Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 11 Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Weak Person’s Blame(Black is the Color)

Part 1

Kazuki saw a strange dream.

The dream had a vivid realism even more than the virtual reality that he had experienced with Kamimura-san ― as if he was synchronized with someone’s memory.

In reality, the dream made him think that it might be a past of sometime somewhere. No, he was convinced.

There were mountains of rubble as far as his eyes could see.

The perpetrator that brought about this destruction, that was as if it was done by a large monster, had already received damage to the degree that he almost entered magic intoxication, while feeling the sensation of the rough rubble at his back, he collapsed spread-eagled.

While that man was lying spread-eagled ― he was looking up at the opponent that had beaten up himself.

A high-statured woman that stood tall. A smart black suit. Long reaching blonde hair that beautifully and fiercely made one think of a lion’s mane. Backing the light, her face was mostly unseen.

The ferocious blonde haired woman was looking down his way while talking.

“It’s my first job since I became King but, defeating an old friend like you who was like my older brother is… karma isn’t it, Red Metallica.”

She still looked young but the echo of her voice was deep.

“Kill me…” The fallen down man ― Red answered like that.

“Before I become someone that is not me, kill me, Clark. My head is already in pieces.”

“Don’t say such a pathetic thing, Aniki.” (TN: Elder brother, or older man.)

He couldn’t see well because of the back-lighting but, he was certain that this woman who was called Clark was having a crisp smile.

“Let’s reminisce a little yeah.” The tone of the woman turned just a little familiar.

“…Both of us were supposed to be two people who didn’t have a common ground at all. I was a street child in the slums without any parents, that lived my days merely stealing randomly. You were the son of a distinguished owner of an Indian casino. But you felt doubt towards the Indian identity you were born with and came to the streets. And then you and I met. For us to strangely hit it off when we tried talking to each other, that was truly a mysterious happening but… that rotten bond didn’t continue long, I didn’t even go to school and became a gang member, and you graduated from an elite university before joining a large company at Silicon Valley… both of us becoming estranged from each other was only the natural course of events.” (TN: The rotten bond, in Japan meant an undesirable but inseparable relationship)

A tone that spoke of the past affectionately. Red lent his ears toward her talk with a gentle feeling.

“But why in the world did it become like this? In this reunion after several years I am the [King], and you… an illegal magician. This is really karma.”

“…Hearing your nostalgic voice, just for an instant, it feels like I returned to the past.”

Red talked with a hoarse voice.

“But as expected I’m at my limit already. Kill me. I doing something like this is in no way the result of <Baron Samedi>’s manipulation. In reality there was my will in that action. It was something I did with my own will in it.”

“Kidnapping white girls of very young age then using the company’s facility to repeat human experiments and then you slaughtered them wholesale… if you said that this is your own will then certainly you really are an excellent serial killer. The present time Blue Beard(Gilles de Rais).”

“…To make the sweet unification with Diva to last eternally, a mechanical body that can endure against the Diva’s encroachment and a mind expanded by pharmaceutics are necessary. If the remodeling to those girls goes well… I plan to perform the operation on myself for remodeling, but… unfortunately…”

“The modus operandi of your kidnapping was turning rougher and rougher day by day. And then finally, the authorities exposed you, where you rampaged and destroyed the city. Look around you, the splendid company headquarters where you worked at now isn’t even a shadow of itself. Did you want power that much, Aniki.”

“I wanted it, really wanted it.”

“Even though without contracting with something like a Diva, you were already a human of the elite side.”

“All along I was far weaker than even a pauper like you. Even if I had money and position, but a human that doesn’t have an identity in his heart is weak. Since the old days I hated myself. Even without getting involved with a Diva… I myself wanted to remodel my body and become [the new me].”

“For that sake, your guinea pigs are [little white girls] huh. Indeed, certainly the crime that you committed was the manifestation of your own will and desire. You red pervert.”

“Do me a favor and kill me. Even that broken me… is right now changing from the root becoming something that isn’t me. Like this my latent dark part will be exposed under broad daylight, in the end I will become the fodder of a Diva and become the enemy of the human race…”

“Even though you hate yourself, but you hate to become something that is not yourself?”

“Just that I won’t recognize. I wish to die shouldering my sin and ugliness, as myself…”

“I won’t allow that. That’s just running away. I cannot kill you, Red Metallica.”

“Run away you say? Before I become not myself, wishing to die by the hand of my dear childhood friend ― no, with the hand of the ally of justice(American Justice), you are saying that’s an escape?”

“Become my right-hand man. I’m going to get eaten soon, see… you are talking exaggeratedly like that but, if you rest for a while you can still hold out for a while right? And then hand over the data of your human experiments to my gamble. If we use people and money to advance systematically, your experiments can be implemented immediately. If we do that, you are going to become a cyborg, and you can lengthen the time to hold on to your sanity a little more.”

“…You, are you still a gang leader? You have been awakened to the power of King already.

“My days as a King is still short, I’m holding the post as gang boss and an ally of justice concurrently. Well, during that time I plan to hijack the government with my gang and unify them.”

“…Further you said that you want the data of an inhuman body remodeling you say? …Kuhaha-“

Red laughed amusedly from the bottom of his heart.

“American Justice Mythology huh… why were you chosen as King by them I wonder?”

“That’s obvious. That’s because they can’t choose the method. Unfortunately America that was an economic power once, right now is just a Mythology minor country. America won’t survive if we don’t use mafia methods. If it’s me, I’m the best in the world in that kind of field.”

“Can you win…? Not only against South America, even against the other Magic Advanced Countries too.”

“For that, first your research data and cooperation is required.”

“Aren’t you desperate? Since when did you become that kind of patriot, Clark?”

“Unexpectedly all of those poor people raised badly are patriots. No matter what kind trash those poor scoundrel are… they won’t run away from the fact that they were born and raised in America. We survived in America relying on our bodies alone ― that’s why they themselves have pride, we feel gratitude just to America. In other words, they are a [prideful] bunch. The sole important thing that I have.”

“Pride huh… Since I was a brat until now, the more I grew into an adult the more I lost that. And then now I’m being eaten by a Diva…”

“Don’t run away. That’s what I’m saying as running away. Fight. Fight, recover your pride. Become my right-hand man, devote yourself until your real limit for this country. Remodel your whole body into a machine until the extreme, stab electrodes into your brain and reinforce your brain unshakably, if by doing that you still cannot get away from the Diva, then until you become raving mad, until your real breaking point, use up yourself for the sake of the Stars and Stripes! Fight until there is not even a single scrap left! You can be killed by someone… only after you become a real messed-up cripple.”

Kazuki who was immersed in the dream world, was back to himself only in that instant from his shock.

The Red Metallica that Kazuki knew was… a human that he absolutely couldn’t forgive. Every single word that he spouted out, was truly preposterous.

That was why Kazuki fought and defeated Red. Red died due to machine breakdown.

Perhaps this dream, if it was truly a past that had really happened ― then Red had truly ended up like this woman’s prediction.

The one who was assigned the role as the god of death, was Kazuki.

But this scene, was it the [moment where evil was born by mistake]?

The woman continued with strong words.

“Die as the hero of this country’s defense, die as a madman that won’t be praised by anyone of this country!”

“…How harsh. That’s surely… very tough huh.”

“America is in that much of a pinch right now. It’s completely covered in a pitch black destiny. Since I became King, the more I comprehend the situation, I know… this country only has a one in a thousand chance of victory. In my hopeless bet to become the world’s strongest… it’s necessary to work out every single plan possible. This is the way the gang works.”

Slavery. Alchemy that converted human minds into wealth.

An absolute capitalism country that became stronger the richer it was.

What Kazuki found unacceptable and rejected ― the muddy black hidden side of the resplendent America.

But was this scene really the [moment where evil was born by mistake]? Was the woman’s deed evil?

“America is it… Certainly even though I hate everything, I have never thought of leaving this country. Was there something definite even in me? Just like the Indians in the past that loved the earth… I too, towards this country, towards America”

“Now stand up. Right now, you too had lost everything except your own body and America. That’s including your given moral sense. From now on, you are going to fight without choosing your method. Take my hand!”

Red’s body was heavy like mud. Most of the mental area of his brain was all destroyed, he devoted all of the little part that still functioned sanely to his conversation with Clark. But Red mustered a willpower that seemed as if pulverizing his soul and raised his left arm. That woman ― Clark grasped that hand tightly. It was the soft hand of a woman, but it was a terrifyingly heated hand.

A resolve to not give a damn whatever method he chose ― a jet black will was burning inside him.

“…Which reminds me, this is also a difficult topic but, it seems like in South America my little sister has also become the Indian Mythology’s King.”

Clark changed the topic completely. Her tone was easy but mixed with a deep sigh just a little.

“Since a long time ago she was completely immersed in things like yoga, spiritual, occultism and so on saying absurd things like [discovering the origin of magic power in the cosmos of oneself] and whatever, that fickle otaku girl is the King of Indian Mythology, can you imagine? Even though I was going as far as stealing to earn tuition for her, just when I thought if she was hanging out with a strange group that felt organic in the school, what in the world did she learn from them? During the time I was busy she ran wild towards a preposterous direction.”

“Eimi is…?”

When he called that name, Red’s voice tone was colored with a completely different emotion than what could be felt from him until now.

“It seems the founder-sama of a religious sect in South America that introduced herself with a nonsense name like [Medicine Wheel] is that girl. That’s based from the investigation of the guys from my organization. What the hell, Clark and Eimi, what absurd sisters we are. Even though I did my best industriously like this, that girl denied the whole human race’s self and is trying to return everything to Mother Nature, dragging all of the Americans and American culture in it.”

“Denial of self huh.. .that’s completely… running away alright.”

“Before that girl really becomes a part of Mother Nature, we’ve got to win in our battle against the Indians. You, in the past you liked that girl right?”

• KAA―*…Kazuki who was watching the dream was filled with the feeling of shame that floated in Red’s chest and head from his synchronization.

Clark laughed a little in jest.

“How’s that? You too now want to do your best until your last right? Now, stand up. For America, fight until your body, your heart, even your morals turns into ashes…”

―Kazuki woke up at the same time with Lotte.

Leme was lying down between the two of them, but this girl didn’t show any sign that she would wake up yet.

Inside the room that was still dark, Kazuki and Lotte were staring at each other in confusion.

“Kazuki-oniisan, I, saw a weird dream. Red Metallica came out in it…”

“So you too Lotte? No way this is a coincidence right?”

Kazuki reflexively stared at his hand luggage that he put at his bedside. He had secretly stored Red’s goggle inside the student bag. When they dealt with all the traces at that fortress, for some reason he became concerned with it and brought it back. While hiding them from the people in the hotel, sometimes he observed the construction of the machine in his own way, but…

“Does it react with our mind?”

Lotte murmured. Lotte who was too excellent in Telepathy magic and unconsciously Telepathized with other people was beside him, that was why that possibility was also the first one that came into Kazuki’s mind.

The residual thought that dwelled inside the deceased Red’s article was reacting with Lotte, then through his bond with Lotte, Kazuki also saw the dream… Unconsciously his spine shuddered. To be connected by Telepathy with something that was left behind inside the deceased’s article was just creepy.

Since magic appeared in this world, an argument that [might ghosts possibly exist] had become popular.

Mental power possessed powers of physical influence and could be manifested, it was hard to deny that existence.

Not to mention in the other countries that had become religious countries, even Japan that was a civilization country and then most likely even America, the number of people that advocated spiritual ideology increased rapidly.

There was the foundation for that from the fact that scientism which attached too much importance to reasoning couldn’t bring happiness to society at the deathbed in the previous era where magic still didn’t exist.

By believing the existence of a soul and the world after death, the number of humans that ran away from the unhappiness of reality increased.

But despite having obtained the power of magic at great pains, making the power of magic as the foundation and entrusting their wishes to the world after death, in the end was such an interpretation of the world a correct one he wondered.

