Editing Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume1 1st Play (section)

===Part 4===

The sun began to slowly climb up to the heavens, and the temperature in the room rose accordingly. Like a being in a sauna, it was a humid heat that stuck to people’s skin. Now, the inside of the air-conditioned school cafeteria should have been overflowing with teachers and students without class. Those who had no class should have ordered themselves a cup of iced tea and gracefully passed the time there.

—But, that is based on the condition that students have no class to attend.

A sigh was about to escape her mouth, but Kluele stiffly swallowed it back. 

In the Recitation school, foundation courses were taught in the morning while the afternoon was filled with classes of practical drills. High school first year students spend approximately one year studying the basics of performing a recitation. 

“Has everyone arrived?”

Wearing a white gown over her clothes, Kate walked around the laboratory. 

Basically, recitation experiments were conducted in groups of four people. 

One was the Reciter, one was the record keeper, and the other two were assistants to prevent an emergency situation. 

Kluele’s female partner was Mio, and her male partner was Alsem. —He was a tall student with an earnest nature, and specializing in Yellow Recitations. Finally, there was also Neight. Because he was a new student and currently studying an unclear Recitation, he became a partner that every group fought to get. But because she recognized the situation, Mio successfully half-forced him into her group. 

“So, let’s decide who will go first.”

After she had finished making the straws, Kluele let the other three members of the group draw first. Although it was called an experiment, in general terms, it was simply conducting a Recitation of one’s specialized color that served as a trial run for the recital contest three days later. 

“Ah, I’m second.”

Mio said in an unconcerned voice. 

“I’m third.”

“I seem to be fourth.”

Following Alsem’s words were Neight. ……In other words……

“……Ah, I’m first.”

“Being first must be nervous.”

Kluele shrugged her shoulders as a reply to Mio’s teasing. 

From the paint stacked beside the table, she took out the red can of paint. A Recitation must come in contact with a catalyst. Kluele unwillingly squeezed out some paint from the can and smeared it on the fingertips of her left hand.

……Although the catalyst that beginning students used was convenient, the action of smearing it on her hand felt uncomfortable no matter how many times she did it.

“Neight, I’m ready.”

With the stopwatch grasped in his hand, Neight made a signal.

“Alright, please begin.”

While he spoke those words, Kluele closed her eyes. 

In her mind, she pictured the thing that she wanted to call out and imagined constructing it right now in her left hand. 

Red, flower petals that were a color deeper blood. 

Even more important was that inside the complete perception, at the same time existed an illusion that would disperse at just a touch. 

'''''Resound from within the deep red''''' <br>
''[—sheon lef ped-l-clue rien-c-soan]''

Affection, arrogance, loveliness.

What she portrayed in her mind was a flower able to be described by many words.

'''''Beyond (you) praise your name'''''<br>
''YeR be orator Lom nehhe''

'''''Crimson, Sharp, Lovely'''''<br>
''Lor besti redi ende kele-l-lovier''

'''''Devilishness of beauty and flicker of a sharp knife'''''<br>
''Lor priidia rigveshi lovi, kele ledg''

<{{Furigana|Song of Praise|Oratorio}}>

It is used when calling the thing described in one’s heart, the songs of praise composed from the {{Furigana|Serafeno Musical Language|Untouchable Language}}).

By praising the name of the thing one wishes to call, it is invited. —This is the origin of the name Recitation. Using sound to send out information externally is to entice the {{Furigana|Recital Gate|Channel}} to open. 

She slowly opened her eyes. The paint adhered to her left hand began to emit a red glow. 

Changing visible light into energy.

In other words, the energy wavelengths of the red paint and the material being called right now produced the {{Furigana|Same Tune Phenomenon|Synchronize}}. <!--同調現象 - Better translation?--> Using the common energy wavelength as a medium to call out the target — that is the structure of a Recitation.

The time that the {{Furigana|Recital Gate|Channel}} is open isn’t long at all. Without even blinking her eyes, Kluele stared fixedly at the red light blossoming in her left hand. The radiance gradually increased…… Resembling the shattering of glass, the rays of light suddenly began to break. 

This represented the moment when the {{Furigana|Recital Gate|Channel}} was completely open. 

——[{{Furigana|Keinez|Red Song}}]——

The breaking light fragmented and then gradually disappeared. Kluele very carefully opened her left hand. From between her fingers, a scarlet petal gently fell. 

“Ah……”

Relieved, she let go of the breath that she had been holding in. 

On her left hand bloomed — A scarlet flower.

“Oh, so it’s a flower! It’s very pretty. What kind of flower is it?”

