Editing Horizon:Volume 10A Chapter 24 (section)

==Chapter 24: Children of the Challenge==
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''We hadn’t forgotten

''We hadn’t realized

''We simply

''Didn’t know

'''Point Allocation (Combination)

●

Mitsunari confirmed that Sakon had withdrawn to the outer edge of Musashi’s second port ship.

She was tracking Sakon’s movements via lernen figur, but her current body didn’t let her instantly travel through the divine network. She did have her other bodies she could use, but instead of being another version of herself like before, they now felt like a part of her – like an arm or a leg.

So she watched. She awkwardly used a telescope spell to get a look at Sakon.

There she was. On the outer edge of the second port ship. But no one had secured a bridgehead on that ship. Going in required a swift infiltration and leaving meant jumping off.

'''848:''' “Sakon-sama! Are you alright!? This way! Over here! On the bridge!”

Sakon looked far overhead, to the top of the Azuchi, but the ship was rolled on its side and there was no bridge there.

'''Onitakemaru:''' “Fool! That is the center of everything happening here! Can’t you tell its floor is turned this way!?”

'''Kohime:''' “I-I was only checking just to be sure! It’s called being careful!”

Sakon seemed to be doing well. But she still had a different kind of body from Mitsunari’s, so…

'''848:''' “Are you hurt!? Are you alright, Sakon-sama!?”

'''Kohime:''' “Yes, I’m fine. See?”

Sakon hopped up and a defense barrier swept through just below her feet.

She landed and looked to the departing barrier.

'''Kohime:''' “Th-that was a close on! Why does Musashi have obstacles straight out of a retro side-scrolling action game!?”

'''848:''' “A-anyway, off the ship! You need to jump off the ship!”

Mitsunari’s call was followed by a question from Onitakemaru.

'''Onitakemaru:''' “Kohime? Come to think of it, did you bring a descent spell with you?”

'''Kohime:''' “Eh? I diiiid. Of course I diiiid? What’s wrong, Onitakemaru-san? Afraid?”

'''Onitakemaru:''' “Do not be absurd! I was merely curious. I know you used a descent spell when descending to the Musashi, so I was wondering if you had a second one.”

Sakon fell silent.

Onitakemaru yelled at her while she jumped over the next barrier.

She landed. And…

'''Kohime:''' “Mitsunari-sama? Can I get one delivered?”

Mitsunari arranged that in a hurry. Next to her, Hirano taught her how to perform a reverse search using the “hidden” setting, so she operated her lernen figur. But…

…''Ahhhh, this body is so inconvenient! I used to do this in an instant!

Sakon jumped over a third barrier.

'''Kohime:''' “Mitsunari-sama! Mitsunari-sama! They’re changing up the timing and speed a bit, so these aren’t going to be so easy to dodge soon!”

''Why are they upping the difficulty?'' wondered Mitsunari, but she was afraid actually asking the question would make them up the difficulty even further. She instead asked something else while arranging the Catholic spell meant for Sakon.

'''848:''' “How is everyone over there?”

'''Onitakemaru:''' “Fukushima appears to have begun her duel, so your goal should be all but achieved now. …From what I have heard, you all enjoy making things difficult for yourselves.”

'''848:''' “Testament. We finally have this chance now that Nobunaga-sama is suppressing destiny’s influence. …It took going along with the Genesis Project, but now we can finally tell the truth.”

'''Kohime:''' “This, um, sounds complicated. I don’t really get it.”

Sakon jumped a fourth time to clear two barriers at once.

Mitsunari could have sworn she heard a supportive cheer from the Musashi warriors on the second ship’s wing, but what was up with that? But…

'''848:''' “If possible, I would like to end all the world’s fighting tonight, before the Genesis Project begins.”

●

''Same,'' agreed Yoshiaki.

She was in the sky. Artillery fire and defense barrier shards filled the windy night aerial battlefield.

…''I really didn’t think I would be able to do this.

The Azuchi’s maintenance team had just barely managed to fix up Weiss Fürstin and Schwarz Fürstin.

The schale besens’ malfunctions had come from damage and wear to most of the acceleration panels, but Angie and she had helped repair them by using Magie Figurs to directly manipulate the output peak lines. So while they were short on parts, they had made up for the missing pieces by boosting the output while ignoring the atrocious fuel efficiency.

Of course, this would wear out the surviving acceleration panels and soon render them useless.

