BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Doubt of Yellow Equilibrium
Part 1
It was deep in a remote forest.
Excluding the people who lived there, no one knew about it.
In such a place, there was a small village.
The people who lived there weren't humans. They were beastkins... To be exact, cat-type beastkins who had root of lineage in the now defunct Japan.
The inhabitants already slept as the night had gone deep. With fires burning on the village's surroundings to repel wild animals, the cracking noises of orange-colored flames were played during the stillness like an instrument.
In the basement below a small building inside the village, there he was.
The room, which was surrounded by stone wall, was unpleasantly cold; it was covered in complete darkness. Walking with a lantern that was lit with fire, only him and his surroundings that were wrapped with the warm, faint light.
On the walls that were almost assimilated with the darkness, silhouette of a short person was swaying.
Even if it was a human, it only got the height of children. However, there were large, triangular ears on top of the head and a long tail which was split in to two parts on the back. It was a cat-type beastkin with grey fur, Tomonori.
With silent footsteps as he advanced inside, only flickering fire in the lantern engraved his slow pace.
Arriving on the inner part of the room, Tomonori stopped. He placed the lantern he held to his side.
A flat, lengthy box made of paulownia tree was enshrined there. For a several seconds, Tomonori stared at it, and then he gently undid the seal.
Inside it was a single sword. Compared to the pair of short swords Tomonori usually handled, the sword was larger by far.
It was sheathed in black scabbard and sealed tightly by the sword strap.
Tomonori grabbed that sword. As if severing the intense hesitation, he took it out from the box.
"...What do you want?"
With the grabbed sword hanging in the air, Tomonori suddenly talked.
That inquire was directed to the presence behind him.
He found out about it by the scent, even without looking back.
The presence was looking at Tomonori's back from the entrance of the small room that was hidden underground. The standing still figure had similar small build of silhouette as it was a male cat-type beastkin. He had white fur with tawny spots; a two-tone pattern.
The name of the man was Mitsuyoshi. The older brother of Tomonori.
"What're ya plannin' to do with that?"
Without entering into the room, Mitsuyoshi asked with calm voice.
This room was hiding things considered important for the village; a room dedicated for safekeeping. With trespassing without reason being the obvious, taking out the object inside without permission was violating the village's law.
While it was a scene where someone should get blamed properly speaking, Mitsuyoshi didn't raise his voice. With somewhat amazed looking pretext, he asked again.
"Ya know what kind of sword that is, right?"
"...Time-Killing SwordHihi'irokane."
Hihi'irokane
It was a secret sword that when wielded, it held the power not just to cut flesh, but also eventually sever the dwelling spirit.
However, this sword wasn't just that kind of object.
It existed from long ago. Tomonori and Mitsuyoshi's clan had inherited it for generations.
Until six years ago, Tomonori and the others had been living in a mountain village in Japan. Likewise, the mountain was a passed down plot of land from the old days. Compared to this village, far larger number of cat-type beastkins had lived there.
However, that life had been severed by the Black Beast.
In order to defend the old village land, many numbers of warriors had challenged the Black Beast, and fell. Because of the large-scale nuclear strike, the old village's mountain had gone burnt and demolished.
Tomonori and the other cat-type beastkins parted with most of their brethren as they made their escape to a continent. Here, they had been building a small village while living quietly.
Someday, they would obtain the peaceful land from those days once more and restore the undying long history.
He strongly believed so.
"That's the treasure of our clan, foundation... an' our old village's symbol."
Mitsuyoshi spoke as quiet like the engraved shadow in the room.
Just like the time when they had been living in the now formless old village, this sword alone had been taken care of. Among the villagers, this sword was believed as the old village's symbol. The number of people who survived the days of despair while holding that belief wasn't small.
Still gripping his clan's old village's sword, Tomonori dropped his arm to the side of his body.
Without looking back at the older brother, he replied with stiff voice.
"...Wherever everyone is living on, then that'd be the home. Sword is a weapon. And weapon... has a role."
"What's the role of that fellow?"
"To cut the evil that threatens the world."
"What's the evil that threatens the world?"
"The man I must kill."
Answered unhesitatingly, Tomonori moved his gaze to the sword he held. Different from the short swords, it emphasized its presence heavily.
Hihi'irokane. A sword beyond all definitions of space-time that could also sever spirit.
"This sword is required to kill that guy. If not this sword... there won't be a meaning on it."
As the words of his younger brother hinted an awfully strong determination, the glint on Mitsuyoshi's eyes slightly turned sharp. As if he was weighing Tomonori's intention.
"...This ain't Clavis' instruction, is it?"
Tomonori answered with cold, unwavering voice.
"Of course. This is my will."
"If ya act on yer own convenience, ya will lose somethin' equally big. Surely ya understand, right?"
"I'm not Clavis' servant."
Mitsuyoshi was righteousness. Tomonori was faith.
It appeared their words indicated and matched the resolution they abided in their heart.
It had been this way for a long time. Mitsuyoshi and Tomonori couldn't understand each other. Even while they were aware of the burden that was decided for each other and respected each other's feeling, but still, they couldn't live in the same way.
The questioning Mitsuyoshi and the replying Tomonori extremely aware of it from long ago.
Therefore, Mitsuyoshi knew well that he wouldn't be able to sway his brother's faith no matter what kind of words he used. Undoubtedly, he himself possessed something that couldn't be distorted just like Tomonori.
"...Tomonori. Ya goin' alone?"
"Of course."
"But yer opponent is the kind that makes ya need to get Hihi'irokane. Ya still doin' it?"
"I don't need any hindrance."
Tomonori's reply was cold. But inside his mind, there were the figures of half-beastkins who had done many missions along with him as his subordinates.
They were incomplete people. Not human, or beastkin to say either. They were rejected mixed breed who didn't belong to any society.
Had no place to go, Tomonori aided them while Mitsuyoshi resolved to shelter them. Since then, the protected half-beastkins worked as Tomonori's subordinate, fighting along with him.
If they were aware that Tomonori went alone, they would most likely grieve. However.
