in walking, just like the rumours, right? After the School President of Musashi was demoted, and cut away from Mikawa, he became a peevish, strange person."

Just like his words, on the path leading down to the checkpoint, two figures existed. With the scope of his rifle, the senpai figure confirmed the two, passing by or cutting ahead of messengers, dray vehicles, and cargo vehicles for transport, pressing past the people who had stopped their feet, their baggage being heavy.

"...One of the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings, spared from the stripping of inherited names by the automatons, Sakai Tadatsugu, huh? The position of Musashi School President is certainly a demotion. And, the other person, Masazumi is...dressed like a man, but the way of walking, a woman?"

"Tes., she may be dressed like a man, but actually...she should be a woman."

"Should?"

At that question, the kouhai looked up at the sky once. 'Um', choosing his words-

"When I was in Mikawa, 'the two Hondas' were there. One was a member of the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings, the strongest of the Eastern Countries, user of the Divine Armament Tonbokiri<ref group="1I">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonbogiri Dragonfly Cutter]</ref>, Honda Tadakatsu. The other was the brain of Matsudaira, the lineage of Honda Motonobu. However, when she was a she, an automaton stole the lineage of Masanobu because of the 'clearing out'."

"If that's so, that girl can no longer inherit a name, can she."

"Tes...However, before that, she had an operation for the sake of the inheritance of the name. To ascertain her right to inherit the name of Masazumi, a sex change operation, into a boy--However, her breasts having been removed, following the stages, when they tried to treat her lower parts, the 'clearing out' occured. Without a chest, female clothing don't fit her, so she dresses like a boy.

When I was still in Mikawa, she was avoided or bullied, you know. When she was a year above me, I had heard that being unable to inherit a name, she was abandoned by her dad, but..."

While looking at the two traveling the mountain path, the kouhai figure slowly said this.

"That she's the Vice-President, she's still doing her best, isn't she...I wonder if I should make a fan site..."

<center>●</center>

Atop the mountain path, a path towards the checkpoint, which was a transportation relay base, Sakai and Masazumi walked.

If one looked at the checkpoint from the mountain, it was a wide standby vehicle point where cargo vehicles on standby waiting to take luggage were lined up, and a wide clearing with warehouses. The valley as a natural barrier, it performed the exchange of goods between the bottom and top. At the reception of the checkpoint, people were lined up into fives lines, but the place that Sakai was walking was not at a distance where their voices and the exchange could still be heard.

Sakai and Masazumi walked the mountain path, hardened by the cargo vehicles. The two, traveling the mountainside where a wall of stone was to their left, would laugh at times, and at times they would exchange words whilst tilting their heads. Even now, Sakai was again forming a smile at the edge of his mouth-

"--speaking of which, it's about how tomorrow, Toori is going to confess. Then, what is Masazumi-kun going to do at night? Like I said before, it seems that Toori and company are going to make some noise over at the Academy, will you go together and even be the fire extinguisher smokescreen?"

"I am the Vice-President. If I did that kind of thing and it became known to the Testament Union--"

"It's alright. You'll just look like you're the same as them."

"Then, I can't do it, can I?--Generally, what is that, the Chancellor yet Student Council President suddenly announcing that he's going to confess and raising a racket at the Academy...even the other day, when we had the huge meeting for potluck in the dark, he ignited the experimental-use magnesium with the lab room's alcohol lamp and flask, and didn't it become 'Boom!'"

"Yeah, you can't make dark pot into light pot. Or rather, the pot paid its respects."<ref group="1I">This is a reference to 闇鍋 (dark pot), a potluck (stew variety) eaten in the dark (as entertainment.) 光鍋 (light pot) is used, due to the rather bright reactions of lit magnesium. The following sentence uses 光臨 (to show respect), but this is a pun with 光 (light), saying that the pot welcomes everyone. Magnesium burns at up to 2200 degrees Celsius; water makes it flare. Don't forget the alcohol lamp.</ref>

"No, it wasn't like that, was it..."

In response to Masazumi, who spoke as if troubled, Sakai laughed. Continuing like that for a few seconds, eventually he sucked in a breath-

"Well, I'm just saying that there's that way of passing the time too, you know."

'I wonder,' Masazumi folded her arms as if protect herself. Besides that, tilting her neck-

"The day before, he started some trouble at a restaurant on Tama's surface-section, covered one of Mitotsudaira's business partners, completely naked, in cream, and stuck an eel up his butt. It became a little bit of an incident, didn't it."

"That did happen, but about that."

Sakai looked at Masazumi out of the corner of his eye. That Masazumi pulled back slightly in response, he confirmed-

"--Did you know that that gourmet noble wanted the Mitotsudaira family and came to court Nate?"

"...Huh?"

"Whether he was from Hexagone Francaise or the Far East, I don't know, but aiming for the inheritance of a name, he tried to form a marital relationship with the Mitotsudaira family. With that, well, he tried to get in as a business partner. Nate is strong willed, but she's the type to think hard upon her position and family. I was consulted, you know."

'Then', Masazumi twisted her eyebrows.

"That mess was President Sakai's work?"

"Heyheyheyhey, don't suspect me. I didn't do anything--within those guys, somebody noticed, right? It's the small Musashi, after all...Well, it was probably a coincidence, but-"

"But?"

"But, on the emotional front, Nate thanks everyone, right?"

"----"

'Then,' as if punctuating sound by sound, he made his introduction.

And suddenly, again he looked at Masazumi out of the corner of his eye and opened his mouth. While looking around the area-

"--Indeed, it's strange today. Has Masazumi-kun noticed?"

<center>●</center>

"Strange? If you say that..."

Masazumi, who questioned in response, looked the the surroundings, the flow of cargo vehicles and people.

However, after a little while, Masazumi tilted her head, as if saying: "I don't know", and Sakai pointed at the checkpoint, visible in the distance. Pointing out the cargo vehicles lined up, waiting to receive-

"--That it's all cargo vehicles that are mostly empty, you heard from Shirojiro, but do you understand what it means? Masazumi-kun?"

"That's..."

Surprised, Masazumi raised her voice.

"Even if there is cargo heading towards Musashi, there's no cargo coming from Musashi, right? In short, orders for purchase coming from Mikawa are little in number...This is the first time that I've seen the Mikawa checkpoint from the Musashi-side, but it's true that in this one year, the other checkpoints were different, I think."

"Indeed, normally, there's more cargo coming from our side. This time, there's strangely nothing."

At Sakai, who was frowning, Masazumi, who had advanced one step forward, spoke while turning back.

"...Is it because Mikawa has advanced the 'clearing out,' or is this the result of the reduction of people from Phenomena, that it has become such that goods aren't really needed? But despite that, sending goods to Musashi from itself, it somehow seems like--"

Masazumi said.

"--It seems like Mikawa is distributing mementos of itself before it dies, trying to isolate itself from the world, doesn't it."

"Hey, hey, don't say scary stuff. It's just that Mikawa is under the locked country condition, exchange isn't allowed, and they're putting some distance between themselves and Musashi. But well..."

'I don't really know', the instant Sakai nodded.

Suddenly, a figure came from above. Above his head. Like a cloud, a large figure crossed the sky.

"That is--a boat?"

The figure of a boat which the two looked up towards was not but one. Almost directly above, several ships were coming. And at the west, above the mountains, a noticeably colossal white ship, sounding a deep noise and traveling, was-

"Belonging to K.P. Italia, the Jormungandr-class Galley 'Regno Unito' owned by Pope-Chancellor Innocentius. The escort is Tres Espana's security squadron. The head of the Catholics came all the way here, a place where Mlasi's P.A. ODA's hands can reach, huh. The Pope-Chancellor came for the negotiations of armament development, was it?"

'Yes', Masazumi opened her mouth.

"It's because P.A. ODA is concentrating on their attack of Asai. In that opening, they're going to plea for the development of the new-model Logismoi Oplo, one type of Divine Armament. Carrying a fragment of the world's power balance, none but eight in this world, City-Destruction Class Personal Armaments. The armaments, designating the Eight Concepts of the humans whom were treated the original imprints of the Seven Deadly Sins as their motif, the users are called the 'Eight Dragon Kings' in the darkness."

"You're well informed, aren't you. The Eight Concepts...can you say them?"

'Jud.', Masazumi said. And, Masazumi nodded-

"{{Furigana|Gastrimargia|Gluttony|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Porneia|Lust|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Phylargyria|Avarice|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Lypē|Lamenting|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=2px}} , {{Furigana|Orgē|Wrath|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0x}}, {{Furigana|Akedia|Dejection|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Kenodoxia|Vainglory|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} and {{Furigana|Hyperēphania|Pride|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}--in the sixth century, they were assembled as seven by Gregorious the First. Vainglory was included in Pride, Lamenting and Dejection were assembled as Sloth, and furthermore {{Furigana|Phtonos|Envy|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} was added, becoming seven. Because of that--"

A breath.

"Now, the Deadly Sins of people are said to be seven, but originally, they were the Eight Concepts that were warned of by Evagrius, born in Greece, in Egypt. Now, The Seven Deadly Sins spoken in Latin is something of the world ahead, originally--the original recordings were Greek's Eight Concepts."

<center>●</center>

Masazumi spoke. Starting to walk once again, whilst scraping the dirt stuck to her [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zori zōri]-type slippers on the dried road-

"And, was it ten years ago?"

In the midst of the shadow of the ship traveling the sky, Masazumi remembered those days while looking at her feet.

"Right before Musashi's Grand Renovation, while concluding the end of the talks to make the provisional alliance with P.A. ODA a formal alliance, Lord Motonobu sent eight Logismoi Oplo to the countries belonging to the Testament, besides P.A. ODA. That was--"

● {{Furigana|Gastrimargia|Gluttony|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : M.H.R.R (The Holy Roman Empire)

● {{Furigana|Porneia|Lust|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : K.P.A Italia

● {{Furigana|Phylargyria|Avarice|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : England

● {{Furigana|Lypē|Lamenting|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=3px}} : Tres Espana

● {{Furigana|Orgē|Wrath|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : Soviet Russia

● {{Furigana|Akedia|Dejection|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : Tres Espana

● {{Furigana|Kenodoxia|Vainglory|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : Hexagone Francaise

● {{Furigana|Hyperēphania|Pride|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : Hexagone Francaise

"Tres Espana and Hexagone Francaise hold two, but this was in response to the Sins which were grouped when the Eight Deadly Sins became the Seven Deadly Sins. In short, the output is at a low setting--however, it seems that Tres Espana brought it into the New Continent and pressured the feralized Mechanized Beasts into extinction. According to the rumours, it seems that they with a few kilounits, they drove in a large-scale destruction. Speaking in terms of power, the Divine Armament, using the Testament as a medium, is the same rank as the Testamenta Arma, but different from the Testamenta Arma, whose use is constrained by doctrine, Deadly Sin Armaments can be used freely. This is because Deadly Sin Armaments are also Reprimandative Armaments, used for the sake of informing the opponent of their sins."

Masazumi looked at the western sky. Looking at the ship wrapped in white armour, facing towards the continental port, "Regno Unito".

"The rumour is, the Pope came all the way here this time is because he's trying to have 'Phtonos' of the Seven Deadly Sins made. In any case, currently, K.P.A Italia is hurrying against the appearance of the Protestants and the decline in Middle-Eastern trade." that

A breath.

"The Pope-Chancellor is also a wielder of a Deadly Sin Armament, so he is one of the Eight Dragon Kings, but he's the head of the Catholics, so it seems he hates that name...Even though that's the case, he desires a new Deadly Sin Armament, so even if K.P.A. Italia is making a profit in international lending like Lombardia, it's rather troublesome."

"Fundamentally, lending is forbidden for Catholics, so other than being able to take the money as taxes, it has to be maintained by irregular races and the irregular Testament for which this circulation of money is possible, and more than anybody else, the Far East's lending businesses. The direct lending and borrowing of money is strict, so we act as a mediator for things like the borrowing of land mortgage, don't we. The Pope-Chancellor is in a really tight spot."

Sakai, who said that, formed a drooping smile at the corner of his mouth.

"But well,"

"What is it?"

The instant Masazumi relaxed her shoulders and took a step forward.

"Masazumi-kun--the rumours attached to the Deadly Sin Armaments, do you know them?"

"The attached rumours...?"

'Jud., Jud., Jud.,' Sakai nodded three times. At that point, he stuck his index finger up and said this.

"--The rumours that Logismoi Oplo uses humans as its components."

<center>●</center>

At Sakai's words, Masazumi slightly lost hold of hers.

The rumour which Sakai had spoken of just now had been heard by Masazumi before. That rumour was this.

"To weaponize the power of the Deadly Sins, humanity's original sin, it is appropriate to use humans as components..."

"Right, right, something like, 'wasn't the reason that people have disappeared from Nagoya actually because they've been made into components of Deadly Sin Armaments?'"

"Th-there's nothing like that."

Masazumi recalled the memories of living in Mikawa.

"If it wasn't a rumour, it would be a problem. Generally, when I was there, the citizens would properly give out a notice of change of residence before leaving, and if it wasn't that, when their whereabouts become unknown in a similar manner as the recent Phenomena, there should be an uproar."

'Right?' said Sakai. However, continuing to look up at the sky-

"Will things related to this end as a rumour? Masazumi-kun?"

"--Eh?'

Sakai spoke. Looking this way, he formed a broad smile at the edges of his mouth-

"I--thought that it would be interesting if Masazumi-kun also came over to this side."

"By saying 'this side'..."

"The side where we would be able to calmly talk about things like my past."

