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Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 10

2014-06-10T07:56:24Z

71.252.208.164: tobe -> to be

==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)'''

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Sakai's connected the dots within an instant.

Just from the flow of wind behind him, he understood that the girl from just now had arrived.

With no hesitation in his movements, he turned and confirmed it.

''...Her style is that of a {{Furigana|Strike Forcer|Close-combat martial artist|.7em|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}!? This is pretty serious, but she is...''

There was a vague memory. Ten years ago, he had indeed 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...''

''...Her movements are as sharp as ever! But she always used to carry 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 vibration of the air that the girl had caused caused by twisting her body.

The vibration 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 vibration would be small, and the initial speed fast. However, because the wind raised during an attack is caused by the wielder carrying his own volume, and is for the sake of making a complete swing, at first it's slow, but the movement is large.

Now, it's the latter.

''How will she approach me?'' That was not a question formed by Sakai's thoughts, but by 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 part of the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings sits deeper than in my consciousness. That weapon is of the Shirasago Industries brand. The wooden handle, having been applied with a black matte finish, was a colour that contrasted with the brand name<ref group="1K">Shirasago 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 was made to compensate for the instability that stemmed from its lightness.

''...If so.''

Even though the long hilt is aimed towards easy handling of the blade, it holds a single problem.

A katana is a weapon that 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, that 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. By putting some strength in the slicing, it is possible to slice deeply, but the distance that can be cut is the distance it can be retracted.

And if it's a katana that has a long hilt, when it's pulled towards one's front, the hilt will touch one's body.

The distance that it 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 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 the right side of my 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, she'd just end up severing or snapping my wrist, but she can split the thin flesh of the side-abdomen that stretches with the pressure of the stomach.''

Furthermore, if it's a horizontal slash, 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 terrifying sword technique, which shows in how it's regulated. 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.

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Sakai moved in a way that could not be called an evasion.

In response to the whirling blow behind him, he...

“This.”

Lightly, took one step back.

“——!”

The slice that came after the stepping back approached nonetheless.

If it's a weapon that slices, by leaping in from this direction, I'm able to make the distance to retract zero. Even if the opponent stepped backwards, it should become a distance shorter than the original one she was able to pull.

''The question is, am I able to step back faster than the slice from the horizontal flash?''

''Therefore, I twisted my body. Not just directly to the rear, but towards my left as well.''

''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. 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.

''Now, I touch her body, and from the next instant onwards, the initiative is in my hands.''

''Generally, this would be the time to insert a blow, make her obedient, and show her our difference in form, but now I am the Student President of an Academy. I can't really do anything horrible to a young girl. But to speculate, I think that groping breasts would still be 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 to increase its durability, even if it's tempered, if it hits something hard, it will bend or even break. If one is a master, one can sever metal with a blade without spells or blessings, but that wasn't an easy thing to do even for Sakai while he was in service.
As such, the girl avoided the clashing of blades.

Evading, bursting forward, she controlled her body, and 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 approached.

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 holding 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 close contact with her opponent is the result of her training.

Sakai tried to evade before the blade leaped up to meet him...

“No.”

The tip of his right foot was stepped upon by her deeply retracted left heel.

''I drew back 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 make them speak, I could not come up with anything but the “Go—!” apparent in their faces.''

While thinking ''I'll knock them down afterwards,'' Sakai moved.

Now, he could not 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 blade, and touched her left butt cheek.

He held her left butt cheek with his hand, that had come free. And...

“——!?”

From the girl's mouth, a scream with a tint of surprise was released.

<center>●</center>

“Yes, so, have you just about gathered everything? The ingredients to the food for the celebration tomorrow?”

At her words, the three figures following Asama, who was dressed in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miko shrine maiden] garments, nodded.

The location was a commercial street in 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. Among 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 España 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.

“I know there's going to be a lot of people, but 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 those in the arms of the four, the bags were hanging at their elbows, and some were even suspended on the hard points of their waists.

“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 waist, she adjusted her hold on the burden she was clutching, and spoke. That done, Asama...

“Naito and Naruze, those two, are doing some transportation work. I think that they are flying around between the ships right now, but earlier, we should have asked them in advance when Toori was blown away by Mito.”

At Asama's words, the girl with glasses, Adele, sighed with a “Haaah”.

“Well, thanks for your work too, Asama-san. Seeing as how you're in shrine maiden garments, work at 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... As for spells, 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 join the archery club's human target practice at the culture festival last year, and completely took out everyone, including the club members desperately trying to escape the range? And then, you took all the prizes and gave them to the orphanage. Even the orphans thought that the presents were the products of human sacrifice, right? The lives of people mean less than prizes, huh.”

“Masa, I mean, something like shooting a group of people not even including Acceleration-types is easier than shooting sitting ducks, so I couldn't help it, could I? Besides, screaming and trying to run outside would have really have caused a disturbance to the people outside the range, so I just blew them away.”

“...Please, try to understand the word 'disturbance'.”

“Hmm?” In response to Asama, who tilted her head, Naomasa gave the wrench on her shoulder a glance.

“Anyway, joining us like this, you'll be coming to the 'ghost hunt' 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 Asakusa and Shinagawa lowered the sails from their masts, their total heights above 100 meters, and were opening up the derricks that 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 to pull the ropes and manage the movements of the upper segment.

“Well, there's that, but if I'm going to have the time to help working on Jizuri Suzaku, I'm going to have to head off now.”

As she was speaking, she pulled a rope, and the God of War suspended above the derrick descended towards her. Adele, who saw that, formed her eyes into bow-shapes...

“Occasionally, let's use it as a gondola or play with it like a swing. Wouldn't that be nice?”

“Just by the way, that's work research too. Anyway... the sky has become really noisy, hasn't it.”

The sky. Between Asakusa and Shinagawa, between every ship, there were numerous figures that had started to soar the sky, with white mist trailing after them. They were Aerial-races and Technohexen. While taking trajectories that seemed to intertwine at high speed, each of them traversed between the ships, but...

“The supervision of Tres España's Gods of War has ended, so the delivery workers have started to race and have mock battles. Naruze said that there are a lot of people from all over who were aces in their countries, but couldn't compromise with their religions, that have fled here; because of that, the exchange of techniques and knowledge is world-class here.”

“Ah, Naruze and Naito were also flying around just now, you know? At a speed they would have been invisible at if not for 'Konoha' ...According to them, their two-man unit is top class.”

“Well, those two are also doing their work and things like that at the moment, and they're going to gather at the Academy at night. Really, there's nobody around me who's up to any good.”

“...Masa, please look in a mirror and say that 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, though as expected everyone's going to see the Chancellor, huh... I'm also going to join battle with a mock-use support-lance with a anti-ghost spell, 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 worrying about whether an idiot's confession will pass through or not is really like, well, 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.

“'Despite my fear', huh.<ref group="1K">Last line of the Song of Passage.</ref> ...That idiot has really gotten motivated.”

Naomasa, lowering her gaze, looked at Asama and opened her mouth. The words that came out were:

“You, along with Kimi, have been with him longer than any of us, haven't you?”

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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', it's because of the relationship between our parents, and my memories from when we were young are rather vague.”

“But, only you have been together with him since before elementary school. Everyone else came 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 just set off towards Mikawa with the School President... She's different from us, since she seems to treat the Academy as just a waypoint of her life.”

And also...

“Azuma-kun 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, know about Horizon just as Toori does.”

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 pointed at 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 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. Taking a step as if following Naomasa, who had started walking...

“I'm a little surprised. That Masa would be interested in her.”

“—You and I both know about her visiting the graves. When I take a break in the outer shell's emergency level after my morning or afternoon work, I can hear it most of the time, you know. That song.”

“By 'that song'...”

“You know about it, 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 that would be concerned about all of us, and occasionally, she would lose because of it. She thought that nobody found out, but everyone knew...”

After a while, Asama, who had spoken, noticed that everyone walking was looking at her...

At this point, 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 remained in her memories was a black-haired, blue-eyed girl. The lines of her body were slender, but 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...

“Due to her birth she was as a really troubled person... Toori-kun, by her side, was gradually becoming an idiot. As if that wasn't enough, her birth would eventually cause extremely severe problems. Well, I got to know about that...”

A breath.

“...only after she died.”

Asama saw that everyone dropped 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 bitter, 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 herself, thinking: ''It really was like that; it really was, wasn't it.'' But, Adele continued her words...

“Now that you mention it Asama-san, given that the Chancellor was making some references, have you been fondled by the Chancellor before? As far as I know, I can't recall that happening, but...”

This sure was one can of worms. 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 sensei, but afterwards, Toori responded by saying: 'Alright, then fondle my breasts and things will even out!!', grabbed her hand, and made her fondle his own bosom while she was still crying, saying 'Isn't that nice!? ISN'T THIS GOOD!?', and was scolded by sensei a second time.”

“...Ahh, my morning practice dragged on and I came late that day, but hmm, wasn't Asama-san, having been fondled by the Chancellor, 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 her friend with an artificial arm who had asked the question.

When she did that, Naomasa, walking, also glanced her way.

“Well, Kimi also knows about it.”

She kept silent and listened. With that, Naomasa looked forward...

“That idiot Kimi is continuing to idiotically act like an idiot, but she's an idiot who's really caring, isn't she? People who care about other people too much are the true idiots, though. If tomorrow, Toori confesses and it goes well, she's the person it'll pain the most after all ...And despite that, that idiot isn't among us, 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, and 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 he decided it this morning. When we were informed yesterday that our gathering would be outside, I pretty much knew what he would be doing during our morning exercise. When we sprinted and leaped outwards from the Academy, straight ahead, the 'Remorse Way' was on the right side of the two starboard and port roads. And...”

“Last time, during a lesson at the end of the second year, we ran to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dango dango] shop on the port of Asakusa... Looking in terms of progression, it's only logical we'd run to the starboard this time.”

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 given the idiotic sister she is, she was watching over whether or not her idiotic brother would be able to pass 'Remorse Way'.”

“She's an idiotic woman,”, Naomasa said whilst taking a step forward.

“Being here, we're also idiots. No one who's here, no, no one who's part of our class has the right to mock her. After all...”

After all.

“The person who didn't let Toori to leave us was that idiotic woman.”

At those words, everyone held their breath even while walking. With an attitude that 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 dropping 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. Besides that, a “You know”, she bridged to her next line. And...

“D-Did you know? When Toori-kun... called me, at first, he would definitely say 'Heeeyy', or 'You know.' 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 where she looked as if she was wiping her hands. However, there was something else in the noise of her 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 copied them too. During elementary school, when we noticed that the idiot was doing that, I figured it was one of the little things that redeemed him, 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, as well as “I'm sorry”.

Asama could do nothing but hold a smile.

...Perhaps...

''It could be that Suzu-san loves him'', so she thought.

At that moment, a voice came from in front of them.

“Huh? So you guys also went shopping here after all?”

''This voice is...'', turning their faces towards it, on the walkway directly in front of them, several male students were walking.

As expected, Neshinbara, Urquiaga, Shirojiro and Heidi was there, clutching bags.

“What is this, you guys? You're looking forward to the festival that much?”

“Ah, we're buying our share for tonight. But... it looks like we overlapped in terms of the food.”

At Neshinbara's wry smile, everyone also smiled dryly. With an expression where the corners of her were eyes drooping, Heidi...

“But... is there anywhere else but here? If we went Okutama, then we'd disturb Toori-kun and Kimi-san after all, and you can't find this shop on 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, was on standby at the time. 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, discreetly, with a small voice...

“Suzu-san, you haven't come here since last year, 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 do we have here? From the mornin' til' now, there've been a lot of customers from the Academy, huh. It's still out of openin' hours, y'know?”

“Ah, I'm sorry.”

Heidi answered. She touched her cheek with her hand, and after bowing shallowly...

“Um... tomorrow, we might be making a racket...”

“Ya having a party? If that's so, I guess I'll have P-01s work hard.”

“Haha,” Asama listened to the words that Heidi told in response to the laughing shopkeeper.

“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 would be nice if we have some fun tomorrow. Don't you think so? Gacchan?”

A resounding voice was brought to life in the open 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 Naito in her uniform. While opening up her speedometer-type Figur of Magi by her head, the place she was making her way through was the long direct pathway where people and goods went back and forth. It was a horizontal transport-passage on the starboard of Murayama, where ships and winged-figures came and went.

In the center-segment of Musashi, the starboard horizontal transport-passage that opened up in the starboard wall through a hatch was a delivery opening that 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 coming with business or personal things...

“Gacchan, by 'upwards', you mean you're doing an ascending race in a gravitated space, right? Will you be coming out afterward?”

“That's right, once I finish this job, let's go again. Should we learn from Almirante or Marine? We've finally gotten recommended to EDEL Brocken as aerial-equipment testers by that lady 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, Naito once again raised the work permit she carried on 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, 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, goods are only 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 junior's voice...

“—The upperclassmen are going out into 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?”

“I've only got one urgent delivery, I think? All the rest should be fine to do at night, probably. But well, it's not good to be in too much of a hurry, right? A while ago, the KKK delivery section accidentally 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 they sent here was going to voice an objection to Hexagone Française, but instead he 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 the night's activities stink of the mood you have after returning from work.”

“That's right,” Naito stopped in her tracks. Because some people were bringing a 10-meter class large-scale wooden box from the transportation ship into the ship interior, the security officers of the horizontal transport-passage had given the traffic signals for pedestrians to stop for a while.

Naito, who lined up in the queue of people who had stopped, sighed and looked at Okutama and Musashino, visible beyond the spell windshield.

The special characteristics of Musashino was the ship-type bow and the Spell Controller that blanketed the sky of the stern like a roof. And as for Okutama, it had floors of residential districts and natural districts, layered upon eachother like stairs. Musashi Ariadust Academy was located on the highest level of those stairs, and the stair that 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, but where individuals couldn't be determined.

However, Naito 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,” Naito reached into the cart of small packages and grabbed hold of one of them.

“One urgent package 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, Naito. Rather, didn't he say that the eroge this morning was the last one?”

“This's camouflaged as an educational package from Izumo Divine Transmission's educational program, 'Working Grandpa', they messed up the delivery label. This should be the continuation of 'One After the Next with Henry VIII!'.”

“Like I said, please don't make your comment include difficult references.”

“That so?” Naito, 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 Naito 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.”

“...? Naito? Has Masazumi come? If she has, tell her about tonight and that item...”

“Tonight?” At the voice that leaked from the Figur of Magi, Masazumi tilted her neck. In response, Naito nodded...

“Gacchan, I'll do it 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, speaking to make her understand...

“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 Council, right?”

“Well... That's right.”

She was a bit lost about how to answer, when suddenly Naito 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 is 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, Naito 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, Naito 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 through the air where the wind passed through.

...Eh?

Turning around, a group of men and women, each of them wearing the old flight uniforms of different countries, were flying through the air with brooms, flying instruments, or with their own wings, stopped.

Several of them looked this way, in Naito'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>

Naito brushed the {{Furigana|Orei Metallo|Wisdom Ore|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|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 two-men units, we, the former aces of Hexagone Française have slightly 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,” Naito laughed, and ran. Masaszumi, who stood on the pathway...

“...What ...is all of this?”

“Ah, a 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 us this time, you know? There are going to be strange snacks up 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 were all from the aerial-squadrons of every country. There were many people in my grade or younger, but I had heard that the reason that it was mainly irregular races and older witches was because they were people who had evaded the oppression brought on by the hunting of heretics and gathered at Musashi.

In all the other countries, 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' to her knees 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, Naito waved to Masazumi...

“Then, please give the item to the Chancellor, alright?”

“Ah, yes.“ Turning her back to Masazumi, who said those words, Naito launched her body into the air.

The empty sky.　In response to the wind that naturally caught in her wings and the sensation of suspension where there's no longer any support for her legs, Naito stuck the speedometer-type Figur of Magi into her palm.

'''“Model Summon: Product Name “Beginning of a Sleeping Face”: Confirm”'''

Technomagi is a Spell that ARIA-calculates the expended Ether in its most elementary unit, ATELL. However, the created spell 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...

'''“'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 spoke...

“Aren't you making any spells other than that one?! What umpteenth Model is that?”

“Spontaneous creation is wasteful, 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 round, which is upwards, right?”

“Oooh,” As if taking in their voices, a shockwave of air burst out from the brush-part of the broom.

In the next instant, Naito'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. In 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 while Naito brought the tip of her broom to face the northern skies, she confirmed that the two were staying unmoving...

One round. ''Even if I do that, those two won't move, right?'' Thus 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 10

2014-06-09T22:28:30Z

71.252.208.164:

==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 connected the dots within an instant.

Just from the flow of wind behind him, he understood that the girl from just now had arrived.

With no hesitation in his movements, he turned and confirmed it.

''...Her style is that of a {{Furigana|Strike Forcer|Close-combat martial artist|.7em|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}!? This is pretty serious, but she is...''

There was a vague memory. Ten years ago, he had indeed 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...''

''...Her movements are as sharp as ever! But she always used to carry 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 vibration of the air that the girl had caused caused by twisting her body.

The vibration 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 vibration would be small, and the initial speed fast. However, because the wind raised during an attack is caused by the wielder carrying his own volume, and is for the sake of making a complete swing, at first it's slow, but the movement is large.

Now, it's the latter.

''How will she approach me?'' That was not a question formed by Sakai's thoughts, but by 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 part of the Matsudaira Four Heavenly Kings sits deeper than in my consciousness. That weapon is of the Shirasago Industries brand. The wooden handle, having been applied with a black matte finish, was a colour that contrasted with the brand name<ref group="1K">Shirasago 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 was made to compensate for the instability that stemmed from its lightness.

''...If so.''

Even though the long hilt is aimed towards easy handling of the blade, it holds a single problem.

A katana is a weapon that 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, that 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. By putting some strength in the slicing, it is possible to slice deeply, but the distance that can be cut is the distance it can be retracted.

And if it's a katana that has a long hilt, when it's pulled towards one's front, the hilt will touch one's body.

The distance that it 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 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 the right side of my 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, she'd just end up severing or snapping my wrist, but she can split the thin flesh of the side-abdomen that stretches with the pressure of the stomach.''

Furthermore, if it's a horizontal slash, 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 terrifying sword technique, which shows in how it's regulated. 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 that could not be called an evasion.

In response to the whirling blow behind him, he...

“This.”

Lightly, took one step back.

“——!”

The slice that came after the stepping back approached nonetheless.

If it's a weapon that slices, by leaping in from this direction, I'm able to make the distance to retract zero. Even if the opponent stepped backwards, it should become a distance shorter than the original one she was able to pull.

''The question is, am I able to step back faster than the slice from the horizontal flash?''