"...If I take them along, those guys will lose their lives."
As if he didn't intend for anyone to hear it, Tomonori muttered in low tone.
No matter what their appearance was, no matter what their race was, they were living because they had been born. Especially since the half-beastkins never knew peace and weren't permitted to establish as a species.
He himself must not have been a good leader. Even so, he couldn't bring himself to involve their lives for his selfishness.
"There's no time. You too, you mustn't been planning to loiter in a place like this."
Tomonori turned on his heel as if to shake something off.
Mitsuyoshi slightly twitched the tip of his nose.
During this time, Mitsuyoshi also had a different duty. It was to investigate that person.
The target of his investigation was Relius Clover. The man who Clavis tracked the records of and had something to do with the appearance of Black Beast.
"If you're going to assist me, I need none of it. This is my path."
After he told it, Tomonori started walking with sword and lantern in hands. Although he noticed the older brother's figure on the edge of his vision, he didn't focus on it.
There was other thing that he should focus on. He had that kind of expression.
"Tomonori."
Mitsuyoshi spoke while they were passing each other.
Mitsuyoshi also didn't take a better look at his younger brother. As if yielding to the room's entrance, he leant his back on the wall, staring at the empty paulownia box which stored a sword until a while ago.
"Since ya made up yer mind, I won't stop ya. So definitely... bring him down."
"...That is my role."
Definitely, whatever the outcome would be.
He would kill that man.
Holding killing intent and sense of duty that were like blades in his chest, Tomonori ran straight to Ishana during the dead of night.
Part 2
Today, Ishana was blessed again with fine wheather.
It was the after school as the class had ended. While holding his bag on his hand as he had finished the preparations for returning home, Kazuma looked out of the window in the hallway.
From there the academy's courtyard could be seen clearly. What Kazuma was looking was a small building peeking from the opposite side of the thick bushes and large trees, the Cathedral.
There, the Mage’s Guild's highly classified information was stored. Among them, there was information related to the Azure.
The more he thought about it, the thought toward the Azure inside Kazuma grew stronger.
(Cathedral... Cathedral...)
Leaning on the window frame as he put his arms on it, Kazuma viewed the Cathedral while biting his thumb.
What would be the best way to get it there? Be it waking or sleeping, he had only been thinking about it.
Since it had come to that, he found out signs of tenacity within himself. It was the first time for him to experience obsession.
"What are you looking at~?"
From behind, Trinity's gentle voice could be heard. Kazuma turned around quite smoothly.
"Just the outside. I thought the weather is nice."
While answering Trinity's gentle smiling face with forced smile, Kazuma secretly took a breath.
Was it the usual and same normal attitude from her? That thought made him worried.
Terumi's words resounded in his mind.
——That woman is monitoring you, ain't it?
(Trinity-san is monitoring... me...?)
If that's the case, the greeting just now might be a part of the monitoring.
It was like there was another face underneath his face. While showing a smile that appeared on the surface of his face, underneath it was a face that kept attention to Trinity's every movement like he mustn't overlook even a slight fault.
"It seems so. The weather is nice that it brightens the mood~."
"Yes, exactly."
His mouth fluently let out cheap words. Despite that the inside of his chest was filled with suspicion, he weaved conversation like he was the same friend as he had been until yesterday.
Not showing any sign of doubt toward Kazuma's distrust, Trinity pulled her chin a bit and straightened herself again.
"Umm, Kazuma-san. Today, after this, do you have any plan?"
"Plan?"
While putting a casual voice, Kazuma secretly frowned beneath his bangs.
Why was Trinity minding about his plan? The snake of suspicion, which had been coiling on the bottom of his stomach, raised its head.
"No, I don't have any particular plan. I'm just going to return to the dorm."
He didn't actually have any plan, but he answered carefully to not give even a slight chance.
But Trinity turned shy while looking delighted, and then she narrowed her clear green eyes.
"If so, is it okay if I invite you?"
"...Huh?"
It was unexpected words. Kazuma couldn't keep up in understanding it and asked again in dull tone of voice.
Trinity's shoulders shook as she chuckled. Even now, her soft laughing voice was like fragrance of sugar and flowers drifting about.
"Like I said, it's an invitation. If you don’t mind, Can we have a tea together?"
"By tea... Are you inviting me to drink tea?"
"Yes."
Trinity nodded gently.
As for Kazuma, he couldn't give a reply while his eyes wandered around.
He couldn't make sure of Trinity's true intention. He could follow as much as listening for the plans of the monitoring target. But as for the extent after that, there shouldn't be any significance unless she restricted the target's freedom. If she didn't do so, then she wouldn't be able to investigate where the monitoring target was going and what he did.
No. Trinity's monitoring was probably not to investigate Kazuma's action, but might be to restrain Kazuma's action. If that was the case...
"Umm, are you unwilling to accept it?"
As Trinity's voice suddenly heard, Kazuma hurriedly made a smiling face.
It was plainly suspicious to refuse the tea invitation immediately after replying he had no plan.
Kazuma quickly shook his head.
"No, absolutely not. I was just a bit surprised. It's because I never considered receiving tea invitation from someone like Trinity Glassfille-san."
"Fufu. Actually, me too."
With the hand that wasn't holding her bag, Trinity touched her cheek which was like dyed in light pink color.
"I felt a little nervous to invite a man, even if he's a friend."
"What do you... mean by that?"
As he expected, he couldn’t grasp her intention. Toward Kazuma who inadvertently had questioning look, this time, Trinity put the hand which had been on her cheek to her mouth and let out a short laugh.
"It's a secret~."
"Secret? But..."
"Okay then. Now that it has been decided, let us go. The other two should have already gone ahead."
With sweet fragrance drifting about, Trinity tenderly held Kazuma's hand. He got pulled with her still urging him.
"Wha-, wait, Trinity-san...?"
Even when he raised a confused voice, Trinity only gave cheerful smile.
He could escape if he shook off her hand. Such option came to his mind, but he couldn't do it.