Mio clapped her hands lightly.

“This is called an amaryllis. I really like this type of flower.”

She had originally planned to speak in a nonchalant voice, but she couldn’t stop the smile that appeared on her face.

“Exactly thirty seconds. Kluele-san is amazing.”

Kluele accepted the stopped stopwatch from Neight’s hands. The time limit of the recital competition was about one minute. Thirty seconds was considered in the safe range. 

The second person to step up was Mio. Using the green paint that she had bought yesterday, she called out a small turtle. She used fifty-five seconds. She had originally planned to call out two turtles, but because her concentration wasn’t strong enough, she had changed it to one. The third person was Alsem, who attempted to call out a canary. However, a bird was different from a turtle or a flower; it was a moving animal. Because of this, the visualizing stage was considerably challenging. After two minutes of trying, he proclaimed to give up. 

“Neight, you can begin any time.”

Taking the record sheet and stopwatch, Kluele signaled to the partner in front of her. 

“Ah, okay, I’ll give it a try.”

It seemed that Neight also used paint. 

Night Color Recitations. It wasn’t a Recitation written in the school textbook. Although Kluele’s heart was half filled with doubt, it seemed that Neight was serious. He poured black paint into the mixing tray, and then coated it over his fingertips. 

A commotion burst out behind him. When he realized this and looked around him, he was amazed to find that all the other groups had temporarily stopped their movements and concentrated on watching this one group. 

Under the gaze of so many people, wouldn’t that make him unable to concentrate?

You guys should just continue to do your own work — If he had noticed sooner, he could have chided everyone. However, it was a pity that Neight had already commenced the Recitation.

'''''Descend, dark curtain of twilight'''''<br>
''[—cart lef dimi-l-shadi denca-c-dowa]''

'''''I praise the distant (your) name'''''<br>
''YeR be orator Lom nehhe''

'''''Dark, courageous, pitiful (sorrowful)''''' <br>
''lor besti bluci ende branousi-l-symphoeki''

'''''Master’s single wing (transient master)'''''<br>
''O she saira qersonie Laspha—''

The surrounding atmosphere began to become noisy. Obviously, the reason was that nobody knew what this boy would call out. 

As long as one is somewhat familiar with Recitations, they are able to use someone’s Song of Praise chant to speculate on the thing being called out. 

Kluele had already gone through the studies of middle school third year, and was familiar with the basics of Recitations. If the thing being called was a common object or creature, it could be recognized simply by hearing its Song of Praise. It should be like that.

Dark and majestic, as well as pitiful? 

It was impossible to guess the true identity of the thing that Neight was currently calling out. The people beside her felt the same way. They could only gaze amazingly at the radiance arising from Neight’s hand. 

Black light. Rather, it would be more appropriate to call it shadows. A dusky shadow appeared on the boy’s hand. Even though the laboratory was underneath the glow of the setting sun, the shadow did not disappear. It could be called a stagnant night that negated the sun. 

This is……

Although it was impossible to immediately believe it, this boy was conducting a Night Color Recitation. The shadow began to become larger and stronger. Gradually, it shrank into a sphere……

After that, the night split open. 

The boy said in a quiet voice, a sound that would have been covered by the wind if the window had been open.  

——[{{Furigana|Ezel|Night Song}}]——

In a split second, the room was full of black smoke. 

The object being called out wasn’t solid—

[[File:Fb3-308_065-1-.jpg|thumb]]

“Eh? W-What is this! Wait…… I can’t breathe……”

After Mio’s scream, everybody emitted cries of pain. 

What had been called out was simply some common black smoke. 

“Eh…… How could that be…… Just that……?”

From within the frenzy, Neight’s bewildered voice could clearly be heard.

He had wanted to call out some kind of high-class creature, but had it come? This was the most common accident for beginners. 

Although dust would appear when the object is burning, the fact that the more you wanted to breathe, the more dust you breathed in led to continual coughing. Eyes stung, and even eyelids felt like they could not be opened. If this was a material similar to the smoke created from a fire, then it was probably composed of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. 

If they continued to breathe in these carbonic molecules and the substance arising from incomplete combustions, it would harm their central nervous system and any organs used for breathing. 

I must open the window!

She remembered that there should be a window by her left-hand side, but Kluele immediately considered it once again. No, right now, there was no time to open the lock. Closing her eyes, she imagined the position of the window in her mind. After standing up, she used her right hand to grasp the chair that she had just been sitting on. 

……I’m not in charge of the compensation!

Without the slightest hesitation, Kluele threw the chair at the glass window.