Horizon:Volume 1B Chapter22

Chapter 22: Unconcerned Colleagues

Of an era alike?

Of an era bygone?

Of an error it sprang?

Point Allocation (Adult)

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A girl swiftly walked down the long hallway, lit up by rays of sunshine.

Her black hair waved in the air as she walked, and she was dressed in a black and white uniform. The girl wore a nametag, on which the name "Asama" was written, and the corridor she walked was lined with the doorplates of different classes. The corridor lay on the second floor of the outer building in Musashi Ariadust Academy.

"It's quite a bit before eight, I guess no one would be here..."

As she walked, Asama stared at the door at the end of the corridor with her bichromatic eyes. It was the door to her class, the third year Plum Class.

...The state of emergency in Musashi has finally lifted, but...what should I do?

There was quite a lot of things to do last night, so I ended up going to bed in the morning.

There wasn't a big uproar or anything. After all, the provisional council started their deliberations once it was confirmed that Mikawa had been destroyed. And because of that all citizens were instructed by security squads to stay in their houses.

However, the Asama shrine - Asama's home - confirmed their status as a proxy for the Mikawa shrine, which had disappeared. Due to this and a request from the security squads, there was a need to prepare for the Phenomena that would result in disharmony in the Fluid.

...Well, I had already steeled myself to some degree, since I was on night watch for the shrine last night.

The atmosphere was tense, and if the situation continued to be a mass of unknowns, some form of mental stress was to be expected.

But as a result of Musashi being divided into separate ships, and the night watch closing the gates between the ships, nobody went back and forth between the ships, even if news and information did. The only incidents that occurred were responses against people left their houses against all instructions.

Due to the load on the divine communication channels, Mice of different kinds could be seen scurrying about the roads or flying through the skies. It was surprising to have a small shadow suddenly flit past, but I had handled three cases of mice getting lost and being brought to me in tears by the security squads.

And I heard that during the meeting between the provisional council and the representative of the Testament Council, it had been decided that Horizon would be dismantled and Musashi would be handed over. All this had happened before the state of emergency in Musashi had been lifted.

Despite this, there was no big response in Musashi. More accurately-

"-we couldn't do anything even if we wanted to..." Musashi belonged to the Lord of Mikawa, Lord Motonobu. And that same Lord Motonobu had engineered the destruction of Mikawa. And Musashi itself is devoid of any weapons. Well, there's the anti-artillery gravity shields, which make use of gravity control fields normally used against strong winds, but those are only good for local protection. It would be extremely difficult to appropriate it for offensive purposes.

...We have nothing that we can rely upon and use to act, to do something...

Added to this, Tres Espana, the biggest military, and K.P.A. Italia, the head of the Catholic church and the Testament Union is in our vicinity. If we act out of turn in a situation like this, Musashi's very existence would be called into question.

And hammering in the point, K.P.A. Italia's broadcast personnel was broadcasting videos of Mikawa's destruction and the state of the affected areas. Videos of the ruins of the annihilated Mikawa, the towns that tumbled into fissures, and the crowds of people evacuating from the unaffected outskirts. Images and interviews with wounded soldiers also being broadcasted, this all served to emphasise the seriousness of the situation.

As I was coming to the Academy, I would occasionally saw crimson Fluid lights rising into the sky above Mikawa. Most likely the disturbed leyline forcing the clots within itself out into a medium with less resistance: the sky.

In a situation like this, people aren't whispering resistance against the decision of the provisional council.

...They're saying, "What else can we do?...

The provisional council had decided to use the transport ships that had brought commodities in and out of the residential area as a temporary refuge for the evacuating citizens of Mikawa. The arrangement was to link them up with Musashi and provide life-support Ability charms.

That's why I could see a bunch of transport ships headed to the Mikawa outskirts as I was coming here. But the amount of actual citizens in the towns are few, more common is the sight of security squads. A view rarely seen. It's situations like this that cause impurities, making it easier for Phenomena to occur.

"......"

Asama stopped in front of the classroom. Taking a hand mirror from her sleeve, she examined her face and hair.

I may have went to bed in the morning, but I guaranteed myself six hours of sleep with a charm of compressed slumber.

...Even then I slept through the morning's purification ceremony, only to be awoken by Hanami...

I guess using the Izumo-made DMT water-heater "Hot-water ATARISHOCK" on the shrine's spring was a bad idea. Dad just likes new stuff way too much. He said that at the Kyuushuu shrine, the grass creatures who inhabit Africa would take away our fatigue, but is that really the right way to go about things? Or maybe I just like animals too much?"

"Well, that's that."

What should I do? Dad's handling communications with other shrines, especially the ones in the other countries. There've even been rules laid down for posts regarding Musashi on the Izumo and Shirasago Industry sponsored divine communication channel/community site for shrines. My only role is to periodically update with current information, I don't have to handle the deluge of questions from the outside. If those rules were taken away things would get loud pretty quickly, but even that's better than what's happening now.

Everyone's probably in the same boat.

...What do I do?

Putting away the mirror, she brought her hand to touch the door. I'm the first one. I guess that's unsettling? Asama thought.

But when everyone comes and sees that I'm here before them, they'd probably feel a little bit more secure. So...

"...Well then."

She opened the door, revealing-

"Toori-kun!?"

The classroom was lit up by thin strands of sunlight, slanting in from the windows. Toori was slumped over on the window seat of the row furthest back.

His torso was spread out over the desk in front of him, and he lay completely still.

Asama, shocked, took a step into the classroom, but a voice stopped her.

"He got quite a scolding at the nighthouse. The rest of us were sent home early, but Toori-kun was left here."

Recognising Neshinbara's voice, Asama turned around.

"You guys..."

Starting with Neshinbara, there were several figures already in the classroom.

Neshinbara stopped, his fingers that had previously been dancing across the signframe before him falling still. He turned to face Asama. His eyes, visible through his glasses, were obviously suffering from lack of sleep. Despite this, they shined with resolved as he stared at her.

"Welcome to the meeting place of the student council and chancellor's officers - minus their authority. Everyone else will be along shortly."

His voice, though quiet, rang through the classroom.

"President Sakai is being debriefed in the checkpoint below and will be unable to attend, but there's lots to decide before he comes back. Specifically, what we wish to do regarding the fates of Horizon Ariadust and Musashi.

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