“Kime-chan, is this like forcibly boosting the ignition system for a low-Auspuff schale besen?”

“Those are nice to fly every once in a while to relax. They really feel like they’re obeying your every thought.”

“But claiming air superiority with these will be next to impossible. Just five 180-degree turns and I think they’ll shake apart.”

“Which is why we’re in a support role.”

Yoshiaki pointed down, where Sakon was jumping over a set of three defense barriers flying her way.

“That takes a lot of skill there, but can’t she just find a good point to jump off the ship? Am I wrong?”

“We’re nearly to the sea.”

She raised her head to see the mountains and forests transforming into a flat black expanse toward the horizon.

That was the sea past Osaka.

“If someone is thrown off or has nowhere left to run, we pick them up if we can. And if we can’t, we can at least provide support for anyone being targeted. But…”

She sighed. Someone was here who she really wished wasn’t here now.

“Musashi’s Zwei Fraulein.”

Two familiar ether lights took off from the stern of Musashi’s third port ship and curved this way.

Angie turned around to get a look at them.

“That’s bad news given the circumstances, but on an emotional level I’d say it’s the opposite.”

“Testament. I know what you mean. We’ve been waiting for the moon to set so that destiny need no longer search for friends.”

Yoshiaki turned Weiss Fürstin’s course around in order to intercept the coming attack.

“So we’ll just have to do it: clash with them and let them know what is right and what is wrong.”

●

Power intersected in a sword fight.

On the elevated area of Okutama’s port side, Futayo was exchanging sporadic bursts of attack and defense.

…''The time has come.

They weren’t making many intense accelerations or attacks.

She had in fact expected her next meeting with Fukushima to start with much more of a bang. That was why she had made sure they weren’t running on empty stomachs first. However…

“It’s strange.”

“What is?”

“It feels like we both know each other’s moves.”

“Thou mean…I have caught up to thee?”

“Judge,” she replied, but a question occurred to her. Fukushima’s assertion required a certain condition. If Fukushima had caught up to her so they now used the same moves…

“Were you taught by my father?”

“No,” said Fukushima, lowering her head a little. “I was taught by someone much closer to me.”

●

While Futayo faced Fukushima, Tenzou sensed something odd.

He and Mary were currently fleeing from Kiyomasa while exchanging occasional attacks. Their opponent pursued them with thrusters, so each time she caught up, they had to fight back before continuing their flight.

It was a two-against-one fight, but Tenzou was a ninja and Mary a princess. Kiyomasa was a knight-type warrior with two swords and a mobile shell that allowed for high-speed autonomous mobility. However…

…''Why?

After exchanging a few blows with Kiyomasa, Tenzou realized he recognized her fighting style. And Mary had to as well. Her attacks were weakening, likely because her doubts were growing.

Mary’s hesitation caused things to unravel for Tenzou as well. So he asked a question while considering what escape route to use next.

“Can you copy your opponent’s actions!?”

●

'''Horizey:''' “Ow ow ow ow ow! Thank you for providing the exposition for such an overplayed and cringe ability, Tenzou-sama. I can’t believe anyone could get by with that ability in this day and age.”

'''10ZO:''' “I-I’m not certain that’s it, which is why I asked, okayyy?”

'''Novice:''' “Wait! Wait! Is this supposed to be indirect criticism of ‘The Cow Who Copied His Opponent’s Ability and Became the Shogun’s Instructor’ that I wrote from my second year of middle school to my first year of high school!?”

'''Laborer:''' “That one burned really bright earlier!”

●

“You think I am copying you?”

Mitotsudaira had begun a duel with Kasuya Takenori at the entrance to the corridor at Murayama’s stern. She had noticed something about her opponent’s movements, asked about it, and received that response.

Kasuya took a light step and moved as if drawing a circle with Mitotsudaira in the center. Mitotsudaira responded with a light step of her own.

“You are moving just like me.”

This had puzzled her, so she had asked if her opponent’s movements were copying her own. But…

“These bursts of speed are a technique I developed on my own.”

Yes. During her battle with M.H.R.R.’s eccentric Emperor Rudolf II, she had realized how to apply her strength and that had led to this technique. She was confident it wasn’t something so easy to figure out. After all, her mother hadn’t known about it and had only managed it by mimicking her.

…''Of course, it is possible I am overestimating the difficulty of figuring it out.

“I saw you do this at Kantou as well. Where did you figure out how to use this technique?”