Past, that is-

"Just for example, the reason for me being demoted to Musashi--that I, adhering to the descriptions of the Testament, made the person who had inherited the name of my lord's heir commit suicide. The side where you would be able to smile and bring those words to your lips."

"----"

That which Sakai was saying. I know the reason of his demotion. It is something which anybody would know if they were a resident of Mikawa. That one of the Four Heavenly Kings had, even if having obeyed the Testament's description, made the heir of his lord commit suicide.

Once the lord of Mikawa, Lord Motonobu had no wife, and he had no heir.

...Therefore, Lord Motonobu let his little brother inherit a name as his heir, but--

Matsudaira Nobuyasu.

According to the descriptions of the Testament, he had committed suicide due to trouble with the Oda family.

Was it because there was that too? Around fifteen years ago, because Mikawa had no inheritor of the name Nobunaga in P.A. ODA, they refused alliance, and it seemed they tried to overcome the Testament's description with 'Broad Interpretation', but-

...Because of P.A. ODA's encirclement, a provisional alliance was formed, half under duress.

In those circumstances, as a proof of loyalty, they pressured for the lord younger brother, having become his heir, to commit suicide.

Sakai, the protector of the lord younger brother, was demoted for the reason of being unable to stop the suicide.

According to rumour, Lord Nobuyasu wished for death, and when Sakai had ran to his side, it was all too late.

The reason for Sakai's demotion which Masazumi knew of, was that.

...However.

'I can't simply bring those words to my lips', is the me who thinks that naive?

But, inside my field of vision, Sakai, without erasing the smile at the edge of his mouth, said this.

"Then, Masazumi-kun, you seem to be thinking a lot of things, but if there was a continuation to that conversation, what would you do?"

"...Eh? A continuation?"

'Jud. Jud.', Sakai said twice.

"If actually, Lord Motonobu...had an illegitimate wife, and had children outside?"

"----"

Masazumi lost all words for an instant. However, she forcibly opened her mouth. She shouldn't even be able to understand the information which she was suddenly told of, and there was also the feeling where the core of her mind was not firm, yet as a measure to confirm truth or fiction-

"No way. If that kind of child existed..."

Because the lord younger brother who had inherited the name of his heir had committed suicide, that child would become the heir, wouldn't he? However-

"Now, where is that child, and what is he doing...? Why doesn't he come out into the open?"

"That's why, I said this earlier, didn't I?"

Sakai said.

"If you want to know, step inside, come to this side, Masazumi-kun--You wish to be a politician, and you also seem to be thinking of grand things, but you're bad at taking one step inside, aren't you?"

'But,' Sakai said.

"I like being bullied, you know--So, won't you step in to me?"

Sakai, who spoke those words, suddenly sped up his gait.

The wind moved, the sound of clothes rustling resounded. As if being surreptitiously held by Sakai, the tanto at the back of his waist shook-

"--Well, let's keep the conversation to that. Then...shall we?"

'Eh?' Masazumi chased Sakai with her gaze, and passing by a single climbing horse-drawn carriage, he merely headed towards the checkpoint's wide clearing. Masazumi, a little panicked, had moved her feet in order to catch up, and together with the sound of her footsteps, she went out into the wide clearing-

"...Oh."

The sound of the delivery of received cargo, and the murmurs of people, the sound of cargo vehicles starting as well as the unobstructed sunlight drowned Masazumi's body. The two traveled the footpath, separated by rope under pedestrian priority-

"Then, Masazumi-kun, when we first of all get the documented proof of you having sent me, afterward you can return and have some fun."

"Ah, yes. Also, President Sakai, if you were one of the Mastsudaira Four Heavenly Kings, you might know, I think, but if you meet with Lord Tadakatsu's daughter, please speak to her nicely. Before, she and I were in the same grade."

"Ahh, she was...Will she come today? Well, if I meet her, I'll speak to her."

While saying, 'thank you very much,' Masazumi thought. Of what she had been told by Sakai just now, 'step inside'. There was a memory of being told something close to that today, by another person. Therefore-

"Today, there's something that I was thinking of investigating, so I'll be focusing on that."

"Hmm, what is it?"

"'Remorse Way'. If I investigate it, I'll understand everyone, so I was told."

Masazumi nodded in her heart. 'This too is one step inside,' she thought.

With that, before her eyes, Sakai showed a single reaction.

He laughed.

...Eh?

Masazumi lost all words against that sudden voice of laughter, and Sakai gave a smile in farewell.

"That's good--preparing for the event of Toori confessing tomorrow, everyone is also probably preparing for that celebration or something, and they're having a festival party at the Academy at night. And Azuma-kun, who was the crown price, has thrown away that position and power, restarting his life at Musashi from today onwards, and Mikawa is, by the instruction of Lord-sensei, going to have fireworks and a festival tonight. Everything seems to be unconnected...they are new activities, and activities of celebration."

After a single breath, Sakai continued his words.

"It would be nice if learning of 'Remorse Way' would be Masazumi-kun's new activity."

A breath.

"The things that I don't know are still many, but even so...that Masazumi-kun comes to the side of Toori, all those with him, and I, I pray."

==Translator's notes and references==

<references group="1I" />

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 07|Chapter 07]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 09|Chapter 09]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 08

2013-10-11T05:48:15Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 08: Doubters in the Depths of a Ravine */

==Chapter 08: Doubters in the Depths of a Ravine==
[[File:Horizon1A 225.jpg|thumb]]

''To go and to return is the path there and back.''

''If so.''

''To descend and to ascend is a valley's path and...''

'''Point Allocation (Life)'''

<center>●</center>

On the mountainside, bathing in the light of noon, a wooden structure exists.

It was a security house built on the surface of the mountain where "Kagamihara" was written with trees. It was beside the eastern mountain corridor which connects Musashi's continental port with the streets below, a house built in a position where it looked down upon the mountain checkpoint.

The house carried two figures above its six-tatami structure.

Holding rifles and sitting in chairs were two people in crimson uniforms wearing Tres Espana's emblem.

While one person was watching the mountain and one person watching the base of it, they exchanged words. Even now, the one in the senior uniform looking at the mountain-

"--As expected, today there were a lot of transport squads. Has the confusion of the checkpoint over here somehow ended?"

At that voice, the boy watching Mikawa, the foot of the mountain, nodded. He looked at the checkpoint at the base with his rifle's scope-

"...Right now, the bottom is pretty packed. Recently, it's been said that it'd be quicker to detour over to the other side, the western corridor which connects to the common use continental port where our squad is, but on the other side there's things like wooden bridges, and the roads are pretty narrow. Gods of War and large wagons can't travel it, so they had to send out transport ships all the way to the western hall."

"That was pretty detailed. Were you an immigrant from Mikawa?"

'Tes.', the boy responded.

"I'm a naturalized citizen of Tres Espana. Ten years ago, thanks to Lord Motonobu's 'clearing out' and the construction of New Nagoya Castle, now I'm not Shinto, but a Catholic, and I'm making an angel's community site on the net."

The watcher who was a boy gestured towards the village of Mikawa with his rifle.

In response, the senior turned back with his neck, and at the end of his sight was the center segment of Nagoya City.

Facing the sea from the base of the mountain, a piece of flat ground that was a street of the village existed. And, as if covering a large portion of the center of the flat ground, a brown surface was there. The true identity of the flat surface which took up nearly the entire territory of Nagoya City was-

"Because of the simple shape, it doesn't make you feel its size, but it's a wooden structure ten kilometers from east to west, and eleven kilometers north to south. It's a large workshop that used one Unified Reactor and four Leyline Reactors, which have been forbidden in Tsirchian Testament Territories since the Harmonic Unification War, "New Nagoya Castle". The Nagoya<ref group="1I">那古野 (Nagoya) =/= 新名古屋城 (New Nagoya Castle)</ref> which had existed since ever before was modified ten years ago under the request of P.A. ODA--It is a workshop which was born under the "clearing out" political policy."

"'Clearing out', huh..."

The senior, he who had the senpai character, glanced at the side of his kouhai's face-

"It's a crazy story...The needed inheritance of names of important people in terms of history for the sake of the Testament's History Recreation. To avoid that chaos, other than a few important officials, they made all the automatons inherit names, huh. Your family too?"

"We were at the lowest position, so there wasn't really any trouble. Afterward, because of things like reduction of staff expenses and the protection of classified information, over a period of three years, they had three thousand automatons take charge of the business and administration of the town, but that became more of a true 'clearing out', and there was a lot of trouble."

'Also', the kouhai shrugged his shoulders. As if avoiding the topic, he peered at New Nagoya Castle through his scope-

"This 'clearing out' was not just about the automatons. Thanks to the fact that four of the Leyline Reactors of New Nagoya Castle that extract Ether from the Leyline were made operational, it became strange phenomena occurred frequently in the core of the city. Things like the night wanders of monsters, or the warping of roads, and light mysterious disappearances."

'Those kinds of things also happened,' the kouhai smiled bitterly.

"But, with this and that, people started leaving, a 'clearing out'. It's a messed up castle, you know. Since its design, since its construction, the only ones who've been managing everything and know everything is the lord of the Matsudaira family, 'Yes-man' Lord Motonobu and the few important officials who are his subjects. The work of the construction was carried out by the 1200 extra automaton which were ordered from Sagami, and even now they are carrying out the operation of the interior."

A breath.

"The interior is segmented into several floors, and is protected by barriers; just that would be large scale, but the only people who know what is carried out inside are Lord Motonobu and a few others. The automatons are subjected to memory controls, if they try to break the protection of confidentiality, they will automatically erase their memory."

"Even so, before, a special squadron from Hexagone Francaise sneaked inside and searched out information, didn't they?"

At his senpai's words, the junior watcher gave a small laugh.

"After a week, wasn't every one of them found at Nihonbashi with paper-bags dropped in their hands, having become otaku? Putting aside that all of them had no memory for whatever reason, there was the super strange phenomenon where they were stripped naked and young girl characters were tattooed with two-colour tattoos on their ass and back...Ever after, for fear of the shame, no country inserted any squadrons."

A breath.

"The Tsirch Testament, who regarded this as dangerous, spread rumours of 'The danger of runaway explosions of the Leyline Reactor' didn't they? In truth, they remade the recorded opera 'Sodom and Gomorrah have disappeared!' about a time where that had happened and everything in a ten kilometer radius was annihilated, into a elegiac tragedy through the whole of Europe. By now, other than the automatons and Lord Motonobu, it seems that nobody lives in the surroundings. The day before, I tried to descend to the outskirts, but--"

'Look', the kouhai tapped the senpai's shoulder. Gesturing at the village with that finger-

"...Even though it's noon, the smoke of cooking is completely nonexistent, right? In the vicinity of the center, it seems that even the city isn't moving. Even in the villages, strange words of blood were on the walls...I returned immediately, you know."

"I see...Sure is a troublesome country, Mikawa that is."

The instant the senpai figure spoke till that point.

'Oh', along with that voice, the kouhai figure pointed towards the mountain road.

"Ah, look down below, at the street road descending to the checkpoint. What's amazing is that two people came--The Musashi School President, Sakai Tadatsugu and the Vice-President Honda Masazumi. Nimble even in walking, just like the rumours, right? After the School President of Musashi was demoted, and cut away from Mikawa, he became a peevish, strange person."

Just like his words, on the path leading down to the checkpoint, two figures existed. With the scope of his rifle, the senpai figure confirmed the two, passing by or cutting ahead of messengers, dray vehicles, and cargo vehicles for transport, pressing past the people who had stopped their feet, their baggage being heavy.

"...One of the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings, spared from the stripping of inherited names by the automatons, Sakai Tadatsugu, huh? The position of Musashi School President is certainly a demotion. And, the other person, Masazumi is...dressed like a man, but the way of walking, a woman?"

"Tes., she may be dressed like a man, but actually...she should be a woman."

"Should?"

At that question, the kouhai looked up at the sky once. 'Um', choosing his words-

"When I was in Mikawa, 'the two Hondas' were there. One was a member of the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings, the strongest of the Eastern Countries, user of the Divine Armament Tonbokiri<ref group="1I">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonbogiri Dragonfly Cutter]</ref>, Honda Tadakatsu. The other was the brain of Matsudaira, the lineage of Honda Motonobu. However, when she was a she, an automaton stole the lineage of Masanobu because of the 'clearing out'."

"If that's so, that girl can no longer inherit a name, can she."

"Tes...However, before that, she had an operation for the sake of the inheritance of the name. To ascertain her right to inherit the name of Masazumi, a sex change operation, into a boy--However, her breasts having been removed, following the stages, when they tried to treat her lower parts, the 'clearing out' occured. Without a chest, female clothing don't fit her, so she dresses like a boy.

When I was still in Mikawa, she was avoided or bullied, you know. When she was a year above me, I had heard that being unable to inherit a name, she was abandoned by her dad, but..."

While looking at the two traveling the mountain path, the kouhai figure slowly said this.

"That she's the Vice-President, she's still doing her best, isn't she...I wonder if I should make a fan site..."

<center>●</center>

Atop the mountain path, a path towards the checkpoint, which was a transportation relay base, Sakai and Masazumi walked.

If one looked at the checkpoint from the mountain, it was a wide standby vehicle point where cargo vehicles on standby waiting to take luggage were lined up, and a wide clearing with warehouses. The valley as a natural barrier, it performed the exchange of goods between the bottom and top. At the reception of the checkpoint, people were lined up into fives lines, but the place that Sakai was walking was not at a distance where their voices and the exchange could still be heard.

