Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Chapter 2

Status: Incomplete

3/5 parts completed

   

Chapter 2 CaryatidThe Knight Academy

Part 1

Ceasefire, and then.

While the magic light train released blue lights, Kazuki and the others boarded it and left Nagoya behind.

They passed through Shizuoka that once became a battlefield in a flash and returned back through the path that they arrived through before.

And then they arrived at Tokyo in only just an hour.

It made them think as if this past few extraordinary days of battle were only a happening inside their dream.

Kazuki lined up with Kaguya-senpai and Kanae as the Chief Student Council President and stood in the lead of the students that participated in the battlefield before returning back through the path from the station to the Knight Academy. Thereupon…,

“Welcome home!” “Thanks for your hard work!” Voices were thrown at them from here and there.

This was by no means a parade of their triumphal return, but the citizens took out their faces from the houses and shops all over along their way, and sent their voices to the students’ way.

Kazuki was at first bewildered, but looking at Kaguya-senpai waving her hand with a smiling face, he just imitated her for the time being.

When they finally arrived at the school gate of the Knight Academy, a remarkably big applause was raised.

With Liz Liza-sensei as the first in line, the teachers and students that were house-sitting had lined up welcoming them home.

“Everyone cheered with amazing voice didn’t they! I was surprised.”

After they arrived home at the Witch’s Mansion, Kaguya-senpai sat down on the sofa at the living room and said so.

Despite how everyone was supposed to be tired, no one headed to their room. They were continuing after Kaguya-senpai and sat their body down on the sofas and chairs and remained in the living room. Finally their feelings calmed down, and now there was this feeling of wanting to reminisce these few days of extraordinary experience with their comrades.

Even everyone of the Sword Division too naturally followed along here, feeling it was hard to separate from the group.

“But it looked like a war that we won, yes? Even though we didn’t retake west Japan…”

While sitting on the sofa right in front of Kaguya-senpai, Kazuki vented out awkward words.

The people that looked over this battle should be actually feeling disappointment and dissatisfaction to the Knight Order. The people that had family and acquaintances in west Japan shouldn’t be accepting of this situation of ceasefire with an okay feeling. Such feeling was not directed to their own selves, it was only mildly restrained and although there was some happiness, but there was also an uncomfortable feeling that enveloped them like silk floss.

“It seems there is also critical argument inside the mass media toward the Knight Order. But we are still not a legitimate knight so I wonder if that’s the reason why the people of this city and the house-sitting students sent us kind words.”

While sitting beside Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai directed a wry smile at Kazuki. After making sure that Hikaru-senpai didn’t sit beside Kazuki, the juniors Mio and Koyuki sat beside Kazuki’s both sides in relief.

“We are something like volunteer soldiers. It’s just too much if the brunt of the critic is also pointed at us. I was really nervous sheesh.”

Mio said. What she said was also really correct. Kazuki said “Thanks for your hard work” and petted her head. When Kazuki did that Mio went “Ehehe, you too” and leaned her shoulder. Koyuki too didn’t say anything and clung closer on him.

“Kazuki-oniisan, we were doing our best you know desu.”

Lotte sat on top of Kazuki’s lap and reclined on him. He had the feeling as if he was told that he burdened himself alone too much, Kazuki hugged Lotte tightly with a squeeze.

“For the present time we had fulfilled our role enough already, Onii-sama.”

From Kazuki’s behind, Kanae leaned over the sofa and gently embraced Kazuki’s neck.

Kanae and Lotte were in a state that sensitively sensed the emotion inside Kazuki.

“I wonder if that’s so…it might be just like you said.”

Kazuki murmured while being exhausted.

They returned to an ordinary day like this. Into a normal school life….

“The people of the city and also everyone of the academy, they all know about President’s active role actually.”

Yumeno-san who normally acted reserved approached Kazuki’s side with a lively expression.

Some kind of paper bundle was grasped in her hand. Quietly she presented that to Kazuki.

“This is…the aforementioned extra of the academy newspaper?”

Yumeno Shiori-san was the newspaper committee chairman. The newspaper committee was a committee that was originally established for the sake of making the Magic Division and the Sword Division know more about each other, but while the girl went along in the battle against Yamato she decided to publish [newspaper extra] because [she wanted to convey this war to the students that remained in the academy].

Although Headmaster Amasaki and Kazuki were unable to check most of the content because of their busy work, Yumeno-san wrote articles from the actual spot of the battlefield and then by the system of transmitting those data to the newspaper committee member that remained in the academy, it seemed they had already published and distributed the edition.

After Kazuki put down Lotte from his lap, he looked over that article.

―What entered his eyes at the foremost was the headline [Chief Student Council President・Hayashizaki Kazuki, Bravely Dash Forward!] and the like written. Kazuki felt something cold ran down his back. What entered his eyes next was a large illustration. A sparkling bright Kazuki in a style of shoujo manga was grandly handing down orders to his comrades.

At the corner was the sign of a mysterious pen-name [Christine Amasaki] or something signed there. Who is this guy?

Mio placed her jaw on Kazuki’s right shoulder and “Ehehe, so? So?” and so on while grinning broadly.

The content of the article was the report from the surprise attack operation of Okehazama until the infiltration to Ise Imperial Shrine, and even the happening in the battle of Sekigahara. However Kazuki’s activity in the article was too exaggerated and spectacularly decorated in gaudiness. It really couldn’t be said to be an objective article, more like a military novel with a fictional character as the leading part.

Having said that, he was lost whether this article looked reasonably interesting or a poor quality instead….

“This illustration and the writing style, isn’t this glorifying me too much? This scene for example, I have the feeling that I didn’t say something this cool though.”

