Editing Kenshin no Keishousha:Volume 3 Prologue

== Prologue ==

Tokyo Swordia, Outer Human Region——

Right now it was precisely eleven o’clock at night. Although the time of year was only halfway into June, it was as if summer was already in full swing. Tonight was extremely humid.

There was a certain hotel located here in the center of the bustling Outer Human Region among the rows upon rows of towering high-rises.

The high-class hotel possessed fifty stories. The cost for a one night stay in the presidential suite located at the highest floor approximately totaled the monthly expenses for a four person family.

In the living room of that overly extravagant suite, an intruder was there.

“W-Who are you!?”

Sitting on the couch in the living room was a middle-aged man wearing a suit. He shouted at the top of his lungs in surprise. 

There was what appeared to be two bodyguards standing near the middle-aged man. In comparison to the middle-aged man, the two bodyguards were relatively calm as their hands reached for their chest area while eyeing the intruder.

“No matter what I say, you'll just think of me as one of those Swordie dogs.”

The intruder——was a teenager who jokingly replied to them.

The teenager’s name was Kurou. His appearance consisted of a black T-shirt, slacks, and there was a golden rim along the collar and cuffs.

“Despite being a government dog, it’s actually not too bad. I’m able to retrieve the key with just the flash of my ID.”

Kurou displayed the keys to the room he had gotten from the manager. Although the manager didn’t willfully hand him the keys, Kurou certainly did not use violent means to obtain it.

It was quite obvious——Kurou used the katana strapped to his waist to forcefully request for it.

“I have something to ask of you. However, first shall I introduce myself? I’m Kurou, part of the Sabers. If you’d like, I can show you my ID.”

“You’re part of the Sabers? Quit your lies, the Sabers organization had been dissolved right?”

The middle-aged man was still as extremely flustered as before.

However, that was to be expected considering someone had suddenly barged into his cozy presidential suite.

“Actually, it’s more like the New Sabers. Pretty much the name of the organization and the uniforms carried on, but there’s actually no relation. Thinking about the name, it’s quite troublesome. Furthermore, this uniform is quite robust, not bad at all.”

Kurou chuckled as he explained. He had no reason to elaborate for him, however he had this bad habit of going on and on over such trivial matters.

“I’m still in the investigative department so that hasn’t change. Thus, you have the duty of answering my questions.”

“Are you crazy? To freely barge into the houses of the residents——”

“You’re the one who’s crazy.”

After Kurou calmly finished speaking, he slowly marched forward. He picked up the wine bottle on the table in front of the couch that the middle-aged man was sitting on.

“Hmm, isn’t this wine quite expensive? The finance department of the sun cult are paying you guys that much?”

Kurou was still just a fifteen year-old teenager. He was not knowledgeable on alcoholic brands, but the quality did appear to be quite high just from looking at it. The average person would not be drinking something of the sort.

“Based on this, I think someone of your status should be able to satisfactorily answer my questions.”

“To an underling of the Swordies…...I’m not saying a word!”

The middle-aged man suddenly raised his hand as he was shouting. The two bodyguards responded by speedily pulling out their hands——two pistols appeared out of nowhere. 

“Open fire! Kill him!”

“Are you stupid?”

Despite having the barrel of a pistol pointed at him, Kurou remained unshaken.

As soon as the two bodyguards pressed the trigger, Kurou retrieved the katana strapped to his waist in one swift motion.

Compared to the movement of the fingers for the bodyguards, Kurou drawing his sword was much faster.

“…….!”

The thumb which held onto the handle of the gun of one of the bodyguards was severed by the gleaming white blade. When Kurou retracted his sword, he then violently slashed at the back hand of the other bodyguard.

“Ahhh!”

The pistols of the bodyguards dropped to the ground as they pressed against their hands writhing in pain.

After having their thumb and the back of their hand slashed, the bodyguards already lost their ability to battle. The minimal attacking ended up very nicely. Since their battle capabilities were light years apart, such a result was to be expected.

“S-Swordies…...you detestable monsters!”

The middle-aged man was sitting on the couch eyeing Kurou.

“How regrettable, I’m not a Swordie…...oh you’re here?”

After Kurou replied to the middle-aged man, there was a new figure that appeared within the living room.

“Hey, is it already over? Sorry for the trouble Kurou.”

“Jeez, there’s not even any reward money, yet you still push this whole task on me.”

Towards the teenager who arrived within the living room——Kurou wryly smiled towards his fellow disciple and colleague.

Lars possessed platinum colored hair that was a tad long and he wore the same black outfit as Kurou. A wide and lengthy sword was fastened to his waist. He was also a member of the New Sabers.

“You lost in rock-paper-scissors so there’s no other choice…...that said, huh? Wait a sec Kurou, it isn’t this guy.”

“Ha? What do you mean?”

Lars nonchalantly approached the middle-aged man and attentively gazed at his face. Following that, he nodded his head.

“Our objective tonight wasn’t this person. Doesn’t he look different from the photo you were shown earlier?”

“Eh, really? Haha, but that old geezer and him practically look identical.”

“W-What are you talking about……”

The middle-aged man revealed a perplexed expression towards the two teenagers.

Thud——

Suddenly, the sound of a crash rang from outside the room.