Sakai and Masazumi walked the mountain path, hardened by the cargo vehicles. The two, traveling the mountainside where a wall of stone was to their left, would laugh at times, and at times they would exchange words whilst tilting their heads. Even now, Sakai was again forming a smile at the edge of his mouth-

"--speaking of which, it's about how tomorrow, Toori is going to confess. Then, what is Masazumi-kun going to do at night? Like I said before, it seems that Toori and company are going to make some noise over at the Academy, will you go together and even be the fire extinguisher smokescreen?"

"I am the Vice-President. If I did that kind of thing and it became known to the Testament Union--"

"It's alright. You'll just look like you're the same as them."

"Then, I can't do it, can I?--Generally, what is that, the Chancellor yet Student Council President suddenly announcing that he's going to confess and raising a racket at the Academy...even the other day, when we had the huge meeting for potluck in the dark, he ignited the experimental-use magnesium with the lab room's alcohol lamp and flask, and didn't it become 'Boom!'"

"Yeah, you can't make dark pot into light pot. Or rather, the pot paid its respects."<ref group="1I">This is a reference to 闇鍋 (dark pot), a potluck (stew variety) eaten in the dark (as entertainment.) 光鍋 (light pot) is used, due to the rather bright reactions of lit magnesium. The following sentence uses 光臨 (to show respect), but this is a pun with 光 (light), saying that the pot welcomes everyone. Magnesium burns at up to 2200 degrees Celsius; water makes it flare. Don't forget the alcohol lamp.</ref>

"No, it wasn't like that, was it..."

In response to Masazumi, who spoke as if troubled, Sakai laughed. Continuing like that for a few seconds, eventually he sucked in a breath-

"Well, I'm just saying that there's that way of passing the time too, you know."

'I wonder,' Masazumi folded her arms as if protect herself. Besides that, tilting her neck-

"The day before, he started some trouble at a restaurant on Tama's surface-section, covered one of Mitotsudaira's business partners, completely naked, in cream, and stuck an eel up his butt. It became a little bit of an incident, didn't it."

"That did happen, but about that."

Sakai looked at Masazumi out of the corner of his eye. That Masazumi pulled back slightly in response, he confirmed-

"--Did you know that that gourmet noble wanted the Mitotsudaira family and came to court Nate?"

"...Huh?"

"Whether he was from Hexagone Francaise or the Far East, I don't know, but aiming for the inheritance of a name, he tried to form a marital relationship with the Mitotsudaira family. With that, well, he tried to get in as a business partner. Nate is strong willed, but she's the type to think hard upon her position and family. I was consulted, you know."

'Then', Masazumi twisted her eyebrows.

"That mess was President Sakai's work?"

"Heyheyheyhey, don't suspect me. I didn't do anything--within those guys, somebody noticed, right? It's the small Musashi, after all...Well, it was probably a coincidence, but-"

"But?"

"But, on the emotional front, Nate thanks everyone, right?"

"----"

'Then,' as if punctuating sound by sound, he made his introduction.

And suddenly, again he looked at Masazumi out of the corner of his eye and opened his mouth. While looking around the area-

"--Indeed, it's strange today. Has Masazumi-kun noticed?"

<center>●</center>

"Strange? If you say that..."

Masazumi, who questioned in response, looked the the surroundings, the flow of cargo vehicles and people.

However, after a little while, Masazumi tilted her head, as if saying: "I don't know", and Sakai pointed at the checkpoint, visible in the distance. Pointing out the cargo vehicles lined up, waiting to receive-

"--That it's all cargo vehicles that are mostly empty, you heard from Shirojiro, but do you understand what it means? Masazumi-kun?"

"That's..."

Surprised, Masazumi raised her voice.

"Even if there is cargo heading towards Musashi, there's no cargo coming from Musashi, right? In short, orders for purchase coming from Mikawa are little in number...This is the first time that I've seen the Mikawa checkpoint from the Musashi-side, but it's true that in this one year, the other checkpoints were different, I think."

"Indeed, normally, there's more cargo coming from our side. This time, there's strangely nothing."

At Sakai, who was frowning, Masazumi, who had advanced one step forward, spoke while turning back.

"...Is it because Mikawa has advanced the 'clearing out,' or is this the result of the reduction of people from Phenomena, that it has become such that goods aren't really needed? But despite that, sending goods to Musashi from itself, it somehow seems like--"

Masazumi said.

"--It seems like Mikawa is distributing mementos of itself before it dies, trying to isolate itself from the world, doesn't it."

"Hey, hey, don't say scary stuff. It's just that Mikawa is under the locked country condition, exchange isn't allowed, and they're putting some distance between themselves and Musashi. But well..."

'I don't really know', the instant Sakai nodded.

Suddenly, a figure came from above. Above his head. Like a cloud, a large figure crossed the sky.

"That is--a boat?"

The figure of a boat which the two looked up towards was not but one. Almost directly above, several ships were coming. And at the west, above the mountains, a noticeably colossal white ship, sounding a deep noise and traveling, was-

"Belonging to K.P. Italia, the Jormungandr-class Galley 'Regno Unito' owned by Pope-Chancellor Innocentius. The escort is Tres Espana's security squadron. The head of the Catholics came all the way here, a place where Mlasi's P.A. ODA's hands can reach, huh. The Pope-Chancellor came for the negotiations of armament development, was it?"

'Yes', Masazumi opened her mouth.

"It's because P.A. ODA is concentrating on their attack of Asai. In that opening, they're going to plea for the development of the new-model Logismoi Oplo, one type of Divine Armament. Carrying a fragment of the world's power balance, none but eight in this world, City-Destruction Class Personal Armaments. The armaments, designating the Eight Concepts of the humans whom were treated the original imprints of the Seven Deadly Sins as their motif, the users are called the 'Eight Dragon Kings' in the darkness."

"You're well informed, aren't you. The Eight Concepts...can you say them?"

'Jud.', Masazumi said. And, Masazumi nodded-

"{{Furigana|Gastrimargia|Gluttony|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Porneia|Lust|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Phylargyria|Avarice|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Lypē|Lamenting|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=2px}}, {{Furigana|Orgē|Wrath|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0x}}, {{Furigana|Akedia|Disgust|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Kenodoxia|Vainglory|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} and {{Furigana|Hyperēphania|Pride|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}--in the sixth century, they were assembled as seven by Gregorious the First. Vainglory was included in Pride, Lamenting and Disgust were assembled as Sloth, and furthermore {{Furigana|Phtonos|Envy|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} was added, becoming seven. Because of that--"

A breath.

"Now, the Deadly Sins of people are said to be seven, but originally, they were the Eight Concepts that were warned of by Evagrius, born in Greece, in Egypt. Now, The Seven Deadly Sins spoken in Latin is something of the world ahead, originally--the original recordings were Greek's Eight Concepts."

<center>●</center>

Masazumi spoke. Starting to walk once again, whilst scraping the dirt stuck to her [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zori zōri]-type slippers on the dried road-

"And, was it ten years ago?"

In the midst of the shadow of the ship traveling the sky, Masazumi remembered those days while looking at her feet.

"Right before Musashi's Grand Renovation, while concluding the end of the talks to make the provisional alliance with P.A. ODA a formal alliance, Lord Motonobu sent eight Logismoi Oplo to the countries belonging to the Testament, besides P.A. ODA. That was--"

● {{Furigana|Gastrimargia|Gluttony|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : M.H.R.R (The Holy Roman Empire)

● {{Furigana|Porneia|Lust|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : K.P.A Italia

● {{Furigana|Phylargyria|Avarice|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : England

● {{Furigana|Lypē|Lamenting|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=3px}} : Tres Espana

● {{Furigana|Orgē|Wrath|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : Soviet Russia

● {{Furigana|Akedia|Disgust|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : Tres Espana

● {{Furigana|Kenodoxia|Vainglory|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : Hexagone Francaise

● {{Furigana|Hyperēphania|Pride|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : Hexagone Francaise

"Tres Espana and Hexagone Francaise hold two, but this was in response to the Sins which were grouped when the Eight Deadly Sins became the Seven Deadly Sins. In short, the output is at a low setting--however, it seems that Tres Espana brought it into the New Continent and pressured the feralized Mechanized Beasts into extinction. According to the rumours, it seems that they with a few kilounits, they drove in a large-scale destruction. Speaking in terms of power, the Divine Armament, using the Testament as a medium, is the same rank as the Testamenta Arma, but different from the Testamenta Arma, whose use is constrained by doctrine, Deadly Sin Armaments can be used freely. This is because Deadly Sin Armaments are also Reprimandative Armaments, used for the sake of informing the opponent of their sins."

Masazumi looked at the western sky. Looking at the ship wrapped in white armour, facing towards the continental port, "Regno Unito".

"The rumour is, the Pope came all the way here this time is because he's trying to have 'Phtonos' of the Seven Deadly Sins made. In any case, currently, K.P.A Italia is hurrying against the appearance of the Protestants and the decline in Middle-Eastern trade." that

A breath.

"The Pope-Chancellor is also a wielder of a Deadly Sin Armament, so he is one of the Eight Dragon Kings, but he's the head of the Catholics, so it seems he hates that name...Even though that's the case, he desires a new Deadly Sin Armament, so even if K.P.A. Italia is making a profit in international lending like Lombardia, it's rather troublesome."

"Fundamentally, lending is forbidden for Catholics, so other than being able to take the money as taxes, it has to be maintained by irregular races and the irregular Testament for which this circulation of money is possible, and more than anybody else, the Far East's lending businesses. The direct lending and borrowing of money is strict, so we act as a mediator for things like the borrowing of land mortgage, don't we. The Pope-Chancellor is in a really tight spot."

Sakai, who said that, formed a drooping smile at the corner of his mouth.

"But well,"

"What is it?"

The instant Masazumi relaxed her shoulders and took a step forward.

"Masazumi-kun--the rumours attached to the Deadly Sin Armaments, do you know them?"

"The attached rumours...?"

'Jud., Jud., Jud.,' Sakai nodded three times. At that point, he stuck his index finger up and said this.

"--The rumours that Logismoi Oplo uses humans as its components."

<center>●</center>

At Sakai's words, Masazumi slightly lost hold of hers.

The rumour which Sakai had spoken of just now had been heard by Masazumi before. That rumour was this.

"To weaponize the power of the Deadly Sins, humanity's original sin, it is appropriate to use humans as components..."

"Right, right, something like, 'wasn't the reason that people have disappeared from Nagoya actually because they've been made into components of Deadly Sin Armaments?'"

"Th-there's nothing like that."

Masazumi recalled the memories of living in Mikawa.

"If it wasn't a rumour, it would be a problem. Generally, when I was there, the citizens would properly give out a notice of change of residence before leaving, and if it wasn't that, when their whereabouts become unknown in a similar manner as the recent Phenomena, there should be an uproar."

'Right?' said Sakai. However, continuing to look up at the sky-

"Will things related to this end as a rumour? Masazumi-kun?"

"--Eh?'

Sakai spoke. Looking this way, he formed a broad smile at the edges of his mouth-

"I--thought that it would be interesting if Masazumi-kun also came over to this side."

"By saying 'this side'..."

"The side where we would be able to calmly talk about things like my past."

Past, that is-

"Just for example, the reason for me being demoted to Musashi--that I, adhering to the descriptions of the Testament, made the person who had inherited the name of my lord's heir commit suicide. The side where you would be able to smile and bring those words to your lips."

"----"

That which Sakai was saying. I know the reason of his demotion. It is something which anybody would know if they were a resident of Mikawa. That one of the Four Heavenly Kings had, even if having obeyed the Testament's description, made the heir of his lord commit suicide.

Once the lord of Mikawa, Lord Motonobu had no wife, and he had no heir.

...Therefore, Lord Motonobu let his little brother inherit a name as his heir, but--

Matsudaira Nobuyasu.

According to the descriptions of the Testament, he had committed suicide due to trouble with the Oda family.

Was it because there was that too? Around fifteen years ago, because Mikawa had no inheritor of the name Nobunaga in P.A. ODA, they refused alliance, and it seemed they tried to overcome the Testament's description with 'Broad Interpretation', but-

...Because of P.A. ODA's encirclement, a provisional alliance was formed, half under duress.

In those circumstances, as a proof of loyalty, they pressured for the lord younger brother, having become his heir, to commit suicide.

Sakai, the protector of the lord younger brother, was demoted for the reason of being unable to stop the suicide.

According to rumour, Lord Nobuyasu wished for death, and when Sakai had ran to his side, it was all too late.

The reason for Sakai's demotion which Masazumi knew of, was that.

...However.

'I can't simply bring those words to my lips', is the me who thinks that naive?

But, inside my field of vision, Sakai, without erasing the smile at the edge of his mouth, said this.

"Then, Masazumi-kun, you seem to be thinking a lot of things, but if there was a continuation to that conversation, what would you do?"

"...Eh? A continuation?"

'Jud. Jud.', Sakai said twice.

"If actually, Lord Motonobu...had an illegitimate wife, and had children outside?"

"----"

Masazumi lost all words for an instant. However, she forcibly opened her mouth. She shouldn't even be able to understand the information which she was suddenly told of, and there was also the feeling where the core of her mind was not firm, yet as a measure to confirm truth or fiction-

"No way. If that kind of child existed..."

Because the lord younger brother who had inherited the name of his heir had committed suicide, that child would become the heir, wouldn't he? However-

"Now, where is that child, and what is he doing...? Why doesn't he come out into the open?"

"That's why, I said this earlier, didn't I?"

Sakai said.

"If you want to know, step inside, come to this side, Masazumi-kun--You wish to be a politician, and you also seem to be thinking of grand things, but you're bad at taking one step inside, aren't you?"

