Hidan no Aria:Volume6 Chapter2

2nd Ammo: Water Tossing

September 1--

During the opening ceremony on the first day of the second semester, the Japanese students of Butei High will respect international tradition, wearing an imitation uniform of the first Butei High in the world, Butei High - Rome, the completely black uniform which is called, "Diviza Nero".

The students, dressed completely in black, sat up straight on the folding chairs, in a phalanx-like formation.

This scene was almost like the assembly of a miniature army division, or perhaps a Yakuza funeral.

The curtain, full of patched up bullet-holes, opened left and right, and on the stage, the principal, Midorimatsu, was standing in the center, at the lectern, giving a speech about the international co-operation between Butei.

He said something about public safety continuing to worsen, but Japan was still a safe country, so as such, Tokyo Butei High will be accepting exchange students for the sake of the students' growth in a tense situation.

...Hey. Please don't make the situation in the school any more tense.

It was probably because of Butei High's new policy, but sitting in one corner of the room were students from Hong Kong Butei High.

There were not only high school students, but there seemed to be middle school students as well...even somebody like a elementary school student. As expected of foreigners.

(But, it might not be too long before the era comes where Japan, like America, will legally issue firearm licenses to 5 year old children.)

Having not slept much in Reki's room last night, I thought of those things, stifling a yawn.

It is common practice that one cannot be absent from the opening ceremony of the 2nd semester. However, delinquents like Riko, or busy students like Aria still neglect it. So, all those that sit here are the good students, the slackers, or those failing students, who like me, came so their credits would not drop.

And Reki...after she had accompanied me to school, because she was performing in the ceremony after the opening ceremony--using a pistol or sniper rifle as a replacement for the marching band's batons--went to the preparation room of the auditorium.

As such, I am able to do this, enjoying my temporary freedom.

But, as long as I am within a 2km radius of that Dragunov, I am still in the palm of Reki's hand.

And, Haimaki was idly crouching by my feet, and once in a while, he would, with an expression which said: "If you dare run, I'll report it to my master," looks up at me. Damn it.

I couldn't help but glare angrily at the Haimaki by my feet...

"Tohyama-kun, is it alright if I sit next to you?"

"Yo, Kinji. Looks like you aren't getting held back a year after all."

Two male students moved to the seats by my side, in unison. The good student Shiranui and the slacker Muto.

The handsome Shiranui was already cheerful, even though it was the first day of the second semester, and Muto was still wearing an expression of yearning for the summer holidays, stubble building up on his chin. The contrast between you two is amazingly strong.

"Kinji, I heard a rumor. Yesterday, you ran into some shooting spree, broke the glass off my four-wheel drive, forcing me to track down my insurance company..."

Ah? The car that I hid in yesterday was Muto's?

Well...I'll just pretend that I don't know what he's talking about for now. After all, the person who actually broke the glass was Reki.

Also, I still haven't paid Muto back for breaking my Gyro Canopy while we were arguing.

"--Besides that small matter...Tohyama-kun. Another scandal has been raised because of your relationship with a girl, you know?"

Radiating normal Butei behavior with the mention of a shooting spree as, "that small matter," Shiranui interrupted from the other side.

He was chuckling as if he had run into something amusing. This guy definitely thinks that since it has nothing to do with him, he can just spectate from the side.

"Are you serious!? Damn it! Why!? Why is it always only Kinji!?"

"Don't shout so loud, Muto. It's the opening ceremony right now. Anyways, Shiranui, how did you know?"

"'Know' is inaccurate, rather, I deduced this. As I was doing early sword-training in Assault--Kanzaki-san was throwing a huge tantrum. So, I thought that it might have something to do with Tohyama-kun."

Kanzaki...Aria-san was throwing a huge tantrum?

Just thinking about it makes me shiver.

Incidentally, morning practice would refer to some specific subject practice in a normal school, but in Butei High, it refers to morning battle training.

"Once again, it's become a pretty popular topic. It's said that--This morning, Tohyama-kun and Snipe's Reki-san came out of the girl's dormitory together when they were going to school."

While saying this, Shiranui, as if trying to prove the existence of the relationship between Reki and I, stroked Haimaki's back.

"--This time it's Reki!? Ah-, but, I can understand that. A dark boy and a wordless girl fit each other, after all. But, Kinji, you've taken action against somebody dangerous again. Reki has a lot of secret fans. You might get caught in a multi-directional crossfire one day, you know? You sure are unlucky, Kinji."

Agreed.

Now, not only am I being observed by Reki, but the number of guns pointed at me are increasing...

Unable to explain the situation to Muto, who was laughing and patting my back from behind, I...dipped in my head in despair.

