Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Tonight’s the NightThe Night of Beginning

Part 1

“So, there is no mistake that the [meeting place] of Kohaku’s gang is inside this abandoned club room?”

In the night where there was not even any shadow of students who loitered around the school, the Sword Division student council led by Hayashizaki Kanae came to this clubroom building where they sensed the presence of [clandestine meeting].

Kanae looked up to the building that towered over them in the darkness of the night and knitted her eyebrows.

―The second day since Nii-sama disappeared from the Magic Division.

Two days ago, headmaster Otonashi from the Magic Division handed down the order to [arrest Hayashizaki Kazuki and Charlotte] to Otonashi Kaguya. However Kaguya was obstructed by Hikita Kohaku, and one moment later Kazuki and the others managed to slip away. After that, the whereabouts of Kazuki and the others were completely unknown.

Kohaku, who helped with their escape, even now still brazenly attended her class.

It was clear that they sheltered Kazuki and the others somewhere in the Sword Division.

However some teachers of the Sword Division might be pulling the strings of Kohaku’s action from behind the scenes―the teachers from the Magic Division’s side were vigilant of that possibility and were unable to seek cooperation from the Sword Division. There were also some thoughts that they didn’t want to let the students know about this incident. For these kinds of reasons, they couldn’t perform a large scale [Kazuki search] inside the grounds of the Sword Division, freezing the state of affairs.

In the middle of all that, the Sword Division's Kanae and others, who were aware of the situation from Kaguya, started to move independently.

“I checked the data of the camera monitors from these few days all night. I had confirmed that Kohaku came frequently at late night here to this clubroom building. It was only a glance though.”

Yamada Torazou answered the question that Kanae asked from before.

The camera monitors that were laid out inside the Sword Division’s ground were originally a countermeasure for suspicious people.

Torazou confirmed the footage from those cameras using the special privilege of the student council.

“This building has the abandoned clubroom of the ping pong club that had been abolished. The adviser of that ping pong club was that Tsukahara.”

Tsukahara Hisatada―the Sword Division’s teacher who was suspected as Kohaku's backer.

“I tried to search this abandoned club room in the afternoon, but the key to the room had been changed without anyone’s notice and even the master key cannot open it. There was no sound at all from the inside, so it seems they're not hiding Kazuki and the others here. There is no mistake however that this is a room of some importance.”

The suspicious teacher Tsukahara, had built a secret room and there, Kohaku had come and visited frequently. There was no more room for doubt.

Continuing, the vice president Kamiizumi Iori gave her report.

“I was on the lookout while eating anpan and milk yo~. I had confirmed that when all club activities were finished at evening, Kohaku and her two friends entered the clubroom building while being careful of people’s eyes yo~.”

Based on the information from the camera monitors, Iori was monitoring the students who entered the clubroom building.

“As soon as I finished eating those anpan and milk, the trash became a nuisance you know? But what if those bunch came when I went to throw the trash, what to do~, is what I thought. When those guys finally came and I manage to confirm it, I went away to throw the trash in relief yo~. Those guys haven’t come out since then.”

“You were having too much fun [playing make-believe game of police-detective lookout]. Well, anyway Kohaku and the others still haven’t come out from the clubroom right? Yosh, then let’s not wait for the decision of that indecisive Magic Division. Let’s bring down those guys' plan before it happens with just us here. This is the so-called Ikedaya Incident of this era!”

Ikedaya Incident was the incident where Shinsengumi attacked the Meiji restoration patriots who were hiding in the inn and were planning to set fire to Kyoto. After comparing their own action to a historical event, Kanae grinned broadly and laughed.

The Magic Division’s student council of Kaguya and the others were in internal dissension because the vice-president, Hoshikaze Hikaru, opposed the order. Even if they were in a party together with those bunch, they must not let the problem from that side hinder them too.

To say nothing that this time, the incident happened inside the territory of the Sword Division.

“It’s surprising that Kaichou doesn’t let her feelings get in the way. How can you go along with this kind of order?”

Torazou once again asked about the impossible to believe event that he saw.

The situation that Kanae’s big brother, Hayashizaki Kazuki was put in was very severe. Kazuki who was contracted with a mysterious Diva plundered a Sacred Treasure from a Haunted Ground. Because of that an order to arrest him along with Charlotte who accompanied him had been handed down. Kazuki resisted the attempt to arrest him and escaped.

“It’s not like that.” Kanae denied Torazou’s words.

“My objective is only to meet Nii-sama and see him with my own eyes. Things like Nii-sama attempting to pillage a Sacred treasure…there is no way that kind of thing could happen. Even if that’s true, that must be the Diva contracted with Nii-sama that possessed him. If it’s the Niisama-meister, me, I would be able to see whether Nii-sama is himself or not with just a glance. If it is the case that an evil Diva possessed Nii-sama, I’ll catch Nii-sama and I won’t have any objection about performing the [Stigmata Transplanting Operation]. I have heard about the danger of the transplanting operation of the stigmata, but…”

‘But’, Kanae’s eyes turned grim.

“If Nii-sama is actually still himself…that means the report about [Nii-sama attempted to pillage a Sacred Treasure] is wrong. That means someone is trying to frame Nii-sama. In that case, I’ll find that someone and kill him. I’m not using any metaphor, I’ll kill him without fail. I couldn’t care less about Charlotte, so I’ll let her go. It seems she would be killed if she is to be handed to Germany.”

“Oioi…you are not going to follow the order at all?”

Torazou whispered flabbergasted, at his side Iori laughed cheerfully.

“Even though Kana-chan is too fired up by her emotions, it’s cool how all your arguments are so sound.”

“That’s because my Brocon is very reasonable. Even if I was too fired up by my emotions, it won’t lead me to a mistaken conclusion. My love to Nii-sama is the justice of the universe.”

“Someone trying to frame Kazuki who is just a normal student, isn’t that story too unreal?”

“Shut up, is your spanking still not enough Torazou? Nii-sama is the treasure of the universe after all.”

Torazou shut his mouth dejectedly. Because he secretly went behind Kanae’s back to go along with Kaguya to arrest Kazuki, he was spanked after that by Kanae with all her strength.

“We won’t charge in to preserve the evidence, let’s wait until those guys come out from the clubroom building. We will beat them up completely and make them spit out where Nii-sama is, and also take the clubroom’s key. We will investigate the inside of the abandoned club room to search for something that can be used as evidence, and punish Kohaku and the others with suspension from school. While they are suspended, we will bring everything to a conclusion.”

Part 2

When Hikita Kohaku exited the clubroom building with her comrades, there were shadows waiting in the darkness of her path.

The Japanese garden of the Sword Division at night looked like an ink-painting. But to Kohaku who reinforced her eyesight with magic power, she could make the distinction of the identity of the shadows clearly even more than someone using a night scope.

A small-statured swordswoman with her braided hair fluttering in the night wind like a cat’s tail.

On her right and left a swordsman with large build and a swordswoman with bobbed hair were waiting.

There was no mistake with what she saw. The strongest swordsmen squad―Sword Division student council.

But Kohaku didn’t feel any fear. On the contrary, finally they came, her blood quickened.

Tonight is the night when the curtain will open.

“Where did you hide Nii-sama?”

The shadow in front of her―Kanae threw her a question. A question that she didn’t expect to be answered, in other words a proclamation of war.

Without waiting for a reply, sharp sounds of drawn swords from the scabbards on the swordsmen's hips, rang out at that place.

“You’re not coming here just for talking right, Kanae-kaichou. But if you try to judge our selves using the power of the student council and yet the table is turned back on you unsightly, you senpais won’t be able to introduce yourself as the student council anymore, you know? Isn’t that great? Tonight this one will take over the seat of the student council president.”

The Sword Division held the doctrine of strength even more extremely than the Magic Division. Because the doctrine of true strength was beaten into them through and through, the students bore inferiority complex toward the Magic Division and they became unable to go against the Magica Stigma.

It was recognized in the Sword Division that the strong students held many privileges, it went without saying that the student council president was also awarded various special privileges. In exchange, if the president was defeated by anyone even once, then no one would recognize them anymore.

The seat of the Sword Division’s student council president was decided not by election, it was something easily transferred by the result of a single duel.

If Kohaku could achieve victory against Kanae right now in that place, Kohaku could reach the top reigning position in one go.

So their plan could go on smoothly from now on, this was something that Kohaku just needed.

“Don’t get too conceited, you first year lad!”

Kanae drew out her two-swords style blades. With that as the signal, Torazou and Iori both at her side also drew their katana.

“Hiiragi! Kagura! Use the <Sacred Treasures> and bring down the extra at her sides! This one is going to defeat Kanae-kaichou!!”

Both of Kohaku’s comrades also drew out their Sacred Treasures just like Kohaku commanded.