Suddenly, they faced the entrance after getting down on the stairs. While doing it, Kazuma frowned because of a question which was different from the questions he had so far.
Just now, did Trinity say... 'the other two'?
"So... Why am I here..."
After his mind finally calming down again, Kazuma showed a stiff smile while feeling compelled to complain.
Trinity dragged Kazuma's arm and brought him to a solitary café which was just next from the main street of the island.
The store had charming appearance with bricks decorated on a white wall. The entrance's surroundings had a numbers of planters which were planted with colorful flowers lined up there. Identical, the interior also had white walls irregular brick-like tiles as ornaments; the area by the windows enshrined brightly colored potted flowers.
The guests and employees in the store were nothing but females. Kazuma was the only exception there.
"Why you say? Isn't it because I took you here?"
While putting a sugar cube to a royal milk tea that was full of milk in front of Kazuma, Trinity gently smiled.
There were two other persons beside Kazuma who encircled a round table along with her.
On the Kazuma's left side Kazuma was a person who had a huge smile seeing her caramel and nuts cake and lemon tea, Celica.
On the right side, Nine was sitting with a chocolate cake, which looked sweet just by looking at it, and a hot coffee which was placed beside the cake.
The expected appearance of the 'having tea' was exactly what Kazuma feared as a sensitive atmosphere was flowing about.
By the way, there was a dish of rare cheese cake beside Trinity's royal milk tea; but in front of Kazuma, there was a straight and baked cheese cake placed.
"No, not about that. Err... Why did I get invited to drink tea with Trinity-san and the others?"
It felt too extreme even for saying it was out of place. If it wasn't an invitation from Trinity, he would suspect it as a tasteless harassment.
While stirring her lightly colored black tea with a spoon, Trinity meekly smiled.
"Since Kazuma-san looked down recently, I thought for having a change of pace~. I don't know what man would prefer, so I'm sorry if you don't like joining our hobby..."
"Just... that?"
Smoldering suspicion made Kazuma asked again.
Trinity put her fingers on her cheeks and thought a little.
"After that... I thought that if having a tasty cake would be nice. Ah. Perhaps this is bothering you?"
"N-Not that. Ha, haha..."
As if Trinity's worried face suddenly noticed, Kazuma laughed to cover it up.
(Only worried...? It mustn't only just that.)
Trinity was supposed to monitor Kazuma. Probably at the instruction from Nine.
But as if relieved by Kazuma's answer, there was affection showed in Trinity's relaxed eyes which was unthinkable to direct it to her monitoring target.
Trinity was always gentle. Not only Kazuma, everyone who knew her must be feeling it. It was unimaginable to think there was lie in her affection. ...He didn't want to consider about it if he could.
(But...)
Terumi had told him.
Couldn't comprehend it, Kazuma put his spoon and stirred the light brown liquid of his black tea even though no sugar had been put there.
Suddenly that hand stiffened.
Beyond his gaze as he inadvertently raised it, Nine's fingers, which were beautiful to the nails, were hooked to a small handle. Without even a slight hesitation, she raised the milk pitcher for her coffee to the sky and slowly turned it upside down in one go, pouring the milk into her cup down to the last drop.
And then one-by-one, she dropped the sugar cubes which were provided on the table. The contents of the bowl that had sugars decreased in a blink of eye.
"...Umm."
Unintentionally, the confusion went out as a voice.
As much to say that Nine didn't speak with friendly voice, she gave a sharp gaze to Kazuma.
"What?"
"Oh, no. That..."
Any answer would be good. When Kazuma's mouth got stiffened as he desperately thought something, Celica called a passing waitress.
"Excuse me, can I have gum syrup?"
"Ah, yes. I'll get it right away."
Kazuma was at loss with words.
Without any resistance, the female waitress brought a small pitcher filled with gum syrup. Naturally it was placed in front of Nine; and naturally, Nine put it into her coffee.
Not a single drop remained of course.
Presently, the coffee inside her white cup had been transformed into something murky white with sweet aroma oozed; the water level went up to the rim, almost spilling.
Like it wouldn't get spilled, Nine stirred it with a spoon.
(...Seriously?)
Kazuma slowly put his hand on his mouth.
It didn't mean that Kazuma disliked sweets. However, this was an exception. It was a story of another world.
Celica cheerfully laughed when she discovered that Kazuma got solidified by Nine's shocking behavior.
"Ahaha. Surprised? Onee-chan unexpectedly got a sweet tooth."
"Sweet tooth..."
Kazuma got very uneasy when he thought whether it was okay to dismiss it with those words. But he thought that he should stop arguing about that here as he had no ally in this.
Celica being the obvious, together with Trinity, and even the waitress who brought gum syrup, they accepted it because it was a common scene.
"This particular amount should be normal. Don't worry, I'm doing it properly."
Nine spoke as if nothing happened, all while raising the cup with astonishing sense of balance.
(It's absolutely not normal! There's no meaning if the coffee's flavor is gone, isn't it!)
As he endured his desire to let his voice out, Kazuma could only give a feeble smile.
Trinity added a few words as if to deliver the final blow.
"When Nine's feeling tired, she would drink things like gum syrup directly, you know. When she had done so, she said her head got properly working~."
"...Haa, my head..."
He couldn't comprehend what a genius could do. Kazuma came to that conclusion in his innermost thought.
"See, rather than the dorm, Onee-chan and I live in a house on the island. The house is in this neighborhood. That's why we often come here on the way back from academy just to have tea. Since we do it each time, we got known by the people of this shop."
Seemingly enjoying it, Celica, while wryly smiling, bent herself toward Kazuma and looked at him like as it was a secret talk.
Kazuma backed out about twice the distance she approached him.
"O... ooh. I-I see."
Almost reflexively, he averted his eyes. He wasn't very good to have his eyes stared.
Besides, it might be his feeling, but since the time Celica was sitting beside him, indescribable fear assaulted him. As discomfort crawled from his spine to the back of his neck, he could feel nausea just by swallowing his saliva.
Of course, it wasn't because of what had been done to Nine's coffee.
