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Talk:Kenshin no Keishousha:Volume 1 Prologue

2013-09-06T07:39:43Z

Cres: Suggestion + typo

A couple of suggestions for slightly smoother reading (a few word substitutions and sentence structure changes that won't change the meaning), and one typo, in the last few sentences (changes in italics):

'''Currently'''
“That’s because our relationship isn’t normal.”<br>
Kurou wryly smiled as he sarcastically stated.<br>
Even with all the silly trifles, his time spent with Sefi and Hinako has been very thrilling. Recalling the circumstances back then, he felt that sporadic arguing wasn’t something to be of concern.<br>
Kurou reflected over how it all started————in the end, it was probably still that one night.<br>
It all began on a certain district one evening, when blood was spilt everywhere————

'''Change to'''
“That’s because our relationship isn’t normal.”<br>
''Kurou stated sarcastically, with a wry smile.''<br>
Even with all the silly trifles, his time spent with Sefi and Hinako has been very thrilling. Recalling the circumstances back then, ''he felt that the occasional* argument wasn’t something to be concerned about.''<br>
Kurou reflected over how it all started————in the end, it was probably still that one night.<br>
It all began ''in'' a certain district one evening, when blood was spilt everywhere————<br>
*odd or occasional both work here [[User:Cres|Cres]] ([[User talk:Cres|talk]]) 02:39, 6 September 2013 (CDT)

Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 3rd Play

2013-09-03T13:15:03Z

Cres: /* Part 4 */

==3rd Play - I Wanted to Escape, But For Some Reason, I Couldn't Abandon It==

===Part 1===

The sound of the fan, the sound of the clock’s second hand counting time, and— the sound of the students’ pencils quickly scratching.

The students glared silently at the sheets of paper on their desks.

Sitting in rows in the large classroom were seventy students listening to the lecture. But out of those, probably only a tenth of them were actually writing furiously.

……Like I thought, is it too difficult for first-year students?

At the front of the classroom, after giving the students a brief glance, Enne crossed her arms.

When students entered Tremia Academy, they had each selected a color to specialize in. The students gathered in this classroom were the ones who had chosen [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]. When they entered this high school, they should have had at least some basic knowledge about their chosen color. Because of that— She had listed the small spirits that could be called out under [{{Furigana|Arzus’s|White’s}}] {{Furigana|Second Scale Recitation|Noble Aria}} and explained their differences and similarities compared to small sprits of other colors.

This was the topic that Enne had prepared.

However, the students had difficulty making comparisons with small spirits of other colors. Although they could write about the spirit of their chosen color, in other words, Pegasus, only a few students remembered the characteristics of [{{Furigana|Surisuz's|Yellow’s}}] small spirit, Will-o’-wisp.

……They’re only first-year students, so it can’t be helped.

She breathed a small sigh as the preliminary bell rang, signaling that morning classes were almost over.

“Everyone, I’m sorry. It was unreasonable of me to expect that you could write about the other colors. It’s fine to skip those sections and finish only the parts about [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]. Those of you who are finished can hand it in and break for lunch.”

Sure enough, the students who had been complaining until now looked more relaxed.

“That’s right, Sensei was being too unreasonable!”

“Well, if I had asked you guys to only do this, you would have finished an hour ago.”

The students chatted as they handed in their exam sheets. When the line at the front of the room had dispersed, there was a mountain of paper on the podium. After that, the shadows of the students disappeared out of the classroom.

Was this everyone?

Rearranging the messy stack of paper, she looked around the classroom once again.

“Oh?”

In the corner of the classroom sat one last person. The figure of the single student sat in an inconspicuous location.

“What’s wrong? It’s fine, you don’t need to do anything unreasonable.”

“Nn, but there’s only one color left that I can’t write about. I somehow wrote about the other four colors already.”

Looking down at her page, the student muttered.

“It was fine to only write about [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}], so isn’t it already excellent that you can write about the other colors as well?”

“……Umm, but that’s the problem, Sensei.”

The student finally raised her head. Her tanned, boyish features gazed straight at Enne.

“I wrote about all the colors other than [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]. But I can’t remember what to write for the required one, [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}].”

—Ada Yung.

She wrote about all of the colors except [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]? What did that mean?

“Can I take a quick look at it?”

She picked up the sheets of paper on the desk.

……What is this?

Keeping her hand still, she looked over what was written on the page.

'''{{Furigana|Small yellow spirits|Will-o’-wisps}}— Their outward appearance is a yellow sphere floating in the air. They do not speak the human language, but can understand simple commands. As for their size, statistically speaking, ninety-five percent of them are within 70 to 100 cm. One as large as 113 cm has been officially recorded. They float 60 to 80 cm above the ground and their movement speed is slow at 3 km/h. Because the abilities of Reciters are different, they can exist for roughly five hours. When they use their power, it shortens the time they are able to remain existing.'''

'''They give off a pale radiance when preparing for battle, so caution is necessary. They then extend pale tentacles that give off a high-voltage electric current to electrify the opponent. The speed at which they can stretch their tentacles is ten times their movement speed. The length of their tentacles is the same as the diameter of their body, although the longest ones have been recorded at 167.3 cm. They have at most three tentacles, which have a diameter of around 1 cm. Although they can attack horizontally or straight up into the air, they are unable to stretch their tentacles directly below them.'''

'''There are not particularly any special points to mention about them.'''

'''Difficulty to suppress: easy.'''

She didn’t mention anything at all about the catalyst and <{{Furigana|Song of Praise|Oratorio}}> that were essential to Reciters. Instead, she described in detail its biological features. It wasn’t knowledge necessary to conduct a Recitation. Or rather— Was this data necessary when confronting a {{Furigana|Small yellow spirit|Will-o’-wisp}}?

“Difficulty to suppress…… Easy?”

“Ah!”

As she murmured those words, the girl grimaced.

“Did I write that? It’s just a habit from a long time ago.”

“No, it’s not really a bad thing to write.”

She flipped through the pages. Things about the Recited creatures of other Recitation colors were written there. All of them consisted of detailed descriptions. They also didn’t mention catalysts or <{{Furigana|Songs of Praise|Oratorios}}>. It was simply a thorough, overwhelming list of biological data.

Perhaps she didn’t have enough time to write about [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]?

—No, that’s not right. She really could not write about it.

Ada Yung Gillshuvesher. Looking at the name that was written on the page, Enne finally understood the reason.

{{Furigana|Small red spirits|Salamandes}}, {{Furigana|Small green spirits|Aerials}}.

“Everything written on here is about offensive Recited creatures, isn’t it?”

The girl gave no reply. More than anything, her silence confirmed Enne’s guess.

That’s right. Pegasi and unicorns included in [{{Furigana|Arzus’s|White’s}}] Second Scale Recitations did not possess offensive traits. Therefore, she hadn’t learned about them.

It was like Enne had thought. All of this girl’s knowledge of Recited creatures was for the sake of fighting against them.

“Must I write about [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]?”

The student had on a troubled expression.

“Well. Since you’ve written so much already, just add something like ‘……Compared to what’s written above, there are few of [{{Furigana|Arzus|White’s}}] small spirits that have offensive characteristics.’ You can hand it in like that.”

“Ah, I see! So something like that also works!”

Nodding vigorously, the girl turned her focus back to the pages.

—Eh, she’s not blinking?

Suddenly, Enne noticed that the girl’s concentration was quite strong as she wrote quickly. It was different than how she normally acted in class. Enne had thought that she usually seemed to be easily distracted during class and wasn’t a very enthusiastic student.

“Here, Sensei, I did it! Whew, it’s finally finished.”

The student cheerfully tidied up her desk. As she shouldered her bag, Enne called out to her back.

“Hey, Ada-san.”

“Hm?”

“This is a personal question, but your father is Klaus-san, right?”

Her bright expression suddenly changing, the girl’s eyes darkened.

“……Well, that famous person is something like my father.”

Klaus Yung Gillshuvesher. He was the head of the Yung family of noble warriors and the leader of the several hundred {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}.

{{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}— They were people who had the closest connection to Reciters but at the same time were also complete opposites.

[Nussis], also called the Reverse Song, is a technique to send back Recited creatures. It can be conducted by holding a catalyst and directly touching the creature. For example, in the incident during the recital contest, in order to save Enne, Xins had used the Reverse Song by sacrificing his left arm. That technique was always dangerous.

“Do you also have an {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}?”

In response to that question, the girl unhesitatingly nodded.

“If a person is born into the family of {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}, they will definitely have one.”

The Reverse Recitation was dangerous because it required directly touching the opponent. Therefore, a technique had been created to conduct the Reverse Song by using a spear instead of bare hands.

Gems of all five colors were embedded into the tip of the spear so that by piercing the target with it, the [Nussis] technique could then be used. A spear which undergoes that special treatment is called an {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}} and a person who specializes in that technique is called an {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}}.

“Being from the Yung family, are you not thinking of going down the road of an {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}}?”

“……Who knows.”

The girl spoke ambiguously. Judging from her expression, she didn’t seem to be concerned about it.

Currently, other than the Yung family which was the main family of {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}, there were also several other branch families. For many generations, children born in those families had traditionally become {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}. Because the main Yung family was the originator of such practices, they were traditionally treated as important people and given escorts. Even now, the warriors had a wide-spread status.

Ada Yung. If she wished, she could become well-known as Klaus’s successor.

—No, there was no mistake that she had been practicing {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}} techniques.

This was indicated clearly by the results of her mock exam. Her knowledge was probably not something she had learned from books. All of her knowledge, just like her trained body, was something engraved into not her brain but the marrow of her bones.

“……Well, unfortunately, it seems I don’t have much talent when it comes to that.”

“Talent?”

“Yeah, yeah. When there are so-called practices or drills, I immediately run away.”

Clasping her hands behind her head, Ada laughed with a self-deprecating expression.

“……But……”

Before she could finish speaking.

“Hey hey, Sensei, can I ask you one more thing?”

What could it be? Enne’s gaze encouraged her to continue.

“Enne-sensei is the homeroom teacher of a higher grade, right? Why did you come to teach at the first-year students’ summer school?”

“One of the teachers in charge of first-year students isn’t very healthy. Because of that, I was called to join in at the last minute.”

That was one of the questions she had assumed the students would first ask. She smoothly replied with her prepared answer. That’s right, she had expected it to suffice as a response.

“Ah, that’s a lie.”

Suddenly, the girl’s gaze became penetrating.

“Eh?”

“If that was the case, then there would be no reason for Zessel-sensei to come as well. You said it was at the last minute, so I have to accept that. Sure, there is a teacher in charge of first-year students who didn’t come to summer school this time, but that teacher used to talk happily about coming on this trip, so it doesn’t make sense that the teacher’s health is the reason.”

Her thorough reasoning put Enne at a loss for words. As she was arranging it with Zessel, she had certainly thought of this. But, she didn’t think there would be a student who would think this deeply about it in the first place. In her mind, she had underestimated them.

—But she had never expected this girl, of all people, to ask about it.

Usually, no matter who talked about her, they would say that she was a troublesome child who was often late to class. Enne hadn’t expected her to notice such a trivial issue. Even her teacher, Kate, hadn’t told Enne about anything like that.

……What to do? Should she hastily make up a lie? Or should she vaguely talk around it?

“Um, that is…”

When she started to speak, the bell signaling the end of morning classes rang.

“Oh, it’s finally lunchtime!”

In a completely different manner than the tense atmosphere from before, Ada turned around and ran towards the exit of the classroom without saying anything.

“Eh, w-wait! Ada-san?”

“Sorry, Sensei, but everyone in my class planned to go to the beach together this afternoon!”

Saying those words with an innocent smile, the girl quickly ran away.

“W-Wait!”

The moment when Enne began to chase after her—

The world outside the window flared up in scarlet.

“……Eh?”

The large classroom that she was in was on the second floor. Although she couldn’t clearly see everything from the window, a strange, raging fire burned before her eyes. It was a scarlet color more vivid than pure red. Rather than the color of flames, it looked more like the color of fresh human blood.

—Just what is going on?

It was an endlessly large scarlet inferno, as if even the heavens were burning. Because of the brightness, she couldn’t fully open her eyes. Outside the window should be a view of the plaza close to the schoolyard. If she remembered correctly, Zessel had made plans to teach a Recitation practical skills lesson there at this time.

Then was this Zessel’s doing? No, even using all of his power, he couldn’t call out these monstrous flames. In the first place, there was no reason for him to do such a thing in a practical skills lesson.

She gazed at the flames that dazzled her eyes, and then— Suddenly, the radiance went out.

“The flames disappeared……?”

The chain of events that quickly happened one after the other had made Enne unconsciously hold her breath.

The calmness from before was already returning to the world outside. As she watched, the sparks that had entered the classroom also faded away.

She quickly ran to the window. But looking down at the plaza, she didn’t see a single person.

Neither the students nor Zessel could be found. In other words, his lecture had already ended. Then sure enough, that wasn’t Zessel’s Recitation. Just who—

“Enne, are you there?”

Loud knocks came from the classroom door.

“Zessel!”

A rattle sounded as she opened the door. Her unusually well-dressed coworker entered.

“Zessel, did you see the flames in the plaza?”

“Yeah, it was so bright that I couldn’t not notice it.”

In an easygoing manner, he spoke with a cheerful tone and nodded. In other words, he didn’t seem to be moved by what had happened.

“Do you happen to know who called out those flames?”

“Ah. When I was giving my lecture in the plaza a while ago, there was a single person whose hair color was unique, so I became interested. And then after the lecture ended, even though the other students returned to the school building, only that person didn’t go back. And when I couldn’t help but observe from the shade, it happened.”

No way, were the flames just now Recited by a student? A student still in their first year of high school?

“Who is that student?”

Although Enne taught students in higher grades, she knew about students in other grades who excelled in Recitations. Even among first-year students, there were several students who she had begun to take notice of.

However—

“No, you wouldn’t know who it is even if I told you.”

He slowly looked up at the sky, as if pondering something.

“How can you be so certain?”

“……Because she wasn’t one of the ones we were keeping an eye on.”

Muttering in an unsure tone of voice, he shrugged his shoulders.

“Enne, do you remember the student who called out a lot of red feathers at the recital contest?”

Red feathers? In Recitations, feathers were not considered very difficult to call out. In the recital contest, there was a student who had Recited many birds instead of feathers and gotten a lot of attention. Even she remembered the face of the student who called out the birds, but in the case of feathers…

“……Nobody immediately comes to mind.”

“Don’t think too hard about it. I also couldn’t remember at first.”

During the recital contest, that student had been at the same level as the others. But by the time of this training camp, she had already improved to the point of catching Zessel’s attention.

“So that’s how it is. I don’t know what she experienced from the recital contest up until now. But if she keeps developing at this rate, I’ll have to take note of it.”

As if Zessel seemed happy, his voice rose in pitch.

“Next year at this time, she will undoubtedly surpass other students of higher grades and become one of the top [{{Furigana|Keinez|Red}}] students. No, that might even happen in the middle of this year instead of next year. Anyways, in my point of view it’s slightly scary. She’s just an unpolished gem.”

“As a teacher, isn’t this a good time to show off your skill?”

“Well said. ……But still, I feel slightly uneasy.”

He continued speaking in a vague manner that was unusual for him.

“After they succeed in a Recitation during the lecture, most students would happily come and tell me about it. But that girl was different. I guess it could be described as absentmindedness. She had a scared expression, and it felt like she wouldn’t talk to me unless I spoke first.”

Recitation is a ritual to praise the thing one wants to call out. Therefore, there are essentially no cases where one is surprised at what they Recited. Instead of being scared, her expression should have meant something else.

“Well, those are just my unreasonable fears. I mean, I hope they’re just fears.”

Although she knew the flames were already gone, Enne once again looked out the window and down at the plaza. In any case, there didn’t seem to be anything they could do about that girl.

“Thanks, I get the general situation now. I was worried. At first, I thought it was something the students had persuaded you into doing.”

“……Ah, really?”

As if he was sulking, Zessel turned away. Honestly, how child-like. As she laughed at his actions, Enne walked down the hallway in front of him.

“Well, let’s go. If we’re slow, we might not be able to make it back on time today.”

—Their destination was the place where the <Egg> had been manufactured, Kelberk Research Institute.

===Part 2===

“Well, let’s end it here for today.”

The teacher in charge of the class, Kate, closed her textbook.

“Alright. Thank you very much.”

“It’s already lunchtime, so I’m sorry that it ended a little late.”

“N-No, it’s fine…… It’s because I haven’t learned about this before.”

Putting the textbook into his bag, Neight frantically shook his head.

Tremia Academy’s courses were based on a credit system, so other than the essential subjects, students could freely choose the courses they wished to take.

The course that Neight had been taking was one of the required subjects concerning Recitations, historical studies. This was an area he had learned nearly nothing about before being enrolled in Tremia Academy.

“Like I thought, was it too difficult studying one-on-one with a teacher?”

Gazing at him with a wry smile, Kate asked, amused. This course was one that his other classmates had all finished taking before summer vacation. Because of that, the left out Neight had ended up coming to one-on-one lessons with Kate.

“……Difficulty-wise, it really is hard.”

“I’m glad you’re being honest.”

The teacher smiled happily.

“By the way, that Rainbow Color Reciter was also bad at this subject.”

“Xins-san, you mean?”

“The director of education secretly told me about it. She used to be Xins-san’s teacher.”

The director of education, Jessica. He had met her only once when he was enrolling into this school. After that, he didn’t remember having ever talked to her. She was often by the headmaster’s side, and rather than being a teacher, she now seemed to be more like the headmaster’s secretary.

“Was Xins-san an outstanding person ever since he was a student?”

“When he was a student, his grades seemed to be around average in his school. Or rather, he didn’t seem interested in school lectures. And that includes the history that I was just teaching you. How contradictory, that a person whose name would be remembered throughout history wasn’t interested in studying history himself.”

—Speaking of which, Mother hadn’t taught him about Recitation history either.

Was that by chance, or was it something inevitable? In this aspect, Mother and the Rainbow Reciter were probably quite similar to each other.

“Now then, enough of our useless talking. Let’s go eat lunch. If you don’t hurry to the cafeteria, your seat will be taken!”

Ah, oh no! Speaking of which, hadn’t he been invited by Mio-san and Kluele-san to eat lunch together?

“Please excuse me, but I’ll be going on ahead!”

Carrying his bag under his arm, Neight hurriedly ran down the hallway.

<div align="center">***</div>

In the hallway outside the first floor lobby, thick lush plants were planted at regular intervals, and a simple roof was built overhead to block the rain.

Leaning back against a beam that supported the roof—

Kluele gazed blankly at the roof overhead. Under the hot sun and hot wind, without wiping her forehead that was covered in sweat, she simply let herself enjoy the tranquil moment.

What broke the silence was the voice of her close friend.

“Ah, Kululu, you’re here!”

With quick steps, the girl with a familiar face ran up to Kluele.

“……Mio?”

Behind her, Neight could also be seen.

“Kululu, you didn’t come even though it was already lunchtime, so we were looking for you.”

“Eh, it’s that time already?”

Rubbing her eyes, Kluele stepped away from the beam she had been leaning against.

“……Sorry, my class ended early, so I was spacing out for a bit.”

“Honestly…”

Puffing up her cheeks, Mio crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Mio-san and I went to take a look, and like we expected, the cafeteria is crowded. I don’t think there will be a free seat for three people any time soon.”

“It can’t be helped. Let’s go there to just buy lunch, then sit and eat at a bench outside.”

The two exchanged glances and nodded.

“Ah……Mio, sorry, but could you help me buy my share as well?”

“Sure. That’s right, the cafeteria is crowded, so I should just go by myself and buy all of our shares.”

—No, that’s not what I meant.

Kluele had a different reason in mind. But she couldn’t say it out loud.

“……Kluele-san?”

They watched Mio hurry away in the direction of the cafeteria. After a little while, Neight looked up at her.

“Kluele-san, did something happen?”

“What do you mean?”

With his deep purple hair swaying in the wind, he looked anxiously at her.

“……For some reason, Kluele-san doesn’t seem very energetic today.”

Facing Neight, who looked up at her intently, Kluele couldn’t help but close her eyes.

—A part of you is really perceptive, isn’t it?

He had given off that impression since the very beginning. It wasn’t that he was looking carefully at her face. Perhaps he was simply sensitive like that.

“Yeah…… I was just feeling kind of lost.”

Like she was trying to deceive him, she tried to let out her best fake laugh.

……But what should she say? She couldn’t find any suitable words. Therefore—

“Hey. Don’t you feel scared?”

Kluele spoke honestly, the terribly direct words coming out of her mouth without being embellished at all.

“Scared?”

“About Recitations.”

His eyes widened, perhaps because he couldn’t guess the meaning behind her words. ……Like I thought, my question sounded strange.

“Hey. A while ago, didn’t you see a huge blaze of fire that came from the plaza?”

“Ah, I saw that!”

With an excited expression, the boy spoke.

“It was amazing, wasn’t it? Even Kate-sensei, who was with me at the time, was surprised. It seemed like the other teachers went to investigate the cause of that. Because of that, my lesson ended a little late.”

“—Neight.”

“The one who called that out was me.”

“…………Eh?”

There was a silence that lasted for more than a few seconds. Neight stood there, forgetting to breathe.

“That can’t be…… No, but…… No way, it was Kluele-san?”

“You can’t believe it, right? But it’s true.”

That’s right. It was natural that he couldn’t believe her right away.

Because after all, she couldn’t even believe it herself.

“During the recital contest, I unexpectedly called out the {{Furigana|Divine Bird of Dawn|Phoenix}}, right? After that, I felt a bit strange. You might think what I’m saying is a bit weird, but…”

She took a breath. As the faint sound lingered in the air—

Looking down at the palms of her hands, Kluele apprehensively continued.

“My Recitations are going too well.”

“Too well?”

Shocked, he repeated her words like a baby.

“Sorry. I might seem like I’m bragging, but…… That’s really not the case. I’m actually really scared.”

During this morning’s practical skills lesson, the Recitation she had conducted to solve the situation had been done so easily that she had thought it was strange. Without even singing a {{Furigana|Song of Praise|Oratorio}}, the time it took for her to Recite had only been a few seconds.

No, it wasn’t just that. She had also involuntarily thought that the Recitations of the other students were terribly immature.

Their imagination and {{Furigana|Songs of Praise|Oratorios}} had been too childish. She had easily been able to see through the parts of their Recitations. She had felt the illusion that there was nothing she couldn’t do in {{Furigana|Keinez|Red Recitations}}.

“Surely I’m misinterpreting it. Speaking of which, when class was over and I was left alone, I secretly tried to Recite some fire…… The catalyst was ordinary red paint.”

The result was that tremendous flame. She was truly glad that nobody had been nearby when it happened. If there had been someone close beside her— They wouldn’t have received just a burn.

“……That was really scary.”

With both hands, Kluele hugged her own body. It wasn’t that she was cold or that she was shaking. It was because her agitated heart and scalding body felt nearly painful. No matter what she did, it wouldn’t subside.

Perhaps it was a side effect of calling out a True Spirit during the recital contest. Surely it was because she was still in a state of excitement. But that also seemed wrong.

“I don’t want something like this to happen! I didn’t call out the Divine Bird for this purpose……”

She felt like the higher-grade students she had seen at the recital contest, who relied on power and violence. What would she do if she overestimated herself and her Recitation ended up spontaneously discharging? It wouldn’t be like the five-colored hydra back then, but there was definitely a chance that she could call out something dangerous.

When she had realized that possibility, she had felt cold and light-headed.

“That’s why I suddenly feel afraid of Recitations.”

Before the sound of her words vanished…

“—But......”

The boy who usually acted quiet and reserved said in an abnormally strong tone of voice.

“But, I don’t think Kluele-san will become like those higher-grade students or conduct such a scary Recitation.”

I’m happy you’re saying that. But, it’s useless. I……

“After all, I believe in you.”

Please, right now, don’t look at me with those eyes.

“Thank you…… But, I’m sorry. I can’t even believe in myself right now.”

She involuntarily averted her eyes. His excessively straightforward gaze felt painful to the point of hurting.

“—Kluele-san.”

Suddenly, his tone of voice changed.

“Please. ‘I can’t even believe in myself’……Please, please don’t say such sad things.”

Although she should have averted her eyes, she couldn’t help but turn her gaze towards him—

Like the surface of an overflowing fountain.

She couldn’t help but look at his shaking, quivering black eyes.

……Neight?

“Kluele-san is not someone who can't believe in herself. Because after all, Kluele-san is feeling this scared.”

[[File:Tasogare_v2_117.jpg|thumb]]

Suddenly, without warning—

“……W-What’s wrong?”

He gently grasped her hand in both of his.

“H-Hey, Neight?”

“It will definitely be alright. If it’s Kluele-san’s Recitation, no matter what it is, I won’t be scared. If your Recitation is scary, I will be there together with you.”

N-No, that’s not what I meant. My hand…… Why so suddenly—

“It’s a good luck charm.”

The boy smiled. From the corner of his eye, a small droplet appeared.

“Kluele-san did the same for me during the recital contest.”

……I did?

‘It’s okay. I will stay with you. Let’s call it out together.’

What had happened on that day replayed in her mind, word for word.

“I love Kluele-san’s Recitations. They are more gentle and beautiful than anyone else’s. They’re lovely. ……That’s why, please, don’t say that you can’t believe in yourself.”

He spoke in a stammering manner, the flow of his words anything but smooth. Even so, he tried his best to convey his feelings as strongly as he could..... And those feelings reached her.

—I see.

So you believe in me that much.

With an odd sensation, something blossomed in her chest. Painful at first, it was a strange feeling that couldn’t be put into words, but that feeling gradually changed into a gentle warmth.

I had always thought that I wanted to do what I could for you. ……But, I was wrong. I was actually making you worry so much about me, wasn’t I?

“Um, could it be that you’ve forgotten what happened that time?”

With lonely eyes Neight looked up at her, who had been silent all this time.

“Don’t be silly. There’s no way I would forget.”

With a finger, she poked the forehead of the boy who was gazing at her.

“……That hurts.”

“It shouldn’t hurt. You’re a boy, aren’t you?”

Like she was teasing him, Kluele winked.

—I’m sorry for making you worry.

But, I’m a bit relieved. I won’t say that I can’t believe in myself anymore.

“……Hey.”

Somehow, you’re a really strange person.

Sometimes I think of you like a little brother to take care of, and other times I think of you like a friend who gets depressed easily. You should be just a normal classmate, but— For some reason, I can’t leave you alone. I think of you as someone very important to me.

I still don’t really understand it.

“I wonder what to call the relationship between us.”

Hey, what do you personally think?

“Eh, r-relationship? Umm…… classmates?”

After thinking it over for a while, he replied seriously in a troubled voice.

Yeah. That’s definitely true for now, but—

“But hey, don’t you think that might change from now on?”

“Change?”

“Fufu, I wonder.”

“Eh, please tell me!”

Looking up at her, the boy puffed up his cheeks. It was such an innocent gesture. Like she thought, he might still be a bit unreliable to become a knight who protects his princess.

“I still don’t understand it either. Well, never mind that. ……Ah, Mio’s back. Now, where would be a good place to eat?”

“……That’s not fair, Kluele-san!”

“Come on, we have to hurry and eat lunch. After all, aren’t we going to play at the beach with everyone else in our class this afternoon?”

===Part 3===

Bright, dazzling rays of heat poured down from the sky overhead. Grains of finely-ground coral seemed to be spread over the white sand. The ocean was a transparent azure blue. The clear waves lapping back and forth seemed to wash away even everyday troubles.

What was called Tremia’s campus was also like a type of private beach. It could be appropriately described as exactly like paradise.

However— Although the scenery was beautiful, Ouma and the male students were interested in another matter.

“……That Neight, he’s attractive, isn’t he?”

In the shade, sitting down on the sandy beach and gazing forward was a single boy in a swimsuit.

“Aah, and to make it worse, he doesn’t even know his own worth…”

Holding juice in his right hand, a fan in his left, and also wearing sunglasses, Ouma reluctantly nodded.

There was a kid having fun playing a game with ten-odd girls in swimsuits.

“Hey, Neighty, go over there! Catch!”

“Eh……Ah, eh……?”

A young boy futilely chased a ball being blown away by the wind. Because he wasn’t accustomed to the sandy beach, he ran unsteadily, his sense of balance even more off than before.

“Ah, ah, ah—!”

The unreliable boy yelled. Soon after, the ball fell onto the sand with a quiet thump.

“Ahaha! That’s no good, Chibi-kun.”

“But he’s so cute—”

“Yep. I’ll forgive you because you’re cute! I mean, it’s more fun this way!”

The cheers when he failed to catch the ball were louder than when he succeeded.

It wasn’t that he made a particularly amazing play, but that the times when he missed were funny. The girls found those times more amusing.

“……Is that it? Is that the charm of the young thirteen-year-old boy?”

“For a boy, his face looks quite androgynous. He’s also short and fragile. To the girls, is he considered more like someone to tease, or someone to play around with?”

In the beginning, they had been wrong to not consider this boy as their rival. In reality, he was a formidable enemy who had transferred into their school.

“Hey, speaking of which, where did the other boys go?”

Some of them had gone to a nearby convenience stand, while others were having fun diving in the ocean. Even though they were each doing what they wanted, there still seemed to be only a few people.

“Hm. Look at that over there.”

Ouma nodded in that direction. There, holding the ball that she was playing with and frowning, was a blonde girl with a childish face, as well as a girl with scarlet hair who was watching with an amused look.

“Huh. That’s strange. According to the theory in the volleyball book…… If I hit it here like this, the ball should fly up. But I don’t understand why Kluele, who hasn’t read any book about this, is better than me……”

“Mio, I already told you, you’re too reliant on books. If you don’t practice for real, you won’t get better at it.”

“……I see. Perhaps you’re right.”

“But more importantly, you didn’t practice swimming either?”

“Yeah, but in that case, if I start reading a book about swimming right now—”

“……You just don’t listen to what people tell you, do you?”

He gazed briefly at the scene.

“What’s wrong with Mio and Kluele?”

“They’re just thoughtless people. Coming on this trip seems to be a good chance to confess to them.”

Ohhh. Letting out a small sigh of admiration, one of the male students stole a glance at where the girls were gathered. Looking at them, he could clearly see the reason why several of the boys had their eyes on them.

Mio Lentear— She had gotten the best in their grade on the written exam and was rumored to be a genius. Along with that, she was also a girl whose lovely smile and calm manner made her stand out. Her behavior of treating everyone equally had earned her deep trust from both students and teachers.

And then there was Kluele Sophi Net. She had a very helpful personality, an unforgettable appearance, and excellent reflexes. Even though she only scored moderately well on exams, that was just another part of her charm.

“So, what was the result?”

“The girls said something like ’……I’m sorry, but about that sort of thing, we still aren’t—’ The several people who were involved are currently feeling heartbroken. They seem to have gone to a part of the beach farther away from here to nurse the wounds in their heart. So, let’s leave them alone for now.”

“……I’ll be next.”

“Stop it. More and more people seem to be having their confessions backfire.”

Throwing him an indifferent look, Ouma pushed up the bridge of his sunglasses.

[[File:Tasogare_v2_125.jpg|thumb]]

“Alright, the next person to drop the ball will face a punishment! Whoever drops the ball will have to go to tomorrow’s lectures in their swimsuit!”

While all of the girls cheered excitedly, a single boy’s face paled.

“Eh. W-Wait……I have a bad feeling about that……”

“Well, let’s start, Neighty!”

“U-Uwa! Why is the ball suddenly moving so fast?”

“Oh, wasn’t that a nice catch, Neight-kun. Well, one more time!”

“Eh, W-Why…… No, please don’t— Wah!”

“Tsk. You survived for the second time in a row, hm?”

“U-Umm……Did you just click your tongue just now?”

“Alright, this time for sure! Chibi-kun, I challenge you for the third time in a row!”

“Uwaaa! So you are aiming at me, aren’t you?!”

“Ah, Neighty ran away! Everyone, chase after him!”

“Hey, even though they forbid boys to play with them, why is only Neight allowed?”

One of the boys said in a tone sounding like he had already given up.

“Rather than being allowed, it seems more like forced participation.”

In the afternoon, the male students had all planned to go to the beach together during their free time. When they had gathered, amongst almost all of the students, Neight had been nowhere to be seen.

When all of the boys Ouma gathered had gone looking for him— They had suddenly heard a grating shriek. When they went to take a look…… There was the figure of a boy whose limbs had been bound by several female students and was being dragged far away.

Although they had tried negotiating with the kidnappers for the hostage, unfortunately, the girls’ true intention didn’t seem to be a ransom, but the boy himself.

“……Kuh, is that the charm of the thirteen-year-old boy?”

He had heard those words a little while ago.

“To not be seen as a man, that sure is pitiful.”

“W-Wait a moment, Ouma-san! Please don’t just silently watch, help me!”

Even now, Neight was still running away from the group of girls chasing after him.

“……What did Neight say just now?”

“I’m not sure, I couldn’t hear him either. You probably misheard him. I definitely didn’t hear anyone asking for help.”

Shaking his head with certainty, Ouma took out the magazine he was in the middle of reading from his bag.

……Damn, what an enviable guy.

<div align="center">***</div>

“Ahh. I wonder if the students are playing around nicely at the beach right now.”

Walking down a road covered in sand, Zessel kicked at the pebbles scattered by his feet as he grumbled.

“That’s all they seemed to be doing a while ago.”

Enne, who walked beside him, smiled wryly.

“Mirror is stuck inside the information department, so you should feel glad compared to him.”

“But he hates the ocean. After all, he can’t swim.”

“……Even now, he still can’t swim?”

Mixed into his colleague’s voice was a teasing tone.

According to the books about swimming that I’ve read, using this theory, I should be able to stay afloat— Back in the time of Elfand school, in a pool 1.2 meters deep, just how many times had that intelligent person said those words and nearly drowned?

“Hey, do you remember our graduation trip to the beach?”

“Although it was quite a long time ago, I still do, more or less.”

Letting out a small laugh, Enne covered her mouth with her hand. It wasn’t the ladylike laugh that she normally showed as a teacher, but because Zessel and Mirror were her childhood friends, it was the lively laugh she secretly showed them.

“Since he’s a teacher of Blue Recitations, it’s unusual that he dislikes the ocean of all things.”

Their graduation trip had been five days long. At the very end, only Mirror hadn’t gone swimming in the ocean even once.

“Well, a certain someone had to use a flotation device even when she was sixteen.”

“I can swim now, you know. I already did special training for it.”

“Is that so? Did you pack a flotation device into your bag this time as well? Enne-sensei, you seem to be quite eager to go swimming.”

“……How do you know about it?”

Idiot, I tricked you into saying that.

Annoyed, Enne pouted. Zessel smiled faintly as she did so— Abruptly, their casual conversation died off.

From the sandy road, they turned a corner and onto an area where dry, hard soil covered the ground.

“……Well then, shall we pay them a visit?”

Zessel let out the breath he had been holding.

Kelberk Research Insititute, Fidellia branch.

Casting a backward glance at the name of the place carved into the large brown rock, they stepped through the open gateway.

……So it’s open, huh?

The inside of the facility wasn’t very wide. There were only weeds growing thickly all over the place.

“Is anyone there?”

“Just like it seems, I don’t think there’s anyone inside.”

“Well, to anyone inside, excuse us for coming in!”

At the front door of the research facility, they pressed the buzzer meant to be used by visitors, which was beside the door. A mechanical sound echoed throughout the inside of the building. The reverberations were even transmitted back to them, who stood by the door.

“At least we can confirm that it rang.”

—But why was there no response from inside?

He winked at the woman beside him. As if his intentions had been conveyed to her, Enne silently gave her approval.

While hiding an emergency catalyst in his left hand, he opened the door of the research institute with his right hand. With a rusty creaking sound, the door slowly opened.

“……It’s dark?”

Although he thought that the lights would be on, a curtain of darkness stretched out before him so that he couldn’t see more than a few meters in. Sure enough, something strange was going on.

[[File:Tasogare_v2_141.jpg|thumb]]

Sunlight from outside shone through the open door. Little by little, his view of a few meters grew wider—

The scene in the entrance hall reached his eyes.

“…………!”

Enne let out a soundless scream.

Clutching the shoulder of the woman who had collapsed to the ground, Zessel barely managed to keep calm.

……This must be some sort of joke, right?

Stone statues. Or at least, that was what they first thought. That’s right. Decorating the front lobby were things resembling monuments.

After gazing carefully at them however, Enne and Zessel realized that those were not simply stone sculptures. Even if they didn’t want to, they couldn’t help but understand. The sculptures were just too realistic, and too repulsive.

They had read about it many times in things like fairy tales. But until now, they hadn’t believed for an instant that such a phenomenon could become reality.

The features of the stone statue looked afraid. The forms of the stone sculptures looked like they were running for their lives.

—Before Enne and Zessel’s eyes were the staff members of the research institute, who had turned to stone.

===Part 4===

He heard the sound of small waves lapping against the shore and the quiet sound of his shoes stepping on white sand. Although every step was the same, the sound was different each time, making him unable to get bored of listening to it. To Neight, going on a stroll down the beach while enjoying the sea breeze was a new experience.

“Ah, a seashell!”

Its outward appearance was deep purple, while the inside was red. Neight picked up the bivalve, which had an unusual hue.

“……Should I give this to Kluele-san?”

The sea wasn’t blue like it had been at noon, and the horizon was dyed by the sunset. It was just before night fell. Therefore, it was probably during this time when he felt the closest to the sun.

Suddenly, mixed in with the ocean spray, the sharp sound of something slicing through the air reached his ears.

—Eh?

Directly ahead of him, the figure of a person appeared on the beach he'd previously thought was empty. As he advanced closer, the tempo of the sound increased. It didn’t just become faster, but also more powerful.

Deja-vu.

The girl who swung her spear while bathed in the light of the setting sun overlapped with the image of what he had seen on the rooftop a few days ago.

“Ada-san?”

The first time, he had felt pure amazement. The second time he saw her wielding the spear, Neight finally understood how intense it was.

When he had seen it before, only the elegance of her movements had reached his eyes— But now, along with the beauty of the girl swinging her spear, her sharp and honed actions sent chills down his spine.

Despite the sand underfoot that made it difficult to move freely, there wasn’t any change in her movements. But rather, it made her steps and leaps silent. He couldn’t hear the sound of her kicking the sand.

It was too tranquil. Her movements flowed too serenely.

The spear-wielding club. But what she was doing wasn’t at the level that a mere club member could achieve.

……It’s different. Something is different compared to back then.

Even as an amateur, Neight still clearly understood. Although he had been surprised when he saw the girl up on the roof, her movements right now seemed to go beyond that to the point of making an observer feel afraid.

Furthermore— The girl held the spear with only one hand, but her whole body moved along with it, making it spin at an even higher speed.

That’s right. Back then, on the rooftop, she had dropped her spear.

In her one hand, it turned, rotated, revolved.

Ten times, twenty times, thirty times.

No matter how much time passed, she didn’t drop the spear.

Suddenly, the girl’s movements stopped. She let out a small sigh. She had been moving so much under the hot weather, but her breathing hadn’t changed at all.

“……This is the second time, right, Chibi-kun?”

Seeming like she felt both troubled and embarrassed, with a complicated expression, Ada smiled bitterly.

“U-Um. Is it special training with your spear again?”

“Half right and half wrong. But I guess you could interpret it that way.”

After that, their conversation stopped. Neight thought that she would continue speaking, but she simply gazed at the spear she held with an almost sorrowful look.

“Ada-san, that was really amazing!”

“Hm, amazing?”

“Even though you played around with everyone for so long this afternoon, you’re still doing that special training in the evening.”

Everyone else in the class was currently resting in their room. Even Neight had been sleeping until now, and had only woken up a short while ago.

“Well, it’s already become a habit to me, just like eating dinner. That would happen to anyone who has been doing this for ten-odd years already.”

Ten-odd years? She should have joined the spear-wielding club after entering Tremia Academy, and not more than half a year should have passed since then.

“For Chibi-kun, it’s because of that, right? You want to become a Reciter because you want to complete the Recitation that your mother left you.”

“Yes. I haven’t decided whether I should become a Reciter or what, but first I want to be able to conduct Mother’s Recitation.”

“—I see.”

Tightly gripping the spear, the girl slowly looked up at the sky.

“……Chibi-kun might get angry, but I can’t do something like that. I can’t do anything about it, even though I’ve already run away.”

Slowly, slowly, like she was trying to persuade herself to tell him, the girl exhaled.

“In my case, the family that I was born in is special. Do you know the {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}? To put it simply, it’s a group that specializes in sending back Recited creatures.”

{{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}. No matter how far he reached into the depths of his memories, he couldn’t come up with anything relating to that word.

“……I’m sorry, but I still haven’t learned enough about such things.”

“No, it’s natural that Chibi-kun doesn’t know about them. They don’t call things out, but send them back. They’re not very well-known. After all, they can’t do flashy things like calling out enormous creatures, so their reputation is naturally lower compared to Reciters’. And out of those who do know about the {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}, very few want to become one. That’s why being an {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}} is passed down through the family, from father to child.”

Say a Recited creature was running wild in a certain city. At that time, if another Recited creature was called out to oppose the first one, the battle between those two would probably wreck the city. For example, during the recital contest, if another hydra had been called out to oppose the first hydra, it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine the city turning to ruins.

If that situation were to occur, in order to suppress the Recited creature while keeping collateral damage to a minimum, a Reverse Song is the best option. But for nearby Reciters, for example in a situation with only Mio, Kluele, and other girls, it would be extremely dangerous to try and touch the wild Recited creature.

Therefore, ‘Reverse Song professionals’, who had the knowledge and skill for conducting Reverse Songs and a trained body and mind to oppose the wild Recited creature, were needed.

“That was the reason for forming the group of {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}} that exists now. Of course, even now, I think the people who are working hard as {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}} are amazing. After all, it’s a job that requires them to have a strong body and to risk their lives. They can’t skip out on a certain amount of training for even a single day. That’s why they’re people who deserve to be respected.”

But— Letting out a long breath that resembled a sigh, Ada looked down.

“But even so, they aren’t very well-known at all. They don’t even have a specialized school like Reciters do. They just train alone by themselves, inconspicuously. ……The pronunciation of the word {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}} seems to have a special origin, but my dad won’t tell me. I can’t help but wonder, is it just because they felt inferior compared to Reciters?”

She smiled in a self-deprecating manner. Unsure of how to respond, Neight quietly averted his gaze.

“Ada-san’s father is also an {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}}, isn’t he?”

“……Yeah. He’s the head of the main {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}} family, the Yung, and also probably the best {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}}. Apparently he’s been to many places around the continent and knows many people. One time he gathered together all of his acquaintances, and even that Xins-sama was there.”

“Xins-sama was?”

Among Reciters, there were ten-odd large factions formed based on personal connections and the school one studied at.

There were many merits to being in such organizations, such as obtaining jobs, self-promotion, and meetings with famous people. The names of Tremia Academy’s teachers were probably also classified into a group formed by the school’s administration department. After graduating from Tremia Academy, it was a custom that students would first join that group.

The Rainbow Color Reciter, Xins. From what Neight had heard, for some reason, only Xins hadn’t joined a single association. He had received a lot of invitations of course, and as long as he would show his face to the public, any group would have accepted him as an executive member. And yet, he still liked to act alone, on his free will. A while ago, he had attracted a lot of attention because of that.

“Well, Xins-sama seems to only be willing to participate as an observer. It seems that sometimes, he even comes to visit my home. But usually it’s when I’m at school.”

“……That’s amazing……”

“And it’s not just Xins-sama, but many other people as well. My dad has many colleagues who people would think of as strange or amazing. In fact, that gathering seemed to be something more like a hangout.”

Neight was speechless. Ada had such an amazing father. That’s right. That’s what a regular human would think, that it was an astonishing thing.