“Burn the ascetics, <Nobukuni>! Battou Kaikon―Long Sword of Divine Excess FireKannabi no Tachi!!”

The slender swordsman wearing glasses―Hiiragi drew his katana, that katana created sparks from the friction with its scabbard and was enveloped with flame. When the flame sword was swung, ‘GOU!” a wave of flame flew toward Iori.

“Uwawa!? A surprising weapon that looks like Summoning Magic!? What is that, not fair!!”

Even while raising a scream, Iori read the magic power and evaded the wind of flame.

Battou Kaikon―magic power flowed into the Sacred Treasure and released the various personal magic that the Sacred Treasure had.

Its power didn’t compare to the Summoning Magic of a Diva, but it didn’t have casting time like a normal spell.

“Scream your refusal, <Sukehiro>! Battou Kaikon―Large Waves BladeTouranjin!!”

The black haired swordswoman―Kagura pointed the tip of her Sacred Treasure at Torazou. The next moment, a thin jet of water like a string was released straight ahead from the tip of the katana.

“DOWAA!”

Torazou’s blue defensive magic power scattered from receiving those water pressures that could even pierce a rock. But the shockwave was not to the degree that it could blow him away. Torazou went against the water jet while struggling to run towards Kagura.

“Not only Kohaku, even the small fishes also have Sacred Treasures!? …Where in the world did they get all of that? Iori is one thing, but Torazou won’t last long.”

Kanae immediately attempted to help Torazou. However Kohaku beat her to the punch―

“Kanae-kaichou’s opponent is this one!! …Freeze and lock, <Murasame>! Battou Kaikon―Drizzle Rain Boisterous DanceKirisame Ranbu!!”

Kohaku drew one katana from the seven pieces of katana that she had on her body. When drops of water were hanging down from the blades of the katana, in the blink of an eye those drops transformed into water vapor, next it froze and countless numbers of glistening blades of ice was formed.

“Go!” ―Answering Kohaku’s will, the blades of ice rushed Kanae like a blizzard.

Kanae Foresighted the magic phenomenon and evaded the flying ice blades comfortably.

Kanae was cornered further and further away from Torazou, the situation unavoidably turned into an one-on-one fight with Kohaku.

While floating a daring smile, Kohaku drew out one more katana.

“Pierce the far away, <Doutanuki>! Battou Kaikon―Sky Tempest Scythe WeaselTenran Kamaitachi!!”

Kohaku swung her katana, from there a sharp wind blew violently. It was a blade of wind invisible to the eyes, but Kanae evaded it with the prided Foresight of Hayashizaki style.

In Kohaku’s right hand was Murasame, in her left hand was Doutanuki, she operated both of them at the same time, driving away Kanae with ice and wind blades.

The situation developed into a barrage of two layers long range attack that limited the place that Kanae could escape, it surely was a bullet hell of swords.

Even Kanae couldn’t avoid them all, many blades grazed her and the light of defensive magic power was scattered.

But Kanae slipped amongst the gaps of the barrage and somehow approached near Kohaku.

Anyway, Kanae didn’t have any method of attack if she was not in close range.

When Kanae approached until the [middle range], Kohaku quickly stored both the Sacred Treasures in her hands back to its sheath―this time her hand reached the large war sword she carried on her back. That Sacred Treasure’s length reached almost two meters, she pulled it out in one breath with the assistance of Psychokinesis.

“Crush them to death, <Taroudachi>! Battou Kaikon―Ashura BisectionAshura Ryoudan!!”

While shouting in one stroke, Kohaku poured her magic power into the large war sword.

The blade of the Taroudachi absorbed the magic power and grew large up to several dozen times.

“!?”

Kanae swallowed her breath in shock.

Kanae used her Foresight. Predicting what would happen next, she suddenly put a stop on her movement and changed into evasive maneuver. Even so―she didn’t make it in time.

The gigantified Taroudachi’s attack range was so vast Kanae couldn’t evade it even with Foresight!

BUUUUUUUN! Taroudachi howled, Kanae was blown away like a single thread by the sweeping slash that drew a gigantic arc.

Kanae immediately performed an ukemi and stood back and the range between the two returned back to [long range].

Kohaku sheathed back Taroudachi on her back and changed once again with Murasame and Doutanuki.

She used Murasame and Doutanuki when there was a large distance from her opponent and if the opponent managed to slip through them, she would pull out Taroudachi. Like that Kanae wasn’t allowed to launch a close-range attack at all.

The innermost secret of sword art was distance. Kohaku had gained total supremacy of distance and obtained an overwhelming upper hand on Kanae.

“Kanae-kaichou…you’re certainly the strongest swordsman. However, you’re just a swordsman from ancient era that keep using normal katana with stupid honesty. Attempting to become stronger than Magica Stigma with that seedy-looking kodachi with painful efforts alone…this one will show you, this one will create a new era where there would be no more pitiful swordsman like you.”

“Obtaining clever power by outside assistance of weapon, you got too carried away just by that huh.”

Kanae talked while spitting out from her mouth, looked like the cloud of dust went into her mouth when she performed the ukemi.

“Certainly the Sacred Treasure might be a helpful weapon, but your method won’t change anything in society.”

“…What kind of fault is there in this one’s great cause?”

“You keep saying great cause great cause, but your true feelings that [you hate the Magic Division] is transparent. You will only manage to stir resistance from the other side without making them understand anything. However, you also won’t be able to subdue the Magica Stigma even if you seriously use force against them. You blockhead. You who only relied on Sacred Treasure won’t be able to win against Kaguya, even if you challenged her ten thousand times. Well, though you will lose to me in this place even before that.”

“You can still make such shameless declarations like a poor loser even in that sorry state!”

Kohaku swung both Murasame and Doutanuki at the same time and discontinued their dialogue.

The barrage of ice blades and wind sword attacked Kanae once again. Kanae sheathed her kodachi and started running with all her strength.

Iai stance…? What was she planning to do…?

Without even overlooking any slight change, Kohaku tried to look for Kanae’s aim.

Hayashizaki-style originally was a school of Iaijutsu.

But to compensate for her powerlessness with the number of attacks, Kanae normally used the stance of two swords style.

However―if she thought about dodging the magic that flew about in the battlefield and approach the enemy, she could dash even faster in the state where her swords were sheathed. That was the essential aim of Hayashizaki-style’s Iaijutsu.

In short, she planned to sacrifice the number of attacks in favor of speed.

The reality was that Kanae who dashed while swinging her hands had accelerated even more exceptionally compared from before.

“Your methods are mistaken! You should wait for a kind person like Nii-sama to connect both the Sword Division and the Magic Division! Actually the distance between the Sword Division and the Magic Division are shrinking right now. Kaguya too is trying to compromise. But you don’t want to understand that because of your childish pride. You declared a dignified great cause, but in the end you just want the Magic Division to submit to you!”

While dashing like a wind, Kanae blamed Kohaku severely.

Those words pierced Kohaku’s chest like a thorn. She only wanted to make the Magic Division submit…it would be a lie if she said that there was no such dark sentiments inside her.

“You saying things like that, are you saying that with Kazuki’s method anything and everything will go smoothly!? This brocon Kaichou!!”

“Certainly there is a strong brocon bias in my eye, but at least there is no feeling of hate towards anyone in Nii-sama! That’s why he can give good influence to the surrounding people!! Compared to the misunderstood you who is only invincible when you have Sacred Treasure, you are shamefully conceited!!”

Kanae slipped through Murasame and Doutanuki’s barrage and drew near Kohaku once more.

“Ashura Ryoudan!!”

Kohaku switched Sacred Treasure and perform a similar slash like before with Taroudachi.

It was unavoidable even with Kanae’s current speed. She unsheathed her kodachi and chose to block the gigantic slash. But that was a reckless attempt.

Kanae couldn’t block Taroudachi and was blown far away.

…Even if she got a little faster and whatever she shouted were not a problem at all.

The blown away Kanae stood up in a stagger.

“If you turn to violence, then the Magic Division and the Sword Division will return back to their gloomy relations. Whatever Nii-sama had done will come to nothing. That’s why I’m going to stop you. Your sham great cause is only a bother…!”

“Are you going to keep sermonizing with that condescending attitude even though your hands and legs have been giving out?”

“Fun…I’m going to accelerate a little bit more.”

Was she a sore loser…?

The moment Kohaku still doubted her ear, the <Storm Cat> Hayashizaki Kanae was kicking the ground once more.

‘Byun!’, that small body was [accelerating] even faster.

Was she still concealing her full power!? …Kohaku was taken aback, however, nothing would change with Kanae becoming just a little faster. She restrained her with Murasame and Doutanuki once more, lured her out, and then make her the prey of Taroudachi!

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”

“What!?”

Kanae entered her fighting spirit into her loud scream and clashed her Iai towards the <Ashura Ryodan> that Kohaku swung.