When the article was distributed to everyone else too, Hikaru-senpai who had low boiling point went “Ahahahahahahaha!” in explosive laughter, Kanae went “Just as expected Onii-sama!” in great delight. Everyone else were also holding their laughter.

“It’s interesting anyway so isn’t this fine.” Kazuha-senpai who was standing near the wall made fun of him.

“Kazuha-senpai cannot think of this as somebody else’s problem you know? Here, Kazuha-senpai also made an entrance in the scene of the infiltration operation.”

In the infiltration operation of the Ise Imperial Shrine, the article changed into first-person view from Kazuha-senpai’s position. There the illustration of Christine Amasaki-sensei was also attached along.

In the boat departure with the Chief Student Council President that she yearned for, just the two of them, Kazuha-senpai was drawn in the sparkling style of shoujo manga in a state of her heart throbbing hard and where she released a rose-colored deep sigh girlishly.

“Thi, this kind of character is not meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!”

Kazuha-senpai’s cheeks blushed red and the hands that were holding the newspaper open were trembling all over.

“It’s not like I saw the Ise Imperial Shrine infiltration operation directly, that’s why I wrote it with my imagination…”

Yumeno-san whose tension was a little hyper went “Ehe-“ and stuck out her tongue.

Wasn’t that not a newspaper anymore and only a novel. She was unexpectedly a cheeky person….

“But I think this article is done well though. The course of events for every important point are explained properly.”

Kaguya-senpai kept nodding in appreciation with an extremely serious face.

“Several places become something like a novel but…exactly because of that the reader doesn’t get tired of it and the part that should be conveyed is conveyed. I think this article has a good balance that is not too formal. As expected, for everything to be conveyed properly to all the students like this is really important.”

Certainly, he couldn’t deny that the events were turned into a content that could be read.

“…Err, this newspaper, can President give your autograph on it?”

Yumeno-san’s eyes sparkled bright like a star and she presented a sign pen smoothly to Kazuki.

“This is the first time I wrote a battlefield report, and I want to receive the autograph of Chief President Hayashizaki that became a hero in that battlefield…if you do that then I'll keep this newspaper extra as a commemoration for my whole life♪”

Kazuki went “Even if you say that, something like an autograph is…” and while losing his bearing, he wrote his name on the corner of the newspaper extra using normal square character. Kazuki himself thought “…Are you happy? With something like this”, but Yumeno-san was going “Kyaa―” and raised a delighted voice before hugging the signed newspaper and twirling around.

“By the way Kazuki…”

Kazuha-senpai raised one of her hands properly.

“Itsuki has been hiding behind me since a while ago while staring fixedly here.”

Now that she mentioned it, the small statured Kamimura-san was hiding behind Kazuha-senpai’s back like she was clinging to it.

Kamimura-san had a fear of strangers to the extreme degree…rather than calling her that, she was a shut-in. Because someone like her was suddenly thrown right into the middle of a crowd of people that she didn’t know like this, surely she would get confused.

“That’s right, this is not the time to settle down. I have to introduce Kamimura-san to everyone.”

Kazuki stood up from the sofa and walked approaching Kazuha-senpai and Kamimura-san’s direction.

From behind Kazuha-senpai, Kamimura-san showed up her face all of a sudden.

“I, I…if I become a hindrance, I can go home…”

“There is no way you are a hindrance. You are saying go home, but where are you going to go.”

This girl had determined to keep living. But if she was not beside Kazuki, that flesh body of hers couldn’t be maintained.

And also Ise where the girl originally was living had already became the territory of Yamato.

There was no other place for her except here in the Witch’s Mansion.

Everybody of the Witch’s Mansion were sending wondering gaze to Kamimura-san.

As if covering her from those gazes, Kazuha-senpai talked.

“Kazuki, you might as well not just stopping at introducing her, let’s do a welcoming party for Itsuki! I too have never given a composed greeting to the residents of the Witch’s Mansion.”

He thought that it was a good idea. Kazuki too could open his heart at everyone thanks to the welcoming party. When Lotte first came it was like that for her too.

Part 2

For the sake of the welcoming party, he had to prepare the food.

He felt some tiredness, but Kazuki was too proud to rely on meal delivery service.

Before at the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave when Kamimura-san and Amaterasu said that they would become Kazuki’s comrade, it was with the condition that they were expecting delicious meals. After they had said that, there was no way he would let the first meal that would become a commemoration be finished by just some catering that had no warmth in it.

There was a proverb from Japan of the old time about this.

―[If you created it yourself it will be like something free of charge]

“I don’t like those words.”

Mio huffed and said back arrogantly.

“It doesn’t include the thinking about the labor cost of the human resource that is yourself. I too like to create western clothes by myself, but just because of that it’s not good to sell yourself cheap, that’s what I think.”

On the other hand Koyuki shook her head after hearing that.

“Wrong, the reasoning of the cheapness is correct if you think about it after looking at the long term implication. If you pay money then it will only affect you limited in that place, but by doing it yourself the experience and the skill that you get will help you throughout your whole life.”

Listening to the two opposite opinions, Kazuki was thinking that each of their personality came out into their answer.

The two who acted like that right now were wearing maid uniform.

When Kazuki began to cook the food for the welcoming party, Mio and Koyuki came wearing maid uniform and proposed to help Kazuki.

During that time, he entrusted Kamimura-san to Kazuha-senpai where she took her outside to be the guide of the Knight Academy. He wanted to finish the preparation until those two return back here.

“The maid uniform’s design is different than the one before isn’t it?”

Kazuki sharply noticed. When they became the helper in Kazuki’s domestic chores until now they were also wearing the maid uniform that Mio created herself, but the one that they currently wore was a version up of different thing.

Hearing Kazuki pointing that out, Mio puffed up her chest proudly while Koyuki shrank herself in embarrassment.

