Horizon:Volume 10B Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Idle Ones at the Festival

Just like despair

Hope can

Drive us onward

Without practice

Point Allocation (I’m New at This, Okay?)

●

After they heard Asama’s group had left the spring and begun their preparations, someone sat down on the gravel within the shrine grounds.

It was Adele. “Hey,” called Masazumi out to her and she let Mary lend her a shoulder.

“Oh, thank you. I must be more nervous than I thought.”

I’m glad, thought Adele.

…This means we can at least access the Chancellor.

It wasn’t known yet if he could be resurrected. Asama’s group was determined and they had to be the best people for the job, but no one could say what was going to happen.

But Adele was still glad.

“Even if this doesn’t work out, this way it doesn’t end all at once. They should at least get to say their goodbyes.”

“That’s unusually pessimistic of you, Balfette.”

“Yeah, I think I still haven’t gotten over what happened today.”

After all, this had happened seemingly out of nowhere after she talked with him after school.

“I had wondered if he was going to go on like that, just stewing, you know?”

And then he “died”.

She honestly had her complaints with the current state of things. She hadn’t liked the Chancellor’s or the others’ attitudes about it.

Even she could tell everyone was extremely irritated in a quiet sort of way.

But she still hadn’t been sure if she should say what was on her mind.

She wasn’t an officer or a name inheritor, so would that be overstepping her bounds? So…

“I’m glad…”

“About what, Balfette?”

“Well, um.” But she decided there was no point in hiding it. “Today I followed the Chancellor to see where he was always going after school and I found they had built a study shack out behind the temporary academy and he was studying there with the Main Blue Thunder group.”

“Studying?”

“What happened then?”

She had the Vice President and the 1st Special Duty Officer’s attention. After they exchanged a glance, she nodded and continued.

“Judge. I spoke with the Chancellor there and he said he wanted to renew himself, but I told him that wasn’t what he should be doing.”

Thinking back, that had been quite a presumptuous thing to say. But that was why she remembered it so well.

“I told him he shouldn’t be trying to do something himself. I told him he should ask us to do whatever it was he wanted. So I told him his job was to figure out what it was he wanted and tell us that.”

She couldn’t believe she had said that.

“Thinking back, he had to have been doing his best to get over what happened, but I told him it was all wrong.”

She got the words out. And she received a response.

Complete silence.

●

…Eh?

She received nothing but silence in response. She had expected them to say something to her, but when she raised her head to look, the Vice President and the 1st Special Duty Officer were still giving each other a look. But all of a sudden…

“Dammit!”

“He’s so stupid!”

They slapped each other’s hands too quickly to call it a high five.

The sound rang out across the shrine grounds. The place was well purified, so the sound washed over their surroundings with no distortion.

“Well said, Balfette.”

“Judge, this probably would have happened eventually with Horizon-dono and Asama-dono in charge, but this sped things up, even if it was rougher than necessary.”

“I-I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”

“No, that’s how he deserves to be treated. That Main Blue Thunder group spoils him too much.”

Adele agreed with that last part. And anyway…

“I think that idiot would have realized the truth on his own. But having Horizon and the rest there helped, and the rest of us accelerated it. …Musashi supports that idiot as a group. We’ve finally returned to that point.”

“Then what do we do now?”

“All of you can throw a party and wait! I’ll have food and sweets sent out for you! And I want you to share funny stories about Toori-kun! That should boost the power calling to him!”

Asama’s father poked his head out of the shrine house. Everyone nodded, opened sign frames, and called their friends.

…I see.

They were Musashi. They all caused problems in their own way, but they fixed those problems together.

Now who should I call?

●

Suzu nearly walked out of Suzu’s Bath on the second level of Udon Okutama while still in her swimsuit.

…Oops!

She was working. Even with a kosode on over it, she had only ever walked to the front of the bathhouse. She had nearly walked right on out because of what Adele had told her about him. But…

…Asama-san and the others have gotten past it.

Her feelings had seemed fuzzy before, but now she was sure of it.

She loved him. She loved him when he was with Horizon.

But those others were trying to be with him.

They intended to be with him and stay by his side no matter what might happen to him.