Kanae’s Iai draw didn’t have the power to repel Taroudachi back.

However she diverted the trajectory of the side sweep slightly above.

And then with the gap that was formed between the blade and the ground, Kanae slipped through with a cat-like low posture.

Kohaku felt a chill in her spine. Kanae had drawn near…until the range of the kodachi!

Kohaku immediately released a kick. Kanae who charged ahead with a forced posture couldn’t avoid it, she received the blow fully from the front and drew back.

Kohaku back-stepped in panic and created a [long range] distance between them.

The defense and offense returned right to their starting point.

However…she had allowed her to get close?

Kanae’s damage had been piling up and most of her magic power had been shaved off. Her breathing was rough from her mental tiredness and her body was wobbling.

Despite all that, her movements hadn’t declined. On the contrary she was accelerating. Her eyes were still not dead, her eyes were glaring at Kohaku with ominous light.

Kohaku shuddered with fear against that figure.

The sensation was as if she was facing against a naked blade.

“…It had been a long time since I really wanted to defeat an enemy in front of my eyes and from the bottom of my heart in a serious match…. I cannot get this kind of feeling facing off with the kind Nii-sama…fufufu!”

…Don’t tell me this person, was she saying that she was not used to a serious fight and her engine took time to get warmed up? [Hayashizaki Kanae’s seriousness] that hadn’t been discovered because there was no worthy opponent in the Sword Division till now, had it finally woken up in this place!?

…No, Kanae wouldn’t be able to defeat her opponent anymore. Her magic power would be all used up with only one more attack. She was nothing more than a slow starter that had been too late!

Kanae once again kicked the ground and sprinted. She accelerated even faster with that explosive power. At first, many of the ice and wind blades grazed her, but now nothing hit her anymore.

Kohaku had lured Kanae close enough, so she swung the gigantified Taroudachi.

Kanae once again clashed her Iai draw with her whole body against Taroudachi just like before and altered its trajectory.

And then she slipped under the blade. The strength of her Iai, the speed of her sprint, everything was still increasing compared from before.

This person, does she keep getting stronger the more she is hurt like a zombie!?

Kohaku repeated her previous offense and defense method and released a front kick.

Kanae who had more composure now Foresighted the kick and avoided the kick smoothly with a sidestep.

Kohaku threw away her Taroudachi. She didn’t even have anymore leisure to sheathe the sword in her back.

And then she unsheathed another Sacred Treasure.

“Run beam of light, <Mikadzuki Munechika>! Battou Kaikon―Long Sword of MoonlightGetsuei no Dachi!!”

The new Sacred Treasure she used was something for close-quarter combat.

The moment she gripped the hilt of the katana, it produced a slash that drew an arc of a crescent moon. Kohaku didn’t even need to swing the blade consciously. Transcending speed, it produced the result even before the attack was released, a magic sword that reversed the cause and effect.

However Kanae evaded that attack. ―In front of Hayashizaki-style’s Foresight, the speed of the attack was not a problem.

Kanae, who evaded the crescent shadow of the sword, slipped into Kohaku’s flank with a speed that left an afterimage behind.

In that state where they crossed paths, ‘ZUBA!ZUBA!’ two streak of slash carved apart Kohaku.

When Kohaku turned back, Kanae’s figure was not there anymore.

Only the sounds of her footsteps kicking the ground and dashing away echoed from somewhere. Kanae accelerated even faster.

“Damn―!”

Kohaku swung Mikadzuki Munechika around at random. The black shadow slipped through her attacks, slashes visited her when they passed each other.

At last they entered a close quarter combat…! Moreover, the pace became even faster than before!

When the sound of braking ‘ZUZAAAAAAA!’ entered Kohaku’s ear, immediately the sound of ground-kicking was heard leaving only the sounds of footsteps behind. Kanae ran around her with the speed that she really couldn’t catch, sharp slash visited her every time Kanae passed through.

Kanae was not only fast. She Foresighted Kohaku’s line of sight’s movement and dashed to her blindspot.

It was useless to rely on eyes dealing with this sword dance.

However, her current self’s training in Senses Reinforcement MagicExtra Sense was insufficient…!

Kanae’s slashes were light, the damages of each attack were small. Just with those, Kohaku tasted humiliation because she was continuously cut so one-sidedly.

“This is absurd-!”

Kohaku swung Mikadzuki Munechika around blindly.

Thoughts of resignation that she couldn’t win flashed in her mind.

She believed that she could win even against Otonashi Kaguya as long as she used Sacred Treasure. However…

“…First year brat, has your heart broke?...”

The black shadow left behind ridiculing laughter each time it passed. That form was not reflected in her eyes, only the footsteps echoed around her. Kohaku’s mind turned pure white from the shame of having her inside seen through.

Shit, who is the one that’s going to give up! Her plan had already started to move!!

“Burn the ascetics, <Nobukuni>! Battou Kaikon―Kannabi no Tachi!!”

Wind of flames blew in Kohaku’s surroundings to protect around her.

Kanae stepped for a hasty brake because of the sudden obstruction of the wind of flames.

Both Kohaku and Kanae opened their eyes wide from the sudden development. Kanae’s godspeed had been interrupted, in that instant―

“Scream your rejection, <Sukehiro>! Battou Kaikon―Touranjin!!”

A blade of thin and white water pressure pierced Kanae’s defensive magic power.

Kanae’s magic power hit rock bottom, she went down on her knees because of the abuse her magic forced on her body.

What just happened?

When she looked around the night battlefield―both Torazou and Iori had already used up all their strengths and collapsed.

This was a three-on-three fight.

“…I didn’t make it in time huh.”

Kanae fell into the ground while squeezing out those words. Kohaku looked down on the collapsed Kanae who was supposed to overwhelm her while doubting her own eyes.

“…Somehow or other…this is this one’s victory, Kanae-kaichou.”

Kohaku forcibly put on a smile of triumph on her face.

Can this one say that she really won? That discord welled up inside her heart.

“Surely you won’t say that you won’t recognize your defeat. From here on, this one is the student council president. This one proclaims victory, if you are not going to deny it, then the change of administration is done.”

“Well, that was an interesting fight for sure.” The collapsed Kanae replied in a subdued tone.

“I can’t really get serious without killing intent, so it had been a long time since I can fight like this.”

The words she said in the beginning was [an interesting fight], wasn’t it?

This person is even more a [Sword Demon] than Kazuki, that was what Kohaku thought.

“…Because of your offense in carrying an assault against innocent students, you are hereby receiving a suspension from school. Please watch the execution of our plan attentively while undergoing house arrest in the student dormitory.”

“Hmph, that kind of thing doesn’t really matter, because Kaguya or Nii-sama are going to stop you somehow. Aaah, geez! I want to meet Nii-sama quickly―!!”

Kanae looked up to the night sky and yelled, while it seemed she was really serious about not caring what course of events were going to develop in the future.

―In this night, the Sword Division student council was dismantled by Hayashizaki Kanae’s order.

Part 3

Hiakari Koyuki saw a dream.

Magic intoxication―Humans who demanded for magic power surpassing their own limit would have their mind dragged in to Astrum and faint. And then their self would be broken apart in pieces and see a dream.

Astrum was the root of people’s mind. When humans are pulled into this empty space that resembles the Mother Sea, their mind wouldn’t be able to preserve their ego and grow weak rapidly, inside this infinite space.

Koyuki’s heart was disassembled into many disconnected parts and were scattered and fluttered about in this Astrum.

While Koyuki was drifting inside the darkness with no sky or ground, she viewed her memoriesfragments blankly.

Her own fragments―that was what she was molded of, memories of her 15 years of life.

Those were cold bygone days that made her frozen.

The symptoms started appearing little by little when she was around three years old, when she transformed into an Elf.

It was normal for people to feel disgust and fear for something that has a different outward appearance-toward the Elves that were endowed with strong magic power.

Even her own family directed their gaze at Koyuki like they were seeing a repulsive thing.

In those days, the elves' existence was not understood, they were seen with discrimination by society as [a thing that was similar with Demon Beast]. Surely it was repulsive how her own parents considered that their own child might be an inhuman monster. It was sorrowful, but Koyuki could understand where they came from.

That was why Koyuki grew up while bearing in mind that [she was a monster]. Ostracized by her own parents since three years old, she lived with determination of being alone forever for the twelve years after.

An enigma appeared when she was 14 years old―at the very least her surroundings had expectations even if it was only for her aptitude in magic. She felt that she had discovered the meaning of her existence.

Even so, she was nothing more than a fighting machine that was only demanded to fight.

A cold draft always drifted in her heart.

However, she encountered people at the Magic Division that might consider her as a comrade.

[Welcome to the Witch Mansion―! Starting from today you are the prospective newcomer of the Witch Mansion you know!? Eh? Am I not feeling repulsed because you’re an elf? Even if you say repulsive…Elf-chan is so cute!! Su―per―cu―teee!! I want to hug you and rub those white cheeks!!”