“It’s the season of clothing’s seasonal change after all, so I was secretly sewing this new version! Though because we went to Kansai for quite long it just stayed quiet inside the cupboard until now though!”

Mio made a twirling turn on the spot in order to show off her maid uniform.

The new maid uniform had no sleeve with both the shoulder area exposed, the skirt too became even shorter from before. The coloring too was not black but navy blue as the main color giving the casual impression of summer.

There was also no compromise in the detail. On the calm navy blue fabric that had its charm, a shadow stripeweaving pattern was inserted. Probably that was not using polyester that was used in a cheap maid uniform cosplay costume, but surely something like a casting fabric that was used in high class formal suit.

Its design couldn’t be said as correct based from the view of traditional maid uniform, but thanks to its overall high quality it was by no means could be called as a colored thing and engendered elegance instead.

Even if they walked outside in that appearance, the people that saw it wouldn’t think “It’s cosplay”, instead there was no doubt they were going to feel that “This is fashion”. It was a workmanship that was far from amateur.

The girl power of Christine Amasaki-sensei was just too unrivaled in every aspect….

What a versatile girl….

“So!? So!?” Mio leaned her face forward and inquired.

“The cuteness of the both of you currently might have entered the top 5 of the world.”

Mio went “Yes!” and skipped around repeatedly. He could catch glimpses of the underwear from the short skirt.

“You, if you jumped around with a skirt that short, I can see it you know.”

“Ehehe, if it’s Kazu-nii then it’s okay even if it is seen though.”

Saying that bluntly without any concern, Mio pulled up her miniskirt with both hand from the front.

…Kazuki’s gaze unintentionally got sucked in. The pure white underwear was silk. And then as if it was prepared beforehand with the assumption that it would be seen, the panty was arranged with a ribbon of navy blue color that had the same tone with the maid uniform. The thighs that were fidgeting around were pressed squishily with garter belts and it looked soft just from seeing.

Even while it looked austere like a maid, it was also the obscene content of the flowery skirt.

Mio was “Ehehe, watch it more…” with her cheek blushing red ecstatically.

“Are you an exhibitionist?” Koyuki hit the hand that lifted up the skirt with a snap.

The skirt returned back to normal like a lowering down curtain. Kazuki who became trapped in a trance returned to his senses with a look of realization.

“…I think for a man, what happened to me just now cannot be helped.”

While Kazuki was bothered with Koyuki’s gaze, he cleared his throat with ‘ehem’.

“…When it became about maid uniform, Kazuki really cannot be helped. It really makes me want to draw away.”

Koyuki looked away with a ‘pui’ in a bad mood. But Kazuki was also charmed by the appearance of Koyuki that was like that.

“Koyuki too is cute…or perhaps I should say that the maid uniform this time might suit Koyuki’s style more.”

Koyuki’s white skin and cool personality and the maid uniform that changed into navy blue color enhanced each other’s prominence. The silk that glossed like a silver light also suited her. Blue and silver were [Koyuki’s color], that was what he felt.

When she was stared by Kazuki, Koyuki blushed red and curled up into herself. That figure of hers was excessively cute.

“…Taking upon oneself to conduct a design that certainly suited the rival Koyuki…this composure and the depth of the heart are exactly where you can feel the work of the artisan. As expected, Christine Amasaki-sensei.”

“Well, this is a refined product of Napoli tailoring see.”

He didn’t get it all where is the Napoli factor in it, but anyway it was a work of a virtuoso.

“By the way putting aside the unveiling of the maid uniform. Chef, what are you going to make for tonight’s feast?”

Toward Mio’s question, the chef Kazuki looked worried with “Uu―nn”.

When he took a glance outside the window, it was already evening. There was not much time to make something complicated.

“…I wonder if something like finger food is fine.”

Finger food was a general term for something like canapé or sandwich, food that could be picked and eaten with one hand. Because it didn’t become a hindrance for game or conversation, it was suited for a party with many people in it.

“If you pile up good quality cheese or ham or dip sauce that are sold as ready-made goods with cracker or baguette then its appearance will also look gorgeous, and it won’t take much time to make it for the portion of many people. Adding to that, if we prepare one kind of extravagant main dish then it should be good enough to be served for a party.”

“I see. Just like a buffet party Tou-san had took me with before, there was also something like that.”

Headmaster Amasaki fairly seemed like someone of the society’s upper echelons. As expected from the new headmaster that stood at the top of the Knight Academy.

Kazuki began to check the content of the refrigerator.

Because they had suddenly went to west Japan, so the content of the refrigerator only had awful things inside.

“It’s not like everything has become unusable right? While Kazuki prepared the ingredients that are still usable, if Koyuki and I go out for shopping it will be more efficient won’t it?”

“There is no time so that seems good. Though it feels like my body is stabbed when I think that I will be separated for a short while with the Maid-san…”

Chef Kazuki wrote out the necessary ingredients in the memo and handed it over to maid Mio. The girl nodded repeatedly “hmm hmm” with the memo in one hand, then “We are going, Koyuki!” high spiritedly she took Koyuki’s hand.

“A, Amasaki-san…we are going outside with this appearance without changing!?”

“Because there is no time here…this maid uniform is not something to be ashamed of even if it is seen anyway!”

“In the hand of Christine Amasaki-sensei, even the food procurement of the Knight Academy is turned into a walk in the runway of fashion show huh.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you mean somewhat.”

“Fufuu―n, we are going to cast magic to the students of the whole school with our beautiful look!”

Besides the bewildered Koyuki, Mio said that while twirling and twirling in circle.

“…The both of you won’t cause anything strange from a too high tension will you?”

Mio got carried away while she also dragged Koyuki away trailingly and left the kitchen.

“Mio, if you go out in that appearance, pay attention to your skirt okay.”