''Therefore, I twisted my body. Not just directly to the rear, but towards my left as well.''

''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. 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.

''Now, I touch her body, and from the next instant onwards, the initiative is in my hands.''

''Generally, this would be the time to insert a blow, make her obedient, and show her our difference in form, but now I am the Student President of an Academy. I can't really do anything horrible to a young girl. But to speculate, I think that groping breasts would still be 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 to increase its durability, even if it's tempered, if it hits something hard, it will bend or even break. If one is a master, one can sever metal with a blade without spells or blessings, but that wasn't an easy thing to do even for Sakai while he was in service.
As such, the girl avoided the clashing of blades.

Evading, bursting forward, she controlled her body, and 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 approached.

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 holding 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 close contact with her opponent is the result of her training.

Sakai tried to evade before the blade leaped up to meet him...

“No.”

The tip of his right foot was stepped upon by her deeply retracted left heel.

''I drew back 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 make them speak, I could not come up with anything but the “Go—!” apparent in their faces.''

While thinking ''I'll knock them down afterwards,'' Sakai moved.

Now, he could not 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 blade, and touched her left butt cheek.

He held her left butt cheek with his hand, that had come free. And...

“——!?”

From the girl's mouth, a scream with a tint of surprise was released.

<center>●</center>

“Yes, so, have you just about gathered everything? The ingredients to the food for the celebration tomorrow?”

At her words, the three figures following Asama, who was dressed in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miko shrine maiden] garments, nodded.

The location was a commercial street in 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. Among 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 España 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.

“I know there's going to be a lot of people, but 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 those in the arms of the four, the bags were hanging at their elbows, and some were even suspended on the hard points of their waists.

“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 waist, she adjusted her hold on the burden she was clutching, and spoke. That done, Asama...

“Naito and Naruze, those two, are doing some transportation work. I think that they are flying around between the ships right now, but earlier, we should have asked them in advance when Toori was blown away by Mito.”

At Asama's words, the girl with glasses, Adele, sighed with a “Haaah”.

“Well, thanks for your work too, Asama-san. Seeing as how you're in shrine maiden garments, work at 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... As for spells, 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 join the archery club's human target practice at the culture festival last year, and completely took out everyone, including the club members desperately trying to escape the range? And then, you took all the prizes and gave them to the orphanage. Even the orphans thought that the presents were the products of human sacrifice, right? The lives of people mean less than prizes, huh.”

“Masa, I mean, something like shooting a group of people not even including Acceleration-types is easier than shooting sitting ducks, so I couldn't help it, could I? Besides, screaming and trying to run outside would have really have caused a disturbance to the people outside the range, so I just blew them away.”

“...Please, try to understand the word 'disturbance'.”

“Hmm?” In response to Asama, who tilted her head, Naomasa gave the wrench on her shoulder a glance.

“Anyway, joining us like this, you'll be coming to the 'ghost hunt' 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 Asakusa and Shinagawa lowered the sails from their masts, their total heights above 100 meters, and were opening up the derricks that 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 to pull the ropes and manage the movements of the upper segment.

“Well, there's that, but if I'm going to have the time to help working on Jizuri Suzaku, I'm going to have to head off now.”

As she was speaking, she pulled a rope, and the God of War suspended above the derrick descended towards her. Adele, who saw that, formed her eyes into bow-shapes...

“Occasionally, let's use it as a gondola or play with it like a swing. Wouldn't that be nice?”

“Just by the way, that's work research too. Anyway... the sky has become really noisy, hasn't it.”

The sky. Between Asakusa and Shinagawa, between every ship, there were numerous figures that had started to soar the sky, with white mist trailing after them. They were Aerial-races and Technohexen. While taking trajectories that seemed to intertwine at high speed, each of them traversed between the ships, but...

“The supervision of Tres España's Gods of War has ended, so the delivery workers have started to race and have mock battles. Naruze said that there are a lot of people from all over who were aces in their countries, but couldn't compromise with their religions, that have fled here; because of that, the exchange of techniques and knowledge is world-class here.”

“Ah, Naruze and Naito were also flying around just now, you know? At a speed they would have been invisible at if not for 'Konoha' ...According to them, their two-man unit is top class.”

“Well, those two are also doing their work and things like that at the moment, and they're going to gather at the Academy at night. Really, there's nobody around me who's up to any good.”

“...Masa, please look in a mirror and say that 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, though as expected everyone's going to see the Chancellor, huh... I'm also going to join battle with a mock-use support-lance with a anti-ghost spell, 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 worrying about whether an idiot's confession will pass through or not is really like, well, 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.

“'Despite my fear', huh.<ref group="1K">Last line of the Song of Passage.</ref> ...That idiot has really gotten motivated.”

Naomasa, lowering her gaze, looked at Asama and opened her mouth. The words that came out were:

“You, along with Kimi, have been with him longer than any 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', it's because of the relationship between our parents, and my memories from when we were young are rather vague.”

“But, only you have been together with him since before elementary school. Everyone else came 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 just set off towards Mikawa with the School President... She's different from us, since she seems to treat the Academy as just a waypoint of her life.”

And also...

“Azuma-kun 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, know about Horizon just as Toori does.”

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 pointed at 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 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. Taking a step as if following Naomasa, who had started walking...

“I'm a little surprised. That Masa would be interested in her.”

“—You and I both know about her visiting the graves. When I take a break in the outer shell's emergency level after my morning or afternoon work, I can hear it most of the time, you know. That song.”

“By 'that song'...”

“You know about it, 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 that would be concerned about all of us, and occasionally, she would lose because of it. She thought that nobody found out, but everyone knew...”

After a while, Asama, who had spoken, noticed that everyone walking was looking at her...

At this point, 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 remained in her memories was a black-haired, blue-eyed girl. The lines of her body were slender, but 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...

“Due to her birth she was as a really troubled person... Toori-kun, by her side, was gradually becoming an idiot. As if that wasn't enough, her birth would eventually cause extremely severe problems. Well, I got to know about that...”

A breath.

“...only after she died.”

Asama saw that everyone dropped 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 bitter, 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 herself, thinking: ''It really was like that; it really was, wasn't it.'' But, Adele continued her words...

“Now that you mention it Asama-san, given that the Chancellor was making some references, have you been fondled by the Chancellor before? As far as I know, I can't recall that happening, but...”

This sure was one can of worms. 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 sensei, but afterwards, Toori responded by saying: 'Alright, then fondle my breasts and things will even out!!', grabbed her hand, and made her fondle his own bosom while she was still crying, saying 'Isn't that nice!? ISN'T THIS GOOD!?', and was scolded by sensei a second time.”

“...Ahh, my morning practice dragged on and I came late that day, but hmm, wasn't Asama-san, having been fondled by the Chancellor, 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 her friend with an artificial arm who had asked the question.

When she did that, Naomasa, walking, also glanced her way.

“Well, Kimi also knows about it.”

She kept silent and listened. With that, Naomasa looked forward...

“That idiot Kimi is continuing to idiotically act like an idiot, but she's an idiot who's really caring, isn't she? People who care about other people too much are the true idiots, though. If tomorrow, Toori confesses and it goes well, she's the person it'll pain the most after all ...And despite that, that idiot isn't among us, 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, and 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 he decided it this morning. When we were informed yesterday that our gathering would be outside, I pretty much knew what he would be doing during our morning exercise. When we sprinted and leaped outwards from the Academy, straight ahead, the 'Remorse Way' was on the right side of the two starboard and port roads. And...”

“Last time, during a lesson at the end of the second year, we ran to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dango dango] shop on the port of Asakusa... Looking in terms of progression, it's only logical we'd run to the starboard this time.”

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 given the idiotic sister she is, she was watching over whether or not her idiotic brother would be able to pass 'Remorse Way'.”

“She's an idiotic woman,”, Naomasa said whilst taking a step forward.

“Being here, we're also idiots. No one who's here, no, no one who's part of our class has the right to mock her. After all...”

After all.

“The person who didn't let Toori to leave us was that idiotic woman.”

At those words, everyone held their breath even while walking. With an attitude that 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 dropping 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. Besides that, a “You know”, she bridged to her next line. And...

“D-Did you know? When Toori-kun... called me, at first, he would definitely say 'Heeeyy', or 'You know.' 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 where she looked as if she was wiping her hands. However, there was something else in the noise of her 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 copied them too. During elementary school, when we noticed that the idiot was doing that, I figured it was one of the little things that redeemed him, 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, as well as “I'm sorry”.

Asama could do nothing but hold a smile.

...Perhaps...

''It could be that Suzu-san loves him'', so she thought.

At that moment, a voice came from in front of them.

“Huh? So you guys also went shopping here after all?”

''This voice is...'', turning their faces towards it, on the walkway directly in front of them, several male students were walking.

As expected, Neshinbara, Urquiaga, Shirojiro and Heidi was there, clutching bags.

“What is this, you guys? You're looking forward to the festival that much?”

“Ah, we're buying our share for tonight. But... it looks like we overlapped in terms of the food.”

At Neshinbara's wry smile, everyone also smiled dryly. With an expression where the corners of her were eyes drooping, Heidi...

“But... is there anywhere else but here? If we went Okutama, then we'd disturb Toori-kun and Kimi-san after all, and you can't find this shop on 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, was on standby at the time. 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, discreetly, with a small voice...

“Suzu-san, you haven't come here since last year, 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 do we have here? From the mornin' til' now, there've been a lot of customers from the Academy, huh. It's still out of openin' hours, y'know?”

“Ah, I'm sorry.”

Heidi answered. She touched her cheek with her hand, and after bowing shallowly...

“Um... tomorrow, we might be making a racket...”

“Ya having a party? If that's so, I guess I'll have P-01s work hard.”

“Haha,” Asama listened to the words that Heidi told in response to the laughing shopkeeper.

“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 would be nice if we have some fun tomorrow. Don't you think so? Gacchan?”

A resounding voice was brought to life in the open 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 Naito in her uniform. While opening up her speedometer-type Figur of Magi by her head, the place she was making her way through was the long direct pathway where people and goods went back and forth. It was a horizontal transport-passage on the starboard of Murayama, where ships and winged-figures came and went.

In the center-segment of Musashi, the starboard horizontal transport-passage that opened up in the starboard wall through a hatch was a delivery opening that 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 coming with business or personal things...

“Gacchan, by 'upwards', you mean you're doing an ascending race in a gravitated space, right? Will you be coming out afterward?”

“That's right, once I finish this job, let's go again. Should we learn from Almirante or Marine? We've finally gotten recommended to EDEL Brocken as aerial-equipment testers by that lady 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, Naito once again raised the work permit she carried on 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, 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, goods are only 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 junior's voice...

“—The upperclassmen are going out into 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?”

“I've only got one urgent delivery, I think? All the rest should be fine to do at night, probably. But well, it's not good tobe in too much of a hurry, right? A while ago, the KKK delivery section accidentally 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 they sent here was going to voice an objection to Hexagone Française, but instead he 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 the night's activities stink of the mood you have after returning from work.”

“That's right,” Naito stopped in her tracks. Because some people were bringing a 10-meter class large-scale wooden box from the transportation ship into the ship interior, the security officers of the horizontal transport-passage had given the traffic signals for pedestrians to stop for a while.

Naito, who lined up in the queue of people who had stopped, sighed and looked at Okutama and Musashino, visible beyond the spell windshield.

The special characteristics of Musashino was the ship-type bow and the Spell Controller that blanketed the sky of the stern like a roof. And as for Okutama, it had floors of residential districts and natural districts, layered upon eachother like stairs. Musashi Ariadust Academy was located on the highest level of those stairs, and the stair that 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, but where individuals couldn't be determined.

However, Naito 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,” Naito reached into the cart of small packages and grabbed hold of one of them.

“One urgent package 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, Naito. Rather, didn't he say that the eroge this morning was the last one?”

“This's camouflaged as an educational package from Izumo Divine Transmission's educational program, 'Working Grandpa', they messed up the delivery label. This should be the continuation of 'One After the Next with Henry VIII!'.”

“Like I said, please don't make your comment include difficult references.”

“That so?” Naito, 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 Naito 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.”

“...? Naito? Has Masazumi come? If she has, tell her about tonight and that item...”

“Tonight?” At the voice that leaked from the Figur of Magi, Masazumi tilted her neck. In response, Naito nodded...

“Gacchan, I'll do it 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, speaking to make her understand...

“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 Council, right?”

“Well... That's right.”

She was a bit lost about how to answer, when suddenly Naito 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 is 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, Naito 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, Naito 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 through the air where the wind passed through.

...Eh?

Turning around, a group of men and women, each of them wearing the old flight uniforms of different countries, were flying through the air with brooms, flying instruments, or with their own wings, stopped.

Several of them looked this way, in Naito'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>

Naito brushed the {{Furigana|Orei Metallo|Wisdom Ore|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|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 two-men units, we, the former aces of Hexagone Française have slightly 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,” Naito laughed, and ran. Masaszumi, who stood on the pathway...

“...What ...is all of this?”

“Ah, a 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 us this time, you know? There are going to be strange snacks up 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 were all from the aerial-squadrons of every country. There were many people in my grade or younger, but I had heard that the reason that it was mainly irregular races and older witches was because they were people who had evaded the oppression brought on by the hunting of heretics and gathered at Musashi.

In all the other countries, 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' to her knees 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, Naito waved to Masazumi...

“Then, please give the item to the Chancellor, alright?”

“Ah, yes.“ Turning her back to Masazumi, who said those words, Naito launched her body into the air.

The empty sky.　In response to the wind that naturally caught in her wings and the sensation of suspension where there's no longer any support for her legs, Naito stuck the speedometer-type Figur of Magi into her palm.

'''“Model Summon: Product Name “Beginning of a Sleeping Face”: Confirm”'''

Technomagi is a Spell that ARIA-calculates the expended Ether in its most elementary unit, ATELL. However, the created spell 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...

'''“'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 spoke...

“Aren't you making any spells other than that one?! What umpteenth Model is that?”

“Spontaneous creation is wasteful, 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 round, which is upwards, right?”

“Oooh,” As if taking in their voices, a shockwave of air burst out from the brush-part of the broom.

In the next instant, Naito'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. In 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 while Naito brought the tip of her broom to face the northern skies, she confirmed that the two were staying unmoving...

One round. ''Even if I do that, those two won't move, right?'' Thus 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

2014-06-07T06:13:25Z

71.252.208.164: Minor editing.

==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 (At the point of death)'''

<center>●</center>

There was an underground hallway. It was an illuminated underground passage in the residential areas.

In the corner, a single boy with his shoulders dropped was standing in front of a western sliding door.

It was Azuma.

Without even paying attention to his messy hair, he thought.

“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 in the room that would be my new one, but...''

''...What kind of wild goose chase was I subjected to?''

''First, I went to the office that manages the rooms. The manager's office was at the entrance to a vertical passage at the end of the horizontal sections.''

''But at the office I discovered that they weren't the ones managing the paperwork needed for me to move even though they were supposed to be the ones in charge of the residences, so I was told that I had to bring my residency change documents from the Academy if I wanted to change my room.''

''At least, at that office I was able to confirm who the resident in my room was.''

''Miriam Poqou, 18 years old. She was in the same class as me. The manager, who was an aged werewolf, looked into it and burst into laughter.''

“Isn't that fine?! Are appearances really that important among the young?!”, he asked.

“If that's the case, then as expected, this won't do.”, ''I thought. I had largely completed my transition into a secular life yesterday, but living together with a girl from my class, right as I become a citizen after being a member of the imperial family, is too big a character change.''

''...And more 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 my residence change documents, I was told, “You need the permission of your guardian”...

''After that, as it was really important, I was stuck searching for Oriotorai. It seems she wasn't carrying the paperwork I needed and it wasn't in the teacher room either so I had to look it around the school. In the classroom being used by the tea ceremony club, was an acquaintance of mine, Asama, along the other club members performing the tea ceremony with sport drinks for the athletics club. Then, Asama placed a hat and pierced it with arrows from the side, while drinking the IZUMO-type's lemon-flavoured sports drink “CC-EMON” and kneeling. I was able to explain my case to her, but she said:''

“Isn't that fine? Are appearances really that important among the young?”

''In short, all what happened was that I learned that this girl was also something else.''

''However, according to their information, Oriotorai had the habit of inspecting her territory around that time, so with everyone's cooperation I found Oriotorai in the cafeteria two hours later.''

''When I was trying to head to the cafeteria, I heard laughter and saw an amazing woman who had been getting smashed on the local brand sake since noon there.''

''I didn't really understand it, but a recklessly cheerful Oriotorai told me:''

“Ain't that fine!? Are appearances really that important among you young'uns?”

''...Could it be that all the residents of Musashi have been brainwashed in such a way that their thought patterns have been completely standardized?''

And after talking about a lot of things for what was likely whole hour...

“I've been utterly defeated...”

In other words, Azuma was now in front of that room thinking, from the bottom of his heart, that this was bad.

''Being defeated meant that I can do nothing but stay in this room. But doing so and staying in this room will probably affect my image, given my youth. Meaning that I can't, so I will live outside. There should be some place sheltered from the wind and rain even there, right? But, isn't becoming homeless immediately after my return to secular life too big a character change as well?''

''...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?''

While he was thinking, a girl's voice could be heard from the other side of the sliding door before his eyes.

“What are you doing? You can come in, it's fine.”

...Eh?

At that question, he panicked and glanced around at his surroundings. School was over and the sun was starting to set, so the students in the clubs were going to their respective activity areas, and all the people in the hallways were the ones on their ways to make the laundry or cleaning their rooms. Which meant...

“It is... fine?”

After that question, there was a pause.

In that empty space of time, he took a breath, then a second one, and when he was in the middle of the third...

''...Huh? Did I say something wrong?''

Thinking of that question, he started sweating profusely. Then she said:

“—I don't really understand what you mean, but I guess it's fine even if you don't come in.”

“Ah, no.”

So naturally, his hand reached out to the sliding door. While he was thinking if this really was fine, he felt that not entering would be even worse so therefore, Azuma opened the door to the left.

“Um.”

Faster than he was able to get a clear look at the figure of the girl seated in the wheelchair in front of him, she said this:

“—I want to talk with you a little. Is that fine with you, Azuma?”

<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 inside, you know.”

As she had said, he decided to close the door. He closed it, hands behind his back, in such a way that he would make the least amount of noise possible.

Directly in front of him, the girl called Miriam Poqou continued to face her wheelchair towards the desk and looked his way just turning her head.

And then...

''What should I say? No, I should start with my 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 looked as if she was thinking a little, but...

“It's something that happens all the time. Generally, everyone involved 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 with a boy, though.”