"...There's another popular topic going around, because Kanzaki-san and Reki-san get along well. It's said that, after Kanzaki-san finished throwing a tantrum, she was very depressed about losing both her friend and lover."

What...is that supposed to mean?

Are you saying that, Reki = Friend, and I = Lover?

"Hey. Aria and I aren--"

"There's a lot of this kind of trouble around this season. After all, "Caravan I" is about to arrive."

I had seen it many times, but as I was trying to defend myself, Shiranui's overly brilliant smile cut me short.

--Caravan I.

Now that he mentions it, it's true that it's about to arrive.

In Butei High, sophomores have 2 training trips. The first one is "Caravan 1".

From the name, it might appear to be a normal school trip, but in truth, it is an activity for the sake of making the final corrections in the teams formed between students.

This is because...when Butei High students reach their second year, they have to form and register themselves as 2~8 man teams before the end of September.

An unexpected important result of this team system is that, the registered teams will in turn, be registered in the IADA[1].

Normally, Butei will move in those teams as units, fulfilling the activity. Even if they split up later due to their own goals, the mutual co-operation in that team takes precedence over entire organizational relationship--this is also laid down in International Butei Law.

"It's popular, because there are a lot of cases where the formation of a team is affected by boy-girl relationships. Because Tohyama-kun was unable to solve his personal matters."

"About that, I've pretty much decided who I'm going to team up with. We're going to take members from both Logi and Amdo, forming a logistics unit. There're girls too, you know. It's Hiraga Aya though, so there's nothing to get excited about."

There are no firm criteria, but normally, teams will be either assault teams, logistics teams, communications teams, or mixed teams etc., completely different types and fields. As a result, different teams will work together.

Using an army analogy, it would be like the image of sections coming together to form a platoon.

Therefore, this isn't something like the normal high school relationships, where getting along well is the focus, but a team formed with tactics and strategy taken into account.

To sum it up in a sentence...team formation is something that requires a lot of thinking.

Especially for me, who doesn't have many friends, and is now engaged to Reki, this is a massive undertaking. Just thinking about it gives me a headache..

"Tohyama-kun is going to form an assault team, right? Or maybe a reconnaissance team?"

"I haven't decided on anything yet. I'm busy enough earning credits, so I have to postpone it for now."

"Ahh, that's a problem. Tohyama-kun, the next time you wear this, what are you going to do?"

Said Shiranui, pointing to my black tie. The next time I wear this? He's probably talking about the team photo at team registration.

During team registration, according to the rules, the team members have to have a photograph taken of them...and they have to wear this bulletproof uniform - black while taking the photo. It's rumored that this is for the sake of preventing offenders from being able to recognize which Butei High the students come from.

I remember, when we saw our senpai's team photos last year...they were all looking away from the lens on purpose, turning their heads slightly to the side or even downwards. That's probably so their appearance wasn't completely shown.

Really, this is an amazingly dangerous school. Having to take so much care with just a photo.

The opening ceremony finished--and on the path in front of the auditorium, the girls from class C started the parade as Little Eva's "The Loco-Motion" was playing.

On their heads were feathered military caps, their bodies clothed with extravagant uniforms. Their hands grasping their batons, the girls--

*Whoosh, whoosh. Roll.*

Their white, pleated miniskirts fluttering, they span their replacements for batons, assault rifles and sniper rifles, marching forward in two lines on the road, sealed off from traffic.

At times, Butei High will imitate the Police Force and the Self-Defense Force, holding a music or dance concert, reason being, they wished to improve their image with the people. And according to the principal's plan, the performers would be female. Aria and Shirayuki also performed as cheerleaders at Adseard in May.

But...no matter when I see it, I always hate these performances.

On both sides of the road, watching the parade was the local people, as well as the media. There were also boys, holding up cameras with lenses as long as bazookas, frantically snapping pictures of the girls. You guys, you know that you're falling right into the principal's trap, right? Their appearance may be no different from cute high school girls, but the female students over here are actually dangerous people that play with real bazookas.

Not being able to withhold a sigh, I--

-as if trying to escape from Reki, who was twirling her Dragunov in the midst of the marching band, her face expressionless as always...I left.

Behind me, Haimaki tailed me, not letting his guard down. At any rate, you. You've been suspecting me, following me ever since just now, right? You stepped on my shoes on purpose, and you even urinated over my clothes when I left the auditorium's male changing room.

The bulletproof uniform - black that I was wearing in the auditorium was borrowed, so I could just throw it inside the "return" basket and be done with it, but the uniform I'm wearing now is mine. If you dare dirty it, I will spare you no mercy.

(...Reki, Haimaki, team formation...no matter which one it is, so troublesome...)