Kazuki got worried about the too short skirt and pointed out. The way from the Witch’s Mansion until the school canteen was still inside the Magic Division, but recently it was not rare for the boys from the Sword Division to come here.

“You want to monopolize me that much? It’s fine, I won’t let anybody else see other than Kazu-nii for suu―re.”

Mio left the kitchen with a composed smiling face. Surely an able woman would have the hiding technique of an able woman. Though in that case he was worried for Koyuki who normally didn’t wear something like a miniskirt.

Kazuki took the ingredients from inside the refrigerator that were still usable and began the preparation.

―After a while, the kitchen’s door was knocked.

Kazuha-senpai who should be going out as a guide came in.

“Kazuha-senpai? Is there something the matter with Kamimura-san?”

“That’s…it looks like she was tired after I guided her briefly, she said that she want to rest in her room until the preparation of the welcoming party is finished, so I took her back here. Though it looks like she has the mood to come out for the welcoming party.”

“…As expected, if she is suddenly tossed into a different environment then she is going to feel nervous.”

She said it herself that she was a shut-in. However he didn’t have any idea at all for how to make that kind of child to get used to a new environment.

“I, want to be a friend to Itsuki.”

Kazuha-senpai murmured with a sigh. Kazuki too nodded with a same feeling.

Kamimura-san was by no means closing her heart completely. With her own will she chose that “I will live”, as far as he could see from her relation with Amaterasu and Ise-Udon-ojiisan, “I want friends” she was also looking for other people. She wasn’t closing her heart like how Koyuki once was.

Just surely, she only became completely timid in facing other people.

With this welcoming party, they had to show that the Witch’s Mansion accepted Kamimura-san with unending open heart. The circumstance of Kamimura-san had been told to everyone else already.

“Fu, fufufu…”

Suddenly, Kazuha-senpai leaked out a laughing voice.

“Friend…finally I can make one more friend…. I absolutely won’t let her get away…fufufu, if someone gives a kindness to someone that is in a helpless place from loneliness, it should be easy to have her eating from the palm of my hands thereafter…!”

“Senpai is unexpectedly thinking so calculatingly about this!?”

Kazuki was shocked. Her way of thinking was exactly the same like a smooth talker man that tried to make a girl who just got rejected fall for him by acting consoling the girl. It’s just too desperate, seeing her like this is just too deplorable.

“Senpai is bright, beautiful and diligent, your mood is also good and you are fun to be with. You are a person that really has no flaws that truly is flawed, despite so why is it your friends are so few like now?”

When Kazuki said that with a sigh, Kazuha-senpai went “Ugu!” and she pressed her chest as if she was just got stabbed.

Though he had already known that this person had quite a personal history, because she had already immersed in sword art since she was little and yet she didn’t really improve in the proportion of her effort, she held a complex toward her fellow swordsmen and in the end she couldn’t get along well with them.

But even so he still thought that a person this lovely shouldn’t be so overlooked to this degree.

“I don’t think I’m really that great of a person like you said but…I too want to ask why I’m like this…”

Kazuha-senpai pressed her chest and her shoulders dropped in a total dejection.

“I wonder if it’s not because when senpai is thinking of trying to make friend, doesn’t senpai become too high spirited. Like senpai always have desperation oozing out too much into your behavior or your expression…”

When he thought back again, every time she conversed with her sword training partner Hikaru-senpai, Kazuha-senpai always had a dreadful expression. It was because the partner was the big-hearted Hikaru-senpai that the situation finished with just Hikaru-senpai thinking “she acted a little suspicious didn’t she”, but if it was against normal people they might drew back completely looking at such thing.

“…Spirited you say?” Kazuha-senpai tilted her head from having no self-awareness of her behavior.

“Kazuha-senpai, when you tried to make friends, your eyes glinted fiercely like a predator seeing prey, your smiling mouth strangely lifts up and you looked like you were baring your fang, and also your cheek muscle kept shaking as if in a cramp you know.”

“I was making a face like that!?”

“Though when with me you have never made a face like that.”

Most likely that was because Kazuki was the one that was coming to pursue her to become friends with her. Kazuha-senpai directed a spirit of antagonism toward that. That was why on the contrary she acted natural to him.

Exactly because he was disliked by Kazuha-senpai, that only Kazuki managed to finally arrive at Kazuha-senpai’s honest face.

“When senpai makes a face like that and the other party understands that you are nervous, your nervousness will also get transmitted and the other side also cannot become calm when they are facing senpai. In contrast if you directed a natural smile to them, the other side too will feel calming down.”

If you directed hostility to someone it would make it easy to turn them into an enemy, and if you directed a good will without any ulterior motive then the other side would also relax their alertness. Communication was a mirror that reflected yourself.

Most likely success experience from the past meant everything for a person’s communication ability.

If a person piled up success in human relationship since the time he was small, it would inscribe confidence in him. With that confidence as weapon, he would pile up even more success and could rapidly ride up a rising current.

In reverse if he stumbled completely from the start, he would lose confidence there and would always get nervous with his body stiffening completely, piling up even more failure and losing more confidence, steadily falling into a closed vicious circle.

When a statistic concerning the birthday of professional sports athletes was taken, it was mentioned that there were many among them that were born in the month between April-June. In the time as a child there was a difference in physique between children that couldn’t be surpassed from [having been born several months earlier].

Because children were divided into grades between their year and they went through a group activity in a group based on their grade, inside that group the children that were born in April-June who had growth just several months faster had it easier to stand in superior position whether it was in sports or playing. When those children experienced victory there, that experience became confidence, which in turn incited a positive endeavor and growth. Working hard became something fun. And then they would rapidly grow and putting even more distance from their surrounding…it seemed there was such tendency like that. The thing called success experience couldn’t be looked down at.