Otonashi Kaguya. She didn’t fear Koyuki. She had a conviction of her own strength, so there might not be any need for her to be scared of an elf.

[Certainly Hiakari-san is unsociable, that’s why the people around you might have a misunderstanding. However I am not misunderstanding Hiakari-san’s kindness!]

Hayashizaki Kazuki. He was trying to understand Koyuki directly from the front. He who was once an orphan couldn’t permit Koyuki who tried to take refuge in solitude.

Even Koyuki herself felt sympathy secretly towards him who tried hard in the middle of the discriminatory atmosphere in the Magic Division.

[I’ll win against you quick and easy, and prove my suitability as a Rank A―!!]

Amasaki Mio. She regarded Koyuki as an annoying rival. She was a similar person to Koyuki in some respect with how her heart relied on her own magic aptitude to support herself.

―DOKUN. A hot pulse was running inside this cold mental world. When she thought about them, perhaps she could also grow closer to them by some chance, she embraced such faint hope.

Actually…I don’t want to give up. I really cannot express it through words or through actions, but…!

DOKUN, DOKUN. She felt her own heart grow hot. I still want to keep on by my own will, she felt such strong longing. When Koyuki wanted to return back to the former world, she started to wish strongly.

She struggled in the depths of the mental world. Like she was saying that she was able to rattle as long she still had her limbs. With the pulses as her clues, Koyuki’s consciousness was rising to the surface aiming for her flesh body.

The scattered fragments gathered naturally and her ego was reformed. The sorrowful past entered her eyes once more.

―They too are like your parents who were once kind people, they might betray you. Anxiousness flashed in her mind. It was scary to have your hope betrayed. However she brushed aside her anxiety and strongly wished.

I want to return back to the Witch Mansion…!

And then Koyuki returned to the real world from her magic intoxication.

The cold heart embraced the head of the flesh body. The very intimate senses calmed down her heart.

The light right beside her tore up the darkness, the world extended above and below.

Koyuki opened her eyelids and woke up.

What entered Koyuki’s sight when she woke up was a really incomprehensible scene.

What first entered her sight was an unfamiliar ceiling. When she raised her body, she realized that she wore an unknown pajama. Her surrounding was a Japanese room Koyuki had never seen before….

“Wan―! Kazuki-oniisan, wan, wan! Ku~n♪”

Charlotte Liebenfrau was licking Kazuki’s cheek with [peropero] while making an innocent smiling face. Koyuki who was still dazed from just waking up instantly froze in place.

“Wait a second Kazuki, look at me too! Nyaa! Come on nyaa―!

Mio who was on Kazuki’s other side, even though she looked embarrassed but she was also licking [peropero] Kazuki’s other cheek with determination competitively.

Both girls were wearing dog ears and cat ears respectively, in addition they were also wearing maid uniforms.

“Wai…I said cut this out!” Kazuki was bewildered of having been sandwiched and licked by both of them.

“Kazuki-oniisan, even though you said that but you don’t hate this desu♪” With that Charlotte laughed.

“Kazuki, you’re happy? Ehehe, nyaa―♪” Mio too turned sweet with her feelings unbounded.

Koyuki was sleeping in the corner of the Japanese room on top of a spread out futon. A little distance from where she was sleeping was the unfolding scene of three people who were doing a maniac sex play on top of a spread out futon.

“…What are all of you doing?”

A voice so cold it even surprised herself, came out from Koyuki’s mouth. The three jumped in surprise and faced toward her.

“Hiakari-san, you are awake!?” “Wawan!?” “Nyanyanya!?”

The girls shrieked while keeping their animal acting.

“…Can you explain the situation?”

Part 4

Kazuki was faltering from Koyuki’s gaze that looked like she was staring at raw garbage.

Koyuki quietly sat on top of the futon in a seiza posture, so Kazuki also faced her in seiza. A big pressure could be felt from the small Koyuki.

“This is…when we got too bored and were talking idly, Lotte talked about the time when we went to the Solomon cosplay café.”

“Solomon cosplay café?”

The impetus in the beginning was when Lotte told Mio of the happenings in that unusual space.

While Mio was raging about the two people’s date, she was burned with strange opposition.

“I can lick more skillfully you know!” ―something like that.

“What did she mean with that?”

This time Koyuki moved her gaze of contempt to Mio.

“What is the point, that talk of able to lick more skillfully compared to other people? It was overly strange to be burned with opposition in that area.”

Mio hung her head down hearing that pointed out bluntly.

“Act, actually, hearing that story from Lotte make me envious somehow…. But when we tried it for real it was quite fun and deliriously…”

“So it was fun to lick [peropero] a man in a trance. You’re a hentai to the core, aren't you?”

“Somehow that make me suddenly feel really, really embarrasseeeedd!! I’m not a hentai okay! I won’t do that kind of thing to just anyone, only because the other party is Kazu-nii oka―y!!”

Mio hid her face with both hands and rolled around ‘gorogorogoro’ on top of the tatami.

“As for me, as long it make Kazuki-oniisan happy, I don’t care even if it is perverted―”

Lotte puffed her chest boldly.

The girl was able to sense Kazuki’s feelings by using telepathy. As long as Kazuki didn’t hate it, she had the boldness to attack Kazuki barely within the border line.

“So you yourself was happy with this. To be served hand and foot by two girls and being licked.”

“…I won’t lose to this kind of temptation, I was resisting desperately before.”

But even he was doubtful until how much he could resist with his resolution.

“Lotte is not fair. But, I’m not a hentai okay…I don’t particularly want to please Kazuki so much until I become a hentai…”

Mio was looking up bitterly at Lotte who accepted the title of hentai unashamedly while lying down on the tatami and worrying endlessly. Suddenly Kazuki was aware of the positivity level from the girls.

Amasaki Mio―134 Lotte―106 Hiakari Koyuki―53 Hoshikaze Hikaru―41 Otonashi Kaguya―Measurement Impossible

Kazuki’s magic dress, the <Ring of Solomon> was able to take the measurement of a girl positivity level.

But what he was concerned about was how Kaguya-senpai’s positivity level was impossible to be measured right now. The number was constantly fluctuating up and down, like a spinning slot machine that couldn’t be read.

Was senpai’s feelings shaking like this number…?

“Or perhaps I should say, the explanation that I seek is not about those perverted acts. …Where in the world is here? Why are we in this kind of place?”

“…What, so the explanation that Hiakari-san wants is not about the licking?”

It was natural if he thought about it. Because she had been unconscious for a whole two days.

―Two days ago was a really stormy day.

The mortal combat with Beatrix in the evening. And then Kaguya-senpai’s shocking assault.

They were saved from a dangerous spot by Koyuki, even so they were still cornered …

The one who rescued them from that crisis was Kohaku from the Sword Division.

Koyuki should remember the development until that point. However Koyuki abused the Moves in the Field to equip all the members with ice boots in that place and in the end fainted because of magic intoxication. From there―

“After that, we were sheltered by Kohaku. Here is a room of Sword Division’s student dormitory.”

“The Sword Division? Why?”

“The assistance that the Magic Division provided for the government in abandoning Lotte had became a stain for the Magic Division. Kohaku and the others planned to protect Lotte from the Magic Division, proclaim the matter of Lotte to the society, and then show the justice and strength of the Sword Division and sink the social status of the Magic Division.”

“I see…so we are being confined as a component of their strategy. They are not helping us from the kindness of their heart.”

Koyuki seemed uncomfortable, but she whispered in comprehension.

Even their cellphones were confiscated, and mind message using telepathy could only reach nearby people.

Though it was not like they weren’t able to escape if they wanted to. There was a window in the room, and they were able to destroy the door and the walls easily using Summoning Magic. It was fairly hard to confine the being called Magica Stigma.

However―it was dangerous right now for them to go outside. What could they do to bring the best conclusion for this chaotic situation, that was what they must think about first.

“Well, I don’t have any interest though about the quarrel between the Magic Division and the Sword Division for social status."

Koyuki released a long sigh.

“But they are dreaming too much if they expect to win against Kaguya-senpai by only having Sacred Treasures. Whether the amount of magic power, magic skill, or even the affinity with her Diva, everything about that person is outside the norm.”

Kazuki had experienced Kaguya-senpai’s strength with his own body, Koyuki’s words was filled with even more feeling than that. Because Koyuki had accompanied senpai even longer than Kazuki.

“Kaguya-senpai, is her affinity Asmodeuswith that perverted devil king really that good…”

“It would make the person herself cry if you talk to her about it. It only took that person two months to acquire the level 10 Summoning Magic, she broke the Japanese records by a very huge margin. This is about how much you could match the wavelength with your Diva.”