[Denial of self huh… that’s completely… running away right.]

Red’s words from the dream flashed inside Kazuki’s head. His appearance was completely like a different person from the Red that Kazuki encountered. The vestiges of madness was still thinner than what he showed to Kazuki… there was also an aspect of him that showed embarrassment from the name of the girl called Eimi.

The figure that Kazuki saw in reality ― was that the result of resisting until his limit, the mere shadow of his former self after being driven mad until the limit.

He had carried out the ideal of North America’s King.

Was it correct, or was it mistaken.

“Just as we thought… this country is really sad desu…”

Lotte murmured to herself.

It was neither correct nor mistaken, but sad.

That was the most appropriate expression to express this feeling that blocked his chest right now.

Part 2

And then, it was the breakfast time in hotel Yggdrasil that they had repeated many times.

“Somehow there is an inconsistency in the chef’s cooking last night and this morning isn’t it?”

Hikaru-senpai that was strangely sharp in some aspects pointed out while chewing her food.

It seemed that everyone around him also felt it somehow and they nodded.

“Aren’t they trying out alchemic cooking?” Kazuki answered.

Yesterday morning Kazuki put into practice preparing American style food with alchemic cooking where he then introduced it to the chefs here, that might be the cause. But their control of magic power was still not perfect and the completed cooking was not uniform.

Having said that the result was better by doing it with alchemic cooking rather than by not using it, so it didn’t mean that the chefs were making the customers their guinea pigs.

“As expected Nii-sama’s cooking is the best, rather Nii-sama himself is the best!”

“Don’t say things as if you are hungering for me.”

“Nii-sama plate where sashimi is served on top of Nii-sama’s naked body… Nii-sama cake where fresh cream and fruits are decorated on Nii-sama… those cannot be realized, except in dreams!”

“That’s it! …Let’s do that after this.” Kaguya-senpai said that with a serious face while everyone around also nodded simultaneously.

Wait everyone, wait a second. You all are stepping into madness you know?

“I’m not going to do something like that okay―!”

Kanon-senpai stood up energetically and yelled.

“If you are going to do that kind of thing than you can put sashimi or fresh cream or whatever on top the nude body of this history strongest former student council president Kanon-sama instead―☆”

“Abstain―” “Abstain♪” “Abstain please.”

Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, and Koyuki, those three poured out vehement booing at Kanon-senpai, making her sit back in dejection.

“…Come to think of it Kanon-senpai, where is Akane-senpai?”

“If it’s her, right now she is going for her routine check of Queen Kaguya, she hasn’t come back yet.”

“It’s strange for her that she still hasn’t come back until the breakfast.”

“She might be stopping somewhere on the way. Perhaps she found a café that has delicious sweets or an interesting toy shop, then she secretly hustle without telling anyone, no doubt about that-☆”

“There is no way she would do that, she is not Kanon-senpai.”

“Mugii―, talking like you know anything! Even though you still don’t know about me that well!”

Kanon-senpai suddenly picked up a mini tomato from her salad with her fingers and threw it at Kazuki.

…To do outrageous thing so suddenly!

Kazuki immediately read the trajectory of the flying mini tomato and caught it in his mouth with a snap before chewing it noisily. “What!?” looking at Kanon-senpai whose eyes were wide open, Kazuki clapped his hand and provoked her “Hey, hey, heeey!” “You punk-☆” Kanon-senpai further picked another mini tomato, then boiled egg and sausage too before throwing them. Kazuki caught them altogether with his mouth and enjoyed it deliciously, not wasting the food.

When Kazuki showed a broad grin, Kanon-senpai also grinned broadly.

“Fuh-…you are quite good. But don’t think that I will recognize you as the greatest in the Knight Academy with just this much! But I’ll recognize you as the rival of this me-☆”

A heart mark of positivity level-up flew at him airily from Kanon-senpai.

“…Kazuki is the same level as Kanon-senpai.”

Hikaru-senpai’s eyes turned into dot.

“Even though fundamentally Otouto-kun is a serious child, but sometimes he shows absurd moods and reactions doesn’t he? Saying ‘hey, hey, hey’ like that…”

Feeling astounded gazes from everyone to him, Kazuki immediately justified himself.

“This kind of mood is because since I was small I was raised doing brother-sister manzai with Kanae. The fault comes from that. That my tension gets completely raised when an outrageous idiot comes, is because of Kanae’s fault.”

“Nii-sama!? Please don’t talk of me as if I’m the root of all evil! From the start Nii-sama is a superbly happy person you know!!”

Kuh-, he didn’t want his childishness where he completely got fired up in the spur of the moment to be recognized…!

At that time the door of the dining hall was opened, Akane-senpai and Mary entered inside at the same time.

Both of them raised their voice “Kazuki!” at the same time.

And then they looked at each other before Akane-senpai gave up her turn saying, “Please, you first.”

“Well then,” Saying that Mary looked right at Kazuki.

Mary Mayweather Junior. Along with Virginia Dance(Ginny), they were upper echelons of the North American Knight Order and also comrades that agreed with Kazuki’s thinking to betray the King of North America.

“Kazuki, the preparation for the meeting with King is finished.”

The group turned noisy. Kazuki too unintentionally felt nervous on his back.

…Finally huh. However, what kind of preparation that was needed for something like this?

Was it about how much Kazuki could be trusted, were they finally finished collecting proof and information?

Or perhaps they detected signs of South America coming in to attack and so called to meet in panic?

“Understood. When and where?”

“When King stays in Las Vegas, she stays in Las Vegas’ oldest hotel [Flamingo]. It was the hotel that was built by the legendary gangster [Bugsy]. Right now, it’s the meeting place for the upper echelon guys… the nine close aide of King, the [Numbers]. After a bit longer, come with me to go there.”

“She respected the gang even though she is the king?” Kaguya-senpai tilted her head.

Mary laughed and answered “Bugsy is like the person that is the ancestor of Las Vegas after all.”

Kazuki recalled the dream that he saw this morning ― the America’s King who ascended from the gang even now still acted like a gangster.

A woman who didn’t care what method she used for the sake of her objective. A woman that possessed a peculiar aesthetic.

Continuing after Mary, Akane-senpai opened her mouth.

“There was a contact from Japan to Queen Kaguya. Germany is moving. In order to talk directly with you, right now the Basileus of Germany is heading to America it said.”

…That’s unexpected, Kazuki felt his spine shudder.

It was simultaneous. At the same time, the situation began to move from two directions in one go.

If he could say what he wanted, then it was to make clear of what Germany was going to do from here on, and only after that he wanted to meet the King of America. But the events couldn’t develop in that order.

Around an hour after the breakfast finished, Mary and Ginny came to Kazuki’s room and called him “The preparation is finished, come along.”

Kazuki gave a call and gathered all his comrades in his own room.

“Does everyone plan to go?” Mary’s eyes turned round.

“We also need bodyguards right? After all there is a chance that if we show our faces alone we will be ganged up on and beaten up.”

Besides, thinking from the other side’s position that was not a bad idea actually.

Someone who couldn’t be trusted as an ally but it would be bad if they sided with the Indians. If they concluded as such, then it was possible that Kazuki and co. would be tricked and eliminated.

His gathered comrades had a chilly nervous atmosphere hanging around them. Seems like only a few among them had the readiness to proceed toward battle after this. However Ginny smiled wryly.

“I think it will be okay. Kazuki can trust me and Mary, in our group we are the side that insisted that we should join hands together in order to beat the Indians.”

Ginny said that and then Mary continued after her saying “Believe us.”

“Thank you, Mary, Ginny.”

From the beginning Mary and Ginny held animosity towards slavery, and when they knew about Kazuki’s thinking, they promised to cooperate with Kazuki. In short they wouldn’t betray North America, but they only betrayed the King alone. …If they really cooperated with Kazuki for real.

Kazuki believed the humanity of the both of them. …However he also couldn’t believe them 100%, it was a difficult position for him. It would be endless if he started jumping at shadows.

The other party that who he would meet after this, was a woman that didn’t hesitate no matter what method she used…

Since before the meeting, Kazuki already had a presentiment of a steel-like impression for that woman.

Kazuki and his group exited hotel Yggdrasil and headed to hotel Flamingo that was located in the south of the strip. They could immediately see the hotel’s majestic appearance.

The historical hotel kept its trademark of a pink flamingo and a palm garden even though it had been mostly reconstructed because of deterioration from old age.

The hotel that was named [Flamingo] from the nickname of Virginia Hill, the lover of the legendary gangster, had its outer wall shaped round with lustrous light pink color, it was a sexy atmosphere while also giving off a feeling of liberation. Saying it in a strange way, it had the feel of a love hotel with southern country taste added in it, making it a hundred times more gorgeous.

When they went through the gate and traversed the courtyard, there were real flamingos walking around leisurely.

“Otouto-kun, that’s, that’s cute!”

“The two flamingos are facing each other and their long necks look like a heart shape isn’t it?”

“It’s true-! Otouto-kun is romantic!!”

“But senpai is cuter than even those flamingos, surely senpai is even more beautiful than Virginia Hill.”

“What are you saying Otouto-kun~, geez~!”

Kaguya-senpai’s cheeks reddened with a puff and then she hit Kazuki’s shoulder repeatedly.

Looking at Kazuki like that, from the side Hikaru-senpai was,

“For Kazuki who got carried away, Flamingo Attack!!”

Hikaru-senpai stuck out her right hand and propped it at her lips imitating a beak, then that beak attacked Kazuki repeatedly.

“What’s with these guys.” Shouko was looking at them ridiculously. Don’t look here with that eye.

Ginny was looking at them with a lukewarm smile.

“If we have to classify hotel Flamingo, it’s a hotel that’s popular for families.”

Palm trees were growing thick in the courtyard, there flamingos were released and left to their devices. The hotel’s wall that were opposite of the courtyard was glass sided, allowing the customers that ate at the restaurant to watch the flamingos of the courtyard while enjoying their meal. Certainly it was something intended for a family, an enjoyable arrangement.

However for the King to stay at a hotel whose business was intended for families made for a curious gap.

“It looks like there is no security at all though.”

When they entered the entrance, Akane-senpai asked in curiosity.

“King and all the close aides are in full force here after all, security is unnecessary.”

Hearing Mary’s reply, Akane-senpai pressed her forehead with her hand and hung her head down.

“…I’m acting stupid again from being taken by common sense. That’s right isn’t it, even Kazuki usually doesn’t have any security at all staying in the Witch’s Mansion, isn’t it?”

Kings were carefree because they were supreme beings. Just like how Arthur and Regina also came to Japan alone.

The number of people were few, but after this the Basileus of Japan and North America were going to meet face to face leading their respective elites, that was why it was the same as two large armies facing one another.

Everyone rode the elevator and ascended to the highest floor.

The highest floor where they got off was a monotone floor where everything was made from marble. It was wide, but there were only five rooms. There was a large door of a huge room when they exited the elevator, then there were two rooms each at the sides.

Mary and Ginny pushed open from the front the left and right of the large double doors.

The heavy doors opened with a creaking sound.

The sight made one vaguely reminded of the [audience room] of western castles.

Of course there was no antiquated throne inside the room―in the center of the huge room, there was a large marble table. At the seat located directly across the entrance, a lone woman was sitting. The black suits wrapped on her body really made one feel the gangster atmosphere. This woman, was King.

Behind her were six women standing by. When Kazuki and co. entered the room, Mary and Ginny closed the door and joined the six women. Originally there were nine people, but after losing Red the [Numbers] became eight people.

The sitting King purposely didn’t stand up and met her eyes with Kazuki. Seemed like she was someone that didn’t particularly like things like manners or diplomacy etiquette.

Being prompted by that gaze, Kazuki also sat at the opposite seat wordlessly.