“Yes.”

She wouldn’t lose her love. Because there was no reason or requirement that she stop loving him.

She simply felt she wasn’t the one to be with him and stay by his side.

Flat Vassal: “Suzu-san, can you come here!?”

Bell: “I’m right below you.”

Yes. Suzu’s Bath received purified bathwater from the Asama Shrine and then sent it back. If she climbed one long block staircase and passed through a wide block door, she could reach the Asama Shrine’s level. It wouldn’t even take two minutes.

But she didn’t need to go now.

She would go after her shift was complete. That would make him, Horizon, Asama, Mitotsudaira, and Kimi happy.

I am me. In my mind, he isn’t just with Horizon – he will never be alone again. And…

Flat Vassal: “Oh, then I’ll go to you! Once the food has been distributed here, I’ll head to your place and make some hot spring eggs! Can you make the preparations for that!?”

Annoyingly, none of them would let anyone in the class be alone.

She remembered what her parents had once said:

“Suzu? That class of yours looks after you so much – maybe this isn’t the best way of saying it – but you’ll never be able to get married with them around. You’re having too much fun already.”

Sorry, mom and dad. But I am having a lot of fun.

He had died, but they said he was waiting at the entrance to Yomi.

That was so like him.

Why did she feel this way? The Musashi had sunk, they had nothing, and they still hadn’t brought him back, but…

“Incredible, Toori-kun.”

Now it feels like nothing can stop us.

●

“If we had the Musashi, nothing would be able to stop us.”

Naruze held a Shinto-style sign frame between her wings while lightly dancing up a mountain path.

She was moving to a safe divine transmission point.

…Knowing I can talk with them puts me in such a good mood.

Her own cheer surprised her a little. But…

Unturning: “Reading back the records, that really was the worst girls talk session.”

Narumi was right. They had had a lot of fun talking about the Chancellor. At Surface Musashi, the Main Blue Thunder group was apparently nearly done with their preparations, but she was on the way to the divine transmission to receive the log.

She had never been there before, but she had a good idea where it was. She had Technomagie capable of figuring that out automatically.

…Maybe I should set up an inconspicuous relay spell so I can respond using a stealth sign frame at any time.

At any rate, there were six points near the cabin. She had used three of those for the previous “worst girls talk sessions”. She had located a fourth with a spell but hadn’t been there yet.

However, it was within the visible range of the cabin. This mountain path would take her to a rocky area beyond some hills. The point was at the bottom of a large rock.

She was worried about her surroundings, but her black wings came in handy. No one was around and this was a Shinto village, so she used a Shinto stealth spell Asama had prepared for her to automatically collect any scattered feathers.

And when she climbed up to the rocky area with the sign fame in hand…

“Oh…”

She saw the color white.

“Talk about nothing being able to stop you.”

That was how she felt seeing what was among the rocks.

It was damaged and broken, but Weiss Fraulein was caught in a gap between two rocks.

She swallowed the voice that nearly left her.

…Who should I thank for this!?

Asama or Mitotsudaira since they gave me so much new material to work with today? No, the Chancellor is behind all of that, so probably him. Thank you, nudist!

“It’s been a while since I drew the two of them with the Chancellor…”

While viewing the parts strewn out around the broom, she noticed something in the dark night.

Past the hilly area was a clearing where the trees had been cut down.

The shapes rising from the ground at regular intervals made her think it was a fruit orchard or something.

But that wasn’t it.

“Gravestones?”

They were lined up in the night. Based on the number of rows and columns, there had to be at least 400 of them. And they all looked relatively new.

…They all look about equally weathered…

Had they been placed here at the same time?

She couldn’t say.

But there was one thing she could say.

The gravestones were all crosses, but those crosses were upside-down. Like a sword, they were shorter below the horizontal bar and longer above it. She knew who used that shape: Technohexen.

A large number of Technohexen had lost their lives all at once. That was the story told here. She clenched her teeth.

…And I was really enjoying myself tonight.

She was reminded of something about this village. No, about the people sleeping below these gravestones.

“These are the people who lived in Margot’s village, aren’t they?”

She knew all about that. Because…

“They fought my parents and the others and they burned down each other’s villages.”