Not noticing Kazuma's bad shape, Celica pierced a fork to her cake and stuff her cheek with a mouthful bite. Firmly closing her eyes and grasped the fork tightly, she groaned happily.
"Mmm~, delicious. Kazuma-san should also eat it, c'mon. The cake and tea is reaaaaally tasty."
Toward Kazuma who wasn't having his tea or cake, Celica urged him with sparkling eyes.
Beside her, Trinity wrapped her cheeks with both of her hands and was taken aback as she looked at Kazuma.
"Could it be~, you dislike sweet food? My apologies~."
"No, not at all. I like it. I was just puzzled by the situation just now... I'll eat now, then."
Kazuma smiled while controlling the feeling of exhaustion that would make him collapse. Hooking his fingers to his cup, he drank the tea that had its refined aroma rising.
It surely must have tasted good.
But on Kazuma's surroundings, there were three people. Nine who held a drink that he wasn't sure if it's okay to call it coffee anymore while looking at his direction with sharp eyes. Celica who strangely made him felt sick just by being near her. And Trinity who was possibly monitoring him.
As he was 'having tea' while being surrounded by them, it was like he didn't have the proper feeling to enjoy the tea's taste. The poor quality tea he drank in his room was very much more relaxing.
(Really, how did this come to happen...)
Presently in this baffling situation, Kazuma didn't even know what kind of expression would be good to make.
Part 3
Leaving the dumbfounded Kazuma alone, the girls' tea party was lively with succession of trifling conversations.
"...See, since it's just my class that got poor average grade, we have to take a retest."
While getting a piece of assortment from her sister's cake, Celica, who seemed sulking as she made her lips pointing, told about what happened during today's class.
As Nine brushed her glossy hair which spilled over from her shoulders to her back, she looked at Celica with older sister-like eyes that were completely different from the eyes that were directed at Kazuma.
"How could it happen? You can get failing grade. Is your class all right?"
"Aah~, but I'm also poor at lightning magic. Since it can make a reaaally loud voice, I'll get frightened."
As Trinity talked with a strained smile, Celica nodded repeatedly like she understood about it. Then, her expression suddenly went cheerful.
"Ah, even so, I'm considerably skilled in levitation. I can't leap high, but I'm the best in class in flying long distance."
"The thought of you using levitation... somehow disturbs me. It's not just flying slowly like you think, you know."
In response to Celica, the cloudy looking Nine put the coffee-like substance to her mouth.
Celica giggled in girlish voice.
"Oh no, Onee-chan. Since there's the Mage’s Guild's barrier, I can't get out from the island no matter how high I fly."
"Don't talk like that..."
"Ah, but."
Despite the appalled older sister, Celica suddenly changed the topic while putting her index finger to her chin.
"It's no good if levitation doesn't use broom. It's weird."
"But isn't it romantic to get on a broom to fly in the sky~?"
Joining both her hands together, Trinity spoke as if she was seeing a dream.
Kazuma just watched that scene while sometimes tasting his cake and tea.
It seemed the center of the topic was always Celica.
Toward Celica who innocently spoke about her every day's events, Nine listened to her with warm affections while Trinity enjoying herself together with Nine.
The three of them must be close. He felt about that from when he saw Celica the first time, but he felt it again when he saw the scene happened in front of him.
With the females seemed to constantly have friendly conversation on the other seats, the sight of ordinary girls could be seen.
While thrusting the fork to his cake for some reason, Kazuma stole a glance at Trinity.
As for Trinity, she was engrossed in talking without taking a look at Kazuma's direction. If this was what she called monitoring, then she was very much a lacking schemer than what he expected.
(Just what is the meaning of this...)
He couldn't properly taste the flavor of the cake he brought to his mouth anymore.
(In case...)
The spectacle was too much of an every day's scene, but it gave birth to a tiny assumption in Kazuma's mind.
In case everything was a misunderstanding.
If Terumi's words which stated she was monitoring him were incorrect, then there would be no lie in Trinity's kindness, Nine's displeasure was only prejudice, and the discomfort he got when Celica was around was a simple poor physical condition.
In case the Azure itself was just an illusion.
If that was the case, he must have been some kind of a fool.
Dreaming of non-existing illusion and questioning the hand which reaching out to him. He spent time as if thrusting himself away to obsession and suspicion.
If it was just like what he expected, then maybe the ordinary, peaceful, and harmonious life he was in wouldn't exist. That didn’t mean it was the days where he got tormented by lazy boredom; more like... admiring other people's affairs while living like ordinary people would.
If now... he forgot about the Azure, then just like he lost the whole seven years ago, the past he had to recover at all cost and the matter about the Cathedral would slip into obscurity.
The same as it had been until now, but also completely different.
He felt that he would set foot in that kind of academy life.
"...Kazuma-san? Kazuma-saaan?"
"Eh... Ah, yes?"
At Celica's voice, Kazuma raised his face while still gripping his fork tightly.
It seemed he had gone engrossed in thinking before he realized it. Kazuma scratched his cheek while smiling in embarrassment.
"Sorry. Since I haven't been too familiar with the place, I got dazed just now."
"Aha, I see. Hmm, looks like the shop is a little too cute for a man..."
Next to Celica who spoke like a child, a laugh that was like faint rustling of clothes resounded.
"Dazed, huh."
Nine interrupted with a tone of voice like she was looking for something. A bewitching but also stank of scheming of a voice; unsuitable with the atmosphere of the pleasant conversation which had been going until now.
"I wonder. Haven't you been doing some thinking?"
"Some thinking?"
Celica asked while bending her head slightly to one side to the unusual atmosphere. But Nine didn't answer her sister.
Resting her chin with gesture which looked elegant, she crossed her long legs. Her gaze was fixed and sharp; it stared at Kazuma as if she was concentrating in sewing.
"Nowadays, it seems the academy's Great Library has been your favorite place. Are you investigating for something?"
The brief comment that was disguised in ordinary conversation's tone of voice made tension ran on Kazuma's nape.
Nine knew. About the fact that for the whole two days, Kazuma skipped classes to investigate something.