It was a hard marble chair without cushion. There was only a single chair at the table. Kazuki’s companions were standing by behind Kazuki like the Numbers at the other side.

To prepare just two chairs, was she saying that the talk itself was just between the two Basileus?

“Clark Moore. America’s King.”

The woman sitting in front of him talked with a dignified and lustrous voice like marble.

She was the very same person as the woman he saw in the dream.

In the dream her face couldn’t be seen clearly from the back-lighting, but ― she was a woman with intensity.

Her face was well-ordered, but because she was too intense she didn’t feel like a beauty. She was a different quality human ― she felt like a female wild animal. However she kept her cool with her fierceness hidden inside.

Her blonde hair that was like a mane reminded him of a lion. She had a rough hairstyle, but the glossiness of her blond hair was sparkling like pure gold.

Her skin was pure white but ― there was a large scar on her face. It was the proof that she had a rough life since she was but a little girl with immature magic power.

Her sharp eyes were staring at Kazuki straightforwardly but, she was expressionless as if staring at empty air. It was completely like a sculpture made from marble.

However if her scar was hidden by makeup, her hairstyle changed, and her face showed a smile, surely her impression would change completely. Kazuki had a basis for thinking that.

“I’m Hayashizaki Kazuki. …So you are not a hotel-keeper are you?”

Kazuki was lost whether to match the other in talking casually or talk politely but, in the end he talked in a way that was easy for him to talk.

“Aah, that’s right, this is not our first meeting.” Clark answered without changing her expression at all.

This woman was… that hotel-keeper who appeared at the end of his date with Kamimura-san and threw him an extremely dangerous question to probe him.

“My bad for that time. I wanted to try talking to you once.”

Even though the talk would be easier if she would just show a smile or shyness even for a little but she was not.

“Then I wonder if there was a deep meaning in the question that time?”

“Yeah, I understood that you are someone who didn’t let your guard down from the conversation that time. The nastiest kind of guy.”

As if stabbing at him with a naked blade, Clark said out hostile words.

“What do you mean?”

Kazuki too played dumb without changing his expression.

“Anyway, guest from Japan, my thanks for expressing your cooperation with us.”

“Of course, so you are going to accept our help then?”

“But of course. Surely everyone’s cooperation will become a decisive card to break the rivalry of the South and North.”

Clark didn’t behave modestly at all. As if she had seen through that there was no possibility of Kazuki and his group to side with South America.

“We will show you that we will be useful to end the war without fail. We cannot overlook the destruction they bring to the town and the people.”

“Thank you.” Clark answered without even a smile.

“Well then it might be too sudden but let’s talk about the future. First can you share the information about South America… those Indians? How much do you know about them?”

Kazuki talked about everything that he knew.

“They have an ideology to aim for becoming one with Mother Nature by throwing away the self of all the human races, then they have the special characteristic where the more death they bring about, that death will become the power of the Mythology… that’s as far as I understand it.”

Becoming one with Mother Nature meant to die.

Therefore they didn’t fear death, the more death there were, their strength increased. They also killed their opponents.

“That recognition is true. I’ll add more to that… the name of the Indian Basileus is [Medicine Wheel]. It’s not the real name but a mnemonic name. [All creation become one, circling without beginning or end, therefore one must not have attachment to oneself], that saying for them is the meaning of the world principle.”

It matched with what he saw in the dream. In other words that was the little sister of this Clark. The family of this marble-like woman… such thing was beyond his imagination, but in the dream Red showed a smile and easy tone regarding her.

“And then the important thing… the ability to turn death into power is attached with demerit. Those guys have ideology that aim for unification with Mother Nature, but the Basileus of the Indians completely embodied that ideology. With the faith and the more the Mythology’s power increases due to death, the Indian Basileus is unifying with Mother Nature… she was restrained to the earth and became unable to move from her spot.”

“…!? Is that true? How can you ascertain such a thing?”

The Indian Basileus was located deep inside their stronghold, but with how their war front was currently in a struggle for supremacy, ascertaining that figure was supposed to be difficult.

In order to answer that question, Clark first added the explanation regarding the enemy’s headquarters.

“At the southern tip of Great Plains, [Texas]’s capital… no, those guys don’t do anything like setting up a [city]. Their headquarters, or rather their stronghold is located there. In that grasslands area, there is a jungle that is growing luxuriantly with shape like an overturned bowl. Its size is around the same scale like this dome city Las Vegas. This jungle is exactly the famous holy land in Indian Mythology, [Wakan Tanka]. At its center part, there is a huge baobab tree towering high like the world tree. In its trunk, Medicine Wheel is unifying with Mother Nature as if she is being crucified. It seems like her wrists and ankles are buried.”

One of the Numbers that was standing by behind Clark showed a pose spreading out both her arms as if giving example. Without even looking back, Clark waved her hand as if saying that there was no need to do that.

“You talk as if you have seen it yourself.”

“Until now we had sent more than a hundred people to scout, one of the spies accidentally managed to breakthrough until that far and witnessed the sight, he then managed to return back. Other than that guy there was no one else that came back home.”

More than a hundred people…! Kazuki unintentionally gulped.

They didn’t return. Was there a chance that they were treated as prisoners…

“I guess they were unified with Mother Nature already.”

Clark talked as if seeing through inside Kazuki’s heart. The prisoners were probably massacred.

More than a hundred deaths. War… he understood that but he couldn’t really feel it.

By the blessing of defensive magic power, there was almost no deaths that came out from the war between Japan and Yamato.

Even though it was the same civil war but this side was far more gruesome. The Indians who slaughtered prisoner were also merciless, but… Clark that understood that yet continued to send spies was also merciless.

“Thanks to that meritorious feat, we could confirm that Medicine Wheel won’t participate personally in the invasion. That’s an information that’s worth the life of a hundred people right?”

Certainly it was a valuable information. For the Basileus to be unable to come out to the front line was a big handicap ― however in that one point Clark was supposed to be similar. Ginny had said that Clark’s ability was [consumable type]. The more that power was used, it would diminish and couldn’t be recovered easily.

American Justice Mythology became stronger the more wealth they acquired. Most likely Clark’s [King’s Authority] was also like that. Clark became stronger the wealthier the country was, he didn’t understand in what kind of form she became stronger, but the more she fought the more the wealth of the country decreased and the whole part of the Mythology would also weaken.

Whether it was American Justice Mythology or Indian Mythology, they amplified the original strength of the Mythology by carrying some demerit.

If they could make use of it skillfully they should be able to overturn the difference of strength with the other Mythologies.

“Medicine Wheel won’t appear on the battlefield with her focusing just on defense. Therefore our current enemy are Medicine Wheel’s close aides―the seven battle Chiefs.”

Kazuki had met one of those [Chiefs], Crazy Horse where he had actually talked with her.

There was no hierarchical relationship in Indian society, but the people who had some kind of field they specialized in carried out the role to teach and guide their surrounding people in that field. That was the Chief.

So he guessed that the expert in battle was this Combat Chief.

“The strength of those Chiefs unfortunately surpass my close aides the Numbers.”

Behind Clark there were eight close aides standing by including Mary and Ginny. Originally it seemed that there were nine people, but ― with Red Metallica gone right now the Numbers had eight people.

Clark continued her story. Her expression didn’t change at all, her sharp gaze kept staring straightforwardly at Kazuki without any wavering. Kazuki was constantly receiving a feeling of oppression. While conversing, he felt he was being observed by an unshakable will.

“There is a strong barrier put up at the holy land [Wakan Tanka], making all kind of magic power invalid. All the spies that tried to infiltrate there were stripped bare of their magic power, that was why it was only obvious they couldn’t survive and come back… Looking at the wavelength of that barrier’s magic power, most likely it was something the seven Chiefs put up. If we defeat all the Chiefs, surely the barrier will naturally vanish. As long as this barrier doesn’t disappear, our side won’t be able to attack the holy land.”

“So in other words, first we have to assault and defeat these Chiefs then.”

Crazy Horse was at the battle that Kazuki witnessed before but these Chiefs were showing their figure elusively at all battlefields. Even if they tried to aim for these Chiefs, they couldn’t detect at all in which area of South America’s nature they were hiding at.

North America was constantly forced to the defensive stance while protecting their cities.

”I wanted to immediately come out in an attack, but this is unfortunate.”

Kazuki was talking with enthusiastic words before but this was his true opinion. He wanted to clear away the dark clouds whirling above this American continent for even a second faster, he also couldn’t leave Japan unprotected for long.

Clark shook her head.

“But now that it has come to this I think that it’s not a long stretch anymore. South America should already know that the reinforcements from Japan has allied with our side. You also made an appearance at the other side right?”

Kazuki nodded. His face was saying ‘We didn’t make any detour though, we also know nothing about the factory or Red.’

“The battle strength of our side has increased in one go. Until now the Indians were dispersed on a wide range in similar numbers to attack us, but now, even with the other areas staying even with the Indians just like until now, they will definitely have the tables turned on them here at Las Vegas. The thing the other side feared the most is to have their battle strength crushed one by one.”

“In other words… the Indians plan to gather and attack next time with all their battle strength?”

“I estimate that it will become like that. Surely those guys will have all seven of the Chiefs lead their whole army and attack. Most likely it will be on this Las Vegas.”

“And at that chance we will turn the table, and destroy the barrier.”

“Exactly. I want to have everyone from Japan along with Numbers to crush these numbers. If the barrier is broken, I will also participate and attack the holy land [Wakan Tanka].”

“…Wait a second, you are not going out to the battlefield yourself and just make the Basileus of your alliance partner to bear the brunt of the all-out war? If we lose then it’s the end of your side’s all-out war right?”

After the all-out war it would be the attack to the enemy’s stronghold… of course the one that would be the fiercer battle from those two was supposed to be the first all-out war. Clark shook her head acting as if it was really regretful. For the first time her pressuring gaze was off just for an instant.

“Because of the circumstance of my King’s Authority, I won’t go out to the battlefield carelessly.”

“What kind of Authority is that?”

“Of course I cannot say that.”

Of course Kazuki didn’t think that she would give the answer. If Ginny’s words wasn’t a lie, Kazuki already had a prediction of what it might be, however, just because of that didn’t mean he could stay quiet.

Kazuki imagined himself fighting formidable enemies while behind him this Clark was watching fixedly at his back. It was a chilling thought.

“I cannot say it but, it’s a type of Authority that will have repercussions later if I use its power too much. If I don’t constantly preserve my power, you will be able to do whatever you please to this country right?”

For the first time Clark showed her expression while saying that, she grinned broadly in provocation.

‘This woman…’, inside his heart Kazuki regretted bitterly. She didn’t have any intention at all to fight together shoulder-to-shoulder. Far from his side making a careless mistake, she was frankly directing suspicion at them.

“I’m not proposing cooperation from selfish desire to do as I please towards America!”

“What sincere words huh.” She talked with a mocking tone mixed in it.

Of course Kazuki was… harboring the treacherous thought of wanting to dispose of this Clark from the seat of North America’s King because he couldn’t tolerate North America’s slavery.

He was going to make North America win while searching for the timing to betray Clark and defeat her. That was Kazuki’s objective but… sure enough how should he advance the talk to smooth this?

Even though at the very least they had to first cooperate with each other in order to win against South America…

At that time there was a flurried sound from the back, the door opened.

Without any knocking, a knight of America barged inside.

“King, it’s an emergency!”

“What is it, so noisy.”

The knight stole a glance at Kazuki and co. in worry. Clark shook her head.

“It’s okay to not pay any attention to these guys and talk. They are allies after all.”

“Ma’am! A woman that introduced herself as Germany’s Basileus is violating our territory with frightening speed, she is already above the land. However there is no sign of her inflicting harm to our side. She is looking for a meeting with King!”

‘She is coming right now at this timing?’, Kazuki thought dumbfoundedly.

Even Kazuki, that knew that Germany was coming, was startled, yet Clark didn’t even show any surprised expression hearing the report. This woman… was she really made from stone or metal?