“I-if that's so—”

“It'll be fine once we get used to it, that applies for the both of us. There's already been a lot of cases where boys and girls are assigned to the same room. I think that's just what happened this time... Also, if this room was assigned to you, then it's yours as much 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 and the corner will be mine. Also, I want to use the bottom bunk, is that fine?”

Azuma could not answer the question, as he was currently in a status 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 her life in a wheelchair. The “all the time” she's talking about is different from my “all the time”. When he thought about the meaning of that, Miriam tilted her head.

“...Well, whether it has some thought behind it or 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 with you? Staying in the same room as me.”

“With me?”

He said himself and came to a realization. ''Is this about the distance between boys and girls?'' As such, Azuma returned a question with the same words.

“Is it really fine with you 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 are you standing there?”

Miriam's voice could be heard.

“I've already done things like showed things my body to doctors, you know. And there's no distinction between doctors and male students in that if something goes wrong in that situation, it'll be a crime. But 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 implications 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 the extent where you couldn't even decide that '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'd like for you want to make a promise with me, is that fine?”

“A promise?”

“Yes... to not raise a word against each others' lives. For example, I'm an overly religious Catholic but you're a Shintoist, right? Things like that and... 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 'could' do but won't, doesn't it?”

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.”

“Is that why you made fun of me?”

“Not that. I wanted to confirm whether you were even more serious than I thought. It was unnecessary, I apologize.”

“You know,” Miriam said again.

“Fundamentally, the fact that I take classes through the notes that everyone brings to me means I'm treated the same as taking lessons from home. And, I'll choose times when the bath and canteen are empty, so if you're interrupted by my life, you won't have 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 realized that he had said those words out of reflex.

Therefore, while feeling panic in his heart...

“I mean, things like helping you move in your wheelchair...”

The sound of his voice faded, as he strongly felt that he was saying something unnecessary.

In response, Miriam closed her opened eyes in a relaxed manner and narrowed them, smiling wryly.

“That's not why you were sent here to share a room, was it?”

After he was remonstrated, Miriam looked around the room...

“Is it fine? Being treated the same as anyone else,assuming that wasn't a mistake or a misunderstanding... That it means you'll be trusted by us, you know? Looking from your viewpoint, this is probably because there was indeed some sort of mistake or misunderstanding, but from my point of view, it'd be nice if the guilt stemming from this room being underused was gone. That I'm being treated as a human being is also something I'm grateful of.”

At her words, Azuma felt something hard around his throat.

''...As a human being...huh?''

The equivalence that the girl in the wheelchair hopes for.

...That is, to welcome the new resident of her room just like anyone else...

That what everyone else is doing, she can do too. She is saying that she is thankful for such a normal thing.

“——”

Azuma thought of himself. His power sealed, he returned to a normal life, and started to live as a normal person, but...

...He didn't even think that this was something to be thankful for.

It wasn't something he needed to think of. Because, his and Miriam's viewpoints were different. However, this crossed Azuma's mind: ''The daily life of her and I hold different weights for the both of us''.

And now, Miriam was telling him to not care about her legs.

She was saying that it was fine to even live together with a boy if she got used to it. Even saying that this had happened before.

''She also has a certain stubbornness to her,'' Azuma thought. To not make others hold concern for her, she tries to be normal, and there were a lot of times where she would just say “it's alright”. Therefore...

“Then, I want you to make a promise with me too.”

“...What? What promise can I make to you?”

Azuma spoke to the girl, who was frowning slightly and tilting her head. After giving a single gesture...

“—If the other looks troubled, I hope that it will be allowed to at least ask about it.”

“...You won't suddenly make a move?”

He nodded, and Miriam showed a smile where the corners of her eyes dropped.

“You are 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 shaking the entire time we have been talking?”

“—Eh? No, um.”

“Would it have been better if I were a cute and quiet girl?”

No matter what he answered, it seemed as if it would be an insult, but denying that would be a lie without a doubt. Therefore, Azuma...

“That's unfair... it feels like you have been testing me the whole time.”

“Is that so? Even if I'm the one to give you points as score, you're the one the only one who can earn them, you know?”

“...? Why is it that girls can't earn points?”

“That is because a girl's points are determined by... 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.

“Isn't that right? No matter how much one is dressed up, if it's only that then it's just a hobby. If you dress up while being aware of what people see, then you're expressing yourself. Because of this, it's fashionable if you are able to dress up in such a way that people are captivated. And if you are able to dress up such a way that you can steal the eyes of a person who holds the points that you want...”

Widening her smile, she looked up from drooping her head...

“...that's what it means to reach out to the one you yearn for.”

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 soft-hearted person unable to throw away your earnestness...”

“Le-let's stop with all this points business.”

“—You're rather conceited, so I got a little ahead of myself, didn't I?”

He was laughed at. ''But, that really is true,'' he thought...

''...Am I earnest?''

''That's a bad point,'' he also thought.

And looking at Miriam, who wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes that came about from laughing, Azuma thought this.

''...It's fine.''

Marking the lines of each others' spaces, without interfering in each others' lives, asking whenever we take interest in something. In short, this is...

“Good enough for two strangers, isn't it.”

“If you say 'let's start as strangers,' that'll be the time I say, 'That's it, get out.', you know?”

“Ahh, then... now, I guess that sets my score.”

So he said, and Miriam raised her eyebrows. For about a breath, she looked his way with an expression that was not quite a smile nor surprise, but suddenly she bent her body forward, burst out laughing, and formed words.

“—If you hadn't said that you'd have rather high points. You are so foolishly earnest.”

“But”, saying that, Miriam stuck her left hand out his way. Lightly opening her hand for a handshake...

“—I can't be suspicious of foolishly earnest people.”

<center>●</center>

The checkpoint at the foot of Kakamigahara had a bridge.

It was a checkpoint different from the quarantine and trade checkpoint at the upper side of the mountain. To be sure 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 that 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, was a village stained with blue.

In the center of the village, the flat New Nagoya Castle laid, as if covered by brown cloth.

Before this backdrop, 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 with the village of Mikawa to their backs.

To that place, another figure came. He too was a past-middling, hunchbacked man...

“Oh, to think 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' you're talking about isn't about something good is i—”

Before his line was over, a figure that 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 that 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 08

2014-06-02T19:59:18Z

71.252.208.164: Did a little editing.

==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, there was a wooden structure.

It was a sentry house built on the surface at the mountain, where “Kakamigahara” was written with trees. It was beside the eastern mountain corridor, which connects Musashi's continental port with the streets below, so it was a building positioned to look down upon the mountain checkpoint.

The building had two figures atop its six-tatami structure.

Two people in crimson uniforms with the Tres España's emblem were holding their rifles and sitting in chairs.

They were exchanging words as one of them was watching the mountain and the other its base. At the moment, the one wearing a senior uniform was looking to the mountain range.

“...As expected, we had a lot of transport squads today. Has the confusion at the checkpoint over here ended yet?”

The boy watching Mikawa, which was at the foot of the mountain, nodded. Then, he looked at the base's checkpoint with the scope of his rifle.

“...Right now, the foot is pretty packed. Recently, they've been saying that it'd be quicker to detour over to the other side, to the western corridor which connects to the common use continental port where our squad is, but there are things like wooden bridges there, 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 side.”

“That was quite detailed. Are you an immigrant from Mikawa?”

“Tes.”, the boy responded.

“I'm a naturalized citizen of Tres España. Due to Lord Motonobu's 'clearing out' ten years ago and the construction of New Nagoya Castle, I'm not Shinto but Catholic now. I'm even making an angel's community fansite on the net.”

The boy gestured towards the town of Mikawa with his rifle.

In response, his senior turned his neck back, and at the end of his sight was the center segment of Nagoya City.

There was a street in the town that was facing the sea at the base of the mountain. A brown structure was covering a large portion of its center. The flat surface that extended almost the entire territory of Nagoya City was...

“With such a simple design you don't really get its true size, but that wooded structure ranges ten kilometers from east to west and eleven north to south. That's the 'New Nagoya Castle', a large atelier that uses one Unified Reactor and four Ley line Reactors forbidden in all the Testament Tsirhcian territories since the Harmonic Unification War. The previous Nagoya city was modified into that under the request of P.A. Oda ten years ago. It's a workshop born from the 'clearing out' national policy.”

“The 'clearing out', huh...”

The senior, who had an upperclassman character, glanced at the side of his junior's face.

“That's such a crazy story... As the inheritance of names of historical figures is needed for the sake of the Testament's history recreation, they made all names but those of a few important officials go to automatons, to avoid all the chaos it results in. Was your family affected as well?”

“Well, we were at a very low position, so we did not have much trouble at first. After that, with the reduction of staff expenses and the protection of classified information, three thousand automatons took charge of the town's business and administration over a period of three years, so that was when true 'clearing out' began, along with a lot of problems.”

The junior shrugged his shoulders, and trying to avoiding that topic he peered at New Nagoya Castle through his scope.

“This 'clearing out' was not just about the automatons. With the four operational Ley line Reactors in New Nagoya Castle extracting ether from the ley lines, strange phenomena became very frequent in the town center. I'm talking about stuff like monsters wandering the night, roads warping and mysterious disappearances.”

"Those kinds of things.", the junior smiled bitterly.

“So, with all of that, people left. That was the 'clearing out'. That castle is messed up you know? From its design and construction, the only ones managing and knowing all about it are the leader of the Matsudaira, 'Yes-Man' Lord Motonobu and a few of his closest subjects and officers. All the actual work on its construction was carried out by 1200 additional automatons ordered from the Sagami province, and even now they are operating it from the inside.”

He breathed.

“The inside is segmented into several floors protected by barriers, so its scale is pretty big, but the only ones who know what is happening inside are Lord Motonobu and a few more individuals. The automatons are subjected to memory controls and if they try to break the confidentiality protection they will automatically erase their own memories.”

“Even so, there was a special squadron from Hexagone Française that sneaked inside looking for information, right?”

The junior gave a small laugh at his upperclassman words.

“And one week later they were found carrying paper bags as otaku in Nihonbashi, weren't they? Not only did they somehow have no memory of what had happened, strangely enough they were also totally naked with two-coloured tattoos of little girls on their asses... After that, no other country sent more squads fearing the embarrassment.”

He breathed again.

“The Tsirhc Testament Union spread rumours about 'the dangers of a Ley line Reactor Meltdown' because they considered them dangerous, didn't they? They even remade the opera 'Sodom and Gomorrah have disappeared!', that was about a time where one of those meltdowns happened and everything in a ten kilometer radius was annihilated, into some mournful tragedy across all Europe. By now, nobody lives in the surroundings other than the automatons and Lord Motonobu. Yesterday I tried to descend to the outskirts, but...”

The junior tapped the upperclassman shoulder and pointed at the village with his finger.

“...Although it's already noon, you can't see any smoke from people cooking, and nothing in the vicinity of the city center is even moving. And in the surrounding villages, strange words were written in blood on the walls... I returned immediately, you know.”

“I see... Mikawa sure is a troublesome country.”

The instant the senior figure spoke that line, the younger figure pointed towards the mountain road.

“Ah, look at the road descending to the checkpoint. Amazingly, those two seem to be... the Musashi Academy President Sakai Tadatsugu and the student council vice-president Honda Masazumi. Nimble even walking, just like the rumours, right? After that the Academy President of Musashi was demoted and cut away from Mikawa, he became a disgruntled and strange person.”

Just as he said, there were two people on the path leading down to the checkpoint. The senior confirmed them with the scope of his rifle as they passed by messengers, wagons and cargo vehicles and pressed past people with heavy baggages.

“One of the Four Heavenly Kings of Matsudaira, spared from the inherited name stripping by the automatons, Sakai Tadatsugu, is it? His current position as Musashi Academy President sure is a demotion. And the other one, Masazumi... is dressed like a man but given the way he is walking... that's a woman?”

“Tes., she may be dressed like a man, but actually... she should be a woman.”

“Should?”

At that question, the junior looked up at the sky once. Choosing his words, he talked.

“When I lived in Mikawa, there were 'two Hondas'. One was the member of the Four Heavenly Kings of Matsudaira, the Peerless in the East and user of the Divine Weapon Tonbokiri, Honda Tadakatsu. The other one was the brain of the Matsudaira, the lineage of Honda Masanobu. But when Masazumi was a child, an automaton stole the name of Masanobu's son during the 'clearing out'.”

“If that's so, that girl can no longer inherit the name, can she?”

“Tes... But before that happened, she had an operation in order to inherit said name. To make sure she had the right to inherit the name Masazumi, she was supposed to had a sex change operation to turn her into a boy... However, in the earlier stages, after her breasts were removed but before they began with the lower parts, the 'clearing out' happened. As she lacks breasts female clothing does not fit her well, so she dresses like a boy.”

“When I was still in Mikawa, she was ignored and bullied. She was a year above me and I heard that since she was unable to get her inherited name, she was abandoned by her dad, but...”

While looking at the two travelling the mountain path, the junior slowly said this:

“Given that she's now the vice-president, she's still doing her best, isn't she... I wonder if I should make a fansite...”

<center>●</center>

Sakai and Masazumi were walking atop the mountain path towards the checkpoint which was a delivery transportation base.

Looking at it from the mountain, the checkpoint was a wide parking lot where standby cargo vehicles were lined up waiting to take their goods, and a spacious area with warehouses. The valley was a natural barrier and the exchange of goods was performed between the bottom and the top. People were lined up into fives queues at the reception of the checkpoint, but Sakai was walking too far away to hear their voices and exchanges.

Sakai and Masazumi walked the mountain path, which had hardened from the wheels of the cargo vehicles. As they travelled the side of the mountain with a stone wall at their left, they laughed and exchanged words while tilting their heads. Sakai was forming a smile at the corner of his mouth.

“...Speaking of the which, tomorrow Toori is going to confess. What are you going to do tonight? As I said before, it seems that Toori and the rest are going to make some ruckus at the Academy. Are you going to go with them and act as the fire extinguisher smokescreen?”

“I am the vice-president. If I did something like that the entire Testament Union would know about it...”

“It's alright, it'll just make you look like the rest of them.”

“Then I definitely can't do it, can I? Anyway, what is even with the chancellor and student council president, suddenly announcing that he's going to confess and cause a ruckus at the Academy like that... The other day we had a huge meeting for a potluck in the dark, and he ignited the experimental-use magnesium with the lab room's alcohol lamp and it went 'Boom!'.”

“Yeah, you can't make night potluck into a light potluck. I guess the glass pot of the lamp lightened everyone up, though.”<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. This was changed to something that actually makes sense in English.</ref>

“No, it wasn't like that, seriously...”

Sakai laughed in response to Masazumi who was speaking in a troubled manner. Continuing like that for a few seconds, he eventually sighed.

“Well, I'm just trying to say that one can pass the time like that too, you know.”

Masazumi wondered about this and folded her arms as if trying to protect herself. After that, she tilted her neck.

“Yesterday, he started some trouble in a restaurant on Tama's surface, when he covered one of Mitotsudaira business partners, who was completely naked, in cream, and stuck an eel up his butt. That was quite the incident, don't you think?.”

“That did indeed happen, but you know...”

Sakai looked at Masazumi out of the corner of his eye and in response Masazumi pulled back a bit.

“...Did you knew that what that gourmet really wanted was to court Nate to control the Mitotsudaira family?”

“...Huh?”

“I don't know if he was from Hexagone Française or the Far East, but he was trying to acquire a name inheritance and wanted to marry into the Mitotsudaira family. With that objective, he tried to approach her as a business partner. Nate sure is strong willed, but she's also someone who thinks hard upon her position and family. I was even consulted about it, you know?”

'That means...', Masazumi twisted her eyebrows.

“That mess was President Sakai's work?”

“Hey, hey, hey, hey, don't suspect me. I didn't do anything, someone among them noticed, that's it... After all, Musashi is pretty small, right? It was probably a coincidence, but...”

“But?”

“But, emotionally, Nate thanks everyone for that.”

“———”

As if punctuating sound by sound, he introduced a new topic of conversation.

And suddenly, he once again looked at Masazumi out of the corner of his eye and opened his mouth while looking around the area.

“—Indeed, today really is strange. Has Masazumi-kun noticed it?”

<center>●</center>

“Strange? What are you talking about...”

Questioning in her response, Masazumi looked the surroundings and the flow of cargo vehicles and people.

After a while, Masazumi tilted her head as if she was saying: “I don't know.”. Sakai pointed towards the checkpoint visible in the distance, at the lines cargo vehicles awaiting their goods.

“—As you heard from Shirojiro, all the cargo vehicles are mostly empty. Masazumi-kun, do you understand what that means?”

“That's...”

Surprised, Masazumi raised her voice.

“There is cargo heading aboard the Musashi but none coming out of it, right? In short, we barely have any purchasing orders from Mikawa... This is the first time that I've seen the Mikawa checkpoint from the Musashi-side, but it's true that a year ago the other checkpoints were different, I think.”

“Indeed, normally there's more cargo coming from our side, but this time, there's nothing, strangely enough.”

Masazumi took one step forward and spoke to a frowning Sakai while turning back.

“...Is this the result of Mikawa progressing with the 'clearing out' policy? Or is this a consequence of the population dwindling due to the rising phenomena, so that the goods aren't really needed? But even so, the fact that it's just sending goods to Musashi makes it feel like——”

Masazumi continued.

“—It feels as if we're taking keepsakes of Mikawa before it dies, as it tries to isolate itself from the whole world, don't you think?”

“Hey, hey, don't say scary stuff. It's just that Mikawa is under sanctions, so exchange isn't allowed. They're putting some distance between themselves and Musashi. But well...”

'''I don't really know''', thought Sakai as he nodded...

Suddenly, a structure came from above his head. Like a cloud, that large shape crossed the sky.

“That is... a ship?”

The ship's shape they were looking up at was not alone, as almost directly above several ships were incoming. In the west, above the mountains, a noticeable colossal white ship travelled making a deep noise...

“That's the K.P.A. Italia Jörmungandr-class galley 'Regno Unito', owned by the Pope-Chancellor Innocentius and escorted by a Tres España security fleet. So the head of the Catholics came all the way here, where the hand of the Mlasi's P.A. Oda can reach. He is here to negotiate the development of new armament, right?”.

'Yes', Masazumi opened her mouth.

“It's because P.A. Oda is concentrating on their attack on the Asai. Using that opening, he's going to plea for the development of a new Logismoi Oplo, a type of Divine Weapon that represent a fragment of the world's power balance, in other words City-Destruction Class Personal Armaments. These armaments have the embodiment of the Eight Evil Thoughts of humanity as a motif, and the original prototypes of the Seven Deadly Sins and their users are called 'Eight Dragon Kings'.”