“…Even I still have the chance to break that record right? I’ll show you soon that I can even use level 6.”

Mio who was still lying down on the tatami whispered secretly with burning opposition.

Mio had acquired the Summoning Magic until level 5 since she entered the school one month ago. That was a fairly fast pace. However, it was said that the crucial moment of Summoning Magic acquisition began from level 5.

“I’m still at three desu.” Lotte was blinking her eyes in surprise.

It seems the average pace was to reach around level 7-8 around when the students reached the graduation.

“But talking about the magic aptitude, if it is the amount of magic power then Hiakari-san should be above right?”

“If it’s only magic power’s amount then I’m still above, but…magic aptitude is not decided with just that. Moreover Kaguya-senpai also has more than enough magic power. Because it is not a sure thing that a person with a lot of magic power would turn into an elf. …Somehow it feels that person's magic power was acquired later on in a rapid growth.”

“Isn’t the amount of magic power a person has fixed since they were born?”

It was said that the amount the magic power could grow had been roughly decided at birth. That was why Solomon 72 Pillar selected the knight candidates at the time when they reach 14 years old and grant the Enigma.

“Who knows, because there are still many things we don’t know about magic. There was even a story about secret research of a technique to expand human’s magic faculty artificially.”

Artificially expanding human’s magic faculty…. Magic power, in other words the strength of the mind.

Scientifically altering human’s mind and strengthening magic power―Kazuki had heard that kind of shuddering urban legend before, that there was a secret human experiment performed somewhere.

“Now that I remember I still haven’t said my gratitude to you Hiakari-san. Even though Hiakari-san spent all your strength until magic intoxication to save us. Thank you, Hiakari-san.”

“Thank you very much, Koyuki-oneesan!”

Together with Kazuki, Lotte also conveyed her gratitude to Koyuki.

“It’s not like I particularly wanted to save all of you. I only couldn’t agree about senpai’s method of doing things. It’s not like I don’t want to be separated from you. I just cannot morally agree with such a thing. It’s only that, so there is no reason to thank me.”

“Don’t be stupid. It’s okay to just honestly accept our thanks, isn’t it?”

Mio raised up sluggishly from the tatami.

“I’m thanking you too for the moment. Now that we are talking about it, isn’t your timing in helping Kazuki always too perfect? By any chance, is that actually your aim?”

“………………………………What are you saying? That’s just a coincidence.”

After a long silence, Koyuki protested with a slight stir in her inflection.

“Hiakari-san is simply calm and has a wide outlook, that’s why she could always catch the hint of danger immediately. Her danger sense is different from us. Many times she appeared with dramatic timing when I was in a pinch. I’m not exaggerating when I’m saying that Hiakari-san is already a hero to me. I respect you from the bottom of my heart.”

“Every single thing you said are too exaggerated! …Besides…it’s heroine, tentatively.”

“Muu, it’s always Hiakari only…. Even though I’m Kazuki’s number one partner…”

Mio pouted and became sulky.

“For me, I only keep being saved by Kazuki-oniisan desu―”

Lotte hugged Kazuki tightly with a trusting expression to him.

“Muu…Lotte is always that upfront…I’m as well to Kazuki more…uuuu.”

Mio knitted her eyebrows and her face was sulking even more.

“Kazuki idiot! I won’t lick you anymoreee!”

“It’s fine if you don’t do it.”

“Cold!? Why are you saying things like that~!”

Mio hit Kazuki over and over. Koyuki suddenly whispered while watching over that situation.

“By any chance, do I have to spend my time with this three who have their head in la-la land for a while inside this closed room?”

“Who is it that have their head in la-la land!”

“It won’t become like that. Though it is a little cramped because originally this room was intended only for two people sharing. According to what Kohaku said, right now it’s a mess in the Magic Division and it seems we cannot go out.”

“That…”

Koyuki seemed afraid of something and her expression hardened while she cast her eyes down.

“Hiakari-san might be uneasy to be in the same room with a man, but upon my word as Hayashizaki-style’s practitioner, I won’t do anything strange to Hiakari-san. There are even other girls here, so please be relieved.”

“For Kazuki to lay his hand on something like me, I don’t have that kind of improper worry.”

“What, so that’s not what Hiakari-san is worried about? …But wait, don’t say thing like [something] anymore. I have said it so many times that Hiakari-san is very charming. I’m going to attack you for real.”

“Fuh, even though you have no guts for that. I’m more worried whether one of those two people there is going to do something improper to you, rather than what you are going to do to me.”

“Do, don’t say something so stupid! There is no way a girl will do such improper thing before marriage, isn’t it!!?”

Mio lost her temper, but Lotte tilted her head with a pure and innocent look.

“What are you all talking about desu? [Anything strange] [lay his hand] [do something improper] [improper thing]…all of you keep using obscuring words strangely from a while ago, I don’t really understand the meaning.”

“…It’s okay for Lotte to continue not knowing those kinds of things.”

“If Kazuki-oniisan said so, then it doesn’t matter desu―”

After Kazuki talked to Lotte like he was talking to a little kid, Lotte fawned on Kazuki purringly.

“We can’t do anything indecent okay…But, I want to kiss Kazuki more…”

Mio who wore cat ears was mumbling some gibberish with an anguished expression.

“I mean, why are you guys wearing animal ears maid clothes? Kazuki is wearing a normal pajama while the people in his surroundings are wearing that kind of thing, already I cannot see Kazuki as anything other than a master with a dangerous hobby.”

“Just so you know that girl Hikita Kohaku brought this when she came. She said that she was arranging changing clothes for us, then I said maid uniform is okay.”

“…Why maid uniform?”

“Because Kazuki, he likes maid so much you know―”

Right―, with that Mio happily peeked at Kazuki’s face.

No, I didn’t have such a special like though.

But he felt like he started to like them a little seriously recently….

“She brought the animal ears so we can reproduce the licking for real desu.”

Lotte also talked with cheerful tone. A little cosplay party behind the closed door.

“Kohaku was [doing that kind of absurd behavior is…], she was quite troubled. But because she felt quite guilty because she locked us in this room, so she gave us most things we asked.”

“But when Prometheus wanted to try playing galge and made a request to her, she refused that completely desu. She said because it was embarrassing for her to buy that kind of thing.”

A Diva of Greek Mythology, Prometheus was residing inside Lotte’s flesh body. This sage of civilization together with his host Lotte had an overflowing interest towards Japan’s otaku culture.

Playing cards and games that Kazuki and the others had already played were scattered inside the room.

“That’s right, she also brought us some books, these are very interesting.”

When Kazuki held out a pocket edition book, the color of Koyuki’s eyes changed just a little.

“I’ll read.”

“Let’s exchange thoughts after you finished reading okay?”

“…I’m not interested in such things like your thoughts.” Koyuki turned her face after saying things like that.

“Come on, don’t say things like that. That book is really great, that character on the cover is…”

“Please don’t say any spoilers!”

Koyuki flared up in panic to Kazuki who almost let something slip because he was impatient and wanted to talk.

“Later on, there is also a maid uniform for you too.”

“Ha?” Koyuki raised her eyebrows in surprise hearing Mio’s words while still holding the book in her hand.

“…Please wait, it’s going to be unseemly even if something like me is wearing a thing like a maid uniform, don’t you see? That sort of thing is only suitable to be worn by you all…”

“You said [something] again!”

Kazuki interrupted Koyuki’s self-torturing words and grabbed her small shoulders tightly.

“Haven’t I said so many times that Hiakari-san is pretty! That transparent white skin, that glittering silver hair, you’re going to be resented by your surroundings if you only say such self-depreciating things! Besides, the maid uniform will suit Hiakari-san very much! Certainly Mio and Lotte’s maid figure are charming, however if a cool girl like Hiakari-san becomes a maid, giving all sorts of special treatment only to the master…that is surely a man’s supreme romance!!”

Koyuki’s eyes were wide open hearing what Kazuki rattled on without pause.

“What, what a great passion. As expected, Kazuki’s interest in maids is not an ordinary thing.”

Mio was taken aback at Kazuki’s menacing look.

“Because a cool girl is the one that does it, a heart filled with dedication becomes even more attractive…Kazuki-oniisan, what a wonderful observation desu!”

Lotte gave her approval with eyes shining. True, I thought if it was Lotte, she would understand.

“I want to see Hiakari-san in a maid uniform! It will absolutely suit you for sure!!”

Koyuki’s face turned red…a small skull mark flew from her.

That was the sign that her positivity level was decreasing slightly. And then she shook off Kazuki’s arms.

“Ple…please release me, please don’t place your face so near right from the front!!”

{…My King, sometimes you are too passionate you know?}

Leme’s voice echoed inside Kazuki’s mind using telepathy.

{You always look at the party right in their eyes when you’re talking, but for an insecure and cowardly woman, it’s better to be more prudent with your behavior so they can be more relieved.}

…Eh? Hiakari-san is a coward?

