Editing Apocalypse Witch:Volume4 Chapter3 (section)

===Part 3===

He had a match coming up, but his lips were all swollen.

What if his opponent targeted that weak point?

“U-ugh…”

The light-green kimono boy Omotesandou Shouka called out to him in one of the giant ship’s hallways. He used both hands to hold an apple juice box he had bought at one of the vending machines set up in the hall during festivals, but his slender shoulders were still drooping.

“My tongue is still burning. You really are the world’s strongest, Utagai. How did you polish off that plate of curry so easily? I couldn’t even get through half of mine. And I thought my sister’s curry had prepared me for anything…”

Karuta did not want that to be why he was known as the world’s strongest. Also, he had lived with Omotesandou Kyouka in an RV while they were hunting down the Problem Solvers and, if anything, she had a sweet tooth. He recalled Marika complaining that her curry had milk in it. It sounded like Shouka was spoiled by his sister. The loving big sister was a surprising side of her for Karuta who only knew her as a strategist and avenger.

“Sacri-sama.”

Meanwhile, Aine returned.

Shouka must have expected the two crystal magicians would be talking about something he couldn’t understand, so he doffed his hat and politely bowed before taking his leave. The elementary schooler was more considerate than most adults Karuta had met.

Karuta waved goodbye and Aine tilted her head before speaking within the noisy hallway.

“I have checked with Cinderella Queen and Miss Kyouka as planned. They say the starting time of your match will not change at the last second this time since there are only two matches today.”

“I see.”

Karuta beckoned Aine over to the wall where they could talk without getting in the way of the small children attempting the stamp rally spread out across Second Grimnoah’s entire 600m length.

“I had time left for some surface-level investigation of Machibula Delphi. She appears to have some unique traits.”

“?”

“Ordinarily, contestants stay on Second Grimnoah and all other visitors stay on the cruise ships. Trainers and coaches are no exception. But Machibula has been granted an exception, so a few servants she calls Orpheus’s Orchestra are staying with her. The exception was granted because she has been raised as a priestess, cut off from the world since birth, so she does not know how to look after herself.”

“So even if we’re watching her, the others can be committing all the sabotage they like?”

“Yes. In that case, we might not detect a lie in Machibula herself even if we are monitoring her temperature, pulse, eyes, and breathing. Orpheus’s Orchestra may be acting on her behalf without her directly instructing them to.”

How could she be complicit when she wasn’t even aware of it? It was a common defense used by the powerful. And since she had so many servants looking after her, apparently Machibula Delphi lived a traditional Ancient Greek life in this modern age of smartphones and the internet. And that included the emperor and the slaves.

Then Karuta heard a footstep.

“Sacri-sama.”

“No.”

It was obvious what that sudden word of rejection meant.

“''Do not attack her. A conflict outside the ring will only work against us.''”

He saw fluffy blonde hair worn at hip length.

Bright skin reflected the light and the loose-fitting white priestess robes had so many openings he was seriously worried she might not be wearing any underwear. She only wore leather sandals on her feet. No socks or stockings.

She wore a luscious laurel wreath on her head.

The woman of about 20 looked like she had stepped right out of Greek mythology. Or if you weren’t familiar with that religious background, you might identify her as the goddess of the fountain in a picture book.

“Machibula Delphi.”

“Nice to meet you.”

She silently held her right hand out to the side.

Three women stood around her like her shadow. They all wore tattered black dresses and produced a jangling metallic sound when they moved. That was thanks to a brutal collar and shackles and the thick chains attached to them. They also had long, loose chains connecting their legs.

(Is that Orpheus’s Orchestra?)

“Collars and chains?”

“My, my. I think this gentleman is interested in you, Kildna.”

Machibula had cut herself off from the world but still lived a comfortable life. That priestess could not look after herself, so these servants did so instead.

Orpheus’s Orchestra.

If Machibula had not held her hand out to stop them, what would they have done for that priestess? They had clearly been trained to the point they would not complain about being chained up and managed by shackles and collars.

(Including the emperor and the slaves, huh?)

Karuta was not so full of himself that he thought being the world’s strongest gave him the right to judge entire cultures or civilizations as right or wrong or that one was better than another. But it still felt intensely wrong to see the system of slavery continuing in the current age.

“It would seem my previous opponent was caught in an unfortunate accident, but I am not going to rejoice at this unexpected windfall. Second Grimnoah is the one managing this tournament, correct? You need to ensure our safety better than this.”

“Don’t bother, Machibula. Just so you know, we know a thing or two about deception and sneak attacks. Try as you might, our match will begin as scheduled. You can’t stop me with sabotage.”

“Oh? What an odd thing to say. Could this be a difference of opinion? Your implications are not at all in line with what I heard happened.”

“What…are you talking about?”

“Simply put.” She placed a gentle hand on her cheek and tilted her head. “I was under the impression that it was you who laid a trap for us.”

The change started at the wall.

An LCD monitor had been installed near the ceiling for the event and an internet TV stream was playing.

“Hello, hello, hello! Are you ready for the midday news from everyone’s girlfriend Delane? A-and I’m not doing this just cause I’m lonely after only having the one match to commentate this morning! Ahem. Now, the latest story relates to yesterday’s accident. Supposedly, they’ve found evidence it was intentional.”

The fact that they were going with a story requiring a “supposedly” qualifier showed how loose the standards were for an internet-based program.

But.

What did that matter?

Machibula was the one who had gained the most from the supposed accident since it got her to the third round without needing to fight. So why did she look so confident if her crimes were coming to light?

However.

That view of the situation was instantly overturned.

“This information comes from all of your posts, so we can’t help it if the phone camera footage doesn’t fit the screen. But pay attention to Zone A4 on the second floor. Maybe it’s too blurry, but you can at least tell there’s something of interest there, can’t you? Now let’s pause this and zoom in.”

Karuta noticed something odd about his own body.

He was sweating. His short sleeve dress shirt felt gross clinging to his skin. But he had to wonder why he was sweating inside the air-conditioned ship.

“Keep in mind, everyone, that only a crystal magician could fire a laser capable of severing the wires holding up the container.”

His breathing had grown shallow.

The amount of oxygen you were getting affected the flexibility of your thoughts, so it was not just superstition that stopping and taking a deep breath could help. But that also meant your breathing grew faster and shallower when you were extremely tense or angry.

“And it goes without saying that the most powerful of the crystal magicians are the Four Living Gods.”

The conditions were torn down one by one.

Karuta could have managed if he were the one at risk here, but he could tell the rails had been switched over at some point.

“And which one of them has long silver hair and a white dress?”

That settled it. The enemy’s next move had already begun.

An icy death sentence was being passed on a certain girl in this festive hallway full of cheerful people.

“And let’s not forget the katana. Ah ha ha!! Was I a little too cruel this time?”

“What did you do,” he growled.

“Who says I did anything?” replied Machibula.

“What did you do to ''her''!!!???”

“Kildna, wait, sit. Don’t worry. He won’t bite me outside the ring☆”

“This really, really looks like Aine of the Four Living Gods, doesn’t it?” continued Delane on the monitor. “And if it is, then that container accident ''where it looks like one of the wires was sliced through with a laser'' may have been a nasssty bit of sabotage carried out after Utagai Karuta figured out whether he would have an easier time of it against Greek mythology or an occult ninja☆ Lucky for him, Japanese law doesn’t apply out at sea because I’m pretty sure the house manipulating gambling results is extremely illegal.”