If someone fell into a vicious circle of losing confidence, they had to grasp a success somewhere to cut through the negative circle. In order to do that, surely the assistance of people from outside would become important.

“Senpai is a really lovely person, that’s why it’s fine even if you don’t do anything special. If senpai just stop getting too spirited and make a relaxed smile, then everyone is bound to like senpai.”

“…You say to relax more…li, like this?”

Kazuha-senpai showed a wide smile. It still had an artificial feel exposed in it but―

“You are cute senpai, just like that. That cuteness entered the top ten of the world.”

She had to be given confidence. Kazuki who thought that gave a great admiration to Kazuha-senpai.

“Do, don’t flatter me! There is no need for thing like cuteness in making friends right! What’s with you saying the world top ten.”

“It’s regrettable you are not wearing maid uniform.”

“You think I care about your personal hobby like that-”

Spouting out that in a huff, nervousness disappeared from Kazuha-senpai’s expression. Thereupon a natural smile floated in her expression, wasting no time Kazuki pointed out “Senpai, that face!” Kazuha-senpai’s face blushed.

“…Kazuki is really looking at me properly huh.”

“Because Hayashizaki-style prized observation.”

“There is also nothing mistaken in your advice for sword technique until now. Got it! I will do as you say and show you that I will get along with Itsuki without fail!”

Kazuha-senpai filled herself with fighting spirit and clenched both her fists.

“I told senpai already to not get too spirited just now.”

“Kazuki…thank you okay.”

Kazuha-senpai hugged Kazuki tightly in a surprise attack.

It was too sudden that Kazuki couldn’t even return the hug. A gentle warmth. For just an instant, then Kazuha-senpai immediately separated herself resolutely in a flash. She dashed outside the kitchen without saying anything.

Kazuha-senpai who rarely became honest.

Exactly because of that, the charm of the surprise attack was plenty even though it was just a short time.

At the same time Kazuki remembered the affair in the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave with Kazuha-senpai. She made him intensely conscious of her as a girl and his feelings couldn’t calm down.

After a while, Mio and Koyuki returned back in a half run from their shopping.

Part 3

“Kamimura-san, the welcoming party’s preparation is completed already.”

After all the preparation was finished, Kazuki knocked the door of the room that was allocated for Kamimura-san.

In answer to Kazuki’s calling, the door was opened obediently.

“Long time no see o.”

―What appeared from the door’s other side was the small middle-aged man with white skin like mochi.

It was not Kamimura-san. The one he met at the Gate of Celestial Rock Cave―Ise-Udon-ojisan.

“…Why are you-!?”

This place was not a special space like the Gate of Celestial Rock Cave, it felt really out of place if a middle-aged man this queer appeared in the place of reality.

“Itsuki said that she felt tired so she pushed the leadership of the flesh body to me and is resting o. Hyahha―! This is the first time I am in the space of real world since I was born o! Abababababa!!”

Ise-Udon-ojisan exposed the white of his eyes and stuck out his tongue from his mouth before wriggling his short limbs.

“…So you can do such skillful thing. Can you properly return to normal?”

Ise-Udon-ojisan’s deformed physique was even smaller than the small statured Kamimura-san.

When he was watching him he was driven by anxiety of the law of conservation of mass.

“Rather than calling this a light possession, it’s just a little remaking of the existence’s surface, that’s why I can immediately return back o. Wait a second o.”

Udon-ojisan closed the door, but on the brink of the door closing he stuck out his face and added some more.

“…Itsuki really think inside her heart that she wants to go out to the welcoming party o. It’s just that she felt a little anxious and it become a burden on her mental state o. You might see it as trying to avoid other people but, I want you to understand that it’s not like she want to reject other people deep inside her heart o.”

“It’s okay, I understand.”

Kazuki nodded. Kamimura-san too in a certain meaning was similar with Kazuha-senpai.

“Just as expected from the man we anticipated o.”

The door closed leaving behind those words. And then from the other side of the door “CHAAAAAAAAANGE-!” a voice could be heard. And then―”Samee” “Wha- it’s not you- o! The turn is for Itsuki o! One more time, CHAAAAAAAAAANGE-!” He could hear a skilled one person conversation that he didn’t understand for what reason it was performed. It looked a little like a multiple personality. The door opened once more.

“…I, I make you wait.”

Kamimura-san peeked out her face out from the door timidly.

Nervousness was transmitted from person to person. When he saw Kamimura-san’s face, Kazuki too started to feel his mental state became nervous as if something that could easily break if it was touched.

That was why if his side too became awkward, Kamimura-san would surely become even more nervous.

He understood that from his experience of capturing tough enemies called Koyuki and Kazuha-senpai.

If he had to say what aspect of him that had grown the most until now, then surely it was in this kind of aspect.

Kazuki relaxed his whole body using an ancient breathing technique and endeavored to make a truly natural expression.

“I’m the one that make you wait.”

From the beginning no matter what kind of formidable enemy that he faced, Kazuki had never exposed an unsightly sight of fumbling his act from nervousness.

“I have finished a preparation that will not be shameful even if it is become offering for Amaterasu-sama here.”

Kamimura-san didn’t come out from behind the door that looked shaking from fidgeting while only showing out her face.

Kazuki gently took the hand of Kamimura-san that was hiding behind the door and pulled her closer.

While Kamimura-san was someone that scared to be disliked, she was not the type that disliked someone being over-familiar to her. As much as she could remember from the event in the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave, she should like to be treated courteously.

Around that area, she was different with Koyuki that rejected other person itself for a period of time.

When Kazuki pulled her hand, Kamimura-san silently followed him along with a trot.

Various excellent cooking had been line up already on the table in the living room of the Witch’s Mansion.

“Cheers!”