“You're well informed, aren't you? The Eight Evil Thoughts... can you name them?”

"Jud.", Masazumi said. And then she nodded...

“{{Furigana|Gastrimargia|Gluttony|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Porneia|Lust|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Phylargyria|Avarice|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Lypē|Lamenting|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} , {{Furigana|Orgē|Wrath|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0x}}, {{Furigana|Akedia|Dejection|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Kenodoxia|Vainglory|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} and {{Furigana|Hyperēphania|Pride|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}—In the sixth century, they were condensed to seven by Gregorious the First. Vainglory was included in Pride, Lamenting and Dejection were combined as Sloth and {{Furigana|Phtonos|Envy|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=11|okurispacing=0px}} was added, becoming seven. Because of that...”

She left out a breath.

“The Deadly Sins of man are now said to be seven, but in the beginning they were the Eight Evil Thoughts warned of by the Greek Evagrius in Egypt. So, the Seven Deadly Sins in Latin are what we usually speak of in the present world. But originally... their prototypes were the Greek's Eight Evil Thoughts.”

<center>●</center>

Masazumi spoke starting to walk once again whilst scraping the dirt stuck to her zōri sandals on the dried road.

“And, was it ten years ago?”

In the middle of the shadow projected by the ships traveling in the sky, Masazumi remembered those days while looking at her feet.

“Right before the Musashi's Grand Renovation, concluding the talks to make the provisional alliance with P.A. Oda a formal alliance, Lord Motonobu sent the eight Logismoi Oplo to all the Testament countries with the exception of P.A. Oda. Those were...”

● {{Furigana|Gastrimargia|Gluttony|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}: {{Furigana|M.H.R.R.|Holy Roman Empire|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}

● {{Furigana|Porneia|Lust|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}: K.P.A. Italia

● {{Furigana|Phylargyria|Avarice|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}: England

● {{Furigana|Lypē|Lamenting|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=2px}}: Tres España

● {{Furigana|Orgē|Wrath|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}: Sviet Rus

● {{Furigana|Akedia|Dejection|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}: Tres España

● {{Furigana|Kenodoxia|Vainglory|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}: Hexagone Française

● {{Furigana|Hyperēphania|Pride|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}: Hexagone Française

“Tres España and Hexagone Française posess two because their sins were combined when the Eight Evil Thoughts became the Seven Deadly Sins. Their outputs are set to low settings... but it seems that Tres España brought their weapons to the New World and drove the feral Mechanical Beasts to extinction. Going by the rumours, they created such a large-scale destruction just with a few kilounits of ether. Just in terms of pure power, these Divine Weapons are in the same rank as the Testament Arma that are based on the Testaments, and different from them in that while the Testamenta Arma are limited by the doctrine, the Logismoi Oplo can be used without restrictions. This is due to these Deadly Sin Armaments are reprimanding weapons used to lay bare the sins of the opponent.”

Masazumi looked at the western sky, to the white-armoured ship that was facing towards the continental port, the “Regno Unito”.

“The rumours say that the Pope came all the way here this time because he wants to get the 'Phtonos' in the Seven Deadly Sins made. Currently, K.P.A. Italia have to hurry against the strengthening of Protestantism and the decline in the Middle-Eastern trade.”

She sighed.

“The Pope-Chancellor is also the wielder of one of the Logismoi Oplo, so he is one of the Eight Dragon Kings, but being the head of the Catholics he really hates that name... Even so, he wants a new Deadly Sin Armament as there are some problems even if K.P.A. Italia is making profits thanks to Lombardia's international loans.”

“Basically, loans are forbidden under Catholicism so even though they are able to profit from them by the way of taxes, they have to be maintained by the unconventional races and the non-Testament regions where the monetary circulation is permitted, and more than anybody else, by the Far East's loans businesses. Their regulations on money lending and borrowing are really strict, so we are like their mediator regarding loans and land mortgage. The Pope-Chancellor is really in a tight spot.”

Sakai, who said that, formed a drooping smile at the corner of his mouth.

“But well...”

“What is it?”

That instant, Masazumi relaxed her shoulders and took a step forward.

“Masazumi-kun... Do you know the rumours related to the Logismoi Oplo?”

“The rumours...?”

"Jud., Jud., Jud.," Sakai nodded three times. At that point, he stuck his index finger up and said this.

“—The rumours that the Logismoi Oplo are made from humans.”

<center>●</center>

At Sakai's words, Masazumi slightly lost hold of herself.

The rumour that Sakai mentioned just now had been heard by Masazumi before. It went like this:

“To make weapons of the power of the Deadly Sins and the original sin of humanity, it is only appropriate to use humans as components...”

“Right, right, and also something like 'the reason why the people have disappeared from Nagoya is actually because they have been used as the components of the Logismoi Oplo'”.

“Th-there's nothing like that.”

Masazumi recalled her memories of living in Mikawa.

“It'd be a problem if it wasn't just a rumour. When I was still there, the citizens would usually give proper notice before leaving if they were changing their residence. If their whereabouts became unknown just like that, like in recent phenomena, there would be an uproar.”

"Is that so?" said Sakai while he continued to look up at the sky.

“Do you think that the things related to this will end being a rumour, Masazumi-kun?”

“—Eh?”

Sakai spoke and looking at her he formed a broad smile at the edges of his mouth.

“I... just thought that it would be interesting if Masazumi-kun also came over to this side.”

“By saying 'this side' you mean...”

“The side where we would be able to calmly talk about things like my past.”

The past, that is...

“For example, the reason why I was demoted to Musashi... How I, following the Testament description, allowed the person who was supposed to be the heir of my lord to commit suicide. The side where you would be able to bring those words to your lips with a smile.”

“——”

'I know about what Sakai was talking about, the reason of his demotion. It's something any citizen of Mikawa would. How even though it was by the Testament's description, one of the Four Heavenly Kings let the heir of his lord commit suicide.'

There was a time when the leader of Mikawa, Lord Motonobu, had no wife and no heir.

...Therefore, Lord Motonobu let his little brother inherit the name of his heir.

Matsudaira Nobuyasu.

According to the Testament's descriptions, he had committed suicide due to some trouble with the Oda family.

Was that also the reason? Around fifteen years ago, there was still no inheritor for Nobunaga's name in P.A. Oda, so Mikawa refused an alliance and tried to overcome said Testament's description using a 'broad interpretation' of it, but...

...As P.A. Oda encircled them, a provisional alliance was formed under a bit of coercion.

Subjected to those circumstances, and as a proof of loyalty, the lord's younger brother was forced to commit suicide after he became the heir.

Sakai, who was supposed to be the guardian of the lord's younger brother, was demoted since he was unable to stop the suicide.

The rumours said that Lord Nobuyasu wished of his own death and when Sakai ran to stop him, it was too late.

That was the reason that Masazumi knew for Sakai's demotion.

...However.

'''I can't simply bring those words to my lips', am I really that naive?''

Inside my field of vision and without erasing that smile at the edge of his mouth, Sakai said.

“So, Masazumi-kun as you seem to be thinking a lot, what would you think if that story had a continuation?”

“...Eh? A continuation?”

“Jud. Jud.”, Sakai said twice.

“What if Lord Motonobu actually... had an illegitimate wife and had a child with her?”

“———”

Masazumi lost all words for an instant. She forced herself to open her mouth. As she was not able to grasp what she had just been told and felt like her mind was still not stabilized, she asked something to confirm whether this was truth or fiction.

“No way. If that kind of child existed...”

That would mean that as the lord's younger brother that inherited his heir name had committed suicide, that child would become the new heir, right? However...

“But where is that child and what is he doing...? Why doesn't he come out into the open?”

“That's why I said that earlier, didn't I?”

Sakai talked.

“If you want to know, step inside and come to this side, Masazumi-kun... Your wish is to be a politician and you seem to be thinking on the grand scale of things, but you are failing at stepping inside, don't you think?”

“But,” Sakai added.

“I like being bullied, you know... So, why won't you step in to me?”

Speaking these words, Sakai 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 end this conversation at that... shall we?”

Masazumi chased Sakai with her gaze as he merely headed towards the open area of the checkpoint and was passed by a single horse-drawn carriage. Masazumi, a little panicked, moved her feet in order to catch up with him, and accompanied by the sound of her footsteps she reached the wide clearing.

“...Oh.”

The sound the received goods being delivered, the murmurs of people, the sound of cargo vehicles moving and the unobstructed sunlight drowned Masazumi's body. The two travelled the footpath separated by a rope under pedestrian priority.

“Well then, Masazumi-kun. Once we get all the documents proving that you have sent me you can return and have some fun.”

“Okay. Also, President Sakai, as you are one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Matsudaira you probably know it, but me and Lord Tadakatsu's daughter were in the same grade in the past, so if you meet with her send her my regards.”

“Ahh, she was... Will she come today? Well, if I meet her I'll speak to her.”

After saying “thank you very much,” Masazumi thought about what Sakai told her just now about “stepping inside”. Something similar to that was also said to her today by another person. Therefore...

“There's something I want to investigate today, so I'll be focusing into that.”

“Hmm, what is it?”

“The 'Remorse Way'. I was told that if I investigate it, I'll understand everyone.”

Masazumi nodded in her heart. 'This has to be one step inside,' she thought.

When she said that, Sakai has a single reaction before here eyes.

He laughed.

''...Eh?''

Masazumi lost all her words against that sudden laughing and Sakai smiled to her to bid his farewell.

“That's pretty good. As everyone is getting ready for Toori's confession tomorrow, all of them are probably preparing for the celebration or something, given that they are going to hold a party at the Academy tonight. Also, from today onwards the crown prince Azuma-kun has thrown away his position and powers and restarted his life at Musashi. And lastly, there is going to be a festival and fireworks under the instructions of the lord teacher. All of it seems unconnected... but they are all new activities, and celebrations too.”

After a single breath, Sakai continued his words.

“It would be nice if learning about the 'Remorse Way' could be your new activity, Masazumi-kun.”

He left out another breath.

“There is a lot of stuff that I don't know about, but I hope that Masazumi-kun ends up being at Toori's side along all the people with him.”

==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>

Owari no Chronicle:Volume6 Chapter 21

2014-06-01T05:08:49Z

71.252.208.164: /* Chapter 21: Silently Read Memories */

==Chapter 21: Silently Read Memories==
[[Image:OnC_v06_0287.png|thumb]]
''Someone said to go outside

''What did so before you could respond?

''Your thoughts, your gaze, or your advancing feet?

Below the blue morning sky was a dark blue expanse that reflected the sunlight and rose and fell with waves.

It was the sea, but this sea did not continue to the horizon.

Beyond the ships and water birds was an opposite shore and bluish-gray mountains.

A voice flew toward that sea.

“The Seto Inland Sea!”

The female voice belonged to Kazami.

Her voice came from a wharf sticking out into the sea. A few dozen people were gathered on the concrete harbor and Kazami stood in the lead while holding a wheelchair’s handles.

The wheelchair carried a girl with long blonde hair across the wharf.

That girl, Mikage, looked up toward Kazami, opened her mouth, and spoke with silent words.

“Ee ehoh ihluh ee?”

“That’s right,” replied a smiling Kazami. “The Seto Inland Sea.”

Mikage nodded and looked behind the other girl.

Two boys stood there: Izumo and Hiba. The latter gave Kazami an impressed look.

“Kazami-san, you sure have gotten close to Mikage-san.”

“We’ve been together since last night, including the bus, helicopter, and train rides coming here. Are you jealous, Hiba?”

“I am, Chisato. I’m worried you’re going to awaken to a love that crosses the gender barri- gfh.”

Kazami ended the unnecessary comment prematurely and glanced around.

The ones waiting for a ship on the wharf and harbor were Team Leviathan and the members of the special and standard divisions that often worked with them.

The training camp was taking place on a desert island and they had already travelled from Okutama to Okayama UCAT by helicopter and from there to Kurashiki by train.

They had arrived at the Port of Mizushima on the southwestern side of the Kojima Peninsula, but it was not a fishing harbor. It functioned as an industrial transportation harbor and it was reachable on a train from Kurashiki. The industrial area was used by many corporations such as Mitsubishi.

“The Izumo Company has apparently been using this since the early days of the Izumo Aviation Institute.”

From what Kazami’s father had told her, the area had been an even greater shipbuilding area than Yokosuka during World War Two.

She turned to Hiba, then to Mikage, and finally to the western sea.

“That’s Kure, Hiroshima over there. During the National Defense Department days, warships like the Yamato were built there.”

“They build passenger ships and tankers now, don’t they?”

“Oh, do you know a lot about this, Hiba? Do you like this kind of thing?”

“No, but my grandfather does. Back in the National Defense Department days, the military apparently asked them to share some technology for a giant warship. They planned a warship that flew and fired a destructive beam from the bow, but the military thought they were joking and rejected it.”

''They were probably serious,'' thought Kazami. ''If the plans still exist, my dad could probably use it for something.

Mikage then lifted her body up to look at Hiba.

Kazami guessed that Mikage had not heard that story and that she wanted to hear as much from Hiba as she could.

The night before, they had spoken together and Kazami had occasionally let Mikage handle the calls to Hiba, so she could now understand what the girl was thinking to a certain extent.

…''But I’m probably not as good at it as I think I am.

She had been woken early that morning by the sounds of Mikage attempting to leave the room on her own.

Kazami’s current mood would change based on whether that was due to Mikage’s desire to see Hiba or a desire to get away from her.

''I can’t let my guard down,'' she thought. ''Mikage has her own thoughts. As long as I don’t hastily read too much into her actions, I’ll get my answer eventually.

Suddenly, Hiba glanced around.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Sayama-san or Shinjou-san since Kurashiki Station.”

“Oh, those two couldn’t resist any longer and they can’t exactly do it in front of us, now can they?”

“…What?”

“It happens a lot.”

Kazami beckoned Hiba over. After Mikage tilted her head and Hiba walked over, Kazami crouched down, placed a finger over her mouth, and gestured for Hiba to lower down as well.

“?”

He lowered his head and Kazami reached into his collar and toward the wheel of Mikage’s wheelchair.

She searched around with her hands for a bit.

…''There they are.

When she pulled out two small devices about the size of a grain of rice, Hiba mouthed a word much like Mikage would.

“A uhg?”

''A bug?

Kazami nodded, quickly opened the backpack she wore, and pulled out a handheld recorder much like the one Sayama owned. She switched it on and Hiba whispered a comment on the sound it produced.

“Kazami-san, what is this sound of flesh and bones being struck?”

“Shh. Sayama edited this four hour selection of my attacks. For the moment, it’ll sound like I’m hitting Kaku.”

She placed the bugs in a small pill case she took from her backpack and placed it back in along with the activated recorder.

She tossed the backpack toward Izumo who lay collapsed on the ground. It made a dull noise as it struck his face, so it must have had some kind weapon inside. She decided not to think about it and took a breath.

“Now then, let’s talk seriously.”

“Sounds good. …Wait. Why were we bugged!?”

“Not so loud, Hiba. This isn’t a simple matter. There are people who are interested in our actions, so they asked to have us monitored. Probably from the other side of the sea.” Kazami pointed at Hiba’s collar and Mikage’s wheelchair. “They must have been slipped onto you during the body check before boarding the helicopter. I’ll put them back on you, so we need another way to eliminate them. Hiba, when disembarking from the ship later, purposefully fall into the ocean and change your clothes. Mikage, you try to use your cane instead of the wheelchair. Also make sure to check your tent every day.”

Hiba frantically nodded and Kazami smiled when Mikage emulated him. Hiba had plenty of combat experience and Mikage had a long past, but their one-on-one battles had not prepared them for this kind of tactic.

…''I actually feel like an upperclassman for once.

“So where are Sayama-san and Shinjou-san?”

“After leaving the helicopter at the Okayama IAI branch, Sayama received a phone call, remember?”

“Yes. A group called the Army attacked UCAT and escaped. Shouldn’t you all head back there? I heard most of the internal data was destroyed.”

“They targeted the central data server, so the servers of individual departments were unharmed. It seems transferring over the data from those servers will recover most of it. In fact, the IT department was glad to get a new backup from everyone. A lot of the departments don’t bother with periodic backups to the central server because it’s too much trouble.”

“Then what was the enemy after?”

“Well,” said Kazami while narrowing her eyes. “Do you really think UCAT’s databank had nothing but backup data from the different departments?”

“Eh?”

“Also, that phone call to Sayama wasn’t from an official UCAT contact. It was a secret message from 2nd-Gear’s military god in the development department.”

Kazami intentionally emphasized their connection to other Gears.

…''I don’t really like showing off our strength.

But they needed to demonstrate their past results.

She saw Hiba’s expression stiffen a bit and the look in Mikage’s eyes changed.

“What did that military god say?”

“Something very interesting. His boss had saved the majority of the data from the central server. She acted ahead of time and copied over everything the Army would want to steal and destroy.”

“But how did-…?”

Kazami cut him off with a shake of the head.

“It’s rude to ask that. Anyway, it contained a lot of documents concerning the National Defense Department, including some image data. The military god was instructing Sayama to pick up the important documents by fax so the higher ups won’t notice. He’s probably waiting by a convenience store fax machine near Kurashiki Station right now.”

“Then the idea that he and Shinjou-san went off to do dirty things was just camouflage?”

“Well…” Kazami trailed off in thought, looked up toward the sky, and gathered her thoughts. “That might not be a complete lie.”

Kurashiki was located a bit west of Okayama’s center.

It was somewhat west of the Kojima Peninsula that stuck out into the Seto Inland Sea.

The city was a twenty minute train ride from the prefectural capital of Okayama. To the south of that northeast-southwest railroad were museums and a sightseeing district known as the Bikan district which was filled with antique houses. To the north were an amusement park and a flat, seemingly never-ending residential district.

Kurashiki Station was located in the center of the city, a hotel was situated above the station building, and department stores were connected to either side.

Outside the southern entrance of the station was a large roundabout made with tourists in mind and major roads led away from it in three different directions.

The central street was primarily lined with bars, business hotels, and restaurants. Convenience stores were located between the different stores and restaurants.

Two people stood in front of a convenience store with a blue sign on the left side of the road. One was a boy wearing a vest and suit pants. The other was a boy wearing a white shirt, shorts, and a white straw hat.

The summer sun shined down as noon approached, so the two of them stood in the shade of a tree and out of the way of the walking people.

The one in the straw hat looked to the backpack carried by the one in the vest.

“Sayama-kun, you’ve been carrying that for me this whole time. Isn’t it heavy?”

“Ha ha ha. This bag contains your binder, Shinjou-kun. That would never feel heavy to me.”