“It was taught to me,” quietly answered Kasuya. “Taught to me in a vanishing, but not desolate, world.”

“Where-”

Mitotsudaira was going to ask where that was, when it happened, and who taught it to her.

But Kasuya continued.

“She smiled, even though we had nothing but despair. Saying she could have saved her king if only she had this technique.”

●

“Yes, it was taught to me.”

Mary heard Kiyomasa’s words as their clashing swords threw sparks.

“I have waited so long.”

“For what?”

“To correct your mistake…and to not let it end.”

Because…

“We have been waiting for the battle in which we could ensure the true meaning of the Genesis Project would come to pass.”

●

Masazumi gasped at the status of the battles being fought across the Musashi.

…''What is this?

Battles had begun against Musashi’s main fighters and important officers. Just as Kanou had indicated and she had accepted…

“These pairings are meant to stop us.”

For Futayo, Fukushima Masanori.

For Crossunite and Mary, Katou Kiyomasa.

For Mitotsudaira, Kasuya Takenori.

For Naito and Naruze, Katou Yoshiaki and Wakisaka Angie.

The Ten Spears had been repelled a few times before. But…

…''After fighting their way through so many fierce battles, there they are again.

And they claimed to have been waiting for this moment.

“So they were waiting for this chance to stop us?”

Had their past battles all been fought for this battle here and now? If so…

“What is this battle!?”

They were nearly to the sea. Once they entered Osaka Bay, they would be in Europe. Once there, she planned to have the Musashi rapidly accelerate and flee to the M.H.R.R. Protestant skies. Mukai and the bridge automata agreed with that plan.

…''And the Musashi’s fuel could run out if we don’t do that…

The Musashi Mk. 2 burned through fuel a lot faster than before and they had flown it full speed over a distance equivalent to the Battle of Mikatagahara. So they needed to eliminate the enemy here and break away. But…

“What is this?”

Masazumi was belatedly noticing the enemy’s obsession here.

But she couldn’t think of any reason this enemy would have long wanted to defeat Musashi for a reason beyond simple duty.

The Ten Spears had only begun to appear after the Battle of Mikatagahara. Yet this had started well before that. However…

“It couldn’t have been before we ended the Battle of Mikawa!”

“Defeating” Musashi wouldn’t be possible before they stepped up onto the global stage. And yet…

“Why!? Your group couldn’t have been formed until after Mikawa!”

Masazumi stubbornly questioned the divine transmission from the Azuchi.

“You say we’re mistaken! You say we need to be corrected! But what are we mistaken about!? And what needs to be corrected!? Answer me, Hashiba! Explain the contradiction in your behavior!”

●

The words were transmitted through the wind and artillery fire.

Masazumi waited for Takenaka’s response. But that was not who replied.

'''The Boy:''' “Then I will present Musashi with the conditions necessary to end this battle.”

It was Katagiri. She wondered why him, but what he said also confused her.

…''Conditions?

It took her a few seconds to realize he meant the conditions for Musashi’s surrender.

If Musashi accepted them, the fight would stop. However…

'''The Boy:''' “The scuttling of all eight Musashi ships. The suspension of Musashi Ariadust Academy Chancellor and Student Council President Aoi Toori, Horizon Ariadust, and all officers from the Chancellor’s Officers and Student Council until the completion of the Genesis Project. Accepting that M.H.R.R. Hashiba will handle the Genesis Project. …Accept those three conditions and this battle will end.”

●

“Huh?”

Asama saw the nudist tilt his head.

“Why do I need to be suspended from my dick?”

Horizon made a pendulum-like accelerated kick from behind to kick up into his crotch.

With a terribly fleshy sound of impact, he lifted about 10cm from the deck.

“My, my, Toori-sama. We need to get you suspended. Now, let’s hang you up over there.”

“H-h-hey, you’re supposed to be suspended too! But…oh, no? You don’t have a dick to be suspended from!”

“Why do you like those jokes so much, Toori-kun?”

“Because, Asama-sama, that is all he has. He can’t come up with any other jokes,” said Horizon.

Then some words arrived via the divine net.

'''Vice President:''' “So they’re doing everything they can to keep us from trying to stop the Genesis Project.”

'''Wise Sister:''' “Oh? But then why aren’t they trying to put Asama and me in ‘suspended’ animation like eternal statues!? Are they unfamiliar with the frozen girl genre!?”