How did she know about that? The simplest way of thinking would be that she had heard about it from Trinity who had especially greeted him back then.
Trinity informed Nine. Probably also about the matter Kazuma was investigating... Perhaps also about when he said he wanted to look at the Mage’s Guild's highly classified information.
There was a noise of something shut tight within Kazuma's chest.
He shouldn't let his guard down. He mustn't display any chance. The girls weren't his allies. The suspicion which had awoken again warned Kazuma.
As if she saw through it, Nine's eyes became narrow.
"Have you found the information you desire?"
"...No. Unfortunately, I didn't find it."
Kazuma made an unambitious wry smile. A smile that seemed harmless and without any ill will as much as he could.
"You were looking for something which can't be searched in the academy's library?"
Nine insistently questioned him.
Perhaps, she must be waiting for Kazuma to make unpleasant face. Thinking she was going for that, Kazuma of course replied with gentle face.
"Since I don't usually make use places like the library, perhaps my method to investigate is bad. Granted, I've given up already."
"Oh?"
Raising her eyebrows, Nine seemed to still have something in her mind.
Before she could put it into words, Kazuma shifted the topic.
"Come to think of it, I know about it thanks to the investigation, but Nine-san and Celica-san are Professor Shuuichirou Ayatsuki's daughters, aren't you."
Shuuichirou Ayatsuki was a world-famous professor's name who had made many appearances in teaching alchemy. His primary research was fusing alchemy and science; and establishing soul to materials.
During the spare time of his investigation, Kazuma checked up about Nine, who strangely wary of him, from the Great Library's computer which had records of student information.
The outcome was he found out Celica's formal name was Celica A. Mercury. From there, he ended up finding she had blood relationship with Shuuichirou Ayatsuki.
The topic Kazuma brought out had more power than he thought. Instantly, Nine's expression turned to anger.
The area between her eyebrows became severely wrinkled in discomfort. In hatred, Nine informed him in low voice.
"That man isn't my parent. We're unrelated."
With that brief comment, he completely understood what Nine thought about her father.
He also understood Celica's thought as she turned every parts of her body to face the older sister, holding her father in contrasting thought.
"Don't say sad things like that, Onee-chan."
Rather than rebuking, it was better to say it as pouting.
However, Nine didn't back out. She snorted her nose to dismiss it, and then she sipped her coffee to swallow the welling up unpleasant feelings.
"You too should cut it out. Forget about that man. He hasn't been there from the beginning."
"Of course he wasn't able to do that. He's our father, you know? Yes, he couldn't be together with us... but even so, he's our one and only father!"
If Celica clutched both her hands into fists not willing to get overcome, Nine also became irritated in different way.
"Quit calling that man as your father!"
"I won't. After all, he's my father! Onee-chan's, too. Why do you say bad things about Father!?"
"It's better for you not to know!"
"You always quickly say that! Not fair!"
With incredible power, the atmosphere became weird.
The store interior suddenly became noisy because both of their voices. Gazes gathered there taking a glance.
Unable to just watch it, Trinity leaned forward.
"Nine, Celica-san. We're in a store..."
To interrupt the chiding voice, Celica and Nine stood up at the same time.
"I said it since I'm thinking for Celica's sake!"
"That's just for your own convenience!"
A loud noise rang out. The furious sisters' hands simultaneously hit the table.
...Then, the force greatly shook the table. The vibration made the saucer of the tea before Trinity's eyes flipped up.
From there on, time extremely flowed slowly.
From the floating plate, a white cup went up in the air. The cup's body was turning around while slowly drawing a parabola...
A wet noise faintly echoed. Next, hard but light noise was played as the cup fell over the table.
Dead silence fell over the store interior which had been noisy until now.
Nine and Celica stood still with stiffened face.
Beyond the girls' gaze was Trinity who remained still while in half-rose position.
Platinum blonde of a noble princess from fairy tale. Hood of a witch. White skin of a fairy. That Trinity's round glasses and the chest part of her white uniform were basked and wet with the toppled over tea.
From the edge of the lenses, drips of royal milk tea fell to the table.
"...My glasses, have been stained."
Trinity slowly stood up. She wiped her glasses with a handkerchief she took out.
"Nine. Celica-san."
The voice she used to softly call them was gentle and kind. But for some reason, Kazuma's spine got frozen even though he was only listening.
"I have something to tell."
Kazuma didn't raise his face so he couldn't see what was inside the smiling Trinity's gaze as she spoke.
But as for Nine and Celica whom he stared at one after another, they became pale as if they saw something incredibly frightening. Without saying anything, they sat down after witnessing it.
Because it was frightening, he didn't have the will to check it.
It was an odd spectacle.
"...do so. Okay? Affection and consideration. Lacking of them is really sad for a human being. Not only the people you're together with every day, but also to nature and objects near you. Don't forget to act kind to them."
Celica and Nine were apologizing while listening to Trinity's speech which went on endlessly.
Celica aside, even for Nine to bow her head and apologize was really unbelievable for Kazuma who enrolled in the same class. That Konoe Mercury was apologizing. None of his classmates would believe it even if he told them.
Trinity's speech continued still.
At first it should have been a talk about glasses which had given a lot of help to people with bad eyesight in their ordinary days. However, the topic gradually shifted about past people struggling until they made transparent glass, then jumped to the hardships of people who delivered materials in the island, and then the talk currently changed to being careful with objects.
The tone she used to talk was gentle all the way. Consequently, it seemed like listening to sermon in a church.
But Nine and Celica, still straightening their bodies so far, pulled their chins in exactly the same angle and bowed their heads down. They didn't attempt to object in any way.
The girls must have known. About what would happen if they disturbed Trinity's anger even more.
And the extent of that menace was thoroughly transmitted just from the sisters' frightened complexions.
Kazuma turned away from the girls, the spot that strained his mentality, and quickly looked at his objective.
The atmosphere made it impossible to cut the conversation. Or rather, it was the scariest thing to poorly interrupt and ended up getting involved.
