Editing Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume1 4th Play (section)

===Part 2===

The chimera lay on the floor, unable to move a single step. 

This chimera had suddenly broken through the ceiling and landed in front of the emergency exit, blocking the passageway. Next, facing the nearest target —Mio, the chimera advanced— But because Kluele pushed her aside instinctively, Mio wasn’t injured. However, contrarily, Kluele’s left shoulder received the attack. 

Perhaps it wounded an artery. The dress’s left shoulder was dyed deep red, and the flow of blood still hadn’t stopped. 

“Kluele, are you okay?”

Kate, a teacher who had originally been leading the students to take refuge, now ran over to them.

“What about you? ……Please go back and stay with everyone else. I need to stay here and rest for a while.”

Even simply opening her mouth caused extreme pain, but she still let out the last of the air from her lungs and with great effort, forced out a voice from her throat.  

“I’m your homeroom teacher, so I can’t abandon you, no matter what.”

The female teacher looked down and shook her head.

“But…… There are more than thirty students in the school building who sensei is in charge of!”

She really didn’t want to act this forceful, but the teacher shouldn’t accompany her, who couldn’t move. She had more important things to do. 

Had the electric cables been cut off? The chandelier above her head flickered on and off. If there were no lights, then heading to the first-year building would not be easy. Therefore, it was necessary to help other students get to refuge as early as possible. Even if she didn’t want to, the teacher should understand that point. 

After a little while, an abandoning look appeared in Kate’s eyes.   

“……After I confirm that everyone else in the class has safely taken refuge, I will come back. Until then, I will leave it to you, Mio.”

After confirming that the girl had nodded, Kate hurried away. 

Of the noisy sounds coming from outside, it was unclear which were people yelling and which were the monster’s roaring. Outside the window was the scene of burning trees. Only a few minutes after experiencing the sudden earthquake, in the time it took to count a few hundred seconds, their surroundings had become this miserable.

“Why…… Why would something like this happen……”

Into the cloth bound around Kluele’s arm as a bandage, the girl sobbed. 

“Mio, don’t cry. If you want to cry, wait until a happy time to cry tears of joy.”

“……I’m not crying!”

Closing her mouth, the girl tied the bandage into a tight knot.

“Thank you. Like this, I just need to rest a bit and I’ll be fine.”

Kluele felt like vomiting from loss of blood. She closed her eyes and took slow, regular breaths.

The chandelier made a sharp creaking noise…… That’s bad. The power outage now would only cause the uproar outside to become more serious. 

Suddenly—

“Kluele-san! Mio-san! Are you there?”

The sound of a familiar voice, along with someone stepping on broken glass, could be heard.

“……Neight-kun?”

As if responding to Mio’s mutter, the front door of the hall swung open, and a young boy wearing a robe appeared. After seeing that figure, a large weight was lifted from her heart.

……I’m glad. Although everyone else was outside, they appeared to be safe and sound.

“Neight-kun, you have to quickly go take shelter in the school building!”

“But, I heard from Ada-san that you two are still here…… Kluele-san, you’re injured!”

“Um, ah, this isn’t much.”

She didn’t like having people worry about her. Before Neight could approach, just when she wanted to stand up with the support of the wall—

At that moment, the lights of the hall’s chandelier went out.

“Eh……”

Not knowing the circumstances inside the hall, the boy gasped in surprise. Before Kluele could open her mouth, Mio, who stood within the darkness, shouted loudly.

“Neight-kun, wait. This place is covered in broken glass. If you walk around aimlessly, you’ll get hurt! Until the lights come back on, stay still for now.”

“I-I understand.”

A cold, frozen silence engulfed the hall. 

Looking out the window, the outside was also eerily quiet. It was like the shouts and screams until now hadn’t been real. Had something happened? Or was it because nothing had happened, that it was this quiet? Neither possibility could be ruled out.

It was just like a desolate and lifeless earth.

……Such a depressing imagination, isn’t it?

Kluele gritted her teeth and continued to put pressure on her shoulder. 

Suddenly, like the chiming of a clock, the sound of breaking glass shook her eardrums. Not once. Two times, three times. The sounds gradually grew louder and closer together. 

“Neight-kun, you’re not allowed to move around!”

After a second of silence.

“Eh…… I didn’t move……”

Hearing the contradictory reply, before she could feel dumbfounded, Mio’s whole body was enveloped in fear. 

Other than us, there was still something else inside this building?

Faintly, she felt a hot breath on her skin.

“Mio, duck!”

The chandelier lit up. Before Mio could take a breath, in the dark, Kluele grabbed Mio’s dress and pulled her downwards. Something flew past above her head. The flickering light shone upon a three-headed monster.