“So after the Basileus-sama of Japan and Britain, now it’s Germany. Well, that’s fine. Bring her here courteously.”

“Ma’am!” Giving out a sharp response, the knight turned back on his heel and exited the room.

“Even though I made you guys wait for long, but giving out immediate reply like this to Germany, sorry for that, but…”

Clark was grinning provocatively again.

“Seems like she is you guys’ company right? I’ll deal with all of you altogether.”

The door was quietly opened. That woman was gracefully entering inside the room.

“Nice to meet you all, everyone. I am called Hrotsvit Lesedrama. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

If Clark Moore was heavily calm like a marble, this woman was softly calm like silk floss. She was smiling at Arthur “Long time no see, Arthur” like a blooming flower, and then she also turned her gaze at Beatrix.

“Beatrix too, it’s good that you seem energetic.”

“Ma’am-!” Beatrix replied with an unusual nervous feeling floating from her.

She was a gorgeous woman that was far removed from what came to mind from the word [Basileus].

She was wearing a calming deep blue robe with a veil put on her head, giving off an austere appearance. She was holding some kind of long staff, only her silver hair that spilled out from the veil was dazzling like platinum.

Her eyes were thinly giving off a mysterious silver color.

Together with the gentleness that could be felt from her tone, her atmosphere seemed like a pious nun.

“I’m Hayashizaki Kazuki.” Kazuki stood up and greeted her.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki… that’s a good name. In Norse Mythology a tree symbolized a strong warrior.”

Clark gave off instructions to the knight that led Hrotsvit here.

“She should have things she wants to talk about. Prepare a chair.”

On the other hand Arthur was kept standing. It seemed that for Clark, a chair was purely and rationally offered based on whether the other side had something to talk or not. It was not something to express etiquette or respect.

Arthur too didn’t seem to hold discontent with that, but leaving him aside Hrotsvit was courteously saying “Thank you very much” and sat on the brought chair.

Hrotsvit sat at the right side. The gaze affixed at Kazuki changed. Now Clark was staring fixedly at Hrotsvit rather than Kazuki. On the other hand Hrotsvit was… as if ignoring that gaze of Clark, she was staring fixedly at Kazuki. Kazuki was alternately looking at the two.

“I came here to cooperate in this battle.” Hrotsvit faced Kazuki and opened her mouth.

And then with her voice tone keeping its calm, devastating words continued from that.

“This is a wonderful event. When the battle ends, we will divide America evenly between Japan and Germany won’t we? And it looks like the land has been already divided into two just right, I love nature, so I’m fine with South America and the South American continent you know. As for you all, how about taking North America and Canada?”

The queen of Norse Mythology kept her gaze away from Clark, with her calm voice tone, and her unchanging peaceful expression ― she demolished the atmosphere of the room.

Hrotsvit Lesedrama completely ignored the country called America.

She treated them as if they were nothing from the start, as just a worthless fiction.

―With a shudder, Clark’s atmosphere changed. Her expression was cold like marble without any change. But the thin aura of magic power she was clad in flared up like flames from the raise of emotions she couldn’t suppress.

Even the Numbers were shaken. “…You bastard!” One person raised her voice.

“The ladies standing at the corner are directing aggressive intent towards us, but is it fine for me to attack them? I will kill and offer them like broken flower stalk though.”

“Stop it.” Clark commanded the Numbers behind her.

“Please do that. When the battle is over all of you will be entered into Hayashizaki Kazuki’s rank of subordinates right? Let’s not throw away life meaninglessly.”

“Just wait a second, I don’t have any intention of that. I want to respect America to stay America. I don’t have any desire for any territory. I have respect for this country.”

Kazuki flusteredly interjected into Hrotsvit’s audaciousness.

“Oh? Then what is your objective?”

“Japan is opposing Loki. He is a Diva from your Mythology. Even though Loki is a Diva of the Chaos Side he joins hands with China and Russia, right now he was turning into a threat towards Japan… no, towards all Magic Advanced Countries. I want America to become an ally for opposing them. That’s my only wish.”

Hearing Kazuki’s serious appeal, Clark moved her strong gaze from Hrotsvit to Kazuki.

“Seems like you are saying your true feelings just now.” Clark murmured who knew how much of her true feeling in it.

“Then you and Arthur are telling me to cooperate in a battle where there is no plunder that can be obtained? You are telling this me, the Basileus of Norse Mythology ‘don’t plunder’?”

“For the sake of opposing the threat to the world.”

“I understand that there is a need to gather into one in order to oppose Loki’s threat. However rather than making America into an ally, I think it’s more advantageous to use them as a plundering target though.”

“This is not a problem of loss and gain.”

“I like battle, but I dislike battle where there is nothing to gain. Putting aside battle to show your honor as a warrior, pillage is necessary. Please allow me to plunder. After all at the end of wholesome plunder, eventually all the human race will be gathered under the protection of Norse Mythology.”

She couldn’t be talked with.

But… he also couldn’t say that he didn’t have any will at all to concede her wish.

Among the cooperating countries the one who was the most proactive to participate in the battle of America was Japan. But it didn’t have the position to say to Germany that it was not allowed to pillage without listening the other side’s wish.

After all if Kazuki couldn’t earn cooperation from Germany, he had to go back home to Japan.

Most likely Hrotsvit understood everything and so she acted like this. For Clark and also for Kazuki, whether Hrotsvit cooperated or not was an Achilles heel.

The one who controlled this place was Hrtosvit, she indirectly insisted her opinion using her violent nature in a roundabout way. …Kazuki thought because she was Damian and Beatrix’s boss that she would be more like a hearty warrior but, the one who came seemed similar to them, yet a completely different type.

Now that he thought back Odin was a god that had a completely different personality than Thor. Odin was similar with Thor in that they liked battle, but he was known as a god that won battle using strategy rather than head on battle.

“Hrotsvit.” Suddenly Arthur called on her name.

Kazuki also looked back. Arthur didn’t say anything more than that and he was staring at Hrotsvit with strong eyes. The voice he was calling with, also his thrown gaze, both were sharp like a fired arrow.

“…If you also plan to participate in the talk, do I need to prepare a chair?”

Clark called out from her chair.

“No thank you. There is no need for more words than this. I am here as nothing more than Hayashizaki Kazuki’s addition.”

Hrotsvit negated her smile and showed a pondering expression for a while. And then,

“If that person Arthur Basileus went as far as insisting that he is just an addition, then I’ll go along with it for now. I’ll hear your real intention later on. …Well then, please continue your discussion before I came here. The talk for the sake of winning the war.”

Hrotsvit said that and smiled once more. However, as usual, that smile was ignoring Clark.

However this Hrotsvit, she made light of Clark too much.

American Mythology was weak. However she recognized that weakness, consequently she was a crafty King that was resolute in using any kind of method available. ‘There is no one more unpleasant than this woman to make into an enemy’, Kazuki thought.

It couldn’t be helped for Kazuki to think of her as the number one monster in this place.

That Clark opened her mouth.

“Now then… what talk I wonder. If I remember right the talk of the plan for the battle after this was finished. All the Chiefs of South America are going to attack here leading their army. My North American Knight Order and Japan’s reinforcement will intercept them. After winning that all-out war the seal of the holy land will be unbound and we will immediately attack there. If we have talked that far, there is nothing more that needs to be discussed.”

“Don’t play dumb. That talk is still not over yet.”

Kazuki interjected. Before he realized he had lost the will to use polite language against these guys.

“We absolutely cannot accept that you yourself won’t come out to the battlefield. In the first place the information that Medicine Wheel is really unable to move hasn’t been ascertained yet isn’t it? I think there is not enough guarantee that we can treat this war as a settled matter like that.”

There was also a possibility that Clark lied to Kazuki. Kazuki glared to Clark, his eyes saying that ‘I’m doubting that here’. There was a basis for Kazuki’s suspicion. He had justification for it.

“Certainly it’s just like what you said huh. …There is not enough proof to decide that she cannot move.”

Clark was unexpectedly opening her eyes wide.

“Also… that’s right huh. You have already conveyed from your heart enough that you are going to fight for the sake of this country. Certainly if after that I’m saying that I’m not going to fight it’s lacking in manners. That’s not fair. At the all-out battle, let’s do exactly just as the words imply, an all-out battle with me also going out to the battle.”

Perhaps she thought to make Kazuki into a wall against the threat called Hrotsvit. Clark made a complete change and softened her attitude. Kazuki agreed and nodded. Then Hrotsvit interjected.

“Well then, I’ll go home to Germany and prepare for Loki, China, and Russia. That’s the form of my cooperation, adieu.”

Saying that nonchalantly, Hrotsvit stood up.

Kazuki reflexively ‘This woman…’ glared at her. What she was saying was correct, but even though she had already insisted for her own privileges until that far and not giving any help in his argument for the King’s involvement in battle, she just so easily proclaimed that she would return home, as expected it made him angry.

However Clark was already in a state that stopped paying attention to Hrotsvit and ignored her.

“I’m sending scouts to South America to probe. When we catch their attack timing, I’ll let you know immediately. Until then… just enjoy Las Vegas as you’ve done until now. Everyone is our important guests here.”

Clark settled the talk saying that and finished the discussion.

Part 3

“Skyscrapers that make one think of the Tower of Babel, mechanical vehicles that fly, tearing across the sky… this is a city that gives form to people’s greed and pride. It makes one unable to calm down a little, doesn’t it, Beatrix.”

“Tha…that’s right isn’t it? Still I came to get used to it though.”

“You must not get used to it you know.”

When they exited Hotel Flamingo, Hrotsvit looked up to the sky and said that. Beatrix was quite nervous. As if she was hiding something shady.

Because their timing of coming out matched, it felt as if she was added into their group.

“Hrotsvit, is it fine to talk a little?”

Arthur grabbed her shoulder and pulled her closer.

“My my.” Arthur led Hrotsvit, that let herself be treated like that, into the back alley like a yankee. At the same time his empty hand was also signaling Kazuki to follow.

Telling his comrades to go back first, Kazuki followed them along.

Arthur pulled Hrotsvit forcefully and whispered into her ear.

“The tactics that you did just now, everything is meaningless.”

Rather than an intimidation, Arthur was saying that calmly as if to inform her. His voice was low, he was freezing the air around them so that other people couldn’t hear.

“For us, there is meaning at all even if we increase our territory in this late hour.”

“What do you mean I wonder? Our Mythology will increase in strength the more number of people that believe in them. …This late hour, what do you mean?”

“It’s something that has to be pondered in short term vision. …Before long the time when everything is going to be settled will come.”

Arthur released her shoulder. Hrotsvit turned around to Arthur from the front.

“I heard from Regina that if I cooperate with you I can learn an important secret. So can you teach me the secret now in this place I wonder?”

Was there such a verbal message to Hrotsvit? Regina was like a gofer doing that.

“I cannot say it now. I’ll tell you after the battle of America has ended in the shape that we desire.”

“Just a verbal promise like that? Although, what is called information is something that loses its value the instant it’s taught to others.”

Arthur took out a thin wooden plate from his breast pocket. When he ran his finger on it, the surface of the plate was carved with thin words of light.

“This is a rune of oath. In the case I break my promise, I’ll lose the power of Basileus.”

While saying that, Arthur handed over the wooden plate to Hrotsvit.

“The famous ogham script in Celtic Myth, [geis(pledge)] isn’t it? …But trying to move someone using information as a bargaining condition is unpleasant isn’t it? The legacy of Basileus Basileon in Britain… originally shouldn’t it be something that is all shared between the Magic Advanced Countries I wonder? To use that as a bargaining condition, is that something the country of chivalry should do I wonder.”

“I don’t intend to use information as compensation. This is not a bargaining condition, it’s a selection. I cannot give important information towards a country that cooperates with Divas of the Chaos Side. If you prove to me that you are a Basileus that can contribute to the world’s order, I’ll share the information.”