Without further ado, Kazuma ignored the lecture which end was yet to be seen while quietly drinking his tea.
(Aah, I want to go home...)
He swallowed the spilled over mutter from his mouth he did involuntarily along with the tea.
And... it was that time. Kazuma's gaze was snatched away by the scenery outside of the window as he casually looked toward it.
Outside the store with roadside trees lined up, on the opposite side divided by road, a man wearing hood low over his eyes was standing.
Despite that he looked out of place from the plain scenery, let alone people inside the store, even the people outside the window who sometimes crossed the road didn't bat an eye on him.
As if he could be seen only by Kazuma, Terumi stared here still.
Suddenly, Terumi moved. While starting to walk in calm manner, he jerked his chin to invite Kazuma.
Lured by that gesture, Kazuma quietly rose to his feet.
"Oh? Kazuma-san?"
Pausing her lecture, Trinity, who was in front of him, called him.
With just his reflex, Kazuma gave a smile and began to speak.
"Excuse me, I happened to notice an acquaintance. I'll return soon."
Not speaking more after it, Kazuma grabbed the bag which was on his feet and hurriedly rushed out of the store.
He took a detour from the shop and searched for that figure. He was already gone from the spot where he had been standing, but Kazuma saw the hem of his long coat just as it disappeared on a street corner.
A loud thump resounded.
Just as he witnessed Terumi's figure, he got a feeling that the blurred world turned clear. It was like the figure that should have been inside him came back.
If he didn't run after him, if he didn't catch up with him.
For the first time in top of his memory, Kazuma ran with full speed. Unbelievably uplifting feeling rose inside his chest.
Part 4
The beautiful sunset illuminated the townscape. At the same time, it engraved distinct shadows on the townscape.
Pushing his way through the two-tone coloring of bitter orange and black, Kazuma was dead set on running.
Out of the main street to deeper inside the island.
As Kazuma arrived in a part he had yet to set foot upon, he seemed confused like he was going to unrecognized other world because of the intense color that appeared sinister.
Ahead of his gaze was always a flickering retreating figure.
Fluttering hem of long jacket that was like a mantle. Fully worn hood that covered the hair and face. Slender shoulders with long, thin legs which were like silhouette.
Terumi had been walking. His steps were long, but not with the speed of running that couldn't be caught up with.
Despite that, even when Kazuma ran and panting countlessly, it was like the distance with him didn't get shortened.
It was like inside a dream. Even if he ran and struggled, he would never catch up with the person going in front of him. As if he was being left behind just like that in discolored world; such feeling of frustration was tearing off his chest.
Just what was this place? The scenery that went past through the edge of his vision didn't feel familiar to Kazuma at all.
There was nobody. The scattered buildings were small. There wasn't a single likelihood that people was living here.
Ishana by no means was a large island, but he never knew there was a place like this. The same was also true for this silent, deserted road.
Before long, the buildings disappeared with the townscape disrupted. Terumi pushed his way through bushes, threading it to go even further inside.
The other side of the bushes was surrounding the town like walls; it became like a thick forest. The trees were reinforcing magic. A forest dedicated to reinforce the barrier that was covering the island.
Proceeding through it, he went out of the shallow forest and finally arrived up to the edge of the island. There, Kazuma at last halted his feet.
The unfolded place there was a rugged rocky area. On the other side of it, a calm horizon could be seen. The frail roar of waves was heard; feeble ripples collided with rocks and split open fragilely.
In the past, the waves were even more great and powerful. But six years ago, because of the large scale nuclear attack intended to kill Black Beast, the world had changed; the wind declined and the waves grew weak.
Because his life was only going back and forth between the academy and dormitory, he didn't see the sea very often. But as he gazed at the heavily silent sea, he recalled that this island was isolated in the ocean.
Terumi placed his hands on a noticeably large rock and faced Kazuma, waiting for him.
"Yoo~, Kazuma-chan. Why are you wandering to this place? Got lost?"
He spoke as if comforting a stray dog.
Wheezing, Kazuma put his strained and disturbed breath in control while looking at Terumi bitterly.
"Wrong... I saw Terumi-san's figure... before..."
It was like he did it on purpose, added Kazuma in his mind. He followed that thought with that Terumi should have known about it from the start. The fact that he walked with speed which Kazuma could never catch up must also been on purpose. Though, he couldn't comprehend on how he could walk that fast.
With playful gesture, Terumi put up both of his hand at the height of his chest as if showing he surrendered.
"Hey, hey, hey. Don't give such rebellious eyes. I'm your reassuring ally, right~?"
"...I realized it. That's why I chased you, isn't it."
Even though his shoulders were heaving furiously, Kazuma straightened up his body.
Before he knew it, the vicinity gradually grew darker as the sun sinking on the west. The stars on the sky couldn't be seen. It was caused by the seithr that was enshrouding the outside of the barrier.
Seithr... an unknown substance spread on the world at the same time of the appearance of Black Beast six years ago. Even though he didn't want to get close to the border line with the outside world, he could actually sense the peaceless world.
Kazuma put back his gaze and consciousness from the sea toward Terumi.
"Rather than that, don't we have some kind of business? Why did you even go so far to this place?"
"Why, why, why. You're that stupid, huh."
"Terumi-san...!"
"Kukkuku, don't be that impatient. I'll show you some really nice stuff."
What an impatient guy, spoke Terumi with a tone as though he was doing a favor. It was like he got amazed of Kazuma's short temper.
The one who wanted to be amazed was me. Kazuma wanted to say that, but he let it pass. It was a waste of time to confront Terumi here.
"Look. It's this thing"
Quite sloppy compared to the time when he teased Kazuma. Terumi poked inside the shade of a rock with his tiptoe. What hit Terumi's tiptoe was the barrier covering Ishana.
That moment, Kazuma gulped.
Just near what Terumi's foot was showing, several sheets of paper stuck on the air. To be accurate, the papers were sticking on the barrier. The five sheets were in equal interval, as if drawing a regular pentagon.