'''Vice President:''' “The rest of you would be a lot more well-behaved without that idiot Aoi and Horizon around, right?”

Asama wasn’t so sure about that one. And…

“…!”

[[File:Horizon10A_p0779.jpg|thumb]]

With a wave of a hand, she opened three layers of defense barrier in the air.

Immediately, two of them shattered and something bounced off the third and shattered in the air.

…''A sword arrow!

That was a Shinto spell that launched a straight sword like an arrow. Normal arrows were superior when it came to producing a sufficient number of them, but the sword arrows were said to have the greater individual attack power.

One had just been fired in past the Musashi’s defenses, which could only mean…

“It must be that Hirano Nagayasu person from the Ten Spears…”

“You mean the one who fired a sword to silence What’s-His-Name-sama the white Celestial Dragon in Sanada!? Such a rude thing to do in What’s-His-Name-sama’s final moments!”

Asama considered pointing out how rude Horizon was being, but she feared that would be letting Horizon win. Regardless, her eyes followed the path drawn out by the automatic ballistic tracking to see someone in a shrine maiden outfit with a sword motif.

Horizon commented on the girl visible through a telescope spell.

“Is there a rule saying all shrine maidens must be excellent archers with giant breasts, Asama-sama?”

“Umm…”

While Asama considered how to respond, words appeared on her sign frame.

'''Vice President:''' “I have a quick question, Katagiri Katsumoto. …Would it be possible for that suspension condition to apply only to our id- I mean our Chancellor and President?”

●

“Not a chance,” replied Katagiri in the 90-degree rolled Azuchi’s fore hall.

Out front, he viewed Musashi’s Vice President through the observation spell operated by Hirano.

'''The Boy:''' “Even if you suspended him, you would simply prop your princess up as a representative and resume resisting.”

'''Vice President:''' “Then what if we also suspended Horizon? That would keep us from using the Logismoi Oplo.”

'''The Boy:''' “If you did that, you would begin to think that resistance was the proof of your existence.”

So…

'''The Boy:''' “At the very least, Musashi must not have someone who can act as a symbol and work with your allied nations. …Vice President. That means you too must be suspended.”

●

“Wait,” Kanou heard the Vice President say.

Wait for what? If the Vice President had a question about her own suspension, she was underrating herself. ''As long as we have you, we definitely don’t need the Chancellor and Vicereine to work with the other nations.

…''Although it would be a challenge and require help from Lady Ookubo.

But the Vice President had a different question.

'''Vice President:''' “What is it that you say we’re mistaken about!? If our surrender and suspension will prevent that mistake from happening, then our mistake must be opposing the Genesis Project! But how can you be so certain that is a mistake!?”

Kanou listened to the Vice President’s shout.

The Vice President had arrived at the conclusion before Kanou did.

'''Vice President:''' “No one knows yet if resisting the Genesis Project is a mistake or not! But if you insist it is a mistake and demand we surrender, that is all the more reason for us to resist!”

●

'''The Boy:''' “''We'' know.”

Suzu heard Katagiri’s response from Musashino’s bridge.

…''What do…they know?

'''The Boy:''' “At least, eight of the Ten Spears know: Fukushima Masanori, Katou Kiyomasa, Kasuya Takenori, Hirano Nagayasu, Katou Yoshiaki, Wakisaka Angie, Hachisuka Koroku, and me, Katagiri Katsumoto.”

He said it.

'''The Boy:''' “We are your children extracted and created from the future’s destiny, so we know what happens in the next era.”

●

“We know you fail, the Genesis Project is also lost, and the world ends. So, as your children, we must stop you.”

●

Fukushima saw Honda Futayo suddenly stop attacking.

…''Oh?

Fukushima also stopped, leaving them both facing each other.

Eventually, Honda Futayo raised her right hand as if in realization.

“Thinking time!”

''Eh?'' thought Fukushima as Honda Futayo took a good look at her from head to toe. And…

“Could it be…?”

A sudden fear hit Fukushima, so she made up her mind and spoke before Honda Futayo could ask her question.

“Testament! I-I am, well, thy daughter!”

She said it. She finally said it.

She looked ahead again and saw Honda Futayo staring intently at her.

Would she say something? Would she do something? Those questions grew as fear inside her and she knew it was too late for her to make any moves herself as Honda Futayo frowned and spoke.

“I’ve had a secret child long enough for her to grow this big!? When did that happen!?”

''She wasn’t listening at all, was she?

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