“I put Izumo-san’s spare sunglasses in it because they wouldn’t fit in his bag.”

“So that’s why the right side seemed oddly heavy. Is there a trashcan around here?”

“Um…” Shinjou thought and looked at her watch to change the subject. “S-Sayama-kun? It’s 11:55 right now, so we have five minutes until Kashima-san told us to call him. Have you taken care of the bugs?”

“I have. It will only last about 90 minutes, but that should be enough.”

Sayama pulled out a clear plastic case from the backpack’s side pocket.

It contained two listening devices and Sayama’s portable recording device. That combination made Shinjou tilt her head.

“Will that really work?”

“It will. I am playing a dummy conversation I edited together.”

He raised the volume of the recorder so she could hear.

“I-I can’t handle something th-that hard!”

“We are running short on time. You seem extraordinarily interested in this. Anyway, there is no need to be afraid. Ask for it hard and rough!”

“I know I said that…but…”

“Now, then. Continue, Shinjou-kun. …Hm? Why did you just twitch?”

Sayama turned a serious expression toward Shinjou.

“Such a wonderful editing job. Now, do you see a problem with this, Shinjou-kun?”

“I see one in your brain!! …Wait. You aren’t recording everything I ever say, are you?”

“Unfortunately, that proved impossible as we first met and spoke inside a concept space where batteries did not function.”

Shinjou suddenly felt faint and collapsed to her knees, so Sayama’s eyebrows rose.

“Oh, no. Are you anemic, Shinjou-kun? Is there a restaurant that serves liver sashimi around here? No, we must not act like a carnivorous couple. A better option would be-…”

“U-um, try to calm down before you jump to too insane a conclusion. Let’s focus on a more pressing issue.”

She stood up with a hand on her forehead, frowned, and tilted her head.

“Have you been playing that for the bugs this whole time?”

“Of course. The bugging team of UCAT’s special division is likely listening to their headphones with meek looks on their faces. But do not worry. If they attempt to make unauthorized copies or to sell it, I intend to sue them for copyright infringement.”

''This is hopeless,'' realized Shinjou. ''Maybe I should have been more prepared.

She could only sigh, but after a second sigh, she managed to speak.

“Well at any rate, you go do what you have to, Sayama-kun.”

“Why are you waving your hand as if trying to banish me to the convenience store?”

“Oh, um… It just came out that way for some reason.”

She checked her watch and saw it was exactly noon. He checked his own watch, placed Baku back in his breast pocket, and faced the convenience store.

“If possible, I hope to receive some information concerning the Shinjou in the National Defense Department,” he said suddenly.

Shinjou gave a small gasp as he spoke with a straightforward look despite not facing her.

…''He actually thought about it.

She was happy, but she cleared her throat to indicate her next comment was what she felt she ''should'' say rather than what she ''wanted to'' say.

“I’m glad to hear you say that, but you can’t prioritize me. You have to prioritize everyone.”

He gave a bitter laugh, nodded, and turned his expressionless face her way.

“I am well aware. For one thing, information on the National Defense Department should also include information on the mountain ape with the same surname as me. I must eliminate the more disgraceful parts before anyone sees them.”

“I think that’s wrong for a different reason…”

“I see. At any rate, I hope we can learn something from this. Both about our relatives and about 3rd-Gear.”

He turned toward a cloth wrapper attached the backpack’s side with a band. It contained the sword Gyes had given them while promising to speak with them.

“We’re supposed to place that where we think 3rd-Gear’s base is, right? Do you have any ideas?” she asked.

“I have a general idea. When we arrived here, I heard about that attack by the Army that the old man referred to as the ‘delightful beauty invasion’, but he also mentioned a piece of information he heard from Brunhild-kun.”

“From Brunhild-san? Why does she know about 3rd-Gear?”

“The headquarters of 1st-Gear’s city faction were around here. It seems they clashed in the past and 3rd-Gear moved afterwards. When 1st-Gear’s recon team visited the area again, nothing was left.”

“But that makes it even harder to know where they are. If they were still in their original position, we could at least make a guess using the Divine States-World Interaction Theory.”

“Predicting the destination of someone who has gone missing can be quite fascinating and teach you a lot. And that includes your parents, Shinjou-kun. So let’s take it easy for now. I want to think about some things.”

“What things?” asked Shinjou.

“The second impurity the Hiba boy will not reveal to us, for one.”

Shinjou recalled the previous morning. Sayama had been oddly forceful while speaking with Hiba and he had negotiated with Gyes afterwards.

“Did you realize anything after those discussions yesterday?”

“I did. Last night, I was thinking in the bath before you arrived, and…”

“You suddenly lost all credibility…”

“Just listen. Yesterday morning, I asked the Hiba boy why Apollo had switched to piloting Typhon when he had previously used a pale blue god of war.”

“Yes, and he told you he doesn’t know why.”

“That he did, but he did not deny that Apollo had switched from one god of war to Typhon. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Ah,” gasped Shinjou as she recalled what Gyes had said. “Gyes said it is impossible to negotiate with Typhon’s pilot, that they utterly reject that option, and that anyone who knows the secret will bear an impurity.”

“Yes, but Apollo is alive. So why is it impossible it negotiate? Why do they utterly reject it? And why would that lead to bearing an impurity? I think all these mysteries can be narrowed down to a single point: why did Apollo switch gods of war? I already have a theory, but I lack evidence.”

He seemed certain, so Shinjou believed him. When he spoke with confidence, it could often cause problems, but he was never outright wrong. This naturally led to her next comment.

“You’re amazing, Sayama-kun.”

He narrowed his eyes, nodded, and let out a charming sigh.

“That is the ultimate compliment, Shinjou-kun. …From the Hiba boy’s behavior, I think he feels he has already lost his chance to tell us.”

“Then…” Shinjou chose her words carefully. “Is it like when I wasn’t sure I could reveal the truth about myself?”

“Yes. He is likely an incredibly nice person, so he seems to hesitate too much out of concern for others. He views everything as an imposition on others. Mikage-kun’s presence is also holding him back,” he said. “Do you think he ever has her comfort him?”

She could not immediately reply.

She thought about what he meant and applied the concept to the two of them.

…''Ah.

She realized he was referring to when he would rest in her lap.

…''He won’t use my lap unless he’s injured saving me or he beats me at cards.

When he felt he was in a position to freely ask for it, he would show his need for comfort.

“I wonder if Ryuuji-kun is the same?” she thought aloud. “Is he comforted by Mikage-san who can’t evolve, speak, or walk?”

“I am certain Mikage-kun would gladly do so, but I think he would hesitate to ask. He would at least subconsciously view it as placing a greater burden on her and he would deem that as arrogant,” said Sayama. “But there are times when he can accept that comfort without guilt.”

“Eh?”

Shinjou looked up and he smiled back at her.

“And that is connected to his reason for fighting. The question is whether he has realized it or not.”

“Does he really have times like that?”

“He does. Everyone does.”

“Really?”

She did not know the answer.

She felt she had Sayama comfort her too much.

Even being with him now was a part of that.

“I think only a small portion of people ever have that desire for comfort met,” she said.

“Really?”

He tilted his head and she saw something like doubt in his usual lack of expression.

He appeared unsure whether he should say something or not.

Finally, he brushed up his hair, raised his right hand, and began by calling her name.

“Shinjou-kun, there was once a certain automaton.”

“Eh?”

This sudden comment brought only confusion to Shinjou, but she quickly realized he was actually thinking for once.

She did not know what he meant or who this automaton was, but she understood what it was he desired. He wanted someone to listen to his answer, so she spoke up.

“U-um… What about this automaton? Will you tell me, Sayama-kun?”

“I will.”

He took a breath, looked away from her, and continued.

“That automaton was quite foolish.” He paused for a beat. “For some reason, she was set to destroy herself and yet made no attempt to change that. Even when her master asked that she change that setting, she refused with a smile.”

“…”

He remained expressionless, but looked up in the air, brushed up his bangs, and chose his words carefully.

“Perhaps troubling and worrying her master in that way was her way of being comforted.”

And…

“Everyone is comforted in their own way. And that is exactly why everyone has some way or another.”

He let out a small sigh, tightened his tie, and regained his usual expressionless look. It was as if his previous words had never been spoken.

“Well, most of what I said is speculation and the person in question is not with us. You can ignore it.”

“I don’t want to,” said Shinjou.

She could tell the ends of her eyebrows had lowered and a small smile crept onto her lips.

…''What happened to #4 really bothered him.

On the other hand, she had almost forgotten about it.

“I appreciate that you talk about that kind of thing from time to time.”

“Then we truly are opposites, Shinjou-kun. I view it as a horrible failure.”

He spat out the words and did not look her in the eye, but he soon hurriedly looked at his watch.

“It is time.”

“Oh, you’re right. We can leave it at that.”

“What a disagreeable tone you have there.”

“We really are opposite. I wasn’t being disagreeable. I just thought you were being oddly…”

She thought.

“Funny and amicable. What would that combination be in the Sayama language? And if you just combine ‘fu’ with ‘cable’ without thinking what it sounds like, I won’t take a bath with you for a while.”

“…”

“Y-you don’t have to think about it so seriously.”

“I see. But that proves you do not view it as all that important. I would prefer it if you forgot I said anything.”

She stuck her tongue out in response and he merely smiled bitterly.

If she had the chance, she decided to bring up that sort of thing herself next time.

Meanwhile, Sayama took a step toward the convenience store.

“Please wait here, Shinjou-kun. Afterwards, we can take a walk as we gather our thoughts. How about looking around the Bikan district?”

“The others will complain if we’re late. We need to set up the tents and the stove.”

“Our athletic couple can handle the sweaty work like that. We can buy a souvenir that will make them forget.”

He took a few steps and passed through the automatic door to the convenience store. Seeing the door open as if avoiding him made Shinjou smile.

She watched through the glass as he walked inside and spoke to the clerk.

…''The Bikan district, hm?

When he had mentioned visiting Kurashiki, Kazami had been jealous. It was an old city and some old areas remained. Those areas had been preserved and turned into sightseeing areas.

…''A normal girl would be happy to be taken somewhere like this.

She reached into her shorts pocket and pulled out the Okayama sightseeing booklet she had secretly bought. When she had bought a swimsuit with Kazami, she had asked the girl for advice and she had added some labels to the booklet based on her response.

She had thought the training schedule would leave no time for fun, so arriving in Kurashiki so suddenly was quite fortunate. The Bikan district page had a label attached and this backing from Kazami allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Maybe I can let him comfort me a little more,” she muttered.

A car driven by a man in a suit passed by, so she stepped back. With the tree behind her, there was not much space, but there was enough for one step.

“Ah.”

Her back struck something other than the tree. It was more flexible and it shook.

It was a person.

She frantically turned around. This was the result of focusing too much on the booklet and thinking about letting Sayama comfort her. She needed to apologize.

She found a girl about her own age. The girl was tall and had her long hair tied behind her. She wore a black backpack with a cloth fishing rod holder attached.

…''I hope she isn’t mad.

Shinjou looked, but the girl’s expression seemed strange.

When someone was hurt by a stranger, they would normally gather their eyebrows together in a frown, but this girl was staring at her with slightly raised eyebrows.

She almost looked surprised.

''Was it really that surprising?'' worried Shinjou.

“I’m sorry. A-are you okay?”

The girl took a moment to react. The pause was long enough that Shinjou worried she had not heard her.

“…”

The girl’s first reaction was to relax her expression and shoulders.

She then took a breath and brushed up her hair.

“There is nothing to worry about. Um… What is your name?”

The girl asked probingly, but Shinjou saw no reason to question her about it.

“Sadagiri. Shinjou Sadagiri.”

As soon as she answered, Shinjou worried the girl was going to demand money from her. Rude terms such as extortionist, con artist, and ransom abduction filled her mind for a moment.

…''But I have someone even more amazing by my side.

Thinking that put her at ease, so she relaxed and let out a breath so the girl would not notice.

“What about you?”

The girl answered as if she had been waiting to be asked.

“Toda. …Toda Mikoku.”

[[Image:OnC_v06_0309.png|thumb]]

Mikoku saw Shinjou right in front of her.

After hearing her name, Shinjou looked up a bit and moved her lips as she thought on the name.

“Toda-san? I’m very sorry.”

She bowed. The words accompanying that movement of long, black hair were those of one speaking to a stranger.

That fact caused Mikoku’s shoulders to droop a little.

“I knew it.”

“Eh?”

“Nothing. More importantly, you need to be careful. You might be fine on a major road like this, but the back roads of this city are narrow and the telephone poles stick out into the road in a lot of places. Not paying attention to your surroundings is dangerous.”

“Oh, I see.”

Shinjou looked around the major road and then down the narrow roads between buildings.

After confirming what she had been told, she nodded.

“Do you live here?” she asked.

“No, I am from Tokyo.”

The cautious strength in Shinjou’s expression left when she heard that.

“Oh, so am I. Where in Tokyo do you live? I’m from Akigawa.”

Mikoku just about answered but caught herself and gave a displeased frown.

“Nowhere important.”

“I see…”

When Shinjou lowered her head in disappointment, Mikoku frantically spoke up.

“Oh, but I hear Akigawa is nice. For example, the central park was opened up to the citizens after it wasn’t being used for many official events, they rely on other cities for garbage disposal so as not to pollute their own air, and they use a lot of tax money to build up the river banks and keep the river from flooding.”

“I-is it really that nice a place? And you sure do know a lot about it. Do you live in a nearby city?”

“You could say that.”

She had to keep Shinjou from asking further and there was a lot she had to ask as a member of the Army.

She needed to secretly ask about the important points.

“Um… What are your hobbies?”

“Eh?”

That was not what she was supposed to ask. She was focusing too much on the personal side, so she slapped herself on the cheek.

“I am here for work, but what about you?”

She was worried that question was being overly familiar, but Shinjou began to think with a finger in front of her mouth.

“Well… A training camp I suppose. Yes, a student council training camp. We’re staying on a desert island in the Seto Inland Sea.”

“Sounds like quite the adventure. I hear there are pirates known as Wokou in the Seto Insland Sea, so be careful.”

“It’s not the Sengoku period anymore, so I don’t think they’re still around.”

“I see. I did not look into it that far. …Anyway, why are you in Kurashiki? Securing supplies?”

“Yeah, we’re picking up something.”

Shinjou turned toward the convenience store and Mikoku followed her gaze.

“…!”

She saw a boy through the window. He held a fax telephone receiver in one hand while looking through the documents being printed off.

“After we finish here, we were going to look around the Bikan district.”

Her tone was cheerful, but it caused Mikoku to hold her breath. She had a sword inside a cloth fishing rod holder. She could enter the convenience store and swing the sword with all her might while he was trapped in the fax corner.

…''He would not be able to avoid it.

Tension ran across her face and she grabbed the cloth holder.

However…

“Um, can I ask you something?”

Shinjou turned a smile toward her, so Mikoku’s expression returned to normal.

She regained her slightly relaxed smiled.

…''I’m being too soft.

She scolded herself, but then made an excuse.

…''This is better than having her find me suspicious and putting up her guard.

She took two breaths before slowly responding.

“What do you want to ask me?”

“Eh? Oh, right.”

Shinjou held out a booklet with hand-drawn maps of Kurashiki that was turned to the map of the Bikan district.

“You seem to know a lot about Kurashiki, so do you know any interesting places in the Bikan district?”

Mikoku was unsure what to say.

During the overnight train ride, she had carefully read a sightseeing booklet of her own. She had put together a list of places to visit after she finished guarding Hajji, but it had been centered on places to buy souvenirs for Shino.

“Will you be going there with him?”

“Eh? Oh, yes.” Shinjou blushed. “With him.”

“I see.” Mikoku mentally sighed. “Then I have a suggestion for you. There is a photo studio around here in the Bikan district. Also, you can likely take a nice commemorative photo on this street here. I suggest you do so.” She nodded. “That way you will still have a record of it even if you lose your memories.”

“Eh?”

Mikoku belatedly realized what she had said.

…''Ah.

She realized how careless she had been, but did not let it show.

After a moment of hesitation, she held out her hand to distract Shinjou from her question. She held the hand above Shinjou’s head and gently touched the top of her hat.

She could feel the fibrousness and softness of Shinjou’s hair through the white-dyed straw.

Shinjou tensed up a bit, but Mikoku did not pull back.

…''She is so soft.

As she thought, a wind blew through.

Kurashiki was a flat city, so this summer wind was warm and gentle. A few beads of sweat appeared on her face and the surrounding noises sounded louder than before.

“I must hurry on, so this is as long as I can stay. We may meet again some time.”

“Yes. Until then, Toda.”

“Call me Mikoku. It means to carve into life. Much like your name, Shinjou Sadagiri.”

Shinjou’s eyes widened somewhat and Mikoku made sure she would remember that expression.

And then she turned her back.

“Ah.”

Shinjou spoke up, but Mikoku did not turn back around. She merely raised a hand.

“Give my regards to that boy. That fortunate boy.”

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_20|Chapter 20]]
| Return to [[Owari_no_Chronicle|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_22|Chapter 22]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 08

2014-05-31T22:42:12Z

71.252.208.164: /* 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, there was a wooden structure.

It was a sentry house built on the surface at the mountain, where “Kakamigahara” was written with trees. It was beside the eastern mountain corridor, which connects Musashi's continental port with the streets below, so it was a building positioned to look down upon the mountain checkpoint.

The building had two figures atop its six-tatami structure.

Two people in crimson uniforms with the Tres España's emblem were holding their rifles and sitting in chairs.

They were exchanging words as one of them was watching the mountain and the other its base. At the moment, the one wearing a senior uniform was looking to the mountain range.

“...As expected, we had a lot of transport squads today. Has the confusion at the checkpoint over here ended yet?”

The boy watching Mikawa, which was at the foot of the mountain, nodded. Then, he looked at the base's checkpoint with the scope of his rifle.

“...Right now, the foot is pretty packed. Recently, they've been saying that it'd be quicker to detour over to the other side, to the western corridor which connects to the common use continental port where our squad is, but there are things like wooden bridges there, 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 side.”

“That was quite detailed. Are you an immigrant from Mikawa?”

“Tes.”, the boy responded.

“I'm a naturalized citizen of Tres España. Due to Lord Motonobu's 'clearing out' ten years ago and the construction of New Nagoya Castle, I'm not Shinto but Catholic now. I'm even making an angel's community fansite on the net.”

The boy gestured towards the town of Mikawa with his rifle.

In response, his senior turned his neck back, and at the end of his sight was the center segment of Nagoya City.

There was a street in the town that was facing the sea at the base of the mountain. A brown structure was covering a large portion of its center. The flat surface that extended almost the entire territory of Nagoya City was...