“…How unpleasant, looking down from above like that. Just because your country is the origin where Basileus Basileon came from, you are already pretending that you are the manager of this world?”

“Human that obtained knowledge, even though he obtained it not from his own wish, he still has the responsibility to treat that knowledge responsibly.”

Both sides had a fair argument in them. The inheritance of Basileus Basileon…

The great alchemist who was the leader of the secret society that was once called [Libel Mundi(Dawn’s Almighty)], Basileus Basileon gave birth to the [Philosopher’s Stone] to this world. Humans who were embed with a Philosopher’s Stone would have their force of will expanded and awakened to the power of magic, their surrounding humans would also reacted in concert and slowly made to awaken to the power of magic. [Libel Mundi] put their headquarters in Britain while putting their branches in seven big countries, they sold the Philosopher’s Stone and enlarged their organization.

However, Basileus Basileon was assassinated due to a power struggle in the organization’s internal. Due to the charismatic leader’s death, Libel Mundi lost its unifying force and its branches scattered apart before they got absorbed by the world’s nations. Those seven powerful countries stayed like that and became the Magic Advanced Countries.

Britain was Basileus Basileon’s birthplace and the country where [Libel Mundi]’s headquarters was located. There was important information that didn’t exist in other countries left in Britain as inheritance… that was what Arthur had talked about with Kazuki before.

“So this single piece of plate is the compensation then. …However, you, is it fine for you to toss away geis all over the place so simply like this?”

“My power increases from the number of my oath. Only in a little amount though.”

“The things you do are unexpectedly calculating and petty aren’t they… Well it’s fine. Putting that aside, there is one more thing I’m concerned about. You over there… Hayashizaki Kazuki.”

Turning around, Hrotsvit turned to the direction of Kazuki who turned into a bystander.

“Is there something you need with me?”

“Arthur and I are going to bet on you. Even if Arthur is fine doing that as he pleases, I don’t like to entrust my own future to other people, if that person is not a formidable warrior.”

“…You are saying to show my strength in a fight?”

“Yes. That’s correct. Problems will come out later on if we clash with our respective full power so a rule is needed. I heard that you are an unparalleled warrior in Japan. Then… without using our respective Summoning Magic and King’s Authority and Sacred Treasures at all, with only pure martial arts, if you can hit me once it’s your win, is such a rule fine with you?”

“It’s an exaggeration to call me unparalleled but, please do as you like. We are going to do it, here?”

“Of course. It’s a little cramped back alley, but there will be no problem if we don’t use Summoning Magic.”

It was a rule that seemed to make light of him, but what was she planning he wondered.

Kazuki smoothly drew his sword. If the opponent didn’t use Summoning Magic, sword draw technique was unnecessary. For the Hayashizaki style, sword draw was a technique to approach the enemy while evading attack magic in sheathed sword stance that was easy to move in, leap into the enemy’s bosom and then immediately draw out the sword and strike.

Hrotsvit’s figure emitted light, the clothes on her body transformed. Her white skin carved by Stigmata was exposed, her modest veil was replaced by a green wide brimmed hat, and a green mantel flapped at her back. That appearance reminded him of Odin’s outfit as sage that was told in myth.

Her neat standing figure changed completely with her long legs largely opened, her hand raised overhead the staff that she held in a stance. The tips of that staff wriggled, swelled ― turning into an iron ball attached with sharp thorns.

It was not a staff but a long handled blunt weapon, a mace.

“This weapon is a Sacred Treasure, but I’m not going to use its special power.”

“My sword is also a Sacred Treasure so I don’t mind.”

“…Then let’s begin.”

Hrotsvit grinned… it was an eerie smile.

The next instant, a roar reverberated on the asphalt of the back alley and her figure blurred. At the same time, Kazuki was already stepping back. A single vertical flash, the wind pressure of the swung down mace shook his front bang.

Kazuki stepped on the iron ball of the swung down mace and leaped. He jumped right above Hrotsvit and swung down his sword on her defenseless back head.

He planned to test what kind of warrior Hrotsvit was with this single swing.

Regardless of east or west, there were few traditional martial arts that hypothesized of attacks right from overhead. Furthermore even the origin of the movement was out of the field of vision, it was a perfectly unseen movement. Hrotsvit was superior in the pure speed of the movement, but Kazuki’s single attack was exactly like a teleportation from Hrotsvit’s position.

But the instant Kazuki stepped on the mace, Hrotsvit had already began to move in evasion.

She smoothly slipped through to the side and Kazuki’s slash including his body hit empty air.

And then the mace that was swung down just now was raised overhead with lightning speed. With a form completely like a baseball batter, the raised iron ball on the tip was swung directly horizontal.

Immediately what came to Kazuki’s mind was an imitation of [Tenrou Kaidan] from Ikousai on his body.

But the technique was a risky undertaking like a joke that if he could he didn’t want to show.

Kazuki had such leeway to make that kind of calculation because he was Foresighting Hrotsvit.

But Hrotsvit was also reading ahead his movement from his sign.

Kazuki concentrated Enchant Aura into his blade and stabbed the ground with all his strength, snapping it diagonally. The asphalt was not pierced by his blade, instead the body of Kazuki in the air was the one that got rebounded up.

As if played by a curve ball, Hrotsvit’s swing hit empty air.

Kazuki landed on the wall surface of the building right beside him, and leaped at Hrotsvit’s back. Kazuki attempted to stab from her blind spot.

Even if she read ahead his movement from his magic power… the more his movement turned complicated the harder it would be to read him. With this much three dimensional movement ― Hrotsvit perfectly reacted to him.

Synchronized with Kazuki’s encirclement, Hrotsvit was also rotating her body. At the same time his launched stab was lightly repelled by the grip part―the butt-end of the mace.

A perfect reading and movement like a machine. A perfect reaction that he couldn’t feel any humanness from it.

Kazuki felt an out of place feeling. Even though Hrotsvit’s body was moving perfectly, only the light of her silver colored eyes was slightly falling behind. Only the motion of her eyeballs couldn’t catch up.

As if only her eyes couldn’t do anything and only following along.

Aah, so that was it, it was something like that then. His doubt was cleared and he understood the aim of this mock battle.

Kazuki retook a distance between them and Hrotsvit also recovered her stance.

There he took a breath and simultaneously ― Kazuki blew out magic power from his whole body.

“…!” Hrotsvit’s expression stiffened.

Kazuki didn’t make any sound and softly, with a slow movement that wasn’t strengthened by magic power, walked closer to Hrotsvit. He released a stab. The simple strike was sucked into Hrotsvit’s white chest, and hit. The weak strike that was not filled with magic power didn’t even inflict a dust-sized scar and was repelled by a thick defensive magic power.

Hrotsvit stood bolt upright. Just as the rule said, with that it was the end and Kazuki sheathed his sword.

“…The mock battle to measure your capability” Hrotsvit quietly asked.

“Why did you do an act that won’t have any meaning in the real battle?”

Most likely if he did a needless trick of trying to put magic power only just before the tip of the sword hit, Hrotsvit would surely evade with a super reflex. Because he used a meaninglessly empty attack that it could hit.

“But the rule is that a single strike determined the winner, so a win is a win.”

Perhaps she couldn’t ask him to show his true strength in a real battle for a test. However,

“In the first place, it’s another matter if it’s Beatrix, but I cannot imagine that you have that much of an interest in the pure techniques of a swordsman. What meaning is there in testing my capability not including Summoning Magic?”

This was not Thor’s trial, but Odin’s trial.

“Three moves.” Hrotsvit murmured.

At the first move Kazuki saw through that Hrotsvit possessed a not so simple Foresight technique. At the second move he noticed that Hrotsvit was blind, and then at the third move he ended the match.

“If you can arrive that far in three moves, perhaps I should give you a passing mark. I don’t know how much of an opponent the Basileus of those Indians are but, perhaps you won’t lose I think.”

Hrotsvit’s Magic Dress came apart into light and she returned to her previous appearance. Her mace that was attached with a huge thorny iron ball also deflated and returned to the previous staff.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Hrotsvit.”

“In the first place I didn’t doubt you that seriously. I enjoying fighting and ascertaining you by myself.”

The woman turned her back at Kazuki with a swish and walked towards the main street briskly.

Kazuki and also Arthur followed her along.

Hrotsvit bended her back in a big way, and after taking a deep breath she yelled.

“BEE―! AA―! TT―! RII―! XX―!!!”

It was a large voice that was not a metaphor if one said the voice rattled the dome city Las Vegas. Kazuki and Arthur reflexively pressed their ears while looking at each other. The dweller of the surrounding buildings got outside in great panic and looked around restlessly. From the direction of hotel Yggdrasil, *DODODODO!* with the force of a raging bull Beatrix was rushing here.

“MA’AM! HERE I AM!!” The rushing Beatrix stood at attention.

“I’m going home to the motherland, so take care of the rest. As much as you can, I hope you build an exceedingly amicable relationship with Hayashizaki Kazuki.”

“Ha?” For a moment, Beatrix was staring blankly, then “MA’AM!!” she replied with a large voice.

“Manifest thyself in this dimension from beyond the horizon of several lines, Skíðblaðnir(Geometry Distortion Air Warship)!”

Hrotsvit joined both her palms in front of her chest as if praying. When she opened her hand with a clap, a small dot of light was created. The dot of light ran straight and became a line, the line ran and became a surface, the surface opened and turned into a cube… Via a change like polygon depiction, it turned into a huge structure of light ― a shining ship.

“Dragon ship… so that’s Odin’s collapsible warship!”

Arthur raised a voice of admiration. So that was a Summoning Magic, or was that a Sacred Treasure of a different league, or maybe a part of her King’s Authority… Kazuki couldn’t immediately discern it but, the flying ship was floating in front of Hrotsvit’s eyes. Its hull was shallow, long and narrow, making a Viking ship of peculiar shape, so this was what was called dragon ship, there was an ornament of dragon head at the bow of the ship.

When Hrotsvit jumped to board onto the ship alone, “Well then everyone, adieu.” She bowed elegantly. With that as the signal, the dragon ship raised a roar and tore through the sky.

The shining ship was fading away from sight in the blink of an eye. Beatrix was trembling all over. It was a tremble like a warrior being excited before a war but her cheeks was reddening.

“The obstacle disappeared! I got the authorization that it’s fine to get along with Kazuki…”

‘Was that really so’, Kazuki doubted inside his heart. Rather if it was the personality of that person… he had the feeling that she wanted to make Kazuki and Beatrix have good relations so she could make use of that for the sake of defeating Kazuki.

If someday the day he confronted Beatrix came… surely he would hesitate. In that opening, that disagreeable woman would attempt to bash Kazuki’s head in with her mace from the back.

“Yosh, Kazuki, quick! No, however even if now try to get close with you I don’t know what to do! Muscle training!? Kazuki sitting on my back while I do push-ups… My heart is throbbing hard! I want to do handcart!”

“Sorry to interrupt while you are getting fired up, but please wait. I still have something to talk about with him just the two of us.”

From the side Arthur grabbed Kazuki’s shoulder as if to take him away. Beatrix left with a really dejected face. Kazuki then noticed with a ‘hah’ face.

“That woman Hrotsvit, she flew away as she pleased with that ship but, was she planning to go home by smashing down the dome ceiling?”

One couldn’t get in and out through Las Vegas’s dome except through the window exclusive for airplane that was controlled by McCarran airport. Hearing that Beatrix nodded, “Mu, that might be difficult to do.”

“Beatrix, can you tell one of Las Vegas’ hotel-keepers that there is a need to guide Hrotsvit’s ship?”

“Mu, got it!”

Beatrix’s face turned serious and rushed away. While chasing that back with his eyes, Kazuki was worrying how he should handle her.

“Let me confirm for the sake of your peace of mind, I had already told you the secret that I’m going to teach to Hrotsvit.”