But— The eyes of the girl who had told him all of this trembled with a sad color.

“I was born as the heir to that great leader, so…… I sometimes feel pretty restricted. I have a predetermined daily routine, a predetermined path, and a predetermined future. Even though other children played with their friends, I was always by myself, gripping my {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}.”

The gemstones on the tip of the spear shone. Those were probably the catalysts used for sending back Recited creatures.

She had called her spear an {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}. Speaking of which, the spear he had seen from when she had been practicing on the rooftop was a simple spear with no such workings.

“……You noticed?”

Like she was smiling while crying, she faintly curled up the edges of her mouth.

“Because I’m always used to use an {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}, my body is used to something of that weight and length. But the spear-wielding club has spears of its own designated standard, so things like its weight are completely different. Because of that, I don’t feel comfortable using it…… I often make mistakes when using the club’s spears.”

Back on the rooftop, when she dropped the spear, Neight remembered how she had glared down at it. Now, he felt that he better understood the meaning behind her gaze at that time.

“Are the spears used by the club and your {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}} that different?”

“No, not really. It’s just that I’ve become too used to my {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}. I know its weight up to 0.1 grams and its reach up to 0.1 millimeters. That’s why I’ll be thrown off if it’s even a bit different.”

0.1 grams and 0.1 millimeters. She spoke those words like it was completely natural.

But was something like that really possible? At least for Neight himself, he couldn’t even remember the length of the pen he normally used, nor did he have the confidence to take a guess.

“Ada-san, could it be that you can use the Reverse Song and several colors as well?”

The technique for using the Reverse Song was similar to that of normal Recitations, meaning that one had to understand each color separately. Then in the case of someone who specialized in sending back Recited creatures…

“……Yeah. Even though my memory isn’t that good, in order to use the Reverse Song, I’ve remembered the details of several colors.”

The way she said it made it seem like learning the Reverse Song was easier than learning Recitations. There were probably teachers in Tremia who were masters of several colors. But that was different when it came to students.

—But Neight had never seen this girl bragging about such a thing.

She wasn’t the type of person to lie. But still, Neight couldn’t believe it so quickly. Because what she had just told him was something that went against his common sense.

“If I say it, I’ll just be called an idiot. This guy was……my first friend.”

Hugging the spear embedded with gemstones, the girl stood up straight.

“No, not just a friend. It’s already become like a part of me. We’re always, always together. No matter if it’s weight or length, there’s nothing we don’t know about each other— There’s that kind of connection between us.”

……But even that’s not important anymore.

Her hoarse voice softly flowed out from her small lips.

“For just a little while, I wanted to try going down a path other than what my heritage decided for me. The truth is, my mother has qualifications as a Reciter, so I was interested in Recitation schools ever since I was young.”

“……I see.”

“I made a lot of friends after coming to Tremia Academy. Although it can’t be compared to Chibi-kun’s situation, I’m really glad I came here.”

After being blessed with many friends and joining a club, she had enjoyed school life from the bottom of her heart. Neight could tell from the way that Ada normally behaved.

But— He couldn’t understand.

“Ada-san.”

There was just one thing, one thing that he couldn’t understand at all.

“But if that’s so, why are you still practicing like this with the {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}?”

That’s right. Why? With trembling lips, Ada muttered to herself as if she were speaking a soliloquy.

“……I don’t understand very well either. But it’s probably because I don’t want to regret it anymore.”

Regret?

“Yeah. I don’t want to have that dream anymore.”

That dream. Regret. What did that mean?

No matter how long he gazed at the girl’s face, the depths of her wavering eyes hid something important and only reflected a distant scenery.

===Part 5===

“……Even the folds on its clothes have been made this accurately.”

Without touching it, Zessel moved forward as close as he could to the stone statue in front of him.

There were around ten stone statues. Although he hadn’t seen it yet, Zessel felt that even the fibres of their clothing had been created perfectly. At first, simply seeing the look of fear on the statues’ faces had been enough. The statues portrayed a realism that couldn’t be matched by simple carvings.

“It seems like we were right.”

“These people have been turned to stone…… I can’t believe it……”

His colleague, the female teacher, staggered back. Patting her shoulder forcefully, Zessel advanced a step forward.

“Enne, don’t touch the statues. We don’t know what tricks there could be, so we need to be as careful as we can.”

“—I’ll contact the headmaster.”

Enne spoke like she had suddenly thought of it.

“Let’s wait until we have more to report.”

That’s right. After all, they still hadn’t gone beyond the entrance hall of the research institute. Beyond this, farther inside, what could have happened? At the very least, they needed to investigate the cause of this situation.

“……Right.”

A white light penetrated the darkness in the hall.

“Let’s go.”

In Enne’s left hand was a white sphere of light she had called out.

“Please, could you illuminate the way in front of us and slowly advance forward?”

Although it had the appearance of an inanimate object, it was actually a light fairy that was categorized under {{Furigana|Third Scale Recitations|Prime Aria}}. When it sensed danger, its light would turn off. It was a Recitation that the {{Furigana|White Reciter|Enne}} liked to use when exploring.

The light was able to illuminate up to ten meters ahead of them. Within that area, there were no more stone statues. At least they didn’t have to worry about that for now.

However, instead.

—What’s with this ash?

Gazing down the hallway, they slowed their steps.

Scattered in a corner of the hallway was a large amount of ash. Was it the remains of something burning? No, if that were the case, there should be burn marks inside the research institute.

“I don’t know what it is, but we probably shouldn’t step on it.”

“That’s true— Huh?”

A sound suddenly reached Zessel’s eardrums. The scraping noise made him reflexively turn around.

“What’s wrong?”

Enne, who had been taking the lead, stopped. Before Zessel responded, he first needed to confirm if anything was behind them.

Nothing was there…… Was it his imagination? Was it just his nerves acting up?

“No, It’s nothing.”

As he spoke, the light of the light fairy suddenly vanished.

“Eh?”

At the same time as Enne spoke, their surroundings once again became engulfed in darkness.

The light fairy suddenly turned off? Moreover, it turned off quickly, too quickly.

Like they expected, something was in the research institute with them. Something alive!

——[{{Furigana|Keinez|Red Song}}]——

With the catalyst he held in his right hand, Zessel called out a handful of flames.

Although it wasn’t as bright as the light fairy, he could see a few meters ahead of him with this…………

At that moment, he couldn’t believe what he saw in front of him.

……Hey, wait a moment. ……What is it…?

From the wall beside Enne, who had been walking in front of him— Like it had been fused with the grey wall, a large snake with scales of the same grey color slithered forward.

“Enne, get down!”

“Eh?”

His sudden warning backfired. Taken aback, Enne turned to look in his direction. In other words, she turned her back to the mysterious snake. The snake lifted its head……

“Enne!”

Opening its mouth, the snake attacked.

There was no time to hesitate. With all of his strength, Zessel pushed his vulnerable colleague towards the opposite wall.

The sound of something piercing his shoulder echoed out. The sound was so amazingly detailed that there was no time for him to feel afraid.

However, the sharp pain of the snake’s fangs piercing his shoulder was real.

“……Agh!”

“Z-Zessel!”

There was no time to respond to her call.

With his right hand, he grabbed the head of the snake that had bitten his left shoulder and refused to let go. Using all of his strength, he tried to pull it off. But the snake’s fangs tightly latched on.

“You……!”

He grabbed the flames that he had called out to use as a light, and thrust it directly at the snake’s head.

Burned by the flames, the snake floundered back and forth. Gripping the snake by the neck, Zessel quickly pulled it away from his shoulder. With all of his strength, he slammed the struggling snake onto the floor. The snake lay on the floor, paralyzed. Although it was still alive, it was unable to attack a second time.

When he shifted his gaze towards his shoulder to check the bleeding—

“……So that’s how it is. I finally see the trick behind this.”

“Zessel……Your shoulder!”

Enne yelled hoarsely.

His left shoulder was turning to ash-grey stone. There was no pain or discomfort. But just like it wasn’t his own arm, no matter how much strength he used, anything below his shoulder wouldn’t move.

So this was the cause of the stone statues in the entrance hall.

“Think about it later! First, we need to get out of here! This research institute is dangerous!”

They ran back through the hallway they had walked down, but after a few seconds, the two of them froze in their steps.

……There shouldn’t have been anything back here……

Grey reptiles filled the hallway they had come from. On the walls were snakes identical to the large snake that had attacked him. From even the ceiling to the side walls were bodies of snakes slithering forward. At the very least, there were ten of them.

He recalled the mountains of ash in the hallway. Had they been hiding inside? But there was one thing he couldn’t understand. What was the reason behind going so far to prevent intruders from leaving?

If their purpose had been to prevent people from entering the research institute, then there would be no need to hide these Recited creatures. They should have acted threatening from the very beginning, in the entrance hall. Rather, it seemed like they had been inviting people inside the research institute—

“……I see.”

He gripped the shoulder of Enne, who remained standing.

“Zessel?”

The snakes blocked the exit and sealed off the path back. Naturally, there was only one path left for intruders.

That’s right. The rascal who created this was definitely urging them to go further into the research institute.

“Enne, we can escape inside!”

Giving Enne a push from behind, Zessel ran down the corridor.

Farther into the research institute.

----

<noinclude>{{Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai Nav|prev=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 2nd Play|next=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 Interval Play}}</noinclude>

Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 3rd Play

2013-09-03T12:18:50Z

Cres: /* Part 3 */

==3rd Play - I Wanted to Escape, But For Some Reason, I Couldn't Abandon It==

===Part 1===

The sound of the fan, the sound of the clock’s second hand counting time, and— the sound of the students’ pencils quickly scratching.

The students glared silently at the sheets of paper on their desks.

Sitting in rows in the large classroom were seventy students listening to the lecture. But out of those, probably only a tenth of them were actually writing furiously.

……Like I thought, is it too difficult for first-year students?

At the front of the classroom, after giving the students a brief glance, Enne crossed her arms.

When students entered Tremia Academy, they had each selected a color to specialize in. The students gathered in this classroom were the ones who had chosen [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]. When they entered this high school, they should have had at least some basic knowledge about their chosen color. Because of that— She had listed the small spirits that could be called out under [{{Furigana|Arzus’s|White’s}}] {{Furigana|Second Scale Recitation|Noble Aria}} and explained their differences and similarities compared to small sprits of other colors.

This was the topic that Enne had prepared.

However, the students had difficulty making comparisons with small spirits of other colors. Although they could write about the spirit of their chosen color, in other words, Pegasus, only a few students remembered the characteristics of [{{Furigana|Surisuz's|Yellow’s}}] small spirit, Will-o’-wisp.

……They’re only first-year students, so it can’t be helped.

She breathed a small sigh as the preliminary bell rang, signaling that morning classes were almost over.

“Everyone, I’m sorry. It was unreasonable of me to expect that you could write about the other colors. It’s fine to skip those sections and finish only the parts about [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]. Those of you who are finished can hand it in and break for lunch.”

Sure enough, the students who had been complaining until now looked more relaxed.

“That’s right, Sensei was being too unreasonable!”

“Well, if I had asked you guys to only do this, you would have finished an hour ago.”

The students chatted as they handed in their exam sheets. When the line at the front of the room had dispersed, there was a mountain of paper on the podium. After that, the shadows of the students disappeared out of the classroom.

Was this everyone?

Rearranging the messy stack of paper, she looked around the classroom once again.

“Oh?”

In the corner of the classroom sat one last person. The figure of the single student sat in an inconspicuous location.

“What’s wrong? It’s fine, you don’t need to do anything unreasonable.”

“Nn, but there’s only one color left that I can’t write about. I somehow wrote about the other four colors already.”

Looking down at her page, the student muttered.

“It was fine to only write about [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}], so isn’t it already excellent that you can write about the other colors as well?”

“……Umm, but that’s the problem, Sensei.”

The student finally raised her head. Her tanned, boyish features gazed straight at Enne.

“I wrote about all the colors other than [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]. But I can’t remember what to write for the required one, [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}].”

—Ada Yung.

She wrote about all of the colors except [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]? What did that mean?

“Can I take a quick look at it?”

She picked up the sheets of paper on the desk.

……What is this?

Keeping her hand still, she looked over what was written on the page.

'''{{Furigana|Small yellow spirits|Will-o’-wisps}}— Their outward appearance is a yellow sphere floating in the air. They do not speak the human language, but can understand simple commands. As for their size, statistically speaking, ninety-five percent of them are within 70 to 100 cm. One as large as 113 cm has been officially recorded. They float 60 to 80 cm above the ground and their movement speed is slow at 3 km/h. Because the abilities of Reciters are different, they can exist for roughly five hours. When they use their power, it shortens the time they are able to remain existing.'''

'''They give off a pale radiance when preparing for battle, so caution is necessary. They then extend pale tentacles that give off a high-voltage electric current to electrify the opponent. The speed at which they can stretch their tentacles is ten times their movement speed. The length of their tentacles is the same as the diameter of their body, although the longest ones have been recorded at 167.3 cm. They have at most three tentacles, which have a diameter of around 1 cm. Although they can attack horizontally or straight up into the air, they are unable to stretch their tentacles directly below them.'''

'''There are not particularly any special points to mention about them.'''

'''Difficulty to suppress: easy.'''

She didn’t mention anything at all about the catalyst and <{{Furigana|Song of Praise|Oratorio}}> that were essential to Reciters. Instead, she described in detail its biological features. It wasn’t knowledge necessary to conduct a Recitation. Or rather— Was this data necessary when confronting a {{Furigana|Small yellow spirit|Will-o’-wisp}}?

“Difficulty to suppress…… Easy?”

“Ah!”

As she murmured those words, the girl grimaced.

“Did I write that? It’s just a habit from a long time ago.”

“No, it’s not really a bad thing to write.”

She flipped through the pages. Things about the Recited creatures of other Recitation colors were written there. All of them consisted of detailed descriptions. They also didn’t mention catalysts or <{{Furigana|Songs of Praise|Oratorios}}>. It was simply a thorough, overwhelming list of biological data.

Perhaps she didn’t have enough time to write about [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]?

—No, that’s not right. She really could not write about it.

Ada Yung Gillshuvesher. Looking at the name that was written on the page, Enne finally understood the reason.

{{Furigana|Small red spirits|Salamandes}}, {{Furigana|Small green spirits|Aerials}}.

“Everything written on here is about offensive Recited creatures, isn’t it?”

The girl gave no reply. More than anything, her silence confirmed Enne’s guess.

That’s right. Pegasi and unicorns included in [{{Furigana|Arzus’s|White’s}}] Second Scale Recitations did not possess offensive traits. Therefore, she hadn’t learned about them.

It was like Enne had thought. All of this girl’s knowledge of Recited creatures was for the sake of fighting against them.

“Must I write about [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]?”

The student had on a troubled expression.

“Well. Since you’ve written so much already, just add something like ‘……Compared to what’s written above, there are few of [{{Furigana|Arzus|White’s}}] small spirits that have offensive characteristics.’ You can hand it in like that.”

“Ah, I see! So something like that also works!”

Nodding vigorously, the girl turned her focus back to the pages.

—Eh, she’s not blinking?

Suddenly, Enne noticed that the girl’s concentration was quite strong as she wrote quickly. It was different than how she normally acted in class. Enne had thought that she usually seemed to be easily distracted during class and wasn’t a very enthusiastic student.

“Here, Sensei, I did it! Whew, it’s finally finished.”

The student cheerfully tidied up her desk. As she shouldered her bag, Enne called out to her back.

“Hey, Ada-san.”

“Hm?”

“This is a personal question, but your father is Klaus-san, right?”

Her bright expression suddenly changing, the girl’s eyes darkened.

“……Well, that famous person is something like my father.”

Klaus Yung Gillshuvesher. He was the head of the Yung family of noble warriors and the leader of the several hundred {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}.

{{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}— They were people who had the closest connection to Reciters but at the same time were also complete opposites.

[Nussis], also called the Reverse Song, is a technique to send back Recited creatures. It can be conducted by holding a catalyst and directly touching the creature. For example, in the incident during the recital contest, in order to save Enne, Xins had used the Reverse Song by sacrificing his left arm. That technique was always dangerous.

“Do you also have an {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}?”

In response to that question, the girl unhesitatingly nodded.

“If a person is born into the family of {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}, they will definitely have one.”

The Reverse Recitation was dangerous because it required directly touching the opponent. Therefore, a technique had been created to conduct the Reverse Song by using a spear instead of bare hands.

Gems of all five colors were embedded into the tip of the spear so that by piercing the target with it, the [Nussis] technique could then be used. A spear which undergoes that special treatment is called an {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}} and a person who specializes in that technique is called an {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}}.

“Being from the Yung family, are you not thinking of going down the road of an {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}}?”

“……Who knows.”

The girl spoke ambiguously. Judging from her expression, she didn’t seem to be concerned about it.

Currently, other than the Yung family which was the main family of {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}, there were also several other branch families. For many generations, children born in those families had traditionally become {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}. Because the main Yung family was the originator of such practices, they were traditionally treated as important people and given escorts. Even now, the warriors had a wide-spread status.

Ada Yung. If she wished, she could become well-known as Klaus’s successor.

—No, there was no mistake that she had been practicing {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}} techniques.

This was indicated clearly by the results of her mock exam. Her knowledge was probably not something she had learned from books. All of her knowledge, just like her trained body, was something engraved into not her brain but the marrow of her bones.

“……Well, unfortunately, it seems I don’t have much talent when it comes to that.”

“Talent?”

“Yeah, yeah. When there are so-called practices or drills, I immediately run away.”

Clasping her hands behind her head, Ada laughed with a self-deprecating expression.

“……But……”

Before she could finish speaking.

“Hey hey, Sensei, can I ask you one more thing?”

What could it be? Enne’s gaze encouraged her to continue.

“Enne-sensei is the homeroom teacher of a higher grade, right? Why did you come to teach at the first-year students’ summer school?”

“One of the teachers in charge of first-year students isn’t very healthy. Because of that, I was called to join in at the last minute.”

That was one of the questions she had assumed the students would first ask. She smoothly replied with her prepared answer. That’s right, she had expected it to suffice as a response.

“Ah, that’s a lie.”

Suddenly, the girl’s gaze became penetrating.

“Eh?”

“If that was the case, then there would be no reason for Zessel-sensei to come as well. You said it was at the last minute, so I have to accept that. Sure, there is a teacher in charge of first-year students who didn’t come to summer school this time, but that teacher used to talk happily about coming on this trip, so it doesn’t make sense that the teacher’s health is the reason.”

Her thorough reasoning put Enne at a loss for words. As she was arranging it with Zessel, she had certainly thought of this. But, she didn’t think there would be a student who would think this deeply about it in the first place. In her mind, she had underestimated them.

—But she had never expected this girl, of all people, to ask about it.

Usually, no matter who talked about her, they would say that she was a troublesome child who was often late to class. Enne hadn’t expected her to notice such a trivial issue. Even her teacher, Kate, hadn’t told Enne about anything like that.

……What to do? Should she hastily make up a lie? Or should she vaguely talk around it?

“Um, that is…”

When she started to speak, the bell signaling the end of morning classes rang.

“Oh, it’s finally lunchtime!”

In a completely different manner than the tense atmosphere from before, Ada turned around and ran towards the exit of the classroom without saying anything.

“Eh, w-wait! Ada-san?”

“Sorry, Sensei, but everyone in my class planned to go to the beach together this afternoon!”

Saying those words with an innocent smile, the girl quickly ran away.

“W-Wait!”

The moment when Enne began to chase after her—

The world outside the window flared up in scarlet.

“……Eh?”

The large classroom that she was in was on the second floor. Although she couldn’t clearly see everything from the window, a strange, raging fire burned before her eyes. It was a scarlet color more vivid than pure red. Rather than the color of flames, it looked more like the color of fresh human blood.

—Just what is going on?

It was an endlessly large scarlet inferno, as if even the heavens were burning. Because of the brightness, she couldn’t fully open her eyes. Outside the window should be a view of the plaza close to the schoolyard. If she remembered correctly, Zessel had made plans to teach a Recitation practical skills lesson there at this time.

Then was this Zessel’s doing? No, even using all of his power, he couldn’t call out these monstrous flames. In the first place, there was no reason for him to do such a thing in a practical skills lesson.

She gazed at the flames that dazzled her eyes, and then— Suddenly, the radiance went out.

“The flames disappeared……?”

The chain of events that quickly happened one after the other had made Enne unconsciously hold her breath.

The calmness from before was already returning to the world outside. As she watched, the sparks that had entered the classroom also faded away.

She quickly ran to the window. But looking down at the plaza, she didn’t see a single person.

Neither the students nor Zessel could be found. In other words, his lecture had already ended. Then sure enough, that wasn’t Zessel’s Recitation. Just who—

“Enne, are you there?”

Loud knocks came from the classroom door.

“Zessel!”

A rattle sounded as she opened the door. Her unusually well-dressed coworker entered.

“Zessel, did you see the flames in the plaza?”

“Yeah, it was so bright that I couldn’t not notice it.”

In an easygoing manner, he spoke with a cheerful tone and nodded. In other words, he didn’t seem to be moved by what had happened.

“Do you happen to know who called out those flames?”

“Ah. When I was giving my lecture in the plaza a while ago, there was a single person whose hair color was unique, so I became interested. And then after the lecture ended, even though the other students returned to the school building, only that person didn’t go back. And when I couldn’t help but observe from the shade, it happened.”

No way, were the flames just now Recited by a student? A student still in their first year of high school?

“Who is that student?”

Although Enne taught students in higher grades, she knew about students in other grades who excelled in Recitations. Even among first-year students, there were several students who she had begun to take notice of.

However—

“No, you wouldn’t know who it is even if I told you.”

He slowly looked up at the sky, as if pondering something.

“How can you be so certain?”

“……Because she wasn’t one of the ones we were keeping an eye on.”

Muttering in an unsure tone of voice, he shrugged his shoulders.

“Enne, do you remember the student who called out a lot of red feathers at the recital contest?”

Red feathers? In Recitations, feathers were not considered very difficult to call out. In the recital contest, there was a student who had Recited many birds instead of feathers and gotten a lot of attention. Even she remembered the face of the student who called out the birds, but in the case of feathers…

“……Nobody immediately comes to mind.”

“Don’t think too hard about it. I also couldn’t remember at first.”

During the recital contest, that student had been at the same level as the others. But by the time of this training camp, she had already improved to the point of catching Zessel’s attention.

“So that’s how it is. I don’t know what she experienced from the recital contest up until now. But if she keeps developing at this rate, I’ll have to take note of it.”

As if Zessel seemed happy, his voice rose in pitch.

“Next year at this time, she will undoubtedly surpass other students of higher grades and become one of the top [{{Furigana|Keinez|Red}}] students. No, that might even happen in the middle of this year instead of next year. Anyways, in my point of view it’s slightly scary. She’s just an unpolished gem.”

“As a teacher, isn’t this a good time to show off your skill?”

“Well said. ……But still, I feel slightly uneasy.”

He continued speaking in a vague manner that was unusual for him.

“After they succeed in a Recitation during the lecture, most students would happily come and tell me about it. But that girl was different. I guess it could be described as absentmindedness. She had a scared expression, and it felt like she wouldn’t talk to me unless I spoke first.”

Recitation is a ritual to praise the thing one wants to call out. Therefore, there are essentially no cases where one is surprised at what they Recited. Instead of being scared, her expression should have meant something else.

“Well, those are just my unreasonable fears. I mean, I hope they’re just fears.”

Although she knew the flames were already gone, Enne once again looked out the window and down at the plaza. In any case, there didn’t seem to be anything they could do about that girl.

“Thanks, I get the general situation now. I was worried. At first, I thought it was something the students had persuaded you into doing.”

“……Ah, really?”

As if he was sulking, Zessel turned away. Honestly, how child-like. As she laughed at his actions, Enne walked down the hallway in front of him.

“Well, let’s go. If we’re slow, we might not be able to make it back on time today.”

—Their destination was the place where the <Egg> had been manufactured, Kelberk Research Institute.

===Part 2===

“Well, let’s end it here for today.”

The teacher in charge of the class, Kate, closed her textbook.

“Alright. Thank you very much.”

“It’s already lunchtime, so I’m sorry that it ended a little late.”

“N-No, it’s fine…… It’s because I haven’t learned about this before.”

Putting the textbook into his bag, Neight frantically shook his head.

Tremia Academy’s courses were based on a credit system, so other than the essential subjects, students could freely choose the courses they wished to take.

The course that Neight had been taking was one of the required subjects concerning Recitations, historical studies. This was an area he had learned nearly nothing about before being enrolled in Tremia Academy.

“Like I thought, was it too difficult studying one-on-one with a teacher?”

Gazing at him with a wry smile, Kate asked, amused. This course was one that his other classmates had all finished taking before summer vacation. Because of that, the left out Neight had ended up coming to one-on-one lessons with Kate.

“……Difficulty-wise, it really is hard.”

“I’m glad you’re being honest.”

The teacher smiled happily.

“By the way, that Rainbow Color Reciter was also bad at this subject.”

“Xins-san, you mean?”

“The director of education secretly told me about it. She used to be Xins-san’s teacher.”

The director of education, Jessica. He had met her only once when he was enrolling into this school. After that, he didn’t remember having ever talked to her. She was often by the headmaster’s side, and rather than being a teacher, she now seemed to be more like the headmaster’s secretary.

“Was Xins-san an outstanding person ever since he was a student?”

“When he was a student, his grades seemed to be around average in his school. Or rather, he didn’t seem interested in school lectures. And that includes the history that I was just teaching you. How contradictory, that a person whose name would be remembered throughout history wasn’t interested in studying history himself.”

—Speaking of which, Mother hadn’t taught him about Recitation history either.

Was that by chance, or was it something inevitable? In this aspect, Mother and the Rainbow Reciter were probably quite similar to each other.

“Now then, enough of our useless talking. Let’s go eat lunch. If you don’t hurry to the cafeteria, your seat will be taken!”

Ah, oh no! Speaking of which, hadn’t he been invited by Mio-san and Kluele-san to eat lunch together?

“Please excuse me, but I’ll be going on ahead!”

Carrying his bag under his arm, Neight hurriedly ran down the hallway.

<div align="center">***</div>

In the hallway outside the first floor lobby, thick lush plants were planted at regular intervals, and a simple roof was built overhead to block the rain.

Leaning back against a beam that supported the roof—

Kluele gazed blankly at the roof overhead. Under the hot sun and hot wind, without wiping her forehead that was covered in sweat, she simply let herself enjoy the tranquil moment.

What broke the silence was the voice of her close friend.

“Ah, Kululu, you’re here!”

With quick steps, the girl with a familiar face ran up to Kluele.

“……Mio?”

Behind her, Neight could also be seen.

“Kululu, you didn’t come even though it was already lunchtime, so we were looking for you.”

“Eh, it’s that time already?”

Rubbing her eyes, Kluele stepped away from the beam she had been leaning against.

“……Sorry, my class ended early, so I was spacing out for a bit.”

“Honestly…”

Puffing up her cheeks, Mio crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Mio-san and I went to take a look, and like we expected, the cafeteria is crowded. I don’t think there will be a free seat for three people any time soon.”

“It can’t be helped. Let’s go there to just buy lunch, then sit and eat at a bench outside.”

The two exchanged glances and nodded.

“Ah……Mio, sorry, but could you help me buy my share as well?”

“Sure. That’s right, the cafeteria is crowded, so I should just go by myself and buy all of our shares.”

—No, that’s not what I meant.

Kluele had a different reason in mind. But she couldn’t say it out loud.

“……Kluele-san?”

They watched Mio hurry away in the direction of the cafeteria. After a little while, Neight looked up at her.

“Kluele-san, did something happen?”

“What do you mean?”

With his deep purple hair swaying in the wind, he looked anxiously at her.

“……For some reason, Kluele-san doesn’t seem very energetic today.”

Facing Neight, who looked up at her intently, Kluele couldn’t help but close her eyes.

—A part of you is really perceptive, isn’t it?

He had given off that impression since the very beginning. It wasn’t that he was looking carefully at her face. Perhaps he was simply sensitive like that.

“Yeah…… I was just feeling kind of lost.”

Like she was trying to deceive him, she tried to let out her best fake laugh.

……But what should she say? She couldn’t find any suitable words. Therefore—

“Hey. Don’t you feel scared?”

Kluele spoke honestly, the terribly direct words coming out of her mouth without being embellished at all.

“Scared?”

“About Recitations.”

His eyes widened, perhaps because he couldn’t guess the meaning behind her words. ……Like I thought, my question sounded strange.

“Hey. A while ago, didn’t you see a huge blaze of fire that came from the plaza?”

“Ah, I saw that!”

With an excited expression, the boy spoke.

“It was amazing, wasn’t it? Even Kate-sensei, who was with me at the time, was surprised. It seemed like the other teachers went to investigate the cause of that. Because of that, my lesson ended a little late.”

“—Neight.”

“The one who called that out was me.”

“…………Eh?”

There was a silence that lasted for more than a few seconds. Neight stood there, forgetting to breathe.

“That can’t be…… No, but…… No way, it was Kluele-san?”

“You can’t believe it, right? But it’s true.”

That’s right. It was natural that he couldn’t believe her right away.

Because after all, she couldn’t even believe it herself.

“During the recital contest, I unexpectedly called out the {{Furigana|Divine Bird of Dawn|Phoenix}}, right? After that, I felt a bit strange. You might think what I’m saying is a bit weird, but…”

She took a breath. As the faint sound lingered in the air—

Looking down at the palms of her hands, Kluele apprehensively continued.

“My Recitations are going too well.”

“Too well?”

Shocked, he repeated her words like a baby.

“Sorry. I might seem like I’m bragging, but…… That’s really not the case. I’m actually really scared.”

During this morning’s practical skills lesson, the Recitation she had conducted to solve the situation had been done so easily that she had thought it was strange. Without even singing a {{Furigana|Song of Praise|Oratorio}}, the time it took for her to Recite had only been a few seconds.

No, it wasn’t just that. She had also involuntarily thought that the Recitations of the other students were terribly immature.

Their imagination and {{Furigana|Songs of Praise|Oratorios}} had been too childish. She had easily been able to see through the parts of their Recitations. She had felt the illusion that there was nothing she couldn’t do in {{Furigana|Keinez|Red Recitations}}.

“Surely I’m misinterpreting it. Speaking of which, when class was over and I was left alone, I secretly tried to Recite some fire…… The catalyst was ordinary red paint.”

The result was that tremendous flame. She was truly glad that nobody had been nearby when it happened. If there had been someone close beside her— They wouldn’t have received just a burn.

“……That was really scary.”

With both hands, Kluele hugged her own body. It wasn’t that she was cold or that she was shaking. It was because her agitated heart and scalding body felt nearly painful. No matter what she did, it wouldn’t subside.

Perhaps it was a side effect of calling out a True Spirit during the recital contest. Surely it was because she was still in a state of excitement. But that also seemed wrong.

“I don’t want something like this to happen! I didn’t call out the Divine Bird for this purpose……”

She felt like the higher-grade students she had seen at the recital contest, who relied on power and violence. What would she do if she overestimated herself and her Recitation ended up spontaneously discharging? It wouldn’t be like the five-colored hydra back then, but there was definitely a chance that she could call out something dangerous.

When she had realized that possibility, she had felt cold and light-headed.

“That’s why I suddenly feel afraid of Recitations.”

Before the sound of her words vanished…

“—But......”

The boy who usually acted quiet and reserved said in an abnormally strong tone of voice.

“But, I don’t think Kluele-san will become like those higher-grade students or conduct such a scary Recitation.”

I’m happy you’re saying that. But, it’s useless. I……

“After all, I believe in you.”

Please, right now, don’t look at me with those eyes.

“Thank you…… But, I’m sorry. I can’t even believe in myself right now.”

She involuntarily averted her eyes. His excessively straightforward gaze felt painful to the point of hurting.

“—Kluele-san.”

Suddenly, his tone of voice changed.

“Please. ‘I can’t even believe in myself’……Please, please don’t say such sad things.”

Although she should have averted her eyes, she couldn’t help but turn her gaze towards him—

Like the surface of an overflowing fountain.

She couldn’t help but look at his shaking, quivering black eyes.

……Neight?

“Kluele-san is not someone who can't believe in herself. Because after all, Kluele-san is feeling this scared.”

[[File:Tasogare_v2_117.jpg|thumb]]

Suddenly, without warning—

“……W-What’s wrong?”

He gently grasped her hand in both of his.

“H-Hey, Neight?”

“It will definitely be alright. If it’s Kluele-san’s Recitation, no matter what it is, I won’t be scared. If your Recitation is scary, I will be there together with you.”

N-No, that’s not what I meant. My hand…… Why so suddenly—

“It’s a good luck charm.”

The boy smiled. From the corner of his eye, a small droplet appeared.

“Kluele-san did the same for me during the recital contest.”

……I did?

‘It’s okay. I will stay with you. Let’s call it out together.’

What had happened on that day replayed in her mind, word for word.

“I love Kluele-san’s Recitations. They are more gentle and beautiful than anyone else’s. They’re lovely. ……That’s why, please, don’t say that you can’t believe in yourself.”

He spoke in a stammering manner, the flow of his words anything but smooth. Even so, he tried his best to convey his feelings as strongly as he could..... And those feelings reached her.

—I see.

So you believe in me that much.

With an odd sensation, something blossomed in her chest. Painful at first, it was a strange feeling that couldn’t be put into words, but that feeling gradually changed into a gentle warmth.

I had always thought that I wanted to do what I could for you. ……But, I was wrong. I was actually making you worry so much about me, wasn’t I?

“Um, could it be that you’ve forgotten what happened that time?”

With lonely eyes Neight looked up at her, who had been silent all this time.

“Don’t be silly. There’s no way I would forget.”

With a finger, she poked the forehead of the boy who was gazing at her.

“……That hurts.”

“It shouldn’t hurt. You’re a boy, aren’t you?”

Like she was teasing him, Kluele winked.

—I’m sorry for making you worry.

But, I’m a bit relieved. I won’t say that I can’t believe in myself anymore.

“……Hey.”

Somehow, you’re a really strange person.

Sometimes I think of you like a little brother to take care of, and other times I think of you like a friend who gets depressed easily. You should be just a normal classmate, but— For some reason, I can’t leave you alone. I think of you as someone very important to me.

I still don’t really understand it.

“I wonder what to call the relationship between us.”

Hey, what do you personally think?

“Eh, r-relationship? Umm…… classmates?”

After thinking it over for a while, he replied seriously in a troubled voice.

Yeah. That’s definitely true for now, but—

“But hey, don’t you think that might change from now on?”

“Change?”

“Fufu, I wonder.”

“Eh, please tell me!”

Looking up at her, the boy puffed up his cheeks. It was such an innocent gesture. Like she thought, he might still be a bit unreliable to become a knight who protects his princess.

“I still don’t understand it either. Well, never mind that. ……Ah, Mio’s back. Now, where would be a good place to eat?”

“……That’s not fair, Kluele-san!”

“Come on, we have to hurry and eat lunch. After all, aren’t we going to play at the beach with everyone else in our class this afternoon?”

===Part 3===

Bright, dazzling rays of heat poured down from the sky overhead. Grains of finely-ground coral seemed to be spread over the white sand. The ocean was a transparent azure blue. The clear waves lapping back and forth seemed to wash away even everyday troubles.

What was called Tremia’s campus was also like a type of private beach. It could be appropriately described as exactly like paradise.

However— Although the scenery was beautiful, Ouma and the male students were interested in another matter.

“……That Neight, he’s attractive, isn’t he?”

In the shade, sitting down on the sandy beach and gazing forward was a single boy in a swimsuit.

“Aah, and to make it worse, he doesn’t even know his own worth…”

Holding juice in his right hand, a fan in his left, and also wearing sunglasses, Ouma reluctantly nodded.

There was a kid having fun playing a game with ten-odd girls in swimsuits.

“Hey, Neighty, go over there! Catch!”

“Eh……Ah, eh……?”

A young boy futilely chased a ball being blown away by the wind. Because he wasn’t accustomed to the sandy beach, he ran unsteadily, his sense of balance even more off than before.

“Ah, ah, ah—!”

The unreliable boy yelled. Soon after, the ball fell onto the sand with a quiet thump.

“Ahaha! That’s no good, Chibi-kun.”

“But he’s so cute—”

“Yep. I’ll forgive you because you’re cute! I mean, it’s more fun this way!”

The cheers when he failed to catch the ball were louder than when he succeeded.

It wasn’t that he made a particularly amazing play, but that the times when he missed were funny. The girls found those times more amusing.

“……Is that it? Is that the charm of the young thirteen-year-old boy?”

“For a boy, his face looks quite androgynous. He’s also short and fragile. To the girls, is he considered more like someone to tease, or someone to play around with?”

In the beginning, they had been wrong to not consider this boy as their rival. In reality, he was a formidable enemy who had transferred into their school.

“Hey, speaking of which, where did the other boys go?”

Some of them had gone to a nearby convenience stand, while others were having fun diving in the ocean. Even though they were each doing what they wanted, there still seemed to be only a few people.

“Hm. Look at that over there.”

Ouma nodded in that direction. There, holding the ball that she was playing with and frowning, was a blonde girl with a childish face, as well as a girl with scarlet hair who was watching with an amused look.

“Huh. That’s strange. According to the theory in the volleyball book…… If I hit it here like this, the ball should fly up. But I don’t understand why Kluele, who hasn’t read any book about this, is better than me……”

“Mio, I already told you, you’re too reliant on books. If you don’t practice for real, you won’t get better at it.”

“……I see. Perhaps you’re right.”

“But more importantly, you didn’t practice swimming either?”

“Yeah, but in that case, if I start reading a book about swimming right now—”

“……You just don’t listen to what people tell you, do you?”

He gazed briefly at the scene.

“What’s wrong with Mio and Kluele?”

“They’re just thoughtless people. Coming on this trip seems to be a good chance to confess to them.”

Ohhh. Letting out a small sigh of admiration, one of the male students stole a glance at where the girls were gathered. Looking at them, he could clearly see the reason why several of the boys had their eyes on them.

Mio Lentear— She had gotten the best in their grade on the written exam and was rumored to be a genius. Along with that, she was also a girl whose lovely smile and calm manner made her stand out. Her behavior of treating everyone equally had earned her deep trust from both students and teachers.

And then there was Kluele Sophi Net. She had a very helpful personality, an unforgettable appearance, and excellent reflexes. Even though she only scored moderately well on exams, that was just another part of her charm.

“So, what was the result?”

“The girls said something like ’……I’m sorry, but about that sort of thing, we still aren’t—’ The several people who were involved are currently feeling heartbroken. They seem to have gone to a part of the beach farther away from here to nurse the wounds in their heart. So, let’s leave them alone for now.”

“……I’ll be next.”

“Stop it. More and more people seem to be having their confessions backfire.”

Throwing him an indifferent look, Ouma pushed up the bridge of his sunglasses.

[[File:Tasogare_v2_125.jpg|thumb]]

“Alright, the next person to drop the ball will face a punishment! Whoever drops the ball will have to go to tomorrow’s lectures in their swimsuit!”

While all of the girls cheered excitedly, a single boy’s face paled.

“Eh. W-Wait……I have a bad feeling about that……”

“Well, let’s start, Neighty!”

“U-Uwa! Why is the ball suddenly moving so fast?”

“Oh, wasn’t that a nice catch, Neight-kun. Well, one more time!”

“Eh, W-Why…… No, please don’t— Wah!”

“Tsk. You survived for the second time in a row, hm?”

“U-Umm……Did you just click your tongue just now?”

“Alright, this time for sure! Chibi-kun, I challenge you for the third time in a row!”

“Uwaaa! So you are aiming at me, aren’t you?!”

“Ah, Neighty ran away! Everyone, chase after him!”

“Hey, even though they forbid boys to play with them, why is only Neight allowed?”

One of the boys said in a tone sounding like he had already given up.

“Rather than being allowed, it seems more like forced participation.”

In the afternoon, the male students had all planned to go to the beach together during their free time. When they had gathered, amongst almost all of the students, Neight had been nowhere to be seen.

When all of the boys Ouma gathered had gone looking for him— They had suddenly heard a grating shriek. When they went to take a look…… There was the figure of a boy whose limbs had been bound by several female students and was being dragged far away.

Although they had tried negotiating with the kidnappers for the hostage, unfortunately, the girls’ true intention didn’t seem to be a ransom, but the boy himself.

“……Kuh, is that the charm of the thirteen-year-old boy?”

He had heard those words a little while ago.

“To not be seen as a man, that sure is pitiful.”

“W-Wait a moment, Ouma-san! Please don’t just silently watch, help me!”

Even now, Neight was still running away from the group of girls chasing after him.

“……What did Neight say just now?”

“I’m not sure, I couldn’t hear him either. You probably misheard him. I definitely didn’t hear anyone asking for help.”

Shaking his head with certainty, Ouma took out the magazine he was in the middle of reading from his bag.

……Damn, what an enviable guy.

<div align="center">***</div>

“Ahh. I wonder if the students are playing around nicely at the beach right now.”

Walking down a road covered in sand, Zessel kicked at the pebbles scattered by his feet as he grumbled.

“That’s all they seemed to be doing a while ago.”

Enne, who walked beside him, smiled wryly.

“Mirror is stuck inside the information department, so you should feel glad compared to him.”

“But he hates the ocean. After all, he can’t swim.”

“……Even now, he still can’t swim?”

Mixed into his colleague’s voice was a teasing tone.

According to the books about swimming that I’ve read, using this theory, I should be able to stay afloat— Back in the time of Elfand school, in a pool 1.2 meters deep, just how many times had that intelligent person said those words and nearly drowned?

“Hey, do you remember our graduation trip to the beach?”

“Although it was quite a long time ago, I still do, more or less.”

Letting out a small laugh, Enne covered her mouth with her hand. It wasn’t the ladylike laugh that she normally showed as a teacher, but because Zessel and Mirror were her childhood friends, it was the lively laugh she secretly showed them.

“Since he’s a teacher of Blue Recitations, it’s unusual that he dislikes the ocean of all things.”

Their graduation trip had been five days long. At the very end, only Mirror hadn’t gone swimming in the ocean even once.

“Well, a certain someone had to use a flotation device even when she was sixteen.”

“I can swim now, you know. I already did special training for it.”

“Is that so? Did you pack a flotation device into your bag this time as well? Enne-sensei, you seem to be quite eager to go swimming.”

“……How do you know about it?”

Idiot, I tricked you into saying that.

Annoyed, Enne pouted. Zessel smiled faintly as she did so— Abruptly, their casual conversation died off.

From the sandy road, they turned a corner and onto an area where dry, hard soil covered the ground.

“……Well then, shall we pay them a visit?”

Zessel let out the breath he had been holding.

Kelberk Research Insititute, Fidellia branch.

Casting a backward glance at the name of the place carved into the large brown rock, they stepped through the open gateway.

……So it’s open, huh?

The inside of the facility wasn’t very wide. There were only weeds growing thickly all over the place.

“Is anyone there?”

“Just like it seems, I don’t think there’s anyone inside.”

“Well, to anyone inside, excuse us for coming in!”

At the front door of the research facility, they pressed the buzzer meant to be used by visitors, which was beside the door. A mechanical sound echoed throughout the inside of the building. The reverberations were even transmitted back to them, who stood by the door.

“At least we can confirm that it rang.”

—But why was there no response from inside?

He winked at the woman beside him. As if his intentions had been conveyed to her, Enne silently gave her approval.

While hiding an emergency catalyst in his left hand, he opened the door of the research institute with his right hand. With a rusty creaking sound, the door slowly opened.

“……It’s dark?”

Although he thought that the lights would be on, a curtain of darkness stretched out before him so that he couldn’t see more than a few meters in. Sure enough, something strange was going on.