'But,' Sakai said.

"I like being bullied, you know--So, won't you step in to me?"

Sakai, who spoke those words, suddenly sped up his gait.

The wind moved, the sound of clothes rustling resounded. As if being surreptitiously held by Sakai, the tanto at the back of his waist shook-

"--Well, let's keep the conversation to that. Then...shall we?"

'Eh?' Masazumi chased Sakai with her gaze, and passing by a single climbing horse-drawn carriage, he merely headed towards the checkpoint's wide clearing. Masazumi, a little panicked, had moved her feet in order to catch up, and together with the sound of her footsteps, she went out into the wide clearing-

"...Oh."

The sound of the delivery of received cargo, and the murmurs of people, the sound of cargo vehicles starting as well as the unobstructed sunlight drowned Masazumi's body. The two traveled the footpath, separated by rope under pedestrian priority-

"Then, Masazumi-kun, when we first of all get the documented proof of you having sent me, afterward you can return and have some fun."

"Ah, yes. Also, President Sakai, if you were one of the Mastsudaira Four Heavenly Kings, you might know, I think, but if you meet with Lord Tadakatsu's daughter, please speak to her nicely. Before, she and I were in the same grade."

"Ahh, she was...Will she come today? Well, if I meet her, I'll speak to her."

While saying, 'thank you very much,' Masazumi thought. Of what she had been told by Sakai just now, 'step inside'. There was a memory of being told something close to that today, by another person. Therefore-

"Today, there's something that I was thinking of investigating, so I'll be focusing on that."

"Hmm, what is it?"

"'Remorse Way'. If I investigate it, I'll understand everyone, so I was told."

Masazumi nodded in her heart. 'This too is one step inside,' she thought.

With that, before her eyes, Sakai showed a single reaction.

He laughed.

...Eh?

Masazumi lost all words against that sudden voice of laughter, and Sakai gave a smile in farewell.

"That's good--preparing for the event of Toori confessing tomorrow, everyone is also probably preparing for that celebration or something, and they're having a festival party at the Academy at night. And Azuma-kun, who was the crown price, has thrown away that position and power, restarting his life at Musashi from today onwards, and Mikawa is, by the instruction of Lord-sensei, going to have fireworks and a festival tonight. Everything seems to be unconnected...they are new activities, and activities of celebration."

After a single breath, Sakai continued his words.

"It would be nice if learning of 'Remorse Way' would be Masazumi-kun's new activity."

A breath.

"The things that I don't know are still many, but even so...that Masazumi-kun comes to the side of Toori, all those with him, and I, I pray."

==Translator's notes and references==

<references group="1I" />

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 07|Chapter 07]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 09|Chapter 09]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 08

2013-10-11T04:25:33Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 08: Doubters in the Depths of a Ravine */

==Chapter 08: Doubters in the Depths of a Ravine==
[[File:Horizon1A 225.jpg|thumb]]

''To go and to return is the path there and back.''

''If so.''

''To descend and to ascend is a valley's path and...''

'''Point Allocation (Life)'''

<center>●</center>

On the mountainside, bathing in the light of noon, a wooden structure exists.

It was a security house built on the surface of the mountain where "Kagamihara" was written with trees. It was beside the eastern mountain corridor which connects Musashi's continental port with the streets below, a house built in a position where it looked down upon the mountain checkpoint.

The house carried two figures above its six-tatami structure.

Holding rifles and sitting in chairs were two people in crimson uniforms wearing Tres Espana's emblem.

While one person was watching the mountain and one person watching the base of it, they exchanged words. Even now, the one in the senior uniform looking at the mountain-

"--As expected, today there were a lot of transport squads. Has the confusion of the checkpoint over here somehow ended?"

At that voice, the boy watching Mikawa, the foot of the mountain, nodded. He looked at the checkpoint at the base with his rifle's scope-

"...Right now, the bottom is pretty packed. Recently, it's been said that it'd be quicker to detour over to the other side, the western corridor which connects to the common use continental port where our squad is, but on the other side there's things like wooden bridges, and the roads are pretty narrow. Gods of War and large wagons can't travel it, so they had to send out transport ships all the way to the western hall."

"That was pretty detailed. Were you an immigrant from Mikawa?"

'Tes.', the boy responded.

"I'm a naturalized citizen of Tres Espana. Ten years ago, thanks to Lord Motonobu's 'clearing out' and the construction of New Nagoya Castle, now I'm not Shinto, but a Catholic, and I'm making an angel's community site on the net."

The watcher who was a boy gestured towards the village of Mikawa with his rifle.

In response, the senior turned back with his neck, and at the end of his sight was the center segment of Nagoya City.

Facing the sea from the base of the mountain, a piece of flat ground that was a street of the village existed. And, as if covering a large portion of the center of the flat ground, a brown surface was there. The true identity of the flat surface which took up nearly the entire territory of Nagoya City was-

"Because of the simple shape, it doesn't make you feel its size, but it's a wooden structure ten kilometers from east to west, and eleven kilometers north to south. It's a large workshop that used one Unified Reactor and four Leyline Reactors, which have been forbidden in Tsirchian Testament Territories since the Harmonic Unification War, "New Nagoya Castle". The Nagoya<ref group="1I">那古野 (Nagoya) =/= 新名古屋城 (New Nagoya Castle)</ref> which had existed since ever before was modified ten years ago under the request of P.A. ODA--It is a workshop which was born under the "clearing out" political policy."

"'Clearing out', huh..."

The senior, he who had the senpai character, glanced at the side of his kouhai's face-

"It's a crazy story...The needed inheritance of names of important people in terms of history for the sake of the Testament's History Recreation. To avoid that chaos, other than a few important officials, they made all the automatons inherit names, huh. Your family too?"

"We were at the lowest position, so there wasn't really any trouble. Afterward, because of things like reduction of staff expenses and the protection of classified information, over a period of three years, they had three thousand automatons take charge of the business and administration of the town, but that became more of a true 'clearing out', and there was a lot of trouble."

'Also', the kouhai shrugged his shoulders. As if avoiding the topic, he peered at New Nagoya Castle through his scope-

"This 'clearing out' was not just about the automatons. Thanks to the fact that four of the Leyline Reactors of New Nagoya Castle that extract Ether from the Leyline were made operational, it became strange phenomena occurred frequently in the core of the city. Things like the night wanders of monsters, or the warping of roads, and light mysterious disappearances."

'Those kinds of things also happened,' the kouhai smiled bitterly.

"But, with this and that, people started leaving, a 'clearing out'. It's a messed up castle, you know. Since its design, since its construction, the only ones who've been managing everything and know everything is the lord of the Matsudaira family, 'Yes-man' Lord Motonobu and the few important officials who are his subjects. The work of the construction was carried out by the 1200 extra automaton which were ordered from Sagami, and even now they are carrying out the operation of the interior."

A breath.

"The interior is segmented into several floors, and is protected by barriers; just that would be large scale, but the only people who know what is carried out inside are Lord Motonobu and a few others. The automatons are subjected to memory controls, if they try to break the protection of confidentiality, they will automatically erase their memory."

"Even so, before, a special squadron from Hexagone Francaise sneaked inside and searched out information, didn't they?"

At his senpai's words, the junior watcher gave a small laugh.

"After a week, wasn't every one of them found at Nihonbashi with paper-bags dropped in their hands, having become otaku? Putting aside that all of them had no memory for whatever reason, there was the super strange phenomenon where they were stripped naked and young girl characters were tattooed with two-colour tattoos on their ass and back...Ever after, for fear of the shame, no country inserted any squadrons."

A breath.

"The Tsirch Testament, who regarded this as dangerous, spread rumours of 'The danger of runaway explosions of the Leyline Reactor' didn't they? In truth, they remade the recorded opera 'Sodom and Gomorrah have disappeared!' about a time where that had happened and everything in a ten kilometer radius was annihilated, into a elegiac tragedy through the whole of Europe. By now, other than the automatons and Lord Motonobu, it seems that nobody lives in the surroundings. The day before, I tried to descend to the outskirts, but--"

'Look', the kouhai tapped the senpai's shoulder. Gesturing at the village with that finger-

"...Even though it's noon, the smoke of cooking is completely nonexistent, right? In the vicinity of the center, it seems that even the city isn't moving. Even in the villages, strange words of blood were on the walls...I returned immediately, you know."

"I see...Sure is a troublesome country, Mikawa that is."

The instant the senpai figure spoke till that point.

'Oh', along with that voice, the kouhai figure pointed towards the mountain road.

"Ah, look down below, at the street road descending to the checkpoint. What's amazing is that two people came--The Musashi School President, Sakai Tadatsugu and the Vice-President Honda Masazumi. Nimble even in walking, just like the rumours, right? After the School President of Musashi was demoted, and cut away from Mikawa, he became a peevish, strange person."

Just like his words, on the path leading down to the checkpoint, two figures existed. With the scope of his rifle, the senpai figure confirmed the two, passing by or cutting ahead of messengers, dray vehicles, and cargo vehicles for transport, pressing past the people who had stopped their feet, their baggage being heavy.

"...One of the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings, spared from the stripping of inherited names by the automatons, Sakai Tadatsugu, huh? The position of Musashi School President is certainly a demotion. And, the other person, Masazumi is...dressed like a man, but the way of walking, a woman?"

"Tes., she may be dressed like a man, but actually...she should be a woman."

"Should?"

At that question, the kouhai looked up at the sky once. 'Um', choosing his words-

"When I was in Mikawa, 'the two Hondas' were there. One was a member of the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings, the strongest of the Eastern Countries, user of the Divine Armament Tonbokiri<ref group="1I">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonbogiri Dragonfly Cutter]</ref>, Honda Tadakatsu. The other was the brain of Matsudaira, the lineage of Honda Motonobu. However, when she was a she, an automaton stole the lineage of Masanobu because of the 'clearing out'."

"If that's so, that girl can no longer inherit a name, can she."

"Tes...However, before that, she had an operation for the sake of the inheritance of the name. To ascertain her right to inherit the name of Masazumi, a sex change operation, into a boy--However, her breasts having been removed, following the stages, when they tried to treat her lower parts, the 'clearing out' occured. Without a chest, female clothing don't fit her, so she dresses like a boy.

When I was still in Mikawa, she was avoided or bullied, you know. When she was a year above me, I had heard that being unable to inherit a name, she was abandoned by her dad, but..."

While looking at the two traveling the mountain path, the kouhai figure slowly said this.

"That she's the Vice-President, she's still doing her best, isn't she...I wonder if I should make a fan site..."

<center>●</center>

Atop the mountain path, a path towards the checkpoint, which was a transportation relay base, Sakai and Masazumi walked.

If one looked at the checkpoint from the mountain, it was a wide standby vehicle point where cargo vehicles on standby waiting to take luggage were lined up, and a wide clearing with warehouses. The valley as a natural barrier, it performed the exchange of goods between the bottom and top. At the reception of the checkpoint, people were lined up into fives lines, but the place that Sakai was walking was not at a distance where their voices and the exchange could still be heard.

Sakai and Masazumi walked the mountain path, hardened by the cargo vehicles. The two, traveling the mountainside where a wall of stone was to their left, would laugh at times, and at times they would exchange words whilst tilting their heads. Even now, Sakai was again forming a smile at the edge of his mouth-

"--speaking of which, it's about how tomorrow, Toori is going to confess. Then, what is Masazumi-kun going to do at night? Like I said before, it seems that Toori and company are going to make some noise over at the Academy, will you go together and even be the fire extinguisher smokescreen?"

"I am the Vice-President. If I did that kind of thing and it became known to the Testament Union--"

"It's alright. You'll just look like you're the same as them."

"Then, I can't do it, can I?--Generally, what is that, the Chancellor yet Student Council President suddenly announcing that he's going to confess and raising a racket at the Academy...even the other day, when we had the huge meeting for potluck in the dark, he ignited the experimental-use magnesium with the lab room's alcohol lamp and flask, and didn't it become 'Boom!'"

"Yeah, you can't make dark pot into light pot. Or rather, the pot paid its respects."<ref group="1I">This is a reference to 闇鍋 (dark pot), a potluck (stew variety) eaten in the dark (as entertainment.) 光鍋 (light pot) is used, due to the rather bright reactions of lit magnesium. The following sentence uses 光臨 (to show respect), but this is a pun with 光 (light), saying that the pot welcomes everyone. Magnesium burns at up to 2200 degrees Celsius; water makes it flare. Don't forget the alcohol lamp.</ref>

"No, it wasn't like that, was it..."

In response to Masazumi, who spoke as if troubled, Sakai laughed. Continuing like that for a few seconds, eventually he sucked in a breath-

"Well, I'm just saying that there's that way of passing the time too, you know."

'I wonder,' Masazumi folded her arms as if protect herself. Besides that, tilting her neck-

"The day before, he started some trouble at a restaurant on Tama's surface-section, covered one of Mitotsudaira's business partners, completely naked, in cream, and stuck an eel up his butt. It became a little bit of an incident, didn't it."

"That did happen, but about that."

Sakai looked at Masazumi out of the corner of his eye. That Masazumi pulled back slightly in response, he confirmed-

"--Did you know that that gourmet noble wanted the Mitotsudaira family and came to court Nate?"

"...Huh?"

"Whether he was from Hexagone Francaise or the Far East, I don't know, but aiming for the inheritance of a name, he tried to form a marital relationship with the Mitotsudaira family. With that, well, he tried to get in as a business partner. Nate is strong willed, but she's the type to think hard upon her position and family. I was consulted, you know."

'Then', Masazumi twisted her eyebrows.

"That mess was President Sakai's work?"