“I know that, I don’t think that you are ostracizing me or anything.”

“When all the Basileus are backed by the Mythologies, an unusual phenomenon will happen in the world. The stage for the battle for the sake of determining the true Basileus will raise from the bottom of the sea.”

Basileus Basileon’s prophecy that was left behind in Britain. Arthur believed that like a devout believer.

“When you said that there is no meaning in territory” Kazuki began to talk.

“There must be something like a proof of the winner in that new continent don’t you think. Something that will overturn even the boundary of countries that had been determined until now.”

“As for me I think there is the great original of the [Philosopher’s Stone] there. Not the small stone that was once sold to the people but a big boulder… something like a monolith.”

If one had to say a thing that one would associate with from the name of Basileus Basileon, it was the Philosopher’s Stone. That thing granted the power called magic to the human race, and pulled up the earth’s civilization to a new stage.

It was believed that Basileus Basileon created it with alchemy, but after his death, the creation method of Philospher’s Stone became wrapped in mystery.

…When Arthur was saying it was a monolith, for some reason it felt like a relic of an ancient civilization.

However in the Magic Advanced Countries, the percentage of the newly born children possessing magic power was already almost a hundred percent. Now, after such a long time it could be said that the role of the Philosopher’s Stone was over, yet…

Did the Philosopher’s Stone still possess an even further power?

“All the Basileus will compete for the single throne of the true Basileus. If the battle in this America is ended… The time is approaching.”

Compete for ― suddenly a spark scattered inside Kazuki’s head, from the depth of his memory there were words resurrected into his mind.

[…win through the game. And then this hand will usurp the world soul(Astrum) that every Mythology desires.]

…When Naiarlatoteph displayed his true color, that guy was highly excited while spouting out words with irritating fast-talking. At the time he didn’t understand what he was talking about, and just like that he completely forgot it in the corner of his mind but… in this situation those words were matching exactly.

Astrum ― all life’s mind was connected by Astrum. He didn’t clearly understand what in the world Astrum was, but it was a vast mental world that all life shared, it was something like a mind cosmos. Something like the trigger to shake that everything was in that new continent. That thing, the Mythologies that carried their own respective [Order] and the Divas of [Chaos] would scramble for that.

Did this mean that this something could be used to dye the minds of all life with that Order or Chaos?

Certainly with something like that there would be no meaning territory could accomplish. Something in an even higher dimension than that which could be used to rule over people.

Kazuki felt a chilling cold. He thought of some kind of earth-shattering conflict. Kazuki didn’t want to win in that kind of match, he also didn’t want anyone else to win.

“Whatever it is”

Arthur gathered his thought as if cutting off Kazuki’s thought.

“What I can say for sure is, there is no way such thing can be handed off to the Divas of the Chaos Side or the Mythology’s Basileus that joins hand with them.”

Certainly rather than the Basileus of China’s Mythology that carried some plan like [Red Nopperabou] became the ruler of all life, it was still better if it was Arthur instead. But he could only say ‘better’.

Kazuki felt he had began to finally see in the end of his sight, the final destination of this strange destiny.

“With all the happenings today, I have met with almost all the Basileus haven’t I…”

Ilyailia Muromets.

Arthur Basileus.

Regina Olympia Fornar.

Clark Moore, possibly Medicine Wheel.

Hrotsvit Lesedrama.

And then the one whose story he only heard from Shouko, the Basileus of China―Fu Xi.

“Does Loki know about this matter?”

“He shouldn’t know about it. I think he only has a vague hunch about the conflict between fellow Mythologies though.”

When Leme materialized by bringing out her avatar from Astrum into the real world, her knowledge and feelings from the other side went away she said. It seemed that it was different than being forgetful according to the Diva.

Loki said the word [Ragnarok], he had the hunch about a conflict between Mythologies but he didn’t seem to know more than that. He didn’t think that Loki had ever said of an objective other than something vague like [spreading Chaos] and [making those Norse Mythology guys lose].

Prometheus was also saying words [the Third Machia], but he didn’t actually know the specific. However he had said that the role to stop that disaster, as small as possible… might be Kazuki’s role.

Naiarlatoteph that granted Kazuki the hint was established in his Mythology as a being that conducted himself as someone that knew everything, even among Divas he was a special existence.

If Loki knew about this matter… he would recover the original power and knowledge of Nairlako that he put beside him, or perhaps he would attack Britain and steal [Basileus Basileon’s inheritance], he would do things like that Kazuki guessed.

“Thinking about the future events, I think your resolve to defeat both the Indian Basileus and also Clark is a good decision. At first the idea is to win over one of them into the alliance in order to oppose Loki’s camp, but… that woman is a ruffian. She is not a type of human that we can feel relieved if she is entered into our camp.”

Clark Moore was certainly scary whether as an ally or as an enemy. As a fellow human of civilized society, Kazuki felt that her fundamental sense of values didn’t out of sync too much from him.

But she didn’t care about her method so much that it made him feel terror.

Using and throwing away weak humans and building wealth and power… if she decided that as the most rational way, then she would do that thoroughly without any compassion. He could understand it but, it was a savage act. Perhaps something inside her had been completely paralyzed while she was continuously being driven by necessity.

That was why to make her stop there was no other way than to defeat her. Defeat the Indian Basileus [Medicine Wheel], then betray Clark with his returning blade, and defeat her.

Possibly just before they enter Wakan Takan in order to fight Medicine Wheel, at the all-out war with South America might be the most optimum timing for betrayal by taking advantage of the chaos.

But there was the possibility that Clark was thinking exactly the same thing.

Clark was definitely doubting Kazuki and regarded him as dangerous. She might think that Kazuki had served his purpose when the seven Chiefs were defeated.

No, she would most likely think so. When he remembered back to that dream… Clark should be thinking that she wanted to defeat Medicine Wheel with her own hands.

While they both had the common objective of defeating South America, they were also mutually looking for the timing of the betrayal… He felt like even he himself was doing a crooked thing.

What a battle that worn down one’s nerve.

“Thanks to our success in dragging out Clark onto the battlefield, it’s easier for us to aim at her, and then it’s also easy to be vigilant. When South America invades here, let’s prepare so that we are ready to fight Clark anytime.”

Part 4

“I mostly understood that man.”

After Hayashizaki Kazuki’s group exited the room, Clark and her elites were staying behind there.

Clark promptly scanned a bundle of several pieces of document while musing about the dialogue just now. If there was just time, Clark would reread these documents again ― it was the summarized report of the surveillance on Kazuki and co.’s activity during their stay in America.

She didn’t get tired of it no matter how many times she read… she even felt an eccentric fun from it.

“If those kind of guys didn’t come then this kind of humiliation won’t… even though without cooperating with them we could just win by ourselves…!” One of the Numbers talked in indignation.

“Why did you let them talk as they pleased until that much!?”

“That’s obvious, if one of those three countries allied themselves with the south side then our victory prospects will be gone. …But there is no possibility of that. Arthur Basileus is following Hayashizaki Kazuki. As for Hrotsvit Lesedrama… she will only wait-and-see before appealing her presence towards the one that will be [the victorious nation]. These two countries are not really that serious to get involved that far with America. The one that is serious is only Japan that is confronting the threat of this Loki and China. That Hayashizaki Kazuki is not just giving lip service but he is really thinking of [wanting to respect America]. He is that kind of human.”

Reading from the document while recalling the remarks made in the meeting just now, Clark concluded that.

<Profiling>―in order to read Kazuki’s true feeling and aim, Clark gathered all possible information. The report was including trifling everyday habits and behaviors that at first glance seemed meaningless, forming comprehensive information. Using psychology and statistic liberally from that information led to the conclusion that [this kind of human has this kind of tendency], predicting the personality.

Haayshizaki Kazuki and the others warily froze their surrounding air in order to not be bugged when they were having important conversations. To guess their true intentions, decoding technology of faulty language communication was essential.

“I understood well from meeting him for real. First he is quick-witted. He has the habit of reading the other side’s thinking and act. He creates creative ideas in order to achieve his objective. …It looks like he also has a specialty like cooking creative cuisines for the sake of his lovers. He is a stoic martial artist but he is also a tactician. But his senses of values are straightforward. He fastidiously hates warped things. Well, he is still a kid.”

“Seems like a charming person isn’t he?” One of the Numbers talked honestly.

“That’s why whether that guy’s subordinates or Arthur too, they cannot raise objection to that guy’s correct decision. In reality there is a dictatorship built under the trust. That’s why it’s fine for us to just watch closely at Hayashizaki Kazuki’s thought alone. There is no cowardly method or sacrificing option in that guy’s choices.”

Just from fragmentary information, Clark wrung out a conclusive possibility.

“He killed Red Metallica… I guess he didn’t plan as far as killing though… the perpetrator that destroyed the Slave Battery Factory is not the Indians, but Hayashizaki Kazuki.”

There was no proof. Clark occasionally didn’t even hesitate to make assumptions that was inside the realm of wild idea.

The most important thing for a ruler was decisiveness. Someone who couldn’t decide unless all the proofs were lined up couldn’t be said to be decisive. Decisiveness ― was the power of imagination and courage.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki is someone that possesses the ability to take action prudently. He has stayed this long in Las Vegas, so surely there must be already some kind of cue that made him notice the existence of slavery here. If he noticed that, Hayashizaki Kazuki cannot tolerate the existence of something like slavery. He cannot avert his eyes. Then is he going to ally with South America? No, he is even more incompatible fundamentally with South America. Hayashizaki Kazuki is a person that accepted civilization and love culture. He enjoys games, he enjoys show attractions, he enjoys cooking.”

From reading the report, it could be understood well what Hayashizaki Kazuki liked in Las Vegas.

“Then what is the aim of Hayashizaki Kazuki. …It’s my neck. He will cooperate with North America and defeat South America. While making North America win, he will take the neck of the main cause of slavery that is me. If I’m just gone then America can stay America and he won’t have any problem. Makes you so grateful that you’re going to cry huh.”

As if revealing out the hidden cards one after another, Clark kept turning her brain.

Rather than Clark explaining her own thinking to the Numbers around her, she was sorting and deepening her own thinking by continuing to talk. There was almost no interruption from the Numbers around.

“…Is he thinking over-ambitiously until that far?”

No, rarely, there was someone that would interject.

Still expressionless, Clark turned her gaze to the speaker. The one that opened her mouth was Mary Mayweather Junior. An amazingly skilled boxer. She was a woman whose fighting strength was valued and introduced into Numbers, but in the first place she had the strong personality that asserted herself. But to interject at Clark’s pondering, was deviating from [the usual her]. It was an abnormal action that the usual her wasn’t supposed to do.

Her abnormal action had some kind of reason… a cause.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki only brought a few number of his troops from Japan here. As expected he cannot seriously stir-up trouble with North America. If he can defeat South America, wouldn’t it only be natural to satisfy himself with that and compromise before going back to his country?”

The content of her speech was really plausible ― although the act of speaking itself was the one that was strange.

With Mary interjecting, Virginia Dance ― nickname Ginny was slightly shaken in her eyes. She was showing a slight subconscious stress. She was losing her calm. Why?

For a while Clark was scrutinizing the situation wordlessly. There was a cause to this for sure…

Mary and Ginny were the two persons left with the role to guide Hayashizaki Kazuki. Were they harboring good will for Hayashizaki Kazuki?

It was not impossible. Certainly Hayashizaki Kazuki was a charming person.

Further stepping into that possibility… would they chose Hayashizaki Kazuki even over this Clark Moore?

Betrayal ― yes, that was also not something impossible she guessed. In the first place these two had a strong sense of justice. They often felt stress towards Clark’s decisions and sense of values. That was why the dirtiest part of the slave application system Clark built with Red was hidden from these two.

Did they see the whole story of the slave system, together with Hayashizaki Kazuki?