And to add to my annoyance, today was the day of Butei High's horrible tradition, "Water Tossing"

Originally, "Water Tossing" evolved from the special battle method that the principal's old school had had, "On the day of the opening ceremony, you can splash water onto anybody."

Splashing each other with water may be very safe, but once this reached Butei High, the rules, for some reason, became, "as long as you're unarmed, you can fight with anybody you like," a real battle method, and it spread around the school.

(Masters tolerates this activity as well. Really...)

My head hurting again, I decided to head to the pharmacy at the Medica building.

But, if I was afraid that if I walked the main road, I would run into the danger that is "Water Tossing", so I took a small road.

As I walked out of the parade, the sound of it getting farther and farther...

Fuah.

Fuah.

Fuaah.

What...?

Bubble...?

Suddenly, in front of me, who was walking down the small alley, a bubble appeared.

* Pop, Pop Pop* They popped in front of my face.

"--You just died 3 times."

Immediately after, the sound of a girl's undeveloped voice came from above my head.

I raised my head to look, and one foot hooked into the gutter of the building...was a small girl.

...Who's she?

"Japan's Butei High isn't very noteworthy-ne. You're too vulnerable."[2]

The girl was wearing something reminiscent of one of the outfits of a zombie in "Reigen Doushi"--a modified, abnormal outfit using the Qing Dynasty's imperial outfit as a basis.

Added to that, her accent...she was probably one of those exchange students from the Hong Kong Butei High.

"...There something?"

In a bad mood, I narrowed my eyes, staring at her, who was adroitly drinking something out of a gourd...

"Kyuu!"

*Spin, Tap*

The girl laughed shrilly, and she landed in the alley lightly, just like a trapeze artist.

*Shhh*

Her black twintails, tied on the left and right, followed the movement of her body, falling down.

"My, name, is Koko. Tell me your name."

--Height, around 1.40 meters. She's still a kid.

The corners of her eyes were streaked with red eyeshadow, making her already slanted eyes become even more obviously tilted. And she also had a cute appearance that would make a certain group of men drool in appreciation...But...

For some reason...Her appearance seems familiar, as if she looks similar to somebody. Just a coincidence?

"I am Tohyama Kinji."

Since she had already told me her name, I returned the favor.

After all, I don't wish to make anybody think that Japanese people don't have any manners.

"Aiya! Aiyayayayayaya!" [3]

The girl, who had called herself Koko, shouted to the heavens exaggeratedly.

What. Is there something wrong with my name?

At any rate, you've been asking for trouble from the beginning.

"...Hey. Why do you smell like alcohol? Children shouldn't drink."

Seeing me lecture her, pointing at the gourd, Koko's eyes widened, saying,

"--I'm not a child! Koko turned 14 yesterday!"

Buwaa! She yelled, a strong smell of alcohol intermixed with her breath.

She's probably drunk. I heard that China didn't have any age restrictions on the consumption of alcohol.

But...this kind of conversation...Why is it that this feels kind of familiar?

"I can't help it, I'll just have to test you a little. If you leave the princess, some painful things will happen immediately."

Apparently not too familiar with Japanese, Koko said these incomprehensible things--

*Whoosh, Whoosh*...As if stumbling, she fell down...before she did a flip, *Pa!*

She suddenly charged towards me!

--This kind of reaction--

It's exactly the same as when I first met Aria! How unlucky can I be!

"--!'

Reflexively, I reached my hand out, and Koko's feet--twisted around my hand.

Wh-what is this? This movement. It's random, as if the movement itself is drunk--

It completely nullified by subconscious counterattack.

Koko, like a snake, slithered around my body, *whoosh*. She got onto my back.

And she brought a rope around both sides of my neck...? No, she's using both of her twin tails.

"Hehe!"

Laughing in my ear, Koko even twisted her two legs around my neck.

*Twist...Twist!*

--Ne-neck--

It's being clamped. If this were Judo, it would be called a choke.

(This kind of clamping technique...exists...!)

The choke I mentioned earlier is an unarmed technique where, once it is tightened, it's impossible to loosen.

And, this isn't an infraction of the rules. Not only her limbs, but her hair, it's an abnormally complex stance, almost like a coiled rope.

This girl is an exchange student--where did she hear about "Water Tossing"?

"Hehe, how is it? You can't do anything, can you? A man that cannot do anything, is a man that nobody needs. I'm going to kill you."

"Kill...me?"

Breaking out into a cold sweat, I forced those words out.

It may look like this, but I'm a Butei. If I got a 100 yen coin for every time I heard the word "kill" in a threat, I'd be able to have a mansion built by now.

But, this isn't just a threat!

(Sh-she really wants to kill me!)