"Heyheyheyhey, don't suspect me. I didn't do anything--within those guys, somebody noticed, right? It's the small Musashi, after all...Well, it was probably a coincidence, but-"

"But?"

"But, on the emotional front, Nate thanks everyone, right?"

"----"

'Then,' as if punctuating sound by sound, he made his introduction.

And suddenly, again he looked at Masazumi out of the corner of his eye and opened his mouth. While looking around the area-

"--Indeed, it's strange today. Has Masazumi-kun noticed?"

<center>●</center>

"Strange? If you say that..."

Masazumi, who questioned in response, looked the the surroundings, the flow of cargo vehicles and people.

However, after a little while, Masazumi tilted her head, as if saying: "I don't know", and Sakai pointed at the checkpoint, visible in the distance. Pointing out the cargo vehicles lined up, waiting to receive-

"--That it's all cargo vehicles that are mostly empty, you heard from Shirojiro, but do you understand what it means? Masazumi-kun?"

"That's..."

Surprised, Masazumi raised her voice.

"Even if there is cargo heading towards Musashi, there's no cargo coming from Musashi, right? In short, orders for purchase coming from Mikawa are little in number...This is the first time that I've seen the Mikawa checkpoint from the Musashi-side, but it's true that in this one year, the other checkpoints were different, I think."

"Indeed, normally, there's more cargo coming from our side. This time, there's strangely nothing."

At Sakai, who was frowning, Masazumi, who had advanced one step forward, spoke while turning back.

"...Is it because Mikawa has advanced the 'clearing out,' or is this the result of the reduction of people from Phenomena, that it has become such that goods aren't really needed? But despite that, sending goods to Musashi from itself, it somehow seems like--"

Masazumi said.

"--It seems like Mikawa is distributing mementos of itself before it dies, trying to isolate itself from the world, doesn't it."

"Hey, hey, don't say scary stuff. It's just that Mikawa is under the locked country condition, exchange isn't allowed, and they're putting some distance between themselves and Musashi. But well..."

'I don't really know', the instant Sakai nodded.

Suddenly, a figure came from above. Above his head. Like a cloud, a large figure crossed the sky.

"That is--a boat?"

The figure of a boat which the two looked up towards was not but one. Almost directly above, several ships were coming. And at the west, above the mountains, a noticeably colossal white ship, sounding a deep noise and traveling, was-

"Belonging to K.P. Italia, the Jormungandr-class Galley 'Regno Unito' owned by Pope-Chancellor Innocentius. The escort is Tres Espana's security squadron. The head of the Catholics came all the way here, a place where Mlasi's P.A. ODA's hands can reach, huh. The Pope-Chancellor came for the negotiations of armament development, was it?"

'Yes', Masazumi opened her mouth.

"It's because P.A. ODA is concentrating on their attack of Asai. In that opening, they're going to plea for the development of the new-model Logismoi Oplo, one type of Divine Armament. Carrying a fragment of the world's power balance, none but eight in this world, City-Destruction Class Personal Armaments. The armaments, designating the Eight Concepts of the humans whom were treated the original imprints of the Seven Deadly Sins as their motif, the users are called the 'Eight Dragon Kings' in the darkness."

"You're well informed, aren't you. The Eight Concepts...can you say them?"

'Jud.', Masazumi said. And, Masazumi nodded-

"{{Furigana|Gastrimargia|Gluttony|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Porneia|Lust|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Phylargyria|Avarice|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Lypē|Lamenting|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=2px}}, {{Furigana|Orgē|Wrath|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0x}}, {{Furigana|Akedia|Disgust|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Kenodoxia|Vainglory|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} and {{Furigana|Hyperēphania|Pride|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}--in the sixth century, they were assembled as seven by Gregorious the First. Vainglory was included in Pride, Sadness and Wrath were assembled as Sloth, and furthermore {{Furigana|Phtonos|Envy|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} was added, becoming seven. Because of that--"

A breath.

"Now, the Deadly Sins of people are said to be seven, but originally, they were the Eight Concepts that were warned of by Evagrius, born in Greece, in Egypt. Now, The Seven Deadly Sins spoken in Latin is something of the world ahead, originally--the original recordings were Greek's Eight Concepts."

<center>●</center>

Masazumi spoke. Starting to walk once again, whilst scraping the dirt stuck to her [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zori zōri]-type slippers on the dried road-

"And, was it ten years ago?"

In the midst of the shadow of the ship traveling the sky, Masazumi remembered those days while looking at her feet.

"Right before Musashi's Grand Renovation, while concluding the end of the talks to make the provisional alliance with P.A. ODA a formal alliance, Lord Motonobu sent eight Logismoi Oplo to the countries belonging to the Testament, besides P.A. ODA. That was--"

● {{Furigana|Gastrimargia|Surfeit|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : M.H.R.R (The Holy Roman Empire)

● {{Furigana|Porneia|Lewdness|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : K.P.A Italia

● {{Furigana|Phylargyria|Avarice|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : England

● {{Furigana|Lypē|Lamenting|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=3px}} : Tres Espana

● {{Furigana|Orgē|Rage|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : Soviet Russia

● {{Furigana|Akedia|Disgust|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : Tres Espana

● {{Furigana|Kenodoxia|Vainglory|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : Hexagone Francaise

● {{Furigana|Hyperēphania|Arrogance|.7em|color2=#CC0000|fontWeight=900|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} : Hexagone Francaise

"Tres Espana and Hexagone Francaise hold two, but this was in response to the Sins which were grouped when the Eight Deadly Sins became the Seven Deadly Sins. In short, the output is at a low setting--however, it seems that Tres Espana brought it into the New Continent and pressured the feralized Mechanized Beasts into extinction. According to the rumours, it seems that they with a few kilounits, they drove in a large-scale destruction. Speaking in terms of power, the Divine Armament, using the Testament as a medium, is the same rank as the Testamenta Arma, but different from the Testamenta Arma, whose use is constrained by doctrine, Deadly Sin Armaments can be used freely. This is because Deadly Sin Armaments are also Reprimandative Armaments, used for the sake of informing the opponent of their sins."

Masazumi looked at the western sky. Looking at the ship wrapped in white armour, facing towards the continental port, "Regno Unito".

"The rumour is, the Pope came all the way here this time is because he's trying to have 'Phtonos' of the Seven Deadly Sins made. In any case, currently, K.P.A Italia is hurrying against the appearance of the Protestants and the decline in Middle-Eastern trade." that

A breath.

"The Pope-Chancellor is also a wielder of a Deadly Sin Armament, so he is one of the Eight Dragon Kings, but he's the head of the Catholics, so it seems he hates that name...Even though that's the case, he desires a new Deadly Sin Armament, so even if K.P.A. Italia is making a profit in international lending like Lombardia, it's rather troublesome."

"Fundamentally, lending is forbidden for Catholics, so other than being able to take the money as taxes, it has to be maintained by irregular races and the irregular Testament for which this circulation of money is possible, and more than anybody else, the Far East's lending businesses. The direct lending and borrowing of money is strict, so we act as a mediator for things like the borrowing of land mortgage, don't we. The Pope-Chancellor is in a really tight spot."

Sakai, who said that, formed a drooping smile at the corner of his mouth.

"But well,"

"What is it?"

The instant Masazumi relaxed her shoulders and took a step forward.

"Masazumi-kun--the rumours attached to the Deadly Sin Armaments, do you know them?"

"The attached rumours...?"

'Jud., Jud., Jud.,' Sakai nodded three times. At that point, he stuck his index finger up and said this.

"--The rumours that Logismoi Oplo uses humans as its components."

<center>●</center>

At Sakai's words, Masazumi slightly lost hold of hers.

The rumour which Sakai had spoken of just now had been heard by Masazumi before. That rumour was this.

"To weaponize the power of the Deadly Sins, humanity's original sin, it is appropriate to use humans as components..."

"Right, right, something like, 'wasn't the reason that people have disappeared from Nagoya actually because they've been made into components of Deadly Sin Armaments?'"

"Th-there's nothing like that."

Masazumi recalled the memories of living in Mikawa.

"If it wasn't a rumour, it would be a problem. Generally, when I was there, the citizens would properly give out a notice of change of residence before leaving, and if it wasn't that, when their whereabouts become unknown in a similar manner as the recent Phenomena, there should be an uproar."

'Right?' said Sakai. However, continuing to look up at the sky-

"Will things related to this end as a rumour? Masazumi-kun?"

"--Eh?'

Sakai spoke. Looking this way, he formed a broad smile at the edges of his mouth-

"I--thought that it would be interesting if Masazumi-kun also came over to this side."

"By saying 'this side'..."

"The side where we would be able to calmly talk about things like my past."

Past, that is-

"Just for example, the reason for me being demoted to Musashi--that I, adhering to the descriptions of the Testament, made the person who had inherited the name of my lord's heir commit suicide. The side where you would be able to smile and bring those words to your lips."

"----"

That which Sakai was saying. I know the reason of his demotion. It is something which anybody would know if they were a resident of Mikawa. That one of the Four Heavenly Kings had, even if having obeyed the Testament's description, made the heir of his lord commit suicide.

Once the lord of Mikawa, Lord Motonobu had no wife, and he had no heir.

...Therefore, Lord Motonobu let his little brother inherit a name as his heir, but--

Matsudaira Nobuyasu.

According to the descriptions of the Testament, he had committed suicide due to trouble with the Oda family.

Was it because there was that too? Around fifteen years ago, because Mikawa had no inheritor of the name Nobunaga in P.A. ODA, they refused alliance, and it seemed they tried to overcome the Testament's description with 'Broad Interpretation', but-

...Because of P.A. ODA's encirclement, a provisional alliance was formed, half under duress.

In those circumstances, as a proof of loyalty, they pressured for the lord younger brother, having become his heir, to commit suicide.

Sakai, the protector of the lord younger brother, was demoted for the reason of being unable to stop the suicide.

According to rumour, Lord Nobuyasu wished for death, and when Sakai had ran to his side, it was all too late.

The reason for Sakai's demotion which Masazumi knew of, was that.

...However.

'I can't simply bring those words to my lips', is the me who thinks that naive?

But, inside my field of vision, Sakai, without erasing the smile at the edge of his mouth, said this.

"Then, Masazumi-kun, you seem to be thinking a lot of things, but if there was a continuation to that conversation, what would you do?"

"...Eh? A continuation?"

'Jud. Jud.', Sakai said twice.

"If actually, Lord Motonobu...had an illegitimate wife, and had children outside?"

"----"

Masazumi lost all words for an instant. However, she forcibly opened her mouth. She shouldn't even be able to understand the information which she was suddenly told of, and there was also the feeling where the core of her mind was not firm, yet as a measure to confirm truth or fiction-

"No way. If that kind of child existed..."

Because the lord younger brother who had inherited the name of his heir had committed suicide, that child would become the heir, wouldn't he? However-

"Now, where is that child, and what is he doing...? Why doesn't he come out into the open?"

"That's why, I said this earlier, didn't I?"

Sakai said.

"If you want to know, step inside, come to this side, Masazumi-kun--You wish to be a politician, and you also seem to be thinking of grand things, but you're bad at taking one step inside, aren't you?"

'But,' Sakai said.

"I like being bullied, you know--So, won't you step in to me?"

Sakai, who spoke those words, suddenly sped up his gait.

The wind moved, the sound of clothes rustling resounded. As if being surreptitiously held by Sakai, the tanto at the back of his waist shook-

"--Well, let's keep the conversation to that. Then...shall we?"

'Eh?' Masazumi chased Sakai with her gaze, and passing by a single climbing horse-drawn carriage, he merely headed towards the checkpoint's wide clearing. Masazumi, a little panicked, had moved her feet in order to catch up, and together with the sound of her footsteps, she went out into the wide clearing-

"...Oh."

The sound of the delivery of received cargo, and the murmurs of people, the sound of cargo vehicles starting as well as the unobstructed sunlight drowned Masazumi's body. The two traveled the footpath, separated by rope under pedestrian priority-

"Then, Masazumi-kun, when we first of all get the documented proof of you having sent me, afterward you can return and have some fun."

"Ah, yes. Also, President Sakai, if you were one of the Mastsudaira Four Heavenly Kings, you might know, I think, but if you meet with Lord Tadakatsu's daughter, please speak to her nicely. Before, she and I were in the same grade."

"Ahh, she was...Will she come today? Well, if I meet her, I'll speak to her."

While saying, 'thank you very much,' Masazumi thought. Of what she had been told by Sakai just now, 'step inside'. There was a memory of being told something close to that today, by another person. Therefore-

"Today, there's something that I was thinking of investigating, so I'll be focusing on that."

"Hmm, what is it?"

"'Remorse Way'. If I investigate it, I'll understand everyone, so I was told."

Masazumi nodded in her heart. 'This too is one step inside,' she thought.

With that, before her eyes, Sakai showed a single reaction.

He laughed.

...Eh?

Masazumi lost all words against that sudden voice of laughter, and Sakai gave a smile in farewell.

"That's good--preparing for the event of Toori confessing tomorrow, everyone is also probably preparing for that celebration or something, and they're having a festival party at the Academy at night. And Azuma-kun, who was the crown price, has thrown away that position and power, restarting his life at Musashi from today onwards, and Mikawa is, by the instruction of Lord-sensei, going to have fireworks and a festival tonight. Everything seems to be unconnected...they are new activities, and activities of celebration."

After a single breath, Sakai continued his words.

"It would be nice if learning of 'Remorse Way' would be Masazumi-kun's new activity."

A breath.