[[File:Tasogare_v2_141.jpg|thumb]]

Sunlight from outside shone through the open door. Little by little, his view of a few meters grew wider—

The scene in the entrance hall reached his eyes.

“…………!”

Enne let out a soundless scream.

Clutching the shoulder of the woman who had collapsed to the ground, Zessel barely managed to keep calm.

……This must be some sort of joke, right?

Stone statues. Or at least, that was what they first thought. That’s right. Decorating the front lobby were things resembling monuments.

After gazing carefully at them however, Enne and Zessel realized that those were not simply stone sculptures. Even if they didn’t want to, they couldn’t help but understand. The sculptures were just too realistic, and too repulsive.

They had read about it many times in things like fairy tales. But until now, they hadn’t believed for an instant that such a phenomenon could become reality.

The features of the stone statue looked afraid. The forms of the stone sculptures looked like they were running for their lives.

—Before Enne and Zessel’s eyes were the staff members of the research institute, who had turned to stone.

===Part 4===

He heard the sound of small waves lapping against the shore and the quiet sound of his shoes stepping on white sand. Although every step was the same, the sound was different each time, making him unable to get bored of listening to it. To Neight, going on a stroll down the beach while enjoying the sea breeze was a new experience.

“Ah, a seashell!”

Its outward appearance was deep purple, while the inside was red. Neight picked up the bivalve, which had an unusual hue.

“……Should I give this to Kluele-san?”

The sea wasn’t blue like it had been at noon, and the horizon was dyed by the sunset. It was just before night fell. Therefore, it was probably during this time when he felt the closest to the sun.

Suddenly. Mixed in with the ocean spray, the sharp sound of something cutting air reached his ears.

—Eh?

Directly ahead in the direction he had been going, the figure of a person appeared on the beach which he had thought was empty. As he advanced closer, the sounds of wind sped up. It didn’t just become faster, but also more powerful.

Deja-vu.

The girl who swung her spear while bathed in the light of the setting sun overlapped with the image of what he had seen on the rooftop a few days ago.

“Ada-san?”

The first time, he had felt pure amazement. The second time he saw her wielding the spear, Neight finally understood how intense it was.

When he had seen it before, only the elegance of her movements had reached his eyes— But now, along with the beauty of the girl swinging her spear, her sharp and honed actions sent chills down his spine.

Despite the sand underfoot that made it difficult to move freely, there wasn’t any change in her movements. But rather, it made her steps and leaps silent. He couldn’t hear the sound of her kicking the sand.

It was too tranquil. Her movements flowed too serenely.

The spear-wielding club. But what she was doing wasn’t at the level that a mere club member could achieve.

……It’s different. Something is different compared to back then.

Even as an amateur, Neight still clearly understood. Although he had been surprised when he saw the girl up on the roof, her movements right now seemed to go beyond that to the point of making an observer feel afraid.

Furthermore— The girl held the spear with only one hand, but her whole body moved along with it, making it spin at an even higher speed.

That’s right. Back then, on the rooftop, she had dropped her spear.

In her one hand, it turned, rotated, revolved.

Ten times, twenty times, thirty times.

No matter how much time passed, she didn’t drop the spear.

Suddenly, the girl’s movements stopped. She let out a small sigh. She had been moving so much under the hot weather, but her breathing hadn’t changed at all.

“……This is the second time, right, Chibi-kun?”

Seeming like she felt both troubled and embarrassed, with a complicated expression, Ada smiled bitterly.

“U-Um. It is special training with your spear again?”

“Half right and half wrong. But I guess you could interpret it that way.”

After that, their conversation stopped. Neight thought that she would continue speaking, but she simply gazed at the spear she held with an almost sorrowful look.

“Ada-san, that was really amazing!”

“Hm, amazing?”

“Even though you played around with everyone for so long this afternoon, you’re still doing that special training in the evening.”

Everyone else in the class was currently resting in their room. Even Neight had been sleeping until now, and had only woken up a short while ago.

“Well, it’s already become a habit to me, just like eating dinner. That would happen to anyone who has been doing this for ten-odd years already.”

Ten-odd years? She should have joined the spear-wielding club after entering Tremia Academy, and not more than half a year should have passed since then.

“For Chibi-kun, it’s because of that, right? You want to become a Reciter because you want to complete the Recitation that your mother left you.”

“Yes. I haven’t decided whether I should become a Reciter or what, but first I want to be able to conduct Mother’s Recitation.”

“—I see.”

Tightly gripping the spear, the girl slowly looked up at the sky.

“……Chibi-kun might get angry, but I can’t do something like that. I can’t do anything about it, even though I’ve already run away.”

Slowly, slowly, like she was trying to persuade herself to tell him, the girl exhaled.

“In my case, the family that I was born in is special. Do you know the {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}? To put it simply, it’s a group that specializes in sending back Recited creatures.”

{{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}. No matter how far he reached into the depths of his memories, he couldn’t come up with anything relating to that word.

“……I’m sorry, but I still haven’t learned enough about such things.”

“No, it’s natural that Chibi-kun doesn’t know about them. They don’t call things out, but send them back. They’re not very well-known. After all, they can’t do flashy things like calling out enormous creatures, so their reputation is naturally lower compared to Reciters’. And out of those who do know about the {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}, very few want to become one. That’s why being an {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}} is passed down through the family, from father to child.”

Say a Recited creature was running wild in a certain city. At that time, if another Recited creature was called out to oppose the first one, the battle between those two would probably wreck the city. For example, during the recital contest, if another hydra had been called out to oppose the first hydra, it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine the city turning to ruins.

If that situation were to occur, in order to suppress the Recited creature while keeping collateral damage to a minimum, a Reverse Song is the best option. But for nearby Reciters, for example in a situation with only Mio, Kluele, and other girls, it would be extremely dangerous to try and touch the wild Recited creature.

Therefore, ‘Reverse Song professionals’, who had the knowledge and skill for conducting Reverse Songs and a trained body and mind to oppose the wild Recited creature, were needed.

“That was the reason for forming the group of {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}} that exists now. Of course, even now, I think the people who are working hard as {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}} are amazing. After all, it’s a job that requires them to have a strong body and to risk their lives. They can’t skip out on a certain amount of training for even a single day. That’s why they’re people who deserve to be respected.”

But— Letting out a long breath that resembled a sigh, Ada looked down.

“But even so, they aren’t very well-known at all. They don’t even have a specialized school like Reciters do. They just train alone by themselves, inconspicuously. ……The pronunciation of the word {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}} seems to have a special origin, but my dad won’t tell me. I can’t help but wonder, is it just because they felt inferior compared to Reciters?”

She smiled in a self-deprecating manner. Unsure of how to respond, Neight quietly averted his gaze.

“Ada-san’s father is also an {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}}, isn’t he?”

“……Yeah. He’s the head of the main {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}} family, the Yung, and also probably the best {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}}. Apparently he’s been to many places around the continent and knows many people. One time he gathered together all of his acquaintances, and even that Xins-sama was there.”

“Xins-sama was?”

Among Reciters, there were ten-odd large factions formed based on personal connections and the school one studied at.

There were many merits to being in such organizations, such as obtaining jobs, self-promotion, and meetings with famous people. The names of Tremia Academy’s teachers were probably also classified into a group formed by the school’s administration department. After graduating from Tremia Academy, it was a custom that students would first join that group.

The Rainbow Color Reciter, Xins. From what Neight had heard, for some reason, only Xins hadn’t joined a single association. He had received a lot of invitations of course, and as long as he would show his face to the public, any group would have accepted him as an executive member. And yet, he still liked to act alone, on his free will. A while ago, he had attracted a lot of attention because of that.

“Well, Xins-sama seems to only be willing to participate as an observer. It seems that sometimes, he even comes to visit my home. But usually it’s when I’m at school.”

“……That’s amazing……”

“And it’s not just Xins-sama, but many other people as well. My dad has many colleagues who people would think of as strange or amazing. In fact, that gathering seemed to be something more like a hangout.”

Neight was speechless. Ada had such an amazing father. That’s right. That’s what a regular human would think, that it was an astonishing thing.

But— The eyes of the girl who had told him all of this trembled with a sad color.

“I was born as the heir to that great leader, so…… I sometimes feel pretty restricted. I have a predetermined daily routine, a predetermined path, and a predetermined future. Even though other children played with their friends, I was always by myself, gripping my {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}.”

The gemstones on the tip of the spear shone. Those were probably the catalysts used for sending back Recited creatures.

She had called her spear an {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}. Speaking of which, the spear he had seen from when she had been practicing on the rooftop was a simple spear with no such workings.

“……You noticed?”

Like she was smiling while crying, she faintly curled up the edges of her mouth.

“Because I’m always used to use an {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}, my body is used to something of that weight and length. But the spear-wielding club has spears of its own designated standard, so things like its weight are completely different. Because of that, I don’t feel comfortable using it…… I often make mistakes when using the club’s spears.”

Back on the rooftop, when she dropped the spear, Neight remembered how she had glared down at it. Now, he felt that he better understood the meaning behind her gaze at that time.

“Are the spears used by the club and your {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}} that different?”

“No, not really. It’s just that I’ve become too used to my {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}. I know its weight up to 0.1 grams and its reach up to 0.1 millimeters. That’s why I’ll be thrown off if it’s even a bit different.”

0.1 grams and 0.1 millimeters. She spoke those words like it was completely natural.

But was something like that really possible? At least for Neight himself, he couldn’t even remember the length of the pen he normally used, nor did he have the confidence to take a guess.

“Ada-san, could it be that you can use the Reverse Song and several colors as well?”

The technique for using the Reverse Song was similar to that of normal Recitations, meaning that one had to understand each color separately. Then in the case of someone who specialized in sending back Recited creatures…

“……Yeah. Even though my memory isn’t that good, in order to use the Reverse Song, I’ve remembered the details of several colors.”

The way she said it made it seem like learning the Reverse Song was easier than learning Recitations. There were probably teachers in Tremia who were masters of several colors. But that was different when it came to students.

—But Neight had never seen this girl bragging about such a thing.

She wasn’t the type of person to lie. But still, Neight couldn’t believe it so quickly. Because what she had just told him was something that went against his common sense.

“If I say it, I’ll just be called an idiot. This guy was……my first friend.”

Hugging the spear embedded with gemstones, the girl stood up straight.

“No, not just a friend. It’s already become like a part of me. We’re always, always together. No matter if it’s weight or length, there’s nothing we don’t know about each other— There’s that kind of connection between us.”

……But even that’s not important anymore.

Her hoarse voice softly flowed out from her small lips.

“For just a little while, I wanted to try going down a path other than what my heritage decided for me. The truth is, my mother has qualifications as a Reciter, so I was interested in Recitation schools ever since I was young.”

“……I see.”

“I made a lot of friends after coming to Tremia Academy. Although it can’t be compared to Chibi-kun’s situation, I’m really glad I came here.”

After being blessed with many friends and joining a club, she had enjoyed school life from the bottom of her heart. Neight could tell from the way that Ada normally behaved.

But— He couldn’t understand.

“Ada-san.”

There was just one thing, one thing that he couldn’t understand at all.

“But if that’s so, why are you still practicing like this with the {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}?”

That’s right. Why? With trembling lips, Ada muttered to herself as if she were speaking a soliloquy.

“……I don’t understand very well either. But it’s probably because I don’t want to regret it anymore.”

Regret?

“Yeah. I don’t want to have that dream anymore.”

That dream. Regret. What did that mean?

No matter how long he gazed at the girl’s face, the depths of her wavering eyes hid something important and only reflected a distant scenery.

===Part 5===

“……Even the folds on its clothes have been made this accurately.”

Without touching it, Zessel moved forward as close as he could to the stone statue in front of him.

There were around ten stone statues. Although he hadn’t seen it yet, Zessel felt that even the fibres of their clothing had been created perfectly. At first, simply seeing the look of fear on the statues’ faces had been enough. The statues portrayed a realism that couldn’t be matched by simple carvings.

“It seems like we were right.”

“These people have been turned to stone…… I can’t believe it……”

His colleague, the female teacher, staggered back. Patting her shoulder forcefully, Zessel advanced a step forward.

“Enne, don’t touch the statues. We don’t know what tricks there could be, so we need to be as careful as we can.”

“—I’ll contact the headmaster.”

Enne spoke like she had suddenly thought of it.

“Let’s wait until we have more to report.”

That’s right. After all, they still hadn’t gone beyond the entrance hall of the research institute. Beyond this, farther inside, what could have happened? At the very least, they needed to investigate the cause of this situation.

“……Right.”

A white light penetrated the darkness in the hall.

“Let’s go.”

In Enne’s left hand was a white sphere of light she had called out.

“Please, could you illuminate the way in front of us and slowly advance forward?”

Although it had the appearance of an inanimate object, it was actually a light fairy that was categorized under {{Furigana|Third Scale Recitations|Prime Aria}}. When it sensed danger, its light would turn off. It was a Recitation that the {{Furigana|White Reciter|Enne}} liked to use when exploring.

The light was able to illuminate up to ten meters ahead of them. Within that area, there were no more stone statues. At least they didn’t have to worry about that for now.

However, instead.

—What’s with this ash?

Gazing down the hallway, they slowed their steps.

Scattered in a corner of the hallway was a large amount of ash. Was it the remains of something burning? No, if that were the case, there should be burn marks inside the research institute.

“I don’t know what it is, but we probably shouldn’t step on it.”

“That’s true— Huh?”

A sound suddenly reached Zessel’s eardrums. The scraping noise made him reflexively turn around.

“What’s wrong?”

Enne, who had been taking the lead, stopped. Before Zessel responded, he first needed to confirm if anything was behind them.

Nothing was there…… Was it his imagination? Was it just his nerves acting up?

“No, It’s nothing.”

As he spoke, the light of the light fairy suddenly vanished.

“Eh?”

At the same time as Enne spoke, their surroundings once again became engulfed in darkness.

The light fairy suddenly turned off? Moreover, it turned off quickly, too quickly.

Like they expected, something was in the research institute with them. Something alive!

——[{{Furigana|Keinez|Red Song}}]——

With the catalyst he held in his right hand, Zessel called out a handful of flames.

Although it wasn’t as bright as the light fairy, he could see a few meters ahead of him with this…………

At that moment, he couldn’t believe what he saw in front of him.

……Hey, wait a moment. ……What is it…?

From the wall beside Enne, who had been walking in front of him— Like it had been fused with the grey wall, a large snake with scales of the same grey color slithered forward.

“Enne, get down!”

“Eh?”

His sudden warning backfired. Taken aback, Enne turned to look in his direction. In other words, she turned her back to the mysterious snake. The snake lifted its head……

“Enne!”

Opening its mouth, the snake attacked.

There was no time to hesitate. With all of his strength, Zessel pushed his vulnerable colleague towards the opposite wall.

The sound of something piercing his shoulder echoed out. The sound was so amazingly detailed that there was no time for him to feel afraid.

However, the sharp pain of the snake’s fangs piercing his shoulder was real.

“……Agh!”

“Z-Zessel!”

There was no time to respond to her call.

With his right hand, he grabbed the head of the snake that had bitten his left shoulder and refused to let go. Using all of his strength, he tried to pull it off. But the snake’s fangs tightly latched on.

“You……!”

He grabbed the flames that he had called out to use as a light, and thrust it directly at the snake’s head.

Burned by the flames, the snake floundered back and forth. Gripping the snake by the neck, Zessel quickly pulled it away from his shoulder. With all of his strength, he slammed the struggling snake onto the floor. The snake lay on the floor, paralyzed. Although it was still alive, it was unable to attack a second time.

When he shifted his gaze towards his shoulder to check the bleeding—

“……So that’s how it is. I finally see the trick behind this.”

“Zessel……Your shoulder!”

Enne yelled hoarsely.

His left shoulder was turning to ash-grey stone. There was no pain or discomfort. But just like it wasn’t his own arm, no matter how much strength he used, anything below his shoulder wouldn’t move.

So this was the cause of the stone statues in the entrance hall.

“Think about it later! First, we need to get out of here! This research institute is dangerous!”

They ran back through the hallway they had walked down, but after a few seconds, the two of them froze in their steps.

……There shouldn’t have been anything back here……

Grey reptiles filled the hallway they had come from. On the walls were snakes identical to the large snake that had attacked him. From even the ceiling to the side walls were bodies of snakes slithering forward. At the very least, there were ten of them.

He recalled the mountains of ash in the hallway. Had they been hiding inside? But there was one thing he couldn’t understand. What was the reason behind going so far to prevent intruders from leaving?

If their purpose had been to prevent people from entering the research institute, then there would be no need to hide these Recited creatures. They should have acted threatening from the very beginning, in the entrance hall. Rather, it seemed like they had been inviting people inside the research institute—

“……I see.”

He gripped the shoulder of Enne, who remained standing.

“Zessel?”

The snakes blocked the exit and sealed off the path back. Naturally, there was only one path left for intruders.

That’s right. The rascal who created this was definitely urging them to go further into the research institute.

“Enne, we can escape inside!”

Giving Enne a push from behind, Zessel ran down the corridor.

Farther into the research institute.

----

<noinclude>{{Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai Nav|prev=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 2nd Play|next=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 Interval Play}}</noinclude>

Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 3rd Play

2013-09-03T11:59:47Z

Cres: /* Part 2 */ sentence structure, some word substitution to avoid repetition

==3rd Play - I Wanted to Escape, But For Some Reason, I Couldn't Abandon It==

===Part 1===

The sound of the fan, the sound of the clock’s second hand counting time, and— the sound of the students’ pencils quickly scratching.

The students glared silently at the sheets of paper on their desks.

Sitting in rows in the large classroom were seventy students listening to the lecture. But out of those, probably only a tenth of them were actually writing furiously.

……Like I thought, is it too difficult for first-year students?

At the front of the classroom, after giving the students a brief glance, Enne crossed her arms.

When students entered Tremia Academy, they had each selected a color to specialize in. The students gathered in this classroom were the ones who had chosen [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]. When they entered this high school, they should have had at least some basic knowledge about their chosen color. Because of that— She had listed the small spirits that could be called out under [{{Furigana|Arzus’s|White’s}}] {{Furigana|Second Scale Recitation|Noble Aria}} and explained their differences and similarities compared to small sprits of other colors.

This was the topic that Enne had prepared.

However, the students had difficulty making comparisons with small spirits of other colors. Although they could write about the spirit of their chosen color, in other words, Pegasus, only a few students remembered the characteristics of [{{Furigana|Surisuz's|Yellow’s}}] small spirit, Will-o’-wisp.

……They’re only first-year students, so it can’t be helped.

She breathed a small sigh as the preliminary bell rang, signaling that morning classes were almost over.

“Everyone, I’m sorry. It was unreasonable of me to expect that you could write about the other colors. It’s fine to skip those sections and finish only the parts about [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]. Those of you who are finished can hand it in and break for lunch.”

Sure enough, the students who had been complaining until now looked more relaxed.

“That’s right, Sensei was being too unreasonable!”

“Well, if I had asked you guys to only do this, you would have finished an hour ago.”

The students chatted as they handed in their exam sheets. When the line at the front of the room had dispersed, there was a mountain of paper on the podium. After that, the shadows of the students disappeared out of the classroom.

Was this everyone?

Rearranging the messy stack of paper, she looked around the classroom once again.

“Oh?”

In the corner of the classroom sat one last person. The figure of the single student sat in an inconspicuous location.

“What’s wrong? It’s fine, you don’t need to do anything unreasonable.”

“Nn, but there’s only one color left that I can’t write about. I somehow wrote about the other four colors already.”

Looking down at her page, the student muttered.

“It was fine to only write about [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}], so isn’t it already excellent that you can write about the other colors as well?”

“……Umm, but that’s the problem, Sensei.”

The student finally raised her head. Her tanned, boyish features gazed straight at Enne.

“I wrote about all the colors other than [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]. But I can’t remember what to write for the required one, [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}].”

—Ada Yung.

She wrote about all of the colors except [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]? What did that mean?

“Can I take a quick look at it?”

She picked up the sheets of paper on the desk.

……What is this?

Keeping her hand still, she looked over what was written on the page.

'''{{Furigana|Small yellow spirits|Will-o’-wisps}}— Their outward appearance is a yellow sphere floating in the air. They do not speak the human language, but can understand simple commands. As for their size, statistically speaking, ninety-five percent of them are within 70 to 100 cm. One as large as 113 cm has been officially recorded. They float 60 to 80 cm above the ground and their movement speed is slow at 3 km/h. Because the abilities of Reciters are different, they can exist for roughly five hours. When they use their power, it shortens the time they are able to remain existing.'''

'''They give off a pale radiance when preparing for battle, so caution is necessary. They then extend pale tentacles that give off a high-voltage electric current to electrify the opponent. The speed at which they can stretch their tentacles is ten times their movement speed. The length of their tentacles is the same as the diameter of their body, although the longest ones have been recorded at 167.3 cm. They have at most three tentacles, which have a diameter of around 1 cm. Although they can attack horizontally or straight up into the air, they are unable to stretch their tentacles directly below them.'''

'''There are not particularly any special points to mention about them.'''

'''Difficulty to suppress: easy.'''

She didn’t mention anything at all about the catalyst and <{{Furigana|Song of Praise|Oratorio}}> that were essential to Reciters. Instead, she described in detail its biological features. It wasn’t knowledge necessary to conduct a Recitation. Or rather— Was this data necessary when confronting a {{Furigana|Small yellow spirit|Will-o’-wisp}}?

“Difficulty to suppress…… Easy?”

“Ah!”

As she murmured those words, the girl grimaced.

“Did I write that? It’s just a habit from a long time ago.”

“No, it’s not really a bad thing to write.”

She flipped through the pages. Things about the Recited creatures of other Recitation colors were written there. All of them consisted of detailed descriptions. They also didn’t mention catalysts or <{{Furigana|Songs of Praise|Oratorios}}>. It was simply a thorough, overwhelming list of biological data.

Perhaps she didn’t have enough time to write about [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]?

—No, that’s not right. She really could not write about it.

Ada Yung Gillshuvesher. Looking at the name that was written on the page, Enne finally understood the reason.

{{Furigana|Small red spirits|Salamandes}}, {{Furigana|Small green spirits|Aerials}}.

“Everything written on here is about offensive Recited creatures, isn’t it?”

The girl gave no reply. More than anything, her silence confirmed Enne’s guess.

That’s right. Pegasi and unicorns included in [{{Furigana|Arzus’s|White’s}}] Second Scale Recitations did not possess offensive traits. Therefore, she hadn’t learned about them.

It was like Enne had thought. All of this girl’s knowledge of Recited creatures was for the sake of fighting against them.

“Must I write about [{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}]?”

The student had on a troubled expression.

“Well. Since you’ve written so much already, just add something like ‘……Compared to what’s written above, there are few of [{{Furigana|Arzus|White’s}}] small spirits that have offensive characteristics.’ You can hand it in like that.”

“Ah, I see! So something like that also works!”

Nodding vigorously, the girl turned her focus back to the pages.

—Eh, she’s not blinking?

Suddenly, Enne noticed that the girl’s concentration was quite strong as she wrote quickly. It was different than how she normally acted in class. Enne had thought that she usually seemed to be easily distracted during class and wasn’t a very enthusiastic student.

“Here, Sensei, I did it! Whew, it’s finally finished.”

The student cheerfully tidied up her desk. As she shouldered her bag, Enne called out to her back.

“Hey, Ada-san.”

“Hm?”

“This is a personal question, but your father is Klaus-san, right?”

Her bright expression suddenly changing, the girl’s eyes darkened.

“……Well, that famous person is something like my father.”

Klaus Yung Gillshuvesher. He was the head of the Yung family of noble warriors and the leader of the several hundred {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}.

{{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}— They were people who had the closest connection to Reciters but at the same time were also complete opposites.

[Nussis], also called the Reverse Song, is a technique to send back Recited creatures. It can be conducted by holding a catalyst and directly touching the creature. For example, in the incident during the recital contest, in order to save Enne, Xins had used the Reverse Song by sacrificing his left arm. That technique was always dangerous.

“Do you also have an {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}?”

In response to that question, the girl unhesitatingly nodded.

“If a person is born into the family of {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}, they will definitely have one.”

The Reverse Recitation was dangerous because it required directly touching the opponent. Therefore, a technique had been created to conduct the Reverse Song by using a spear instead of bare hands.

Gems of all five colors were embedded into the tip of the spear so that by piercing the target with it, the [Nussis] technique could then be used. A spear which undergoes that special treatment is called an {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}} and a person who specializes in that technique is called an {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}}.

“Being from the Yung family, are you not thinking of going down the road of an {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}}?”

“……Who knows.”

The girl spoke ambiguously. Judging from her expression, she didn’t seem to be concerned about it.

Currently, other than the Yung family which was the main family of {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}, there were also several other branch families. For many generations, children born in those families had traditionally become {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}. Because the main Yung family was the originator of such practices, they were traditionally treated as important people and given escorts. Even now, the warriors had a wide-spread status.

Ada Yung. If she wished, she could become well-known as Klaus’s successor.

—No, there was no mistake that she had been practicing {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}} techniques.

This was indicated clearly by the results of her mock exam. Her knowledge was probably not something she had learned from books. All of her knowledge, just like her trained body, was something engraved into not her brain but the marrow of her bones.

“……Well, unfortunately, it seems I don’t have much talent when it comes to that.”

“Talent?”

“Yeah, yeah. When there are so-called practices or drills, I immediately run away.”

Clasping her hands behind her head, Ada laughed with a self-deprecating expression.

“……But……”

Before she could finish speaking.

“Hey hey, Sensei, can I ask you one more thing?”

What could it be? Enne’s gaze encouraged her to continue.

“Enne-sensei is the homeroom teacher of a higher grade, right? Why did you come to teach at the first-year students’ summer school?”

“One of the teachers in charge of first-year students isn’t very healthy. Because of that, I was called to join in at the last minute.”

That was one of the questions she had assumed the students would first ask. She smoothly replied with her prepared answer. That’s right, she had expected it to suffice as a response.

“Ah, that’s a lie.”

Suddenly, the girl’s gaze became penetrating.

“Eh?”

“If that was the case, then there would be no reason for Zessel-sensei to come as well. You said it was at the last minute, so I have to accept that. Sure, there is a teacher in charge of first-year students who didn’t come to summer school this time, but that teacher used to talk happily about coming on this trip, so it doesn’t make sense that the teacher’s health is the reason.”

Her thorough reasoning put Enne at a loss for words. As she was arranging it with Zessel, she had certainly thought of this. But, she didn’t think there would be a student who would think this deeply about it in the first place. In her mind, she had underestimated them.

—But she had never expected this girl, of all people, to ask about it.

Usually, no matter who talked about her, they would say that she was a troublesome child who was often late to class. Enne hadn’t expected her to notice such a trivial issue. Even her teacher, Kate, hadn’t told Enne about anything like that.

……What to do? Should she hastily make up a lie? Or should she vaguely talk around it?

“Um, that is…”

When she started to speak, the bell signaling the end of morning classes rang.

“Oh, it’s finally lunchtime!”

In a completely different manner than the tense atmosphere from before, Ada turned around and ran towards the exit of the classroom without saying anything.

“Eh, w-wait! Ada-san?”

“Sorry, Sensei, but everyone in my class planned to go to the beach together this afternoon!”

Saying those words with an innocent smile, the girl quickly ran away.

“W-Wait!”

The moment when Enne began to chase after her—

The world outside the window flared up in scarlet.

“……Eh?”

The large classroom that she was in was on the second floor. Although she couldn’t clearly see everything from the window, a strange, raging fire burned before her eyes. It was a scarlet color more vivid than pure red. Rather than the color of flames, it looked more like the color of fresh human blood.

—Just what is going on?

It was an endlessly large scarlet inferno, as if even the heavens were burning. Because of the brightness, she couldn’t fully open her eyes. Outside the window should be a view of the plaza close to the schoolyard. If she remembered correctly, Zessel had made plans to teach a Recitation practical skills lesson there at this time.

Then was this Zessel’s doing? No, even using all of his power, he couldn’t call out these monstrous flames. In the first place, there was no reason for him to do such a thing in a practical skills lesson.

She gazed at the flames that dazzled her eyes, and then— Suddenly, the radiance went out.

“The flames disappeared……?”

The chain of events that quickly happened one after the other had made Enne unconsciously hold her breath.

The calmness from before was already returning to the world outside. As she watched, the sparks that had entered the classroom also faded away.

She quickly ran to the window. But looking down at the plaza, she didn’t see a single person.

Neither the students nor Zessel could be found. In other words, his lecture had already ended. Then sure enough, that wasn’t Zessel’s Recitation. Just who—

“Enne, are you there?”

Loud knocks came from the classroom door.

“Zessel!”

A rattle sounded as she opened the door. Her unusually well-dressed coworker entered.

“Zessel, did you see the flames in the plaza?”

“Yeah, it was so bright that I couldn’t not notice it.”

In an easygoing manner, he spoke with a cheerful tone and nodded. In other words, he didn’t seem to be moved by what had happened.

“Do you happen to know who called out those flames?”

“Ah. When I was giving my lecture in the plaza a while ago, there was a single person whose hair color was unique, so I became interested. And then after the lecture ended, even though the other students returned to the school building, only that person didn’t go back. And when I couldn’t help but observe from the shade, it happened.”

No way, were the flames just now Recited by a student? A student still in their first year of high school?

“Who is that student?”

Although Enne taught students in higher grades, she knew about students in other grades who excelled in Recitations. Even among first-year students, there were several students who she had begun to take notice of.

However—

“No, you wouldn’t know who it is even if I told you.”

He slowly looked up at the sky, as if pondering something.

“How can you be so certain?”

“……Because she wasn’t one of the ones we were keeping an eye on.”

Muttering in an unsure tone of voice, he shrugged his shoulders.

“Enne, do you remember the student who called out a lot of red feathers at the recital contest?”

Red feathers? In Recitations, feathers were not considered very difficult to call out. In the recital contest, there was a student who had Recited many birds instead of feathers and gotten a lot of attention. Even she remembered the face of the student who called out the birds, but in the case of feathers…

“……Nobody immediately comes to mind.”

“Don’t think too hard about it. I also couldn’t remember at first.”

During the recital contest, that student had been at the same level as the others. But by the time of this training camp, she had already improved to the point of catching Zessel’s attention.

“So that’s how it is. I don’t know what she experienced from the recital contest up until now. But if she keeps developing at this rate, I’ll have to take note of it.”

As if Zessel seemed happy, his voice rose in pitch.

“Next year at this time, she will undoubtedly surpass other students of higher grades and become one of the top [{{Furigana|Keinez|Red}}] students. No, that might even happen in the middle of this year instead of next year. Anyways, in my point of view it’s slightly scary. She’s just an unpolished gem.”

“As a teacher, isn’t this a good time to show off your skill?”

“Well said. ……But still, I feel slightly uneasy.”

He continued speaking in a vague manner that was unusual for him.

“After they succeed in a Recitation during the lecture, most students would happily come and tell me about it. But that girl was different. I guess it could be described as absentmindedness. She had a scared expression, and it felt like she wouldn’t talk to me unless I spoke first.”

Recitation is a ritual to praise the thing one wants to call out. Therefore, there are essentially no cases where one is surprised at what they Recited. Instead of being scared, her expression should have meant something else.

“Well, those are just my unreasonable fears. I mean, I hope they’re just fears.”

Although she knew the flames were already gone, Enne once again looked out the window and down at the plaza. In any case, there didn’t seem to be anything they could do about that girl.

“Thanks, I get the general situation now. I was worried. At first, I thought it was something the students had persuaded you into doing.”

“……Ah, really?”

As if he was sulking, Zessel turned away. Honestly, how child-like. As she laughed at his actions, Enne walked down the hallway in front of him.

“Well, let’s go. If we’re slow, we might not be able to make it back on time today.”

—Their destination was the place where the <Egg> had been manufactured, Kelberk Research Institute.

===Part 2===

“Well, let’s end it here for today.”

The teacher in charge of the class, Kate, closed her textbook.

“Alright. Thank you very much.”

“It’s already lunchtime, so I’m sorry that it ended a little late.”

“N-No, it’s fine…… It’s because I haven’t learned about this before.”

Putting the textbook into his bag, Neight frantically shook his head.

Tremia Academy’s courses were based on a credit system, so other than the essential subjects, students could freely choose the courses they wished to take.

The course that Neight had been taking was one of the required subjects concerning Recitations, historical studies. This was an area he had learned nearly nothing about before being enrolled in Tremia Academy.

“Like I thought, was it too difficult studying one-on-one with a teacher?”

Gazing at him with a wry smile, Kate asked, amused. This course was one that his other classmates had all finished taking before summer vacation. Because of that, the left out Neight had ended up coming to one-on-one lessons with Kate.

“……Difficulty-wise, it really is hard.”

“I’m glad you’re being honest.”

The teacher smiled happily.

“By the way, that Rainbow Color Reciter was also bad at this subject.”

“Xins-san, you mean?”

“The director of education secretly told me about it. She used to be Xins-san’s teacher.”

The director of education, Jessica. He had met her only once when he was enrolling into this school. After that, he didn’t remember having ever talked to her. She was often by the headmaster’s side, and rather than being a teacher, she now seemed to be more like the headmaster’s secretary.

“Was Xins-san an outstanding person ever since he was a student?”

“When he was a student, his grades seemed to be around average in his school. Or rather, he didn’t seem interested in school lectures. And that includes the history that I was just teaching you. How contradictory, that a person whose name would be remembered throughout history wasn’t interested in studying history himself.”

—Speaking of which, Mother hadn’t taught him about Recitation history either.

Was that by chance, or was it something inevitable? In this aspect, Mother and the Rainbow Reciter were probably quite similar to each other.

“Now then, enough of our useless talking. Let’s go eat lunch. If you don’t hurry to the cafeteria, your seat will be taken!”

Ah, oh no! Speaking of which, hadn’t he been invited by Mio-san and Kluele-san to eat lunch together?

“Please excuse me, but I’ll be going on ahead!”

Carrying his bag under his arm, Neight hurriedly ran down the hallway.

<div align="center">***</div>

In the hallway outside the first floor lobby, thick lush plants were planted at regular intervals, and a simple roof was built overhead to block the rain.

Leaning back against a beam that supported the roof—

Kluele gazed blankly at the roof overhead. Under the hot sun and hot wind, without wiping her forehead that was covered in sweat, she simply let herself enjoy the tranquil moment.

What broke the silence was the voice of her close friend.

“Ah, Kululu, you’re here!”

With quick steps, the girl with a familiar face ran up to Kluele.

“……Mio?”

Behind her, Neight could also be seen.

“Kululu, you didn’t come even though it was already lunchtime, so we were looking for you.”

“Eh, it’s that time already?”

Rubbing her eyes, Kluele stepped away from the beam she had been leaning against.

“……Sorry, my class ended early, so I was spacing out for a bit.”

“Honestly…”

Puffing up her cheeks, Mio crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Mio-san and I went to take a look, and like we expected, the cafeteria is crowded. I don’t think there will be a free seat for three people any time soon.”

“It can’t be helped. Let’s go there to just buy lunch, then sit and eat at a bench outside.”

The two exchanged glances and nodded.

“Ah……Mio, sorry, but could you help me buy my share as well?”

“Sure. That’s right, the cafeteria is crowded, so I should just go by myself and buy all of our shares.”

—No, that’s not what I meant.

Kluele had a different reason in mind. But she couldn’t say it out loud.

“……Kluele-san?”

They watched Mio hurry away in the direction of the cafeteria. After a little while, Neight looked up at her.

“Kluele-san, did something happen?”

“What do you mean?”

With his deep purple hair swaying in the wind, he looked anxiously at her.

“……For some reason, Kluele-san doesn’t seem very energetic today.”

Facing Neight, who looked up at her intently, Kluele couldn’t help but close her eyes.

—A part of you is really perceptive, isn’t it?

He had given off that impression since the very beginning. It wasn’t that he was looking carefully at her face. Perhaps he was simply sensitive like that.

“Yeah…… I was just feeling kind of lost.”

Like she was trying to deceive him, she tried to let out her best fake laugh.

……But what should she say? She couldn’t find any suitable words. Therefore—

“Hey. Don’t you feel scared?”

Kluele spoke honestly, the terribly direct words coming out of her mouth without being embellished at all.

“Scared?”

“About Recitations.”

His eyes widened, perhaps because he couldn’t guess the meaning behind her words. ……Like I thought, my question sounded strange.

“Hey. A while ago, didn’t you see a huge blaze of fire that came from the plaza?”

“Ah, I saw that!”

With an excited expression, the boy spoke.

“It was amazing, wasn’t it? Even Kate-sensei, who was with me at the time, was surprised. It seemed like the other teachers went to investigate the cause of that. Because of that, my lesson ended a little late.”

“—Neight.”

“The one who called that out was me.”

“…………Eh?”

There was a silence that lasted for more than a few seconds. Neight stood there, forgetting to breathe.

“That can’t be…… No, but…… No way, it was Kluele-san?”

“You can’t believe it, right? But it’s true.”

That’s right. It was natural that he couldn’t believe her right away.

Because after all, she couldn’t even believe it herself.

“During the recital contest, I unexpectedly called out the {{Furigana|Divine Bird of Dawn|Phoenix}}, right? After that, I felt a bit strange. You might think what I’m saying is a bit weird, but…”

She took a breath. As the faint sound lingered in the air—

Looking down at the palms of her hands, Kluele apprehensively continued.

“My Recitations are going too well.”

“Too well?”

Shocked, he repeated her words like a baby.

“Sorry. I might seem like I’m bragging, but…… That’s really not the case. I’m actually really scared.”

During this morning’s practical skills lesson, the Recitation she had conducted to solve the situation had been done so easily that she had thought it was strange. Without even singing a {{Furigana|Song of Praise|Oratorio}}, the time it took for her to Recite had only been a few seconds.

No, it wasn’t just that. She had also involuntarily thought that the Recitations of the other students were terribly immature.

Their imagination and {{Furigana|Songs of Praise|Oratorios}} had been too childish. She had easily been able to see through the parts of their Recitations. She had felt the illusion that there was nothing she couldn’t do in {{Furigana|Keinez|Red Recitations}}.

“Surely I’m misinterpreting it. Speaking of which, when class was over and I was left alone, I secretly tried to Recite some fire…… The catalyst was ordinary red paint.”

The result was that tremendous flame. She was truly glad that nobody had been nearby when it happened. If there had been someone close beside her— They wouldn’t have received just a burn.

“……That was really scary.”

With both hands, Kluele hugged her own body. It wasn’t that she was cold or that she was shaking. It was because her agitated heart and scalding body felt nearly painful. No matter what she did, it wouldn’t subside.

Perhaps it was a side effect of calling out a True Spirit during the recital contest. Surely it was because she was still in a state of excitement. But that also seemed wrong.

“I don’t want something like this to happen! I didn’t call out the Divine Bird for this purpose……”

She felt like the higher-grade students she had seen at the recital contest, who relied on power and violence. What would she do if she overestimated herself and her Recitation ended up spontaneously discharging? It wouldn’t be like the five-colored hydra back then, but there was definitely a chance that she could call out something dangerous.

When she had realized that possibility, she had felt cold and light-headed.

“That’s why I suddenly feel afraid of Recitations.”

Before the sound of her words vanished…

“—But......”

The boy who usually acted quiet and reserved said in an abnormally strong tone of voice.

“But, I don’t think Kluele-san will become like those higher-grade students or conduct such a scary Recitation.”

I’m happy you’re saying that. But, it’s useless. I……

“After all, I believe in you.”

Please, right now, don’t look at me with those eyes.

“Thank you…… But, I’m sorry. I can’t even believe in myself right now.”

She involuntarily averted her eyes. His excessively straightforward gaze felt painful to the point of hurting.

“—Kluele-san.”

Suddenly, his tone of voice changed.

“Please. ‘I can’t even believe in myself’……Please, please don’t say such sad things.”

Although she should have averted her eyes, she couldn’t help but turn her gaze towards him—

Like the surface of an overflowing fountain.

She couldn’t help but look at his shaking, quivering black eyes.

……Neight?

“Kluele-san is not someone who can't believe in herself. Because after all, Kluele-san is feeling this scared.”

[[File:Tasogare_v2_117.jpg|thumb]]

Suddenly, without warning—

“……W-What’s wrong?”

He gently grasped her hand in both of his.

“H-Hey, Neight?”

“It will definitely be alright. If it’s Kluele-san’s Recitation, no matter what it is, I won’t be scared. If your Recitation is scary, I will be there together with you.”

N-No, that’s not what I meant. My hand…… Why so suddenly—

“It’s a good luck charm.”

The boy smiled. From the corner of his eye, a small droplet appeared.

“Kluele-san did the same for me during the recital contest.”

……I did?

‘It’s okay. I will stay with you. Let’s call it out together.’

What had happened on that day replayed in her mind, word for word.

“I love Kluele-san’s Recitations. They are more gentle and beautiful than anyone else’s. They’re lovely. ……That’s why, please, don’t say that you can’t believe in yourself.”

He spoke in a stammering manner, the flow of his words anything but smooth. Even so, he tried his best to convey his feelings as strongly as he could..... And those feelings reached her.

—I see.

So you believe in me that much.

With an odd sensation, something blossomed in her chest. Painful at first, it was a strange feeling that couldn’t be put into words, but that feeling gradually changed into a gentle warmth.

I had always thought that I wanted to do what I could for you. ……But, I was wrong. I was actually making you worry so much about me, wasn’t I?

“Um, could it be that you’ve forgotten what happened that time?”

With lonely eyes Neight looked up at her, who had been silent all this time.

“Don’t be silly. There’s no way I would forget.”

With a finger, she poked the forehead of the boy who was gazing at her.

“……That hurts.”

“It shouldn’t hurt. You’re a boy, aren’t you?”

Like she was teasing him, Kluele winked.

—I’m sorry for making you worry.

But, I’m a bit relieved. I won’t say that I can’t believe in myself anymore.

“……Hey.”

Somehow, you’re a really strange person.

Sometimes I think of you like a little brother to take care of, and other times I think of you like a friend who gets depressed easily. You should be just a normal classmate, but— For some reason, I can’t leave you alone. I think of you as someone very important to me.

I still don’t really understand it.

“I wonder what to call the relationship between us.”

Hey, what do you personally think?

“Eh, r-relationship? Umm…… classmates?”

After thinking it over for a while, he replied seriously in a troubled voice.

Yeah. That’s definitely true for now, but—

“But hey, don’t you think that might change from now on?”

“Change?”

“Fufu, I wonder.”

“Eh, please tell me!”

Looking up at her, the boy puffed up his cheeks. It was such an innocent gesture. Like she thought, he might still be a bit unreliable to become a knight who protects his princess.

“I still don’t understand it either. Well, never mind that. ……Ah, Mio’s back. Now, where would be a good place to eat?”

“……That’s not fair, Kluele-san!”

“Come on, we have to hurry and eat lunch. After all, aren’t we going to play at the beach with everyone else in our class this afternoon?”

===Part 3===

Bright, dazzling rays of heat poured down from the sky overhead. Grains of finely-ground coral seemed to be spread over the white sand. The ocean was a transparent azure blue. The clear waves lapping back and forth seemed to wash away even everyday troubles.

What was called Tremia’s campus was also like a type of private beach. It could be appropriately described as exactly like paradise.

However— Although the scenery was beautiful, Ouma and the male students were interested in another matter.

“……That Neight, he’s attractive, isn’t he?”

In the shade, sitting down on the sandy beach and gazing forward was a single boy in a swimsuit.

“Aah, and to make it worse, he doesn’t even know his own worth…”

Holding juice in his right hand, a fan in his left, and also wearing sunglasses, Ouma reluctantly nodded.

There was a kid having fun playing a game with ten-odd girls in swimsuits.