The passage surrounded by the papers was so large that a single kid could pass through... Amazingly, a hole opened in the barrier like it was cut off cleanly there.
"Those beaten cat bastards seems to have opened it. It seems that's because there's no getting inside the island directly as expected."
Sneering, Terumi raised the edges of his lips.
As for Kazuma, he currently began to mutter with trembling voice.
"Wha... What do you mean... by this."
Was it a good thing for such a thing to exist? The barrier covering Ishana didn't just prevent any physical interference from other countries; it also played a role in blocking the seithr that was drifting around the atmosphere.
The Black Beast which was threatening the world didn't appear but only in places that had seithr.
Ishana was rejecting seithr itself.
For this reason, it was the safest city in the world. Therefore, it wasn't allowed for the barrier to be torn.
"Oh no, if I don't quickly notify them...!"
If seithr reached the island, however secure the barrier was, it couldn't be said that this island was secure. Leaving over the matter that it would be a place that had seithr, there was a danger of Black Beast's arrival.
"Wait, wait, wait, Kazuma-chan. Look carefully."
While chuckling as he was amused, Terumi poked the barrier again. His tiptoe rubbed the stuck paper, but as if there existed different airspace, the paper was undisturbed.
Being told to, Kazuma looked closely at the produced hole in the barrier. But immediately he guessed that his eyes didn't see what they should have seen.
From the hollowed, unfolded hole of the barrier, the outside seithr had already gone in.
But no sooner as the seithr came into contact with Ishana's air, it faded away and vanished in a flash.
The seithr hadn't been able to even slightly pollute Ishana's air.
"The barrier... is neutralizing seithr?"
It was the first time for him to hear the Mage’s Guild's barrier had such a power.
Terumi laughed with a face like he knew all about it.
"W-R-O-N-G. It's because this island's air is unusually clean. But that ain't thanks to the barrier."
"Then, what...?"
"You think of something?"
Kazuma frowned. It was a nasty manner of listening.
"I don't know. Does Terumi-san also don't know?"
"Well~, who knows."
Terumi's suggestive manner of speaking made Kazuma slightly sighed. There were confusing matters when Kazuma just met him, but he had grown accustomed with this kind of attitude from Terumi in the next few days.
Terumi was that kind of a man.
"Still, nothing will happen to this island anytime soon. Relieved, young master?"
Terumi spoke of sarcastic words.
But for Kazuma, such a thing was still okay for now.
His gaze was fascinated by the gaping hole like it was being drawn in.
The barrier having a hole was a state of emergency that shouldn't happen. But for some reason, it sure enough appeared like an opened hole.
A small unusual phenomenon. It really made Kazuma's chest throbbed. He somehow got excited.
Toward Kazuma who watched intently at the hole, Terumi's crescent mouth drew near as he whispered from behind.
"But it doesn't mean it'll stay like this forever. If the balance of the island's atmosphere changes a little... then..."
"Seithr... will enter the island?"
Like he was being lured, Kazuma muttered. It seemed his thought and mouth moved on their own accords.
Instead of nodding, Terumi laughed in his throat.
"That's right. It's a disaster for this peaceful island to get harmed by seithr. It's a major incident, really serious affair, and a big problem, right?"
"Yes. It's a big problem..."
"Well then, Kazuma-chan. I got a question now."
He could hear the mischievous voice close to his ears.
Kazuma had a hunch he knew what Terumi was going to say before hearing it.
"You said this just now. It's 'oh no, if I don't quickly notify them...!'."
He imitated Kazuma's tone of voice on purpose.
But even that mockery didn't rub Kazuma's nerves the wrong way. Kazuma just stared at the barrier's hole like he got fascinated by it.
Terumi spoke.
"So? Who'd you notify?"
Right. He couldn't ignore the torn barrier. But since it wasn't possible for Kazuma to do something about it alone, he must inform someone about it.
To whom?
Restoring the barrier wasn't an easy task. At least, it wasn't possible with the level of an academy student.
While maintaining the barrier, this spot alone had to be fixed. It also had to be done quickly.
For someone to be able to do such advanced things, it would be limited to people who excelled in magical ability by far in Mage’s Guild.
For example... Ten Sages.
"Ten Sages..."
Kazuma's muttering leaked out as if spilling.
His lips moved like it was by reflex.
"In case seithr got into Ishana... The Ten Sages would eliminate it and try to restore the barrier."
Same with restoring the barrier, there was also nobody who could eliminate seithr.
Basically, it was impossible to get rid of seithr by human hands. If such a thing had been feasible, then it would have been possible to defeat Black Beast which was similar to a mass of seithr.
Suppose a magic that could neutralize and erase seithr existed, there would only be a handful of people who could do it as handling it was beyond ordinary man. Even if ignoring it, dealing with seithr required knowledge of advanced magic.
Currently, Kazuma didn't know the exact number of people in Ten Sages. But most of the students in the academy were aware that there were less people than the fixed number of ten people.
Driving away seithr, possibly by neutralizing it, and restoring the barrier had to be done simultaneously.
Even if the seithr was driven out first, if the hole was open, then new seithr would just get inside again. If restoring the barrier came first, since there would be no outlet for seithr, they would have to increase the neutralizing to the inner part of the island.
If such situation happened, even at the best of times, the small number of Ten Sages should all get gathered.
With everyone spending their time and energy on it, perhaps they would be shorthanded about other things.
Of course, Nine, too.
"Well, Whatcha gonna do, Kazuma-chan?"
Terumi's voice resounded inside his head.
Before he knew it, Kazuma got thirsty and swallowed saliva into his throat.
"——Ah."
He tried to say something.
But just before the words came.
Terumi suddenly pulled Kazuma's shoulder, forcing him to turn around.
"Wha..."
He was about to ask what Terumi was doing. However, Kazuma was at loss for words again.
Behind him, Nine and Trinity stood.
Part 5
The vicinity was still turning dark.
There was no street light in the rocky area of the island's outskirt. As the facial expressions of both parties gradually became undiscerned, without saying anything, Trinity created a faint light and let it float in the air.