"The things that I don't know are still many, but even so...that Masazumi-kun comes to the side of Toori, all those with him, and I, I pray."

==Translator's notes and references==

<references group="1I" />

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 07|Chapter 07]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 09|Chapter 09]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 03

2013-10-10T09:15:08Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 03: Innocents at the Table */

==Chapter 03: Innocents at the Table==
[[File:Horizon1A 143.jpg|thumb]]
''To be indecisive is to think overmuch.''

''And to question whether to stay silent or continue to speak.''

''But then, where can you find the answer?''

'''Point Allocation (Resolution)'''

<center>●</center>

There existed a space where the light of the end of morning gently entered.

A place where two thick tables of wood were installed. It was a cafe with a kitchen deeper inside.

At the entrance of the store; there was a wooden signboard with the symbol of Blue Thunder engraved upon it.

The sign which announced that they were still preparing was hanging over the entrance, but inside the store, there was two figures.

One was the figure of the female shopkeeper, baking the bread needed from noon and evening in the kitchen in the depths of the store.

The other one was a figure of a student, who returned one of the chairs placed upon the eating hall's tables to the floor, and was taking her meal.

The student was wearing a male uniform.

Under the fairly long black hair, fairly sharp eyes were fixated upon the table. Moving her hands, she took her breakfast.

Atop the table, the meal the student was putting into her mouth was only a few pieces of baked bread and water.

"Masazumi-san, I think it would be better if ya worked a part-time job with good pay and ate properly. Just doin' scholarly things won't let ya gain any experience right? If a girl dressed as a man collapses, you won't have any fans y'know?"

The student, Masazumi, to tore up her bread as she listened. She answered with a fairly high voice.

"Only my father's acquaintances have realised that I'm a girl... And even at the Academy, only my teacher and some classmates know. Even you didn't notice until you took care of me because I had collapsed from the heat."

"Nah, I've been thinkin' that it was a little strange since a while ago... So, I stripped ya together with P-01s."

"...That's a memory I don't want to remember."

It's only because of that that I can come here without worry.

But still, I'd like to avoid talking about my gender.

Therefore, Masazumi said.

"It's true that to get my tuition fees and living expenses, other jobs would be better, but..."

"Ya parents're making a fuss?"

To the question which was hard to answer, Masazumi did not give an answer. Thinking 'What do I do?', she just inserted the bread into her mouth, chewing thoroughly. Drinking the water in the glass, she let loose a breath. With that, a wry laugh echoed from beyond-

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me. ...Are you going to do more work for the student council now? Ya don't have a break, right?"

At those words, Masazumi smiled a sad smile where she lowered here eyebrows.

She said as a form of thanks "I'm being worried about, aren't I?"

"As the student council vice-president, I will now be escorting President Sakai to Mikawa, up until the checkpoint. Well, even if I say that... before meeting up with the president, I was thinking that I would go visit my mother's grave."

"Haha, even if ya go to the Academy now, ya won't make it in time for the classes. But... could I ask about the reason for a young child to go visit a grave at a time like this"

"My mother, who became a victim of strange phenomena, and I, too, bere born in Mikawa, so... I thought that I should visit before we descend."

"...A victim of Phenomena? Could it be the side-effects of the Apocalypse that everybody's been talkin' about recently?"

'Jud.', Masazumi nodded. Trying to rembember as hard as possible the incident of that time from an objective point of view...

"...Well, the truth is I don't know whether or not it was a phenomena. The magistrate in charge said it she was spirited away. Just, she was suddenly gone, and at the place she should have disappeared from, a large symbol was written with blood..."

Masazumi drew a circle with her fingers, and she showed a line piercing its center.

"This kind of design was left behind. The investigation said that it seemed to be a type linked to a group of mysterious disappearances called the "Princess Disappearances". But, there are numerous accounts of robbers tricking people with that, not to mention regular disappearances or elopements. Well... there was a lot going on in Mikawa, and it's becoming a place where phenomena occur readily. Because of that, even if I say a grave, I'm just going to see the things my mother left behind. Things like ornaments, memos..."

'That so,' a voice tinted with relief could be heard.

"Even though tends to get depressed about the Apocalypse, you're still a good girl."

"That isn't it at all. For school too, even though I'm paying my own tuition, I'm at the point where I think it's fine to take a break from working... Well, once I reach the checkpoint today, I'll be able to hear about Tres España and K.P.A. Italia. They're coming to inquire about the Logismoi Oplo, so I was thinking that I could learn something from it."

"That's troublesome... Ah, also, thank P-01s for the meal this time."

'Alright', Masazumi answered and looked towards the entrance.

Nobody was at the counter, and neither was there an indication that someone was in front of the store.

However, Masazumi, still looking in that direction, opened her mouth.

"It's already been a year, hasn't it...? If I hadn't been saved by her, I would really have died."

"Recently, doesn't it seem like yer gettin' along with her well? Ya lent her some books, right?"

"Jud., mostly about general knowledge... The day before, I lent her my transcript of my history teacher lecture, you know. As expected, it seems that she hasn't read through it though."

"I see, ya really want to be a member of the provisional council. Ya have quite a lot of books."

"Not that many," Masazumi responded with a wry smile all while thinking

''If only I had the money to buy more.''

"I would read a lot more if I had the money though... Well, I'm sorry for causing trouble so frequently. Right now I'm freeloading, so I'll return this debt in the future. I'll become a great politician."

"If ya become a member of the provisional council, ya won't need our bread anymore, right? If ya say that ya want to repay the debt, then yeah... can you investigate P-01s' origins for me like you did last time? Ya managed to get a lot donde."

At the shopkeeper's voice, Masazumi folded her arms. Indeed, a while ago, she had investigated about the circumstances regarding P-01s.

"Even when I used my authority as the student council vice-president, in the end, I didn't know anything about it... Well, I think that Musashi's vice-president doesn't really have any true authority."

"Why didn't ya become a candidate for student council president? The Chancellor is the Testament Union's recommendation, but the Student Council President is　elected by a candidacy, y'know?"

Being asked, Masazumi thought. And immediately, she uttered the words which were her response-

"...Because, Aoi, the Chancellor, declared his candidacy for student council president too."

<center>●</center>

'It's hard just to criticise people like this,' Masazumi thought. However, it was meaningless to stay silent.

"Since he was born on Musashi, everybody knows what he's like, far more than what they know about me, a newcomer who's only been here one year. Also, the Testament Union's also got an idea, having seen Aoi's grades when he enrolled."

"That's because he's an idiot. In the past, during the speech of the matriculation ceremony, he burst into the ceremony hall smiling like an idiot while clutching a bundle of lit ceremonial firecrackers."

"Yeah, he chased all the new students around. The ceremony hall was in panic, but in the end the new students worked together, brought Toori down and launched the fireworks…A moving ending, even if rather forced. Speaking of which, president Sakai gave a closing speech. 'Everyone, remember this day well,' he said... like anyone would forget."

'Well,' Masazumi said lightly folding her arms.

"...Because he, the Chancellor, was elected to also the Student Council President, things ended without the Academy being split into one faction supporting the student council and other supporting the chancellor's board. Even for Testament Union, it's easier to control the Academy if Aoi is at the top of both sides, right?"

"That so? Um, right now, it seems that right now he has the urban name 'Impossible' appended to him, but can he really not do anything? Before, he was pretty... no, he was an idiot back then too, but what's he like now?"

"Now?"

Masazumi tilted her neck. Serving snacks and bread from early on in the morning, this shop was popular with students in terms of pricing as well. Toori and his classmates could be seen here pretty often.

"Right now, I see them here quite often, but... you're asking about what he's like now?"

"Yeah, Toori had stopped coming for a while, stretchin' from ten years ago till about a year ago. Before, Toori, his sister Kimi, and a child who lived close by would eat breakfast together here."

"...That was more than ten years ago? Then, from last year, it's been nine years since Toori had come..."

"That's right, Toori only started to come here again since last year. When Masazumi-san came to Musashi, it was the time where P-01s started working here. Now, again, he comes every morning though."

"I wonder why," the shopkeeper's question floated from the kitchen, but the answer to that was unknown to Masazumi as well.

"However, even if he comes here, he doesn't have a meal and just buys bread to go, so it can't be that he wants to get employed here when he graduates ...About that, well..."

"What is it?"

Just as she stretched her hand out to a piece of bread while asking, a voice could be heard.

"I'd been thinking that there was no way, but I've started to wonder."

"...? What are you talking about? You don't mind if I ask?"

"Hmmm, I wonder if, for you, it'd be easier to get it across if I said it this way."

From the kitchen, the sound of oil frying something resounded. Audible inside this chain of sizzling noise, was a voice.

"Toori probably likes P-01s."

<center>●</center>

"--Huh!?"

Masazumi halted her hands which were trying to tear up the bread. Tilting her chair, she turned her gaze towards the kitchen; the shopkeeper's back, visible across some equipment, did not turn around.

"--Idiots who fall in love with automatons, that isn't just a fairy tale, I guess."

"Ah, no way, that's..."

Automatons do not have emotions. Automatons have the instinct to serve people as living beings, but that is different from emotion. They don't understand the workings of emotions, and even if they were questioned concerning this, they would not be able to answer.

...Therefore, they are "dolls".<ref group="1D">自動人形(Automaton)->人形(Doll)</ref>

If the female shopkeeper's words are true, Toori's behavior is...

"Useless, or rather... obsessive."

Masazumi described what most would take as common sense. However, following the timing of a conversation, Masazumi heard the female shopkeeper's voice.

"Even if useless, it's fine though."

"...Eh?"

She asked, but there was no answer. However, something came in its place.

"How's Toori doing in school?"

With this question, Masazumi realized that they were splintering from the conversation up till now. So after thinking for a moment, Masazumi tore up her bread, going back to the original flow of their conversation.

"By the Testament Union's standards... he has no capabilities at all, his academic ability is average, and it seems that they've judged that his athletic ability is below average in terms of stamina. Especially when it comes to his body..."

She muddied a fact into words. However, a voice spilled out from the depths of the kitchen.

"Long before, he cut his left shoulder, and because of that he's bad at athletics, isn't he."

"Ye-yes."

For the residents of Musashi, is it normal that I would hesitate?

"Haha, the fact that ya know; Masazumi-san, ya've seen Toori's stripping right?"

"Saw or was shown--The first time I went to school, for some reason he, with "Underdog" written in huge letters on his front body, was being chased around by a pack of dogs, running around the school building."

"Because of that injury, he can't use swords very well, huh."

She was telling Masazumi what she already knew, seeking confirmation. Therefore, Masazumi also nodded.

"...Because of this, the Testament Union gave him the urban name, 'Impossible'."

What she said was just the truth, exclusive of personal opinion.

"Even as a Musician of Shinto, he worships an Entertainment-type God, said to focus upon fun and games... He appears to have passed the high-rank examinations, but it seems that he hasn't yet applied for any blessings. I've been told that it's because the blessing he can use isn't really useful."

"What kind of blessing?"

"Jud., "Power Propagation'."

Masazumi remembered. The thing she had heard from the Testament Union's attendee at the inheritance ceremony when she became the vice-president.

"When Amaterasu was hiding within a rock door, the laughter of the Goddesses dancing outside passed through the rock door and was conveyed to Amaterasu, and it became an opportunity to bring Amaterasu out. In short, the technique of the God of Entertainment is a technique that uses emotion as a medium, transmitting something to its receivers as a means to share it. Just like sharing laughs with everyone by dancing."

But even so, it was useless.

"Included in this technique is a form of equivalent indemnity, which takes the form of 'impurity'. When using laughter as a medium, there can be no sadness. If this is violated... the power which was propagated using laughter as a medium will conversely be taken away."

"Taken away... which means?"

"The transmitted power will not be shared, it will be thoroughly stolen away. Luck and emotion, even power, it depends on the contents of the contract, but it will most likely be exorcised as impurity, and it will not return for a long period of time. The reason that entertainers and artists whose careers fail experience psychological depression is because, failing in their works of art, the emotions of joy and laughter are lost from within themselves."

"A frightening spell, isn't it..."

'Isn't it?' Masazumi said. She continued her talk.

"But for Aoi, it's a meaningless technique. His abilities in academics and body are both average, so it's meaningless for others to share it. And even if he had more power than that, the risk when it is stolen away is far too high. Not being able to become sad..."

...Things like that happen quite often.

If something was stolen away, almost like a follow-up to the sadness, it would be intolerable.

The moment she thought this, a soft laugh could be heard from inside.

"Haha, Masazumi-san, just as I was wondering whether ya hated Toori, ya were worrying about him, weren't ya."

Being told something she had not even thought, Masazumi flushed her face.

Drinking the water in her glass, she calmed her breath.

"--If something happens to student council president, the responsibility will fall to me."

This is a fact. The student council and chancellor's board are the facilities with the highest authority in every country, but the Musashi's King which was sent by the Testament Union holds the authority of the final decision. Being the intermediary between the students and Musashi's King is the vice-president's job.

I myself think that it's a lot of trouble, but there's something else.

''...What would it be like?''

Masazumi wishes to be a politician. As her father is a member of the bureaucratic organization which aids students, the provisional council, he ponders and amends the decisions of the student council, brings the suggestions from the citizens, and furthermore, has the duty of running the management of the city based upon personal estimations."

When I've graduated from the Academy, I was thinking of starting on the road leading there.

However, recently, a single question had come to life.

...As she was born in the Far East, wouldn't everything be useless?

<center>●</center>

In the Far East, where it was set that the age limit for students was 18 years, you can't have anything to do with the government after graduation. Therefore, the adults, in other words the council members were nothing more than bureaucrats. Even if they had wealth, they were nothing more than wonderful taxpayers.