“Hey, Neighty, go over there! Catch!”

“Eh……Ah, eh……?”

A young boy futilely chased a ball being blown away by the wind. Because he wasn’t accustomed to the sandy beach, he ran unsteadily, his sense of balance even more off than before.

“Ah, ah, ah—!”

The unreliable boy yelled. Soon after, the ball fell onto the sand with a quiet thump.

“Ahaha! That’s no good, Chibi-kun.”

“But he’s so cute—”

“Yep. I’ll forgive you because you’re cute! I mean, it’s more fun this way!”

The cheers when he failed to catch the ball were louder than when he succeeded.

It wasn’t that he made a particularly amazing play, but that the times when he missed were funny. The girls found those times more amusing.

“……Is that it? Is that the charm of the young thirteen-year-old boy?”

“For a boy, his face looks quite androgynous. He’s also short and fragile. To the girls, is he considered more like someone to tease, or someone to play around with?”

In the beginning, they had been wrong to not consider this boy as their rival. In reality, he was a formidable enemy who had transferred into their school.

“Hey, speaking of which, where did the other boys go?”

Some of them had gone to a nearby convenience stand, while others were having fun diving in the ocean. Even though they were each doing what they wanted, there still seemed to be only a few people.

“Hm. Look at that over there.”

Ouma nodded in that direction. There, holding the ball that she was playing with and frowning, was a blonde girl with a childish face, as well as a girl with scarlet hair who was watching with an amused look.

“Huh. That’s strange. According to the theory in the volleyball book…… If I hit it here like this, the ball should fly up. But I don’t understand why Kluele, who hasn’t read any book about this, is better than me……”

“Mio, I already told you, you’re too reliant on books. If you don’t practice for real, you won’t get better at it.”

“……I see. Perhaps you’re right.”

“But more importantly, you didn’t practice swimming either?”

“Yeah, but in that case, if I start reading a book about swimming right now—”

“……You just don’t listen to what people tell you, do you?”

He gazed briefly at the scene.

“What’s wrong with Mio and Kluele?”

“They’re just thoughtless people. Coming on this trip seems to be a good chance to confess to them.”

Ohhh. Letting out a small sigh of admiration, one of the male students stole a glance at where the girls were gathered. Looking at them, he could clearly see the reason why several of the boys had their eyes on them.

Mio Lentear— She had gotten the best in their grade on the written exam and was rumored to be a genius. Along with that, she was also a girl whose lovely smile and calm manner made her stand out. Her behavior of treating everyone equally had earned her deep trust from both students and teachers.

And then there was Kluele Sophi Net. She had a very helpful personality, an unforgettable appearance, and excellent reflexes. Even though she only scored moderately well on exams, that was just another part of her charm.

“So, what was the result?”

“The girls said something like ’……I’m sorry, but about that sort of thing, we still aren’t—’ The several people who were involved are currently feeling heartbroken. They seem to have gone to a part of the beach farther away from here to nurse the wounds in their heart. So, let’s leave them alone for now.”

“……I’ll be next.”

“Stop it. More and more people seem to be having their confessions backfire.”

Throwing him an indifferent look, Ouma pushed up the bridge of his sunglasses.

[[File:Tasogare_v2_125.jpg|thumb]]

“Alright, the next person to drop the ball will face a punishment! Whoever drops the ball will have to go to tomorrow’s lectures in their swimsuit!”

While all of the girls cheered excitedly, a single boy’s face paled.

“Eh. W-Wait……I have a bad feeling about that……”

“Well, let’s start, Neighty!”

“U-Uwa! Why is the ball suddenly moving so fast?”

“Oh, wasn’t that a nice catch, Neight-kun. Well, one more time!”

“Eh, W-Why…… No, please don’t— Wah!”

“Tsk. You survived for the second time in a row, hm?”

“U-Umm……Did you just click your tongue just now?”

“Alright, this time for sure! Chibi-kun, I challenge you for the third time in a row!”

“Uwaaa! So you are aiming at me, aren’t you?!”

“Ah, Neighty ran away! Everyone, chase after him!”

“Hey, even though they forbid boys to play with them, why is only Neight allowed?”

One of the boys said in a tone sounding like he had already given up.

“Rather than being allowed, it seems more like forced participation.”

In the afternoon, the male students had all planned to go to the beach together during their free time. When they had gathered, amongst almost all of the students, Neight had been nowhere to be seen.

When all of the boys Ouma gathered had gone looking for him— They had suddenly heard a grating shriek. When they went to take a look…… There was the figure of a boy whose limbs had been bound by several female students and was being dragged far away.

Although they had tried negotiating with the kidnappers for the hostage, unfortunately, the girls’ true intention didn’t seem to be a ransom, but the boy himself.

“……Kuh, is that the charm of the thirteen-year-old boy?”

He had heard those words a little while ago.

“To not be seen as a man, that sure is pitiful.”

“W-Wait a moment, Ouma-san! Please don’t just silently watch, help me!”

Even now, Neight was still running away from the group of girls chasing after him.

“……What did Neight say just now?”

“I’m not sure, I couldn’t hear him either. You probably misheard him. I definitely didn’t hear anyone asking for help.”

Shaking his head with certainty, Ouma took out the magazine he was in the middle of reading from his bag.

……Damn, what an enviable guy.

<div align="center">***</div>

“Ahh. I wonder if the students are playing around nicely at the beach right now.”

Walking down a road covered in sand, Zessel kicked at the pebbles scattered by his feet as he grumbled.

“That’s all they seemed to be doing a while ago.”

Enne, who walked beside him, smiled wryly.

“Mirror is stuck inside the information department, so you should feel glad compared to him.”

“But he hates the ocean. After all, he can’t swim.”

“……Even now, he still can’t swim?”

Mixed into his colleague’s voice was a teasing tone.

According to the books about swimming that I’ve read, using this theory, I should be able to stay afloat— Back in the time of Elfand school, in a pool 1.2 meters deep, just how many times had that intelligent person said those words and nearly drowned?

“Hey, do you remember our graduation trip to the beach?”

“Although it was quite a long time ago, I still do, more or less.”

Letting out a small laugh, Enne covered her mouth with her hand. It wasn’t the ladylike laugh that she normally showed as a teacher, but because Zessel and Mirror were her childhood friends, it was the lively laugh she secretly showed them.

“Since he’s a teacher of Blue Recitations, it’s unusual that he dislikes the ocean of all things.”

Their graduation trip had been five days long. At the very end, only Mirror hadn’t gone swimming in the ocean even once.

“Well, a certain someone had to use a flotation device even when she was sixteen.”

“I can swim now, you know. I already did special training for it.”

“Is that so? Did you pack a flotation device into your bag this time as well? Enne-sensei, you seem to be quite eager to go swimming.”

“……How do you know about it?”

Idiot, I tricked you into saying that.

Annoyed, Enne pouted. Zessel smiled faintly as she did so— Abruptly, their casual conversation died off.

From the sandy road, they turned a corner and onto an area where dry, hard soil covered the ground.

“……Well then, shall we pay them a visit?”

Zessel let out the breath he had been holding.

Kelberk Research Insititute, Fidellia branch.

Casting a backward glance at the name of the place carved into the large brown rock, they stepped through the open gateway.

……So it’s open, huh?

The inside of the facility wasn’t very wide. There were only weeds growing thickly all over the place.

“Is anyone there?”

“Just like it seems, I don’t think there’s anyone inside.”

“Well, to anyone inside, excuse us for coming in!”

At the front door of the research facility, they pressed the buzzer meant to be used by visitors, which was beside the door. A mechanical sound echoed throughout the inside of the building. The reverberations were even transmitted back to them, who stood by the door.

“At least we can confirm that it rang.”

—But why was there no response from inside?

He winked at the woman beside him. As if his intentions had been conveyed to her, Enne silently gave her approval.

While hiding an emergency catalyst in his left hand, he opened the door of the research institute with his right hand. With a rusty creaking sound, the door slowly opened.

“……It’s dark?”

Although he thought that the lights would be on, a curtain of darkness stretched out before him so that he couldn’t see more than a few meters in. Sure enough, something strange was going on.

[[File:Tasogare_v2_141.jpg|thumb]]

Sunlight from outside shone through the open door. Little by little, his view of a few meters grew wider—

The scene in the entrance hall reached his eyes.

“…………!”

Enne let out a soundless scream.

Clutching the shoulder of the woman who had collapsed to the ground, Zessel barely managed to keep calm.

……This must be some sort of joke, right?

Stone statues. Or at least, that was what they first thought. That’s right. Decorating the front lobby were things resembling monuments.

But after carefully gazing at them, Enne and Zessel realized that those were not simply stone sculptures. Even if they didn’t want to, they couldn’t help but understand. The sculptures looked too realistic, and too repulsive.

They had read about it many times in things like fairy tales. But until now, they hadn’t believed for an instant that such a phenomenon could become reality.

The features of the stone statue looked afraid. The forms of the stone sculptures looked like they were running for their lives.

—Before Enne and Zessel’s eyes were the staff members of the research institute, who had turned to stone.

===Part 4===

He heard the sound of small waves lapping against the shore and the quiet sound of his shoes stepping on white sand. Although every step was the same, the sound was different each time, making him unable to get bored of listening to it. To Neight, going on a stroll down the beach while enjoying the sea breeze was a new experience.

“Ah, a seashell!”

Its outward appearance was deep purple, while the inside was red. Neight picked up the bivalve, which had an unusual hue.

“……Should I give this to Kluele-san?”

The sea wasn’t blue like it had been at noon, and the horizon was dyed by the sunset. It was just before night fell. Therefore, it was probably during this time when he felt the closest to the sun.

Suddenly. Mixed in with the ocean spray, the sharp sound of something cutting air reached his ears.

—Eh?

Directly ahead in the direction he had been going, the figure of a person appeared on the beach which he had thought was empty. As he advanced closer, the sounds of wind sped up. It didn’t just become faster, but also more powerful.

Deja-vu.

The girl who swung her spear while bathed in the light of the setting sun overlapped with the image of what he had seen on the rooftop a few days ago.

“Ada-san?”

The first time, he had felt pure amazement. The second time he saw her wielding the spear, Neight finally understood how intense it was.

When he had seen it before, only the elegance of her movements had reached his eyes— But now, along with the beauty of the girl swinging her spear, her sharp and honed actions sent chills down his spine.

Despite the sand underfoot that made it difficult to move freely, there wasn’t any change in her movements. But rather, it made her steps and leaps silent. He couldn’t hear the sound of her kicking the sand.

It was too tranquil. Her movements flowed too serenely.

The spear-wielding club. But what she was doing wasn’t at the level that a mere club member could achieve.

……It’s different. Something is different compared to back then.

Even as an amateur, Neight still clearly understood. Although he had been surprised when he saw the girl up on the roof, her movements right now seemed to go beyond that to the point of making an observer feel afraid.

Furthermore— The girl held the spear with only one hand, but her whole body moved along with it, making it spin at an even higher speed.

That’s right. Back then, on the rooftop, she had dropped her spear.

In her one hand, it turned, rotated, revolved.

Ten times, twenty times, thirty times.

No matter how much time passed, she didn’t drop the spear.

Suddenly, the girl’s movements stopped. She let out a small sigh. She had been moving so much under the hot weather, but her breathing hadn’t changed at all.

“……This is the second time, right, Chibi-kun?”

Seeming like she felt both troubled and embarrassed, with a complicated expression, Ada smiled bitterly.

“U-Um. It is special training with your spear again?”

“Half right and half wrong. But I guess you could interpret it that way.”

After that, their conversation stopped. Neight thought that she would continue speaking, but she simply gazed at the spear she held with an almost sorrowful look.

“Ada-san, that was really amazing!”

“Hm, amazing?”

“Even though you played around with everyone for so long this afternoon, you’re still doing that special training in the evening.”

Everyone else in the class was currently resting in their room. Even Neight had been sleeping until now, and had only woken up a short while ago.

“Well, it’s already become a habit to me, just like eating dinner. That would happen to anyone who has been doing this for ten-odd years already.”

Ten-odd years? She should have joined the spear-wielding club after entering Tremia Academy, and not more than half a year should have passed since then.

“For Chibi-kun, it’s because of that, right? You want to become a Reciter because you want to complete the Recitation that your mother left you.”

“Yes. I haven’t decided whether I should become a Reciter or what, but first I want to be able to conduct Mother’s Recitation.”

“—I see.”

Tightly gripping the spear, the girl slowly looked up at the sky.

“……Chibi-kun might get angry, but I can’t do something like that. I can’t do anything about it, even though I’ve already run away.”

Slowly, slowly, like she was trying to persuade herself to tell him, the girl exhaled.

“In my case, the family that I was born in is special. Do you know the {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}? To put it simply, it’s a group that specializes in sending back Recited creatures.”

{{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}. No matter how far he reached into the depths of his memories, he couldn’t come up with anything relating to that word.

“……I’m sorry, but I still haven’t learned enough about such things.”

“No, it’s natural that Chibi-kun doesn’t know about them. They don’t call things out, but send them back. They’re not very well-known. After all, they can’t do flashy things like calling out enormous creatures, so their reputation is naturally lower compared to Reciters’. And out of those who do know about the {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}}, very few want to become one. That’s why being an {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}} is passed down through the family, from father to child.”

Say a Recited creature was running wild in a certain city. At that time, if another Recited creature was called out to oppose the first one, the battle between those two would probably wreck the city. For example, during the recital contest, if another hydra had been called out to oppose the first hydra, it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine the city turning to ruins.

If that situation were to occur, in order to suppress the Recited creature while keeping collateral damage to a minimum, a Reverse Song is the best option. But for nearby Reciters, for example in a situation with only Mio, Kluele, and other girls, it would be extremely dangerous to try and touch the wild Recited creature.

Therefore, ‘Reverse Song professionals’, who had the knowledge and skill for conducting Reverse Songs and a trained body and mind to oppose the wild Recited creature, were needed.

“That was the reason for forming the group of {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}} that exists now. Of course, even now, I think the people who are working hard as {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}} are amazing. After all, it’s a job that requires them to have a strong body and to risk their lives. They can’t skip out on a certain amount of training for even a single day. That’s why they’re people who deserve to be respected.”

But— Letting out a long breath that resembled a sigh, Ada looked down.

“But even so, they aren’t very well-known at all. They don’t even have a specialized school like Reciters do. They just train alone by themselves, inconspicuously. ……The pronunciation of the word {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}} seems to have a special origin, but my dad won’t tell me. I can’t help but wonder, is it just because they felt inferior compared to Reciters?”

She smiled in a self-deprecating manner. Unsure of how to respond, Neight quietly averted his gaze.

“Ada-san’s father is also an {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}}, isn’t he?”

“……Yeah. He’s the head of the main {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}} family, the Yung, and also probably the best {{Furigana|Exorcist|Gillshe}}. Apparently he’s been to many places around the continent and knows many people. One time he gathered together all of his acquaintances, and even that Xins-sama was there.”

“Xins-sama was?”

Among Reciters, there were ten-odd large factions formed based on personal connections and the school one studied at.

There were many merits to being in such organizations, such as obtaining jobs, self-promotion, and meetings with famous people. The names of Tremia Academy’s teachers were probably also classified into a group formed by the school’s administration department. After graduating from Tremia Academy, it was a custom that students would first join that group.

The Rainbow Color Reciter, Xins. From what Neight had heard, for some reason, only Xins hadn’t joined a single association. He had received a lot of invitations of course, and as long as he would show his face to the public, any group would have accepted him as an executive member. And yet, he still liked to act alone, on his free will. A while ago, he had attracted a lot of attention because of that.

“Well, Xins-sama seems to only be willing to participate as an observer. It seems that sometimes, he even comes to visit my home. But usually it’s when I’m at school.”

“……That’s amazing……”

“And it’s not just Xins-sama, but many other people as well. My dad has many colleagues who people would think of as strange or amazing. In fact, that gathering seemed to be something more like a hangout.”

Neight was speechless. Ada had such an amazing father. That’s right. That’s what a regular human would think, that it was an astonishing thing.

But— The eyes of the girl who had told him all of this trembled with a sad color.

“I was born as the heir to that great leader, so…… I sometimes feel pretty restricted. I have a predetermined daily routine, a predetermined path, and a predetermined future. Even though other children played with their friends, I was always by myself, gripping my {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}.”

The gemstones on the tip of the spear shone. Those were probably the catalysts used for sending back Recited creatures.

She had called her spear an {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}. Speaking of which, the spear he had seen from when she had been practicing on the rooftop was a simple spear with no such workings.

“……You noticed?”

Like she was smiling while crying, she faintly curled up the edges of her mouth.

“Because I’m always used to use an {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}, my body is used to something of that weight and length. But the spear-wielding club has spears of its own designated standard, so things like its weight are completely different. Because of that, I don’t feel comfortable using it…… I often make mistakes when using the club’s spears.”

Back on the rooftop, when she dropped the spear, Neight remembered how she had glared down at it. Now, he felt that he better understood the meaning behind her gaze at that time.

“Are the spears used by the club and your {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}} that different?”

“No, not really. It’s just that I’ve become too used to my {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}. I know its weight up to 0.1 grams and its reach up to 0.1 millimeters. That’s why I’ll be thrown off if it’s even a bit different.”

0.1 grams and 0.1 millimeters. She spoke those words like it was completely natural.

But was something like that really possible? At least for Neight himself, he couldn’t even remember the length of the pen he normally used, nor did he have the confidence to take a guess.

“Ada-san, could it be that you can use the Reverse Song and several colors as well?”

The technique for using the Reverse Song was similar to that of normal Recitations, meaning that one had to understand each color separately. Then in the case of someone who specialized in sending back Recited creatures…

“……Yeah. Even though my memory isn’t that good, in order to use the Reverse Song, I’ve remembered the details of several colors.”

The way she said it made it seem like learning the Reverse Song was easier than learning Recitations. There were probably teachers in Tremia who were masters of several colors. But that was different when it came to students.

—But Neight had never seen this girl bragging about such a thing.

She wasn’t the type of person to lie. But still, Neight couldn’t believe it so quickly. Because what she had just told him was something that went against his common sense.

“If I say it, I’ll just be called an idiot. This guy was……my first friend.”

Hugging the spear embedded with gemstones, the girl stood up straight.

“No, not just a friend. It’s already become like a part of me. We’re always, always together. No matter if it’s weight or length, there’s nothing we don’t know about each other— There’s that kind of connection between us.”

……But even that’s not important anymore.

Her hoarse voice softly flowed out from her small lips.

“For just a little while, I wanted to try going down a path other than what my heritage decided for me. The truth is, my mother has qualifications as a Reciter, so I was interested in Recitation schools ever since I was young.”

“……I see.”

“I made a lot of friends after coming to Tremia Academy. Although it can’t be compared to Chibi-kun’s situation, I’m really glad I came here.”

After being blessed with many friends and joining a club, she had enjoyed school life from the bottom of her heart. Neight could tell from the way that Ada normally behaved.

But— He couldn’t understand.

“Ada-san.”

There was just one thing, one thing that he couldn’t understand at all.

“But if that’s so, why are you still practicing like this with the {{Furigana|Exorcist Spear|Gil}}?”

That’s right. Why? With trembling lips, Ada muttered to herself as if she were speaking a soliloquy.

“……I don’t understand very well either. But it’s probably because I don’t want to regret it anymore.”

Regret?

“Yeah. I don’t want to have that dream anymore.”

That dream. Regret. What did that mean?

No matter how long he gazed at the girl’s face, the depths of her wavering eyes hid something important and only reflected a distant scenery.

===Part 5===

“……Even the folds on its clothes have been made this accurately.”

Without touching it, Zessel moved forward as close as he could to the stone statue in front of him.

There were around ten stone statues. Although he hadn’t seen it yet, Zessel felt that even the fibres of their clothing had been created perfectly. At first, simply seeing the look of fear on the statues’ faces had been enough. The statues portrayed a realism that couldn’t be matched by simple carvings.

“It seems like we were right.”

“These people have been turned to stone…… I can’t believe it……”

His colleague, the female teacher, staggered back. Patting her shoulder forcefully, Zessel advanced a step forward.

“Enne, don’t touch the statues. We don’t know what tricks there could be, so we need to be as careful as we can.”

“—I’ll contact the headmaster.”

Enne spoke like she had suddenly thought of it.

“Let’s wait until we have more to report.”

That’s right. After all, they still hadn’t gone beyond the entrance hall of the research institute. Beyond this, farther inside, what could have happened? At the very least, they needed to investigate the cause of this situation.

“……Right.”

A white light penetrated the darkness in the hall.

“Let’s go.”

In Enne’s left hand was a white sphere of light she had called out.

“Please, could you illuminate the way in front of us and slowly advance forward?”

Although it had the appearance of an inanimate object, it was actually a light fairy that was categorized under {{Furigana|Third Scale Recitations|Prime Aria}}. When it sensed danger, its light would turn off. It was a Recitation that the {{Furigana|White Reciter|Enne}} liked to use when exploring.

The light was able to illuminate up to ten meters ahead of them. Within that area, there were no more stone statues. At least they didn’t have to worry about that for now.

However, instead.

—What’s with this ash?

Gazing down the hallway, they slowed their steps.

Scattered in a corner of the hallway was a large amount of ash. Was it the remains of something burning? No, if that were the case, there should be burn marks inside the research institute.

“I don’t know what it is, but we probably shouldn’t step on it.”

“That’s true— Huh?”

A sound suddenly reached Zessel’s eardrums. The scraping noise made him reflexively turn around.

“What’s wrong?”

Enne, who had been taking the lead, stopped. Before Zessel responded, he first needed to confirm if anything was behind them.

Nothing was there…… Was it his imagination? Was it just his nerves acting up?

“No, It’s nothing.”

As he spoke, the light of the light fairy suddenly vanished.

“Eh?”

At the same time as Enne spoke, their surroundings once again became engulfed in darkness.

The light fairy suddenly turned off? Moreover, it turned off quickly, too quickly.

Like they expected, something was in the research institute with them. Something alive!

——[{{Furigana|Keinez|Red Song}}]——

With the catalyst he held in his right hand, Zessel called out a handful of flames.

Although it wasn’t as bright as the light fairy, he could see a few meters ahead of him with this…………

At that moment, he couldn’t believe what he saw in front of him.

……Hey, wait a moment. ……What is it…?

From the wall beside Enne, who had been walking in front of him— Like it had been fused with the grey wall, a large snake with scales of the same grey color slithered forward.

“Enne, get down!”

“Eh?”

His sudden warning backfired. Taken aback, Enne turned to look in his direction. In other words, she turned her back to the mysterious snake. The snake lifted its head……

“Enne!”

Opening its mouth, the snake attacked.

There was no time to hesitate. With all of his strength, Zessel pushed his vulnerable colleague towards the opposite wall.

The sound of something piercing his shoulder echoed out. The sound was so amazingly detailed that there was no time for him to feel afraid.

However, the sharp pain of the snake’s fangs piercing his shoulder was real.

“……Agh!”

“Z-Zessel!”

There was no time to respond to her call.

With his right hand, he grabbed the head of the snake that had bitten his left shoulder and refused to let go. Using all of his strength, he tried to pull it off. But the snake’s fangs tightly latched on.

“You……!”

He grabbed the flames that he had called out to use as a light, and thrust it directly at the snake’s head.

Burned by the flames, the snake floundered back and forth. Gripping the snake by the neck, Zessel quickly pulled it away from his shoulder. With all of his strength, he slammed the struggling snake onto the floor. The snake lay on the floor, paralyzed. Although it was still alive, it was unable to attack a second time.

When he shifted his gaze towards his shoulder to check the bleeding—

“……So that’s how it is. I finally see the trick behind this.”

“Zessel……Your shoulder!”

Enne yelled hoarsely.

His left shoulder was turning to ash-grey stone. There was no pain or discomfort. But just like it wasn’t his own arm, no matter how much strength he used, anything below his shoulder wouldn’t move.

So this was the cause of the stone statues in the entrance hall.

“Think about it later! First, we need to get out of here! This research institute is dangerous!”

They ran back through the hallway they had walked down, but after a few seconds, the two of them froze in their steps.

……There shouldn’t have been anything back here……

Grey reptiles filled the hallway they had come from. On the walls were snakes identical to the large snake that had attacked him. From even the ceiling to the side walls were bodies of snakes slithering forward. At the very least, there were ten of them.

He recalled the mountains of ash in the hallway. Had they been hiding inside? But there was one thing he couldn’t understand. What was the reason behind going so far to prevent intruders from leaving?

If their purpose had been to prevent people from entering the research institute, then there would be no need to hide these Recited creatures. They should have acted threatening from the very beginning, in the entrance hall. Rather, it seemed like they had been inviting people inside the research institute—

“……I see.”

He gripped the shoulder of Enne, who remained standing.

“Zessel?”

The snakes blocked the exit and sealed off the path back. Naturally, there was only one path left for intruders.

That’s right. The rascal who created this was definitely urging them to go further into the research institute.

“Enne, we can escape inside!”

Giving Enne a push from behind, Zessel ran down the corridor.

Farther into the research institute.

----

<noinclude>{{Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai Nav|prev=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 2nd Play|next=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 Interval Play}}</noinclude>

Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 2nd Play

2013-08-23T15:15:49Z

Cres: Part 3

==2nd Play – Merely Because I Desired This Moment==

===Part 1===

With a high-pitched call of its steam whistle, the black train arrived at the platform.

It continuously spat out high-temperature, high-pressure water vapor into the air. He hadn’t heard about the theory in detail, but it seemed that the steam was used to move pistons, which sent power to the wheels.

“……Wow.”

Looking up, Neight involuntarily let out a shout of joy and amazement.

“It’s amazing!”

The metal vehicle consisted of nearly ten compartments, which together made up one train. He couldn’t imagine how heavy they were, and couldn’t believe that such large masses of metal could move like this.

“Neight, is this your first time riding a steam train?”

Someone tapped Neight’s shoulder. Looking up, beside him stood a male student with a well-built physique.

“It’s my first time seeing a train. When I moved here, I came by boat. What about you, Ouma-san?”

Instead of replying, with an attendance book in hand, the class representative in charge of overseeing the male students shrugged nonchalantly.

“I rode a train often when returning to my home in the countryside. I could take it easy during those times but…… as expected, not right now.”

All approximately four hundred of Tremia Academy’s first-year students had gathered at one platform. Because of that, the platform had become crowded. There was no way of knowing who was where. Although each class should have made plans to assemble together, at this point there were only ten male students gathered around Ouma.

“How should I put it, because it’s so hard to gather together, everyone’s actually feeling cheerful.”

While flipping through the class attendance list, the boy looked around with a surprised expression. Although the teachers seemed to also be guiding students around, even the figures of the teachers were hidden in the wave of people.

“It must be difficult being a class representative.”

“I have it fairly easy. Because if I see one of the boys in our class and call out to him, he’ll come over quickly.”

Is that so? Neight tilted his head at Ouma’s manner of speaking.

“……So then, are there times when that isn’t the case?”

“Look, that person’s having it rather difficult.”

He was gazing at— Carrying a handbag, a tall girl with scarlet hair was pushing through the crowd and running around the platform with an exhausted expression.

A girl wearing a Tremia uniform had left the platform and was running unsteadily toward the shops in the station. She was grabbed by the neck.

“Hey Mio, where do you think you’re going!”

“Hm? Um, I was wondering if we should go buy some souvenirs. They’re products that are only available in this part of the world.”

Her classmate answered with an easygoing voice, not showing how agitated she was. The mystery novel that she was in the middle of reading was tucked under her arm.

“We’re not even about to leave yet. You’re too rushed!”

As soon as the girl had taken Mio back to the platform, the next person she set her eye on was—

“……Hey, wait, Serges! Why do you have such a large backpack on? That’s too big to bring onto the train!”

“This is— Kluele, listen! I need to have my own blankets and pillow with me. Also, as someone from the mountain climbing club, I can’t bring just a sleeping bag while travelling. I also need a tent, emergency rations, rain gear, a portable cooking stove, and— Ah, if it isn’t Neighty. Want to sleep with me in my sleeping bag tonight? It’s really warm!”

“I’m confiscating all of it! No suspicious invitations either! —Hm? Hey, Kyrie! No eating allowed in the train station! Didn’t I say before that you can’t eat candy on the platform?!”

“But Kluele. It’s a deluxe, limited edition cookie that I went to so much trouble to buy. And as a member of the cuisine research society……”

The mature-looking girl lightly shook her wavy hair. Although Neight hadn’t spoken to her very much before, Kyrie was also one of his classmates.

“You’re trusting the advertisements too much! That kind of thing is sold anywhere! ……Aah really, everyone please stay still! No, I mean, stop your futile resistance and get caught obediently!”

The girls of the class ran away wherever they pleased. Catching them and dragging them to the gathering place one after the other was the other class representative.

Neight stared idly at the situation.

“……Poor Kluele-san.”

“No matter how you put it, the girls in our class are troublesome to deal with.”

Before Neight realized it, all of the male students had lined up behind Ouma, who was smiling bitterly.

===Part 2===

……What should he do?

The enemy’s defense was as solid as a rock.

He had no chance to surround the enemy, and a thick, protective wall was also spread out to prevent a concentrated attack on one spot. The tunnel that he should have left was filled with enemy pieces, and the soldiers protecting the <King> had already been scattered.

—Should he make a final, suicidal attack? No, he shouldn’t get desperate.

“Neight-kun, have you decided?”

“……P-Please let me think for a bit longer, just thirty more seconds.”

Without looking away from the game board by his hand, he shook his head in Mio’s direction.

Of course, his first priority was the <King>’s survival. Which meant the <King> must first escape to 15-F. However, his opponent’s archer was already on 12-F, cornering him. In that case, another plan was to move the <King> to 14-D. However, sure enough, an enemy piece was blocking him there as well. Standing there by itself was an ordinary <Pawn>. Since it was his turn right now, he could capture it with his <King>.

—His only fear was that……it was a <Jester> in the disguise of a <Pawn>.

This position seemed like it wanted him to eat that piece. It was very suspicious.

“……No way.”

“Huh? Neight-kun, what’s wrong?”

A question mark seemed to float over Mio’s head. However, on her face was a broad grin.

……But it’s no use, I have no more time. I have no choice but to take a chance.

“Well then, my <King> will escape to 14-D.”

“But my <Pawn> is there. Does that mean you want to capture my <Pawn>?”

Nodding silently, he placed his own piece on top of his opponent’s.

“Well then, go ahead and take a look.”

As Mio spoke, he picked up her <Pawn> and looked at its back side.

On the back of the piece was the sticker of a clown with a strange smile.

“Aaah, it really was the clown!”

“Yep, Neight-kun lost!”

While she wrote down the result of the game on something like a record book, Mio cackled.

“Well, in the beginning you were doing pretty good, pretty good. Have diligence, boy. If you continue to practice for a long time, someday you may even become able to see the light of day.”

……Mio-san’s personality is changing.

“It’s because I’m not good at games that require you to use your head.”

It would take up to three hours for the train to reach its destination. During that time, the class had decided to have a board game tournament among themselves. Although it was Neight’s first time playing this game, because everyone must participate he had been half forced to join the tournament. Furthermore, he had been unlucky and his opponent in the first game had been one of the potential winners, Mio.

“Besides, Mio-san is too strong.”

“It’s because I’ve heard that Xins-san also plays this game. I occasionally practice because I want to be his opponent one day. By the way, your playing style just now was the same as his.”

The same as {{Furigana|the Rainbow Color Reciter|Xins}}-san’s?

“He appeared in the interview of some magazine a while back. ‘At first Senpai forced me to, but then I started playing myself.’ is what he said.”

“Senpai?”

The outstanding Reciter and also the most famous, {{Furigana|the Rainbow Color Reciter|Xins}}. ‘Senpai’ was a word that didn’t seem to match at all with Neight’s image of him.

‘Senpai’, could it be Mother? No, but it probably should be someone who was in the same class as Xins and Mother. In any case, he couldn’t think of another person who seemed to act like that.

“It’s interesting, isn’t it? All the more so because he didn’t talk about it in detail. Whether or not it’s a senpai who went to the same school as him, that person who Xins-sama calls ‘Senpai’ must be an amazing Reciter.”

“No way. It’s just my stubborn dad.”

Slowly, the tanned girl casually raised her head and looked back from the seat one row in front.

“Ada-san?”

“Huh, Ada, do you know something about it?”

The girl waved her hand at them, giving off a feeling like she was smiling bitterly.

“Aah, don’t worry about it. I was just talking to myself.”

“……Ah, really…?”

Neight and Mio absent-mindedly spoke at the same time.

“Anyways, Mio, your opponent for the second round is me. Good luck.”

“Ah Ada, did you win your first round?”

Mio spoke up in surprise.

“Fufufu, try not to let your guard down. Actually, I play this pretty often.”

“Oh? I guess I’ll enjoy this then.”

For some reason, their eyes lit up suspiciously. Giving them a backwards glance, Neight stood up from his seat.

“Ouma-san, I’m going to go take a look around inside the train.”

“Aah, the first section of the train is taken up by another school, so don’t get lost.”

Without looking up from the game board, the class representative casually waved his hand.

<div align="center">***</div>

In the lead carriage which was set up as a private room—

“……You guys acting as scouts to the research institute, please be careful, alright?”

With a sigh, the female teacher wearing a suit the color of new leaves lifted her head as if she had suddenly thought of it. Sitting in a chair, Zessel watched her from the corner of his eye.

Teacher Kate, no, more like a teacher’s advisor. She was an instructor of Blue Recitations. Although she hadn’t been teaching for long, he had heard frequently in the staffroom that she was an excellent homeroom teacher of first-year students.

“Alright. But I don’t think it’s a very difficult task. All we need to do is get the research institution to keep in contact with us, and then it will be over.”

Enne spoke while stroking a decorative plant placed in a corner of the room.

—I highly doubt that.

Without speaking aloud, Zessel muttered in his mind. It was a habit of his childhood friend, Enne. Whenever she felt uneasy about something, she would always stroke a nearby plant.

The research institute that created the evil catalyst. And now, communications between them had stopped. Was it a simple malfunction in equipment, or did it involve something dangerous? Actually, last night, the headmaster himself had only whispered ‘be careful’ to them.

“Well, Enne and I will take it slowly and carefully.”

……But he still felt anxious.

The report they had received from Mirror, who was in charge of gathering information, had been thirty pages long. It included the personal history up to five years ago of staff members, the research institute’s financial investments, and even the business’s achievements. However, the name of the researcher who manufactured the <Egg> was nowhere to be seen. That should have been the most important piece of information.

“Could Mirror-san have forgotten to include that?”

“Don’t get your hopes up. When he was writing up such a report, do you really think that perfectionist would forget to include something so important?”

—In other words, information about the person responsible for manufacturing the <Egg> couldn’t be found in either Tremia Academy’s information department or even Kelberk Research Institute’s headquarters.

“In the end, using that……”

In the middle of his sentence, Zessel shut his mouth. The sound of footsteps resounded in the aisle. It went on at a fast tempo, as if the person was running. The footsteps gradually approached them.

“Kate-sensei!”

At the sound of knocking on the door, the female teacher whose name was called out stood up from her seat.

“Ouma? What’s wrong?”

“A student from another school riding in a different compartment started a fight with our class, and before I could stop it, a girl from our class was—”

“What do you mean?!”

Her expression stiffening, Kate quickly opened the door. Standing before her was an out of breath male student.

“A girl…… Was someone injured?”

But, contrary to her expectations, although he was breathing heavily, he appeared calm. Rather than seeming worried, his expression looked tired.

“Um, no…… Brave students such as Ada and Serges have already begun fighting back.”

“Ah, the daughter of the Yung family? That’s too bad for the other school then.”

Without bothering to hide a bitter smile, Zessel stood up.

Ada Yung. Because of her special family circumstances, there wasn’t a single teacher in Tremia Academy who didn’t know about her. In other words, her situation was even more unique than the boy who was studying Night Color Recitations.

The Yung family was famous throughout the continent as a family of elite warriors, and she was their only daughter. The girl should originally have become the lead {{Furigana|exorcist|Gillshe}}, but she drew attention to herself by attending a Recitation school. At that time, her circumstances had become a popular conversation topic among teachers. Even the headmaster himself had asked her about her intentions.

“Ouma, has the dispute itself ended?”

“Umm, first of all, none of the girls in our class have been injured. ……Right now, our class is drinking {{Furigana|high-grade sake|juice}} to celebrate our victory. But it seems like there were some victims from the other school.”

Aah, causing trouble already…… Kate closed her eyes with a worried expression. Patting her on the shoulder, Zessel stepped out into the aisle in her place.

“I was once an acquaintance with {{Furigana|her father|Klaus-san}}, so I’ll go. It’s more fun doing something like this than sitting there and thinking.”

“You’d better not get into the fight as well.”

Did she mean that for real or as a joke? Her ambiguous tone of voice pierced her childhood friend like a nail. ……Yeah yeah, I understand.

“It sounds like the opponent’s attitude could be problematic. You can read over some of the data that I’m supposed to look over. After all, you should know that I get sleepy when I read something longer than a thousand words.”

“I’ve looked over it already.”

As expected of someone who had known him for a long time. Before he had realized it, his section of the documents had been stacked in front of Enne, who had just replied.

—Intervening in a fight, huh? It would be fun if the problem at the research institute was also that simple.

Holding back the words that he had almost muttered, Zessel began to walk towards the train’s rear compartment.

<div align="center">***</div>

The rear end of the train was designed to be a vacant space resembling a terrace. It felt pleasant to stand beneath the summer sunshine with his uniform fluttering in the sudden gusts of wind.

“A trip with everyone, huh?”

Holding onto the railings meant to prevent falls, Neight absentmindedly gazed at the passing scenery.

……But Arma isn’t here.

It was a change from the commotion inside the train. He couldn’t hear anything other than the roaring of wind blowing past his ears and the screeching of the train’s wheels on the rails.

In the hot temperature, it was pleasant to feel his uniform being swayed by the wind. However, he seemed to hear even the wind blowing with a somehow lonely sound.

Even though the trip’s liveliness should be enjoyable, the companion he felt closest to wasn’t here.

“—Hey, Arma. I’m riding a train for the first time in my life.”

Although his voice was drowned out by the gusts passing over the terrace, he briefly spoke to himself. He didn’t receive an answer. He shouldn’t receive an answer. Even so, following his usual habit, he spoke in the direction of his shoulder.

“It’s really fast and seems really sturdy…… But hey, it’s also slightly the opposite.”

“Slightly scary?”

……That wasn’t him just now.

The voice had come from somewhere close to him. He didn’t even turn around. Because that voice belonged to someone he was very familiar with.

“—Kluele-san.”

“I also snuck out of there.”

The girl’s scarlet hair fluttered in the wind. Before he could reply, she came over and stood beside him.

“Kluele-san, it seemed pretty tiring for you this morning.”

“It’s always like that.”

She gave a bitter smile like it couldn’t be helped. For a few seconds of silence, they stayed like that—

“I’m kind of relieved.”

Gazing at the changing scenery, the girl beside Neight gently nodded.

“Eh?”

“I often hung out with you during summer vacation, but sometimes you would have a pained expression. I wondered what could be so painful……Although I expected it for the most part, you never confirmed my suspicions.”

He never realized that about himself. He had simply been working hard on Recitations because he wanted to meet Arma and Mother again. He had intended to practice with that in mind. —At least, that was what he believed.

“Did I really have such an expression?”

“That’s what you looked like before I called out to you just now.”

Although she was smiling gently, her eyes seemed glow with a somewhat sad color.

“But I understand your reason for that, so relax. ‘I want to hurry up and meet Arma again’. You seem to be facing your worries straight on.”

Sensing other feelings hidden behind those words, Neight lowered his gaze.

……I see. I made her worry so much.

“—I’m sorry.”

“I understand how lonely you feel, so you don’t need to apologize. But hey.”

She gently looked in his direction.

It was the same as always. It was the same as when they had been together during summer break. It was similar to Mother’s serene expression.

“Mio and Kate-sensei and I, we’re all here for you. It’s fine if you rely on us more.”

Could it be, that’s the reason why Kluele-san had stayed with him throughout summer vacation?

“—The wind feels good, doesn’t it?”

It seemed that she hadn’t noticed his thoughts. No, perhaps she had noticed them long ago.

As if searching for something, the girl before his eyes lifted her head and gazed at the clouds.

“Since we were lucky enough to get the chance to go on this trip, we have to enjoy it, right?”

===Part 3===

The wind is……moist?

After he exited the train, Neight immediately felt a sense of discomfort and stopped in his tracks.

Immediately after he had left the station, the humid air touched his skin. The wind carried along a strange smell that seemed somehow nostalgic. That was probably due to being beside the sea.

—Speaking of which, did it feel like this when I rode on a boat?

His mother had taken him onto one just once. That time, he had gotten seasick and could barely look at the ocean, but he definitely remembered the smell.

“Oi, Chibi-kun. If you don’t come quickly, you’re going to get lost!”

Hearing the voice coming from somewhere far away, he reflexively corrected his pace. In the time he had absent-mindedly stopped walking, he had been separated from his group of classmates.

“Ah, coming!”

Shouldering his armful’s worth of luggage, he chased after his classmates.

“Eh? Ada-san, that’s…”

She carried her luggage in her left hand and held something long and narrow in her right hand. Wrapped in black cloth, its height exceeded that of her body.

“Hm? Ah, this? It’s an old habit of mine. If I don’t carry this, I won’t feel relaxed.”

So it really was the spear. But no matter how you put it, wasn’t that a bladed weapon? In the first place, it was strange that their teacher Kate had given her permission to bring something so large.

“……It’s because the teachers at school know about it.”

About what? Before he could ask that, the girl suddenly quickened her pace.

“Well, various things.”

Muttering hastily, the girl remained quiet from then on. She stayed silent, so Neight didn’t ask any further.

Please, don’t touch it— her small back seemed to be saying that.

<div align="center">***</div>

Looking up from the reddish-brown gate, a large grey school building shone under the sun.

Tremia Academy’s branch school. Unlike the grassy lawn of the main school, the road here was covered in fine sand.

“Alright, let’s disband here for now.”

The homeroom teacher who was in charge of the class looked over her shoulder at the lobby of the building.

“The rooms for the boys in our class are the first and second ones on the east side of the third floor. The girls have the third and fourth rooms, on the west side. Go put down your luggage, and meet back in the central hall in thirty minutes.”

Unlike the main school, this place had only one building. Therefore, it was twice as large as the first-year school building in the main school. The first floor was the lobby and the second floor had classrooms. The third floor seemed to have been turned into a living area.

“Well then, we’re on the east side, so it’s this way.”

Gripping the room key, Ouma walked towards the staircase on the right.

“The layout of the hallways is the same as Tremia Academy’s, isn’t it?”

“It is a branch school, after all. Ah, the third room……the second room……Is it here?”

He opened the door to their room. The sunlight that unexpectedly shone into his eyes made Neight involuntarily close his eyes.

“Oh, this is amazing!”

The boys said as they entered the room. Their gazes were focused on the window in front of them.

Peering through the glass— Looking down from the third floor, the scenery was completely dyed in blue.

In the distance, the horizon could be seen. A large, transparent azure sea seemed to stretch out past the ends of the world. Before that was a beach of white sand that extended out in a straight line.

……They could hear the sound of the waves. So it was that close.

“It’s perfect weather for going down to the ocean. Hey, since it’s the first day, how about we go play?”

Leaving their luggage in a corner of the room, what should have been all the boys in the class spread their arms.

“Eeh, don’t we have classes from now on?”

“Oh, um. It was a joke, just a joke.”

In a joking manner, he took out study materials from his bag.

“But hey, the girls must be feeling like that too. Only the teachers want to give a lecture.”

“Is that so…?”

Kluele-san and Mio-san, he had simply thought that all of the girls would want to diligently listen to a lecture.