Kurou and Lars practically ran out at the same time and arrived outside of the presidential suite.

“Ah, what’s going on here?”

Kurou gazed at the hallway, tilting his head.

Next to the room where the door was wide open, there was another guy in a suit that was lying down within the hallway.

After that, there were two guys and a girl that charged down the hallway.

One of the guys wore the blue outfit of a sun cult follower while the other was in a suit carrying a submachine gun in his hands.

“Kurou, Lars, you seem to have gotten it wrong. The sun cult executive——there are two of them.”

The girl smiled as she spoke.

This person possessed an audaciousness and a neatly appearance. There were also hairpins through her long green hair. Her attire was the same as Kurou and Lars, except a pleated skirt that went down to her knees accompanied the upper shirt. Her hand was also holding onto a peculiar conical shaped sword.

The girl’s name was Isyuto, and she was also a member of the Sabers and served as captain.

“I thought you wouldn’t be here……”

Kurou helplessly muttered. From the looks of it, only the captain correctly grasped the situation completely.
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“Therefore, grand member of the sun cult, we wish to ask you something. If you behave properly that’d be great, if not——”

“Kill them!”

The man in the cultist attire yelled out without hesitation.

Responding to the voice was the man in the suit. With the submachine gun——the MP5K was pointed towards Isyuto. It held a clip holding thirty 9mm rounds and all of it was shot out in an instant——

“Ha……!”

In a split second, Isyuto heartily swung away with her conical sword.

Those bullets which were going to carve her into a honeycomb instead were deflected away one after another into the ground or wall.

Following that——

Once the MP5K clip was emptied, Isyuto pierced through the last 9mm bullet with the tip of her sword.

“W-What……!”

The suit wearing bodyguard was tongue tied. Even the executive was left speechless.

Using the point of her sword to pierce through 9mm bullets that were about the size of a fingernail and traveling 400 meters per second, it just did not even seem possible.

However, those that could perform such a maneuver——they were known as the Swordie race.

“Since I’ve been to the Sword Academy, they’ve taught us methods to counter firearms. Something of this level, every third-year student should be able to do this no problem.”

Isyuto did not look down upon them as she just indifferently stated.

Indeed, for Swordies who have accumulated a lot of training, defending against a submachine gun attack and such was a piece of cake.

However, Isyuto’s technique was quite standout even among Swordies.

Seeing Isyuto’s sword penetrating through those bullets, Kurou was left stunned and helpless.

“As expected of the captain.”

Kurou applauded with his hands.

“Not having your breasts shake around when you’re moving in such a manner, how amazing.”

“......”

Thump, a coarse sound was heard within the hallway.

Isyuto, who revealed a grin, stabbed the wall in the hallway with the sword that had pierced through all those bullets.

“Oh my, my hand lost control. I wonder what might happen if such a thing were to occur again.”

“......I didn’t say anything.”

Kurou mannerly replied.

Isyuto was a beauty that captivated all eyes. However, the dimensions of her chest were quite regrettable. It seemed as if she was quite self-aware about this. Any jeering or joking as such would lead to having one’s life in danger. Precisely because of that, Kurou was able derive fun from it, which was another bad habit of his.

“Well then, back to the main topic at hand.”

Isyuto focused herself once again and pulled out the bullets that were pierced by her sword as if it was no big deal. Following that, she pointed the tip of her sword to the executive. The bodyguards had already completely lost all battling intent.

“There’s only one matter that I want to discuss. Your boss——the sun cult founder, tell us where his residence is.”

“Huh……?”

The executive was dumbfounded.

“You barged in here only to ask that sort of thing……?”

“This is quite important to us. Of course, the founder must be very important to you as well right? However, what in this world is the pinnacle of importance to you, think carefully to yourself.”

Isyuto, she revealed a gentle smile and lightly waved around the tip of the sword that was pointed at the executive. As long as she had the will to do it, the executive would be stabbed in an instant. 

The executive seemed to be attached to one’s life as well. As soon as he picked up on this, he became flustered.

“I-I know nothing about our mentor——the founder I mean! Even among our group, there’s not even five people who know about him!”

“But I get the feeling that you’re one of them.”

“You’re wrong…...o-oh yes! I do have some information! Let’s strike a deal, what do you say!?”

“Let’s hear what you have to say.”

Isyuto stared straight into the executive’s eyes as she spoke. Although she was smiling, her eyes were menacingly glaring at him. Lies would absolutely not be acceptable. 

“You can’t find this from searching, nor will any other members know about this! Among those close to the founder, there’s a certain someone that knows where the founder lives for sure!”

“Eh.”

Isyuto seemed to be happily nodding along.

Kurou also felt slightly at ease.

Although tonight’s attack appeared to also require uncovering some information, it seemed there was also some reward on the line.

Capturing the sun cult founder——to Kurou, this was not an objective that he really had any motivation to do. However, he also understood there was no way he could just cast it aside either.

“So then where is this person that you speak of?”

“Yes, that person is located in a strange place——”

The male executive started to elaborate on the residence of this person.

Isyuto and Lars silently listened——however, Kurou mustered all his effort to try and suppress his astonishment.

Why would such a person be located in that area?

Looks like the mission became even more demoralizing for him.