Furthermore, in Musashi, the Musashi's King which is sent by the Testament Union holds the authority of the final decision. He can even oppose the student council and chancellor's board. Because he holds all Musashi's matters under his jurisdiction, it is impossible for Musashi to achieve an autocracy. And because it was only able to fly above the tentative borderlines of all the countries, it was unable to freely choose its flight path.

Even if I try to carry something out, I don't really have the power to choose.

I've come to realise this fact very well during this one year. Looking at the circumstances after Aoi was chosen as the chancellor and when he became the student council president, I was forced to fully realize it.

That our strength will not be recognized.

...If that is the case...

Wouldn't it be fine to make a cursory job of everything?

If we become dependent upon the other countries' occupation, there are privileges that we can receive. For example, Aoi receiving the positions of chancellor and student council president and becoming a celebrity within Musashi.

And suddenly, Masazumi thought of her father.

Her father had left Mikawa ten years ago and moved to Musashi, being a member of the provisional council for ten years.

Masazumi knew why. It had been a year since her father had called her and she had come to Musashi. She knew that many businessmen, real estate managers and ground transport managers went to her father. If you thought of this as a privilege, the meaning in becoming a member of the provisional council in Musashi, a politician, and her destination as a political hopefully...

"..."

Thinking about a lot of things, Masazumi shook her head.

There was also the rumours that the Apocalypse was coming this year, and as if indicating this, it was true that the frequency of phenomena was rising.

A present age where the immediate future could not actually be seen.

Therefore, Masazumi thought that at least during meals, she would not think of the dark future.

At that moment.

"Yer hands have stopped moving... Was the bread bad, Masazumi-san?"

Because of the shopkeeper's voice, Masazumi regained her thoughts. Sighing, she took a breath.

"Ah, no, I was just daydreaming a little."

"Haha", she laughted, but even she felt that it was forced.

...There are just too many things to think about.

Her mother disappearing was the trigger for her coming to Musashi, many things had happened this last year.

She suddenly opened her mouth.

"Times sure flies fast. In a year, we've already gone once around the Far East to my hometown, Mikawa. Even though Mikawa is the Far East's representative, recently it's become on good terms with P.A. ODA, so the Testament Union is looking at it with suspicion. Also, because of the New Nagoya Castle's Leyline Reactor, phenomena are overflowing in the region... I wonder if my friends from before are doing well. I mean people like the daughter of the other Honda family, Lord Tadakatsu's daughter."

"My, my, talking about friends from yer hometown? Are ya homesick?"

"No," even whilst answering with that, she felt a sense of self-injury. Therefore, Masazumi spoke.

She spoke about something she had been thinking for a while. She spoke of one of the reasons that she often went out to do part-time jobs that started in the morning.

"...Our Academy, Ariadust is really the Musashi citizens's Academy. I don't really fit here. Or rather, me being someone who competed for and failed to receive a inherited name is also an issue, with the fact that everyone..."

The fact that everyone was showing her care was evident.

Her lips, which were on the brink of saying this, stopped.

"Do ya want to try and become friendly with everyone?"

A question came.

Without understanding the question, she pondered. After a while, Masazumi frowned.

"It's not like they aren't friendly..."

"Then, do ya ever feel that ya'd like to get along better with them? If ya do..."

She heard it.

"Investigate the 'Remorse Way'"

"Remorse.. Way...?"

Muttering, Masazumi tilted her head. If the name she had heard matched the image in her head, she knew the road the shopkeeper spoke of. Indeed, that she knew it was a matter of course.

"Um, it's the large starboard way in front of the Academy, isn't it? Passing through a natural park, reaching from the right starboard till the bow..."

"Do you know why it's named 'Remorse Way'?"

'No,' Masazumi answered. She doesn't know the clear reason.

What she know was:

...The stone slab at the entrance of that passage, the one that belongs to the girl named Horizon...

Ten years ago, a stone slab like a gravestone praying was made to pray for a girl's happiness in the next life. What meaning does it hold? If I investigate, will I understand the origins of the name which everyone normally uses, 'Remorse Way'?"

"What could it be?"

"It's simpl... A fact which Masazumi-san does not know but over half of the Musashi's residents know. If you investigate it... yeah."

With that, the noise of the shopkeeper in the kitchen turning around could be heard.

"Ten years ago, durin' Musashi's Great Renovation, a certain incident had happened."

"...An incident? It have something to do with that stone slab? Horizon, the name of a girl, is written on it..."

"If ya've noticed that, then this'll be quick. A step further, step inwards and look. If you do that, more of Musashi's various facets will become visible to you."

Her voice sounded, and along with the sound of her walking, a scent came. Turning around, the female shopkeeper, plate in her hand, was coming this way with a smile on her face.

"Each of Musashi's residents remember why the name 'Remorse Way' was given to that road. So, ya should investigate. Yer worries'll definitely lessen... Also, this."

Atop a tray there was a paper bag and bread. On top of the bread was butter fried spinach, ham, egg and carrot.

"Before, Toori and the girl who lived close by would put what we sold on a piece of bread. With the addition of soup, our mornin' menu…Well, rather than mornin', it was already noon. If yer goin' now to visit a grave and Mikawa, I'll wrap it together with a tightly sealed paper cup, so ya can take it away."

At the same time as her voice, the bell which signaled the time rang out. It was the noontime bell.

Hearing this, Masazumi suddenly turned her gaze outside. The voice of the female shopkeeper, putting the meal into a paper bag-

"Is there somethin' ya interested in the Academy?"

"Jud., since today, Azuma-sama should have come from the Testament Union."

"Ah, if that's so, the King will be following him, won't he. The Academy'll be busy, won't it? So yer interested, then?"

"Well", Masazumi said and stood up. While hearing the sound of the female shopkeeper arranging the paper bag on top of the table, she spoke.

"Once in a while, I take a guess about why that place would be busy."

My plans for today, visiting a grave and going to Mikawa.

...But if I investigate Remorse Way afterward, will I learn something?

==Translator's notes and references==

<references group="1D" />

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 02|Chapter 02]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 04|Chapter 04]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 01

2013-10-09T05:02:32Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 01: Participants in a Chance Meeting by the Storefront */

==Chapter 01: Participants in a Chance Meeting by the Storefront==

[[Image:Horizon1A_105.jpg|thumb]]
''Your life exists.''

''In order to meet.''

''What then, does a meeting mean.''

'''Point Allocation (Life)'''


<center>●</center>

Below the white sky, the people flowing at morning that streamed through the streets of Musashi were coming to an end.

Everywhere in the town, people were transitioning to their work, which stretched from early morning to noon.

In the vicinity of central Tama, the Blue Thunder café had also entered into its pre-midday preparations. A string with a sign attached to it closed off the entrance to the eating area. Only the bakery section of the shop, which made use of the bread rack in front of the counter, remained open.

However, it was still too early for the morning to truly move into ‘pre-midday’. The female shopkeeper was still setting up inside the store.

"P-01s, once you clean da front of da shop with water you can leave. I’ll be expectin’ you in the evenin’"

"Jud."

After P-01s nodded, she left the counter and went outside the shop.

Main street. The cleaning of the road was already done and there were people passing by. Occasionally large two-wheeled carts or horse wagons used for transport passed by, causing the structure of the road to tremble.

It’s time for business, but there are some tourists here and there.

"Looking at this situation, we will soon be at Mikawa. The market will probably become busy soon."

P-01s muttered. Using her personal functions, P-01s thought of Mikawa, which she had not seen for so long.

...Once in a year, they come to Mikawa. That's where everything began for her.

Musashi takes a whole year to travel around all of the Far East. Musashi stops at each region's settlement and makes commercial and transport business, but from what I heard from the shopkeeper, even a year isn't enough to travel around the whole Far East.


P-01s thinks about the words 'last year'.

It seems that last year was when P-01s boarded Musashi from Mikawa.

It appears that way because there are no memories from before that.

...When she became aware she was already in one the streets of Tama.

Her civil registration was already done by third person. The civil identity she had was authentic and her residence was in Musashi. But when she went to the house, it had turned into a street.

She was allowed life due to the fact that the proof of citizenship that she carried was real and because the shopkeeper of the café had called out to her in the beginning and became her guardian.

What she was thinking right now was the same thing she thought back then,

...Who made P-01s?

The shopkeeper went to various public offices and companies to ask about it, but she was not one of their products. There weren’t any lost items nor missing person requests for an automaton. The technician who inspected over me said,

"I've seen methods from IZUMO and England in your construction, ... but much still remains unclear."

That was all technician who had examined her said. When she heard ‘much still remains unclear,’ the shopkeeper had tilted her head, but from what the technician said, an automated doll is an aggregation of spells and mechanisms and though they are industrial products, there is a lot of secrecy involved in their construction. Furthermore, he said,


"The soul is in the throat."

I have heard that automated dolls are dolls which have a soul in their bodies.

A doll won’t move by itself, but when souls that were able to absorb Ether, the power of the leylines, resided in dolls, they their set Drive systems and other similar mechanisms on.

In her case the was a component that was probably her soul, looked like an ornament and it was in her throat, at the base of her voice box.

From what the shopkeeper said,

"Maybe the emotions of very important women lie in their ornaments."

That's what she said, but the truth is still hidden.

What she knew was that she was an automated doll with no memories from an unknown place.

"——"

P-01s moved her hand to the water tap that was front of the shop and beside the door.

She moved the pail under the water tap using her gravity manipulation without touching it.

The ability of gravity manipulation is a racial power of the automatons. It was a necessary power for souls that resided in something to be able to move that in which it resided to make contact with its surroundings. The automatons have the disposition of devoting themselves to the people using this power.

Placing her body close towards the road, she filled the pail beyond her outstretched hands with water and pulled it closer to her.

She took it.

She splashed water on the path using a ladle.


This was part of her usual routine. Once in the morning, once before noon and once more early in the evening.

The same custom. The same work. The same things to do. By doing that she don’t have to think about herself, so that really helped.

...Speaking bluntly, I can guess that I am merely escaping.

The moment she thought of this,

A voice could be heard.

'''"'''Water.'''"'''

Small, black, round things were piling up from out of the ground at the edge of the road.

'''"'''Want water.'''"'''

<center>●</center>

P-01s with the pail with water in one of her hands was getting closer to the direction from where the voice came.

It was the corner of the store’s lot, at the gutters by the roadside.

Because it was connected with the sewage, there were wooden lids covering the gutters. However, when she lifted up the lids, a black, round thing around five centimetres across poked out from below.

The black figure looked like a clump of fur matted with muddy water.

...However, according to their personal statements, they were algae.

The algae were like animals, hanging the bottom of its round body in the verge of the street gutter and using his sense organs, he looked around.

'''"'''Are we okay? All clear?'''"'''


"It’s okay. All clear."

The black algae that lay before P-01s' eyes, the black algae creatures, are hive mind organisms that work in Musashi and other cities by processing the water from the sewers. They use a process similar to photosynthesis, eating the 'pollution' and purifying it into 'cleanliness'. Because of that all the countries made a contract with the black algae creatures' hive minds to provide them food in exchange for sewage treatment.

That was what these black algae creatures did, so every time they soaked with sewage they ended up covered with it. The spilled sewage can be decomposed with the chemicals leaked from the black algae, but the same could not be done for the smell.

They knew that if they came outside from the sewers or gutters, people would hate them.

But they were here. The reason is,

'''"'''Water.'''"'''

"Is the sewage stagnated again?"

'''"'''Yes, again, a little, but some water will do it.'''"'''

The body of the black algae appeared to be a little dry. P-01s concluded that this was because of the lack of water.

This was an area where the sewer pipes twisted. Because each ship of the Musashi was gigantic, the inner components fought an eternal battle, attempting to find a way to absorb the deformities of the outer shell.

…The central area is where the most creases took shape. Speaking further, this is the surface level, which is the least supported of all the levels. This was the reason there were so many ships where the centre of the surface level was hollowed out.

The black algae creatures wanted their food, the sewage. However, because the flow of the sewage had slowed down, stagnated and gotten stuck, someone had to use a brush to force out the stagnation and blockage.


Normally this task should have been the responsibility of one of the managers in the public offices, but...

'''"'''Nobody others probably serious.'''"'''

"—Jud., I understand."

P-01s sprinkled water on the black algae creature.

The black algae creature narrowed his sense organs and after being saturated with water,

'''"'''Thanks.'''"'''

It went below the street gutter and another one came.

'''"'''One more please.'''"'''

P-01s nodded and sprinkled water.

So another black algae creature came, then another, they kept coming.

'''"'''Last.'''"'''

The seventh one was splashed with water. The last black algae creature thanked P-01s, but when he was going to enter the street gutter,

'''"'''Okay?'''"'''

"What is okay?"

'''"'''Smells right?'''"'''

Asked, P-01s tilted her head. The black algae did smell, it smelt of sewers.


Because they were sticking their bodies slightly out from below the gutter, only she had noticed, but if they came out completely the other people will become aware of it. The truth was clear, so P-01s said.

"Jud., to put it bluntly it smells."

'''"'''Why?'''"'''

The black algae creature asked why she is helping them if they smell so bad.

'''"'''Always helping but others until now got in trouble said no why?'''"'''

P-01s answered immediately to this question.

"Your smell is not something you created to harm others. This smell is a result of our actions. And you never go out of the gutters completely to prevent the spread of this smell. So, I can conclude that there is not a reason to P-01s deny you."

So, the black algae creature said.

'''"'''Friend?'''"'''

"Jud., if that's the name of the relationship between those who acknowledge each other."