As if they were mutually being cautious of the other party, silence flowed. What broke it was Nine's sharp voice.
"What are you doing? In this place... Alone."
"Eh...?"
Alone.
Because of Nine's words, Kazuma looked toward the surrounding in a panic.
(Terumi-san's gone...? Since when...)
However, Terumi's way of appearing in unexpected places and moments just saved Kazuma this time. If Nine was aware of Terumi's existence, it was awfully unthinkable for a favorable situation for Kazuma to happen.
"Looking for a way out? Looks like you're too slow."
Toward the obviously trembling Kazuma, Nine sneered at him with cold tone of voice.
Kazuma straightened his back in order to adjust his breathing. He told himself to calm down.
...As he did so, his head got surprisingly quick to regain serenity. It was creepy enough.
"Running away? Why would I run away?"
Kazuma's words made Nine's expression slightly moved. There was Trinity's light, but it nonetheless dark. There was no examining up to the details of the facial expression, but it didn’t appear to be a happy face.
"Besides, why did both of you even go here? I believe this isn't a place girls would visit on this hour."
Lifting her head toward Kazuma's question, Trinity took a large step forward.
"Because Kazuma-san wasn't coming back to the shop... we wondered where you might have gone to~."
"Even so, it seems I got accurately located. Did you use tracking magic?"
Just as he asked with a mocking smile mixed in, Trinity kept her mouth shut. Rather than the face of someone who got correctly guessed, it was like the face of a girl who got hurt by thoughtless words.
Kazuma shrugged his shoulders. He thought that nothing would change even if he guessed it right. Perhaps Trinity still thought that Kazuma didn't notice about the monitoring. If so, what a pitiful girl.
"The one who has question is me. Answer. What have you been doing here?"
Different from Trinity, without any sign to draw back even a bit, Nine made her tone of voice even sharper.
As Kazuma made a troubled face, he answered while placing his hand on his head as if enduring a headache.
"But I believe I told you before, I happened to see an acquaintance, so I run after him. ...Although I said that, I suddenly recognized him as an acquaintance only. I don't know who he was."
"Could it be an acquaintance from before the memory loss?"
Sure enough, Trinity's surprised tone of voice was strong. Regardless of the scenery, her delightful facial expression was brimming.
Kazuma spontaneously dropped a smile.
Even now, Trinity perhaps still wished for Kazuma's memory to return. If that was the case, it was painful for every single word from him betraying her kindness.
"Yes, I think so. When I caught sight of him, I was unable to contain myself... I'm sorry."
And yet numerous false words came out of his mouth.
But Nine's sharp presence didn't even slightly slacken as expected. Instead it became even more coercive; those glints in her eyes shone in the dead of night.
"If so, I wonder if that's the doing of your before-memory-loss friend?"
"And that is?"
Kazuma carefully asked.
Nine walked gallantly with long steps and passed through Kazuma's side. She walked skillfully with her thin, tall heels on the unstable rocky area before stopping at greeneries.
"This."
A voice that was like looking down on lowly people.
He knew exactly what Nine had seen to make her said that.
With ordinary student's behavior, Kazuma took a quick look at the beach.
"Aah, that one. I wonder what on earth it is. It appears like papers floating in the air to me... Is it some kind of a good luck charm?"
As he scratched his head while answering with pretense like he completely didn't know about it, Nine glared over her shoulder. The beautiful expression which carried nothing but grim made his guts grew cold.
"Don't tell me you'll say something like not knowing about it."
"No... B-But I don't know."
Flinching, Kazuma took a step backward.
As if Nine's eyes were assessing every single of his gesture for their credibility, she carefully glared at Kazuma's whole body. Dyed in shadow, the long eyelashes on Nine's eyes winked for several times.
Trinity didn't say anything. Accompanied by the small light, she appeared to wrack her brains while watching attentively to Nine and Kazuma's banter.
Waves split open on Kazuma and Nine's feet. The modest sound of water disturbed the silence.
As Nine closed her eyelids once, she turned her face away from Kazuma.
"...Fine. Then I'll leave it as it is."
The high-pitched noise of heels hitting the rocky area resounded.
While letting loose a feminine fragrance, Nine went away. As she did so, Kazuma quietly slackened his mouth.
Was that an indication that she had guessed it? Or did it go unnoticed under the cover of night? After Nine stopped once more a little in front of Trinity, she looked over her shoulder to see Kazuma with a testing way of speaking.
"It seems there was a huge idiot making a hole in Mage’s Guild's barrier. I have to hurry getting in touch with Ten Sages and prepare for restoration arrangement. That's why..."
Nine smiled provocatively.
"If you discover something else while running, do you think you could let me know?"
The glamorous hair fluttered as if dancing. After she urged Trinity who was still concerned about Kazuma, Nine left from that place at a quick pace along with her close friend.
With the noise of grass being treaded vanished, Trinity's light became completely invisible.
The sky got tainted in the color of night completely. Suddenly the air grew cold; it was a bit unpleasantly cold to stand in one place in a daze.
Still having waves splashed on his feet, Kazuma expressionlessly looked at the papers which were on the shade of the rocky area.
The hole in the barrier. There was still no indication of seithr coming in from there.
That hole had a role. Connecting the exterior of the island with the inside; a role of giving a huge task for Ten Sages so that they had to get all their members.
(Even if this hole got closed, there is a mean to open it, so it'd be good to find it. However...)
Nine of the Ten Sages. She alone seemed to continue being cautious of Kazuma even just now.
It was preferred for this hole to draw in seithr to an extent so that Nine forgot about the torn barrier; and from hereafter, Nine would absolutely pay no attention about Kazuma.
(Alternatively... something that disappears during the situation which she has to pay attention to.)
At any rate, she was a hindrance.
Pondering while standing still on the rocky area, Kazuma gnawed the finger which stuck to his mouth; he gnawed the tooth especially strong. The teeth scrubbed the joints.
A method to keep Nine at a distance.
"...Isn't it easy?"
Kazuma chuckled and hurriedly left behind the rocky area.
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