“With such a simple design you don't really get its true size, but that wooded structure ranges ten kilometers from east to west and eleven north to south. That's the 'New Nagoya Castle', a large atelier that uses one Unified Reactor and four Ley line Reactors forbidden in all the Testament Tsirhcian territories since the Harmonic Unification War. The previous Nagoya city was modified into that under the request of P.A. Oda ten years ago. It's a workshop born from the 'clearing out' national policy.”

“The 'clearing out', huh...”

The senior, who had an upperclassman character, glanced at the side of his junior's face.

“That's such a crazy story... As the inheritance of names of historical figures is needed for the sake of the Testament's history recreation, they made all names but those of a few important officials go to automatons, to avoid all the chaos it results in. Was your family affected as well?”

“Well, we were at a very low position, so we did not have much trouble at first. After that, with the reduction of staff expenses and the protection of classified information, three thousand automatons took charge of the town's business and administration over a period of three years, so that was when true 'clearing out' began, along with a lot of problems.”

The junior shrugged his shoulders, and trying to avoiding that topic he peered at New Nagoya Castle through his scope.

“This 'clearing out' was not just about the automatons. With the four operational Ley line Reactors in New Nagoya Castle extracting ether from the ley lines, strange phenomena became very frequent in the town center. I'm talking about stuff like monsters wandering the night, roads warping and mysterious disappearances.”

"Those kinds of things.", the junior smiled bitterly.

“So, with all of that, people left. That was the 'clearing out'. That castle is messed up you know? From its design and construction, the only ones managing and knowing all about it are the leader of the Matsudaira, 'Yes-Man' Lord Motonobu and a few of his closest subjects and officers. All the actual work on its construction was carried out by 1200 additional automatons ordered from the Sagami province, and even now they are operating it from the inside.”

He breathed.

“The inside is segmented into several floors protected by barriers, so its scale is pretty big, but the only ones who know what is happening inside are Lord Motonobu and a few more individuals. The automatons are subjected to memory controls and if they try to break the confidentiality protection they will automatically erase their own memories.”

“Even so, there was a special squadron from Hexagone Française that sneaked inside looking for information, right?”

The junior gave a small laugh at his upperclassman words.

“And one week later they were found carrying paper bags as otaku in Nihonbashi, weren't they? Not only did they somehow have no memory of what had happened, strangely enough they were also totally naked with two-coloured tattoos of little girls on their asses... After that, no other country sent more squads fearing the embarrassment.”

He breathed again.

“The Tsirhc Testament Union spread rumours about 'the dangers of a Ley line Reactor Meltdown' because they considered them dangerous, didn't they? They even remade the opera 'Sodom and Gomorrah have disappeared!', that was about a time where one of those meltdowns happened and everything in a ten kilometer radius was annihilated, into some mournful tragedy across all Europe. By now, nobody lives in the surroundings other than the automatons and Lord Motonobu. Yesterday I tried to descend to the outskirts, but...”

The junior tapped the upperclassman shoulder and pointed at the village with his finger.

“...Although it's already noon, you can't see any smoke from people cooking, and nothing in the vicinity of the city center is even moving. And in the surrounding villages, strange words were written in blood on the walls... I returned immediately, you know.”

“I see... Mikawa sure is a troublesome country.”

The instant the senior figure spoke that line, the younger figure pointed towards the mountain road.

“Ah, look at the road descending to the checkpoint. Amazingly, those two seem to be... the Musashi Academy President Sakai Tadatsugu and the student council vice-president Honda Masazumi. Nimble even walking, just like the rumours, right? After that the Academy President of Musashi was demoted and cut away from Mikawa, he became a disgruntled and strange person.”

Just as he said, there were two people on the path leading down to the checkpoint. The senior confirmed them with the scope of his rifle as they passed by messengers, wagons and cargo vehicles and pressed past people with heavy baggages.

“One of the Four Heavenly Kings of Matsudaira, spared from the inherited name stripping by the automatons, Sakai Tadatsugu, is it? His current position as Musashi Academy President sure is a demotion. And the other one, Masazumi... is dressed like a man but given the way he is walking... that's a woman?”

“Tes., she may be dressed like a man, but actually... she should be a woman.”

“Should?”

At that question, the junior looked up at the sky once. Choosing his words, he talked.

“When I lived in Mikawa, there were 'two Hondas'. One was the member of the Four Heavenly Kings of Matsudaira, the Peerless in the East and user of the Divine Weapon Tonbokiri, Honda Tadakatsu. The other one was the brain of the Matsudaira, the lineage of Honda Masanobu. But when Masazumi was a child, an automaton stole the name of Masanobu's son during the 'clearing out'.”

“If that's so, that girl can no longer inherit the name, can she?”

“Tes... But before that happened, she had an operation in order to inherit said name. To make sure she had the right to inherit the name Masazumi, she was supposed to had a sex change operation to turn her into a boy... However, in the earlier stages, after her breasts were removed but before they began with the lower parts, the 'clearing out' happened. As she lacks breasts female clothing does not fit her well, so she dresses like a boy.”

“When I was still in Mikawa, she was ignored and bullied. She was a year above me and I heard that since she was unable to get her inherited name, she was abandoned by her dad, but...”

While looking at the two travelling the mountain path, the junior slowly said this:

“Given that she's now the vice-president, she's still doing her best, isn't she... I wonder if I should make a fansite...”

<center>●</center>

Sakai and Masazumi were walking atop the mountain path towards the checkpoint which was a delivery transportation base.

Looking at it from the mountain, the checkpoint was a wide parking lot where standby cargo vehicles were lined up waiting to take their goods, and a spacious area with warehouses. The valley was a natural barrier and the exchange of goods was performed between the bottom and the top. People were lined up into fives queues at the reception of the checkpoint, but Sakai was walking too far away to hear their voices and exchanges.

Sakai and Masazumi walked the mountain path, which had hardened from the wheels of the cargo vehicles. As they travelled the side of the mountain with a stone wall at their left, they laughed and exchanged words while tilting their heads. Sakai was forming a smile at the corner of his mouth.

“...Speaking of the which, tomorrow Toori is going to confess. What are you going to do tonight? As I said before, it seems that Toori and the rest are going to make some ruckus at the Academy. Are you going to go with them and act as the fire extinguisher smokescreen?”

“I am the vice-president. If I did something like that the entire Testament Union would know about it...”

“It's alright, it'll just make you look like the rest of them.”

“Then I definitely can't do it, can I? Anyway, what is even with the chancellor and student council president, suddenly announcing that he's going to confess and cause a ruckus at the Academy like that... The other day we had a huge meeting for a potluck in the dark, and he ignited the experimental-use magnesium with the lab room's alcohol lamp and it went 'Boom!'.”

“Yeah, you can't make night potluck into a light potluck. I guess the glass pot of the lamp lightened everyone up, though.”<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. This was changed to something that actually makes sense in English.</ref>

“No, it wasn't like that, seriously...”

Sakai laughed in response to Masazumi who was speaking in a troubled manner. Continuing like that for a few seconds, he eventually sighed.

“Well, I'm just trying to say that one can pass the time like that too, you know.”

Masazumi wondered about this and folded her arms as if trying to protect herself. After that, she tilted her neck.

“Yesterday, he started some trouble in a restaurant on Tama's surface, when he covered one of Mitotsudaira business partners, who was completely naked, in cream, and stuck an eel up his butt. That was quite the incident, don't you think?.”

“That did indeed happen, but you know...”

Sakai looked at Masazumi out of the corner of his eye and in response Masazumi pulled back a bit.

“...Did you knew that what that gourmet really wanted was to court Nate to control the Mitotsudaira family?”

“...Huh?”

“I don't know if he was from Hexagone Française or the Far East, but he was trying to acquire a name inheritance and wanted to marry into the Mitotsudaira family. With that objective, he tried to approach her as a business partner. Nate sure is strong willed, but she's also someone who thinks hard upon her position and family. I was even consulted about it, you know?”

'That means...', Masazumi twisted her eyebrows.

“That mess was President Sakai's work?”

“Hey, hey, hey, hey, don't suspect me. I didn't do anything, someone among them noticed, that's it... After all, Musashi is pretty small, right? It was probably a coincidence, but...”

“But?”

“But, emotionally, Nate thanks everyone for that.”

“———”

As if punctuating sound by sound, he introduced a new topic of conversation.

And suddenly, he once again looked at Masazumi out of the corner of his eye and opened his mouth while looking around the area.

“—Indeed, today really is strange. Has Masazumi-kun noticed it?”

<center>●</center>

“Strange? What are you talking about...”

Questioning in her response, Masazumi looked the surroundings and the flow of cargo vehicles and people.

After a while, Masazumi tilted her head as if she was saying: “I don't know.”. Sakai pointed towards the checkpoint visible in the distance, at the lines cargo vehicles awaiting their goods.

“—As you heard from Shirojiro, all the cargo vehicles are mostly empty. Masazumi-kun, do you understand what that means?”

“That's...”

Surprised, Masazumi raised her voice.

“There is cargo heading aboard the Musashi but none coming out of it, right? In short, we barely have any purchasing orders from Mikawa... This is the first time that I've seen the Mikawa checkpoint from the Musashi-side, but it's true that a year ago the other checkpoints were different, I think.”

“Indeed, normally there's more cargo coming from our side, but this time, there's nothing, strangely enough.”

Masazumi took one step forward and spoke to a frowning Sakai while turning back.

“...Is this the result of Mikawa progressing with the 'clearing out' policy? Or is this a consequence of the population dwindling due to the rising phenomena, so that the goods aren't really needed? But even so, the fact that it's just sending goods to Musashi makes it feel like——”

Masazumi continued.

“—It feels as if we're taking keepsakes of Mikawa before it dies, as it tries to isolate itself from the whole world, don't you think?”

“Hey, hey, don't say scary stuff. It's just that Mikawa is under sanctions, so exchange isn't allowed. They're putting some distance between themselves and Musashi. But well...”

'''I don't really know''', thought Sakai as he nodded...

Suddenly, a structure came from above his head. Like a cloud, that large shape crossed the sky.

“That is... a ship?”

The ship's shape they were looking up at was not alone, as almost directly above several ships were incoming. In the west, above the mountains, a noticeable colossal white ship travelled making a deep noise...

“That's the K.P.A. Italia Jörmungandr-class galley 'Regno Unito', owned by the Pope-Chancellor Innocentius and escorted by a Tres España security fleet. So the head of the Catholics came all the way here, where the hand of the Mlasi's P.A. Oda can reach. He is here to negotiate the development of new armament, right?”.

'Yes', Masazumi opened her mouth.

“It's because P.A. Oda is concentrating on their attack on the Asai. Using that opening, he's going to plea for the development of a new Logismoi Oplo, a type of Divine Weapon that represent a fragment of the world's power balance, in other words City-Destruction Class Personal Armaments. These armaments have the embodiment of the Eight Evil Thoughts of humanity as a motif, and the original prototypes of the Seven Deadly Sins and their users are called 'Eight Dragon Kings'.”

“You're well informed, aren't you? The Eight Evil Thoughts... can you name them?”

"Jud.", Masazumi said. And then she nodded...

“{{Furigana|Gastrimargia|Gluttony|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Porneia|Lust|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Phylargyria|Avarice|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Lypē|Lamenting|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} , {{Furigana|Orgē|Wrath|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0x}}, {{Furigana|Akedia|Dejection|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}, {{Furigana|Kenodoxia|Vainglory|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}} and {{Furigana|Hyperēphania|Pride|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}—In the sixth century, they were condensed to seven by Gregorious the First. Vainglory was included in Pride, Lamenting and Dejection were combined as Sloth and {{Furigana|Phtonos|Envy|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=11|okurispacing=0px}} was added, becoming seven. Because of that...”

She left out a breath.

“The Deadly Sins of man are now said to be seven, but in the beginning they were the Eight Evil Thoughts warned of by the Greek Evagrius in Egypt. So, the Seven Deadly Sins in Latin are what we usually speak of in the present world. But originally... their prototypes were the Greek's Eight Evil Thoughts.”

<center>●</center>

Masazumi spoke starting to walk once again whilst scraping the dirt stuck to her zōri sandals on the dried road.

“And, was it ten years ago?”

In the middle of the shadow projected by the ships traveling in the sky, Masazumi remembered those days while looking at her feet.

“Right before the Musashi's Grand Renovation, concluding the talks to make the provisional alliance with P.A. Oda a formal alliance, Lord Motonobu sent the eight Logismoi Oplo to all the Testament countries with the exception of P.A. Oda. Those were...”

● {{Furigana|Gastrimargia|Gluttony|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}: {{Furigana|M.H.R.R.|Holy Roman Empire|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}

● {{Furigana|Porneia|Lust|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}: K.P.A. Italia

● {{Furigana|Phylargyria|Avarice|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}: England

● {{Furigana|Lypē|Lamenting|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=2px}}: Tres España

● {{Furigana|Orgē|Wrath|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}: Sviet Rus

● {{Furigana|Akedia|Dejection|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}: Tres España

● {{Furigana|Kenodoxia|Vainglory|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}: Hexagone Française

● {{Furigana|Hyperēphania|Pride|.7em|color2=#000000|fontWeight=000|margin=14|okurispacing=0px}}: Hexagone Française

“Tres España and Hexagone Française posess two because their sins were combined when the Eight Evil Thoughts became the Seven Deadly Sins. Their outputs are set to low settings... but it seems that Tres España brought their weapons to the New World and drove the feral Mechanical Beasts to extinction. Going by the rumours, they created such a large-scale destruction just with a few kilounits of ether. Just in terms of pure power, these Divine Weapons are in the same rank as the Testament Arma that are based on the Testaments, and different from them in that while the Testamenta Arma are limited by the doctrine, the Logismoi Oplo can be used without restrictions. This is due to these Deadly Sin Armaments are reprimanding weapons used to lay bare the sins of the opponent.”

Masazumi looked at the western sky, to the white-armoured ship that was facing towards the continental port, the “Regno Unito”.

“The rumours say that the Pope came all the way here this time because he wants to get the 'Phtonos' in the Seven Deadly Sins made. Currently, K.P.A. Italia have to hurry against the strengthening of Protestantism and the decline in the Middle-Eastern trade.”

She sighed.

“The Pope-Chancellor is also the wielder of one of the Logismoi Oplo, so he is one of the Eight Dragon Kings, but being the head of the Catholics he really hates that name... Even so, he wants a new Deadly Sin Armament as there are some problems even if K.P.A. Italia is making profits thanks to Lombardia's international loans.”

“Basically, loans are forbidden under Catholicism so even though they are able to profit from them by the way of taxes, they have to be maintained by the unconventional races and the non-Testament regions where the monetary circulation is permitted, and more than anybody else, by the Far East's loans businesses. Their regulations on money lending and borrowing are really strict, so we are like their mediator regarding loans and land mortgage. The Pope-Chancellor is really in a tight spot.”

Sakai, who said that, formed a drooping smile at the corner of his mouth.

“But well...”

“What is it?”

That instant, Masazumi relaxed her shoulders and took a step forward.

“Masazumi-kun... Do you know the rumours related to the Logismoi Oplo?”

“The rumours...?”

"Jud., Jud., Jud.," Sakai nodded three times. At that point, he stuck his index finger up and said this.

“—The rumours that the Logismoi Oplo are made from humans.”

<center>●</center>

At Sakai's words, Masazumi slightly lost hold of herself.

The rumour that Sakai mentioned just now had been heard by Masazumi before. It went like this:

“To make weapons of the power of the Deadly Sins and the original sin of humanity, it is only appropriate to use humans as components...”

“Right, right, and also something like 'the reason why the people have disappeared from Nagoya is actually because they have been used as the components of the Logismoi Oplo'”.

“Th-there's nothing like that.”

Masazumi recalled her memories of living in Mikawa.

“It'd be a problem if it wasn't just a rumour. When I was still there, the citizens would usually give proper notice before leaving if they were changing their residence. If their whereabouts became unknown just like that, like in recent phenomena, there would be an uproar.”

"Is that so?" said Sakai while he continued to look up at the sky.

“Do you think that the things related to this will end being a rumour, Masazumi-kun?”

“—Eh?”

Sakai spoke and looking at her he formed a broad smile at the edges of his mouth.

“I... just thought that it would be interesting if Masazumi-kun also came over to this side.”

“By saying 'this side' you mean...”

“The side where we would be able to calmly talk about things like my past.”

The past, that is...

“For example, the reason why I was demoted to Musashi... How I, following the Testament description, allowed the person who was supposed to be the heir of my lord to commit suicide. The side where you would be able to bring those words to your lips with a smile.”

“——”

'I know about what Sakai was talking about, the reason of his demotion. It's something any citizen of Mikawa would. How even if obeying the Testament's decription, one of the Four Heavenly Kings let the heir of his lord commit suicide.'

There was a time when the leader of Mikawa Lord Motonobu had no wife and no heir.

...Therefore, Lord Motonobu let his little brother inherit the name of his heir.

Matsudaira Nobuyasu.

According to the Testament's descriptions, he had committed suicide due to some trouble with the Oda family.

Was that also the reason? Around fifteen years ago, there was still no inheritor of Nobunaga's name in P.A. Oda, so Mikawa refused an alliance and tried to overcome said Testament's description using a 'broad interpretation' of it, but...

...As P.A. Oda encircled them, a provisional alliance was formed under a bit of coercion.

Subjected too those circumstances, and as a proof of loyalty, the lord's younger brother was forced to commit suicide after he became the heir.

Sakai, who was supposed to be the guardian of the lord's younger brother, was demoted when he was unable to stop the suicide.

The rumours said that Lord Nobuyasu wished ofr his own death and when Sakai ran to stop him, it was too late.

That was the reason that Masazumi knew for Sakai's demotion.

...However.

'''I can't simply bring those words to my lips', I'm really that naive?''

Inside my field of vision and without erasing that smile at the edge of his mouth, Sakai said.

“So, Masazumi-kun as you seem to be thinking a lot, what would you think if that story had a continuation?”

“...Eh? A continuation?”

“Jud. Jud.”, Sakai said twice.

“What if Lord Motonobu actually... had an illegitimate wife and had a child with her?”

“———”

Masazumi lost all words for an instant. She forced herself to open her mouth. As she was not able to grasp what she had just been told and felt like her mind was still not stabilized, she asked something to confirm whether this was truth or fiction.

“No way. If that kind of child existed...”

That would mean that as the lord's younger brother that inherited his heir name had committed suicide, that child would become the new heir, right? However...

“But where is that child and what is he doing...? Why doesn't he come out into the open?”

“That's why I said that earlier, didn't I?”

Sakai talked.