—Chimera. To have appeared at such an unexpected time!

Kluele clenched her teeth. It was bad. Among the three of us, there wasn’t anybody able to use a Recitation that could fight off this monster.

Slowly, the chimera moved closer.

“Kluele-san!”

Neight wanted to run over, but Kluele stopped him. It was absurd. This kind of opponent wasn’t something that a student who had just entered high school could deal with. 

“Just hurry and run away! Mio, you too!”

“No…… I will stay together with Kululu until the very end…… Because I was the one who injured you……”

“Idiot! Stop being stubborn at this kind of time!”

The details of Neight’s Night Color Recitations weren’t clear. Mio’s Green Recitations included few creatures that were able to attack. Actually, her Red Recitations were probably the best to deal with it. 

I have to at least call out a flame…… No, even if I was able to call out a flame, its power wouldn’t be enough to drive away this creature. And even more important was the catalyst—

Kluele looked around, searching for something able to be used as a catalyst. Suddenly, her gaze stopped on the body of the Recited creature on Neight’s shoulder. That Night creature was silently looking back at her. 

No, more precisely, at my left shoulder?

Ah……

I’ve got it! An available catalyst, a catalyst able to be used for Red Recitations, there was only this.

“Neight, back away!”

With difficulty, Kluele stretched her right hand towards the table. She grabbed a glass cup that hadn’t been smashed on the ground by the vibrations and threw it at the chimera.

Although it hadn’t expected that move, the monster swept its tail and flung the glass cup to one side. It glanced at the spilled liquid on the floor, and exposed its mud-colored teeth in a mocking manner. 

The three-headed animal kicked off the floor.

There was no time to untie it. Kluele used her mouth to bite down on the bandage around her left shoulder— and ripped open that layer of bandages.

Like a red waterfall bursting free of a dam, red blood splashed onto the back of her hand.

'Do you want to withdraw into your shell once more, or struggle to escape?'

Even without you saying it, I know!

—Please, let it succeed……

The blood boiled. The blood sticking onto her right hand emitted a radiance, and gradually evaporated. 

Next, a ball of flame arose from her right hand. Still lying on the floor, Kluele threw it with all of her strength.

The flame that she had used all the strength in her body to throw approached the monster. At that moment, it stopped its footsteps. Although the flame swept past the tip of its nose, the place it landed wasn’t on the creature’s body, but rather beside its foot. It looked disdainfully at the flame that had fallen to the ground, and narrowed its eyes. 

“……Do you think you’ve won?”

Although Kluele looked pale from loss of blood, she curled up the corners of her mouth.

“It’s my win. Come again next time!”

Because she had originally been aiming for under its foot, missing its body was supposed to happen. The glass cup filled with alcohol that she had thrown in the beginning, and that the creature had swatted it aside, was all part of Kluele’s plan. Because from the start, she had planned to throw the flame at the alcohol spilled on the carpet.

In that instant, before the monster had time to sense the change under its feet, the alcohol caught fire.

In short, under its feet was an ocean of fire. Its whole body engulfed in flames, the chimera let out a scream. Struggling painfully to spread its flame-covered wings, it started to fly towards the ceiling.

……Well, it seems that it’s escaped.

As if her strength had been sucked dry, Kluele collapsed to the ground.

“Kluele-san!”

While calling out her name, Neight hurriedly headed for her side. The pure white dress she wore was stained red by blood, and her complexion looked even paler in comparison.

“……I’m sorry, let me rest for a bit.”

The girl’s body shivered. The cause was both the chill from losing a lot of blood, as well as the pain from being scratched by the creature’s claws.

“I’m sorry…… I’m unable to do anything…… And you always end up helping me.”

Neight was unable to look straight at Kluele’s face, and stared down at his own feet. He resented how he could only speak those words but was unable to handle the responsibility. 

He couldn’t do anything, could only have other people to protect him. 

By his mother Evhemary, saved by the Rainbow Color Reciter, and now he even received this girl’s protection. 

But— if it’s like this, then for what purpose did I make that promise?

'This is a Recitation created for your sake. Therefore, Neight, I will teach this only to you.'

The promise he made with Mother.

'The day when you master Night Color Recitations, I hope you inform me. I would also like to see it.'

The promise he made with the Rainbow Reciter.

'I will follow your example and try my best.'

The promise he made with the girl in front of his eyes.

For what purpose do those promises exist?

The promised Night Color Recitation, for what purpose does it exist?

All of those oaths mixed together, and like a large whirlpool, dashed against the water’s surface of his heart and memories. 

Among those, only one sentence, the one most simple sentence, remained completely.


'Neight…… What is a Recitation?'