I thought she is the type of person who says things bluntly though….

{Someone who says things bluntly to other people is not limited to thick-skinned guys only. Someone who is scared so they make a barrier to not let other people get close by speaking bluntly also exists.}

…Leme who was a Diva did a lecture regarding girls' matters.

{But don’t forget…the positivity level from that girl has exceeded 50 already.}

In short don’t approach her from the front too much, but approach her from the rear gate boldly, like that?

Kazuki who received the suggestion from Leme released his hands from Koyuki and moved back one step.

Koyuki raised her lowered face slightly, then she examined Kazuki’s expression like a small animal.

“…Is there no other change of clothes?”

“Nothing else desu! Just maid uniform desu!”

Lotte replied immediately, from there she winked at Kazuki with sparkling eyes.

Kazuki immediately guessed that signal and he “That’s right.” nodded his head.

“Because Mio asked for maid uniform, there is no other changing clothes except maid uniform.”

“But it is no good if you don’t change from that pajama soon desu!”

Kazuki and Lotte hearts were connected with their desire to change Koyuki into animal-eared maid uniform, the two people’s combination were approaching near Koyuki.

“…If that’s the case…it can’t be helped, can it? But the form of monster maid is going to be unsightly though.”

Koyuki accepted the clothes surprisingly easily.

By any chance perhaps she also thought something like [want to try wearing it] a little?

“No, there is no way it will be unsightly! It’s going to be really moe desu!”

The girl who came from Europe and loves anime very much, Lotte was breathing excitedly from her nose.

“Which reminds me, it’s fine to change clothes, but Hiakari-san, aren’t you hungry?”

“…Now that you said it, my condition is almost at the limit.”

She was confined to bed for two whole days, so it was obvious that she would be at her limit.

“There are ingredients that Kohaku brought in the refrigerator, so…hey, wait a second!”

The moment Kazuki said ingredient, Koyuki started to walk unsteadily to the refrigerator, but her foot slipped and she fell backward. Kazuki embraced and supported her from behind.

“You had fainted for quite long, so don’t force yourself. I will make something, okay?”

“…I’m fine, I will do my own personal matter by myself. Please don’t hug me, are you a pervert?”

“Hiakari-san became like this because of me, so this is my matter too. Come on, Hiakari-san just wait here with a feeling like a princess.”

“Kyaaa!?”

Kazuki raised up the girl while keeping her in his arms and did the princess carry.

And then he was spinning and spinning on the spot. Doing this used to make Kanae happy.

“Wha, what is the meaning of spinning like this…”

After doing Merry-go-Round for a while, Kazuki laid Koyuki down on top of the futon.

“Then I will go make something that’s also good for tiredness.”

“Ah, I will also help! I mean, it’s not fair that only she got princess carry!!”

Mio chased Kazuki who was heading to the kitchen with her maid uniform’s frills fluttering behind.

“Then I will nurse the patient desu!”

Lotte leaned forward and pushed down Koyuki who was trying to raise her body.

Part 5

It seems the people of Magic Division still haven’t pinned down Kazuki and the others’ whereabouts.

At first Kazuki was hidden in an empty room in the student dormitory, but that place was the first place that was going to be suspected, so Kohaku immediately moved them to her comrade’s room. That comrade of Kohaku that was pushed out by Kazuki and the others was further crammed into another comrade’s room forcibly.

Kanae and the others in the Sword Division student council were searching for Kazuki, but they didn’t use overbearing methods like sudden inspection of all rooms in the student dormitory. Because trespassing the privacy of unrelated students was the last method, it seemed they first investigated using quiet methods.

Kohaku intentionally let them do that freely. It was better if the brocon Kanae lost her patience and challenged Kohaku directly…that was what she said.

Kazuki could do nothing other than waiting patiently in the room for the situation to change.

After dinner, the female camp handed over the right to enter the bath first to Kazuki.

Each room in the Sword Division’s student dormitory was furnished with its own bath.

There were many chances for students to move their body doing something in the Sword Division, so it seemed that there were bathing facilities everywhere inside their grounds. It looked like there was also a splendorous bathhouse of artificial hot spring, but as expected Kazuki and the others couldn’t go there to soak their body and they need to enter the room’s bathroom in turn.

Kazuki started to wash his body before entering the bathtub.

The shampoo and body soap that were standing ready in this room were traditional washing implements that attached more importance to their cleaning power. This was because the Sword Division’s students were not necessarily skilled in magic.

Because advanced magic users could shake off the filth on their body, the soap and shampoo they used placed more importance in the aroma and used many combinations of fragrant ingredients.

These fragrance soaps were even used in the Witch Mansion. This thing was an unrelated matter for Kazuki who spent his life until now as a swordsman, but because cleaning his body with magic had also became good training, he received the matching soap that Kaguya-senpai recommended.

He thought because it was a habit that his body finally learned, although there was no fragrance soap, Kazuki cleaned his body by magic. He sensed the grime, filth, and things like excess sebum, then floated those things thoroughly using Psychokinesis and washed them in the shower.

It also seemed like this was the place for female magicians to display their skill whether they could limit washing the worrying body odor until the pheromone substance. It was a plainly advanced magic skill to be able to differentiate the smell and pheromone.

Although he was not really particular until that much, but Kazuki was washing his body in blue magic power light with hardships.

Then suddenly he remembered Kaguya-senpai’s aroma. When he was embraced by Kaguya-senpai in her magic dress, a really dense sweet aroma could be smelled from her exposed skin. Regardless of the same soap that they used, his own smell was totally different. Kaguya-senpai’s aroma had the [richness] that was not present on others.

The senpai who had the aroma of a girl that was even more than average used her excellent magic skill to shake off only the filth in her body without damaging her pheromone at all, then used the fragrance soap to enhance her smell even further. That was completely like a dessert made from the ultimate ingredients by a virtuoso patissier.

Senpai’s innocent skinships always made Kazuki’s heart keep beating so fast every time.

―Right now he was in hostility with that Kaguya-senpai.

“…As expected, this is so lonely, huh. Moreover senpai made that crying face before…”

…This is no good, I mustn’t keep feeling down. When Kazuki finished washing his body, he immediately submerged his body in the bathtub with a splash. What he needed right now was the burning determination to take back those ordinary days!

“Kazuki-oniisan, I want to enter the bath with you together desu!”

Suddenly he heard a bright and brilliant voice, then the cloudy glass door of the bathroom was opened noisily.

The one who appeared was Lotte covered in her Magic Dress. Lotte’s Magic Dress was in the state where none of its armaments were attached, it was shaped like a white bikini with smooth texture like a pearl.

“I came using the gap when Mio-oneesan went to the toilet. Though Koyuki-oneesan was watching me with an astonished eye. Please wait a little bit, I will finish washing my body soon desu.”

Lotte’s hair and body were covered with blue light, her body was finished being cleaned in the blink of eye. She was overwhelmingly faster compared to Kazuki, it was a question of familiarity rather than the difference in their magic skill.

There was a culture in her home country that one must get through their daily lives matters using magic as much as possible.

“No, wait a second! I am naked you know!?”

Ignoring the flustered Kazuki, Lotte leaped into the bathtub. Kazuki instantly shrank his body to the end of the bathtub. Lotte settled her body in the bathtub with the posture of forcing her way through between Kazuki’s legs.

“I feel embarrassment from Kazuki-oniisan. But I don’t see anything except your chest and shoulders, so it’s okay desu!”

“Is, is that so…thank you for your consideration. …But is that really the problem?”

“I am staring at your chest and shoulders. Somehow my heart is beating fast. Kazuki-oniisan, you have a nice body desu♪”

“Lotte is so pure and innocent, but I feel that sometimes you’re a clear pervert.”

Even while talking, Kazuki’s sight kept peeking at Lotte’s white shoulders and collarbone.

Her collarbone…somehow looked sexy.

“You say that, but Kazuki-oniisan too is a maniac desu.”

“You can understand that much from telepathy!?”

“I’m not, Onii-san’s interest was not exposed by the conduct of magic. But I feel your gaze to me. I’m very happy that Onii-san is unable to take your eyes off my body. I wonder if I should also make my whole Magic Dress vanish, what do you think desu?”

“Stop that, I feel dizzy now.”

The heat he felt in his face was not only because of the hot water.

…The current situation was not only because of his loneliness, but also because he met her.

He brought this kind of situation on himself because he protected Lotte, but his choice was absolutely not mistaken.

“Come to think of it, don’t you feel some uneasiness because of the current matter?”

“For me…somehow I already feel defiant. Or perhaps I should say that it’s already very lucky that I can still live.”

Lotte’s face changed suddenly and completely into a happy face while saying so.