After making toast with cups that were filled with bubbling carbonated juice, the circle of friends were eating as they pleased inside the wide room and began to have friendly conversations. It was really close with a buffet.

When the party was going in full swing…Kazuha-senpai went crying at Kazuki.

“Kazuki~! Itsuki got netorare-ed~!”

“…Netorare senpai said, but that’s a little different right?”

“But but~! Even though I have make reservation~!”

“Senpai also didn’t make any reservation right? Is senpai drunk?”

Kazuki was amazed and he did a light chop on the clamoring Kazuha-senpai’s head.

Kazuki directed his gaze to the direction that Kazuha-senpai pointed while clamoring.

When saying it from the conclusion, Kamimura-san who looked like an impregnable fortress was conquered in an instant by Lotte.

Lotte penetrated into the heart of Kamimura-san with a smiling face that looked so innocent and pure that it seemed anybody who saw it would forgive her. While making consideration to Kamimura-san’s nervousness by reading between the lines of the heart’s subtleties using Mind Sympathy MagicTelepathy, Lotte roused her up using their common hobby of anime as conversation topic, and in the time people took to say ‘ah’ it was as if the two had found a kindred spirit in each other.

Right now that Kamimura-san had went away from Kazuha-senpai’s hand, she was sitting in a line together with three people that were Lotte, Karin, and Hikaru-senpai on the sofa in front of the TV. They quietly, heatedly conversed with each other while appreciating the anime.

“[Mobile Suit Z Galpan]…the long awaited popular anime sequel that depicted the springtime of youth of the high-school girl students that decided their [Robo-path] in a competition of zero-gravity space battle using robots that were considered to maiden’s taste since the ancient time! Those moe characters that were completely absorbed into robo-battle that completely didn’t give any consideration to safety at all, there is a ghastly degenerated beauty looking at them falling one after another throughout the battle…!”

Kamimura-san whose tension skyrocketed when it was about a field that she liked, right now she was leaning her body forward to the screen with an excited voice.

“I am a little weak to extreme anime like this desu but…yet the character’s treatment of Tonne Kobayashi who appear in succession from the previous work and now had grown into high school student make you feel an irony where you cannot say anything isn’t it? When you think back upon the climax of the previous work [Mobile Suit Galpan]…”

Lotte nodded earnestly.

“As expected of Lotte-dono, you understand…!”

Kamimura-san was staring hard at Lotte with a feverish look as if she had found an enlightened person.

Lotte was even now continuing as if to invite Kamimura-san’s sympathy.

“Even though in the previous work’s last the three sisters of Tonne – Katsune – Kikune were depicted as the symbol of hope for the next generation, in this sequel where seven year had passed Tonne is growing as a character that possess an ego that denied the possibility that was previously hinted, she cannot restrain her young passion that is inappropriate for her true power with reason and repeatedly violated her order isn’t she desu. And then she completely died not from the attack of a powerful enemy, but from a meteor that crashed into her while she was looking aside…. I have a feeling that this ‘Z’ is a tale of ‘despairzetsubou’ desu.”

“That’s so, in spite of how in the previous work this tale had been tied up perfectly, the author’s gloominess was coming out to the surface from writing this continuation because of commercial reason. But later on the author went [this kind of negative work cannot be left behind just like this] and then he remade it into the [New Testament version] in the end!”

“I like it that way desu. The feeling from the depiction of how strong the heart can become from the existence of important people in the surrounding…”

“As expected Lotte-dono really understand!!”

Kamimura-san finally grasped both of Lotte’s hands tightly. Lotte too grasped back with a friendly smile. At their side Karin and Hikaru-senpai were going “Z Galpan is so cool~!” and they became entranced into the robot’s action scene. The four people pressed their shoulders closer together when the ending theme streamed out and sang out ‘love or something something goes to the star of water~♪’.

Kazuha-senpai went “Hii―cc!” and exaggeratedly buried her face into Kazuki’s chest.

“I, I don’t get it at all what in the world are they talking about and I cannot participate into the conversation~! Even though I have been trying to prepare my heart’s readiness and come into contact with natural smile just like Kazuki said~!”

“Ah―. …It cannot be helped if Lotte is the opponent, yup. There, there.”

When Kazuki caressed Kazuha-senpai’s head in order to comfort her, a small heart mark came flying and got absorbed into his ring.

Her positivity level increased. That was to say that Kazuha-senpai who was not honest was right now using the receiving shock as an excuse to come fawning to him. For such thing like Kazuha-senpai embracing him like this by her own accord to happen.

“Senpai, preferably if you want to make friend then how about you also live in the Witch’s Mansion?”

“Eh?” Kazuha-senpai raised her face from Kazuki’s chest.

“Senpai is also a Magika Stigma after all, so I think it will be recognized even if you change division.”

Right now the academy was in the middle of converting little by little with the objective to carefully recognize the Divas outside of the Solomon 72 Pillar who had been making illegal contract until now.

If Kamimura-san could be accepted into the Magic Division, then there shouldn’t be any uncomfortable feeling in accepting Kazuha-senpai too. Whether Amaterasu or Futsunushi no Kami, both of them were Divas of the same Japanese Mythology.

“That’s…certainly…but…”

After Kazuha-senpai’s gaze wandered around from having her heart shook up, she hung her head down.

“But I’ll keep staying in the Magic Division like now. Just as I thought because I am first and foremost want to be a swordsman.”

After that with a small voice Kazuha-senpai added in mumbling “…Certainly I want to live in the Witch’s Mansion, or perhaps I should say that I want to be together with Kazuki but…”

“Is that so. If senpai has a fixation like that then it cannot be helped.”

“But Kazuki too don’t just stay cooped in the Witch’s Manssion, come play to the Sword Division too sometimes! Kazuki is the Chief Student Council President after all so it’s unfair!!”