“If you want to know, step inside and come to this side, Masazumi-kun... Your wish is to be a politician and you seem to be thinking on the grand scale of things, but you are failing at stepping inside, don't you think?”

“But,” Sakai added.

“I like being bullied, you know... So, why won't you step in to me?”

Speaking these words, Sakai 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 end this conversation at that... shall we?”

Masazumi chased Sakai with her gaze as he merely headed towards the open area of the checkpoint and was passed by a single horse-drawn carriage. Masazumi, a little panicked, moved her feet in order to catch up with him, and accompanied by the sound of her footsteps she reached the wide clearing.

“...Oh.”

The sound the received goods being delivered, the murmurs of people, the sound of cargo vehicles moving and the unobstructed sunlight drowned Masazumi's body. The two travelled the footpath separated by a rope under pedestrian priority.

“Well then, Masazumi-kun. Once we get all the documents proving that you have sent me you can return and have some fun.”

“Okay. Also, President Sakai, as you are one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Matsudaira you probably know it, but me and Lord Tadakatsu's daughter were in the same grade in the past, so if you meet with her send her my regards.”

“Ahh, she was... Will she come today? Well, if I meet her I'll speak to her.”

After saying “thank you very much,” Masazumi thought about what Sakai told her just now about “stepping inside”. Something similar to that was also said to her today by another person. Therefore...

“There's something I want to investigate today, so I'll be focusing into that.”

“Hmm, what is it?”

“The 'Remorse Way'. I was told that if I investigate it, I'll understand everyone.”

Masazumi nodded in her heart. 'This has to be one step inside,' she thought.

When she said that, Sakai has a single reaction before here eyes.

He laughed.

''...Eh?''

Masazumi lost all her words against that sudden laughing and Sakai smiled to her to bid his farewell.

“That's pretty good. As everyone is getting ready for Toori's confession tomorrow, all of them are probably preparing for the celebration or something, given that they are going to hold a party and the Academy tonight. Also, from today onwards the crown prince Azuma-kun has thrown away his position and powers and restarted his life at Musashi. And lastly, there is going to be fireworks and a festival tonight under the instructions of the lord teacher. All of it seems unconnected... but they are all new activities, and celebrations too.”

After a single breath, Sakai continued his words.

“It would be nice if learning about the 'Remorse Way' could be your new activity, Masazumi-kun.”

He left out another breath.

“There is a lot of stuff that I don't know about, but I hope that Masazumi-kun ends being at Toori's side along all the people with him.”

==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 02

2014-04-17T04:35:18Z

71.252.208.164: Tenses?

==Chapter 02: The Wrecking Crew in the Classroom==

[[Image:Horizon1A_115.jpg|thumb]]
''Class continues until the bell rings.''

''But if the bell is broken.''

''What then of class.''

'''Point Allocation (Classroom)'''

<center>●</center>

There existed a wooden classroom.

The view outside the classroom’s windows was filled with the white sky. The classroom itself was on the aerial ship Musashi. It was a classroom of Musashi Ariadust Academy.

Though it was a rather small classroom, there were not even 20 students in it. The back of the classroom was rather empty.

A short female teacher stood in front of the blackboard. A nametag with ‘Sanyou’ written upon it was attached to her. With a world history book in hand, she was speaking.

“...Well then, in the past, humanity descended to the earth from the heavens. More specifically, this land, the Far East. But because the planet’s environment was inhospitable to the people, humanity was unable to leave the Far East. As such, humanity copied the Far East to a different space, doubling the amount of land, whereupon they started to live in the real world and the Harmonic World. At the time, they questioned whether they would be able to ascend to the heavens like the humanity of old. Therefore, humanity proposed an idea. If they repeated the same history as humanity of old, they would definitely be able to ascend to the heavens. The thing they made for this purpose was...”

A breath. Sanyou touched her chalk to the previously untouched blackboard.

“...the Testament. The history book that covers each and every aspect of the Former Earth Age’s history.”

<center>●</center>

She rapped the blackboard and circled the word ‘Testament’ twice to emphasise it.

“People currently believe that if we follow the same history as humanity in the past, we will be able to reach the heavens again. They created the Seven Compositions with the Old Testament, which records history Before Christ, and the New Testament, which records the history of Anno Domini.”

Sanyou continued to write the words: ‘A Walkthrough to History’. As she did so, she spoke.

“However, when the future became clear, there were people who read of coming events in order to gain power. As such, humanity rendered the information of the Testament unreadable, all except the events of the coming century. Yet, they could not leave the renewal of the display of information to people. To solve this, they used the ley lines, which governs all things, to bind the Testament with fate.”

Sanyou turned to face the class. Their faces, lined up in a row before her, were frowning.

Faced with this, Sanyou bathed in their confused stares.

''...This is bad. Looks like fate and things are pretty hard to understand... I guess I shouldn’t mention the Excerpt?''

As her mind started to fall into panic, Sanyou recalled the things she had studied at home last night. She drew a deep breath.

“What do you think fate is? What do you think, Abe-kun?”

She tried asking one of the male students. Having been asked this, he suddenly spoke with a timid voice.

“...Marriage?”

''...Is he being sarcastic because a man ran away from me a few days before?''

Sanyou felt her heart freeze for an instant. However, laughs spilled out from around the boy. The other students turned to the student who had answered and shouted what had decidedly become his nickname.

“Hey, Marriage Man!”

Seeing the class’s atmosphere become lively, Sanyou smiled wryly.

“Um, the reason he thought that fate is the same thing as marriage is because marriage is...”

‘Inescapable,’ she began to say.

“I-I-Ines...escaping me over and over...Goddamnit, God failed when he made a character like me!”

“S-Sanyou-sensei! Don’t get so agitated by reality!!”

''These noisy brats, they think that anyone can get married just because they’re young, but I’m still 24... Yeah, I’m still 24... still. I’m within the accepted range of ‘still’. I’m not even halfway through a life of 50 years.''

Sanyou forced down the murmurs of her heart for the moment.

“Anyway, fate is inescapable.”

Everyone nodded, looking at Sanyou with an inexplicably sympathetic gaze, but she chose to ignore it.

“Um,” she started to speak again.

“We learned that fate exists during the divine age. We also know that it is fundamentally changeable. It is explicitly because of Fate’s existence that things begin and end. It is commonly accepted that we can access it through the ley lines, which governs all things, in the same manner as time and space.”

“The people of the past linked the renewal of the Testament with fate, which will continue to flow as long as the world exists. Matching with the flow of fate, the Testament shows us the history of the coming century.”

While speaking, she started to write on the blackboard.

“As regards to the recreation of history, Testament was given the same status as the principal scripture of the Former Earth Age. However, because gods truly existed in the age when humanity ascended to the humans, all Christian churches lost their status. Therefore in history creation, the Christian churches do not worship God...”

She wrote.

*'''They believe in the Testament’s history recreation itself.'''

“...This is how things have turned out. In religions like Shinto where multiple gods are necessary, they responded to the new knowledge by shifting the gods’ domains from the gods in the ascension age.

Because of the fact that gods exist and the belief in the Testament, religious organisations and groups are known as Testamental religions or Testamental conventions and believers are called musicians... In the Far East, Shinto is more accurately described as the Shinto faith, and shrines are Shinto conventions. Consequently, people who are able to use its power are Shinto musicians.”

This was not all.

“The majority of Testamental religions outside of the Far East are just the backwards reading of the names of their counterparts of the Former Earth Age. This connotes the fact that they are truly different from their counterparts in the Former Earth Age, but the origin stems from the people who had moved to the Altered Space “The Harmonic World”. They read the name backwards because they took the meaning of its inverse as a blessing, that they would one day be able to leave this different world, like they had in the past.

The Testament-worshipping Tsirch denomination and its variant, the Mlasi domination, kept the backwards reading even after leaving the Harmonic Divine States to avoid the confusion that would result from a change. The current principal Testament churches are...”

*'''Pro-Testament. Tsirhc branches:'''
**'''Sion:''' Primarily demons. They favour the Old Testament. Nomadic race.
**'''Catholic:''' Mainly K.P.A Italia, Tres España, and Hexagone Française. Worships saints.
**'''Protestant:''' M.H.R.R. Favours the entire Testament. Subdued but very good at commerce.
**'''Orthodoxia:''' Sviet Rus. Favours holy paintings. Russian interpretation of Catholicism.
**'''Anglican Church:''' Mainly England. Divorce is legal. Officially a protestant but inclines towards Catholic.

*'''Pro-Testament Offshoot:'''
**'''Mlasi:''' Mainly the Middle-East. Five prayers every day and a month of fasting.

*'''No-Testament'''
**'''Dunhi<ref group="1C">Hinduism.</ref>:''' India. The cycle of life and death. Curry.
**'''Oat<ref group="1C">Taoism.</ref>:''' China. Full of sages. Ramen.
**'''Shintoism:''' The 800,000 gods of the Far East. Unexpectedly spontaneous.
**'''Buddhism:''' Far East’s version of the path of Samsara. Packed with many spells.

“Well, looking at those who live in Musashi, everyone is basically Shinto. If someone isn’t, people mostly don’t care as long as they’re not involved.”

Sanyou continued to speak.

“Humanity started to repeat the history of the Former Earth Age, which had been described in the Testament. Of course, they retired and cared for the broken peoples and leaders who had died, also following up on their behalf. The majority of wars were also agreed upon, and they came with guarantees. So in the beginning, things were compressed in this manner, but recreation formally started at 0 AD.”

Sanyou thought for a moment, looking at the class’s speed in copying down the notes on the blackboard. Looking at one, then two, then three, she passed her gaze across the entire class.

''...I’m probably going too fast.''

She confirmed that the place she was standing, on top of the teaching platform, was not blocking anyone’s view. After taking a breath, Sanyou stepped away from the platform and walked amongst the class in order to give them some time to copy down the notes.

Sanyou reached the back of the classroom.

''...Is the order of the curriculum I’m teaching really alright?''

She was slightly perplexed.

<center>●</center>

''It’s really complicated.''

''A teacher like me thinks so, so what does the class copying down the notes think?''

''Last year was a failure. In the second year, we start world history with Rome and the Far East’s history from the Nara period.''

''I got too excited about Rome and the Heian period and had to rush through the last half of the course.''

''...I mean, that part of history is pretty interesting.''

''Especially when we got to the foundation of Roman Empire, that famous line Julius Caesar spoke to Brutus during his assassination, “[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Et_tu,_Brute%3F You again, Brutus?]<ref group="1C">Note that history was being repeated here, thus Caesar used the word “again“.</ref>, was very memorable. The assassination of key figures leads to their protection through ‘retirement’, and I explained that concept very thoroughly.''

''Third years have to choose their path of advancement, so it was pretty bad...''

''This is my third year as a teacher. I had taught the first and second years, so this is my first time teaching third years.''

''Will it be alright? The lives of my students really depend on this.''

“...”

The class was currently copying down the notes on the board, and the air was filled with tension.

Looking at the class from the back of the classroom, she understood the differences between each one.

The ones born in the Far East and Asia had mainly black hair. There were occasionally people who had dyed their hair, but their base colour was black.

However, this group of students did not make up even half the class. The rest of them had either blonde or brown hair, and there were also students with red and white hair.

...There are also a lot of people that don’t have any hair or who, in other words, don’t meet the prerequisites at all.

The majority of half-dragons and devils have scales and shells instead of skin, so they don’t have hair. The majority of slimes and spirits are the same. Conversely, half-beasts have hair all over their bodies, in tortoise-shell patterns or stripes, long and short. The varieties are rich.

''When I look at them, a slight anxiety wells up in my heart.''

''I was once also one of these people, and we looked like this as well.''

''...But I feel like our teacher had gotten more of their things together.''

As she thought this, there was a sound that crept into her hearing. The voices and the sound came from the class in the classroom next door.

...Third-year Plum Class, Makiko-senpai’s class.

Makiko Oriotorai sat next to Sanyou in the faculty’s office. To Sanyou, who had moved to this job two years ago, Oriotorai was an existence with which she had enough of an age gap that she could safely refer to their relationship as one between a senior and a junior. Oriotorai often let her observe classes, and she was irregularly reliable when it came to Sanyou’s weak areas.

The voice she could hear now belonged to Oriotorai.

“Long story short, right now, the capital is being ruled by the P.A. Oda.”

''No, that’s not really true Oriotorai-senpai. The Akechi family of P.A. Oda has acknowledged their own autocracy.''

''...Makiko-senpai, please take your lecture seriously!''

''She’s teaching them the Far East’s history, right?''

Sanyou hit the nail right on the head. There were not many teachers in Musashi Ariadust Academy. The lessons were all taught by the class teachers.

''Oriotorai’s lessons are always noisy, but I’m jealous that she gets along so well with her students.''

''...I wonder what kind of lesson they’re having right now...''

''The day before, they had a lesson where the losers had to bungee jump. But what I could hear now was Oriotorai and the girls’ voices.''

“Strip! Strip! Strip!!”

''...Seriously, what kind of lesson are they having!?''

<center>●</center>

Oriotorai’s class was fundamentally based upon a principle of absolute punishment. Her way of teaching was simple.

'''1:Teach.'''

'''2:Ask someone, who is required to respond.'''

'''3a:If they cannot answer, they will be punished, but points will not be deducted from them. Nicknamed ‘execution’.'''

'''3b:If they can answer, they can gain points corresponding to the punishment that was announced.'''

Furthermore, each person announces his own punishment at the beginning of each month. The actual contents of the punishment when it needs to be put into practice are, with the exception of the guilty party, discussed by the class and the severity adjusted. As such, favours and connections are important to have beforehand. If they chose a light punishment, it was possible that the conference would increase the weight of the punishment by ten times just for amusement’s sake, so none of them could let their guard down.

If the punishment you announced was heavy, then your grades would go up every time you could answer.

In addition, a special characteristic of Oriotorai’s class was the ‘opinion’.

“Alrighty then, the Far East history for today is going to be about the ‘Harmonic Unification War’, the circumstances leading to the Divine States’ provisional occupation.”

Oriotorai was sitting in a chair beside the teacher’s desk.

“Suzu~ It’s fine if you just talk about what you know, so please gives us your opinion.”

“Ah? Eh?...Sensei, ah, um, y-yes. T-The Harmonic Unification War?”

Continuing to face downward, the girl, Suzu, stood up, her movements panicked. She was blushing.

“A-According to w-what I know...um, in the past, the world was divided into the Divine States in reality’s world and t-the Harmonic Divine States, w-which had been copied over to Altered Space. T-This was done by controlling the ley l-lines. The people of the Divine States lived in the Divine States in reality’s world while the people of the countries lived in the Harmonic Divine States of the different world. They got along p-pretty well, I think, um, is that fine?”

“Yeah, you’re fine. To summarise, they recreated the descriptions within the Testament in reality and the other world, all the while thinking of a countermeasure to the harsh environment outside the safe Divine States.”

Everyone nodded after Oriotorai spoke. There were some voices that were saying, ‘You were great!’

Sitting in the window seat of the row of seats all the way to the back, Toori was opening the guide to the game he had bought with a smile on his face.

“Hey, don’t worry Bell-san! If things got dangerous, I’d get punched in your stead! It’s alright! I’m not gonna die today till I get to the first branch of this eroge, at the very least!”

“You. Please stop saying things that’re obvious death flags. Actually, why’re you opening up your guide in the middle of class? You’re even filling in the survey?”

Hearing Oriotorai’s words, Toori raised his voice.

“Huh!? What’re you saying, sensei!? I just want the membership special, so please let me go!!”

“Ahaha, yeah, if I could I’d like to seriously let you go...but this is my job.”

“D-Don’t just say it so directly, sensei! Your job!? A job, huh!? I’ll say this really clearly then...adults’re dirty!”

Toori stood on top of his chair and pointed at Oriotorai with his two index fingers.

“Is money everything!? Sensei, you’re just getting money from the school by teaching classes, aren’t you!?”

“I’m pretty sure that that’s what being a teacher’s about,” the class muttered. Despite this, Toori did not show a single sign of caring. He examined the guide, holding it up such that the sunlight passed through it.

“Goddamnit, I can’t go down the committee president route even if I look through the guide! Also, I can’t change the name of the protagonist in this game! I entered in Tenzou’s name for my first playthrough, thinking that I’d get a bad end!”

“Why did you choose me, Toori-dono!? I am in charge of blonde girls with big boobs!”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it, Tenzou! The second time I’ll take a male character’s route with Urquiaga’s name!”

“You bastard...! We should have decided that I am in charge of older sister characters!”

The treasurer, Shirojiro looked up at their argument. Frowning, he looked at Toori and spoke.

“Be quiet. I’m working right now. For some reason, during this docking, we haven’t been exporting anything to Mikawa compared to the goods that are coming in. The struggle to reserve warehouses is fierce. Save it for later...Heidi, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Mmm, you know, Shiro-kun, I’m just thinking that we’re in class too.”

[[Image:Horizon1A_127.jpg|thumb|]]

“You guys need to shut up...” Neshinbara muttered. But as expected, Toori ignored them. Her eyes still hidden, Suzu spoke, a small smile on her face. After her shoulders stopped their slight tremble, she took a breath.

“Um, i-it’s fine, then?”

Suzu waited for everyone to settle down before speaking.

“It all started with the... Nanboku-chou war.”

<center>●</center>

As they listened to Suzu, the class looked at their textbooks.

The Nanboku-chou war.

“The Far East was called the Divine States at the time. There existed two representatives of the emperor within it, and this war was the struggle between them.”

The true emperor of the Divine States controlled the environmental gods using the Three Sacred Treasures and by doing so, he managed the ley lines running through the Divine States.

However, the emperor’s role was unrelated to that of the government. They were both man and god, living gods. And they were isolated from all things of this world.

Therefore, it was the task of the representatives that had been acknowledged by the imperial palace to recreate the role of emperor in the Testament’s description of history.

“However, d-despite reaching a truce with a promise to share power between the north and the south, the northern court b-broke the promise as d-described by the Testament’s description of history, a-and didn’t share power, starting their rule as a d-dictator. And in...1412...? The southern court r-rebelled. However...”

Suzu clearly spoke these next words.

“The Testament’s description showed that in the year 1443, the southern court would assault the imperial balance and pillage the Divine Tools. And until they were taken back in 1457, control over the ley lines was lost...The Divine States in the other world, the Harmonic Divine States, lost control of the ley lines, which had been supporting Altered Space, and they fell towards the original Divine States.”

“...What happened after it fell?”

“More than half of it completely collapsed and was obliterated. H-However, the remaining portion overwrote and fused with these Divine States, still retaining the weather and other conditions that it had had when it was still part of the other countries. Because of this, there are many p-points where the land of the Harmonic Divine States exist. T-These are called Harmonic Territories. Those pillars of a different sky that we see a l-lot, the earth beneath the sky included, are Harmonic Territories.”