“Uwa, the weather’s amazingly nice today. It really is the best for playing in the sea! There’s barely anyone down at the beach. Could it be, is this Tremia’s private beach?”

Setting down her mountaineering backpack, Serges ran to the window.

“Amaaazing! It feels like it’s calling us to go and take a swim!”

Ada took off the top layer of her school uniform. What she seemed to be wearing below that wasn’t a turtleneck sweater, but a swimsuit.

Holding swimming goggles in their hands, the two started running.

“Hey, hey. Wait, you two.”

Instantly, Kluele grabbed their collars.

“Weren’t you already told that it isn’t allowed? And don’t you guys understand that if I let you go, the teachers will get mad at me as a class representative? Or did you plan to go even knowing that?”

“Eh, aah. It was a joke, just a joke. ……Kluele has a really scary look in her eyes.”

“Hey. Amazing and diligent people like us would never do such a thing.”

Standing across from each other, the two spoke at the same time.

……Really now. Saying things like it was a joke and all that while wearing a swimsuit beneath their clothes.

“It didn’t sound like you two were joking, that’s why I seemed scary.”

“Kululu, it must be tough being a class representative.”

While taking out studying materials, Mio cackled.

“……Who would recommend me to be class representative instead?”

“Ehh, me, me!”

Really, was she serious or just being impudent? It was hard to judge from her smile, which contained not a shred of guilt. Well, she didn’t dare confirm it.

“But won’t the teachers also feel that way? There’s no way they would give a lecture on such a hot day.”

Putting on her uniform over her swimsuit, Ada complained.

……That’s what I think too, but no teacher would openly say that, right?

“Ooh, is there really such a magnificent beach this close to us?”

As he held onto an armful of luggage, Zessel vigorously opened the window.

“There’s barely anyone there! Let’s get the students to do some self-studying and go down to the sea to pla—”

“Zessel. The students are waiting in the classroom.”

The door to his room. He turned around and realized that before he knew it, the figure of his colleague had been standing there carrying a textbook in her arms.

“……H-Hey, Enne-san. So you were here?”

“Would you like to tell the headmaster what you just said?”

The female teacher gave him an unusual smile that he had never seen before. Although the weather should have been boiling hot, a chill shot up his spine.

“N-No, I’m fine. It was a joke, just a joke.”

“In that case, hurry up and go to the lecture hall.”

“……Yes, right away.”

Reluctantly, he took out his teaching materials.

“While the students are studying hard, we can’t neglect our duties either.”

—Surely the students want to go out and play!

Grumbling inwardly, Zessel hurried after Enne.

When I think about it now.

At that time, wouldn’t it have been good to relax a little? I think so.

At least to Enne and I, that day— the first day of camp was the first, last, and only time we could have fooled around.

----

<noinclude>{{Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai Nav|prev=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 1st Play|next=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 3rd Play}}</noinclude>

Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 2nd Play

2013-08-23T15:07:19Z

Cres: Part 2

==2nd Play – Merely Because I Desired This Moment==

===Part 1===

With a high-pitched call of its steam whistle, the black train arrived at the platform.

It continuously spat out high-temperature, high-pressure water vapor into the air. He hadn’t heard about the theory in detail, but it seemed that the steam was used to move pistons, which sent power to the wheels.

“……Wow.”

Looking up, Neight involuntarily let out a shout of joy and amazement.

“It’s amazing!”

The metal vehicle consisted of nearly ten compartments, which together made up one train. He couldn’t imagine how heavy they were, and couldn’t believe that such large masses of metal could move like this.

“Neight, is this your first time riding a steam train?”

Someone tapped Neight’s shoulder. Looking up, beside him stood a male student with a well-built physique.

“It’s my first time seeing a train. When I moved here, I came by boat. What about you, Ouma-san?”

Instead of replying, with an attendance book in hand, the class representative in charge of overseeing the male students shrugged nonchalantly.

“I rode a train often when returning to my home in the countryside. I could take it easy during those times but…… as expected, not right now.”

All approximately four hundred of Tremia Academy’s first-year students had gathered at one platform. Because of that, the platform had become crowded. There was no way of knowing who was where. Although each class should have made plans to assemble together, at this point there were only ten male students gathered around Ouma.

“How should I put it, because it’s so hard to gather together, everyone’s actually feeling cheerful.”

While flipping through the class attendance list, the boy looked around with a surprised expression. Although the teachers seemed to also be guiding students around, even the figures of the teachers were hidden in the wave of people.

“It must be difficult being a class representative.”

“I have it fairly easy. Because if I see one of the boys in our class and call out to him, he’ll come over quickly.”

Is that so? Neight tilted his head at Ouma’s manner of speaking.

“……So then, are there times when that isn’t the case?”

“Look, that person’s having it rather difficult.”

He was gazing at— Carrying a handbag, a tall girl with scarlet hair was pushing through the crowd and running around the platform with an exhausted expression.

A girl wearing a Tremia uniform had left the platform and was running unsteadily toward the shops in the station. She was grabbed by the neck.

“Hey Mio, where do you think you’re going!”

“Hm? Um, I was wondering if we should go buy some souvenirs. They’re products that are only available in this part of the world.”

Her classmate answered with an easygoing voice, not showing how agitated she was. The mystery novel that she was in the middle of reading was tucked under her arm.

“We’re not even about to leave yet. You’re too rushed!”

As soon as the girl had taken Mio back to the platform, the next person she set her eye on was—

“……Hey, wait, Serges! Why do you have such a large backpack on? That’s too big to bring onto the train!”

“This is— Kluele, listen! I need to have my own blankets and pillow with me. Also, as someone from the mountain climbing club, I can’t bring just a sleeping bag while travelling. I also need a tent, emergency rations, rain gear, a portable cooking stove, and— Ah, if it isn’t Neighty. Want to sleep with me in my sleeping bag tonight? It’s really warm!”

“I’m confiscating all of it! No suspicious invitations either! —Hm? Hey, Kyrie! No eating allowed in the train station! Didn’t I say before that you can’t eat candy on the platform?!”

“But Kluele. It’s a deluxe, limited edition cookie that I went to so much trouble to buy. And as a member of the cuisine research society……”

The mature-looking girl lightly shook her wavy hair. Although Neight hadn’t spoken to her very much before, Kyrie was also one of his classmates.

“You’re trusting the advertisements too much! That kind of thing is sold anywhere! ……Aah really, everyone please stay still! No, I mean, stop your futile resistance and get caught obediently!”

The girls of the class ran away wherever they pleased. Catching them and dragging them to the gathering place one after the other was the other class representative.

Neight stared idly at the situation.

“……Poor Kluele-san.”

“No matter how you put it, the girls in our class are troublesome to deal with.”

Before Neight realized it, all of the male students had lined up behind Ouma, who was smiling bitterly.

===Part 2===

……What should he do?

The enemy’s defense was as solid as a rock.

He had no chance to surround the enemy, and a thick, protective wall was also spread out to prevent a concentrated attack on one spot. The tunnel that he should have left was filled with enemy pieces, and the soldiers protecting the <King> had already been scattered.

—Should he make a final, suicidal attack? No, he shouldn’t get desperate.

“Neight-kun, have you decided?”

“……P-Please let me think for a bit longer, just thirty more seconds.”

Without looking away from the game board by his hand, he shook his head in Mio’s direction.

Of course, his first priority was the <King>’s survival. Which meant the <King> must first escape to 15-F. However, his opponent’s archer was already on 12-F, cornering him. In that case, another plan was to move the <King> to 14-D. However, sure enough, an enemy piece was blocking him there as well. Standing there by itself was an ordinary <Pawn>. Since it was his turn right now, he could capture it with his <King>.

—His only fear was that……it was a <Jester> in the disguise of a <Pawn>.

This position seemed like it wanted him to eat that piece. It was very suspicious.

“……No way.”

“Huh? Neight-kun, what’s wrong?”

A question mark seemed to float over Mio’s head. However, on her face was a broad grin.

……But it’s no use, I have no more time. I have no choice but to take a chance.

“Well then, my <King> will escape to 14-D.”

“But my <Pawn> is there. Does that mean you want to capture my <Pawn>?”

Nodding silently, he placed his own piece on top of his opponent’s.

“Well then, go ahead and take a look.”

As Mio spoke, he picked up her <Pawn> and looked at its back side.

On the back of the piece was the sticker of a clown with a strange smile.

“Aaah, it really was the clown!”

“Yep, Neight-kun lost!”

While she wrote down the result of the game on something like a record book, Mio cackled.

“Well, in the beginning you were doing pretty good, pretty good. Have diligence, boy. If you continue to practice for a long time, someday you may even become able to see the light of day.”

……Mio-san’s personality is changing.

“It’s because I’m not good at games that require you to use your head.”

It would take up to three hours for the train to reach its destination. During that time, the class had decided to have a board game tournament among themselves. Although it was Neight’s first time playing this game, because everyone must participate he had been half forced to join the tournament. Furthermore, he had been unlucky and his opponent in the first game had been one of the potential winners, Mio.

“Besides, Mio-san is too strong.”

“It’s because I’ve heard that Xins-san also plays this game. I occasionally practice because I want to be his opponent one day. By the way, your playing style just now was the same as his.”

The same as {{Furigana|the Rainbow Color Reciter|Xins}}-san’s?

“He appeared in the interview of some magazine a while back. ‘At first Senpai forced me to, but then I started playing myself.’ is what he said.”

“Senpai?”

The outstanding Reciter and also the most famous, {{Furigana|the Rainbow Color Reciter|Xins}}. ‘Senpai’ was a word that didn’t seem to match at all with Neight’s image of him.

‘Senpai’, could it be Mother? No, but it probably should be someone who was in the same class as Xins and Mother. In any case, he couldn’t think of another person who seemed to act like that.

“It’s interesting, isn’t it? All the more so because he didn’t talk about it in detail. Whether or not it’s a senpai who went to the same school as him, that person who Xins-sama calls ‘Senpai’ must be an amazing Reciter.”

“No way. It’s just my stubborn dad.”

Slowly, the tanned girl casually raised her head and looked back from the seat one row in front.

“Ada-san?”

“Huh, Ada, do you know something about it?”

The girl waved her hand at them, giving off a feeling like she was smiling bitterly.

“Aah, don’t worry about it. I was just talking to myself.”

“……Ah, really…?”

Neight and Mio absent-mindedly spoke at the same time.

“Anyways, Mio, your opponent for the second round is me. Good luck.”

“Ah Ada, did you win your first round?”

Mio spoke up in surprise.

“Fufufu, try not to let your guard down. Actually, I play this pretty often.”

“Oh? I guess I’ll enjoy this then.”

For some reason, their eyes lit up suspiciously. Giving them a backwards glance, Neight stood up from his seat.

“Ouma-san, I’m going to go take a look around inside the train.”

“Aah, the first section of the train is taken up by another school, so don’t get lost.”

Without looking up from the game board, the class representative casually waved his hand.

<div align="center">***</div>

In the lead carriage which was set up as a private room—

“……You guys acting as scouts to the research institute, please be careful, alright?”

With a sigh, the female teacher wearing a suit the color of new leaves lifted her head as if she had suddenly thought of it. Sitting in a chair, Zessel watched her from the corner of his eye.

Teacher Kate, no, more like a teacher’s advisor. She was an instructor of Blue Recitations. Although she hadn’t been teaching for long, he had heard frequently in the staffroom that she was an excellent homeroom teacher of first-year students.

“Alright. But I don’t think it’s a very difficult task. All we need to do is get the research institution to keep in contact with us, and then it will be over.”

Enne spoke while stroking a decorative plant placed in a corner of the room.

—I highly doubt that.

Without speaking aloud, Zessel muttered in his mind. It was a habit of his childhood friend, Enne. Whenever she felt uneasy about something, she would always stroke a nearby plant.

The research institute that created the evil catalyst. And now, communications between them had stopped. Was it a simple malfunction in equipment, or did it involve something dangerous? Actually, last night, the headmaster himself had only whispered ‘be careful’ to them.

“Well, Enne and I will take it slowly and carefully.”

……But he still felt anxious.

The report they had received from Mirror, who was in charge of gathering information, had been thirty pages long. It included the personal history up to five years ago of staff members, the research institute’s financial investments, and even the business’s achievements. However, the name of the researcher who manufactured the <Egg> was nowhere to be seen. That should have been the most important piece of information.

“Could Mirror-san have forgotten to include that?”

“Don’t get your hopes up. When he was writing up such a report, do you really think that perfectionist would forget to include something so important?”

—In other words, information about the person responsible for manufacturing the <Egg> couldn’t be found in either Tremia Academy’s information department or even Kelberk Research Institute’s headquarters.

“In the end, using that……”

In the middle of his sentence, Zessel shut his mouth. The sound of footsteps resounded in the aisle. It went on at a fast tempo, as if the person was running. The footsteps gradually approached them.

“Kate-sensei!”

At the sound of knocking on the door, the female teacher whose name was called out stood up from her seat.

“Ouma? What’s wrong?”

“A student from another school riding in a different compartment started a fight with our class, and before I could stop it, a girl from our class was—”

“What do you mean?!”

Her expression stiffening, Kate quickly opened the door. Standing before her was an out of breath male student.

“A girl…… Was someone injured?”

But, contrary to her expectations, although he was breathing heavily, he appeared calm. Rather than seeming worried, his expression looked tired.

“Um, no…… Brave students such as Ada and Serges have already begun fighting back.”

“Ah, the daughter of the Yung family? That’s too bad for the other school then.”

Without bothering to hide a bitter smile, Zessel stood up.

Ada Yung. Because of her special family circumstances, there wasn’t a single teacher in Tremia Academy who didn’t know about her. In other words, her situation was even more unique than the boy who was studying Night Color Recitations.

The Yung family was famous throughout the continent as a family of elite warriors, and she was their only daughter. The girl should originally have become the lead {{Furigana|exorcist|Gillshe}}, but she drew attention to herself by attending a Recitation school. At that time, her circumstances had become a popular conversation topic among teachers. Even the headmaster himself had asked her about her intentions.

“Ouma, has the dispute itself ended?”

“Umm, first of all, none of the girls in our class have been injured. ……Right now, our class is drinking {{Furigana|high-grade sake|juice}} to celebrate our victory. But it seems like there were some victims from the other school.”

Aah, causing trouble already…… Kate closed her eyes with a worried expression. Patting her on the shoulder, Zessel stepped out into the aisle in her place.

“I was once an acquaintance with {{Furigana|her father|Klaus-san}}, so I’ll go. It’s more fun doing something like this than sitting there and thinking.”

“You’d better not get into the fight as well.”

Did she mean that for real or as a joke? Her ambiguous tone of voice pierced her childhood friend like a nail. ……Yeah yeah, I understand.

“It sounds like the opponent’s attitude could be problematic. You can read over some of the data that I’m supposed to look over. After all, you should know that I get sleepy when I read something longer than a thousand words.”

“I’ve looked over it already.”

As expected of someone who had known him for a long time. Before he had realized it, his section of the documents had been stacked in front of Enne, who had just replied.

—Intervening in a fight, huh? It would be fun if the problem at the research institute was also that simple.

Holding back the words that he had almost muttered, Zessel began to walk towards the train’s rear compartment.

<div align="center">***</div>

The rear end of the train was designed to be a vacant space resembling a terrace. It felt pleasant to stand beneath the summer sunshine with his uniform fluttering in the sudden gusts of wind.

“A trip with everyone, huh?”

Holding onto the railings meant to prevent falls, Neight absentmindedly gazed at the passing scenery.

……But Arma isn’t here.

It was a change from the commotion inside the train. He couldn’t hear anything other than the roaring of wind blowing past his ears and the screeching of the train’s wheels on the rails.

In the hot temperature, it was pleasant to feel his uniform being swayed by the wind. However, he seemed to hear even the wind blowing with a somehow lonely sound.

Even though the trip’s liveliness should be enjoyable, the companion he felt closest to wasn’t here.

“—Hey, Arma. I’m riding a train for the first time in my life.”

Although his voice was drowned out by the gusts passing over the terrace, he briefly spoke to himself. He didn’t receive an answer. He shouldn’t receive an answer. Even so, following his usual habit, he spoke in the direction of his shoulder.

“It’s really fast and seems really sturdy…… But hey, it’s also slightly the opposite.”

“Slightly scary?”

……That wasn’t him just now.

The voice had come from somewhere close to him. He didn’t even turn around. Because that voice belonged to someone he was very familiar with.

“—Kluele-san.”

“I also snuck out of there.”

The girl’s scarlet hair fluttered in the wind. Before he could reply, she came over and stood beside him.

“Kluele-san, it seemed pretty tiring for you this morning.”

“It’s always like that.”

She gave a bitter smile like it couldn’t be helped. For a few seconds of silence, they stayed like that—

“I’m kind of relieved.”

Gazing at the changing scenery, the girl beside Neight gently nodded.

“Eh?”

“I often hung out with you during summer vacation, but sometimes you would have a pained expression. I wondered what could be so painful……Although I expected it for the most part, you never confirmed my suspicions.”

He never realized that about himself. He had simply been working hard on Recitations because he wanted to meet Arma and Mother again. He had intended to practice with that in mind. —At least, that was what he believed.

“Did I really have such an expression?”

“That’s what you looked like before I called out to you just now.”

Although she was smiling gently, her eyes seemed glow with a somewhat sad color.

“But I understand your reason for that, so relax. ‘I want to hurry up and meet Arma again’. You seem to be facing your worries straight on.”

Sensing other feelings hidden behind those words, Neight lowered his gaze.

……I see. I made her worry so much.

“—I’m sorry.”

“I understand how lonely you feel, so you don’t need to apologize. But hey.”

She gently looked in his direction.

It was the same as always. It was the same as when they had been together during summer break. It was similar to Mother’s serene expression.

“Mio and Kate-sensei and I, we’re all here for you. It’s fine if you rely on us more.”

Could it be, that’s the reason why Kluele-san had stayed with him throughout summer vacation?

“—The wind feels good, doesn’t it?”

It seemed that she hadn’t noticed his thoughts. No, perhaps she had noticed them long ago.

As if searching for something, the girl before his eyes lifted her head and gazed at the clouds.

“Since we were lucky enough to get the chance to go on this trip, we have to enjoy it, right?”

===Part 3===

The wind is……moist?

After he exited the train, Neight immediately felt a sense of discomfort and stopped in his tracks.

Immediately after he had left the station, the humid air touched his skin. The wind carried along a strange smell. It seemed somehow nostalgic. That was probably due to being beside the sea.

—Speaking of which, did it feel like this when I rode on a boat?

His mother had taken him onto one just once. That time, he had gotten seasick and could barely look at the ocean, but he definitely remembered the smell.

“Oi, Chibi-kun, if you don’t come quickly, you’re going to get lost!”

Hearing the voice coming from somewhere far away, he reflexively corrected his pace. In the time he had absent-mindedly stopped walking, he had been separated from his group of classmates.

“Ah, coming!”

Shouldering his armful’s worth of luggage, he chased after his classmates.

“Eh? Ada-san, that’s…”

She carried her luggage in her left hand and held something long and narrow in her right hand. Wrapped in black cloth, its height exceeded that of her body.

“Hm? Ah, this? It’s an old habit of mine. If I don’t carry this, I won’t feel relaxed.”

So it really was the spear. But no matter how you put it, wasn’t that a bladed weapon? In the first place, it was strange that their teacher Kate had given her permission to bring something so large.

“……It’s because the teachers at school know about it.”

About what? Before he could ask that, the girl suddenly quickened her pace.

“Well, various things.”

Muttering hastily, the girl remained quiet from then on. She stayed silent, so Neight didn’t ask any further.

Please, don’t touch it— her small back seemed to be saying that.

<div align="center">***</div>

Looking up from the reddish-brown gate, a large grey school building shone under the sun.

Tremia Academy’s branch school. Unlike the grassy lawn of the main school, the road here was covered in fine sand.

“Alright, let’s disband here for now.”

The homeroom teacher who was in charge of the class looked over her shoulder at the lobby of the building.

“The rooms for the boys in our class are the first and second ones on the east side of the third floor. The girls have the third and fourth rooms, on the west side. Go put down your luggage, and meet back in the central hall in thirty minutes.”

Unlike the main school, this place had only one building. Therefore, it was twice as large as the first-year school building in the main school. The first floor was the lobby and the second floor had classrooms. The third floor seemed to have been turned into a living area.

“Well then, we’re on the east side, so it’s this way.”

Gripping the room key, Ouma walked towards the staircase on the right.

“The layout of the hallways is the same as Tremia Academy’s, isn’t it?”

“It is a branch school, after all. Ah, the third room……the second room……Is it here?”

He opened the door to their room. The sunlight that unexpectedly shone into his eyes made Neight involuntarily close his eyes.

“Oh, this is amazing!”

The boys said as they entered the room. Their gazes were focused on the window in front of them.

Peering through the glass— Looking down from the third floor, the scenery was completely dyed in blue.

In the distance, the horizon could be seen. A large, transparent azure sea seemed to stretch out past the ends of the world. Before that was a beach of white sand that extended out in a straight line.

……They could hear the sound of the waves. So it was that close.

“It’s perfect weather for going down to the ocean. Hey, since it’s the first day, how about we go play?”

Leaving their luggage in a corner of the room, what should have been all the boys in the class spread their arms.

“Eeh, don’t we have classes from now on?”

“Oh, um. It was a joke, just a joke.”

In a joking manner, he took out study materials from his bag.

“But hey, the girls must be feeling like that too. Only the teachers want to give a lecture.”

“Is that so…?”

Kluele-san and Mio-san, he had simply thought that all of the girls would want to diligently listen to a lecture.

“Uwa, the weather’s amazingly nice today. It really is the best for playing in the sea! There’s barely anyone down at the beach. Could it be, is this Tremia’s private beach?”

Setting down her mountaineering backpack, Serges ran to the window.

“Amaaazing! It feels like it’s calling us to go and take a swim!”

Ada took off the top layer of her school uniform. What she seemed to be wearing below that wasn’t a turtleneck sweater, but a swimsuit.

Holding swimming goggles in their hands, the two started running.

“Hey, hey. Wait, you two.”

Instantly, Kluele grabbed their collars.

“Weren’t you already told that it isn’t allowed? And don’t you guys understand that if I let you go, the teachers will get mad at me as a class representative? Or did you plan to go even knowing that?”

“Eh, aah. It was a joke, just a joke. ……Kluele has a really scary look in her eyes.”

“Hey. Amazing and diligent people like us would never do such a thing.”

Standing across from each other, the two spoke at the same time.

……Really now. Saying things like it was a joke and all that while wearing a swimsuit beneath their clothes.

“It didn’t sound like you two were joking, that’s why I seemed scary.”

“Kululu, it must be tough being a class representative.”

While taking out studying materials, Mio cackled.

“……Who would recommend me to be class representative instead?”

“Ehh, me, me!”

Really, was she serious or just being impudent? It was hard to judge from her smile, which contained not a shred of guilt. Well, she didn’t dare confirm it.

“But won’t the teachers also feel that way? There’s no way they would give a lecture on such a hot day.”

Putting on her uniform over her swimsuit, Ada complained.

……That’s what I think too, but no teacher would openly say that, right?

“Ooh, is there really such a magnificent beach this close to us?”

As he held onto an armful of luggage, Zessel vigorously opened the window.

“There’s barely anyone there! Let’s get the students to do some self-studying and go down to the sea to pla—”

“Zessel. The students are waiting in the classroom.”

The door to his room. He turned around and realized that before he knew it, the figure of his colleague had been standing there carrying a textbook in her arms.

“……H-Hey, Enne-san. So you were here?”

“Would you like to tell the headmaster what you just said?”

The female teacher gave him an unusual smile that he had never seen before. Although the weather should have been boiling hot, a chill shot up his spine.

“N-No, I’m fine. It was a joke, just a joke.”

“In that case, hurry up and go to the lecture hall.”

“……Yes, right away.”

Reluctantly, he took out his teaching materials.

“While the students are studying hard, we can’t neglect our duties either.”

—Surely the students want to go out and play!

Grumbling inwardly, Zessel hurried after Enne.

When I think about it now.

At that time, wouldn’t it have been good to relax a little? I think so.

At least to Enne and I, that day— the first day of camp was the first, last, and only time we could have fooled around.

----

<noinclude>{{Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai Nav|prev=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 1st Play|next=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 3rd Play}}</noinclude>

Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 2nd Play

2013-08-23T14:38:47Z

Cres: Part 1

==2nd Play – Merely Because I Desired This Moment==

===Part 1===

With a high-pitched call of its steam whistle, the black train arrived at the platform.

It continuously spat out high-temperature, high-pressure water vapor into the air. He hadn’t heard about the theory in detail, but it seemed that the steam was used to move pistons, which sent power to the wheels.

“……Wow.”

Looking up, Neight involuntarily let out a shout of joy and amazement.

“It’s amazing!”

The metal vehicle consisted of nearly ten compartments, which together made up one train. He couldn’t imagine how heavy they were, and couldn’t believe that such large masses of metal could move like this.

“Neight, is this your first time riding a steam train?”

Someone tapped Neight’s shoulder. Looking up, beside him stood a male student with a well-built physique.

“It’s my first time seeing a train. When I moved here, I came by boat. What about you, Ouma-san?”

Instead of replying, with an attendance book in hand, the class representative in charge of overseeing the male students shrugged nonchalantly.

“I rode a train often when returning to my home in the countryside. I could take it easy during those times but…… as expected, not right now.”

All approximately four hundred of Tremia Academy’s first-year students had gathered at one platform. Because of that, the platform had become crowded. There was no way of knowing who was where. Although each class should have made plans to assemble together, at this point there were only ten male students gathered around Ouma.

“How should I put it, because it’s so hard to gather together, everyone’s actually feeling cheerful.”

While flipping through the class attendance list, the boy looked around with a surprised expression. Although the teachers seemed to also be guiding students around, even the figures of the teachers were hidden in the wave of people.

“It must be difficult being a class representative.”

“I have it fairly easy. Because if I see one of the boys in our class and call out to him, he’ll come over quickly.”

Is that so? Neight tilted his head at Ouma’s manner of speaking.

“……So then, are there times when that isn’t the case?”

“Look, that person’s having it rather difficult.”

He was gazing at— Carrying a handbag, a tall girl with scarlet hair was pushing through the crowd and running around the platform with an exhausted expression.

A girl wearing a Tremia uniform had left the platform and was running unsteadily toward the shops in the station. She was grabbed by the neck.

“Hey Mio, where do you think you’re going!”

“Hm? Um, I was wondering if we should go buy some souvenirs. They’re products that are only available in this part of the world.”

Her classmate answered with an easygoing voice, not showing how agitated she was. The mystery novel that she was in the middle of reading was tucked under her arm.

“We’re not even about to leave yet. You’re too rushed!”

As soon as the girl had taken Mio back to the platform, the next person she set her eye on was—

“……Hey, wait, Serges! Why do you have such a large backpack on? That’s too big to bring onto the train!”

“This is— Kluele, listen! I need to have my own blankets and pillow with me. Also, as someone from the mountain climbing club, I can’t bring just a sleeping bag while travelling. I also need a tent, emergency rations, rain gear, a portable cooking stove, and— Ah, if it isn’t Neighty. Want to sleep with me in my sleeping bag tonight? It’s really warm!”

“I’m confiscating all of it! No suspicious invitations either! —Hm? Hey, Kyrie! No eating allowed in the train station! Didn’t I say before that you can’t eat candy on the platform?!”

“But Kluele. It’s a deluxe, limited edition cookie that I went to so much trouble to buy. And as a member of the cuisine research society……”

The mature-looking girl lightly shook her wavy hair. Although Neight hadn’t spoken to her very much before, Kyrie was also one of his classmates.

“You’re trusting the advertisements too much! That kind of thing is sold anywhere! ……Aah really, everyone please stay still! No, I mean, stop your futile resistance and get caught obediently!”

The girls of the class ran away wherever they pleased. Catching them and dragging them to the gathering place one after the other was the other class representative.

Neight stared idly at the situation.

“……Poor Kluele-san.”

“No matter how you put it, the girls in our class are troublesome to deal with.”

Before Neight realized it, all of the male students had lined up behind Ouma, who was smiling bitterly.

===Part 2===

……What should he do?

The enemy’s defense was like a boulder.

He had no chance to surround the enemy, and a thick, protective wall was also spread out to prevent a concentrated attack on one spot. The tunnel that he should have left was filled with enemy pieces, and the soldiers protecting the <King> had already been scattered.

—Should he make a final, suicidal attack? No, he shouldn’t get desperate.

“Neight-kun, have you decided?”

“……P-Please let me think for a bit longer, just thirty more seconds.”

Without looking away from the game board by his hand, he shook his head in Mio’s direction.

Of course, his first priority was the <King>’s survival. Which meant the <King> must first escape to 15-F. However, his opponent’s archer was already on 12-F, cornering him. In that case, another plan was to move the <King> to 14-D. However, sure enough, an enemy piece was blocking him there as well. Standing there by itself was an ordinary <Pawn>. Since it was his turn right now, he could capture it with his <King>.

—His only fear was that……it was a <Jester> in the disguise of a <Pawn>.

This position seemed like it wanted him to eat that piece. It was very suspicious.

“……No way.”

“Huh? Neight-kun, what’s wrong?”

A question mark seemed to float over Mio’s head. However, on her face was a broad grin.

……But it’s no use. I have no more time. I have no choice but to take a chance.

“Well then, my <King> will escape to 14-D.”

“But my <Pawn> is there. Does that mean you want to capture my <Pawn>?”

Nodding silently, he placed his own piece on top of his opponent’s.

“Well then, go ahead and take a look.”

As Mio spoke, he picked up her <Pawn> and looked at its back side.

On the back of the piece was the sticker of a clown with a strange smile.

“Aaa, it really was the clown!”

“Yep, Neight-kun lost!”

While she wrote down the result of the game on something like a record book, Mio cackled.

“Well, in the beginning you were doing pretty good, pretty good. Have diligence, boy. If you continue to practice for a long time, someday you may even become able to see the light of day.”

……Mio-san’s personality is changing.

“It’s because I’m not good at games that require you to use your head.”

It would take up to three hours for the train to reach its destination. During that time, the class had decided to have a board game tournament among themselves. Although it was Neight’s first time playing this game, because everyone must participate, he had been half forced to join the tournament. Furthermore, he had been unlucky and his opponent in the first game had been one of the potential winners, Mio.

“Besides, Mio-san is too strong.”

“It’s because I’ve heard that Xins-san also plays this game. I occasionally practice because I want to be his opponent one day. By the way, your playing style just now was the same as his.”

The same as {{Furigana|the Rainbow Color Reciter|Xins}}-san’s?

“He appeared in the interview of some magazine a while back. ‘At first Senpai forced me to, but then I started playing myself.’ is what he said.”

“Senpai?”

The outstanding Reciter and also the most famous, {{Furigana|the Rainbow Color Reciter|Xins}}. ‘Senpai’ was a word that didn’t seem to match at all with Neight’s image of him.

‘Senpai’, could it be Mother? No, but it probably should be someone who was in the same class as Xins and Mother. In any case, he couldn’t think of another person who seemed to act like that.

“It’s interesting, isn’t it? All the more so because he didn’t talk about it in detail. Whether or not it’s a senpai who went to the same school as him, that person who Xin-sama calls ‘Senpai’ must be an amazing Reciter.”

“No way. It’s just my stubborn dad.”

Slowly, the tanned girl casually raised her head and looked back from the seat one row in front.

“Ada-san?”

“Huh, Ada, do you know something about it?”

The girl waved her hand at them, giving off a feeling like she was smiling bitterly.

“Aa, don’t worry about it. I was just talking to myself.”

“……Ah, really…?”

Neight and Mio absent-mindedly spoke at the same time.

“Anyways, Mio, your opponent for the second round is me. Good luck.”

“Ah Ada, did you win your first round?”

Mio spoke up in surprise.

“Fufufu, try not to let your guard down. Actually, I play this pretty often.”

“Oh? I guess I’ll enjoy this then.”

For some reason, their eyes lit up suspiciously. Giving them a backwards glance, Neight stood up from his seat.

“Ouma-san, I’m going to go take a look around inside the train.”

“Aah, the first section of the train is taken up by another school, so don’t get lost.”

Without looking up from the game board, the class representative casually waved his hand.

<div align="center">***</div>

In the lead carriage which was set up as a private room—

“……You guys acting as scouts to the research institute, please be careful, alright?”

With a sigh, the female teacher wearing a suit the color of new leaves lifted her head as if she had suddenly thought of it. Sitting in a chair, Zessel watched her from the corner of his eye.

Teacher Kate, no, more like a teacher’s advisor. She was an instructor of Blue Recitations. Although she hadn’t been teaching for long, he had heard frequently in the staffroom that she was an excellent homeroom teacher of first-year students.

“Alright. But I don’t think it’s a very difficult task. All we need to do is get the research institution to keep in contact with us, and then it will be over.”

Enne spoke while stroking a decorative plant placed in a corner of the room.

—I highly doubt that.

Without speaking aloud, Zessel muttered in his mind. It was a habit of his childhood friend, Enne. Whenever she felt uneasy about something, she would always stroke a nearby plant.

The research institute that created the evil catalyst. And now, communications between them had stopped. Was it a simple malfunction in equipment, or did it involve something dangerous? Actually, last night, the headmaster himself had only whispered ‘be careful’ to them.

“Well, Enne and I will take it slowly and carefully.”

……But he still felt anxious.

The report they had received from Mirror, who was in charge of gathering information, had been thirty pages long. It included the personal history up to five years ago of staff members, the research institute’s financial investments, and even the business’s achievements. However, the name of the researcher who manufactured the <Egg> was nowhere to be seen. That should have been the most important piece of information.

“Could Mirror-san have forgotten to include that?”

“Don’t get your hopes up. When he was writing up such a report, do you really think that perfectionist would forget to include something so important?”

—In other words, information about the person responsible for manufacturing the <Egg> couldn’t be found in either Tremia Academy’s information department or even Kelberk Research Institute’s headquarters.

“In the end, using that……”

In the middle of his sentence, Zessel shut his mouth. The sound of footsteps resounded in the aisle. It went on at a fast tempo, as if the person was running. The footsteps gradually approached them.

“Kate-sensei!”

At the sound of knocking on the door, the female teacher whose name was called out stood up from her seat.

“Ouma? What’s wrong?”

“A student from another school riding in a different compartment started a fight with our class, and before I could stop it, a girl from our class was—”

“What do you mean?!”

Her expression stiffening, Kate quickly opened the door. Standing before her was an out of breath male student.

“A girl…… Was someone injured?”

But, contrary to her expectations, although he was breathing heavily, he appeared calm. Rather than seeming worried, his expression looked tired.

“Um, no…… Brave students such as Ada and Serges have already begun fighting back.”

“Ah, the daughter of the Yung family? That’s too bad for the other school then.”

Without bothering to hide a bitter smile, Zessel stood up.

Ada Yung. Because of her special family circumstances, there wasn’t a single teacher in Tremia Academy who didn’t know about her. In other words, her situation was even more unique than the boy who was studying Night Color Recitations.

The Yung family was famous throughout the continent as a family of elite warriors, and she was their only daughter. The girl should originally have become the lead {{Furigana|exorcist|Gillshe}}, but she drew attention to herself by attending a Recitation school. At that time, her circumstances had become a popular conversation topic among teachers. Even the headmaster himself had asked her about her intentions.

“Ouma, has the dispute itself ended?”

“Umm, first of all, none of the girls in our class have been injured. ……Right now, our class is drinking {{Furigana|high-grade sake|juice}} to celebrate our victory. But it seems like there were some victims from the other school.”

Aah, causing trouble already…… Kate closed her eyes with a worried expression. Patting her on the shoulder, Zessel stepped out into the aisle in her place.

“I was once an acquaintance with {{Furigana|her father|Klaus-san}}, so I’ll go. It’s more fun doing something like this than sitting there and thinking.”

“You’d better not get into the fight as well.”

Did she mean that for real or as a joke? Her ambiguous tone of voice pierced her childhood friend like a nail. ……Yeah yeah, I understand.

“It sounds like the opponent’s attitude could be problematic. You can read over some of the data that I’m supposed to look over. After all, you should know that I get sleepy when I read something longer than a thousand words.”

“I’ve looked over it already.”

As expected of someone who had known him for a long time. Before he had realized it, his section of the documents had been stacked in front of Enne, who had just replied.

—Intervening in a fight, huh? It would be fun if the problem at the research institute was also that simple.

Holding back the words that he had almost muttered, Zessel began to walk towards the train’s rear compartment.

<div align="center">***</div>

The rear end of the train was designed to be a vacant space resembling a terrace. It felt pleasant to stand beneath the summer sunshine with his uniform fluttering in the sudden gusts of wind.

“A trip with everyone, huh?”

Holding onto the railings meant to prevent falls, Neight absentmindedly gazed at the passing scenery.

……But Arma isn’t here.

It was a change from the commotion inside the train. He couldn’t hear anything other than the roaring of wind blowing past his ears and the screeching of the train’s wheels on the rails.

In the hot temperature, it was pleasant to feel his uniform being swayed by the wind. However, he seemed to hear even the wind blowing with a somehow lonely sound.

Even though the trip’s liveliness should be enjoyable, the companion he felt closest to wasn’t here.

“—Hey, Arma. I’m riding a train for the first time in my life.”

Although his voice was drowned out by the gusts passing over the terrace, he briefly spoke to himself. He didn’t receive an answer. He shouldn’t receive an answer. Even so, following his usual habit, he spoke in the direction of his shoulder.

“It’s really fast and seems really sturdy…… But hey, it’s also slightly the opposite.”

“Slightly scary?”

……That wasn’t him just now.

The voice had come from somewhere close to him. He didn’t even turn around. Because that voice belonged to someone he was very familiar with.

“—Kluele-san.”

“I also snuck out of there.”

The girl’s scarlet hair fluttered in the wind. Before he could reply, she came over and stood beside him.

“Kluele-san, it seemed pretty tiring for you this morning.”

“It’s always like that.”

She gave a bitter smile like it couldn’t be helped. For a few seconds of silence, they stayed like that—

“I’m kind of relieved.”

Gazing at the changing scenery, the girl beside Neight gently nodded.

“Eh?”

“I often hung out with you during summer vacation, but sometimes you would have a pained expression. I wondered what could be so painful……Although I expected it for the most part, you never confirmed my suspicions.”

He never realized that about himself. He had simply been working hard on Recitations because he wanted to meet Arma and Mother again. He had intended to practice with that in mind. —At least, that was what he believed.

“Did I really have such an expression?”

“That’s what you looked like before I called out to you just now.”

Although she was smiling gently, her eyes seemed glow with a somewhat sad color.

“But I understand your reason for that, so relax. ‘I want to hurry up and meet Arma again’. You seem to be facing your worries straight on.”

Sensing other feelings hidden behind those words, Neight lowered his gaze.

……I see. I made her worry so much.

“—I’m sorry.”

“I understand how lonely you feel, so you don’t need to apologize. But hey.”

She gently looked in his direction.

It was the same as always. It was the same as when they had been together during summer break. It was similar to Mother’s serene expression.

“Mio and Kate-sensei and I, we’re all here for you. It’s fine if you rely on us more.”

Could it be, that’s the reason why Kluele-san had stayed with him throughout summer vacation?

“—The wind feels good, doesn’t it?”

It seemed that she hadn’t noticed his thoughts. No, perhaps she had noticed them long ago.

As if searching for something, the girl before his eyes lifted her head and gazed at the clouds.

“Since we were lucky enough to get the chance to go on this trip, we have to enjoy it, right?”

===Part 3===

The wind is……moist?

After he exited the train, Neight immediately felt a sense of discomfort and stopped in his tracks.

Immediately after he had left the station, the humid air touched his skin. The wind carried along a strange smell. It seemed somehow nostalgic. That was probably due to being beside the sea.

—Speaking of which, did it feel like this when I rode on a boat?

His mother had taken him onto one just once. That time, he had gotten seasick and could barely look at the ocean, but he definitely remembered the smell.

“Oi, Chibi-kun, if you don’t come quickly, you’re going to get lost!”

Hearing the voice coming from somewhere far away, he reflexively corrected his pace. In the time he had absent-mindedly stopped walking, he had been separated from his group of classmates.

“Ah, coming!”

Shouldering his armful’s worth of luggage, he chased after his classmates.

“Eh? Ada-san, that’s…”

She carried her luggage in her left hand and held something long and narrow in her right hand. Wrapped in black cloth, its height exceeded that of her body.

“Hm? Ah, this? It’s an old habit of mine. If I don’t carry this, I won’t feel relaxed.”

So it really was the spear. But no matter how you put it, wasn’t that a bladed weapon? In the first place, it was strange that their teacher Kate had given her permission to bring something so large.

“……It’s because the teachers at school know about it.”

About what? Before he could ask that, the girl suddenly quickened her pace.

“Well, various things.”

Muttering hastily, the girl remained quiet from then on. She stayed silent, so Neight didn’t ask any further.

Please, don’t touch it— her small back seemed to be saying that.

<div align="center">***</div>

Looking up from the reddish-brown gate, a large grey school building shone under the sun.

Tremia Academy’s branch school. Unlike the grassy lawn of the main school, the road here was covered in fine sand.

“Alright, let’s disband here for now.”

The homeroom teacher who was in charge of the class looked over her shoulder at the lobby of the building.

“The rooms for the boys in our class are the first and second ones on the east side of the third floor. The girls have the third and fourth rooms, on the west side. Go put down your luggage, and meet back in the central hall in thirty minutes.”

Unlike the main school, this place had only one building. Therefore, it was twice as large as the first-year school building in the main school. The first floor was the lobby and the second floor had classrooms. The third floor seemed to have been turned into a living area.

“Well then, we’re on the east side, so it’s this way.”

Gripping the room key, Ouma walked towards the staircase on the right.

“The layout of the hallways is the same as Tremia Academy’s, isn’t it?”

“It is a branch school, after all. Ah, the third room……the second room……Is it here?”

He opened the door to their room. The sunlight that unexpectedly shone into his eyes made Neight involuntarily close his eyes.

“Oh, this is amazing!”

The boys said as they entered the room. Their gazes were focused on the window in front of them.

Peering through the glass— Looking down from the third floor, the scenery was completely dyed in blue.

In the distance, the horizon could be seen. A large, transparent azure sea seemed to stretch out past the ends of the world. Before that was a beach of white sand that extended out in a straight line.

……They could hear the sound of the waves. So it was that close.

“It’s perfect weather for going down to the ocean. Hey, since it’s the first day, how about we go play?”

Leaving their luggage in a corner of the room, what should have been all the boys in the class spread their arms.

“Eeh, don’t we have classes from now on?”

“Oh, um. It was a joke, just a joke.”

In a joking manner, he took out study materials from his bag.

“But hey, the girls must be feeling like that too. Only the teachers want to give a lecture.”

“Is that so…?”

Kluele-san and Mio-san, he had simply thought that all of the girls would want to diligently listen to a lecture.

“Uwa, the weather’s amazingly nice today. It really is the best for playing in the sea! There’s barely anyone down at the beach. Could it be, is this Tremia’s private beach?”

Setting down her mountaineering backpack, Serges ran to the window.

“Amaaazing! It feels like it’s calling us to go and take a swim!”

Ada took off the top layer of her school uniform. What she seemed to be wearing below that wasn’t a turtleneck sweater, but a swimsuit.

Holding swimming goggles in their hands, the two started running.

“Hey, hey. Wait, you two.”

Instantly, Kluele grabbed their collars.

“Weren’t you already told that it isn’t allowed? And don’t you guys understand that if I let you go, the teachers will get mad at me as a class representative? Or did you plan to go even knowing that?”