●

A divine transmission arrived from Naruze.

Art-Ga: “So, uh, I just found Weiss Fraulein, so I’m going to be busy. I’ll check in periodically.”

Shortly after receiving that contradictory message, at 8:10 PM, Asama finished their preparations.

Horizon was wearing a kosode. Kimi was wearing a white dancing outfit. Asama wore a shrine maiden outfit. And Mitotsudaira…

“Are you sure my knight combat dress is acceptable?”

“Yes, for the two of us, an outfit that has left an impression on Toori-kun will be more recognizable for him. Of course, our clothing will be ether on the other side, so we can change it at will. So think of your current outfit as a something like a ‘key’ to that.”

On the path to the shrine building, Asama passed Mitotsudaira a sign frame.

“Tomo, what is this?”

“An IZUMO clothing catalog for use in other worlds. Each year, they add things like what we are wearing now, so you should be able to find any of the costumes your mom mentioned.”

She couldn’t deny that a part of her was looking forward to this. The Musashi’s weight tax and space limitations meant it was hard to buy clothes whenever you wanted.

“But we can wear whatever we want this time. Sakuya has also prepared spirits to handle makeup, so that will be automatically applied. Let’s do this right.”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“How can Toori-kun enjoy it if I’m not?”

“Fair point,” said Mitotsudaira before looking to Asama’s chest. With a hint of concern.

“…What is it?”

“Well, um, I couldn’t help but notice…isn’t that thinner than usual? The fabric, I mean. And it’s very tight fitting.”

“Eh? Oh, that. This was designed to increase the spell conductivity and eliminate any discomfort when entering the other world. Also, pads violate those standards, so I will be removing them.”

“Huh? Then should I remove mine too?”

There was no real need to do it here, but they both did.

The wolf suddenly seemed to be acting a lot more bashfully, but she just had to get used to it. This wasn’t meant to be worn in public.

Then they heard some drumming from the shrine grounds.

“Okay, let’s get this started! It’s wake time!” someone shouted.

“We aren’t a Buddhist temple, nor is this a wake,” complained Asama.

They entered the shrine building through the stairs on the side. On the way, Mary and Adele waved their way from the shrine grounds, which helped it hit home that they were starting the ritual.

…It’s finally time.

She wasn’t sure what exactly it was finally time for, but she and Mitotsudaira gasped when they entered the building.

He was sleeping there.

He had lost his soul, but he wasn’t dead. If he remained like this for too long, another soul could enter him and reanimate him, but that was why she had a strict spell field in place. And…

“Horizon…”

Horizon was lying sprawled out between the two mirrors. She must have drunk the spell-infused sake and passed out. Did that mean she too was stressed and exhausted?

“How manly of you…”

That felt like the best way of describing Horizon here. But Sakuya had to already be waiting on the path to the main shrine past Horizon’s head. Asama received a sign frame signed by Sakuya.

<One hell of a girl is sleeping on the floor.>

Yeah, there’s no denying that…

That aside, Asama got ready. The futon neatly laid out on the floor had a memo from Mary sitting on it.

It said, “Good luck! I know you can make him come!”

Mary really should have added “back with you”, but that girl seemed to be a natural at these things.

●

“It seems some kind of festival is underway at the Asama Shrine.”

Kasuya responded to her mother’s mother’s words by meaninglessly looking to the southern sky. This was a forest near the center of Hexagone Française, so she couldn’t see Shikoku from here.

But her mother’s father opened a lernen figur.

“I have this from our PR people. It had to come all the way through Aki to get here.”

The image of Shikoku’s night indeed showed a lot of light at one point.

“The Asama Shrine is at the bottom of an atrium space, right? The Musashi has become around eight multilevel cities known as Surface Musashi and this is Okutama, where the Asama Shrine is located.”

He ran his finger along the image and highlighting lines appeared on the dark nighttime image. They were a note from the Hexagone Française Public Relations Committee and they revealed the shape of eight cities.

“Yes, it’s this light here.”

The light was shining up from the bottom of an atrium space.

“This can pick up sound, can’t it?”