In response to the words of P-01s the black algae creature stayed silent for some time. But after a few seconds,

'''"'''Name please.'''"'''

"...My name is P-01s."

'''"'''Thanks for always.'''"'''


The black algae creature compressed its body, as if to nod.

'''"'''Wash hands please.'''"'''

After the creature went away the cover of the street gutter was closed.

P-01s raised her body that was bent over down. She did like the black algae creature had told her and washed her hands with the water left from the pail and looked over to verify if there was anywhere dirty, but the black algae creatures have absorbed all the sewage dripped.

As if it were a substitute, something fell.

"?"

The something was a person. A black male uniform from the Musashi Ariadust Academy. Short long black hair with a thin body, but without any strength left.

"——"

After shaking a little, he suddenly fell to the ground without even having the chance to put his knees on the ground, a direct hit.

There was a sound, a cloud of dust raised and P-01s thought,

...If a cloud of dust raised, that means that my watering wasn't enough.

Wondering about that, P-01s called out towards the shop.

"Shopkeeper, there is a client. As always Masazumi-sama is ...on the brink of starving to death."

<center>●</center>


[[Image:Horizon1A_114.jpg|thumb]]
'''Study - Musashi'''<ref>To understand this a little better I reccomend reading this post [http://kyoukaisen.tumblr.com/post/11146838125 here]. Credits to Zeroblade.</ref>

''Toori'': "Sis! Sis! It may be a little late, but what is Musashi's formation!?"

''Kimi'': "Fufufu idiot brother, you're always walking around the ship and don't know even that...?! Umm... your intelligent sister was about to use inappropriate language!"

''Toori'': "Hey, hey sis, don't turn into a heretic and just tell me quickly!"

*'''Musashi’s ships formation'''

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! !! Left side !! Middle !! Right side
|-
| First ships || '''“Asakusa”''' || || '''“Shinagawa”'''
|-
| Second ships/Front ||'''“Murayama”''' || '''“Musashino”''' || '''“Tama”'''
|-
| Third ships/Rear || '''“Oume”''' || '''“Okutama”''' || '''“Takao”'''
|}

*Musashi can only travels between borderlines of each country.
**The line shows the way everyone took in the prologue. Name of the places going from down: Musashi Ariadust Academy ('''“Okutama”''') -> Remorse Way ('''“Okutama”''') -> Blue Thunder ('''“Tama”''') -> Yakuza office ('''“Shinagawa”''')

''Kimi'': "Well, the eight ships look like this. Basically, the first ships are used for carrying cargo. The second ships are for tourism and is mostly made up of people who were born in foreign countries, besides administrative offices and embassies. The third ships contain the people from the Far East and is the place that focus on our industries. The middle-front ship is the center of the operation and control of Musashi. The middle-rear ship has the Academy as its center."

''Toori'': "Heh! I’m surprised that Sis knew that much! You’re a genius!"

''Kimi'': "No, you see, I’m really a genius, but it’s seriously bad that you didn't know this!"

==Translator Notes==
<references/>
<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 02|Chapter 02]]
}}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 01

2013-10-09T05:01:44Z

115.76.27.66: /* Chapter 01: Participants in a Chance Meeting by the Storefront */

==Chapter 01: Participants in a Chance Meeting by the Storefront==

[[Image:Horizon1A_105.jpg|thumb]]
''Your life exists.''

''In order to meet.''

''What then, does a meeting mean.''

'''Point Allocation (Life)'''


<center>●</center>

Below the white sky, the people flowing at morning that streamed through the streets of Musashi were coming to an end.

Everywhere in the town, people were transitioning to their work, which stretched from early morning to noon.

In the vicinity of central Tama, the Blue Thunder café had also entered into its pre-midday preparations. A string with a sign attached to it closed off the entrance to the eating area. Only the bakery section of the shop, which made use of the bread rack in front of the counter, remained open.

However, it was still too early for the morning to truly move into ‘pre-midday’. The female shopkeeper was still setting up inside the store.

"P-01s, once you clean da front of da shop with water you can leave. I’ll be expectin’ you in the evenin’"

"Jud."

After P-01s nodded, she left the counter and went outside the shop.

Main street. The cleaning of the road was already done and there were people passing by. Occasionally large two-wheeled carts or horse wagons used for transport passed by, causing the structure of the road to tremble.

It’s time for business, but there are some tourists here and there.

"Looking at this situation, we will soon be at Mikawa. The market will probably become busy soon."

P-01s muttered. Using her personal functions, P-01s thought of Mikawa, which she had not seen for so long.

...Once in a year, they come to Mikawa. That's where everything began for her.

Musashi takes a whole year to travel around all of the Far East. Musashi stops at each region's settlement and makes commercial and transport business, but from what I heard from the shopkeeper, even a year isn't enough to travel around the whole Far East.


P-01s thinks about the words 'last year'.

It seems that last year was when P-01s boarded Musashi from Mikawa.

It appears that way because there are no memories from before that.

...When she became aware she was already in one the streets of Tama.

Her civil registration was already done by third person. The civil identity she had was authentic and her residence was in Musashi. But when she went to the house, it had turned into a street.

She was allowed life due to the fact that the proof of citizenship that she carried was real and because the shopkeeper of the café had called out to her in the beginning and became her guardian.

What she was thinking right now was the same thing she thought back then,

...Who made P-01s?

The shopkeeper went to various public offices and companies to ask about it, but she was not one of their products. There weren’t any lost items nor missing person requests for an automaton. The technician who inspected over me said,

"I've seen methods from IZUMO and England in your construction, ... but much still remains unclear."

That was all technician who had examined her said. When she heard ‘much still remains unclear,’ the shopkeeper had tilted her head, but from what the technician said, an automated doll is an aggregation of spells and mechanisms and though they are industrial products, there is a lot of secrecy involved in their construction. Furthermore, he said,


"The soul is in the throat."

I have heard that automated dolls are dolls which have a soul in their bodies.

A doll won’t move by itself, but when souls that were able to absorb Ether, the power of the leylines, resided in dolls, they their set Drive systems and other similar mechanisms on.

In her case the was a component that was probably her soul, looked like an ornament and it was in her throat, at the base of her voice box.

From what the shopkeeper said,

"Maybe the emotions of very important women lie in their ornaments."

That's what she said, but the truth is still hidden.

What she knew was that she was an automated doll with no memories from an unknown place.

"——"

P-01s moved her hand to the water tap that was front of the shop and beside the door.

She moved the pail under the water tap using her gravity manipulation without touching it.

The ability of gravity manipulation is a racial power of the automatons. It was a necessary power for souls that resided in something to be able to move that in which it resided to make contact with its surroundings. The automatons have the disposition of devoting themselves to the people using this power.

Placing her body close towards the road, she filled the pail beyond her outstretched hands with water and pulled it closer to her.

She took it.

She splashed water on the path using a ladle.


This was part of her usual routine. Once in the morning, once before noon and once more early in the evening.

The same custom. The same work. The same things to do. By doing that she don’t have to think about herself, so that really helped.

...Speaking bluntly, I can guess that I am merely escaping.

The moment she thought of this,

A voice could be heard.

'''"'''Water.'''"'''

Small, black, round things were piling up from out of the ground at the edge of the road.

'''"'''Want water.'''"'''

<center>●</center>

P-01s with the pail with water in one of her hands was getting closer to the direction from where the voice came.

It was the corner of the store’s lot, at the gutters by the roadside.

Because it was connected with the sewage, there were wooden lids covering the gutters. However, when she lifted up the lids, a black, round thing around five centimetres across poked out from below.

The black figure looked like a clump of fur matted with muddy water.

...However, according to their personal statements, they were algae.

The algae were like animals, hanging the bottom of its round body in the verge of the street gutter and using his sense organs, he looked around.

'''"'''Are we okay? All clear?'''"'''


"It’s okay. All clear."

The black algae that lay before P-01s' eyes, the black algae creatures, are hive mind organisms that work in Musashi and other cities by processing the water from the sewers. They use a process similar to photosynthesis, eating the 'pollution' and purifying it into 'cleanliness'. Because of that all the countries made a contract with the black algae creatures' hive minds to provide them food in exchange for sewage treatment.

That was what these black algae creatures did, so every time they soaked with sewage they ended up covered with it. The spilled sewage can be decomposed with the chemicals leaked from the black algae, but the same could not be done for the smell.

They knew that if they came outside from the sewers or gutters, people would hate them.

But they were here. The reason is,

'''"'''Water.'''"'''

"It's the sewage stagnated again?"

'''"'''Yes, again, a little, but some water will do it.'''"'''

The body of the black algae appeared to be a little dry. P-01s concluded that this was because of the lack of water.

This was an area where the sewer pipes twisted. Because each ship of the Musashi was gigantic, the inner components fought an eternal battle, attempting to find a way to absorb the deformities of the outer shell.

…The central area is where the most creases took shape. Speaking further, this is the surface level, which is the least supported of all the levels. This was the reason there were so many ships where the centre of the surface level was hollowed out.

The black algae creatures wanted their food, the sewage. However, because the flow of the sewage had slowed down, stagnated and gotten stuck, someone had to use a brush to force out the stagnation and blockage.


Normally this task should have been the responsibility of one of the managers in the public offices, but...

'''"'''Nobody others probably serious.'''"'''

"—Jud., I understand."

P-01s sprinkled water on the black algae creature.

The black algae creature narrowed his sense organs and after being saturated with water,

'''"'''Thanks.'''"'''

It went below the street gutter and another one came.

'''"'''One more please.'''"'''

P-01s nodded and sprinkled water.

So another black algae creature came, then another, they kept coming.

'''"'''Last.'''"'''

The seventh one was splashed with water. The last black algae creature thanked P-01s, but when he was going to enter the street gutter,

'''"'''Okay?'''"'''

"What is okay?"

'''"'''Smells right?'''"'''

Asked, P-01s tilted her head. The black algae did smell, it smelt of sewers.


Because they were sticking their bodies slightly out from below the gutter, only she had noticed, but if they came out completely the other people will become aware of it. The truth was clear, so P-01s said.

"Jud., to put it bluntly it smells."

'''"'''Why?'''"'''

The black algae creature asked why she is helping them if they smell so bad.

'''"'''Always helping but others until now got in trouble said no why?'''"'''

P-01s answered immediately to this question.

"Your smell is not something you created to harm others. This smell is a result of our actions. And you never go out of the gutters completely to prevent the spread of this smell. So, I can conclude that there is not a reason to P-01s deny you."

So, the black algae creature said.

'''"'''Friend?'''"'''

"Jud., if that's the name of the relationship between those who acknowledge each other."

In response to the words of P-01s the black algae creature stayed silent for some time. But after a few seconds,

'''"'''Name please.'''"'''

"...My name is P-01s."

'''"'''Thanks for always.'''"'''


The black algae creature compressed its body, as if to nod.

'''"'''Wash hands please.'''"'''

After the creature went away the cover of the street gutter was closed.

P-01s raised her body that was bent over down. She did like the black algae creature had told her and washed her hands with the water left from the pail and looked over to verify if there was anywhere dirty, but the black algae creatures have absorbed all the sewage dripped.

As if it were a substitute, something fell.

"?"

The something was a person. A black male uniform from the Musashi Ariadust Academy. Short long black hair with a thin body, but without any strength left.

"——"

After shaking a little, he suddenly fell to the ground without even having the chance to put his knees on the ground, a direct hit.

There was a sound, a cloud of dust raised and P-01s thought,

...If a cloud of dust raised, that means that my watering wasn't enough.

Wondering about that, P-01s called out towards the shop.

"Shopkeeper, there is a client. As always Masazumi-sama is ...on the brink of starving to death."

<center>●</center>


[[Image:Horizon1A_114.jpg|thumb]]
'''Study - Musashi'''<ref>To understand this a little better I reccomend reading this post [http://kyoukaisen.tumblr.com/post/11146838125 here]. Credits to Zeroblade.</ref>

''Toori'': "Sis! Sis! It may be a little late, but what is Musashi's formation!?"

''Kimi'': "Fufufu idiot brother, you're always walking around the ship and don't know even that...?! Umm... your intelligent sister was about to use inappropriate language!"

''Toori'': "Hey, hey sis, don't turn into a heretic and just tell me quickly!"

*'''Musashi’s ships formation'''

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! !! Left side !! Middle !! Right side
|-
| First ships || '''“Asakusa”''' || || '''“Shinagawa”'''
|-
| Second ships/Front ||'''“Murayama”''' || '''“Musashino”''' || '''“Tama”'''
|-
| Third ships/Rear || '''“Oume”''' || '''“Okutama”''' || '''“Takao”'''
|}

*Musashi can only travels between borderlines of each country.
**The line shows the way everyone took in the prologue. Name of the places going from down: Musashi Ariadust Academy ('''“Okutama”''') -> Remorse Way ('''“Okutama”''') -> Blue Thunder ('''“Tama”''') -> Yakuza office ('''“Shinagawa”''')

''Kimi'': "Well, the eight ships look like this. Basically, the first ships are used for carrying cargo. The second ships are for tourism and is mostly made up of people who were born in foreign countries, besides administrative offices and embassies. The third ships contain the people from the Far East and is the place that focus on our industries. The middle-front ship is the center of the operation and control of Musashi. The middle-rear ship has the Academy as its center."

''Toori'': "Heh! I’m surprised that Sis knew that much! You’re a genius!"

''Kimi'': "No, you see, I’m really a genius, but it’s seriously bad that you didn't know this!"

==Translator Notes==
<references/>
<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 02|Chapter 02]]
}}
</noinclude>