“Eh, aah. It was a joke, just a joke. ……Kluele has a really scary look in her eyes.”

“Hey. Amazing and diligent people like us would never do such a thing.”

Standing across from each other, the two spoke at the same time.

……Really now. Saying things like it was a joke and all that while wearing a swimsuit beneath their clothes.

“It didn’t sound like you two were joking, that’s why I seemed scary.”

“Kululu, it must be tough being a class representative.”

While taking out studying materials, Mio cackled.

“……Who would recommend me to be class representative instead?”

“Ehh, me, me!”

Really, was she serious or just being impudent? It was hard to judge from her smile, which contained not a shred of guilt. Well, she didn’t dare confirm it.

“But won’t the teachers also feel that way? There’s no way they would give a lecture on such a hot day.”

Putting on her uniform over her swimsuit, Ada complained.

……That’s what I think too, but no teacher would openly say that, right?

“Ooh, is there really such a magnificent beach this close to us?”

As he held onto an armful of luggage, Zessel vigorously opened the window.

“There’s barely anyone there! Let’s get the students to do some self-studying and go down to the sea to pla—”

“Zessel. The students are waiting in the classroom.”

The door to his room. He turned around and realized that before he knew it, the figure of his colleague had been standing there carrying a textbook in her arms.

“……H-Hey, Enne-san. So you were here?”

“Would you like to tell the headmaster what you just said?”

The female teacher gave him an unusual smile that he had never seen before. Although the weather should have been boiling hot, a chill shot up his spine.

“N-No, I’m fine. It was a joke, just a joke.”

“In that case, hurry up and go to the lecture hall.”

“……Yes, right away.”

Reluctantly, he took out his teaching materials.

“While the students are studying hard, we can’t neglect our duties either.”

—Surely the students want to go out and play!

Grumbling inwardly, Zessel hurried after Enne.

When I think about it now.

At that time, wouldn’t it have been good to relax a little? I think so.

At least to Enne and I, that day— the first day of camp was the first, last, and only time we could have fooled around.

----

<noinclude>{{Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai Nav|prev=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 1st Play|next=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 3rd Play}}</noinclude>

Talk:Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 Introductory Play

2013-08-23T14:18:30Z

Cres: Created page with "A few minor edits for typo's, sentence structure, and naming consistency for the chess pieces. One or two sentences I think could use some more work, especially line 85 -"It c..."

A few minor edits for typo's, sentence structure, and naming consistency for the chess pieces. One or two sentences I think could use some more work, especially line 85 -"It cut the wind,..."[[User:Cres|Cres]] ([[User talk:Cres|talk]]) 09:18, 23 August 2013 (CDT)

Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 Introductory Play

2013-08-23T14:15:21Z

Cres: See discussion

==Introductory Play: Two People in the Dusk==

Could it be called the fragrance of sunset? In the time just before the sun set, the gentle breeze that fluttered around carried a somehow nostalgic scent.

A fragrance that called forth sorrow.

—Was it flowers or spices? What could it be?

The scent of sunset. He had no intention of confirming what it actually was.

If he were to check, its charm would surely decrease by half. It was a scent shrouded in mystery, therefore it could bring forth these feelings.

“This is a really scary place, isn’t it?”

Sitting up straight on the old wooden chair, Xins Airwincle let out a faint breath.

He looked around him. There, encircled by a tall, dark grey fence, was an enormous garden.

Water gushed from a fountain dyed madder red as it basked in the setting sun, and the flowers blooming profusely by his feet flourished proudly as midsummer gradually approached.

“When I’m here, I get the feeling that some ten years have passed and I’ve returned home.”

He couldn’t help but relax and forget about the passing of time.

“Hmm. Well, even for you, it’s important to rest once in a while.”

He smiled wryly at a voice that came from a place not too far in front of him.

Rest— I see, nicely put.

“How long will a broken bone take to heal?”

As he touched the bandage wrapped around his left arm, he tilted his head.

“It depends.”

“……If it was caused by a hit from a chimera’s claws?”

Instantly, a curtain of silence descended upon them.

Taking one breath seemed long, while two breaths meant there would be a short bit left over—

“In the first place, it’s because you can’t discipline yourself enough.”

Carried by the wind was his companion’s long breath that seemed like a sigh.

“It would be fine if you had only been bruised, but breaking your arm was just too clumsy. No matter how exceptional your Recitations are, there’s no point if your body itself isn’t healed. I’ve said that many times already.”

“……Senpai just isn’t disciplined enough.”

Without trying to hide his smile, Xins raised his head towards his companion.

Towards the owner of the garden and the enormous plot of land.

“You said that a lot. Especially when you were young.”

His companion replied with an unchanged tone of voice. Of everyone Xins knew, there was no one else who had an outward appearance as unique as this man’s.

—His exposed upper body had skin tanned brown by the sun.

His pants were a faded, deep brown color. That was all the clothing he wore. But in the place of clothes, the muscle fibres that thrust up from his skin seemed like a stronger armor than anything else.

Muscles ran from his back to his shoulder blades. Not a trace of fat could be seen on his abdomen, and his upper arms were nearly twice as thick as a normal person’s. Although he had such an astonishing physique, the usual dim-wittedness that such giant men had couldn’t be felt from him. According to those who saw him, they had been quite surprised by that fact.

He didn’t have the sense of weight normally seen in people who specialized in muscular development.

After having devoted thousands of nights to disciplining himself, his body had been honed to its limits. Just like a swordsmith sharpening his blade, under the process of “studying”, he had stripped away not only fat but excess muscle as well— His body was in a completely different dimension than a regular person’s.

After coming to understand the burden of his physique, bones, and internal organs, his meticulously calculated figure didn’t have even one gram of inconsistency.

Unattainable by even ancient artistic statues, he had the perfect form in the field of ergonomics. 

“Anyway, it’s Senpai’s turn.”

“Understood, I’ll move the <Queen> to 3-B.”

Even in the short time it took to say those words, he didn’t stop moving.

He gripped a metal spear with both hands.

He lifted and swung the weapon that shone dully.

Swing. Swing. Swing.

As it flowed, he turned it so that it didn’t lose momentum. Turn vertically, turn horizontally, and then slash down.

It “cut” the wind, giving off a noise very different from the gentle breeze that blew through the garden. 

It was a type of spearmanship completely suited to battle, created for a certain purpose. While it felt nimble like the fluttering of a bird’s feathers, at the same time, it was also chilly as if it would pierce through everything.

The man’s nimble and sharp movements made it feel beautiful.

I see. If it was him, receiving a blow from a chimera’s claws would certainly not leave him in the same state as I am.

—Honestly, I’m no match for this person.

After gazing at the waltz for a short while, Xins turned his glance to the metal board resting on his knee. Following what the man had said, he moved the red enemy piece that was placed on the board.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he lifted his own piece.

“Then, I’ll move my <Knight> to 12-E. I’m only two moves away from taking your <King>.”

At that moment, the spear’s movements didn’t even falter.

[[File:Tasogare_v2_025.jpg|thumb]]

“Hm……”

The sharp glint in the man’s eyes weakened slightly.

“Then, my <King> will escape to 15-F……Well, that’s what I thought.”

As his short, light brown hair fluttered in the wind, he turned only his gaze toward Xins.

“One question. Could it be that your <Archer> is there?”

“Yeah, I moved him there three turns ago. It’s aimed directly at your <King>.”

“Then, my <King> will escape to 14-D……Well, I wanted it to.”

Once again, there was a moment of silence.

“One more question. Could it be that your <Jester> is hiding there?”

“Ah, it was found?”

After glancing at the board resting on his knee, Xins pretended to play dumb.

“Your <Knight> is blocking the front and your <Archer> is blocking the side column. You also put your <Jester> where I wanted the <King> to escape to. That’s your only attack strategy, isn’t it? It’s too obvious.”

He swung his spear without seeming to boast. But even so, it was amazing that he remembered. As expected of the “Senpai” who taught Xins the game.

But he had also revealed his next move. After thinking about that for a few seconds—

“But, I who got caught by this move shouldn’t speak to others like that. I admit defeat.”

He gradually lowered his voice.

“My daily practice is also just about over. That was good timing.”

Speaking those words, the long spear that he held also slowly stopped moving.

As he waited for his companion to wipe away the sweat, Xins stood up from the chair.

“I felt like today’s Senpai didn’t put his heart into it, did he?”

“……Hmph.”

From the time his training started, until now.

Klaus Yung Gillshuvesher. The owner of this land finally turned to face Xins.

“Because I always end up losing, don’t I? Senpai’s moves today weren’t good at all.”

“Sorry. But I couldn’t just not finish it.”

He was totally aware of that. Without uttering a word, he simply nodded.

“—Were you thinking about it?”

To him, training with his spear was already something he could do without thinking about it. That was why he could play such a board game while training. But today, it seemed that there was also something else on his mind.

“Sorta.”

Without bothering to hide it, he let out a shaky sigh.

“Even though she’s already this old, I worry about my daughter.”

“That’s right, she’s already sixteen, isn’t she?”

Contrary to his outward appearance, he cared deeply for his family. When he had spare time, Xins often had to listen as he bragged about his family.

……But, his daughter?

Until now, he had always talked about his wife. Xins didn’t remember him saying much about his daughter. No, he seemed to almost try to avoid such a topic.

“That’s right, I haven’t told you much about my daughter.”

As he wrapped his long spear in white cloth, he suddenly narrowed his eyes.

“By the way, what’s your opinion about talent?”

Although Xins thought that his companion would talk about his daughter, he enquired about something different.

“Talent…… No matter what I say, it’s hard to give an interesting answer right away.”

“In the forty years I’ve lived like this, I’ve met many people who called themselves a ‘genius’. After talking and eating with many of them, I’ve come to a realization.”

With a small sigh, he lifted his fist.

“That is, there are no geniuses in this world.”

“Not even one out of all the people you met?”

Xins thought this question would hit the mark, but…

“No, not even one person.”

Seeming unmoved by the question, he shook his head from side to side with an empty gaze.

“Most of the people I met, as I expected, were working hard behind the scenes. There were also others who didn’t need to work hard to succeed, but…… Sure enough, they were simply insignificant humans with a lot of good luck.”

After that, he shut his mouth.

“—Well, that’s what I thought.”

After that, he silently shrugged his shoulders.

“Although I had been confident in that, it turned out I was wrong. Two people, only two people in this world, no matter how much I tried to deceive myself, I had to admit that they were ‘geniuses’.”

He smoothly said those words and then looked over with a glint in his eyes.

“Two people who I know. One of them is you, Xins.”

At that moment, Xins realized that he had been holding his breath.

As he listened, he had somehow sensed this.

Xins Airwincle— He became the first person in history to venture into an area that nobody else had, by mastering all five Recitation Colors and becoming the Rainbow Color Reciter.

“……I have mixed feelings about being praised for something like that.”

“But it’s the truth, you can’t deny it.”

“And the other person?”

If he were to give another name, it would undoubtedly be the person he had made a promise with, the Night-colored girl. The person who he had reunited with at a certain school, some ten years later. But there was no way that Klaus could know about her.

“Although she wasn’t well-known in the world of Reciters, she was also someone worthy of making history.”

That was something Xins had naturally expected, so he didn’t even nod.

“At first there was my family, the Yung, and then came other branch families. Within our several thousands of people, there appeared a heaven-sent girl, unprecedented in history.”

Suddenly, Xins involuntarily frowned.

What did he say just now? —A girl?

“Yeah, that’s right.”

With an empty voice like it had turned into flakes of rusted iron, he continued.

That wasn’t something bad, but something he should have been bragging about.

But even so. Why had his gaze become clouded?

“However, that talent stopped before it could bloom into a large flower.”

With an anguished expression, he let his words weakly spill forth.

“How could such a thing happen? That child threw away the name Gillshuvesher that represented her natural talent, and chose the path of a Reciter.”

—The name Gillshuvesher?

‘Even though she’s already this old, I worry about my daughter.’

Xins finally recalled what he had muttered.

“Senpai, could that girl be…?”

“……My only daughter.”

“Your only daughter abandoned the {{Furigana|Exorcists|Gillshe}} to be a Reciter?”

“The school she chose was Tremia Academy.”

Tremia.

Xins could only think of one school with that name. No way.

“Yeah. The school you were at when that spontaneous catalyst discharge incident occurred. You might even have met her.”

“What is your daughter’s name?”

Gazing briefly at the madder red sun, the father quietly closed his eyes.

“—Ada. A girl who became a high school student this year at the Recitation School.”

----

<noinclude>{{Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai Nav|prev=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 Dream Play|next=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 1st Play}}</noinclude>

Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 1st Play

2013-08-20T14:16:09Z

Cres:

==1st Play – Wanting to Become a Copper-Colored Song User==

===Part 1===

Perhaps it was a special case due to being at the edge of the continent, but it was a high school which thousands of students who specialized in Recitation attended— Tremia Academy. The campus was several times larger than other Recitation schools, while the quality of both the facilities and the teaching staff couldn’t be described as inferior to other prestigious schools.

Located in the center of the campus was a building in the shape of a dome-shaped arch.

‘Books Administration Building’ —Holding around one million two hundred thousand books, it was an establishment that stretched from five floors above ground to two floors underground. It wasn’t just a place for studying, but was also used for socializing and taking a break. Not just students, but teachers also frequently visited that building, qualifying it to be called a multipurpose hall.

On the second floor. A young student wearing a white uniform gazed fixedly at the bookshelves, which were lined up in rows. He was at most twelve or thirteen years old. It was a boy with deep purple hair and androgynous features.

“Umm. This and……this.”

With both hands full of resource books, the boy excitedly descended to the lobby downstairs.

“Neight-kun, are you okay? You’re staggering.”

Seeing his figure, a girl wearing a school uniform called out.

Mio Lentear. With blond hair and a young-looking face, she calmly called out. Although she was actually sixteen years old, she looked two to three years younger.

“I’m fine…… Probably.”

Peering up from the books he held, the boy— Neight Yehlemihas nodded slightly at the girl.

“It looks hot outside, are you just resting for a while in the library?”

Closing the book that she was reading, Mio asked with an uneasy look. Books Administration Building was the school’s official name for it. But neither students nor teachers used such a long name. Instead, it was commonly called the ‘library’.

“It’s because I can’t practice Recitations anywhere other than outdoors. Also, Kluele is waiting for me outside.”

Recitations. That was the technique that the students of this school specifically studied. To picture their desired target in their heart, then while holding a catalyst of the same color, to praise the name of the target— It was a type of summoning technique.

It was classified into five colors ‘{{Furigana|Keinez|Red}}’, ‘{{Furigana|Ruguz|Blue}}’, ‘{{Furigana|Surisuz|Yellow}}’, ‘{{Furigana|Beorc|Green}}’, and ‘{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}’, and students could each choose a color to specialize in, in order to call out an object with the same color as their specialty.

“What about Mio-san? Kluele-san is waiting for us out on the campus.”

Looking at her, Neight saw that her gaze had already turned from him to the books in his arms. By the way, Mio’s specialty was in Green Recitations. In her case, whenever she wanted to call out a green frog, she would prepare green catalysts such as green drawing paper and then sing a song of praise.

“Hang on a moment. I’m almost done reading this book. Ehh, why am I suddenly interested in the mystery genre…”

……He felt like he had been continuously hearing her say those words ever since three days ago.

After summer vacation had started, ever since she had suddenly started picking up mystery novels, Mio acted like this. Judging from her personality, she probably wouldn’t leave the library until she had read all of the mystery novels there.

“Then, I’ll go ahead and start practicing out on the campus.”

He could barely see in front of him with all the books he carried, but it couldn’t be helped. Crossing through the library exit, he continued down the corridor leading to the entranceway—

“……!”

With an impact like crashing into a wall, Neight and the books he held all tumbled to the floor.

“Hey. Are you okay?”

Looking up, it was a thin teacher with glasses. The teacher wore the standard white coat with a school badge woven in blue thread over his chest. Umm, was he one of the teachers in charge of the higher grades?

“Ah, y-yes, I’m fine. Um……I’m sorry.”

“You should look ahead when you’re walking— Well, that’s what I would usually say.”

Looking around at the mountain of books scattered on the floor, the teacher’s expression softened.

“After seeing how hard you’re studying, I won’t scold you today.”

Picking up a book, the teacher gazed at the front cover.

“How nostalgic. I’ve read this resource book many times before. Well, that’s a story of back when I was a student.”

He picked up a stack of books and handed them back to Neight. In fact, they were in the same order as Neight had originally arranged them in. When they bumped into each other, had the teacher remembered the order of the books?

“T……Thank you very much.”

“Although it’s summer vacation, don’t forget to walk quietly down the hallways.”

Teasingly, the teacher pushed up the bridge of his glasses.

With his night-colored hair fluttering, the small boy quickly headed down the passageway.

“……Speaking of which, that boy.”

Gazing at the boy’s back, Mirror narrowed his eyes.

Was he called Neight? Soon after he had entered the academy, because of his unique situation, he had become a popular topic among teachers. Recitations consisted of five colors, and each student in the school had picked a color to specialize in. However, only that boy was learning a completely different color.

Night-Color Recitations— It was a controversial color whose existence was still not officially accepted.

“It’s too bad, I wanted to talk with him a bit longer.”

Even teachers such as himself didn’t know much about that Recitation. Naturally, he was interested in it, but there was also another topic he wanted to talk about.

What connected him and that boy, in other words, a single woman. After she had graduated from Elfand, what path had she travelled? He was considerably interested in the girl who had once been his classmate.

“Unfortunately, it’s not something I should talk about during work.”

Glancing at the documents tucked under his arm, he took a deep breath.

“Now then, time for me to start the investigation.”

<div align="center">***</div>

“……Neight.”

Carrying a flask filled with a catalyst in one hand, Neight turned around to face the voice coming from behind him.

“Y-Yes, what is it?”

“We should take a little break. You seem to be unsteady on your feet.”

The girl’s voice was calm and soft. That voice came from beneath the shade of a tree a few meters away from where he stood on the campus. In a small shadow that blocked the intense rays of midsummer sunlight— As she said that, the girl’s long, scarlet hair fluttered in the gentle breeze.

“B-But…”

“Don’t deny it. Ever since a while ago, your Recitations were continuously failing, weren’t they? Your concentration is decreasing.”

What she said was true. Without objecting, Neight reluctantly nodded.

“……Okay.”

“Here, put this on.”

She forcefully pressed a large-brimmed straw hat onto his head. Its size was slightly too big, and his whole field of vision was covered by the brim of the hat.

“……Um, I can’t see in front of me.”

Lifting up the hat, his field of vision enlarged.

But filling his whole field of view at close range—

“That’s fine. You seem to be the type of person who would keep running until you run out of energy and collapse.”

Before his eyes, a girl wearing a deep blue one-piece dress stood up. She was tall with long scarlet hair, whose appearance stood out even from a long distance away.

Kluele Sophi Net. She was sixteen, three years older than Neight. Like her hair color indicated, she specialized in Red Recitations. Ever since he had enrolled in this school, she had always been there by his side.

“But what’s troublesome is, that’s also one of your good qualities.”

Half-teasingly, the girl smiled and let out a small laugh.

“……Somehow, I don’t feel like that’s a compliment.”

Fufu— Sure enough, she cheerfully covered her mouth with her hand.

“Anyway, come rest for a while in the shade.”

Pressing down with one hand on her one-piece dress that fluttered in the wind, she turned and walked away.

“U-Um, Kluele-san?”

“The café nearby should be open. I’ll go buy some cold drinks, so wait here.”

===Part 2===

The wind blowing through the campus stirred up sand from the ground.

“……It’s really hot!”

Taking shelter in the shadow of a school building, Neight wiped the sweat from his forehead. He should have worn some light clothes like Kluele, but he had reflexively worn his usual white school uniform. He could return to his dorm and change, but that was just as troublesome.

“……Kluele-san still hasn’t returned yet.”

It took around ten minutes round trip to go to the café in the first year school building. But because it would be crowded today, it should take a bit longer.

“Oh, if it isn’t Neighty. What’s wrong?”

—Should he have found a place to read a book today, just like Mio?

“……H-Huh? Neighty, didn’t you hear me?”

Sure enough, he should have stayed in the library. Mio-san was also there.

“H-Hey, over here, Neighty. Don’t ignore me…… Aah, fine, Neight!”

Neight?

When he suddenly heard his name being called out from behind him, he reflexively turned around. In front of him was a tall, familiar girl with black hair.

“……Eh, Serges-san?”

Like Mio and Kluele, she was a girl from his class. She wasn’t wearing the designated school uniform, but indigo sportswear. On her back was a bulky backpack.

“Good morning, Serges-san.”

“’Morning. But you should’ve noticed me from the very beginning. I was calling out to Neighty since a while ago.”

“By Neighty, do you mean me?”

Although he had thought the name was similar, Neight didn’t expect it to be directed at himself.

“Because, you see, although we aren’t the same age, we’re still classmates. It doesn’t feel right to use ‘kun’ and call you ‘Neight-kun’. So you need a nickname. Well? Isn’t it great? Isn’t the name I thought of just now great?”

“No matter how you put it…”

Recoiling back like he had been pushed, Neight slowly pointed to the backpack she wore.

“……Um, Serges-san, why are you still at school even though it’s summer vacation? And why are you wearing such a large backpack?”

“Don’t change the topic so casually. ……Well, I guess it’s alright.”

Murmuring quietly, the girl lowered the backpack she shouldered. As she set it down on the ground, there was a heavy thumping noise, along with a cloud of dust.

“What’s inside that?”

At that moment.

“Hm, this? You want to know? You want to hear about it, don’t you? Don’t regret it, okay?”

With a suspicious twinkle in her eyes, smiling, Serges drew closer.

“Ah…… A-Actually, it’s fine. It somehow seems scary, so…”

“No no, it’s nothing major. It’s just someone’s fresh corpse, someone young just like Neighty—”

“Uwaa, someone come and help meeee!”

“Hey, wait! Hey Neighty, don’t run away! I was joking!”

Just before Neight started running as fast as he could, Serges gripped his neck from behind. Fearfully, Neight turned around to face the girl.

“……Just what is really in there?”

“A tent, a sleeping bag, food, rain gear, and various other things. Because I’m in the mountain climbing club.”

The mountain climbing club. Speaking of which, Neight felt that there truly was such a club. Sure enough, the shoes she was wearing weren’t ordinary sports shoes, but something thicker.

“Starting tomorrow, we’re going on a trip for five days and four nights to try mountain climbing during the summer, so today is the club’s last meeting. Say, what’s Neighty doing?”

Staring intently, she sized up Neight’s school uniform.

“Umm, I’m practicing Recitations with Kluele-san and Mio-san.”

“Ah, I passed by Kluele a while ago. Where’s Mio?”

“She’s reading mystery novels in the library. This summer, she wants to finish reading all of the five hundred seventy books in the library.”

“Isn’t that not related to Recitations at all?”

Her words sounded like that of a natural comeback.

“Her enthusiasm is amazing. These last few days, she seems to be coming to the library at seven in the morning just to wait for it to open. She was even bragging about how she’s the earliest student to arrive.”

“……Hmm.”

Slowly, the color of Serges’s eyes dimmed.

Like she was thinking of something, she seemed to gaze into space.

“If I remember correctly, Neighty is living in the school dormitories?”

“Yeah. There happened to be a vacancy, so I was put there.”

Tremia Academy’s dormitories were located within the school campus. Because it was only about a ten minute walk from there to the first year school building, the dorms were popular among students. Because there was much competition, unless your home was especially far from the school, it was hard to get accepted in.

“Well then. Tomorrow, wake up early and get to school by six-thirty.”

At hearing her smooth words, Neight doubted his ears.

“……Six-thirty?”

“That’s right. Well, it’s six-thirty to arrive at the ‘rooftop of the first year school building’.”

Of all places, the roof of the school building? Impossible. Although the school gates might be open at six-thirty, the school building itself should be locked at that time.

“Use the emergency staircase. That way, you can get on the roof without entering the building.”

The emergency staircase was normally a prohibited area for students. But why were they now doing such a thing?

“Is someone there?”

“You’ll find out if you go. Well then, it’s about time for me to go to my meeting.”

Glancing at the large clock on the wall of the school building, Serges picked up her backpack.

“Well then, you two. The interferer will be going now, so enjoy yourselves.”

You two? Before Neight could guess at the meaning…

“……What an unsettling way of talking.”

Neight heard a familiar voice coming from somewhere behind him. Turning around, there stood Kluele with a cup of drinks in each hand. Standing opposite to Kluele who was raising an eyebrow, the girl shouldering a backpack waved her hand cheerfully.

“No no, there wasn’t any deep meaning behind that. Also, Kluele, make sure your left shoulder heals quickly!”

With the sleeve of her one-piece dress fluttering in the wind, Kluele’s shoulder was slightly exposed to the sunlight. The white bandage seemed pitiful against her slightly flushed skin. It was a wound she had gotten two weeks ago, during the incident that happened on campus. According to her, it could be called healed already.

“……Got it.”

“You……You seem mature, but you act rash when doing something unexpected.”

With a disappointed face, Kluele pouted. Seeing that, the black-haired girl’s amused expression softened.

“But, that’s also what makes you cute.”

“Wha……What’s that supposed to mean?”

Kluele didn’t expect those words to be used back on her and stepped back embarrassedly.

“Well then, bye bye, you two.”

With a mischievous smile, Serges left, heading in the direction of the school building.

Watching after her until her figure had disappeared from sight on the campus—

“Oh, speaking of which, I wonder what Serges is doing carrying such a large backpack.”

Having forgotten to mention it, the question floated into Kluele’s mind.

“A club activity. It seemed to be a mountain climbing camp.”

“I see. If she’s going somewhere far, I should’ve asked for a souvenir. But I wonder what kind of souvenirs there are from a mountain.”

“……The fresh corpse of a victim. Moreover, someone who’s around our age.”

“Eh?”

“……It’s nothing.”

The image of such a thing being in the backpack arose from his imagination. ……Ugh, that probably wouldn’t leave his mind for a while.

“Ah, that’s right. Kluele-san. Tomorrow, I want to come to school slightly earlier.”

“Sure. But I’ll still be coming at the same time as always. Although, what’s up all of a sudden?”

How should he explain? He contemplated for a few seconds.

“Just checking whether or not someone will be on the roof.”

Neight answered by saying what Serges had said to him.

“Who do you mean by ‘someone’?”

“Well……She didn’t tell me.”

Unsure of what expression he should make, Neight bit his cheek.

I wasn’t told— Another way to put it would be that she didn’t tell me just now, but I’ll find out if I go to the rooftop. That was what her words implied.

……In other words, someone I know?

===Part 3===

From the main entrance, Neight looked up at the large clock hanging on the side of the school building. The needles of that clock pointed at a time half an hour earlier than what he had promised Serges yesterday.

—It was six o’clock.

Just who could be on the roof of the first year school building this early in the morning?

He was so interested that he couldn’t even sleep well last night. Because of that, although he had come early, his eyelids couldn’t help but feel heavy.

Biting back a yawn, Neight walked through the main entrance.

Not only students, but looking around, there weren’t even any teachers in sight. He headed towards the dome-shaped Books Administration Building beside the first year school building. As expected, the library wasn’t open yet, and he couldn’t see the figures of students lining up either. Of course, neither was the figure of the girl he was used to seeing visible.

“It’s this early, after all. It’s natural that Mio-san wouldn’t be here.”

Talking to himself, Neight turned back to the first year school building.

That building was dark grey with a strong metal structure. During the incident at the recital contest, this building had been able to withstand the chimeras’ attacks.

“……As expected, it’s closed.”

A large padlock hung on the entrance of the school building. Glancing at it, Neight turned and headed to the back of the building.

Towering up from a grassy field where sunlight didn’t reach was a spiraling emergency staircase.

“It would be much easier if I could fly up like Arma.”

Looking up at the long spiral reaching up to the roof, Neight let out a small sigh.

Clomp, clomp…

On the slightly rusted staircase, the sound of a single person’s footsteps echoed.

Walking past the second floor, past the third floor, he reached the roof of the school building.

—Is someone really here, at such a place?

It wasn’t that he was calling Serges’s words a lie. It was just that he didn’t understand why a student would be up here, instead of on the campus or in a classroom.

He went up the last step leading to the roof.

As the morning sun suddenly burned his eyelids, he closed his eyes. But he didn’t close them completely because a sharp sound like something cutting the wind resounded in his eardrums.

What was that sound?

In the direction of the sound— He turned his gaze to the center of the vast rooftop.

“……Eh.”

In the dazzling sunlight, Neight opened both of his eyes.

Dancing beneath the vivid sun was a girl with wheat-brown skin.

—No, not dancing……

The girl was holding a large pole. A dull metallic luster shone from the tip. It was a blade that had clearly been sharpened— In other words, it was a spear.

The girl wielded a spear longer than her own height.

Swinging like it was flowing, spinning like it was dancing, and piercing like it was fluttering. Moving without stopping for even a second, each movement seemed different from the next. The polished blade flowed like it was drawing the onlookers in. Was this really training with a spear? Seeing her beautiful actions, he couldn’t help but think that.

“……Amazing.”

At first glance, the performance seemed like a beautiful war dance. However, she seemed to have a vigor that couldn’t be emitted when acting. It couldn’t be described with just the word ‘reality’. That was what the expression on the spear-wielder’s face said.

The girl’s movements didn’t stop. On the roof so wide that you could run a race, her feet moved so fast that his eyes couldn’t keep up. Even the splash of sweat glittering in the sunlight was beautiful. Different from any sport, it couldn’t be classified as something in this dimension.

Returning from the edge of the rooftop to the center, the girl spun the spear with one hand.

……Kiiiiin.

“—Ah!”

As a metallic sound rang out, Neight finally returned to his senses.

Ten meters away, the girl stopped moving. The spear wasn’t in her hand.

—The spear, did she drop it?

Her actions confirmed his thoughts. Looking down at the spear fallen on the ground, the girl let out a small sigh.

He hadn’t noticed because he had been captivated by her movements until now, but the girl actually wasn’t very tall. She was at most only a few centimeters taller than him. She wore white shorts and a tank top of the same color. Her bare shoulder that was exposed to the sun was a tanned brown color. No, it would be more appropriate to call it copper-brown.

Her light brown hair was cut to shoulder-length, a boyish girl with short hair. Her face was small in proportion to her body, but she had contrasting large eyes. Her impressive features somehow reminded him of a cat—

[[File:Tasogare_v2_051.jpg|thumb]]

……Eh? This person looks familiar.

“Hm? Hey, you.”

The girl before him finally raised her face. Their eyes met.

“Hey, if it isn’t Chibi-kun. ‘Morning! You’re here early, aren’t you?”

Her breathtaking expression from before was like a lie. With an indifferent expression, she raised one hand.

“……Ada-san?”

Ada Yung— The girl before his eyes was someone in the same class as him and Kluele. It was the familiar face of a classmate.

“Ada-san, is that a spear?”

“Mm, aah. Wait a moment, okay? I can’t stay sweaty like this.”

From a bag lying near the edge of the roof, the girl took out a towel.

Ada-san, just how long have you been here?

It was still earlier than seven in the morning. Even though it was only this time, from the smiling girl’s forehead, no, from her whole body, large drops of sweat flowed.

“Hey, Chibi-kun. I have a favor to ask.”

...…Chibi-kun?

“H-Hey. Even Neighty is slightly better…”

“Eeh. But doesn’t the nickname Chibi-kun sound cute? It has more charm to it!”

“Really?”

Even as he indirectly expressed his dissatisfaction, the girl had an indifferent expression. It seemed that to her, that nickname was already fixed.

“Yeah, yeah. By the way, Chibi-kun, can you face the other way for a bit?”

“The other way?”

For what purpose? Not understanding her intention, he stared blankly at Ada.

The girl curled her lips into a grin.

“Sure enough, Chibi-kun is Chibi-kun.”

“Eh?”

“I need to change, change clothes. I want to take off my tank top. If Chibi-kun doesn’t turn around, won’t it be too provoking?”

“……If that’s what you meant, then say it earlier.”

Puffing up his cheeks, Neight turned away. Really, if she had said earlier that she wanted to change, then he would have turned around right away.

“That’s why you’re Chibi-kun.”

Teasing him, the girl’s shoulders shook cheerfully.

“Club activity?”

What the girl was telling him was something that he had heard about before.

“Yeah. I’m in a spear-wielding club. I was practicing just now.”

“Practicing, at this early in the morning?”

He wasn’t sure about the exact time. If he had to guess, she had probably come here before six. He had no idea how early she woke up each morning.

“Club practice starts at ten. Before that is time for private lessons.”

“By private lessons, you mean individual practice?”

And then. As if hiding her embarrassment, the girl shyly turned away and placed her hand on the back of her head.

“Well, it’s different for everyone. For me, it’s…… Well, my memory isn’t very good. I don’t understand much or get good-quality practice, so I have to work even harder.”

Memory isn’t very good?

“Eh, but Ada-san. You joined the spear-wielding club this April, right? It hasn’t even been half a year, yet you’re already this good. How could your memory be bad?”

Suddenly, the girl’s facial expression changed.

The change was so subtle that it couldn’t be expressed in words. But something scary seemed to light up the girl’s eyes. Frightening. Or more accurately, it somehow stirred up fear inside him.

“No, no. Chibi-kun saw it too, right? In the very end, I ended up dropping my spear. That wasn’t cool at all. I’m still making such basic mistakes after so many years—”

……So many years? That means...

Before he had time to comprehend the meaning of her words, the girl hurriedly waved her hand.

“Ah. Forget it, forget what I just said! It’s a girl’s secret.”

“……H-Huh?”

Although he didn’t understand, pressured by the girl’s vigor, he couldn’t help but nod.

—But it really was amazing.

Wearing sportswear, she looked fairly short. Just judging by her appearance, it was hard to believe that someone as slender as her could wield a spear.

“Well, it’s hard work just to keep this body figure.”

Poking her arms a few times, Ada crossed her arms with a bitter smile.

“After wielding such a heavy thing, my muscles start developing pretty quickly. That’s fine for a boy, but not so much for a girl. ……I’ve already given up on my tan though.”

“It must be difficult, isn’t it?”

For him, it was hard to even develop muscles.

—Neight, you should train your body a bit more. Kluele had once said that to him, but he didn’t know exactly how to train.

“See, men don’t understand these feelings that girls have. Even though I restrict how much I eat just to keep this body figure, they say things like ‘If you don’t eat more, you won’t keep that figure!’ And when I’m doing makeup, they barge in and say things like ‘You’re so slow.’”

Crossing her arms, Ada shrugged sullenly.

“……Ah. I-Is that so?”

At first, Neight thought she had been talking about her boyfriend.

“First of all, that stubborn father of mine doesn’t even understand his daughter’s feelings.”

But as he continued listening to her, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“By ‘men’, did Ada-san mean her father?”

“Yeah.”

Surprisingly, she easily admitted that.

“My father is, how do I put it… a blockhead who doesn’t pay detailed attention to others. Also, he lacks creativity, and even gave his only daughter a ten kilogram iron dumbbell for her fourteenth birthday.”

“That’s…… Rather than creative, I think it’s an original idea.”

No way! Instead of using words, Ada furiously shook her head.

“It was ten kilos, ten kilos! I got mad and threw it at him. And then that idiot father said, ‘Sorry, would fifteen kilos have been better?’ He asked me with such a serious face!”

“……You threw it? Even though it was ten kilograms?”

It would have been bad for the person being thrown at, but since Ada-san was angry, it couldn’t be helped—

“In the first place, my usual dumbbell is twenty kilos!”

“Was that why you were angry?!”

“Hm? What’s wrong, Chibi-kun? You don’t seem very energetic?”

……Take back what I said before. Angry people should just be angry.

“Ada-san, do people often say that you’re similar to your father?”

“Eh, there’s no way anyone would say that. We’re not similar, not similar at all!”

She frowned openly as if she really hated that statement.

“Ah, that’s right. I should go soon.”

Suddenly, as if she had just thought of something, she quickly stood up.

“Is it time for your club?”

“Nope. I’m going shopping today. It’s the long-awaited trip, so I need to go buy things like a bag and some summer clothes.”

“Trip? Are you going somewhere?”

“Isn’t Chibi-kun also going?”

Carefully wrapping her spear in a piece of cloth, Ada tilted her head.

“After the incident a while back, parts of the school buildings are being repaired, right? The supplementary lessons during summer vacation are usually held in Tremia Academy, but this year we’re going to Tremia Academy’s branch school. It’s a place beside the ocean.”

As she said that, Neight realized he had seen a notice about that before.

“Chibi-kun’s also going, right? Kluele said she would also go. Aren’t you tired of only practicing Recitations? Occasionally, you also need time to relax.”

“……Kluele-san told me the same thing.”

“That’s right. Then let’s go shopping together with everyone! Anyway, Mio should be at the library, right? And Kluele also seems like she has some free time.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl quickly ran down the emergency staircase.

“W-Wait, Ada-san. Don’t you have club activities today?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll just say I had a stomachache today.”

I-Is that really okay?

But speaking of which, didn’t she also act like this during class?

“……Ada-san is a strange person.”

“Eh, did you say something?”

She stopped running down the stairs and with sharp ears, asked in return.

“No, it’s nothing!”

Telling an obvious lie, Neight also headed down the emergency stairs.

===Part 4===

“Hey Enne, aren’t you hot?”

Like he had suddenly thought of it, her companion asked.

“I’m hot, but I’m a teacher so I have to wear the appropriate clothing.”

Resisting the urge to nod her head, Enne replied with the answer she had prepared beforehand. She was wearing a suit with white as the main color. Even though the white cloth reflected the sunlight, it didn’t change how hot she felt.

“Besides, isn’t Mirror also wearing a teacher’s lecture clothing?”

“Ah, that white coat that looks like a scholar’s, right? He likes wearing that though.”

Her colleague who said that wore a flamboyant polka-dotted T-shirt. But even so, he seemed hot, and currently had the edges of his T-shirt tucked in.

“……Zessel, you should wear some neater clothing!”

He was a male teacher who was Enne’s colleague as well as her childhood friend. Regardless of whether he was at school or not, he had probably heard those words hundreds of times to him by now.

“The headmaster said we can do as we like. I do dress neat in front of students, but it’s summer vacation. Plus, there’s no way any student could be here at this time—”

“There is. There’s a child waiting for the library to open. Although if I recall correctly, she’s probably a first-year student.”

“……Is that so?”

“Which means starting tomorrow, you’re also wearing a suit.”

……Give me a break.

He hastily swallowed back the words that he almost absent-mindedly said.

Tremia Academy, Building of General Affairs. The most innermost room on the first floor— They had arrived near that place.

Beside her colleague who straightened his posture, Enne discreetly adjusted the collar of her suit.

“So you do care, don’t you?”

“If I said I didn’t, would you believe me?”

After hearing her childhood friend’s teasing tone of voice, she sent him a meaningful look.

“We were chosen to come at such an early time just so students wouldn’t find out about it and involuntarily reveal it to other teachers. No matter what this is about, make sure you’re ready to face it.”

Towering in front of them was a large, wooden door engraved with impressive patterns.

“I’m not good at dealing with this sort of thing.”

Enne took a step back, meaning ‘I leave this to you’.

Slowly, she pushed the back of Zessel, who stood in front of her.

“……I’m not good at it either.”

“Come on, go for it. I’ll treat you to lunch.”

“……Seriously, give me a break.”

Sighing a second time, Zessel knocked on the door of the headmaster’s room. He entered the room in which the dark green hallway changed into a soft, deep crimson carpet that was spread out on the floor.

The headmaster’s room. Inside, several teachers were already standing in a circle.

“Sorry, you two, for calling you here so early in the morning.”

In the center of the circle, an old man wearing light clothing raised his hand slightly.

“You can join the circle for now. Everyone is probably busy, so I’ll just quickly tell you what’s going on.”

—What’s going on?

Leaning back against the nearest wall, Enne looked at the faces around her.

There was the headmaster and his close advisor Jessica, the director of education. Beside them were the teachers in charge of first-year students. Teachers who taught the other grades included herself, Zessel, and Mirror.

“This summer as well, in order for first-year students to learn some basics, they are going to summertime supplementary lessons. ……But, the incident that occurred a few days ago is probably still fresh in their minds.”

The recital contest— The teachers’ expressions instantly turned serious. Although they had avoided the worst result, a considerable number of students and teachers had been injured in that incident.

……That wasn’t something they wanted to remember.

“In order for us to repair the school, the usual supplementary lessons which students stay overnight at this school for have been cancelled. Instead, we will use the school buildings of Tremia Academy’s branch school in Fidellia. It will be a special field trip.”

Being the only person whose expression didn’t change, the headmaster standing in the center continued speaking.

Branch school. Rather than calling it a school, it was a facility opened to serve as a local gathering hall. Enne hadn’t visited it before herself. If she recalled correctly, Fidellia was a place near the ocean.

“The problem is the <Egg>.”

The old man’s voice wavered slightly. It was a voice mixed with seriousness and distress.

“The fact that nobody passed away in the incident is a blessing among the misfortune, but some students and teachers in this school received injuries. Obviously, the school buildings were damaged as well. ……At that time, many events happened to occur simultaneously. However, the main cause of everything was the atrocious catalyst I brought into the school.”

Spitting those words out like poison, he turned his gaze to a map hanging on the wall.

On the north side of the continent, located on a mountain range that ran through the continent was a red dot. That was Tremia Academy.

On the edge of the continent some distance away, on land that faced the blue-painted ocean, was another red dot. Was that the branch school?

“That is the Kelberk Research Institute where the bothersome catalyst was refined. However, they have branch facilities in various places on the continent. It seems that it wasn’t the main research facility, but a branch facility that originally refined the <Egg>. Actually, the one who brought that catalyst to this school was also a staff member from the branch facility.”

The name ‘Kelberk Research Institute’ sounded familiar to Enne. With its base set up in the center of the continent, it was a large-scale research institute that employed worthy researchers. The school had invited lecturers from there many times.

“Not long ago, I received a message from the research institute’s headquarters, but they told me to discuss the details with staff members from the branch facility.”

……I see. She somewhat understood. Looking up, she exchanged glances with Mirror, who stood in front of her. She and Mirror both nodded slightly.

“I understand the situation. So you’re saying that while the first-year students go on their summer camp, we should go complain to the head of the branch facility, right?”

“……Zessel.”

Instead of sighing, Enne closed her eyes. If this wasn’t the headmaster’s office, she would have pinched the back of that idiot standing beside her.

“Eh? Ah, I was joking, of course.”

Her childhood friend smiled deceptively with a carefree expression. ……Why hadn’t this guy fixed his childish habits?

“Well, it’s not that I don’t understand what Zessel is trying to say. But what I’m concerned about this time is another matter.”

Was that a good thing? It seemed that the headmaster wasn’t worried about what Zessel had mentioned.

“The research facility that refined the <Egg> is located in Fidellia, where the first-year students are headed.”

……Could this timing be called good or bad?

Then again, Kelberk Research Institute is a facility cooperating with Tremia Academy. It could certainly happen that our branch school is located next to that facility.

“By the way, we received a message from the main facility the day before yesterday.”

Miller, who stood next to the wall across from Enne, continued speaking, explaining the headmaster’s words.

“Recently, our communication with the Fidellia branch seems to have stopped. Furthermore, this happened a few days after it had been confirmed that the <Egg> had gone out of control in this school. We have been trying to contact them since then, but haven’t received a reply.”

“Was the time we lost contact with them also when the recital contest was happening? Has the investigation into the cause of this made any progress?”

The headmaster answered the frowning Zessel with a shake of his head.

“That is something I want you guys to investigate. Mirror has already begun looking into this.”

I see. From the time she had entered the room, she had been curious about the contents of the documents that Mirror had tucked under his arm.

