Leviathan:Volume 2 Chapter 3
Chapter 3 - The Power of Dragonbane
Part 1
"Yesterday, Yokohama was apparently thrown into chaos because a dragon suddenly flew there."
"I see..."
Inside the UFO Research Club's room, Mutou-san finished speaking while watching the news on a 19-inch flatscreen television, prompting Hal to nod. Shown on the screen were people fleeing from all over urban Yokohama, as well as the silver dragon that happened to be captured on home video.
Although they were having an extended break, because today was a weekday, they still had to attend half a day of lessons.
After school, Hal was curious about the situation at the UFO Research Club so he went to the clubroom to have a look.
"Will internet news have any new scoop? Let's see, 'Last night at around 9pm, a large dragon attacked urban Yokohama. Fortunately, the dragon ended the attack in roughly ten minutes and flew away'... Hmm, almost every media outlet is writing the same thing. It's the same as this morning's."
Mutou-san checked the laptop browser and several newspapers while murmuring.
"However, according to people who happened to be on scene at the time, the dragon apparently said something. It was probably speaking in English. Here, listen to this."
She used the laptop to connect to a certain video uploading website then played an audio-only file.
Noisy voices could be heard from the speaker. Shouting, yelling, crying, screaming, all at the same time. However, someone definitely was delivering a loud speech in a pleasant voice amidst all the noise.
"Someone at the scene recorded this. But since the background is too noisy, you can't make out the words at all."
"Mutou-san, how did you obtain all this information?"
"I have many sources. This came from an acquaintance on the net," answered Mutou-san while smiling proudly.
"I'm going to visit Yokohama later. My plan is to check out the city with my own eyes then meet up with a friend who happened to be at the scene last night."
"Is there any need to go that far for a high school club...?"
"Ahaha. Searching stuff on the net doesn't count as research, you know? After all, lies and wrong information abound and get spread everywhere. You actually need to conduct interviews at the scene."
"You make a fair point."
"However, dragons are really visiting the Kantou region a lot lately. It's already the fourth time this month. It feels a bit too frequent..."
Hal mentally jumped in alarm, because he was reminded of what Hinokagutsuchi had said. "A number of dragons have apparently noticed this—"
"By the way, is your family planning to evacuate or leave the metropolitan area?" asked Hal deceptively.
"Since we're in the middle of an extended break, more than two-thirds of our class is absent anyway, right?"
"My family is quite complacent. They all think that 'Dragons could come flying no matter where you are in the world!' But if the dragon that vanished from Yokohama is lurking near New Town, I guess evacuation would be an option too."
"......"
As a member of SAURU, Hal was privy to undisclosed information.
However, the information obtained from the radio station located at the building and all mass media related personnel who happened to be at the scene was not released to the public. This was because the incident involved an elite dragon and therefore information was kept restricted.
In front of the silent Hal, Mutou-san picked up her schoolbag.
"Oh, transfer student. Thanks for the tea you prepared, it's very good. Then I'm heading out."
"You're welcome—Oh, she already left."
The departed Mutou-san was originally sitting with Hal at the long table in the middle of the room.
With her back towards them, Asya looked up and replied. She was facing a small desk next to the wall, preparing red tea there.
"Still, Mutou-san really takes a lot of initiative..."
"The unexpected perk of joining this research club is that it allows me to reconfirm how ordinary people view reports on dragons."
Asya and Hal made poignant remarks to each other.
"Especially since we've been in SAURU for so long, our perceptions have deviated from the norm. This kind of situation is truly refreshing and interesting. By the way, Asya."
Hal looked at his childhood friend again and changed the subject.
"Can I ask why a member of the Literature Club went out of her way to brew tea here?"
"There's no special significance. If anything, it's to train myself."
Asya responded with an incomprehensible explanation. Just earlier, she had knocked and entered.
Furthermore, she was pushing a clattering trolley that carried black tea leaves and a set of tea ware.
"I've obtained permission from the president... Rather, I should say that it was her orders. She said something about 'go ahead and visit my various clubs whenever you're free!'"
"She's still so mysterious..."
Just as Hal muttered quietly, Asya turned back to her task of brewing black tea.
Her action was filled with a wondrous sense of motion, giving off an impression of distinct rhythm. With her back straight, her standing posture was very proper. Hal could not help but feel his gaze drawn to her. Bemused, Hal cocked his head and went "Hmm?"
He watched Asya cooking many times before. Usually, she went full steam ahead and it would not be strange to hear accompanied shouts of "Urya!", "Orya!" or "Toryaa!" Using brute force to subjugate a large amount of food, her figure was definitely bold and swift.
