Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Gathered Friends in the Confined Room

Idiots are not cured even if they die.

If even the flux of life, death, and rebirth cannot match them.

Which part of contradiction is that.

Point Allocation (Human Nature)

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"We have arrived at the library."

The three figures nodded in response to those words. They had been following Asama through the dark corridors of the Academy.

One of the figures, Naomasa, who was shouldering a meter and a half long wrench used to maintain the interior of the ship, had a bored look on her face.

"How is it, Asama-chi? We don't have spirit vision, so unless somethin' really massive appears, we won't be able to see it."

Adele, who had stuck an exorcism charm to the Support Knight's spear normally used for practice, also spoke, her voice half a sigh.

"I know, right...? It'd be nice if there were like rapping noises or something else that's easy to understand..."

The final person, who had started to turn her head left and right after hearing the words 'rapping noises', was Suzu. She shuffled backwards a step, the chip under her shoes clicking on the floor.

"..no, that's, wa, I-I, scared, sound...no..."

"It's alright, there is nothing here. Konoha doesn't see anything strange either."

Asama pointed at her green eye as she spoke, and both Adele and Suzu's shoulders sagged with relief. The two drew a breath, but...

"But well, there's something over there."

Asama suddenly nocked her bow and sent an arrow flying down the corridor. After a second...

"Alright."

Asama nodded. Naomasa stayed indifferent and silent, but Adele was panicked and Suzu trembling.

"W-What? What is it? What's going on!?"

"Ah, please don't worry about it...It'll be fine if you stay with me, alright?"

"How am I supposed to calm down!"

Adele's scream echoed through the hallway.

The word 'down' rang through the hallway, echoing back to them.

Hearing this, Naomasa spoke.

"If you shout so much, they'll come to us. Even if they're nice and quiet at noon, they start movin' around at night."

"N-Nao-san...y-you're, quite, knowledgeable about this, a-aren't you?"

"That's 'cause I head to Asama-chi's place to play quite a lot. Since you're a Support Knight, you should've brought your mobile shell. You still can't wear the mobile shell that you inherited from your father? All I ever see is the one that you use for practice, never the real thing."

"Ah, I've finally become able to wear it~ But it's somehow seriously heavy...it still doesn't really feel like I'll be able to make my debut with it yet."

'I'd like to see it,' Naoamasa said, nodding with interest. Yet once again, she looked around at everyone and spoke.

"...But well, just like in the afternoon, we got ditched by Kimi and now we're stuck."

The three answered those words with dry laughter.

"Well, if you include that, tonight's the 'Ghost Hunt', huh. Asama-chi's just been shooting all day like it's some sort of stress relief."

"Mmm, I wonder. The small ones don't put up a fight."

'But still,' Asama said.

"Tomorrow morning, let's invite everyone to come and intrude. After that, there'll be the confession until we see them off and go home."

"What'll you do after you get home?"

'Who knows?' Asama turned her back to them. Her gaze rested on the sliding door to the library.

"Well, let's talk about his antics after this and see whether we can view them in some sort of positive light. Also, I want to hear the details about what happened during Suzu-san's entrance ceremony."

Asama turned towards the library's sliding door. As she did, Suzu spoke.

"Ah, um, wa-wait, i-if there's r-really one there, w-what're we g-going to do? U-um, g-ghosts, and, l-libraries, i-it happens a lot, in, s-stories. Ms. Oriotorai s-said, that, t-the library..."

"It's alright. I've reflected on my failure the previous year and practiced exterminating monsters. And you saw, right? This year, Toori-kun went with the patrolling class, so the gold bodysuit incident that happened last year isn't happening again. In short..."

Asama smiled at Suzu. Her lips, curved into a smile, gave colour to her words.

"The chance of nothing happening is high. Even if something does happen, I will be able to deal with it without problems. In conclusion, I'll be able to handle it no matter what. So, please be at ease."

Having said this, once again, Asama turned to the library, which had a shrine raised above its entrance.

She put her hands together and bowed once to the shrine above the sliding door. Clapping twice...

"Now then."

Asama opened the door with a smile.

Inside the library stood two two-legged white clumps.

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The two clumps 10 meters in front of Asama seemed to be made out of white cloth.

On the surfaces of both of of the clumps, there were pictures printed of the beautiful girl in 'Magical (Celtic) Girl Banzok', which had been recently released in Musashi. Asama knew this character. According to Asama's knowledge, Banzok said things like...

...'Yes, I will immediately flay the skin off my enemies' heads. I love live sacrifices too.' And that was the extent of her knowledge. However, the difference in size between the two bodies was large. One was thin, the other was broad. In terms of size...

...one was about the size of a hugging pillow, and the other was around the size of a bedsheet...

And both of them had feet clad in white tights stretching from the bottom.

The two of them wriggled around as they faced each other, breathing heavily. However...

"... ..."

They looked Asama's way.

There were two black holes opened in the cloth, around where their eyes would be. Apparently because it had been opened in a hurry, the holes were pierced through the cheek of the beautiful girl printed on the cloth. But then again, Asama didn't understand the sense of worth.

Still uncomprehending, she stayed completely still, and it was her opponents who started to change.

The slender one. The one whose contents were tight, if one had to pick from the two of them. From its nose...

"--Nn."

Something crimson dyed the cloth from the inside. It happened with great force, such that the white cloth vibrated even as it turned red. Seeing this, the bedsheet next to him spoke out of worry with the soft voice of a man.

"Are you alright!? Are you alright!?"

"Nn, I'm fine, I'm fine Koni-tan...the iron just came out a bit..."

Asama ignored him.

...Yes, I can't hear anything. Can't hear anything. Noooope, caaaan't hear anything.

The white sheet and the sheet dyed half red looked her way.

Both of them ran straight towards her, their bodies tucked inside. They were shouting this:

"A new sense of worth...!"

Uncaring about their voices, Asama hammered in a shot.

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