“Although using that sort of place as the location of the first-year students’ training camp isn’t something to be proud of…… Even we have only recently learned of the situation about the Kelberk Research Institute branch facility. It would be slightly difficult to change the chosen location in only these few days. Well, our branch school and the research institute aren’t directly beside each other. Teachers in charge of first-year students, please make sure that students don’t leave the branch school’s campus.”

The teachers in charge of the first-year students must watch over them carefully.

That means at the same time, me and Zessel’s duty is— to accompany the camp disguised as teachers in charge of lectures, and investigate the situation of the research institute.

“……It’s a significant task, isn’t it?”

“That just means I have a lot of confidence in you guys.”

The one who responded wasn’t the headmaster.

Jessica, director of education— the teacher who she, Zessel, and Mirror looked up to.

“Well then, everyone can continue on with their own duties. You should all know already, but this matter must not be revealed to the students!”

----

<noinclude>{{Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai Nav|prev=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 Introductory Play|next=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 2nd Play}}</noinclude>

Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 1st Play

2013-08-20T14:00:58Z

Cres: Sentence structure

==1st Play – Wanting to Become a Copper-Colored Song User==

===Part 1===

Perhaps it was a special case due to being at the edge of the continent, but it was a high school which thousands of students who specialized in Recitation attended— Tremia Academy. The campus was several times larger than other Recitation schools, while the quality of both the facilities and the teaching staff couldn’t be described as inferior to other prestigious schools.

Located in the center of the campus was a building in the shape of a dome-shaped arch.

‘Books Administration Building’ —Holding around one million two hundred thousand books, it was an establishment that stretched from five floors above ground to two floors underground. It wasn’t just a place for studying, but was also used for socializing and taking a break. Not just students, but teachers also frequently visited that building, qualifying it to be called a multipurpose hall.

On the second floor. A young student wearing a white uniform gazed fixedly at the bookshelves, which were lined up in rows. He was at most twelve or thirteen years old. It was a boy with deep purple hair and androgynous features.

“Umm. This and……this.”

With both hands full of resource books, the boy excitedly descended to the lobby downstairs.

“Neight-kun, are you okay? You’re staggering.”

Seeing his figure, a girl wearing a school uniform called out.

Mio Lentear. With blond hair and a young-looking face, she calmly called out. Although she was actually sixteen years old, she looked two to three years younger.

“I’m fine…… Probably.”

Peering up from the books he held, the boy— Neight Yehlemihas nodded slightly at the girl.

“It looks hot outside, are you just resting for a while in the library?”

Closing the book that she was reading, Mio asked with an uneasy look. Books Administration Building was the school’s official name for it. But neither students nor teachers used such a long name. Instead, it was commonly called the ‘library’.

“It’s because I can’t practice Recitations anywhere other than outdoors. Also, Kluele is waiting for me outside.”

Recitations. That was the technique that the students of this school specifically studied. To picture their desired target in their heart, then while holding a catalyst of the same color, to praise the name of the target— It was a type of summoning technique.

It was classified into five colors ‘{{Furigana|Keinez|Red}}’, ‘{{Furigana|Ruguz|Blue}}’, ‘{{Furigana|Surisuz|Yellow}}’, ‘{{Furigana|Beorc|Green}}’, and ‘{{Furigana|Arzus|White}}’, and students could each choose a color to specialize in, in order to call out an object with the same color as their specialty.

“What about Mio-san? Kluele-san is waiting for us out on the campus.”

Looking at her, Neight saw that her gaze had already turned from him to the books in his arms. By the way, Mio’s specialty was in Green Recitations. In her case, whenever she wanted to call out a green frog, she would prepare green catalysts such as green drawing paper and then sing a song of praise.

“Hang on a moment. I’m almost done reading this book. Ehh, why am I suddenly interested in the mystery genre…”

……He felt like he had been continuously hearing her say those words ever since three days ago.

After summer vacation had started, ever since she had suddenly started picking up mystery novels, Mio acted like this. Judging from her personality, she probably wouldn’t leave the library until she had read all of the mystery novels there.

“Then, I’ll go ahead and start practicing out on the campus.”

He could barely see in front of him with all the books he carried, but it couldn’t be helped. Crossing through the library exit, he continued down the corridor leading to the entranceway—

“……!”

With an impact like crashing into a wall, Neight and the books he held all tumbled to the floor.

“Hey. Are you okay?”

Looking up, it was a thin teacher with glasses. The teacher wore the standard white coat with a school badge woven in blue thread over his chest. Umm, was he one of the teachers in charge of the higher grades?

“Ah, y-yes, I’m fine. Um……I’m sorry.”

“You should look ahead when you’re walking— Well, that’s what I would usually say.”

Looking around at the mountain of books scattered on the floor, the teacher’s expression softened.

“After seeing how hard you’re studying, I won’t scold you today.”

Picking up a book, the teacher gazed at the front cover.

“How nostalgic. I’ve read this resource book many times before. Well, that’s a story of back when I was a student.”

He picked up a stack of books and handed them back to Neight. In fact, they were in the same order as Neight had originally arranged them in. When they bumped into each other, had the teacher remembered the order of the books?

“T……Thank you very much.”

“Although it’s summer vacation, don’t forget to walk quietly down the hallways.”

Teasingly, the teacher pushed up the bridge of his glasses.

With his night-colored hair fluttering, the small boy quickly headed down the passageway.

“……Speaking of which, that boy.”

Gazing at the boy’s back, Mirror narrowed his eyes.

Was he called Neight? Soon after he had entered the academy, because of his unique situation, he had become a popular topic among teachers. Recitations consisted of five colors, and each student in the school had picked a color to specialize in. However, only that boy was learning a completely different color.

Night-Color Recitations— It was a controversial color whose existence was still not officially accepted.

“It’s too bad, I wanted to talk with him a bit longer.”

Even teachers such as himself didn’t know much about that Recitation. Naturally, he was interested in it, but there was also another topic he wanted to talk about.

What connected him and that boy, in other words, a single woman. After she had graduated from Elfand, what path had she travelled? He was considerably interested in the girl who had once been his classmate.

“Unfortunately, it’s not something I should talk about during work.”

Glancing at the documents tucked under his arm, he took a deep breath.

“Now then, time for me to start the investigation.”

<div align="center">***</div>

“……Neight.”

Carrying a flask filled with a catalyst in one hand, Neight turned around to face the voice coming from behind him.

“Y-Yes, what is it?”

“We should take a little break. You seem to be unsteady on your feet.”

The girl’s voice was calm and soft. That voice came from beneath the shade of a tree a few meters away from where he stood on the campus. In a small shadow that blocked the intense rays of midsummer sunlight— As she said that, the girl’s long, scarlet hair fluttered in the gentle breeze.

“B-But…”

“Don’t deny it. Ever since a while ago, your Recitations were continuously failing, weren’t they? Your concentration is decreasing.”

What she said was true. Without objecting, Neight reluctantly nodded.

“……Okay.”

“Here, put this on.”

She forcefully pressed a large-brimmed straw hat onto his head. Its size was slightly too big, and his whole field of vision was covered by the brim of the hat.

“……Um, I can’t see in front of me.”

Lifting up the hat, his field of vision enlarged.

But filling his whole field of view at close range—

“That’s fine. You seem to be the type of person who would keep running until you run out of energy and collapse.”

Before his eyes, a girl wearing a deep blue one-piece dress stood up. She was tall with long scarlet hair, whose appearance stood out even from a long distance away.

Kluele Sophi Net. She was sixteen, three years older than Neight. Like her hair color indicated, she specialized in Red Recitations. Ever since he had enrolled in this school, she had always been there by his side.

“But what’s troublesome is, that’s also one of your good qualities.”

Half-teasingly, the girl smiled and let out a small laugh.

“……Somehow, I don’t feel like that’s a compliment.”

Fufu— Sure enough, she cheerfully covered her mouth with her hand.

“Anyway, come rest for a while in the shade.”

Pressing down with one hand on her one-piece dress that fluttered in the wind, she turned and walked away.

“U-Um, Kluele-san?”

“The café nearby should be open. I’ll go buy some cold drinks, so wait here.”

===Part 2===

The wind blowing through the campus stirred up sand from the ground.

“……It’s really hot!”

Taking shelter in the shadow of a school building, Neight wiped the sweat from his forehead. He should have worn some light clothes like Kluele was, but he had reflexively wore his usual white school uniform. He could return to his dorm and change, but that was just as troublesome.

“……Kluele-san still hasn’t returned yet.”

It took around ten minutes round trip to go to the café in the first year school building. But because it would be crowded today, it should take a bit longer.

“Oh, if it isn’t Neighty. What’s wrong?”

—Should he have found a place to read a book today, just like Mio?

“……H-Huh? Neighty, didn’t you hear me?”

Sure enough, he should have stayed in the library. Mio-san was also there.

“H-Hey, over here, Neighty. Don’t ignore me…… Aah, fine, Neight!”

Neight?

When he suddenly heard his name being called out from behind him, he reflexively turned around. In front of him was a tall, familiar girl with black hair.

“……Eh, Serges-san?”

Like Mio and Kluele, she was a girl from his class. She wasn’t wearing the designated school uniform, but indigo sportswear. On her back was a bulky backpack.

“Good morning, Serges-san.”

“’Morning. But you should’ve noticed me from the very beginning. I was calling out to Neighty since a while ago.”

“By Neighty, do you mean me?”

Although he had thought the name was similar, Neight didn’t expect it to be directed at himself.

“Because, you see, although we aren’t the same age, we’re still classmates. It doesn’t feel right to use ‘kun’ and call you ‘Neight-kun’. So you need a nickname. Well? Isn’t it great? Isn’t the name I thought of just now great?”

“No matter how you put it…”

Recoiling back like he had been pushed, Neight slowly pointed to the backpack she wore.

“……Um, Serges-san, why are you still at school even though it’s summer vacation? And why are you wearing such a large backpack?”

“Don’t change the topic so casually. ……Well, I guess it’s alright.”

Murmuring quietly, the girl lowered the backpack she shouldered. As she set it down on the ground, there was a heavy thumping noise, along with a cloud of dust.

“What’s inside that?”

At that moment.

“Hm, this? You want to know? You want to hear about it, don’t you? Don’t regret it, okay?”

With a suspicious twinkle in her eyes, smiling, Serges drew closer.

“Ah…… A-Actually, it’s fine. It somehow seems scary, so…”

“No no, it’s nothing major. It’s just someone’s fresh corpse, someone young just like Neighty—”

“Uwaa, someone come and help meeee!”

“Hey, wait! Hey Neighty, don’t run away! I was joking!”

Just before Neight started running as fast as he could, Serges gripped his neck from behind. Fearfully, Neight turned around to face the girl.

“……Just what is really in there?”

“A tent, a sleeping bag, food, rain gear, and various other things. Because I’m in the mountain climbing club.”

The mountain climbing club. Speaking of which, Neight felt that there truly was such a club. Sure enough, the shoes she was wearing weren’t ordinary sports shoes, but something thicker.

“Starting tomorrow, we’re going on a trip for five days and four nights to try mountain climbing during the summer, so today is the club’s last meeting. Say, what’s Neighty doing?”

Staring intently, she sized up Neight’s school uniform.

“Umm, I’m practicing Recitations with Kluele-san and Mio-san.”

“Ah, I passed by Kluele a while ago. Where’s Mio?”

“She’s reading mystery novels in the library. This summer, she wants to finish reading all of the five hundred seventy books in the library.”

“Isn’t that not related to Recitations at all?”

Her words sounded like that of a natural comeback.

“Her enthusiasm is amazing. These few days, she seems to be coming to the library at seven in the morning just to wait for it to open. She was even bragging about how she’s the earliest student to arrive.”

“……Hmm.”

Slowly, the color of Serges’s eyes dimmed.

Like she was thinking of something, she seemed to gaze into space.

“If I remember correctly, Neighty is living in the school dormitories?”

“Yeah. There happened to be a vacancy, so I was put there.”

Tremia Academy’s dormitories were located within the school campus. Because it was only about a ten minute walk from there to the first year school building, the dorms were popular among students. Because there was much competition, unless your home was especially far from the school, it was hard to get accepted in.

“Well then. Tomorrow, wake up early and get to school by six-thirty.”

At hearing her smooth words, Neight doubted his ears.

“……Six-thirty?”

“That’s right. Well, it’s six-thirty to arrive at the ‘rooftop of the first year school building’.”

Of all places, the roof of the school building? Impossible. Although the school gates might be open at six-thirty, the school building itself should be locked at that time.

“Use the emergency staircase. That way, you can get on the roof without entering the building.”

The emergency staircase was normally a prohibited area for students. But why were they now doing such a thing?

“Is someone there?”

“You’ll find out if you go. Well then, it’s about time for me to go to my meeting.”

Glancing at the large clock on the wall of the school building, Serges picked up her backpack.

“Well then, you two. The interferer will be going now, so enjoy yourselves.”

You two? Before Neight could guess at the meaning…

“……What an unsettling way of talking.”

Neight heard a familiar voice coming from somewhere behind him. Turning around, there stood Kluele with a cup of drinks in each hand. Standing opposite to Kluele who was raising an eyebrow, the girl shouldering a backpack waved her hand cheerfully.

“No no, there wasn’t any deep meaning behind that. Also, Kluele, make sure your left shoulder heals quickly!”

With the sleeve of her one-piece dress fluttering in the wind, Kluele’s shoulder was slightly exposed to the sunlight. The while bandage seemed pitiful against her slightly flushed skin. It was a wound she had gotten two weeks ago, during the incident that happened on campus. According to her, it could be called healed already.

“……Got it.”

“You……You seem mature, but you act rash when doing something unexpected.”

With a disappointed face, Kluele pouted. Seeing that, the black-haired girl’s amused expression softened.

“But, that’s also what makes you cute.”

“Wha……What’s that supposed to mean?”

Kluele didn’t expect those words to be used back on her and stepped back embarrassedly.

“Well then, bye bye, you two.”

With a mischievous smile, Serges left, heading in the direction of the school building.

Watching after her until her figure had disappeared from sight on the campus—

“Oh, speaking of which, I wonder what Serges is doing carrying such a large backpack.”

Having forgotten to mention it, the question floated into Kluele’s mind.

“A club activity. It seemed to be a mountain climbing camp.”

“I see. If she’s going somewhere far, I should’ve asked for a souvenir. But I wonder what kind of souvenirs there are from a mountain.”

“……The fresh corpse of a victim. Moreover, someone who’s around our age.”

“Eh?”

“……It’s nothing.”

The image of such a thing being in the backpack arose from his imagination. ……Ugh, that probably wouldn’t leave his mind for a while.

“Ah, that’s right. Kluele-san. Tomorrow, I want to come to school slightly earlier.”

“Sure. But I’ll still be coming at the same time as always. Although, what’s up all of a sudden?”

How should he explain? He contemplated for a few seconds.

“Just checking whether or not someone will be on the roof.”

Neight answered by saying what Serges had said to him.

“Who do you mean by ‘someone’?”

“Well……She didn’t tell me.”

Unsure of what expression he should make, Neight bit his cheek.

I wasn’t told— Another way to put it would be that she didn’t tell me just now, but I’ll find out if I go to the rooftop. That was what her words implied.

……In other words, someone I know?

===Part 3===

From the main entrance, Neight looked up at the large clock hanging on the side of the school building. The needles of that clock pointed at a time half an hour earlier than what he had promised Serges yesterday.

—It was six o’clock.

Just who could be on the roof of the first year school building this early in the morning?

He was so interested that he couldn’t even sleep well last night. Because of that, although he had come early, his eyelids couldn’t help but feel heavy.

Biting back a yawn, Neight walked through the main entrance.

Not only students, but looking around, there weren’t even any teachers in sight. He headed towards the dome-shaped Books Administration Building beside the first year school building. As expected, the library wasn’t open yet, and he couldn’t see the figures of students lining up either. Of course, neither was the figure of the girl he was used to seeing visible.

“It’s this early, after all. It’s natural that Mio-san wouldn’t be here.”

Talking to himself, Neight turned back to the first year school building.

That building was dark grey with a strong metal structure. During the incident at the recital contest, this building had been able to withstand the chimeras’ attacks.

“……As expected, it’s closed.”

A large padlock hung on the entrance of the school building. Glancing at it, Neight turned and headed to the back of the building.

Towering up from a grassy field where sunlight didn’t reach was a spiraling emergency staircase.

“It would be much easier if I could fly up like Arma.”

Looking up at the long spiral reaching up to the roof, Neight let out a small sigh.

Clomp, clomp…

On the slightly rusted staircase, the sound of a single person’s footsteps echoed.

Walking past the second floor, past the third floor, he reached the roof of the school building.

—Is someone really here, at such a place?

It wasn’t that he was calling Serges’s words a lie. It was just that he didn’t understand why a student would be up here, instead of on the campus or in a classroom.

He went up the last step leading to the roof.

As the morning sun suddenly burned his eyelids, he closed his eyes. But he didn’t close them completely because a sharp sound like something cutting the wind resounded in his eardrums.

What was that sound?

In the direction of the sound— He turned his gaze to the center of the vast rooftop.

“……Eh.”

In the dazzling sunlight, Neight opened both of his eyes.

Dancing beneath the vivid sun was a girl with wheat-brown skin.

—No, not dancing……

The girl was holding a large pole. A dull metallic luster shone from the tip. It was a blade that had clearly been sharpened— In other words, it was a spear.

The girl wielded a spear longer than her own height.

Swinging like it was flowing, spinning like it was dancing, and piercing like it was fluttering. Moving without stopping for even a second, each movement seemed different from the next. The polished blade flowed like it was drawing the onlookers in. Was this really training with a spear? Seeing her beautiful actions, he couldn’t help but think that.

“……Amazing.”

At first glance, the performance seemed like a beautiful war dance. However, she seemed to have a vigor that couldn’t be emitted when acting. It couldn’t be described with just the word ‘reality’. That was what the expression on the spear-wielder’s face said.

The girl’s movements didn’t stop. On the roof so wide that you could run a race, her feet moved so fast that his eyes couldn’t keep up. Even the splash of sweat glittering in the sunlight was beautiful. Different from any sport, it couldn’t be classified as something in this dimension.

Returning from the edge of the rooftop to the center, the girl spun the spear with one hand.

……Kiiiiin.

“—Ah!”

As a metallic sound rang out, Neight finally returned to his senses.

Ten meters away, the girl stopped moving. The spear wasn’t in her hand.

—The spear, did she drop it?

Her actions confirmed his thoughts. Looking down at the spear fallen on the ground, the girl let out a small sigh.

He hadn’t noticed because he had been captivated by her movements until now, but the girl actually wasn’t very tall. She was at most only a few centimeters taller than him. She wore white shorts and a tank top of the same color. Her bare shoulder that was exposed to the sun was a tanned brown color. No, it would be more appropriate to call it copper-brown.

Her light brown hair was cut to shoulder-length, a boyish girl with short hair. Her face was small in proportion to her body, but she had contrasting large eyes. Her impressive features somehow reminded him of a cat—

[[File:Tasogare_v2_051.jpg|thumb]]

……Eh? This person looks familiar.

“Hm? Hey, you.”

The girl before him finally raised her face. Their eyes met.

“Hey, if it isn’t Chibi-kun. ‘Morning! You’re here early, aren’t you?”

Her breathtaking expression from before was like a lie. With an indifferent expression, she raised one hand.

“……Ada-san?”

Ada Yung— The girl before his eyes was someone in the same class as him and Kluele. It was the familiar face of a classmate.

“Ada-san, is that a spear?”

“Mm, aah. Wait a moment, okay? I can’t stay sweaty like this.”

From a bag lying near the edge of the roof, the girl took out a towel.

Ada-san, just how long have you been here?

It was still earlier than seven in the morning. Even though it was only this time, from the smiling girl’s forehead, no, from her whole body, large drops of sweat flowed.

“Hey, Chibi-kun. I have a favor to ask.”

...…Chibi-kun?

“H-Hey. Even Neighty is slightly better…”

“Eeh. But doesn’t the nickname Chibi-kun sound cute? It has more charm to it!”

“Really?”

Even as he indirectly expressed his dissatisfaction, the girl had an indifferent expression. It seemed that to her, that nickname was already fixed.

“Yeah, yeah. By the way, Chibi-kun, can you face the other way for a bit?”

“The other way?”

For what purpose? Not understanding her intention, he stared blankly at Ada.

The girl curled her lips into a grin.

“Sure enough, Chibi-kun is Chibi-kun.”

“Eh?”

“I need to change, change clothes. I want to take off my tank top. If Chibi-kun doesn’t turn around, won’t it be too provoking?”

“……If that’s what you meant, then say it earlier.”

Puffing up his cheeks, Neight turned away. Really, if she had said earlier that she wanted to change, then he would have turned around right away.

“That’s why you’re Chibi-kun.”

Teasing him, the girl’s shoulders shook cheerfully.

“Club activity?”

What the girl was telling him was something that he had heard about before.

“Yeah. I’m in a spear-wielding club. I was practicing just now.”

“Practicing, at this early in the morning?”

He wasn’t sure about the exact time. If he had to guess, she had probably come here before six. He had no idea how early she woke up each morning.

“Club practice starts at ten. Before that is time for private lessons.”

“By private lessons, you mean individual practice?”

And then. As if hiding her embarrassment, the girl shyly turned away and placed her hand on the back of her head.

“Well, it’s different for everyone. For me, it’s…… Well, my memory isn’t very good. I don’t understand much or get good-quality practice, so I have to work even harder.”

Memory isn’t very good?

“Eh, but Ada-san. You joined the spear-wielding club this April, right? It hasn’t even been half a year, yet you’re already this good. How could your memory be bad?”

Suddenly, the girl’s facial expression changed.

The change was so subtle that it couldn’t be expressed in words. But something scary seemed to light up the girl’s eyes. Frightening. Or more accurately, it somehow stirred up fear inside him.

“No, no. Chibi-kun saw it too, right? In the very end, I ended up dropping my spear. That wasn’t cool at all. I’m still making such basic mistakes after so many years—”

……So many years? That means...

Before he had time to comprehend the meaning of her words, the girl hurriedly waved her hand.

“Ah. Forget it, forget what I just said! It’s a girl’s secret.”

“……H-Huh?”

Although he didn’t understand, pressured by the girl’s vigor, he couldn’t help but nod.

—But it really was amazing.

Wearing sportswear, she looked fairly short. Just judging by her appearance, it was hard to believe that someone as slender as her could wield a spear.

“Well, it’s hard work just to keep this body figure.”

Poking her arms a few times, Ada crossed her arms with a bitter smile.

“After wielding such a heavy thing, my muscles start developing pretty quickly. That’s fine for a boy, but not so much for a girl. ……I’ve already given up on my tan though.”

“It must be difficult, isn’t it?”

For him, it was hard to even develop muscles.

—Neight, you should train your body a bit more. Kluele had once said that to him, but he didn’t know exactly how to train.

“See, men don’t understand these feelings that girls have. Even though I restrict how much I eat just to keep this body figure, they say things like ‘If you don’t eat more, you won’t keep that figure!’ And when I’m doing makeup, they barge in and say things like ‘You’re so slow.’”

Crossing her arms, Ada shrugged sullenly.

“……Ah. I-Is that so?”

At first, Neight thought she had been talking about her boyfriend.

“First of all, that stubborn father of mine doesn’t even understand his daughter’s feelings.”

But as he continued listening to her, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“By ‘men’, did Ada-san mean her father?”

“Yeah.”

Surprisingly, she easily admitted that.

“My father is, how do I put it… a blockhead who doesn’t pay detailed attention to others. Also, he lacks creativity, and even gave his only daughter a ten kilogram iron dumbbell for her fourteenth birthday.”

“That’s…… Rather than creative, I think it’s an original idea.”

No way! Instead of using words, Ada furiously shook her head.

“It was ten kilos, ten kilos! I got mad and threw it at him. And then that idiot father said, ‘Sorry, would fifteen kilos have been better?’ He asked me with such a serious face!”

“……You threw it? Even though it was ten kilograms?”

It would have been bad for the person being thrown at, but since Ada-san was angry, it couldn’t be helped—

“In the first place, my usual dumbbell is twenty kilos!”

“Was that why you were angry?!”

“Hm? What’s wrong, Chibi-kun? You don’t seem very energetic?”

……Take back what I said before. Angry people should just be angry.

“Ada-san, do people often say that you’re similar to your father?”

“Eh, there’s no way anyone would say that. We’re not similar, not similar at all!”

She frowned openly as if she really hated that statement.

“Ah, that’s right. I should go soon.”

Suddenly, as if she had just thought of something, she quickly stood up.

“Is it time for your club?”

“Nope. I’m going shopping today. It’s the long-awaited trip, so I need to go buy things like a bag and some summer clothes.”

“Trip? Are you going somewhere?”

“Isn’t Chibi-kun also going?”

Carefully wrapping her spear in a piece of cloth, Ada tilted her head.

“After the incident a while back, parts of the school buildings are being repaired, right? The supplementary lessons during summer vacation are usually held in Tremia Academy, but this year we’re going to Tremia Academy’s branch school. It’s a place beside the ocean.”

As she said that, Neight realized he had seen a notice about that before.

“Chibi-kun’s also going, right? Kluele said she would also go. Aren’t you tired of only practicing Recitations? Occasionally, you also need time to relax.”

“……Kluele-san told me the same thing.”

“That’s right. Then let’s go shopping together with everyone! Anyway, Mio should be at the library, right? And Kluele also seems like she has some free time.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl quickly ran down the emergency staircase.

“W-Wait, Ada-san. Don’t you have club activities today?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll just say I had a stomachache today.”

I-Is that really okay?

But speaking of which, didn’t she also act like this during class?

“……Ada-san is a strange person.”

“Eh, did you say something?”

She stopped running down the stairs and with sharp ears, asked in return.

“No, it’s nothing!”

Telling an obvious lie, Neight also headed down the emergency stairs.

===Part 4===

“Hey Enne, aren’t you hot?”

Like he had suddenly thought of it, her companion asked.

“I’m hot, but I’m a teacher so I have to wear the appropriate clothing.”

Resisting the urge to nod her head, Enne replied with the answer she had prepared beforehand. She was wearing a suit with white as the main color. Even though the white cloth reflected the sunlight, it didn’t change how hot she felt.

“Besides, isn’t Mirror also wearing a teacher’s lecture clothing?”

“Ah, that white coat that looks like a scholar’s, right? He likes wearing that though.”

Her colleague who said that wore a flamboyant polka-dotted T-shirt. But even so, he seemed hot, and currently had the edges of his T-shirt tucked in.

“……Zessel, you should wear some neater clothing!”

He was a male teacher who was Enne’s colleague as well as her childhood friend. Regardless of whether he was at school or not, he had probably heard those words hundreds of times to him by now.

“The headmaster said we can do as we like. I do dress neat in front of students, but it’s summer vacation. Plus, there’s no way any student could be here at this time—”

“There is. There’s a child waiting for the library to open. Although if I recall correctly, she’s probably a first-year student.”

“……Is that so?”

“Which means starting tomorrow, you’re also wearing a suit.”

……Give me a break.

He hastily swallowed back the words that he almost absent-mindedly said.

Tremia Academy, Building of General Affairs. The most innermost room on the first floor— They had arrived near that place.

Beside her colleague who straightened his posture, Enne discreetly adjusted the collar of her suit.

“So you do care, don’t you?”

“If I said I didn’t, would you believe me?”

After hearing her childhood friend’s teasing tone of voice, she sent him a meaningful look.

“We were chosen to come at such an early time just so students wouldn’t find out about it and involuntarily reveal it to other teachers. No matter what this is about, make sure you’re ready to face it.”

Towering in front of them was a large, wooden door engraved with impressive patterns.

“I’m not good at dealing with this sort of thing.”

Enne took a step back, meaning ‘I leave this to you’.

Slowly, she pushed the back of Zessel, who stood in front of her.

“……I’m not good at it either.”

“Come on, go for it. I’ll treat you to lunch.”

“……Seriously, give me a break.”

Sighing a second time, Zessel knocked on the door of the headmaster’s room. He entered the room in which the dark green hallway changed into a soft, deep crimson carpet that was spread out on the floor.

The headmaster’s room. Inside, several teachers were already standing in a circle.

“Sorry, you two, for calling you here so early in the morning.”

In the center of the circle, an old man wearing light clothing raised his hand slightly.

“You can join the circle for now. Everyone is probably busy, so I’ll just quickly tell you what’s going on.”

—What’s going on?

Leaning back against the nearest wall, Enne looked at the faces around her.

There was the headmaster and his close advisor Jessica, the director of education. Beside them were the teachers in charge of first-year students. Teachers who taught the other grades included herself, Zessel, and Mirror.

“This summer as well, in order for first-year students to learn some basics, they are going to summertime supplementary lessons. ……But, the incident that occurred a few days ago is probably still fresh in their minds.”

The recital contest— The teachers’ expressions instantly turned serious. Although they had avoided the worst result, a considerable number of students and teachers had been injured in that incident.

……That wasn’t something they wanted to remember.

“In order for us to repair the school, the usual supplementary lessons which students stay overnight at this school for have been cancelled. Instead, we will use the school buildings of Tremia Academy’s branch school in Fidellia. It will be a special field trip.”

Being the only person whose expression didn’t change, the headmaster standing in the center continued speaking.

Branch school. Rather than calling it a school, it was a facility opened to serve as a local gathering hall. Enne hadn’t visited it before herself. If she recalled correctly, Fidellia was a place near the ocean.

“The problem is the <Egg>.”

The old man’s voice wavered slightly. It was a voice mixed with seriousness and distress.

“The fact that nobody passed away in the incident is a blessing among the misfortune, but some students and teachers in this school received injuries. Obviously, the school buildings were damaged as well. ……At that time, many events happened to occur simultaneously. However, the main cause of everything was the atrocious catalyst I brought into the school.”

Spitting those words out like poison, he turned his gaze to a map hanging on the wall.

On the north side of the continent, located on a mountain range that ran through the continent was a red dot. That was Tremia Academy.

On the edge of the continent some distance away, on land that faced the blue-painted ocean, was another red dot. Was that the branch school?

“That is the Kelberk Research Institute where the bothersome catalyst was refined. However, they have branch facilities in various places on the continent. It seems that it wasn’t the main research facility, but a branch facility that originally refined the <Egg>. Actually, the one who brought that catalyst to this school was also a staff member from the branch facility.”

The name ‘Kelberk Research Institute’ sounded familiar to Enne. With its base set up in the center of the continent, it was a large-scale research institute that employed worthy researchers. The school had invited lecturers from there many times.

“Not long ago, I received a message from the research institute’s headquarters, but they told me to discuss the details with staff members from the branch facility.”

……I see. She somewhat understood. Looking up, she exchanged glances with Mirror, who stood in front of her. She and Mirror both nodded slightly.

“I understand the situation. So you’re saying that while the first-year students go on their summer camp, we should go complain to the head of the branch facility, right?”

“……Zessel.”

Instead of sighing, Enne closed her eyes. If this wasn’t the headmaster’s office, she would have pinched the back of that idiot standing beside her.

“Eh? Ah, I was joking, of course.”

Her childhood friend smiled deceptively with a carefree expression. ……Why hadn’t this guy fixed his childish habits?

“Well, it’s not that I don’t understand what Zessel is trying to say. But what I’m concerned about this time is another matter.”

Was that a good thing? It seemed that the headmaster wasn’t worried about what Zessel had mentioned.

“The research facility that refined the <Egg> is located in Fidellia, where the first-year students are headed.”

……Could this timing be called good or bad?

Then again, Kelberk Research Institute is a facility cooperating with Tremia Academy. It could certainly happen that our branch school is located next to that facility.

“By the way, we received a message from the main facility the day before yesterday.”

Miller, who stood next to the wall across from Enne, continued speaking, explaining the headmaster’s words.

“Recently, our communication with the Fidellia branch seems to have stopped. Furthermore, this happened a few days after it had been confirmed that the <Egg> had gone out of control in this school. We have been trying to contact them since then, but haven’t received a reply.”

“Was the time we lost contact with them also when the recital contest was happening? Has the investigation into the cause of this made any progress?”

The headmaster answered the frowning Zessel with a shake of his head.

“That is something I want you guys to investigate. Mirror has already begun looking into this.”

I see. From the time she had entered the room, she had been curious about the contents of the documents that Mirror had tucked under his arm.

“Although using that sort of place as the location of the first-year students’ training camp isn’t something to be proud of…… Even we have only recently learned of the situation about the Kelberk Research Institute branch facility. It would be slightly difficult to change the chosen location in only these few days. Well, our branch school and the research institute aren’t directly beside each other. Teachers in charge of first-year students, please make sure that students don’t leave the branch school’s campus.”

The teachers in charge of the first-year students must watch over them carefully.

That means at the same time, me and Zessel’s duty is— to accompany the camp disguised as teachers in charge of lectures, and investigate the situation of the research institute.

“……It’s a significant task, isn’t it?”

“That just means I have a lot of confidence in you guys.”

The one who responded wasn’t the headmaster.

Jessica, director of education— the teacher who she, Zessel, and Mirror looked up to.

“Well then, everyone can continue on with their own duties. You should all know already, but this matter must not be revealed to the students!”

----

<noinclude>{{Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai Nav|prev=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 Introductory Play|next=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 2nd Play}}</noinclude>

Talk:Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume1 Awarded Play

2013-08-20T12:02:38Z

Cres: Created page with "Scars seems more appropriate than scratches when referring to battle-damage to the landscape. Still new at this wiki thing, if I'm missing something I should be adding to my e..."

Scars seems more appropriate than scratches when referring to battle-damage to the landscape. Still new at this wiki thing, if I'm missing something I should be adding to my edits let me know. [[User:Cres|Cres]] ([[User talk:Cres|talk]]) 07:02, 20 August 2013 (CDT)

Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume1 Awarded Play

2013-08-20T11:57:14Z

Cres: Sentence structure

==Awarded Play: Dawn-Colored Song User==

The school after a few days.

Looking out the window, the scenery still retained painful-looking scars from the events of a few days ago. 

On the morning of the next day after that incident, in the basement of the resources center that should have been forbidden to enter, the finding of a student who had lost consciousness resolved the situation.

The student seemed to confess to the majority of the incident, and was now transferred to a criminal institution and receiving a formal interrogation. Thanks to the leadership of the Rainbow Color Reciter and the efforts of every teacher, the fact that there were no deaths was a piece of good luck among the misfortune.

“……But, that isn’t really something to smile at.”

Although there were no casualties, the one among the injured who most resembled the dead was herself.

Her left shoulder was very tightly wrapped in a bandage to the point of feeling uncomfortable. Touching the rock-solid knot with the fingertips of her right hand, Kluele heaved a large sigh. ……Really, how troublesome. Although the long-awaited summer vacation would start tomorrow, with this injury, she couldn’t play around.

The school seemed like it would use the long summer vacation to do repairs. Because of that, summer vacation began slightly earlier. Today was the last day before summer break that they needed to attend school, and was the closing ceremony.

“Kluele, good morning. You’re early today. What happened to morning practice?”

The tanned girl poked at the bandage.

“……Are you serious?”

“No, just saying.”

With a laugh, Ada jokingly ran away. The surprising thing was, like her other classmates, she didn’t receive much of a shock from the incident. Well, most of the students had immediately taken refuge in the first-year school building, so that could be the reason.

“Kluele, long time no see!”

“’Morning, Mio.”

It seemed that this girl hadn’t changed either.

“That’s right, listen! My dress from that time, when I went home and looked at it, there was a really huge hole in the knee. And even though I’d only worn it once…”

“As for me, my dress got stained with blood. ……Want to see?”

“Um…… No, I don’t need to see.”

Mio, who had unwisely imagined it, grimaced. But although the idle chatting had ended, the girl suddenly peered at Kluele’s face.

“—By the way, Kluele.”

“What is it? You seem so serious…”

“Although I was on the rooftop at that time, it was amazing. I saw the {{Furigana|Divine Bird of Dawn|Phoenix}}!”

“……Ehh. Isn't that great for you then."

Although she tried to respond as calmly as she could, Kluele couldn’t help but avert her face.

“I mean, listen. That time, there was even a girl riding on it!”

“It was amazing, was it? I wish I’d seen it too.”

Imperceptibly, an evil look appeared in the girl’s eyes.

“……And, there was a bandage wrapped around that girl’s left shoulder.”

“Bandage? Maybe she was also injured?”

“She wore a white dress—”

“Mine was stained with blood, so it wasn’t white.”

“……I see.”

Noisily getting up from her chair, Mio smiled evilly while looking down.

“Kluele-san, do you insist on playing dumb?”

“What do you mean?”

That seemed to be the limit. Suddenly, Mio grabbed Kluele’s uniform and shook her back and forth.

“Wa-Wait! I’m still injured……”

“Aaah, that’s enough, stop it! Confess everything! What happened?!”

“W-Well, let’s talk later when I have more time.”

Seizing the opportunity, Kluele stood up from her seat. If the clock in the classroom was right, there were still ten minutes until the closing ceremony would start.

“Ah, where are you running away to!”

“I have some things to do. If I don’t hurry, I won’t make it in time for the closing ceremony.”

Carrying a paper bag in her right hand, Kluele sneaked out of the classroom.

She went from the third floor to the fourth floor. From the fourth floor, the stairs leading up were barricaded by a rope with a sign hanging from it that prohibited entry. Because the railings of the rooftop had been damaged, students were prohibited from entering until it had been fixed.

Ducking under the rope, Kluele went up to the roof. She opened the door leading to the rooftop. Just when she opened the door, the rising sun blinded her. She shaded her eyes with a hand to dim the sun’s light and walked slowly along the roof.

“Like I thought, you’re here.”

“……Kluele-san?”

The short boy with a still young-looking face gazed up at the sky with an empty look.

“Only your bag was in the class, so I wondered where you were.”

“I just…… wanted to be lost in thought for a moment.”

“Thinking about something?”

“—Perhaps.”

Once again, the boy looked up at the sky.

“When I wake up, I don’t use an alarm clock. Arma doesn’t sleep, so he wakes me up every day…… But yesterday and the day before yesterday, Arma, who should have always been by my side, wasn’t there…… Kluele-san…… Did Arma really disappear?”

That voice sounded hoarse, and at the same time, like it was crying.

“That’s right. Arma and the True Spirit you called out, both went back.”

Still with the posture of looking up at the sky, Neight closed his eyes.

After the True Spirit had completed its duty, it had disappeared. This young Reciter should have also known this. He had made the choice after acknowledging the fact. But it was still unbearable. It was so painful that it felt like his thoughts would tear apart his chest.

“I have nothing that I want to convey. Although there are things I want to say, I can’t say them now.”

At her quick speech, the boy before her opened his eyes, surprised.

“……Eh?”

“It’s a message from that lizard, addressed to you.”

“—Is there anything else?”

“Nope. That’s all.”

The dancing breeze overhead caused the unmoving Neight’s hair to sway.

“Do you get the meaning?”

With a completely confused face, the boy shook his head from side to side. Now then, what should she say? She thought about it for a few seconds. Instead of telling him the answer, Kluele held out the paper bag that had been waiting in her right hand.

“I’ll give this to you.”

“Eh…… T-To me?”

“There’s nobody else here but you.”

With a small smile, she forcefully placed the paper bag into the hands of her companion who acted as reserved as always.

You can open it, her gaze encouraged. From within the bag, the boy took out a cloak. At first glance it looked like a coat with a hood, but made to be looser.

“This— Is it a robe?!”

“It’s a present. Because your robe had become fairly dirty.”

A little bit of radiance returned to the grieving boy’s eyes.

“Thank you very much! ……Although it’s quite extravagant, isn’t it?”

It was a white-blue color. Kluele had chosen a pale blue color reminiscent of the dawn sky. Its vividness couldn’t be compared to the deep blue one he wore right now.

“Something this much is fine.”

Sure enough, the boy seemed embarrassed to suddenly wear something of this color. But there was a reason why she chose this.

“Night Color Recitations are naturally a dark color, so I think wearing a refreshing color makes a pretty contrast— When someday, that Night-colored flying lizard rides on your shoulder again.”

“……Eh?”

Shocked, with the robe still waiting in his hands, Neight let out a sigh. Leaning her back against the railing, Kluele gently brushed Neight’s forehead with her fingertips.

“Although there are things I want to say, I can’t say them now. That was his message, right? In that case, you should call out that lizard again and listen to the things he wanted to say. If you don’t, you can’t help but be worried.”

“I should call out Arma….. again……?”

Slowly, as if like a baby, the boy repeated her words.

“The one who first called that guy out was your mother, right? This time, you should call him out yourself.”

The things that he wanted to say were as much as a mountain, and he couldn’t rely on people to pass on all those messages.

Therefore, for the sake of allowing him to say them, he would be called out once again.

‘The truth is, I just want to see him again’, but that perverse lizard would never directly say such a thing.

As evidence, that Night-colored flying lizard didn’t say anything similar to “goodbye” even until the very end.

“—Kluele-san, may I try this on?”

He put on the dawn-colored robe over his uniform. Although it was his first time wearing it, he felt a familiar feeling like he had worn the robe for many years already. With regards to both the material and the color, what a wonderful robe it was.

“Yeah. Not too bad. It suits you!”

At the moment when he wanted to express his gratitude once again to the girl who sounded satisfied.

—It’s still slightly too big for you—

Was that a trick of the wind?

It was a voice that sounded like it was teasing, but was also familiar.

“……What’s wrong?”

“N-No, it’s nothing.”

Excitedly, Neight waved his hand. It seemed that only he had heard it.

Suddenly. This time it was real; the clear sound of the bell rang out. It was time for homeroom to start. In today’s case, it was a bell signaling the start of the closing ceremony.

“Well, let’s go, Neight.”

After saying that, the girl walked in the direction of the stairs. Nodding, Neight followed after her.

I see. That’s right.

Wait for me.

Wait for me, Arma. And you too, Mother.

Someday, definitely someday.

I will meet you two again.

“Hurry up, Neight, hurry up. The closing ceremony will start soon!”

The girl who descended the stairs one step in front of him raised her voice.

“Ah, I’m coming!”

Without looking back, Neight ran down from the roof.

It’s okay to not look back, right?

Because I will definitely meet you again!

On the empty rooftop.

—Arma, what’s wrong? You have a displeased look in your eyes—

—That little girl……—

—What’s wrong with Kluele-san? —

—My name certainly isn’t ‘that Night-colored flying lizard’……—

That faint murmur was not heard by anyone.

However, it was certainly carried over by the dawn-colored wind.

----

<noinclude>{{Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai Nav|prev=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume1 Final Play|next=Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume1 Afterword}}</noinclude>

Talk:Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume1 Final Play

2013-08-20T11:29:19Z

Cres:

Mistake! Mistake! Don't look yet! I am still fixing the stylings and adding furigana and whatnot! Sorry! (I hit Alt+S by mistake) [[User:Catahn|Catahn]] ([[User talk:Catahn|talk]]) 19:05, 3 December 2012 (CST)

Ok now (Except for the last page and a half) part 1 is up. I screwed up and emailed myself an older copy of the jce file so I don't have the translations for the last page and a half. And I don't feel like re-translating them again. So it'll be up in a couple of hours. [[User:Catahn|Catahn]] ([[User talk:Catahn|talk]]) 19:55, 3 December 2012 (CST)

Thanks for the translation. Its very rough in places, but a good editor should be able to fix things up. --[[User:Bilagaana|Bilagaana]] ([[User talk:Bilagaana|talk]]) 12:10, 4 December 2012 (CST)

Feel free to mention which places are rough. I like feedback and need it to improve. Believe me, you cannot possibly hurt my feelings so the more feedback the better. Suggestions also help me improve so feel free to suggest alternative ways of saying things. [[User:Catahn|Catahn]] ([[User talk:Catahn|talk]]) 12:37, 4 December 2012 (CST)

The whole first section just feels disjointed and rough to me. Can't really comment because I'm bad at English, even though I'm a native speaker. Anyways, will see if I can come up with something:

:One-B。Take Refuge in our Classroom and hold your breath, then Serges come over and stealthily whisper in my ear.
:I can't find any chimera. Open the closed curtains just a little bit. She was peaking out from over there.