But right now, she was giving off an impression more like a figure skater in pursuit of artistic points.
Suspiciously, Hal gazed at Asya's back.
She was dressed in the Academy's female uniform. Due to the lower height of the desk where the tea ware was arranged, his childhood friend had to stoop forward slightly. Hal jumped in surprise.
A faint glimpse of the view under her skirt. Out of sight. No, in sight now—Or not?
How incredible. Asya was quite nonchalant about matters on this front. Whenever she was wearing a miniskirt, Hal would sometimes think to himself indifferently behind her back: "Oh, so it's white today..."
Perhaps because she left herself completely open, he did not feel any excitement at all.
But this tension of faint glimpses just now was truly refreshing—
"Excuse me, Haruomi?"
Hal came to his senses to find Asya looking at him shyly.
"Could it be... You saw it?"
"What are you referring to?"
"Basically, uh... No. N-Nothing."
During the conversation, the childhood friend suddenly held down the back of her skirt with both hands.
Hal found it rather curious. Why was he getting this sort of disappointed feeling...?
"Speaking of which, the president's absent when clearly an incident of that sort happened the previous day."
"She went to attend the Drama Club's rehearsal 'that must not be missed no matter what,' insisting something like 'I am the only one who can wear the Nurarihyon youkai mask!'"
"What the heck is that play about? I'm so curious..."
After having tea in the clubroom, the two of them left the UFO Research Club.
Asya returned to the Literature Club whereas Hal made his way to the underground floors of the library adjacent to the clubs building.
Hal was told that the underground space would become the Mansion's substitute facility within the next few days. Things were supposed to have arrived this morning, which was why Hal came to check.
Several large racks were transported here for placing books and magic apparatus later on.
Walking among them, Hal jumped in surprise, because he found a familiar face.
"Ah, Haruomi-kun. How serendipitous, fancy running into you here."
"What a big coincidence. I didn't expect you to be here, Hiiragi-san."
"After all, the children under my care will be placed here soon, so I was thinking I should come and check."
Hiiragi Yukari, SAURU's technical consultant. Despite his surprise at this unexpected encounter, Hal still asked what he wanted to know the most.
"The silver elite that appeared in Yokohama is lurking in Old Tokyo after all, right?"
"Rather than lurking, he is gracefully making his temporary residence there. Want to have a look?"
Hiiragi-san took out a tablet computer from her bag.
Shown on the LCD screen was a blurred image. It was probably taken by an unmanned drone.
The overhead view showed what appeared to be somewhere in Old Tokyo. Shining with metallic silver luster, the elite was sitting there with his eyes closed, his body curled up in leisure.
In addition, the building behind where he was lying down looked very familiar.
It was the former National Diet Building, a historic site that used to be the center of Japanese politics in the past.
"Volunteering to conquer Japan and choosing to stay at Nagatachō. Now that's what you call ironic."
"And openly too, without using magic to hide. However, he seems to detest getting disturbed. Reportedly, every spy plane sent to monitor him was destroyed."
"If this were a Hollywood movie from the past, the American military would probably fire a nuclear missile in this situation."
"But past precedent has already shown that nuclear weapons don't work against the defensive magic of elites."
Hal and Hiiragi-san exchanged nods.
The elite dragon's speech was virtually drowned out by background noise on video upload sites, but Hal and company had already watched the clear and complete version that was not released to the public.
Likewise undisclosed was news that the elite dragon calling himself Pavel Galad was currently in Old Tokyo...
"A bronze elite appeared just half a month ago and this time it's silver? The number of times Raptors flew to the vicinity of the Kantou region in the past two months has been high. Are these two linked after all?"
Hiiragi-san sighed.
Although Hal knew the answer, he could not speak it. Instead, he said, "By the way, can I ask a question? Was the dragon's demand reported to the government?"
"Yes. Even the government doesn't dare procrastinate with a leisurely 'Wait and see' response. Instead, they quickly declared that 'hostile neighbors who threaten the our nation's sovereignty should be firmly asked to leave the country immediately'—"
"Was this message delivered?"
"They seem like they really have the intention. But if our battle against Pavel Galad ends in failure, they might very well try to make the most of a hopeless situation and send an emissary."
Asya and Orihime had already agreed to fight the elite. Hal had heard them talking about it in the classroom, so he tried asking:
"Although are a few days left, when are we going to make a move?"
"The last second until the deadline, when we've gathered enough 'serpents' for reinforcements... But there might be a limit to how long we can wait."
"Why?"
"I'm afraid that dragon might get impatient and start going on a rampage before the deadline."
After pointing out the belligerent personality of elites, Hiiragi-san made a worried expression.