“Of course I’m not saying that it’s okay even if I die desu. But from now on no matter what happens, I believe that Kazuki-oniisan will absolutely become my ally. I have also decided to go against my fate with all my strength. That’s why I won’t have any regrets no matter what happens. If by any chance it’s in vain, then I think it can’t be helped desu. That’s why I’m keeping calm.”

Her feelings were different from giving up. This was the gallantness of a human who had decided that she was going to fight.

“Kazuki-oniisan, I love you desu.”

She leaned her body forward inside the bathtub, Lotte brought her face near Kazuki’s and kissed him where only their lips touched each other. A kiss of oath―an oath of protecting each other.

When Kazuki kissed a girl that was tied to him in a Bond, he could draw out the power of the Diva that was contracted with that girl to its maximum limit. But he already used this one time only ability with Lotte. That’s why the kiss just now was something purely for the sake to ascertain their respective feelings for each other.

“…I will absolutely protect Lotte from anything. No matter what happens from now on.”

“Danke shun!”

Breaking the water surface with ‘pashaa’, Lotte hugged Kazuki spiritedly. A heart mark floated out from Lotte’s chest, then it was absorbed into Kazuki’s <Solomon’s Ring>.

But he already reached his limit by being hugged in this situation. The blood rushed to his head.

He wanted to get out from the bathtub already, however…he couldn’t get out from the bathtub in this kind of shape!

At that time, he heard a panicked voice from the direction of the dressing room.

“Lotte, even though I had said no matter how many times that it’s forbidden to enter the bath together! …E, even I want to enter the bath with Kazu-nii after all!!”

The door of the bathroom was opened once again, then Lotte hopped away from him in surprise.

The owner of the voice was the bath-towel covered Mio.

“I know the rule. It is a violation of manners in Japan to enter the bath while wearing a towel desu!”

Lotte instantly pointed out with her finger pointing to Mio sharply.

Kazuki tilted his head wondering if that was really the problem, but Mio who had a serious nature was “gununu” groaning.

“Then I’ll also wear my Magic Dress!”

“Mio-oneesan’s Magic Dress is attached with feathers, it’s a nuisance so that’s not good desu!”

“Certainly Mio’s Magic Dress is too bulky to be used for entering the bathtub together.”

Kazuki consented spontaneously. The shape of the Magic Dress was the product that was produced naturally from the image of the minds of the contractor and Diva acting in concert with each other. Large wings were attached on Mio’s Magic Dress.

“How, how can that be, so this is Phoenix’s fault!? That stupid grilled chicken―!!”

By no means it ever entered his mind before that a Diva could actually be judged of his work at the Magic Dress for that kind of thing.

“Well, well…I, I’m going naked then!”

Mio declared so even when right now her face was spouting out steam. This girl had already became desperate!

“You idiot!? You’re going to regret it for sure if you get naked for this kind of thing you know!?”

The towel was gently falling. Mio immediately hid her chest and lower body, long and slender that kept going continuously, it was so full and well-rounded even with that. An ideal silhouette as a girl was exposed in the other side of the steam vapor.

He thought that he must not see that place’s mighty thing like this, but he couldn’t tear off his eyes!

“…Please cut it out.” “KYAAA”

Mio’s body was wrapped up with a towel from behind. That towel was fixed tightly, and then Mio’s figure was pulled into the dressing room. Then the next face that came out was Koyuki’s.

“…Kazuki, here.”

Koyuki faced Kazuki and threw him something―a towel.

For the current Kazuki, that item was the most needed item that he desired.

“Hiakari-san! Thank you, as I thought, Hiakari-san is really my hero!!”

Kazuki quickly wrapped the towel at his hips and got out of the bathtub.

“Jiii―. Seeing Onii-san in a towel also makes my heart beat fast desu♪”

“I said before that it’s heroine, tentatively. ..I’m not happy even if you thank me for this kind of thing.”

Part 6

“I’m finished with the bath.”

Along with a reserved voice, Koyuki returned to the room from the bathroom after changing her clothes into the maid uniform.

“Does this ear accessory really need to be attached?”

Koyuki held the optional animal ears reverently with a troubled look.

“It must be attached desu!!”

Lotte asserted at the speed of light. Koyuki was startled with her excitement, then she equipped the animal ears on her head while fidgeting. She was surprisingly weak to pressure, a long rabbit ear was extending from her head with a ‘pyon’.

“…Isn’t it cute?” Kazuki leaked out his voice with a sigh.

“What are you saying, are you stupid?”

Koyuki was glaring with a face that looked the farthest from shame.

“No, I said that you’re really cute.”

“A, again with your slick flattery…”

“It’s not just flattery! Yosh, from now on I will be a maid critic!”

He couldn’t let her keep putting herself down like this forever.

Giving confidence to a girl who's a coward might be the most important job of a man.

“This cuteness is somehow…Hiakari-san’s inner cuteness really suited those frilly frills! Moreover Hiakari-san’s fresh appearance is really suitable as a maid. Furthermore no matter how you cut it, there is something false in a maid uniform that makes it really look like cosplay, but Hiakari-san’s mysterious atmosphere drowns out those hints of fakeness. The color is good too…the monotone’s effective restraint of the maid uniform make Hiakari-san’s bright white skin and silver hair look even better!”

Kazuki’s straightforward admiration made Koyuki’s face heat up bright red.

“Besides it’s not only the appearance that is cute. Hiakari-san that is normally so aloof now became a dedicated cute rabbit-eared maid, why, I can feel the infinite gap between them! But even though that appearance is so sly, I’m not flattering you but I cannot feel that slyness even for a bit in Hiakari-san! Everything, Hiakari-san’s everything are in harmony with the maid uniform…Hiakari-san always said that your worth was only for battle, but perhaps by any chance Hiakari-san was born for the sake of wearing a maid uniform…that’s how cute you are. Hiakari-san’s skin is so white, so it’s easy to see when you blush huh. That embarrassed figure is also so cute.”

“Pl, please cut it out already! Please Stop!”

Toward Kazuki who kept going forever when he was just left alone, Koyuki raised her voice in embarrassment with teary eyes.

“Kazuki-oniisan…you finally took a big step forward! This is what [Moe] is desu!!”

Lotte said so. I see, so this is the feeling of moe…

“Oi, our King. You’re going in a strange direction you know? That way must not be stepped on.”

It feels like Leme tried to pull him back, Mio who was sulking because of the matter in the bathroom also raised her voice in dissatisfaction.

“Wait Kazuki, aren’t you saying cute too much to anybody who doesn’t matter!? Though certainly I cannot deny that for now that girl is so cute that I want to hug her.”

For Mio to want to hug her, Kazuki could understand that.

“Mio as a tsundere maid is also cute. But the one that you wore before was absurdly cute so it makes the one you wear now feel lacking.”

The maid uniform that Mio wore in the Witch Mansion was handmade and fit perfectly on Mio’s body, he could also feel Mio’s sense in its design that made it match Mio so well.

The size of this ready-made maid uniform that Kohaku brought was a little unsuited for Mio.

“Mu―. The cuteness of the past me is truly detestable…” Mio was getting vexed in a strange area.

The current maid appearance of Koyuki has miraculously had the size right on the mark.

“How about me desu?” Lotte too also asked Kazuki by pulling his sleeve.

“For Lotte, rather than maid, the princess image suits you much more. Compared to my desire to receive services from Lotte, I want to make you even happier.”

When Kazuki stroked her head, Lotte was saying “If that’s the case―” and frolicking to Kazuki happily.

“Anyway, Hiakari-san’s maid appearance is cute! You should have more confidence in yourself!”

Koyuki was fidgeting in place while holding down her skirt.

“…B, but to have all this frill attached to the whole body, this squeezing sensation on my hips and the pressure from the socks on my thighs make it a little hard to sleep.”

"For that we have pajamas here.”

When Mio showed Koyuki the change of clothes for three people’s shares, Koyuki was dumbfounded, from there she scowled at Kazuki.

“When you said before that there is no other change…!”

“Because I wanted to see Hiakari-san’s maid appearance!”

When Kazuki became defiant brazenly, Koyuki’s shoulders were trembling all over and she revealed a rare emotion in her.

“STUPID! Stupid…what’s with that…!! Making me look like this and having fun looking at me! Saying cute, cute…stupid!”

Kazuki was taken aback, but a large heart mark was flying from Koyuki’s chest. She snatched the pajamas from Mio and dashed toward the changing room forcefully to change her clothes.

But she wasn’t particularly angry because her positivity level hadn’t decreased.

…In short she only wanted to run away because of the embarrassment.

Moreover she didn’t hate it wholly. That frankness was cute too.

“Maybe because of the cramped room, we can discover Hiakari-san’s various expressions, how fun.”

Though he also understood that this was not the situation where they could be this carefree.

There was nothing more that they need to do today, the time when they need to sleep had come.