The most basic, but a problem without a solution, one that nobody knew the true answer to. 

Mother, this might not be the answer that you thought of, but……

“Kluele-san…… You said to me today, if I were to become afraid of failure.”

Biting hard on his lip, he was just able to suppress the emotions emerging from the depths of his heart. 

But, even so. I’ve already found the answer.

Everyone knows the feeling of being afraid, everyone knows the feeling of being in pain— That’s why, I also want to do something. 

Not just for the promise I made with Mother, but for everyone’s sake.

“……Neight?”

She was still pale and weak, but even so, she gazed at him.

“But, I don’t want to fail anymore.”

Like he wanted to cut off his uneasiness, Neight continued.

“Just one thing, I…… Please allow me to challenge myself.”

“That’s—”

Before Mio could finish speaking—

[Night Color Recitations, do you intend to challenge it?]

The Night colored creature on Neight’s shoulder that had been silent until now, opened its mouth seriously. 

Rather than a question, that tone of voice sounded more like a confirmation. Therefore, Neight nodded his head without hesitating.

It was a Recitation that his mother had taught him. But, there was a high wall that he had to climb over—

[The problem is the catalyst.]

It was like he had thought. Had this Recited creature sensed what was on his mind?

“Neight-kun, what do you mean by that?”

“……I don’t know what the catalyst necessary for conducting a Night Color Recitation is.”

Like he was beseeching her, Neight turned to face Mio with an uneasy expression. 

“My mother let me see the catalyst only once…… But as for how to prepare it, I……”

[Night-colored flame.]

The creature on the boy’s shoulder continued to speak.

[There is only one true essence among Night Color Recitations. That specific catalyst, is a Night-colored flame.]

Night-colored flame— The girl wearing a dress pondered those words with an amazed expression. Of course she would think about that problem. Flames had always been red. What had to be done to change it into the deep hue he saw at that time?

[I have certainly seen it also. But, I didn’t ask how it had been created.]

That’s right. The final Recitation that Mother had taught, it did not require a catalyst. 

She had conducted it with her bare hands, the last thing Mother had taught him— Twilight-Colored Song.

Twilight. When the sun sets. That is, announcing the beginning of night, the bell of time. 

In the limited Night Color Recitations, the very first song Mother had recited.

“If I don’t know it……”

Neight bit his lip. If there was no catalyst, it was impossible for him to complete a Recitation with his own power.

“Neight. With that Recitation, what can you do?”

“……I don’t know.”

Face to face with Kluele, who had been continuously staring at him, Neight unhesitatingly spoke the truth.

—But, I want to believe.

The last Recitation that Mother taught me. A Recitation for the sake of fulfilling my promise with the Rainbow Reciter. 

Those two are surely the same song.

“Th-That……”

“……It doesn’t matter, you don’t have to finish speaking— I understand what you mean.”

Still smiling, the girl slowly continued to speak.

“That must be a very important song to you.”

Even though he hadn’t said it out loud, the girl before him already completely accepted it.

[Neight, I really admire your resolve. But in reality, without a catalyst, you cannot expect any results.]

“Night-colored flame……huh. Mio, do you know anything—”

Kluele turned around to ask the silent girl. 

For a few seconds, Mio wordlessly closed her eyes—

“Night-colored flame…… Ah…… Aaah……”

Suddenly, her voice echoed throughout the hall.

“I got it! I have a clue about the Night-colored flame!”

……She has a clue?

[Really?]

“Yeah, it’s probably not wrong. But, some things are required to create it. I’ll go get it— Ah……”

Mio hesitated. She threw an anxious look at her friend. 

“Mio, go ahead.”

She slowly shook her head.

“……Kululu?”

“I’m fine. And as for Neight……”

Still resting on the floor, the girl looked at him with moist eyes.

“—I won’t do anything unreasonable, I promise.”

No words were needed. Neight nodded his head once in assent. 

“Mio-san, after you’re ready, please come to the schoolyard. I will go first.”

“I understand. I’ll be right there. ……Kululu, please, you have to stay safe!”

“Don’t say such ominous words. I won’t die.”

Wiping away her hesitation, the girl wearing the pearl-colored dress headed towards the emergency exit passageway. Please go quickly as well— Without a reason, Kluele’s gaze followed Neight’s back as he headed towards the front gate of the hall. 

……This is fine, right? 

Kluele closed her eyes and let out a breath. Actually, she didn’t even have the strength to breathe. The feeling of wanting to vomit, her headache, and even the pain in her right shoulder couldn’t be felt. Her whole body was engulfed by an intense sleepiness. She hadn’t expected to hang on for so long.

……Really, I didn’t expect my willpower to be so strong.

Without making any noise, the girl fell unconscious.