"Actually, I came here today in hopes of checking on Orihime-san and Hazumi-san. If they're feeling nervous, I could chat with them too."
"Shirasaka too? This time, she should be staying on standby at New Town, right?"
"Yes, but she is that kind of 'good girl' after all. She probably feels very strongly about her inability to take part in battle."
After parting ways with Hiiragi-san, Hal left the school. It was already evening.
Hal went to the nearest train station at Ryougoku to take the Loop Line because he intended to go home directly. Taking out his touchscreen cellphone, he brought up some pictures.
They were photos of a wasteland. What they depicted was not a Japanese town.
Instead, it was a view of New York State's Old Manhattan Concession. Also a Monolith. A triangular prism of pure black was towering over the place previously known as Wall Street.
These photos had been taken using Visual Reprint, in order words, a spell for printing out images seen through magical sight.
Above the Monolith at the former Wall Street, a large rune of Ruruk Soun, which humanity still had yet to decipher, was traced out in platinum-colored light.
A pictogram consisting of sharp rhombus connected to the tip of a long straight line.
For a long time, humans still could not understand what it meant, but now, Hal could see it from a single glance.
This was the dragonslaying runic symbol signifying the Rune of the Spear.
"I guess the Monolith at Old Warsaw probably has a dragonslaying seal too..."
A glowing dragonslaying rune on top of a Monolith was a declaration of occupation—
That was what Hinokagutsuchi had said. And the Old Manhattan Concession was Red Hannibal's while the Old Warsaw Concession was the territory ruled by the "dragon king-class" Caesar Draconis named the Black Lightning Emperor.
Due to reaching Narihirabashi Station, which was closest to home, Hal put away his cellphone.
Then getting off the train, he started on his journey home. Finally reaching his house, he found a girl at his doorstep. It was Shirasaka Hazumi. Why was she here? Just as Hal wondered, Hazumi approached him.
"Haruga-san, I have a favor to beg of you!"
Normally very reserved and polite, Hazumi was making a rare display of forcefulness today.
"Please allow me to meet Hinokagutsuchi-san. Haruga-san, I would like to ask her why the power of your rune could not be entrusted to Nee-sama!"
"Huh?"
With serious eyes, Hazumi gazed intently at the troubled Hal.
Part 2
The first holiday in May, Golden Week, was finally in full swing.
On this morning, Hal and Juujouji Orihime agreed to meet up at the cafe in front of Ryougoku Station. Based on this description alone, one might conclude that they were a couple on a date.
However, there were two additional participants on this occasion.
"Listen carefully, little lady. Simply stated, both the brat and the priestess are lacking in mutual resolve."
"R-Resolve is it?"
A four-person round table in the open-air cafe's terrace.
Seated around the table together with Hal and Orihime, Hinokagutsuchi and Hazumi began to converse. After listening to the request Hazumi had visited the Haruga residence the previous night to make, the lazy self-styled devil had given the following reply.
Get a hold of the priestess named Orihime or something like that. Although it was a pain, she would instruct them this once...
"I shall cut straight to the chase, brat. Approach the priestess immediately and tell her 'I want you. Give everything of yours to me.'"
"D-Did you just say everything? Don't be ridiculous, Kagutsuchi-san!"
Orihime could not help but protest against the absurd suggestion. However, Hinokagutsuchi remained unfazed.
"Priestess, I would advise you to read the mood and answer 'I am willing to offer you my body and soul' in one fell swoop, obediently allowing yourself to be deceived just once. This would allow the matter to be resolved to everyone's satisfaction."
"M-More and more ridiculous. Absolutely not!"
"I don't think it's possible for Juujouji and I to do that..."
"Such a level of mutual resolve is necessary for you two. That is, if you wish to establish a vassal covenant."
Dressed in a scarlet kimono as usual, Hinokagutsuchi was just a cute little girl in appearance.
Such a being was arrogantly reclining in her open-air seat. In addition, there was the additional presence of Orihime and Hazumi, two young beauties. Consequently, the group was attracting plenty of attention from customers and staff in the cafe as well as pedestrians passing by outside.
However, perhaps such a lineup ended up producing an aura of intimidation. Not even a single customer sat near them.
" "......" "
Hal only figured it out after listening to the self-styled devil's sloppy instructions. I see, so that's why I can't entrust the Bow's power to her? Meanwhile, Hazumi seemed quite shocked.
"H-Hand over everything... To offer one's body and soul, in other words..."
Hazumi's face turned bright red while she huddled her slender body and murmured.