Aah, now that she thought back Mary’s origin was from the slum wasn’t she?

Clark opened her mouth once more.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki doesn’t like compromising. He is a childish idealist. However because he has the strength able to carry his ideal, he can be recognized as a King(Basileus) in the whole of Japan even by the dirty adults. He is the exact opposite of me huh.”

Clark was also recognized as a young King. But what Clark held was not idealism but realism. She carried a thorough realism and continued to prove a mental strength worthy of that. She used any kind of method, win any kind of gamble, and massacred the opposing adults without even lifting an eyebrow.

“Because he is that kind of person, he won’t compromise like that. He will aim for my neck for sure.”

Clark declared so and closed Mary’s thoughts. She returned her gaze to the document. She didn’t even glance anymore to Mary and Ginny.

She only exposed the actual and hidden cards as needed.

Now, the decision.

“In short, thankfully this is not a problem between countries but a problem between individuals. Hayashizaki Kazuki accepted the country North America, but he absolutely rejected me personally. That idealism is based on Hayashizaki Kazuki’s personal virtue rather than the whole Japan’s policy. If they lose their leader Hayashizaki Kazuki, I guess Japan won’t be too concerned about the existence of slavery. As long as Hayashizaki Kazuki is defeated Japan will just leave. Arthur and Hrotsvit too, if Japan leave then they will stop getting deeply involved with America. This is really a thankful situation… if it’s a head-on confrontation between the two countries, America cannot win whether it’s against Japan or Britain or Germany after all.”

Was there a possibility of Hrotsvit changing direction to invade America alone?

―No, it wouldn’t happen. She also had already thought about what kind of condition Europe was in right now from the meeting just now. Even though it was not as serious as Japan, but Europe was also facing the threat of Loki・China・Russia. Hrotsvit was bluntly looking down on them just now but their side here was also indifferent to Hrotsvit from the bottom of the heart. She didn’t mind ignoring the woman’s exaggerated appeal.

“We are going to use Japan and defeat South America. When our business with Japan’s cooperation is finished we will make Hayashizaki Kazuki exit the stage. Then we will take an approach to Loki. If we can skillfully play the gap in the confrontation between Japan and Loki, even this minor country of America still has a chance of victory left.”

Clark’s talking around was by no means making a bet on a small chance.

Clark Moore liberally used all kinds of methods and won through until here exactly in that kind of match.

“The justice of America will take the crown of the world…!”

The Numbers raised a voice carried by passion.

But looking at the matter just now… it bothered her to not know at all about the secret of the world. Arthur and Hrotsvit, possibly Hayashizaki Kazuki too, there was no mistake that they were moving holding some kind of clue regarding this era of magic. That was what Clark felt while remembering the scene where Arthur was exchanging a gaze with Hrotsvit and made her quiet.

“A fight not between countries but between individuals called Clark Moore and Hayashizaki Kazuki. The most important thing is the timing. While building a structure of cooperation, we are mutually measuring the timing for the betrayal. The advantage is in my side. After all Hayashizaki Kazuki cannot defeat South America with just his own troops. The virtuous Hayashizaki Kazuki has to rely on our army strength in order to save the innocent American people and the slaves. The one who has the privilege to prepare the situation is this side. We can set as many traps as we like.”

If she thoroughly pickled at the opponent’s idealism, their position was completely reversed.

Catching a good person into a trap was something really easy.

“As long as the Chiefs can just be defeated, we won’t have any more business with Hayashizaki Kazuki and his group. Clean up the Japanese bunch by taking advantage of the fight with those Chiefs. Medicine Wheel will be defeated by my hands.”

Medicine Wheel ― Eimi Moore would be defeated by this hand. Clark felt she unconsciously put strength in her hand that was holding the document. There was no emotion at all that came out in her expression, but when she thought about Eimi, a violent emotion naturally welled up inside her head. Her real little sister that became the Basileus of South America due to the unfortunate destiny.

Even Clark that had decided to use any kind of means inside her heart, had only one emotional fixation. To defeat Eimi Moore with this hand, those Japanese were hindrances. She couldn’t watch her little sister sufficiently, and when she noticed her little sister was tainted by some numbskull religion at the university. That was the big sister’s responsibility.

If by any chance Hayashizaki Kazuki knew about this Clark Moore’s only fixation, then Clark’s timing where she would try to remove Kazuki would be completely seen through. She thought of that for a fleeting second. …Though of course the possibility he might possibly learn of this was, endlessly zero.

In preparation for the battle with Medicine Wheel, she had to defeat Hayashizaki Kazuki with enough spare energy left. This stocked power was after all limited by its connection to wealth.

She would easily defeat a Basileus that was above her rank. …Her side had the method to make that possible.

“Jeremy, you understand right? The ability that you have is our trump card.”

Clark called to one of the Numbers that was standing by at the side.

Her most loyal childhood friend returned a reply “Understood” with a calm voice.

Jeremy Barrett. She was younger than her but, her history in the gang was even longer than Clark. She was a destined veteran. During the course since Clark entered the organization until she suddenly rose in the world, Jeremy immediately saw through Clark’s character, adored Clark’s ideology, and became a loyal follower.

Possessing an excellent combat skill, she constantly put her body in danger and carried out as Clark’s bodyguard whether in the light or shadow. Since Clark rose as the boss of the gang, and then when she further gained the power as King, Jeremy continued to become Clark’s most reliable combat specialist subordinate. When Red kept becoming more emotionally unstable day by day, the time Clark put Jeremy at her side was naturally increasing.

When American Justice Mythology showed their figures in North America, Jeremy also accomplished a contract with the Diva <Frontier Spirit>.

The girl who got through the most numerous battlefields in North America accomplished a perfect synchronization with her contracted Diva, and she also succeeded in manifesting an [Original One] that only she could use.

That was Clark’s trump card.

Diva granted their contractor ten Summoning Magic to call their power in the real world, but a Diva would create a unique and original new magic and grant it to a contractor that was bound to them in even stronger affinity.

It would become the one and only magic from the mix of the Diva and the contractor’s spirituality.

<Frontier Spirit> that symbolized the challenge toward difficulty, and Jeremy that held 100% adoration toward Clark’s ideology. The magic born from the mix of spirituality between these two was ― exactly a present intended towards Clark. It was as if Clark’s longstanding desire was turned just like that into magic.

[Giant Killing(Super Star Shooting, Blame of Scream)]

Its effect was ― loading Jeremy’s important thing into a bullet, and seal those that corresponded to what was loaded.

A magic in order for the weak to throw away everything and defeat the strong.

“In order to seal Hayashizaki Kazuki’s power of Basilleus, how much bet is needed?”

Jeremy was already fighting Hayashizaki Kazuki once ― she had finished assessing him.

“I need to bet all the magic power that I have.”

Jeremy answered shortly. The sealing affixed to the target was just a temporary thing, but the thing that was loaded into the bullet as the bet would be lost forever. That would mean using and then throwing away Jeremy’s life as a warrior. But if she paid the compensation until that much then ― it was not impossible.

“That’s just fine. If the Basileus’ power can be sealed with that then it’s good.”

Clark didn’t hesitate against the risk and the compensation. She wouldn’t reconsider even if she had to sacrifice her comrade.

She already had the determination to throw away everything except her pride.

She betted everything except her pride, kept winning through ice thin gambles, and rose from a small delinquent until a gangster.

“However, that man can evade my bullet.”

Clark dropped her sight to the report in her hand once more. She naturally looked at that page. The most important page. Hayashizaki Kazuki possessed the evasion ability as if he was seeing through the future.

He was a monster that won by decision against the strongest boxing king in North America, [Defense Master] Mary Mayweather Junior, in his first time boxing experience. Using word like monster was still too lukewarm. The meaning couldn’t be understood. Reading the report, Clark was honestly feeling awe.

If Jeremy’s Original One missed its target than it was game over.

“Wish we could make them acknowledge that I and my bodyguard Jeremy won’t come out in the battle with the Chiefs, with the intention of sniping Hayashizaki Kazuki from the shadow in the middle of the battle huh.”

The first plan was torn and discarded. Because of Hayashizaki Kazuki’s quick-wittedness she had to go out to the battlefield.

“Certainly the proof that Medicine Wheel won’t come out to the battlefield is insufficient. I cannot quibble unreasonably because he picked at that fact. If that’s the case… it will need a little fiddling so you can hit Hayashizaki Kazuki with the magic bullet. Now then… what way is available?”

There was a plan. There had been a trap laid out already at the discussion just now.

Even while she was asking what way was available, Clark didn’t request for an opinion from her surroundings and gave a hand sign to the Numbers to get out of the room.

The close aides wordlessly bowed and left from Clark’s room.

Toward Jeremy who was the last to leave the room, Clark exchanged looks with her in a glance.

Only Jeremy was left in front of the door.

“Jeremy. Put Mary and Ginny under control. You get what’s the meaning of control right? So that they won’t think of anything strange. Both of them are already double-crossing us.”

“Understood.” Jeremy flatly replied and exited the room. The conversation inside the cold room was all over with that. What left was just waiting. Just like always, while saving more wealth.

Part 5

“The shut-in that swoops down upon the positive space called intensive training… Kamimura Itsuki sanjou.” (TN:Sanjou, calling in/visiting. It’s also the catchphrase of some giant robot anime when they launch, don’t know which though.)

Kamimura-san in her gothic dress was taking a weird pose while swooping down upon the hotel Yggdrasil’s courtyard.

“Sorry to call you into a place and time that doesn’t agree with you.”

Kamimura-san shook her head left and right.

“Even though I came outside my room, if it’s Kazuki that calls for me, there is a part of me that thinks that it’s not all bad. …By…by any chance is it because I have been class-changed from a shut-in into a riajuu that has a boyfriend!”

Kamimura-san suddenly made a face of realization ‘hah’ and began to tremble rattlingly.

“For me to stand on such a Cinderella stage of youth… when I think about it calmly it’s just too unsuited for me that nervousness and nausea are welling up unstoppably inside me, uu…!”

“I like that aspect of Kamimura-san who looks cute like a small animal you know.”

When Kazuki tightly embraced the rattled Kamimura-san, she raised a strange voice.

“Hawawa―! It’s scary that a handsome boyfriend is acting too kind to an unpopular woman like me―! Messiah―!!”

Beside the two of them a light of magic power was produced, {Hee―yy, you handsome guy} in an appearance wearing sunglasses with the military jacket of the army, the funky and American Amaterasu appeared as an avatar.

{Try to lift Itsuki-chan just like that for a little bit.}

Kazuki followed what he was told, he put strength into his hugging arms and lifted up Kamimura-san. Kamimura-san went ‘kyaa- kyaa-‘ while swinging around her arms and legs.

“This reminds me, when we got off the ferris wheel while I was carrying her in a princess-carry I also thought this but, most of her weight has come back huh.”

{HAHAHA, she will soon have a potbelly like my wife.}

He left aside the American joke that was not funny in the slightest from the highest god of the Japanese Mythology. He was not here to talk about Kamimura-san’s fatness.

Kamimura-san was a deceased person. The soul of Kamimura-san that escaped from the unforeseen death was preserved by Amaterasu in the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave. However regardless of how Amaterasu was a chief god that governed over life, she couldn’t go as far as reviving the flesh body of her contractor who had her contract broken in one occasion. Thereupon with Kazuki getting along well with Kamimura-san, a circuit of bond could be formed between them and through there Solomon Mythology’s magic power could be supplied to Kamimura-san. Combining the two powers of Amaterasu and Solomon Mythology, Kamimura-san was successfully resurrected.

But when Kamimura-san’s own attachment towards life thinned, her very existence itself would also get thinner and she would fall into an ambiguous state. Kamimura-san right after she came back from the underworld had a hollow weight when he lifted her up, as if she was a hologram girl that had no real body.

But now her weight had already been close to her original weight.