That first sentence almost seems like a run-on. The part about Serges looking outside, think it might be better phrased as: She was peaking out from the slightly open curtains. Or something like that. Also quite a few tense errors, is it supposed to be in past or present tense? --[[User:Bilagaana|Bilagaana]] ([[User talk:Bilagaana|talk]]) 15:19, 4 December 2012 (CST)

The text jumps seemingly arbitrarily between first- and third-person narration and present and past tense. The translation of earlier chapters used consistently third-person narration and past tense; unless this chapter is somehow different in the source material I assume this should be the same.
* One-B。Take Refuge in our Classroom and hold your breath, then Serges come over and stealthily whisper in my ear. I can't find any chimera. Open the closed curtains just a little bit. She was peaking out from over there.
What's that "One-B。"? Typo? "Take Refuge in our Classroom and hold your breath" this is phrased as a command, but there's nobody giving one. Also why the capitalization of "Refuge" and "Classroom"? Overall this doesn't flow naturally at all, which suggests there is something wrong. Why the sudden "can't find any chimera"? Should the last "she" perhaps be the same person as the earlier "I"? If not, who is it? The only other person mentioned earlier was "Serges", but the last mention said she came over to whisper; now saying that she already "was peeking" (typo "peaking") would sound weird. Or was the peeking earlier, before she came over to whisper?
* I wasn't too worried until you pointed out that it is too big.
"You" should be replaced by something else, like "she".
* I much prefer that gate's radiance, it suddenly burst open.
"prefer"? To what?
* Exhausted, Mio leaned against the railing on the rooftop.
Is the "I" in the following sentences also Mio?
* Kluelu
This spelling is used in 10 places, "Kluele" in 4; previous chapters use the latter.
* Are you sure you'd like to ask about that? You'll be perplexed before long, Kluelu your body is so light.
Is this what someone/something says? No quotation marks though; it's not clear how to read it.
* I held onto Arma's name
Name?
* 『Your ears are closed. I've got things to do』
Should that "Your ears are closed" perhaps be a command like "Cover your ears"?
* I can't plug up something like my ears
"Something like my ears" doesn't make much sense; "no way to cover my ears" or something like that perhaps?
* If only that story was rolling anywhere in the world. But humans generally receive that in that place, my daughter hated that fate.
What story? "that in that place"? Anonymous User
<br>

Awesome. I'll take a look and make some adjustments somewhat soon(if no one else beats me to it anyhow).

The 1-B confuses me as well but that's literally what was written. Maybe it should just be removed? The text says "一ーB。自分" Except realize it is written top to bottom so it looks like
一<br/>
|<br/>
B<br/>
。<br/>

If anyone else has a suggestion regarding this then I'm willing to take it.

Also thanks for the info on the past tense third person. The tense jumping and person jumping is likely due to my immaturity with the english language and the Japanese.
[[User:Catahn|Catahn]] ([[User talk:Catahn|talk]]) 16:02, 4 December 2012 (CST)

Is it me or something is a bit wrong with the second sentence. [[User:Zeru|Zeru]] ([[User talk:Zeru|talk]]) 16:17, 4 December 2012 (CST)

"1-B" would probably be classroom name; according to chapter 1 Ada is in that class. [anon]

So everything is still quite good, just a few minor grammar edits. [[User:Zeru|Zeru]] ([[User talk:Zeru|talk]]) 16:38, 4 December 2012 (CST)

* One-B。</br>
Changed this to "Classroom 1-B:" above the sentence. Can anyone else think of a better way to represent this?

* Capitalized Refuge and Classroom were made lower case.</br>
This is just my weird typing habit. Probably comes from being a programmer.

Still not sure how to put the Chimera sentence and the girl outside sentence in there better. I did change it to perhaps more accurately reflect the Japanese. And yes there was a sentence about not finding Chimera right there in the middle.

* I wasn't too worried until you pointed out that it is too big.
Replaced it with He
* I much prefer that gate's radiance, it suddenly burst open.
Great question, and I have no clue. その門が輝きを増し、突如弾けた。
増し【まし】 (adj-na,n,n-suf) extra, additional, less objectionable, better, preferable, (P)

I'm changing this to additional / extra concept but making it the verb 増す【ます】(v5s,vi) to increase, to grow, (P). As such I've changed the sentence to The gate's radiance increased and suddenly burst open. which makes more sense to me in English than putting a comma in the sentence.

* Exhausted, Mio leaned against the railing on the rooftop.
Is the "I" in the following sentences also Mio?<anon><br>
Yes. Is there a better way to put that?

* Kluelu
This spelling is used in 10 places, "Kluele" in 4; previous chapters use the latter. <anon><br/>
Doh! You are absolutely right. I failed to check the wiki.

I am out of time though so I will fix that when I get back.<br/>
[[User:Catahn|Catahn]] ([[User talk:Catahn|talk]]) 17:00, 4 December 2012 (CST)

Just making the first few sentences make a bit more sense.[[User:Zeru|Zeru]] ([[User talk:Zeru|talk]]) 21:13, 4 December 2012 (CST)

Thank you all! It is starting to look like a decent chapter.

And awesome job Zeru. What you wrote makes a lot more sense than what I put down.
[[User:Catahn|Catahn]] ([[User talk:Catahn|talk]]) 08:30, 5 December 2012 (CST)

Tense is still an issue --[[User:Bilagaana|Bilagaana]] ([[User talk:Bilagaana|talk]]) 14:53, 5 December 2012 (CST)

Whenever Evhe talks, should it be in 『』? --[[User:Bilagaana|Bilagaana]] ([[User talk:Bilagaana|talk]]) 01:46, 24 February 2013 (CST)

Evhe only talks in 『』 brackets during her first few lines, right after she's called out. For the rest of the time, she talks in normal 「」 brackets, the same as everyone else. Only Arma continuously talks with 『』. --[[User:Mystrael|Mystrael]] ([[User talk:Mystrael|talk]]) 05:06, 24 February 2013 (CST)

A few minor edits (a hundred/one hundred, fourty/forty) and one you might want to check: <br>
“……I’m never accompanying you on flying practices again.” to “……I’ll never accompany you on flying practice again.” <br>
Could have just removed the 's' from 'practices' but i think this reads more smoothly with no change to the meaning. [[User:Cres|Cres]] ([[User talk:Cres|talk]]) 06:29, 20 August 2013 (CDT)

Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume1 Final Play

2013-08-20T11:12:11Z

Cres: /* Part 2 */

==Final Play: The Joy of Your Desires —Evhe Smiles at Dawn—==

===Part 1 ===

"Say...... Ada...... What do you think that is?"

In classroom 1-B. As they were taking refuge in the classroom and holding their breaths, Serges came over and stealthily whispered in Ada's ear. Because she didn't see any chimera, she opened the closed curtains just a little bit and peeked outside.

"What do you mean? There's nothing, isn't there?"

Although they exchanged places and she looked outside, all she saw was the pitch-black sky spreading out endlessly.

"Wrong way. Look over in that direction!"

Serges's finger pointed in the direction of the campus. They stared in that direction for a few seconds. The sky was wriggling.

"Eh......"

Finally, she understood what her classmate had said.

That wasn't the sky. What she had thought was the sky, were actually deep blueish-purple flames. The Night-colored flames burned in the campus were converging overhead. Their concentration turned to where the huge vortex of flames were concentrated at a small point. Before they noticed it, a dimly shining {{Furigana|Recital Gate|Channel}} had been born. Because it was so big, she didn't notice it until it had been pointed out.

What is that? The {{Furigana|Recital Gate|Channel}} that they didn't know the reason for, it was way too gigantic. They had never seen such a showy {{Furigana|Recital Gate|Channel}} before.

The gate's radiance increased and suddenly burst open.

That was proof that the Recitation had been completed.

"............Eh?"

Exhausted, Mio leaned against the railing on the rooftop.

The {{Furigana|Recital Gate|Channel}}'s radiance grew. Even she clearly understood that at that moment, the {{Furigana|Recital Gate|Channel}} had completely opened.

True Spirits called out by {{Furigana|First Scale Recitations|High Noble Arias}} were extremely varied but they all had one thing in common. That hydra, the green wyvern, and other creatures summoned by {{Furigana|First Scale Recitations|High Noble Arias}} were absurdly huge.

Just what sort of huge thing was coming out from that {{Furigana|Recital Gate|Channel}}? She even forgot to blink while staring, but, even though the gate had burst open, there was nothing coming out.

No way, did it fail?

Although she wanted to confirm it, because the flames that were illuminating the campus had disappeared, the campus was plunged into darkness for a second time.

"What just happened......"

The only thing that entered her vision was the gigantic shadow that had broken into the school grounds. She didn't know the reason why, but that monster suddenly changed direction and set foot into the campus.

If the recitation had failed, then there was nothing that could be done. There wasn't enough time to conduct another {{Furigana|First Scale Recitation|High Noble Aria}}. The hydra drew closer to the center of the campus, the place where Neight was until a little while ago. But because of the darkness, she couldn't see his figure. She wasn't even sure if he was able to escape.

Rather, she didn't want to see him. If Neight was still there where the light turned on..........

But, with almost ironic timing, the neon lights that had been off now turned back on. The school lit up once again. For a second time, the campus was brilliantly illuminated.

—Please. Don't be there. Please have run away.

Although her eyelids felt burned by that scorching radiance, nevertheless she stared at that place— and felt a burst of dizziness.

......I can't believe it.

He remained standing in place. Furthermore, next to him was the figure of her friend who was supposed to be resting in the hall.

"Neight, Kululu, run awaaaaaaayyyy!"

Mio raised her voice from the rooftop. There was no way they could hear her. But even so, she couldn't help but shout. At this rate the three of them would be trampled by that monster...... Eh?...... Three of them?

Her eyesight hadn't gone bad. The boy wearing a deep blue colored robe, that was Neight. The girl wearing the white dress, that person was Kluele. The last person was also standing at the place where they was.

That person was pitch black, like their whole body was wrapped in black cloth. Who is that?

No. Impossible.

Although she had thought that the True Spirit of Night was something large, could it be—

'That' didn't materialize from the {{Furigana|Recital Gate|Channel}}.

Instead, at the moment the {{Furigana|Recital Gate|Channel}} burst, something arose out of Neight's shadow.

The three-dimensional shadow slowly straightened its back. But even so, it was clearly small, just like herself. No, it was even shorter. Height. In other words, not body length or size.

Because, the thing before eyes had the figure of a human.

Its body was jet-black, but gave a transparent impression. A human clad in shadows. Furthermore, its form seemed feminine. It was like the girl drenched in pitch-black paint from the beginning— In short, that was probably the closest analogy.

But, not long before Kluele steadily gazed at it, the boy that it stood next to suddenly collapsed unsteadily.

"—Neight?"

The boy was on the verge of collapsing backwards. Barely in the nick of time, Kluele supported him with her right shoulder. But no matter how many times she called out, he didn't reply. His eyes remained closed. Was he unconscious? At a time like this, when the hydra would be coming soon—

[Because that feeling of tension suddenly eased.]

Kluele looked over her shoulder. The True Spirit of Night had come and stood beside them.

[However, he should be praised for doing such a good job holding on.]

It stretched out a shadow in the shape of a hand. The fingertip of the shadow gently stroked the boy's face.

"Are you the True Spirit of Night?"

[It would seem so wouldn't it? Kluele-san.]

Kluele was startled after suddenly being called by her name. Just like the divine bird she had called out, why did even the True Spirit of Night know her name?

[Fufu, that child told me.]

The True Spirit turned her head, looking upwards. In that direction— Like it had assembled in the starry night sky, a large creature flapped its wings overhead. It was gigantic. Although she only measured it by eye, in terms of size it might even be comparable to the hydra.

The floating silhouette that the school's lights shone on..... Is that a dragon?

The hydra increased its speed, causing cracks in the earth. While catching a glimpse of it in her peripheral vision, the True Spirit of Night looked up at the sky.

[Arma, I'll take that on as an opponent. Go help Kluele-san and Neight hide.]

——Understood——

The low, heavy tone was like the ringing of the lowest key of a pipe organ. Was that truly its voice. It made Kluele wonder whether the sound’s vibration would land on her head. No, but more importantly.

Arma? Wasn't that a name she know?

.....No way, this dragon overhead is.....

[Didn’t I say a long time ago that I’m not a lizard? But there’s no time to chat leisurely right now. It's coming.]

The jet-black dragon landed right behind her. The gust of wind caused her hair to sway.

[Evhe, I'll leave that to you. Little girl, carry Neight and quickly get on.]

"Kluele-san—”

For a moment, Kluele saw the illusion that someone was behind her. Just like the {{Furigana|Divine Bird of Dawn|Phoenix}} and Arma, that person had a voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. The voice suspended in air was a human woman's voice.

"Thank you very much. Neight by himself would never have been able to call me out. It is surely because of you that I am now here. In Neight's place, I thank you. If you are able to, please continue helping this child."

'This child'? That was not a normal way of speaking. It was almost like she was speaking about her own child. Isn't it unfitting for a True Spirit to use such wording when talking about humans?

Before she had time to decide whether to ask that question or not, Kluele’s body floated upwards. Without any warning, the Night-colored dragon had grabbed the two of them in his foreleg and flapped its wings.

"Wa-Wait, carry us more carefully!"

While still burdened with Neight, Arma had grabbed them. Although he wasn’t flying very fast, because of the unstable footing, a little mistake could shake them off. And even more importantly, the dragon was flying in an awkward manner. Could it be a bad habit? Compared to the bird deity that she had come here with, he was too clumsy.

[Because I haven’t flown in a long time.]

He said brazenly with an innocent expression. That arrogant tone of voice made her even more convinced. She had no doubt. This dragon was truly the Recited creature that she was familiar with.

"....You gigantic flying lizard."

[Do you have something to say?]

At the companion who always constantly returned her questions, Kluele shook her head in resignation.

"Nothing. More importantly, if you're so huge like that, you should have come out in the first place!"

[The <Woman of Origin> and I are Duet-type Recitations. If one wing isn’t called out, the other wing can’t come out either.]

This was the first time she had heard of this special type. But other than that, there were still a lot of things she wanted to ask.

"......Just who is that True Spirit?"

The True Spirit of Night still stood below them. But somehow, it was different. Exactly what it was, Kluele didn't know. However, it felt different from the divine bird from before and also from this Night-colored Lizard. If there was a line dividing humans and True Spirits, then that True Spirit was standing on the line.

“You called her Evhe, right? Is that the True Spirit’s name?”

[She doesn’t have a name. Evhe is the name I gave to the girl who voluntarily abandoned her own name.]

From the low altitude he had been flying at, the jet-black dragon suddenly flew higher. But despite the roar of the wind in her ears, the True Spirit's voice still retained its clear quality.

[Evhe— The <Woman of Origin> who brought the Night Color Recitations into this world.]

Brought the Night Color Recitations into this world? That reply made her stare at the boy she carried on her shoulder.

“Eh? But, wasn’t that Neight?”

[You’ve probably heard about it. The one who constructed Night Color Recitations wasn’t Neight, but his mother.]

Kluele became increasingly confused. Neight's mother should have already passed away. She understood that Neight's mother had created Night Color Recitations, but why was the True Spirit of Night's name Evhe?

Before she could ask, Arma quickly gave her a request.

[Cover your ears. There is something I must do.]

"......Must do?"

[Howl.]

That one simple word caused her whole body to shake with fright.

Howl...... Wa-Wait a minute! My left hand is injured and my right hand is carrying Neight. There’s no way for me to cover my ears, so please restrain yourself—

Her wish was in vain. When the jet-black dragon let loose a howl, Kluele lost consciousness for a single moment.

'''''Master’s single wing (transient master) — My name is <One who bares his fangs (Armadeus)>'''''

''[O she saira qersonie Laspha — Armadeus. Captivated by the daughter of the dark lonely night, invited by that righteous successor. In accordance with the Recitation of Night, I will make it known to the world!]''

That voice was not heard just at the school, but was even transmitted to the ends of the world.

The hydra didn’t chase the dragon flying in the sky, but set its sights on the small True Spirit remaining on the ground.

It smelt a dangerous scent from that gigantic dragon. However, even more unpleasant was the small True Spirit that still stood before its eyes.

It could sense something threatening coming from this True Spirit.

The hydra spat out a long, scorching hot breath and once again changed the campus to a sea of flames. The place where the True Spirit of Night stood up until now had completely burned up.

Without a trace, the True Spirit of Night disappeared from the place it had just been standing. Just before the hydra judged that it was too quick.

"Too bad, but this school is also an important place to me."

The hydra heard that voice coming from overhead. Turning in the direction of the voice, its five heads glared at its surroundings in search of the enemy.

"Let me express my thanks for coming along and doing whatever you please."

Before long, ten eyes concentrated on one end of the campus. At a height of easily twenty meters above ground.

At the center of the campus, on a metal pole used for lighting, the jet-black True Spirit towered directly overhead.

<div align="center"><nowiki>***</nowiki></div>

"Hey, Mirror, are we dreaming?"

Forgetting to even wipe away the sweat running down his face, Zessel continued to look up at the dragon overhead. In the middle of the night-colored curtain, the jet-black dragon that flapped its wings in the air was too large and majestic. It should unmistakably be a Recited creature, but just what color did that True Spirit belong to?

"......I just remembered something from long ago. Something from a very long time ago."

The teacher who wore glasses sighed.

"How unexpected. So did I."

Forgetting to blink at the Night-colored True Spirit, Zessel let out another sigh.

Even though half of it had already settled into the deepest parts of his memory, he recalled the words that had lain dormant for ten years.

—What I want to do is Night Color Recitations—

In the time of Elfand Academy, the one girl in the class who hadn’t socialized with anyone and sat by herself in a corner of the classroom. When he had chosen to devote himself to Red Recitations, Mirror chose Blue Recitations, and Enne chose White Recitations, only one girl struggled to pursue a non-existing color.

However, it couldn’t be her, could it? First of all, if she had completed Night Color Recitations, her name should have resounded throughout the world. Just like the Rainbow Reciter’s had been.

And then.

At that moment, the jet-black dragon howled.

'''''Master’s single wing (transient master) — My name is <One who bares his fangs (Armadeus)>'''''

''[O she saira qersonie Laspha — Armadeus. Captivated by the daughter of the dark lonely night, invited by that righteous successor. In accordance with the Recitation of Night, I will make it known to the world!]''

In accordance with the Recitation of Night—

Daughter of the dark lonely night—

No Way......

"......Ha, Ahahaha, how could it be!"

With his hand on his forehead, Zessel let out a loud laugh. From the corners of his eyes, something spilled out.

He could only laugh self-mockingly. The girl who had been looked down upon by everyone in the classroom. The girl who had been neglected by the teacher and the school. And yet, isn’t this school being protected right now by her hands?

Should he praise her? Or should he mourn for her? What on earth should he do?

What have we—

"Just how foolish have I been, I wonder."

"......Jessica-sensei?"

It was the one who should have been inside the school building leading students to refuge, Elfand’s former teacher.

"You...... You were right, weren't you, Evhemary."

Without even wiping away her tears, the head teacher just wholeheartedly and repeatedly called out her former student's name.

<div align="center"><nowiki>***</nowiki></div>

“Wha-What’s with that sudden howl!”

With her hands covering her still-buzzing ears, Kluele roared back. From her point of view, it really was a terrible disaster.

[The girl knew that her time of death was approaching. Tales like that can be found all over the world. However, even though most of humanity had accepted this, she was unwilling to accept her fate. If I disappear without doing anything, then for what purpose did I exist— She wished to leave behind proof of her existence in this world.]

In contrast to the prior roaring sound, with a voice like it was suppressing the silence, Arma continued to speak as if he was talking to himself.

[What she thought of was Recitations. Embracing the idea to create a new type of Recitation, she threw herself into her research. But when her newly-invented Recitation was half-complete, her body had already begun to erode from her illness. While feeling uneasy and afraid, unsure if she had enough time, she met a boy. That encounter literally changed her fate.]

After pausing for a while, as if hesitating to find the right words, Arma continued talking.

[Not long after their encounter, the boy requested a competition with her. Or maybe it would be more accurately called a challenge. What they had bet on was— To see who could first master the Recitation they were pursuing.]

"Why did something like that change her fate?"

[Because the girl felt fulfilled. Until then, she had always been lonely. Because she knew her time of death was approaching, she did not associate with other people. Then she found someone willing to acknowledge her. Someone to acknowledge her, meaning someone who would remember her. Because of this, she didn’t need to create a Recitation as proof of her existence anymore. After that, the girl’s feelings began to waver.]

Kluele also knew that feeling, to the point of being pained. She also understood why she sympathized with the girl.

Because a few days ago, she had a similar experience herself.

—Kluele-san is definitely suited to becoming a Reciter—

Only because there was someone to acknowledge her, she was able to feel at ease.

[Just like what the boy had done to her, the girl also wanted to become a person who could cure someone’s loneliness. That was the conclusion she arrived at. She wanted to travel across the world, comforting people with the same pain as her. But even if she wanted to do that, she did not have much time left to live. At the same time, she also sincerely wanted to fulfill the promise with the boy of who could master their Recitation first. But no matter what she did, there was no way to accomplish both of those desires. Therefore—]

The talkative creature’s crescent-moon pupils wavered slightly.

[For the sake of accomplishing both, the girl threw away her name.]

Regret. Indecision. Envy. Lamentation. Just how many emotions were mixed together in his eyes? Despite seeing it from up close, Kluele couldn't tell.

[The so-called Recitation called out the things she longed for. The girl thought, ‘Since it’s like this, could I be called out after I am dead?’ She willingly became the ruler of the Recitation she constructed— in other words, she became the True Spirit.]

Such a thing, is that even possible? It wasn't something she could immediately believe.

———And yet, why?

The eyes of the speaker seemed like it could compel anyone to believe it…… No, it caused others to have no choice but to believe, filled with an ice-cold yet beautiful sorrow.

"That, was that a story about something that really happened......?"

[Who knows? Perhaps there’s no meaning to it, or perhaps it’s merely a fairy tale…… But……]

The corners of the dragon’s mouth softened slightly. The facial expression wasn’t as clear as that of humans, but Kluele understood. Certainly, that was a smile.

[The roar from before was my farewell gift to the girl.]

That girl? This time, Kluele didn’t ask the question, but instead shut her mouth.

[Well, let’s take care of the chimera. Hold on tight!]

Right now? While carrying me?

Don’t joke around. With your clumsy way of flight, it’s scary enough just flying around, and now to have a battle in the air? No matter how many lives I have, there wouldn't be enough for this!

[This is a great opportunity to prove that I’m not an ordinary lizard, don’t you think?]

“……Didn’t you hear me? You gigantic Night-colored flying lizard with wings……”

He grinned broadly. But unlike before, the True Spirit had a clearly mischievous smile.

Well then......

From the top of an iron pole, the Night-colored True Spirit surveyed the academy. Flames rose in every direction. The school buildings and other buildings had all suffered damage. In the dark sky overhead, a considerable number of chimeras still remained. How dare those things rampage around this place.

—Please protect this school.

That was {{Furigana|the Reciter's|that child's}} wish.

Since the True Spirit had been called out, she had to fulfill her duty. But moreover, there was one more thing. If her personal feelings were to be considered, then that hydra had already committed an unforgivable crime.

Yes. It's your fault that his arm is broken.

"Even though it's our first reunion after about ten years, ruining it is a great sin!"

The <Woman of Origin> leaped off the iron pole into the air.

Her voice was filled with anger, but also included a faint feeling of delight.

===Part 2===

One versus several tens. Although they faced only one opponent, of the original nearly one hundred chimeras, less than half remained. Just when she wanted to confirm the exact number, another one was shot down. Some were knocked down by a sweeping tail, others were batted away by wings. Their overwhelming number didn’t give the chimeras an advantage.

“What is……that?”

It was only a single intruder, a dragon with a midnight-colored appearance. Not counting the hydra, this was Enne’s first time seeing a Recited creature with such a large body. A True Spirit? But what Color is it?

“—Seems like it was in time.”

The close voice made her jump. The voice sounded like it came from directly behind her. It was just between Xins and herself, from a place where their shadows overlapped.

She didn’t reply. Turning her head, she saw a “shadow” the size of a human standing there. Its whole body wasn’t dark like being covered in black paint. Instead, it had a transparent impression and gave off a Night-colored luster. Also, its shape reminded her of the silhouette of a ten-year-old girl.

A True Spirit? It was a First Scale Recitation’s Recited creature, surpassing things like {{Furigana|Second Scale Recitation|Noble Aria}}’s {{Furigana|small yellow spirit|Will-o’-wisp}} and {{Furigana|small red spirit|Salamandes}}. Those were generally enormous creatures like a dragon, but it was the first time she had seen a True Spirit with a human figure like this.

“Enne.”

When the Recited creature suddenly called out her name, her body automatically stiffened.

“It’s already too dangerous here. You should know, right? A fight between True Spirits will turn their surroundings into scorched earth. I don’t know when the sparks will start flying, so take refuge near the first-year school building.”

Her heartbeat became noticeably louder. You should know, right— what did those words mean? This True Spirit spoke as if she seemed to know her.

It was the first time she had seen it. That’s right, this should be the first time she had met the True Spirit. ……But, why did she feel so uneasy?

“Xins and I will draw away the hydra. Those two friends by the first-year school building seem to be getting tired, so you should go help them out.”

The figure of the girl threw at her a leather bag that she had gotten somewhere. As she caught it, a jangling sound rang out from the leather bag. It was filled with catalyst gemstones?

“Now, go.”

“B-But—”

The True Spirit seemed to sigh and crossed her arms.

“Enne Revinesia. Your personality of being concerned about everyone still hasn’t changed.”

“Eh?”

'''''Forty-first key from the <Goetia seventy-second pillar>, Focalor'''''<br>
''—orbie clar, dremre : Goetia : Focalor—''

At that moment, the shadow stretching beneath Enne’s feet swelled. A griffon with wings the color of wet feathers floated up. This is, using my shadow as a catalyst?

“Take her with you. When you arrive, lend your assistance there.”

[As you wish.]

A low, heavy voice seemed to resound directly into Enne’s head. Nodding, the griffon began to flap its wings.

“W-Why does a True Spirit know my full na-……”

The rest of her words were drowned out by the sound of the griffon’s wings.

Just who are you? Before she received an answer, there was a breath of silence.

The True Spirit’s body that was made of shadow had no eyes or mouth. Her expression couldn’t be read. But strangely, she knew that the True Spirit had winked at her.

“Because I’m your classmate.”

……What’s that supposed to mean?

The griffon picked her up and left the ground. In the split second that she blinked, it had already flown up three stories high. Xins and the mysterious True Spirit who remained on the ground had become the size of her pinky.

“Hey…… Really, who are you?”

She muttered, unable to be heard by anyone but herself. Even if she shouted, they probably couldn’t hear her. An empty feeling like she had been left behind remained in her heart.

If you’re someone I met long ago—

Long ago, just how far back is that? Definitely before I became a teacher. Then before that… When I was still a student?

She thought back. When she was a student, her dream had been to call out a Pegasus. Zessel and Mirror were also now teaching students about Recitations. They had also achieved the Recitation they wanted during middle school. Xins had also become the Rainbow Color Reciter recognized by everyone.

Many people had achieved their dreams. They had all become Reciters acknowledged by everyone. Their Recitations were accepted by everyone. Nobody could laugh at their ambitions.

—Speaking of which, hadn’t there been a child who was the complete opposite?

A girl who always sat in a corner of the classroom. A single girl not acknowledged by anyone.

But Enne couldn’t remember her name. Only the Recitation she aimed for still remained in Enne’s mind.

Night Color Recitations. The Recited creature that she was riding on was the same color as the sky overhead. Speaking of which, the mysterious knight that had helped her and Xins a while ago was also the same color—

“No way…… Is it you? Hey, is it you———”

Why? Why?!

Although she seemed to call out in midair, the only thing she couldn’t say was the girl’s name.

<div align="center"><nowiki>***</nowiki></div>

Night Color Recitations. Moreover, this is a First Scale Recitation, the True Spirit of Night?

Why the girl before his eyes was here, Xins instinctively realized. It didn’t matter who had called her out. As he clenched his teeth at the dull pain that came with every breath, he saw the sudden visitor.

Was this by chance……

The voice of the True Spirit before him was the same as the voice of the girl in his memories. And not just the voice. Her height. Figure. Everything reminded him of the girl. But, how could such a thing happen?

Not even a drop of moisture remained in his parched mouth. Therefore, he couldn’t gulp. Unnoticeably, the pain in his left hand and the noise of his surroundings had faded away.

He felt a strange sensation of floating, as if he had entered into another world.

Just like a world in which only he and the True Spirit before him existed.

“Is your hand okay? It’s fractured, isn’t it?”

All too suddenly, the True Spirit touched his left hand, something that a shadow shouldn’t be able to do. He didn’t consider her to be acting too intimately, because from a long time ago, there was a single person he was this familiar with.

Just one person. In other words, there wasn’t any other person who came to mind. Everything was the same as back then. A nostalgic feeling that he couldn’t put into words filled the crevice in his heart. A crevice that had lasted more than ten years.

“You acted rashly, didn’t you? How unlike you.”

A finger that should have been made of shadow traced over his left hand. There was warmth in that finger. There was no way he could accept everything that was happening before his eyes. But, he simply couldn’t deny that warmth.

“……Is it you?”

Amidst his chaotic emotions, something even he didn’t know emerged. An imperceptible fear and awe. Nostalgia and love. Xins put all of these feelings he couldn’t understand into a word.

—Evhemary.

“I kept my promise.”

It was unclear which was the front and which was the back of the jet-black figure. But despite that, Xins certainly saw. From inside the Night-colored veil that the girl wore, she smiled teasingly.

“Are you surprised?”

Her simple way of talking resounded in his chest.

……You haven’t changed.

She was just like before. After a long time had passed, the girl he knew was in front of him.

The rainbow color that expressed everything wasn’t there, replaced by a single color. She was his only rival, the friend who acknowledged him, and possibly above all else, his companion.

Narrowing his eyes, Xins shook his head.

“I’m already used to you doing things that go against common sense.”

From a distance away, the shaking of the ground drew closer.

Don’t you want an explanation? The girl seemed to say.

“You kept the promise. That’s more than enough……”

The girl turned around. So he wouldn’t see. So he wouldn’t find out. She rubbed her eyes.

“But, I still haven’t seen your Recitation yet.”

The girl turned to face the hydra that gradually drew closer.

“He seems unexpectedly strong. Can you be my backup, Rainbow Color Reciter-san?”

He didn’t answer. Simply nodding once, Xins turned around as his coat fluttered.

<div align="center"><nowiki>***</nowiki></div>

[I’ve disposed of most of them.]

Landing on the rooftop, Arma folded his wings. Rather than saying most, it would be more appropriate to call it entirely wiped out. Looking up at the sky, there was only the pale white moonlight and twinkling of the stars.

“……I’ll never accompany you on flying practice again.”

For the sake of dodging the chimeras’ attacks, he had dived down and swooped up, making Kluele lose her breath. As for the number of somersaults the Night-colored lizard did, she had lost count after ten. Because of all that, Kluele felt like her lifespan had shortened. She envied Neight, who had lost consciousness.

“Hey, don’t you need to help over there?”

“You mean the <Woman of Origin>?”

Shouldn’t this dragon be suitable for fighting against the hydra? The size of their bodies was on par, and he probably wouldn’t lose in terms of strength either. So then why was the True Spirit with the appearance of a girl purposely taking on the monster? That, she didn’t understand.

[Leaving this warm and safe place isn’t an easy thing to do.]

Like always, she didn’t get the point of this Recited creature’s words.

[Those two have already crawled out of their shells. That’s why I’m leaving it to them. There’s no need to worry.]

“Who do you mean by ‘those two’?”

[The girl and the promised boy. Those two have already wasted more than ten years, so it can’t be helped.]

It was useless. Before the lizard had started explaining, he was already in his own world.

Turning away from Arma, Kluele leaned Neight against the railing.

[Someday you will understand as well.]

Kluele turned around at the meaningful words. At the same time, a flash of light burned her eyes. Before she had realized it, the eastern sky had become brighter.

—Dawn was drawing closer.

===Part 3===

The Night-colored spear that the <Woman of Origin> released pierced the hydra. Letting out an angry roar, the blue head spat out a large amount of water like a sudden rain shower. A second later, it turned into an enormous block of ice. Immediately, the yellow head let out a roar accompanied by lightning.

The red snake spat red-hot breaths at the dodging girl.

——[{{Furigana|Ruguz|Blue Song}}]——

Just before the flames hit the True Spirit of Night, they were blocked by a film of water that Xins called out.

……This is bad.

As far as he could tell, the strengths of the two seemed roughly equal. However, the girl was being pushed around.

The disparity was probably because of the difference in their awareness of the surroundings. The hydra was only thinking of knocking down his opponent. On the other hand, the Night-colored girl was restraining her strength to prevent damage to their surroundings.

Xins, who was watching, had his hands full blocking the attacks directed at the girl from the side. He had no time to go on the offensive with a {{ Furigana|First Scale Recitation|High Noble Aria}}. His catalyst was also running out.

“Is this the last Recitation……?”

Five jewels rolled in his palm. Five colors, a bit of every Recitation. Should he call out five small spirits with a {{Furigana|Second Scale Recitation|Noble Aria}} and go on the offensive? Or should he respond like before by defending against the hydra’s attacks? These weren’t the best options, but the only two left after eliminating all the other choices.

That’s right, he had to pick one of these options.

It should be like that, but why did he feel a sense of loathing……?

He held onto the five gems, not letting go. Somewhere, a part of himself stubbornly refused.

—I still haven’t seen your Recitation yet—

The girl’s words repeated over and over in his mind.

Your Recitation. Your……

What is my Recitation?

No…… Deep down, he understood. Even he himself knew. He was the Reciter able to use all five colors. If a master Reciter of each color assembled here, there wouldn’t be much difference.

That would be different from “Xins Airwincle’s Recitation”.

'Xins, let’s keep working hard. We can’t give up at the very end.'

In these ten years, Enne’s heart had become stronger.

'After seeing Kluele-san’s Recitation today…… I thought that I should reconsider a bit…… Kluele-san seemed to be having so much fun. Therefore, I thought that I also want to have fun while Reciting.'

The young Reciter reconsidered his way of life.

The Night-colored girl was like that. After throwing away everything, she ended up here.

How was he compared to her? Does the fact that he was still the same as before, mean that he hadn’t advanced since that time?

……Could I be the one who was hiding in my shell all this time?

In the setting sun, the place was illuminated by the spotlight from the recital— He searched for the scenery of an unchanging school.

He had continued to deceive himself that he hadn’t changed, relying on his memories of the past.

……Admit it already. The times that he remembered won’t come back. Accept it. Time won’t flow backwards.

“Evhemary, I might not be the Xins you know anymore.”

He couldn’t discard his memories of the past. But even so, he had to change.

If that hydra could use five colors at once in its excitement, he should be able to do it as well. That venomous thing was only haphazardly mixing the five colors together.

That day, at that time. The Rainbow Color he had promised Evhemary wasn’t something like that.

His oath hadn’t been fulfilled yet. I still haven’t shown you the true Rainbow Color Recitations.

—Idiot. You were so late to realize it—

The wind carried along the girl’s voice. In this battle that was frozen at a stalemate, being distracted for a single instant could be fatal. But even so— even though the opponent was an unprecedented monster, the promised girl looked only at him.

Now, what to Recite?

He asked himself. Hesitation was unforgivable. He understood that there would be no return if he stumbled into the maze of hesitation a second time. Can I really do it? Will what I Recite really overcome this situation? His self of the past questioned him.

—But it’s alright now…… The me of right now is able to cast aside everything.

He closed his eyes. He didn’t need a {{Furigana|Song of Praise|Oratorio}}. What he was Reciting was himself. A mirror that reflected his true self. It took the form of his inner thoughts. It will be fine if I call out that.

—That’s right, he finally understood what was truly important. He had remembered.

A ring of light formed in his right hand. Closing his eyelids, he could feel on his pupils the radiance growing in his right hand. Rainbow-colored sparkles. Brighter than starlight, more elegant than moonlight.

The gemstones fell from his hand, and he felt something Rainbow-colored be born in his right hand.

“Evhemary!”

In response to Xins’s shout, the <Woman of Origin> snapped the fingers of her right hand.

Underneath the monster’s feet, the hydra’s own shadow entwined itself around the real body. It wasn’t an offensive or defensive maneuver, but simply for restraining. The hydra tried to slip out, but the five necks were all tightly bound. Although they had been struggling until now, the spell did not break.

The True Spirit of Night and the five-headed monster were equally powerful. But if her opponent’s movements were sealed, but if there was no need to worry about damaging their surroundings, the girl could also fight with all of her strength.

“……Or perhaps the one who called you out was me.”

In the very beginning. The first thing was that he had touched the <Egg> located in this school.

Unleashing five colors at the same time— the hydra in which five colors independently existed.

In other words, it was the false “Rainbow Color” he had boasted about in the past.

—That is why I won’t hesitate anymore.

Aiming at the monster before his eyes, Xins threw the gems he was gripping in his right hand.

It was simply a rapid stream of light, without shape or form. A light shining with the seven colors of the rainbow. All of the colors equally and harmoniously mixed together, into a color in a different dimension from the five Recitation Colors.

The flow of light was like a spear that pierced the hydra. The spear shot through the hydra’s body and flew out into the jet-black night. In the instant when it penetrated the infinitely wide black sea.

Black clouds split apart, giving rise to a radiance like the birth of a new world.

The whole world was enveloped in a flood of light, rainbow light that seemed to spread like what was foretold in the gospel—

Around the world, everyone closed their eyes at the dazzling light. It wasn’t simply because of the brightness. Everyone who saw the radiance realized that it wasn’t a blessing for them.

The light was only truly illuminating a single person.

It was for the sake of a girl who hadn’t basked in the sun even once.

“……Thank you.”

Only one person in the world, the Night-colored girl, continued to gaze at the light for eternity.

===Part 4===

“……Is it over?”

When the radiance had finally ended, Kluele timidly opened her eyes.

The {{Furigana|monster|hydra}}’s figure had disappeared, as if it had never existed in the first place.

[It seems that it was skillfully sent back. Because it was originally an irregular existence, we shouldn’t worry about what happened to it afterward.]

Because the crisis was over for now, Kluele breathed out in relief, and turned her eyes to the boy who had fallen asleep with his back leaning against the railings on the roof. Although there had been such a commotion, he had a peaceful look on his face.

“And so, you should turn small as well. It’s tiring to have to look up at you.”

[It’s too troublesome. I’m fine staying like this.]

“Staying like this……”

After it had become dawn, support troops had come. If he continued to stay this enormous, he would undoubtedly cause a fuss.

[It’s fine. Before they catch a glimpse of me, I will have also disappeared.]

Disappear? No way, you—

She received no response. Keeping his mouth shut, Arma averted his eyes. More than anything, that gesture confirmed her premonition. ……Well, it can’t be helped.

“Fine. But I’ll stay with you until then.”

[……Don’t expect any thanks from me.]

As if he was embarrassed, the True Spirit of Night turned his head away as he said that.

Gradually, the starlight in the eastern sky was concealed by the bright sun.

On the roof of the first-year school building.

Although she had come many times before, it was her first time spending the night here.

[It’s almost time……]

The lizard resting on her knees muttered. Before the sky had brightened, the Recited creature had already returned to the size that Kluele was used to.

“Is this farewell?”

[When a True Spirit completes its goal, it disappears. Even I have to follow such a rule.]

From the way he spoke, Kluele realized. This Recited creature had surely chosen to leave Neight of his own free will.

“Do you have anything you want to convey to Neight?”

[I have nothing that I want to convey. Although there are things I want to say, I can’t say them now.]

“I see.”

[I didn’t expect you to accept it that easily.]

Since Arma seemed to be playing dumb, Kluele replied in an ambiguous tone of voice.

“I just somehow understood.”

[……Well, that’s how it is.]

Seeming embarrassed, he flapped his wings as if he was escaping.

“Hey, you Night-colored flying lizard.”

[……That again, even at the very end?]

Stopping the movement of his wings, the lizard that was called turned around. At his amazed voice, Kluele winked.

“Like that, you won’t forget me, right? The girl who called you a lizard until the very end.”

After a second of silence.

[What a clever idea. But there’s no meaning to it.]

Flapping his wings, his body rose into the air.

[Even without such a thing…… I won’t forget you.]

Leaving behind those words, the Night-colored Recited creature flew away.

<div align="center"><nowiki>***</nowiki></div>

“I wanted to talk with you for a bit longer…”

On the roof of the fourth-year school building, a coat flapped in the wind.

“I’m only accompanying you because it’s our reunion after so many days. Don’t you think that if we were to meet every day, there would be nothing to talk about?”

You’re still saying that even at the very end? Raising the collar of his coat, Xins secretly smiled.

“Even like that, I think we wouldn’t run out of topics to talk about.”

“Wouldn’t we?”

Gazing at the sun rising above the horizon, the shadow in the figure of a girl tilted its head.

For a little while, there was silence. Although they were about to part, he couldn’t find any words to say.

The sound of someone’s flapping wings broke the silence.

“Arma.”

The Night-colored lizard landed on the shoulder of the same-colored girl.

“Thanks, for a variety of things.”

[It wasn’t much. Anyways, it’s about time.]

After those words, the lizard’s figure was the first to disappear.

In the sunlight, the figure of the shadow-colored girl was the next to fade.

Even though it was the very end, the girl’s mouth was firmly shut. Why was she……

—I see.

Xins finally understood the girl’s intentions. She was waiting. Waiting for him to speak first.

……Really, you have such a bad habit. But it was also the same back then. In the classroom at twilight, when we made the promise, I was always the one speaking.

“Hey, Evhemary.”

Silently, the girl waited for him to continue.

“I wonder if we’ll see each other again.”

“Someday, when Neight becomes capable of using First Scale Recitations.”

Gradually, the girl’s figure faded away. It melted in the sunlight, becoming faint. Both of her hands disappeared, the lower half of her body disappeared, and in the last moment before her whole body disappeared, the girl spoke teasingly.

“But I don’t know. Let’s think of this time as getting lucky. His one in a hundred chance came during the first time, that’s all. This may be the first and last time.”

The morning glow signifying the start of a new day approached.

She teased him even until the end. Before he could reply, the True Spirit that should have been before his eyes seemed to have completely faded.

But instead.

“I wonder why? Maybe I just want to tease you.”

[[File:Fb3-308_303-1-.jpg|thumb]]

The shadow-colored True Spirit disappeared, and there stood a girl with the same figure and voice; a girl who hadn’t changed at all since that time.

There stood the girl who had been crying in the classroom at that time.

The girl he remembered.

The one difference was— the girl here right now was smiling.

“……Evhemary!”

“Bye bye, Xins. ……I’m sorry, I couldn’t say it even at the very end. I lo—”

The dawn shone behind her back. The girl tried to speak her last words.

Along with her words, she reached out her hands as if seeking for an embrace—

But— their bodies did not meet.

Before that, the girl became particles of the dawn’s light and faded away.

“……I don’t mind.”

Looking up at the sky, Xins hummed to himself. I don’t mind. I don’t need a goodbye.

“Because I will surely meet you again somewhere.”

The Rainbow Color Reciter looked at the place where the girl had stood.

Forever and ever, he hummed a Rainbow-colored song without lyrics or a melody.

He hoped that it would reach the girl who was somewhere far away.

----

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