“Well then, tonight let’s put the futon side-by-side and sleep.”

Kazuki proposed while moving the futon. This room only has two sets of futon. To make Hiakari-san who was in the state of magic intoxication last night sufficiently rest, one of the futons was conceded to her exclusively while the other three slept in one futon.

Mio and Lotte clung tightly to Kazuki looking like they didn’t want to be forced out from the futon, this was the environment where they couldn’t sleep well both physically and mentally. Mio took advantage of the confusion to put a kiss on his cheek.

If Koyuki had already woken up, as expected he wanted to spread the two futons side-by-side and sleep in a more spacious setting.

“The positioning is really important right? Then tonight too Kazuki will sleep between me and Lotte!”

“……Please wait.”

Mio claimed so exultantly, but unexpectedly Koyuki put a stop to it.

“What, do you have any complaints?”

“If you think with common sense, taking that position is impossible. The number of the females that bordered the male should be suppressed as low as possible. Kazuki should sleep in the farthest end.”

“I, it’s not really a problem okay? Even last night Kazuki was sleeping between us!”

“Even if last night was okay, you cannot extend it to this night. Rather the accumulation that had accumulated might be on the verge of bursting tonight.”

“What is it that was accumulating, how would it burst desu?”

Lotte tilted her head, but a human that could answer that overly specific question didn’t exist.

“There is no way Kazu-nii is going to do that kind of thing! Kazu-nii is out of this world just so you know!”

“Even if Kazuki won’t do that kind of thing, those impure deeds might come from you two.”

“We won’t! I don’t have any desire to do things like that!”

“Who was the one that got naked before?”

“….Au” Mio recalled her own disgrace, she turned red up to her ears and lost her rebuttal.

“…Kazuki, sleep in the farthest side, I’ll sleep next to you and become the protection wall. That’s the most wholesome way.”

“W, wait a minute! Hey, Kazu-nii!?”

Mio who lost her talk with Koyuki looked for Kazuki’s opinion in a fluster.

“Isn’t that fine, this positioning?”

Certainly it was hard mentally to be sandwiched by two girls, what Koyuki said, for her to be the one that slept next to Kazuki, he considered that as a precious happy event.

Koyuki glanced at him and examined his expression with upturned eyes.

“No, no wayyy”

“Then Mio-oneesan will sleep together with me desu!”

Lotte watched Kazuki and Koyuki alternately then she dragged Mio’s hand forcefully.

“Lotte!? Kyaa!”

Lotte fell together with the shrieking Mio on the futon.

“Well then, how about we get to sleep too?”

“…Please don’t misunderstand, since my purpose is to be the wall.”

Kazuki was being thoughtful of Koyuki and slipped into the farthest end of the futon.

“…Is it too cramped for you? You don’t need to be so reserved.”

Indulging in Koyuki’s words, Kazuki got closer to her. Both of their faces were drawing near.

“D, don’t look at me so seriously!”

“Sorry, this range somehow feels so fresh.”

While feeling a little nervous as one would expect, he turned off the light in the room with the remote control.

“Mio-oneesan…coochy, coochy!”

“Kyaa!? Wai-, what are you doing! Aahh…counter attack!”

The instant the room turned dark, Lotte and Mio were starting to make a fuss like they were on a school trip.

It looks really fun, but a man needs courage to get mixed with those girls' games.

When Kazuki was thinking that, Koyuki too was glancing at the direction of those two paying attention to them.

“…Hiakari-san, I want to coochy-coochy too.”

“Please stop. Don’t say stupid things and hurry to sleep please.”

That was a fair argument, but he didn’t want to hear any fair arguments on a night like this where the atmosphere was like a sleepover.

“Coochy coochy!”

After getting lost on where he should attempt to tickle her, it smells like sexual harassment if he did it on her body, so he tickled the long ear that was right in front of his eyes. His finger was making a round trip from the tip up to the base of her ear gently.

“Hyaa!?” Koyuki showed a sensitive reaction.

“St, stop….yaaann…”

…Her tone of voice was somehow strange. Elf’s ears might be a sensitive spot.

“The ear is, no good…! Stop, stop….nnnnnn!!”

Koyuki’s body was shivering in a noticeably big way with ‘buruburu’, so Kazuki stopped his hand in a panic.

“So, sorry, as expected, it's a forbidden act for a man to do coochy coochy….”

“…Pervert! Stupid!”

Koyuki was cursing at him in the darkness. He couldn’t even reply.

“Geez. ……Coochy coochy.”

Koyuki whispered in a tiny voice and tickled Kazuki’s side. She was fairly reserved, rather than tickling it felt more like patting. Kazuki became speechless in surprise.

“…I just want to try that, let’s sleep.”

Koyuki drew back her hand like she was saying don’t do that.

“Mio and Lotte too, don’t keep making a riot, sleep quickly.”

When Kazuki said that, the futon on the other side also became quiet immediately.

The futon was filled with the warmth of two people, Kazuki soon fell into sleep.

―Kazuki and the others were completely ignorant that the situation had already started to move in a grand scale at this time.

Part 7

That man was inside a tasteless underground room.

A man-made underground labyrinth made from simple undressed concrete.

There the number of the Demon Beasts was kept in fixed numbers and restrained from invading the surface, [a controlled Haunted Ground].

His [laboratory] existed inside that labyrinth.

Even though it was closed off from the outside world, using the ether light rechargeable batteries that were brought in, electricity could be supplied, the inside of the charmless room was illuminated by pale light. The man sat down on the desk depending on that light and turned his face to the monitors. The monitors reflected the results of various research.

These were the compilation of all the things that he has performed in this underground for so long…

The fruits of all the unforgivable sins he had piled up.

…He wouldn’t recognize such tripe like the [King of Solomon's 72 Pillars]. While vacantly staring at the fruits of his research, that man, Headmaster of the knight academy, Otonashi Tsukikurou thought once more.

The one who governed the Knight Order should be a king of men brought forth by man’s own hand.

From that point the perfect army of Order was born. The foremost organization of the country, the Knight Order was not an organization that could be pulled left and right on the whim of Solomon's 72 Pillars.

For that purpose, he dirtied his hands in this underground with blasphemous research that should be despised.

―Forcibly drawing out the power of Solomon's 72 Pillars, the Stigmata transplanting operation.

―For the purpose of creating stronger Magica Stigma, the magic faculty expansion operation.

He performed various human experiments. He witnessed many of the subjects' minds and flesh fall into destruction. Before he knew it, he didn’t feel anymore guilt.

Due to these research projects, my beloved daughter will be sublimed as the King made by human hands. If it’s for that, I don’t mind how much ill repute I will leave in the future. The thought of the father who prayed for his daughter’s glory is a magnificent thing.

I don’t mind what happens to me.

There was nothing left to be added to his fruits of research that were projected on the monitors. He was only waiting for that time to come while watching them vacantly.

The voice that led him to these researches whispered softly. That voice couldn’t be heard by ear, it echoed directly inside his cranium, a voice that nobody else knew.

Otonashi Tsukikurou could be said to possess self-confidence in his own sanity, but he was hearing the whispering voice and seeing the hallucination even right now. The avatar of an ominous figure was dancing boisterously inside his cranium.

Sphinx that grew a human head, a man with pitch black skin holding a cane of snake in his hand and wearing a red robe, an ugly woman that swelled out like a blob of fat, a creature with countless tentacles that grew from its cone-shaped head…all of those had one common feature...[no face].

<Faceless God>―The Faceless God was whispering. The wisdom that Otonashi Tsukikurou sought out.

The Faceless God answered the prayer of Tsukikurou. However its method was deviating from human morals. But when Tsukikurou dirtied his own hands, he changed and didn’t mind whatever happened to him. For the sake of his noble goal, his guilt vanished like smoke.

Yellow lights were flickering inside his head, the avatar was dancing around in circles boisterously.

His precious daughter―for Otonashi Kaguya to reign as King. The influence and prestige that he accumulated for his whole life, everything that he owned now would be passed on to that child. All the necessary arrangements in the Knight Order and the government had been finished for that purpose. When the foolish rabble’s greed were tickled and their fears were fanned, they could be manipulated easily. All the vested interests, and even the power of Solomon's 72 Pillars, everything would be passed on to the man-made King.

…No, maybe he should say, to the parasite of the man-made King.

Even more than the young man that Lemegeton chose, his precious daughter was far more appropriate as King. He would prove his daughter by his own hands. There was no factor that could make her lose even in the one in a thousand chances. As a father he must give a push to that glorious back. He was not insane…

Otonashi Tsukikurou was staring at the displays vacantly while merely waiting for the time to pass.

Above the ground, it was a suitable time for the swordsmen to clash swords against each other. That sound could be heard even in his own ears.

The night where the curtain opened had come. It would not be long until the stars were right.

Translator's Notes and References

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