Right now perhaps her weight was a little bit lighter than Lotte who was the lightest among his comrades.

“Yes… right now I have become unwilling to die compared to before.” Kamimura-san said. “But in the case that Kazuki betrays me, then I’m going to die at the speed of light. That’s why right now I’m happy but uneasy… it’s scary to be hated…”

“I won’t do anything like betraying Kamimura-san. Absolutely.”

Kazuki stroked Kamimura-san’s head a lot. Kamimura-san leaked out a voice “Hawawawa~”. While frolicking around like that, Kazuki asked something he was concerned about to Amaterasu.

“Then anytime now, will I be able to use the power as the King of Japanese Mythology?”

Kazuki had the principle to not conquer a girl for the sake of power. However, if he deepened his bond with Kamimura-san, Kazuki was supposed to be able to wield the authority as the King of Japanese Mythology.

“Hawaa-!” Kamimura-san raised her voice.

“Tha…that’s so isn’t it? Kazuki is only making friends with me for the sake of power isn’t it? Fufufu, it’s okay, no problem. If I think in reverse as long as Kazuki needs the power of Japanese Mythology that means Kazuki will value me importantly. I’m not concerned at all. I have never expected to be loved or anything as myself in the first place…!”

“Something like power is just an extra Kamimura-san. You are cute after all.”

Kazuki lightly kissed the cheek of Kamimura-san who once more fell to her negativity.

“Hawaa―! My cheek is kissed again…-!!”

It felt like treating a kid kissing the cheek, however tasting the sensation of the cute and chubby cheek with his lips had a different good feeling than a kiss lips-to-lips, it had its own charm. *chuu chuu* Kazuki tasted Kamimura-san’s cheek many times as if pecking on it.

Kamimura-san turned bright red saying “awawa” and curled herself.

“Bu…but doing something like this at best, is like kid treatment, it’s nothing more than being affectionate to a pet, no difference at all… yo, you are not considering someone like me as a lady at a-…”

“If you say that kind of thing then I’ll do this.”

Kazuki went around Kamimura-san’s back and rubbed Kamimura-san’s breast squishily from behind. He immediately found the sensitive tips across the fabric of the no-bra goth-loli clothes and he pinched it with his finger tips.

“Aa-♡ That place is no-♡ That place is sensitive so it will quickly feel good, it’s no good-♡”

“I won’t do this kind of thing to a pet you know.”

When Kazuki repeatedly pestered the throbbing nipple that had been developed by Kamimura-san herself, Kamimura-san “aa-♡” in just a moment went gasping and writhing around. And then the largest size heart mark flew at him.

Receiving waves of love attack from Kazuki, Kamimura-san’s face was dazed and reddened and she finally recognized herself saying “I am riajuu…” (TN: Just now it was said with broken English)

“Amazingg―…you have completely mastered the way to corner Itsuki-chan.”

Amaterasu opened her eyes wide.

After all not everyone was skillful like Mio in acting spoiled.

“Leaving this aside, with Susanoo’s defeat the full authority of Japanese Mythology was transferred to me, and it seemed that I became able to send that to you through the well-connected circuit of bond. With something like that, now you are already able to thoroughly wield the King’s Authority of the Japanese Mythology you know.”

“What kind of power is that? No~, it doesn’t matter at all what power is that because it’s nothing but an extra of Kamimura-san though! I don’t have any interest at all in that though~! But I want to know, just in case!”

“It’s fine already about something like that.” (TN: She uses Kansai dialect here.)

Kamimura-san poked at Kazuki’s cheek sharply with a tsukkomi.

“Anyway leaving the joke aside, I think it will practically become a terribly important key. At the battle on board of the ship I was using Solomon’s power once. And then when I confirmed it with Mary later on, she said that the matter about that had been completely reported to the King. That cunning Clark Moore should have already prepared some kind of counter-measure against the power of King Solomon.”

Kazuki recalled the gaze of Clark that was directed to him. That eye was an eye that looked forward to a sure victory. He couldn’t possibly think of her as having no plan. She had already prepared something.

“If there is a weapon that they don’t know about, it can become a reserve I think.”

{Then I’ll teach you, the King’s Authority of Japanese Mythology, that is <Power of Harmony>. It brings together the power of your comrades and uses them optimally. A power that boosts you many times over.}

“Using optimally?”

{Specifically, gathering and redistribution. For example a magic power with aggregate amount 100 exists inside Otonashi Kaguya who has possible amount of instantaneous magic power emission 60. The magic power’s aggregate amount is like a water tank, and the emission amount is like the tank’s faucet. The elf Hiakari Koyuki has aggregate amount 120 and somewhat large emission amount 40. That kind of number fits doesn’t it. Even though there is 100 magic power amount in Kaguya but because the amount she can fire ‘boom’ once can only reach until 60, she cannot invoke her level 10 magic [Seventh Inferno] that has magic power consumption 80 by herself alone.}

“That’s why she needs to chant by combining power through chorus magic to use level 10 magic huh.”

{There, if Kazuki uses the <Power of Harmony>, you can gather magic power and redistribute them to another. Taking 40 each from Kaguya and Hiakari, then if you gather those into Kaguya she can chant magic that consumes 80… you can do such a thing.}

“In other words… level 10 magic can be used much easier compared to all those times until now?”

{Of course the chanting itself is needed, but because there is no need to take time matching magic power wavelengths it should be far easier to use compared to chorus magic. Next as a simpler way to use it, Kazuki who goes through a fierce battle and get exhausted with only 3 magic power amount remaining in you can gather magic power from everyone and recover, or something like temporary doping in order to fight a powerful enemy, and so on.}

“It’s Spirit Bomb isn’t it? Everyone of our comrades, they share their spirit to Kazuki!” (TN: Reference to Dragon Ball)

Kamimura-san interrupted with something incomprehensible.

{Though if you stuffed too much magic power you will burst and die. Sorry about this plain ability.}

“No, thank you. If from now on the battle intensified, there will be a big difference whether I have this ability or not.”

Everyone used up almost all of their magic power and fell down, everyone gathered their few magic power all into him and he somehow stood up, he then challenged the Basileus into one-to-one fight, something like that… he wished he could be spared of such last moment situations though.

{If you still want more new power then you have to master the three Sacred Treasures I think. You surely understand from the fight with Susanoo, but in Japanese Mythology the three Sacred Treasures possess considerable strength. That’s also one of the factors that make our Authority become quiet plain.}

Kazuki recalled how Ikousai used <Yata no Kagami> and <Yasakani no Magatama> in their full-spec by half turning into Susanoo. She displayed outrageous ability of using auto-defense and teleportation consuming almost no magic power at all.

“Can I use them skillfully until that much in this short time? I am using them often in my training everyday.”

{That’s quite difficult―. After all Sacred Treasure is reticence. Rather than hitting it off with them in one go it’s more like you need to laboriously accumulate time with them.}

“Then to use them as good as Ikousai’s level, there is no other way than to get Amaterasu possessing me just like how Ikousai was possessed by Susanoo then.”

{I’m not recommending that okay―. I’m not thinking of taking over Kazuki’s flesh or anything, but with a human that had already got contracted with Lemegeton, if then you get further possessed by a voluminous Diva like a chief god from another Mythology, you head is going to get ‘baa―ng” like a watermelon.}

Even so, if from here on they lost here, everything would end… that kind of battle might be increasing in the future.

{In that case it’s Itsuki-chan’s turn you know. A lot of Amaterasu’s(My) Summoning Magic has commonality with the hidden power of the three Sacred Treasures after all, I think if you train together with Itsuki-chan you will make progress.”

“Just leave it to this coach Jonny yeah―”

Kamimura-san whose nipple was still hard from the messing around just now puffed up her chest.

“Of course that’s exactly the reason I was calling for Kamimura-san.”

In other words he was going to practice his Sacred Treasures with Kamimura-san’s Summoning Magic as his model.

“I’m really a convenient existence. Are you really―? Really not aiming for power―?”

Kamimura-san chuchkled “fuhihi” while lightly slapping Kazuki’s cheek *peshi peshi*. Really, what a great bargain that was full of perks, this conquered heroine Kamimura-san.

In Las Vegas, there was a change visible to the eye that appeared. The residents began to evacuate outside the dome, in exchange the mechanized soldiers and Magika Stigmas were entering.

“This is, are you planning to completely prepare Las Vegas as the ground of the decisive battle?”

Looking at the situation where the whole army was gathering, as expected Kazuki became uneasy, he then asked Clark who he happened to see taking command of the city.

“That’s my plan. I’m gathering all the military force of North America here.”

“Isn’t that too dangerous? Even the Indians might notice the movement of military force in a scale this large. What are you going to do if a part of them attack another city to shake us?”

If a city was felled then an enormous damage would come out.

To say nothing of how the Indians changed death into their power.

“That’s a needless worry. I made all the spies that I have to infiltrate South America’s camp. They were gathering information. According to the information of the lucky guys that survived and came home, there is no mistake that the way those Indians are gathering their battle strength is to aim at Las Vegas.”

Kazuki’s expression reflexively stiffened hearing that reply.

This person, she treated human’s life and death so lightly all the time…

“Besides the other side also acknowledged that our side is the better one in a battle of information. From the other side’s point of view, rather than competing in wit reading each other’s hand, they surely desire a head-on fight collision more.”

She had a point. But thinking how if her reading missed there would be an enormous damage that came out, if it was Kazuki, this was a choice that he would be absolutely unable to take.

“My bad but this is the way how I do things since I was just a brat, how I survived until now. This is how the weak fight.”

A single bet from a sharp reading. As if telling him to stop meddling more than this, Clark turned her back to him and left.

At first Kazuki was disgusted at Clark’s way that didn’t care of the method that she used. But right now he was beginning to feel dreadfulness from her thorough persistence.

“Perhaps I might get along well with that side’s boss yeah. I get the feelin’ that we’re the same kind of people. She ain’t doing anything half-way. How about you take a lesson a little too?”

Suddenly Shouko showed her face from Kazuki’s side saying that.

“The same kind of people…? Shouko shared the same realism with her but, you and that woman are not similar at all right?”

Kazuki tilted his head. Shouko blinked her eyes as if to say that Kazuki’s reaction was truly unexpected.

“Just from our realism ain’t we quite similar already…?”

“Because you take consideration for your surroundings quite much right? Joking around, when someones ask you a favor you will say [can’t be helped huh] or the like while taking care of it really well more than needed. You also like to take care of those younger than you, don’t you? At first I thought that you were calculating and haggling, but I’m gradually seeing your plain face. …What, what’s with that face?”

Shouko was making a face as if she was biting a bitter bug.

“Are you embarrassed?” Kazuki poked at her shoulder.

“…Are you an idiot? Well, if a naïve guy like you thinks like that then it’s just as planned. Anyway this time I don’t really have any motivation to help. It’s pretty dodgy is what I’m sayin’.”

“Well, I’m not going to ask you or Arthur to actively fight at the front lines.”

Both of them were [someone that try to know Kazuki and came into contact with him], but they were by no means [Kazuki’s comrades]. He couldn’t see their positivity levels, the Power of Harmony was also… seemed unusable at the two.

“Ou, then I’m gonna take a rest yeah.”

Looking at Shouko who was purposefully saying spiteful things like that, it made him wonder whether she actually wanted to be relied on a little.

“It’s fine for you to not fight, however use that Sacred Treasure that looked like a map that you used before.”

“…You mean <Taikyokuzu(Grand Zenith Map)>?”

Kazuki nodded. “No matter what kind of Mythology it is, there will surely be unknown magic. If it’s impossible to predict, then it’s important to immediately grasp the situation and deal with it. After all, this time we are in the receiving side.”

“So you are thinking that they will launch surprise attacks with an unknown method then.”

“There is no way they will come to attack in a simple way.”

Shouko sneered “fuh”, then she nodded saying “Can’t be helped huh.”

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