“Now that senpai mentioned it I haven’t been to the Sword Division since the previous uproar haven’t I?”

“You haven’t come that much!? Yosh, then come! Rather you should stay there!!”

The two arms of Kazuha-senpai that were embracing him were filled with strength, and she talked while her arms kept tightening like a bear hug. No…as expected what’s going to happen if he has a stay over there?

“Otouto-kun, night amusements is prohibited you know. It’s no good if you are not staying the night properly here.”

Kaguya-senpai clung to him from the back with a bump before she whispered into his ear. *munyu munyu*, soft sensation was pushed onto his back kneadingly, Kazuki got nervous with a twitch.

“…The student dormitory in the Sword Division has the prohibition to go in and out at night, so please do it only at daytime. Tonight we have obtained permission from Headmaster Amasaki though, we are approved to stay here until especially late.”

Kanae too cut into the conversation.

Kanae clung onto Kaguya-senpai’s waist and tore her off from Kazuki’s back forcefully before she talked angrily.

“The Sword Division is a mixed education of man and woman after all, so the students are divided into the boys dormitory and the girls dormitory. The rules are imposed stricter than the Magic Division there. …Even I had actually thought several times of going to the Witch’s Mansion for a yobai because I want to meet Nii-sama! If only I don’t have to be an example as the Sword Division’s president never to break the rule!!”

“I’m really glad that you are re-elected as a president once more here. I have to thank Kohaku later.”

Kazuki lightly chopped Kanae’s head.

Well, in the root she was a serious person, that was surely why she didn’t do anything wild while she was being a student council president.

“Rather than that kind of thing Kazuha-chan, come on teach me more in detail regarding that general magic.”

When Kazuha-senpai too separated her body from Kazuki, Kaguya-senpai leaped to that Kazuha-senpai as if clinging at her and asked. After that, Kanae too continued after Kaguya-senpai.

“That’s right! I too wanted to ask about that in detail!!”

Getting caught between the two that were highly praised as the academy’s strongest, Kazuha-senpai went “Eh? Eh?” and made a bewildered face.

However after she remembered something and made a face of realization with a ‘hah’, she patched up a smile in her expression and said.

“…If, if you become my friend then…I will teach you anything.”

She just remembered Kazuki’s advice wasn’t she. Although there was still some slight awkwardness remaining, it was a refreshing smiling face.

“Friend-!” Kaguya-senpai embraced Kazuha-senpai.

Kazuha-senpai who was embraced turned at Kazuki who watched over them at the side and raised a voice of wonder.

“Kazuki-!? The breast of this person is amazing!”

I know. Kaguya-senpai had the habit of immediately hugging but the sensation was always amazing.

“…Friend.”

Reluctantly Kanae too took Kazuha-senpai’s hand. Doing something like this was surely a little embarrassing for her.

Those three distanced themselves from the table a little and started to talk about general magic while also exchanging performance.

“…Kazuki, are you eating properly?”

Choosing the timing when Kazuki became alone, Mio approached his side while bringing in one hand small crackers with cheese and tomato placed on it. She was still in the maid uniform. And then put the crackers in the tip of her lips, “Nn-“ and faced Kazuki.

For her to come to him while plainly doing such thing, Mio was dreadful.

Kazuki calmed down and accepted that action of a bakaple. He held the other side of the cracker with his mouth while properly touched his own lips on Mio’s lips on purpose, then he buried his teeth with a snap.

After Mio ate the cracker that had been shared half, “Ehehe, you pass” she revealed a smile.

“…Aren’t you too excited in head.”

Koyuki who was in similar maid uniform had came beside them before he realized where she made an amazed face.

“Let’s do it to Koyuki. Here.”

Kazuki took a cracker from the table and put it between his mouth and he turned at Koyuki.

Koyuki went “A, are you idiot…”, even while saying that with her mouth “Nn” she brought her small lips near Kazuki’s cracker looking not too annoyed as she would have him believe.

*Chuu* Rather than saying that Koyuki received the cracker, she was sucking at Kazuki’s lips altogether with Kazuki’s lips. …When Koyuki was doing a kiss, she had the habit to profusely sucking with passion.

Not only half, the cracker was stolen in its entirety into Koyuki’s mouth. Even so Koyuki still sucked at Kazuki’s lips for a while, finally after that she was satisfied and separated herself before chewing the cracker *mogumogu*.

“…It’s delicious, as might be expected from the food that I helped to make.” She averted her face with bright red face.

“…Kazuki!”

Hikaru-senpai who was watching anime noticed the situation here and came near them with bright eyes.

“Tou-! I don’t need any excuse like cracker or whatever! When I feel that I want to kiss I’m going to kiss immediately right away-!!”

After she gallantly proclaimed that, she suddenly stole Kazuki’s lips.

“Hoshikaze-senpai, I don’t know whether that frankness aspect of yours is just too cool or manly, but it’s lacking in girlishness you know.”

When Mio retorted from the side, Hikaru-senpai was “Nnyumu-!?” leaking out such voice and separated her lips.

“Is that so I wonder?” “That’s really so. Do it more with the feel that will make even flower blush.” “But isn’t saying that yourself too sly?” “Romantic is something you produced with your own power.” “How difficult.”

“Hikaru-senpai, Mio too is really extreme so it’s fine if you don’t mind that.”

When Kazuki entered between the two that was in the middle of dialogue and talked, Hikaru-senpai said “I know, right?” and nodded in relieve.

“…Everyone’s heads are too excited.” Koyuki murmured.

Mio immediately retorted “You are the one that the most passionate just now!!”

“…Putting that aside, I wonder if it’s about time for the main dish to be ready.”

Kazuki led Mio and Koyuki out of the living room and entered the kitchen.