Her mother’s mother peered in from the side and adjusted the volume. It provided real-time audio.

“Yayyyy! Adele’s the biiiiiig loser! Heh heh heh! Come and get me!”

“Ahhhhhhhh, dammit! I’ll get you! Don’t think I won’t!”

“Oh, but what if I take your hair and ball it up above your head like this!? Onion hair!!”

“Dammiiiiiiit! Okay, fine! Let’s wake it up!”

“What language are they speaking?” asked Kasuya.

“Just so you know, no one can match Musashi’s passion when it comes to play and taking a break from life.”

That seemed likely. But it was all so cheerful and exciting.

…How strange.

Hashiba was advancing the Genesis Project and their own ends across the land.

Musashi was supposed to be idle and helpless after losing the Musashi.

It might be weird to compare who was having more fun, but which one seemed more positive?

“Hee hee. What’s wrong? Feeling left out?”

“N-no, I am, um, plenty happy with the attention you two are providing me, Great Mother and Great Father. The many things you have told me really do make me happy.”

“Oh, then I have no choice but to give you the sweets I had hidden away,” kindly said her mother’s father.

Their goal was to ensure these things were not lost. So there had been a time when she thought they should set aside things like fun.

Tsurugi: “Kasuya!”

Mouri-01 tensed at the sudden lernen figur.

Her mother’s mother only narrowed her eyes toward her. So she explained to Mouri-01.

“It is from a friend – Hirano Nagayasu.”

“Oh, your half-sister? I would love to meet her sometime.”

…Oh, that could be fun.

Kasuya felt like those two wouldn’t get along in general but would get along in their daily routines. They were probably a better match when it came to skills like cooking and spells than in conversation. While she was thinking this, Hirano sent her words over.

Tsurugi: “An M.H.R.R. Catholic assault team will be headed to the Surface Musashi in Sanuki tomorrow morning before dawn! They will be insisting that the officers be suspended like Katagiri-kun demanded.”

Black Wolf: “I thought our mothers and their friends didn’t have to do that?”

Tsurugi: “This was a suggestion from Ishikawa-sensei. She said it would be best to see if they have any intent to resist. Takenaka protested, but the ship had already been sent out. I’m on my way there from Aki, so let’s meet up somewhere.”

“Testament,” replied Kasuya with a gulp. Her mother’s mother tilted her head.

“May I ask what that was about?”

Kasuya hesitated but decided to explain. This was Ishikawa’s independent decision. Since this hadn’t been the Ten Spears’ idea, Takenaka would deal with any leaked information.

“Our homeroom teacher is attempting to harass Musashi over a personal grudge against my mother’s homeroom teacher.”

“My, how awful.”

“You aren’t shocked by this?”

“Musashi would never have survived this long if something like this would shock them, so, as one of their mothers, I cannot let it shock me either.”

Her mother’s mother smiled a little.

“Now, I wonder what will happen? This will likely light the fuse. The question is who has been gathering up all the explosives.”

Her mother’s mother gestured toward the screen that showed some fireworks already erupting. And on the surface…

“Nwohhhhh, a tribute to Toori-dono’s risky behavior!!”

Are they trying to get themselves killed?

●

In contrast to all the noise outside, the spell had quietly begun.

The music and cheers outside were muffled by the shrine building’s door, creating a restful air.

Reflected by the mirrors and within the space marked out by the shimenawa, the wolf and the shrine maiden clapped their hands once above his head and took a drink of the spell-infused sacred sake.

They swallowed.

Then the shrine maiden filled her mouth with sacred sake again.

“–––––”

She planted her lips on his.

She sent it into his mouth, more letting it soak in than spill out.

“There.”

With a clap, the shrine maiden summoned her Mouse and let her handle the rest.

“If Horizon gets bored, play with her and arrange whatever she needs.”

“Understood!”

The Mouse was linked to the shrine maiden’s emotions and had a smile on her face. Aware that smile was no lie, the two lay down in their respective futons.

Sign frames appeared above all their heads. And…

“Time to go.”

With that statement and a nod, the two shrine maidens’ souls were invited down the path leading to the opened main shrine.

The spell meant to bring back Toori had activated.

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