She continued.

“The people of the other countries, who had been living in the Harmonic Divine States before, s-swarmed into the Divine States all at once. Though they were just escaping danger, they had also pinned the blame for the incident onto the Divine States. Battles occurred everywhere. And e-eventually...the Divine States s-surrendered to the invasion forces of the other countries. This was the “Harmonic Unification War”. Yet...”

Yet, the countries did not completely annex the Divine States.

This was because there had been nothing of the like in the Testament’s descriptions.

As such, the countries invaded all of the Divine States, setting up Academies, which were training areas for military and political matters. These Academies were made the highest institution of the country. All this was done in order to avoid a coup through military or political means.

“A majority of the Divine States is subjected to provisional occupation by the Academies of the other countries and the Union of the Testament, who controlled the Academies. Currently, the Chancellors and Academies of the Far East and the other countries are...”

She had spoken to that point when Oriotorai prompted her.

“Could you tell me them?”

“Ah, yes.”

Counting them off her fingers, Suzu listed them:

'''Shimazu — Africa Union — [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyushu Kyushu]:''' A land of plant-type race beings. Possesses abundant labor force.

'''Oouchi, Ootomo — Tres España — Shimonoseki:''' Reigned by Felipe II. A country with great debt as the king invested in developing the New World.

'''Mouri — Hexagone Française — [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%ABgoku_region Chuugoku]:''' Ruled by the updown duo of Louis XIV and Terumoto Mouri.

'''Hashiba — M.H.R.R (Holy Roman Empire) — [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansai_region Kinki]:''' Current emperor under house arrest. Catholics and Protestants are in disarray.

'''Oda — P.A. Oda — Kinki ~ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dkai_region Tokai]:''' Eight years ago, Nobunaga inherited his name and half-ceded from the Testament Union.

'''Houjou — Alliance of Indian Countries — Tokai ~ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kant%C5%8D_region Kanto]:''' The long-lived of the Houjou have an automaton based civilization. They are the ones behind the Alliance.

'''Uesugi - Sviet Rus - [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokuriku_region Hokuriku]:''' The Sakra<ref group="1C">An epithet of Indra, god of thunder. This implies that “Raitei-san“ controls lightning too.</ref>Raitei-san does a good job in ruling this land with fear.

'''Aki — K.P.A Italia — [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%80%AC%E6%88%B8%E5%86%85%E5%9C%B0%E6%96%B9 Setouchi]:''' Alliances of cities led by the head of the Tsirhc Catholics, the Pope.

'''Takeda — [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing_Dynasty Qing] — Kanto:''' A large country based around the moving city-states of the elven races.

'''N/A — England — Floating Island:''' Ruled by the Fairy Queen Elizabeth. A country of fairies and magical races.

'''Matsudaira — Far East — Tokai, Kanto:''' The representative of the Far East. Formed an official alliance with P.A. Oda 10 years ago.

Suzu took a breath.

“A-Also, because o-of the rules of history recreation, there are still lands that the T-Testament Union cannot occupy, d-due to the fact that they have not been explored yet.”

'''N/A — Siberia — [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touhoku_region Touhoku Region]''' - Arctic land sparsely inhabited by unconventional races.

'''N/A — New World — [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido Hokkaido Region]''' - Mostly uncharted lands, but recently, an incipience of potential power is seen there.’’’

'''N/A — Savage Land — [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikoku Shikoku Region]''' - Mostly filled with barren Harmonic Territories. Primarily inhabited by silicon-based races.

Suzu took another breath. Nodding at her, Oriotorai asked her a question.

“Why is that England doesn’t have a corresponding land of the Far East?”

“Ah, J-Jud., that’s because...In the Harmonic Divine States, England was Tsushima. It was really small, so I t-think they raised the bottom of the sea. So when the Harmonic Divine States collapsed, t-the island moved w-with it and renewed the ley lines. Because of this, they don’t rule over the Divine States and, u-um, and from a neutral standpoint, they act as a bridge between the countries and the Far East.”

“That’s right, they’re getting the Floating Island and the other countries’ technology from the IZUMO group.”

‘Jud.,’ Suzu nodded, standing there stiffly.

“That’s about right. Much better than if I’d done it. Maybe I’ll ask you next time too~”

Hearing Oriotorai speak, Suzu loosened her body. She sat down, expelling a breath of relief.

But at the same time, Toori stood up and spoke.

“Sensei, you’re dirty...!”

<center>●</center>

“Eh?”

As everyone turned back to look at him, Toori was pointing at Oriotorai with two fingers.

“That’s dirty, sensei! You’re just egging Bell-san on and asking her to do the next one because you’re an idiot! Adults are seriously stained!! But I’ll point it out! I promise this!”

“...Hey Toori, saying that you’ll confess in the morning and now this...are you really in such a hurry to die?”

“Huh!? There’s no way that I’d want to die, sensei! Or could it be that you’re going to kill me if I confess!? What kind of jealousy is this!? Do you love me that much!? That much!?”

“Ahahaha. This is starting to get seriously old, I’m just going to go past whether or not I love or hate you and say that I wanna kill you.”

“I-Is that something a teacher should say to a student, sensei!? Wow, you’re so cool!!”

Toori clapped once. Looking around at everyone, he spoke more politely.

“Well then everyone, we will be gathering tonight to celebrate the night of my confession’s eve! The celebration will be held—”

Not even turning back to look at Toori, Shirojiro said this.

“Don’t even try to go to a place that will cost money. If you choose a place that won’t be covered by our budget, I’ll hang you from the stern.”

“Well, looks like it’s gonna be held here! Maybe we’ll do dares like we did last year!? It’s kinda outta season, I guess.”

“...Um, Toori-kun, this might not be the best time.”

Frowning, Asama had raised her hand. She summoned Hanami and opened up Torii signframes around her. Each of the signframes were filled with statistics.

“The rate of incidence of Phenomena is increasing, as compared to the previous year. If we do dares, they might seriously happen.”

“Then let’s have an exorcism!”

Toori spoke to Asama, as she tilted her head in puzzlement.

“There’s a lot of us that have those kinds of skills, right? So...let’s exorcise the school grounds tonight so those kinds of things won’t happen! If there’s something that’s evil, we can exorcise it. You’re fine with it if we go to school to do that, right sensei? It’ll be like one of the student council’s activities!”

“Mmm...I was actually thinking that it was about time to be doing that.”

“Is that so?”

Having been asked this by Asama, whose twin-coloured eyes were opened wide, Oriotorai shrugged and nodded.

“I mean, the Seven Mysteries are a part of every Academy, aren’t they? Judging from the rate of Phenomena now, the teachers are worrying that such things might even happen here.”

“Then if you leave it to us...”

“It’d take money if you asked someone else to do it, right? It’s not like Phenomena are actually occurring. But well, we were thinking that we should probably investigate beforehand. So I volunteered for the night watch just in case.”

“Then it’s decided. We’ll do it! It’ll be a ‘ghost hunt’!”

“Yeah. I’ll allow it, so make sure you patrol around at night and replace the charms on the nameplates of all the classrooms in my stead. If there’s a shrine at the classroom, please worship it. I’ll take care of the sacred sake that I bought with my own money to cleanse the school.”

“Y-You’re the worst teacher ever!!”

“Well, I bought it for a good purpose, you know? Ghosts do exist after all, and there’re some in the school that act as guardian spirits. The fact that there’re shrines and charms above the entrances to every room is proof that they exist. Even if you can’t see them, they’re here. To respect these ‘Nobodies’ and accompany them are the rules. Even if they come out, unless they’re evil spirits, just act like everything’s normal. Is that fine?”

She folded her arms again and spoke further. She gestured towards Toori with her chin.

“Well then Toori, it’s time for your punishment.”

<center>●</center>

Hearing Oriotorai, everyone fell silent.

At the end of the class’s questioning gaze, Oriotorai scratched her head.

“Remember Suzu’s explanation? The northern court started its dictatorship in 1413. It was a small mistake.”

Suzu shrunk back, a soft exclamation on her lips. Seeing this, Oriotorai waved her hand lightly.

“Well, it’s fine, you were more than able to make up for it in your explanation after. And there’s no punishment when you fail in the ‘opinion’. But...there was an idiot that said he’d get punched in your stead, right?”

Oriotorai picked up the notebook of the attendance record that was lying on top of the teacher’s table. She checked its contents.

“...The punishment that Toori announced this month is...to strip.”

“Uwaaaah! Did I write something softcore like that!? I should’ve written something super hardcore from the start...or maybe I should say bigcore!”

Toori stood up and shouted, a grin on his face.

Everyone thought for a moment. After a little while, the class said this.

“Then, if the punishment is to strip...”

<center>●</center>

“Strip! Strip! Strip!”

Sanyou heard these voices from the neighbouring classroom. After a small pause, she also heard cheers of praise.

...Eh? Does that mean someone stripped!? Is that really alright!? Like, isn’t that like child #@*$!?

“Wow...!”

...O-One more!?

“Wooow...!”

...What!? W-Wait a moment...

Sanyou looked at the male students who were earnestly copying down the notes on the board.

The male uniform of the Far East was constructed in this manner.

...Umm, a jacket, a shirt, pants, and underwear...altogether four pieces. There had been three cheers just now, so...

“Whaaaa...!?”

...Why’s the fourth time a question...!?

The instant after she thought this.

The wall to her left and the locker up against it were broken through in a ‘大’ shape, and a naked boy came tumbling in.

<center>●</center>

The sound of splintering accompanied the wooden fragments of the lockers and debris flying through the air.

“–!!”

The boys that had been copying down notes stood up, and the girls rocked backward.

The nude boy who had come flying in rolled three times before he flew into the back row of the rows of desks. However, he only sent a few seats flying, because the students that had been at the point of impact had scrambled out of the way. To describe his movements, he smashed into a desk and was sent into the air, impacting the remainder of the desks with his limp body.

The sound of destruction echoed, and the chairs that had been sent spinning through the air fell to the ground and rolled.

All that was left was the desks and chairs, left fallen and bent.

And silence.

But after a while, the girls brought their hands to their cheeks, looking at the nude boy on the floor who was lying spread-eagle, just like the character ‘大’.

Their first reaction was to pull their bodies back. The next moment, they said this in unison.

“Ahhhhh...!!! Sensei! Sensei! ...It’s a pervert! The pervert Chancellor’s spinning around!!”

Sanyou heard the cries of the students, but because everything had happened so suddenly, her mind was left in a state of incomprehension. She thought this.

...Yes, I can see that too. He was spinning. Vertically too.

“S-Sensei! Please do something!!”

‘Eh?‘ Sanyou thought. There was a nude boy lying face-down in front of her. His butt was in clear view.

...But...what? W-What do you...want me to do about this...?

Sanyou wiped at the sweat that clung to her whole body. Let alone her three years of experience as a teacher, she had no memory of learning about how to deal with a spinning pervert who burst through a wall in the special classes she had taken in order to become qualified as a teacher.

But all around her were eyes swimming in confusion and the expectation that the teacher, being older than them, would take care of this for them.

They were all looking at her.

Being the object of so many gazes, the amount of sweat dripping down Sanyou’s back increased.

...The students! The students are expecting things of me that they’ve never expected before, but like I thought, this is too much...!

Answering my student’s hopes and dealing with a pervert...can these two things be thought of on the same wavelength?

But she was the person responsible for this classroom. Therefore, Sanyou approached the fallen nude, keeping her body low by pulling her hips back. In between the splinters of wood that had scattered everywhere and the fallen chairs and desks, there lay the butt of the fallen nude.

The butt did not move.

...Then...

She got closer to him in order to check if he was still alive. She lowered her body and took a breath.

“U-Um...”

“Wooooooooooooah, that was seriously surprising...! Would a normal teacher seriously kick her student!!”

The nude sprung up with the force of a spring-loaded doll and turned to face Sanyou.

His hips were thrust right before Sanyou’s eyes, as she was squatting down.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

She screamed in reflex.

“Huh?” The nude said. Putting a hand on his hips, he twisted them to the left and right.

“Hey, isn’t it Sanyou-sensei!? Why’re you screaming like that!? Did something weird happen!? Please tell me! I’ll solve anything for you!!”

“Hyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

The moment she screamed, the nude was impaled from behind by a longsword in its sheathe, and he toppled to the ground.

<center>●</center>

Immediately reviving from the blow, Toori looked at Sanyou, who had been grabbed from behind by Oriotorai.

Oriotorai was speaking to Sanyou right before his eyes. Sanyou’s breathing was ragged and tears were spilling from her eyes.

“It’s alright, it’s fine Mitsuki... just calm down, OK?”

“Yeah Sanyou-sensei! If you don’t stop crying then we’ll be seriously troubled!! Here, just take a look.”

He had thrust out his hips, but looking at his groin, you could not see skin, just a square bundle of light.

“Look, Sanyou-sensei! Through Amaterasu’s optical divine musical technique, which can manipulate sources of light, I can make use of optical camouflage! Or in English, God Mosaic! Shiro’s prepared a whole bunch of charms for me, and I do a lot of stripping, so no matter what kind of massive damage I take I’m fine due to the power of the Idiot Spell!”

“Ah, no, um, rather than that...”

Sanyou’s gaze rested on Aoi’s left shoulder.

“Um... is your left shoulder alright?”

“Huh? Ahh, this.”

There was a scar on his left shoulder. Wide and thick, it traced a curve down towards his side before circling back. The legacy of a laceration five centimeters in width.

Toori raised his left arm, showing it to Sanyou.

“It happened a reeeeaaaallly long time ago. Since it was so far back, the scar got bigger as I got bigger. That’s all.”

Toori nodded at her. After a while, Sanyou nodded back, faltering only a little.

A figure clambered through the gaping hole in the wall. It was Heidi.

Heidi looked around for just a moment, taking in the debris on the floor before counting something off on her fingers.

“...Righty. Well then, sensei, Azuma-kun’s arrived, you know? He’s walking through the courtyard right now.”

“...Heidi. You calculated the price of repairs, didn’t you?”

“Hmm?” Heidi smiled.

“The Bertoni Company is backing DYI ventures after all. If we settle this using the school’s repair fees, we’d be in really big trouble. Should I make arrangements now?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Oriotorai nodded. Seeing this, Toori asked her a question.

“Sensei, he’s coming back?”

“Yeah, but rather than that, please get on some clothes and think about how we’re going to fix this.”

“How to fix it?” Toori muttered. He noticed that in one of the classroom’s containers, which lay on top of the lockers, there were scrolls of Japanese paper that were used in writing classes.

“How to fix it...”

Murmuring it again, Toori took one of the scrolls and held it up to Sanyou and Oriotorai.

“Won’t it be alright if we cover it with this? It’d be like a massive sliding door. What do you think, sensei?”

“I guess.” Oriotorai said, as Toori unrolled the scroll of Japanese paper in front of her.

Spreading it wide with his hands, Toori slid the paper between his legs, effectively straddling it. With his next motion, he wedged the paper between his butt and groin, pulling it up and squeezing it tight. Having done this, he rolled it back up.

“Then with this...”

“Wait a second, what the hell did you just do!? Didn’t you just do something really weird!?”

“Huh!? What are you talking about, sensei!? Just leave me alone! I’m by myself!!”

“Um, Toori-kun, sensei... I think Azuma-kun’s about to arrive.”

“Ah,” Oriotorai said, lifting her head. Releasing her hold on Sanyou, she looked at Toori, eyes narrowed.

“You’re going to be in the same class as Azuma starting today, so don’t tell him anything weird. After all, he’s—”

“I got it,” Toori answered with a smile. Standing in front of Sanyou and Oriotorai, whose narrowed eyes were fixed upon him, he was still completely nude.

“He’s the emperor’s child after all... There’s no way I’d do anything strange.”

After he finished speaking, voices could be heard from Plum Class, the neighbouring classroom.

“Sensei! Azuma’s arrived!! And so has the king!!”

Hearing this, Oriotorai sighed. She lightly tapped her shoulders with the hilt of her longsword.

“After they’ve greeted everyone Azuma and the King’ll come here. I’d like to do something about the wall before they do...”

Looking at the classroom’s clock, its needles indicating that it was directly before noon, Oriotorai said this.

“At this time today, Masazumi’s probably on break. Well, she’s escorting President Sakai to Mikawa as the representative of the student council, so it’s not like she’s just absent... I wonder what she’s up to now.”

<center>●</center>
'''Study - Musashi's Administrative Divisions'''
[[Image:Horizon1A_142.jpg|thumb]]
''Toori'': “Nee-chan! Nee-chan! Teach us about... uhh, what was it called? Mu-Muchachi's A...Aninstrative...Invasions! Ah, that last part sounds erotic!”<ref group="1C">In japanese, Toori was using the alternative readings of each kanji here. 武(mu), 蔵(kura), の(no), 行(kou), 政(masa), 区(ku), 分(fun). The right reading for 武蔵の行政区分 is Musashi no Gyousei Kubun.</ref>

''Kimi'': “Fufufu, my foolish brother, your super forced joke is simply wonderful. Musashi's Administrative Divisions, then?”

''Toori'': “...C'mon, nee-chan. Getting down to topic already? I thought you would play along with me for a bit longer. You're quite the killjoy.”

''Kimi'': “And you're so noisy. I'm going to start the explanation now, so sit there like a good boy and listen.”

'''Musashi's Internal Politics Division'''

*Academy (Chancellor's Officers, Student Council and Student Committee)
**Authority split into Executive, Judicial, and Legislative power divisions.

*Provisional Council (Assembly of Academy's influential alumni)
**Leaders of the bureaucrats that assists Academy in making and executing decisions.

*King of Musashi (Yoshinao)
**Has the management rights for Musashi, and can veto the Academy's decisions.

''Kimi'': “The Academy is regarded as the heart of the nation, so the members of the student committee were originally the bureaucrats. But in the Far East isn't unlimited like the other countries. We graduate at 18 years of age, so a bureaucratic organization that doesn't have the power to make or pass motions, the provisional council, was made. And then... well, Musashi's King is a division specific to Musashi. The other countries don't have someone that can veto like the Musashi's King.”

''Toori'': “What happens if there is one?”

''Kimi'': “In other words, there will be someone who can stop you if you make a crazy decision. The kings from other countries aren't nuts like you, that's why they don't need one.”

''Toori'': “...Hey, someone, anyone, listen up... This sister of mine is really incredible sometimes.”



==Translator's notes and references==

<references group="1C" />

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 01|Chapter 01]]
| [[Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 03|Chapter 03]]
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