First he took out the heat-resistant plate from the large-type oven.

The main dish’s first course was Acqua Pazza. Boiling marine products with water and wine, the so called boiled food of south Italian version. With sufficient soup pooling up on the large heat-resistant plate, a fish was wholly put in the center. A lot of shellfish and mini tomato were decorated in its surrounding, it looked completely like an article of rare beauty of gorgeous treasure box filled with the blessing of sea. But actually if one was experienced at seafood’s preliminary arrangement, this dish was also a simple cooking that could be completed just by putting it into oven after that.

Next Kazuki took the large-type pressure cooker that he had left alone for a while after turning off the fire.

One more dish was a beef stew. If pressure cooker was used then the meat could be made soft in just a short time, if he used the homemade demi-glace sauce that he stocked inside refrigerator then it would become a genuine finishing that he wouldn’t be ashamed to show wherever he was.

The cooking tool and equipment that were prepared in the Witch’s Mansion whether its oven or even its pot was all large type items for business use. It was fine to call the kitchen as professional resource mostly. He could make cooking even for large number of people without difficulty.

He also received help from Mio and Koyuki and carried the cooking altogether with the heat-resistant plate and the pressure cooker to the living room. The gorgeous appearance and aroma raised excited cheering from everyone.

“Celebration King-sama, let this one bring you the food.”

Kohaku reverently turned to Kamimura-san and distributed the food.

Look like she found a new target for lord and retainer relationship changing from Kazuha-senpai.

“…Amazing. Even though all the food until now had been delicious, that there are still more food remaining…”

While receiving the food in large serving, Kamimura-san opened her eyes wide coweringly.

“Kamimura-san called yourself something like Celebration King after all so haven’t you eat even better thing compared to an amateur cooking of someone like me? Kamimura-san is the highest celebrated personage of the Shrine Maiden right?”

“…I’m just an ordinary person that made contract with Amaterasu secretly you know. It’s not like there is particularly an existence of a post like Celebration King in the public institution of Japan. A contract with Amaterasu is an illegal contract.”

“…Now that you said that. Then the priests and chief priest that worked in Ise Imperial Shrine didn’t know about the existence of Kamimura-san that made a contract with Amaterasu?”

“Even if I come out and introduced myself saying ‘I have contracted with Amaterasu heerree’, I’m only going to get arreeessted even faster than the priests can show their respect to me. Of course Amaterasu was happy that rituals are performed in Ise Imperial Shrine. Their faith is not a one-way traffic. But, I’m different.”

“Now that you mentioned it, I brought Kamimura-san until here even though I don’t know anything about most of your personal history… What about Kamimura-san’s parents?”

While it was already too late he thought about this girl’s life circumstances. Nevertheless Ise was still Yamato’s territory, so when she was not in the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave and was in this world there was no other choice than to come to east Japan if she thought of going to live.

However, even this girl was supposed to have family in east Japan shouldn’t she?

Kamimura-san shook her head left and right.

“I don’t particularly mind. Both my parents…had already finished my funeral. I, am originally shunned by my family because I’m a shut-in. Surely even if I just suddenly come back to life I will be only a bother.”

…Isn’t such thing just too sad?

It seemed that the relationship between Kamimura-san and her parents was not good.

But as long as she still lived―not in a half-dead condition like now but when she took back her life properly, if Kamimura-san could get back on her feet from her shut-in tendency, wouldn’t all of it can be undone?

“Something like a party, truthfully it has been a while since the last time I had a birthday party when I was small…”

Kamimura-san murmured with a deeply sinking voice.

The surrounding pricked up their ears and listened attentively her conversation with Kazuki, the atmosphere changed into a solemn and quiet one.

“Itsuki-chan, it’s fine for you to call me as Onee-chan!”

Spontaneously Kaguya-senpai hugged Kamimura-san tightly in great force.

“It’s fine to think of this Witch’s Mansion as your own home okay!!”

Kamimura-san opened her eyes wide and looked baffled, but once Kaguya-senpai hugged someone she wouldn’t let go easily like a turtle’s shell. Kamimura-san helplessly brought her food to her mouth while kept being hugged.

The moment the food touched her mouth, that side face of hers that looked slightly tense with nervousness softened faintly.

…Something like cooking was actually just a trivial thing though. He wanted her to feel once more that it was a wonderful thing that she said she wanted to live. He cooked these dishes with that thought in mind.

“Kamimura-san, how is the taste I wonder?”

“Delicious. Really…this is the first time I eat a cooking this delicious. Amaterasu too seemed to be satisfied inside me.”

But after saying such thing, Kamimura-san’s expression suddenly underwent a complete change as if a dark cloud covered her.

“…I, I become anxious about what are going to be demanded from me after being welcomed this much…even though someone like me will surely unable to answer your expectation…”

“You are thinking too much there. We are not particularly having any ulterior motive in welcoming Kamimura-san here after all.”

“That, that’s true. I’m too roused am I, despite someone like me is just like something extra that come along with Amaterasu, I’m just misunderstanding that someone like me is the one that get welcomed…someone like me is just an extra that is like trash right.”

Uu―nn, this person….

When Kazuki felt slightly dumbfounded, Kamimura-san noticed her own response just now with a look of realization and dropped her shoulders.

“So, sorry…I realized just now, I said a troublesome thing…I’m sorry.”

She is really a person that rushed down the stair of self-torture with steady rhythm….

“I think that her personality is really difficult but, it’s not like there is any real harm from that anyway.”

Kazuki gently petted the head of Kamimura-san who was looking down with an expression of ruined mood.

While Kamimura-san kept looking down, a small heart mark came flying from her.

Kamimura Itsuki―34

The night of the welcoming party advanced on harmoniously.

Translator's Notes and References

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