Seeing her cousin like that, Orihime hastily said, "H-Hazumi, Kagutsuchi-san is simply making an analogy. Don't get led astray—D-Don't think of it in romantic terms!"
"I-Is that how it goes?"
"Hmm? No, priestess. If you are mentally prepared to go all the way, even at the cost of sharing a bed together, the vassal covenant will be easier to complete."
"—Go all the way!?"
"Don't imagine it. Seriously, don't do it, Hazumi!"
"Conversely, if the brat has the mettle to think 'I will surely make this woman mine' then the matters will be different again. Hmm."
Hazumi looked feverish, Orihime was flustered, while Hinokagutsuchi was putting on a knowing look.
After listening to the conversation between the three girls, Hal had no choice but to keep quiet. Helpless, he could only space out and think "so Juujouji will cry out 'don't' repeatedly when she gets flustered"—Just at that moment...
"B-But Haruga-san already has Asya-san as his girlfriend. Even thinking about proceeding with this would be wrong..."
"Y-You really need to stop thinking about weird things. I'm about to get mad, okay!?"
Noticing Hazumi's misconception, Hal quietly interjected:
"Oh, not at all. That's not the kind of relationship Asya and I share."
"Really? S-Sorry, I jumped to conclusions."
Hazumi bowed her head deeply in response. But the instant she looked up, a puzzled expression appeared on her face that was as cute as an angel's.
"E-Excuse me, may I ask a question? How do you feel about Orihime-neesama, Haruga-san? I don't have any special intentions, but how do you view her as a woman, a member of the opposite sex..."
"H-Hazumi!?"
"Nee-sama, I-I really don't have any special intentions. I'm just a bit curious..."
After clumsily paying lip service to her troubled cousin, Hazumi gazed unerringly at Hal.
Was this what one called pure and innocent? Hal somewhat prided himself on his eloquence, but for some reason, he felt no desire to exercise this skill.
Aware that he was no match for Hazumi's gaze, Hal said:
"Hmm... Well, I guess she's a very attractive person."
"I-In that case, the rest depends on what Nee-sama thinks... I-I suddenly have something urgent to attend to!"
Hazumi stood up, causing her chair to screech.
Frantically with trembling hands, she took out her purse, put down money on the table for the cafe latte she had apparently drunk earlier, then bolted for the exit.
"N-Now for the youngsters to proceed at their own pace...!"
Leaving parting words like a marriage agent, Hazumi left.
"Wait, Hazumi!? Sheesh, she always loves to worry..."
"Oh my, you are about to fight an elite after all, Juujouji. She probably wants you to gain some more weapons. However, it's thanks to Shirasaka that we have this excellent chance."
Just as Orihime was grumbling, Hal finally managed to talk properly.
This was all due to the decrease in the female fraction. He first stared at Hinokagutsuchi who was sitting across him directly then turned his gaze towards the western sky.
Their current location at the cafe provided a vantage point with excellent visibility.
Hence, it was possible to see the tallest structure in the Tokyo area, the pure-black Monolith.
There was also the Rune of the Sword shining with platinum light above its pinnacle.
"I believe it's time for you to spill the beans honestly as a former dragon. It's perfectly fine to talk here today, right?"
"Hoo—Actually, I am not someone who likes to put on airs."
Confronted with Hal's calm questioning, the alleged ghost of an elite dragon, Hinokagutsuchi, spoke.
"Revealing too much before time is ripe would be a fool's behavior. Such a mistake would be impossible for one as wise as I am. However, it is almost time indeed—"
Hinokagutsuchi looked out to the Monolith as well. Orihime seemed to realize what they were looking at. After blinking a few times, she gazed in the same direction and nodded.
Magical sight was apparently activating successfully. In the next second—
"Well then, Queen, allow me to make introductions next."
A voice suddenly spoke. It was a strongly astringent voice that sounded rusted.
"O young man who inherited the dragonslaying bow, I shall offer you my blessings first of all. I am very happy for your existence. Allow me to congratulate you."
Without them noticing, a man in a black suit had started standing behind Hal and the others.
The man was in the prime of life. His well-proportioned face likewise emanated an aura of astringency. He was also tall in stature.
However, his race was indeterminate. For an oriental, his facial features were too deep-set. His tanned skin was too dark to be Caucasian, but he did not have any negroid features visible either.
"I am Sophocles, in charge of facilitating the Road to Kingship—the grand yet barbaric game revolving around dragons, runes and the earth. My work could also be described as running errands."
While introducing his name, the suspicious man sat down in Hazumi's former seat.
Then with a great sense of familiarity, he called for a waitress and ordered a cup of coffee.
Part 3
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Part 4
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Part 5
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