Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 9

Novel Illustrations

These are the novel illustrations that were included in Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Volume 9

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  Cover and color illustrations
  

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  Page 17
  

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  Page 21
  

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  Page 65
  

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  Page 90
  

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  Page 96
  

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  Page 134
  

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  Page 161
  

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  Page 162
  

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  Page 169
  

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  Page 178
  

Chapter 1 – White and Black

Part 1

The morning of that day was not like the usual morning.

The tip of Kazuki’s nose was tickled by a sensual sweet aroma that made him awake. It was the aroma of a girl’s skin. That was what his instinct told him. But this aroma was something he had never smelled until today, the aroma of a foreigner’s skin. The owner of the aroma burrowed herself into Kazuki’s futon and was in a postion of right beside Kazuki, clinging close to him.

‘Who is this’, Kazuki felt dubious while still half-asleep.

―He raised up his blanket and determined the true identity of the intruder while still half-asleep.

The morning sun that shone in from the window illuminated the figure of the girl that was laying on her side.

Her long silver hair shone in sparkles while entangling with the dark brown skin.

The owner of such vibrant contrast between silver and dark brown was―Leme.

Kazuki moved his eyes to the clock and confirmed the time. From the point of view of the usual Kazuki, he had greatly overslept just from the brightness outside his window.

But it was already decided from the start that he was going to oversleep today.

The investigation of Fuji’s sea of trees yesterday was extremely severe. He encountered Ikousai and Ilyailiya in succession and fought them consecutively, not to mention the physical fatigue, even his magic power was completely empty.

His most important job today was to rest. …After sleeping like a log from the excessive fatigue, it seemed he didn’t notice when Leme sneaked into his futon as she pleased.

―Sleeping together with Leme itself was not a particularly rare occasion.

What was not usual was Leme’s appearance.

Leme contracted with Kazuki in a little girl appearance and grew little by little as she recovered her strength, and now at this point of time she grew in a great leap. The one who was sleeping defenselessly besides Kazuki was not a little girl anymore, but a bewitching beauty that was only clad in a single piece of black clothing.

From that mature body, an aroma that should be called a foreign sex appeal was rising up.

“Have you woke up, my King?”

Her long glandular hair swayed and Leme’s eyes that he thought was still asleep opened completely. And then she moved inside the futon slidingly and snuggled her body closely to Kazuki.

There was a sensation of something soft being flattened around Kazuki’s stomach. A sensation that was impossible for Leme from before―Leme’s breast that had grown big was pressing on him.

Everything was different from usual. Whether her sensual aroma and also the sensation of her adult skin.

…Shit, to feel like this from someone like Leme as the partner.

“Nn? What is it, your face is a little red even though you just woke up you know, my King?”

Leme grazed her big breasts at Kazuki in a jest. Separated by a single piece of thin silk, that felt fluffily and bouncily soft.

“…You, when did you slip into the futon?”

“Nn? It’s just the usual thing right? When you are not sleeping together with another girl, Leme materialized and slipped into your futon. Though for the sake of making you feel shocked like this in the morning, I purposefully waited until you were completely asleep before slipping into the futon.”

“Don’t just slip into the futon like this anymore now that you have grown up this much, okay.”

Kazuki pushed Leme’s shoulders until the edge of the bed. The charming feeling was separated away.

“Why? Fufun, even though your face becomes that red, might there be something that is troubling you? …Leme materialized with Kazuki’s magic power, so it’s better for Leme to be as close as possible to Kazuki when materializing like this. The time when Kazuki is not together with the other girls, I want to be together even when we are on a pillow like this.”

Leme warded off Kazuki’s hand that was pushing her away and sidled up at him once more. While persistently grazing the bulges of her breast at Kazuki, pointed edges were hitting Kazuki’s chest.

“…Your heart is throbbing fast. Like that when your head is invigorated, the magic power that is flowing into Leme too is going to be active and become better. It’s fine, get your heart throbbing more at Leme. Like that your worked up magic power is completely like a sweet nectar for Leme.”

An entranced voice like being drunk from sake. Leme grasped both hands of Kazuki that she swept away and guided them onto her own breasts. Kazuki’s palms were buried into the bulges of Leme’s chest.

There was excessive largeness on his hands. It was not an avatar, but the breasts of a materialized girl. The breasts that was only clad in a thin silk transmitted an endless raw softness to him.

Spontaneously Kazuki massaged it from mostly a reflex.

“…Ann-♪ When Leme’s breasts are rubbed, somehow, Leme too feels good…♪”

Each time he massaged, Leme leaked out a sweet voice ‘ann-♪”.

At the center of the bulges that was covered by a thin silk, something was swelling out isolatedly. Leme’s nipples were swelling out from the sexual excitement. Physiological reaction happened at Diva too the same like a human. That fact turned Kazuki’s head into pure white. She is a girl―that Leme.

The dark brown skin that had depth was soft from what he saw. His palms kept massaging continuously as long as he liked, Leme too was continuing to leak out a sweet voice “ann-♪” happily from being massaged.

With a partner that was not a human, he passed a short time that halted his reasoning inside the futon.

A sweet body odor that was like a foreign fruit that was separated from a Japanese person, pheromone was filling the room. Kazuki pinched Leme’s nipple. Leme’s spine shivered “Nnn-!!” and she raised a noticeable high voice.

“That’s good, the magic power from you too became spiritedly lively and is flowing into Leme! Leme too feels good♪ Play with my nipple more♪”

However his reasoning finally came back, even though late. ‘More than this is no good’, Kazuki finally thought like that.

He stiffened his fingers with his willpower and slowly floated his hands from the charming bulges.

“Oo-? You are stopping…?”

“You… If you are also a girl, don’t make someone that you don’t even like rub your breasts just for a joke. Your value will go down like that. I too don’t want to do something that lowers your value.”

Even though he was saying that he had kept massaging her for quite a long time now. That was the fault of his head that was still in la-la land after just getting woken up.

She was a girl even though she was a Diva… then she had to treasure such thing.

“What are you saying? Surely Leme won’t hate my own master right?”

“Eh?”

“It’s obvious that I like you and so I chose you as my contractor.”

Leme brought her face near and pressed her lips at Kazuki’s cheek.

“…Leme also loved my previous contractor.”

Setting aside the dumbfounded Kazuki, Leme talked with a voice that was laced with nostalgia.

“That fellow was a woman, but Leme liked her. I liked her and Leme grew to love her too much… Leme had the feeling that it was a little abnormal to love a partner of the same sex until that much, so Leme is glad that the next contractor, that is you, is a male.”

“The previous contractor…” That’s right, Leme had finally recovered her memory.

There was a different contractor of Leme before.

At the Fuji’s sea of trees, that time when a mysterious voice was talking inside Kazuki’s head―Leme replied at that voice affectionately. It might be that the master of that voice was―the person that was once Leme’s contractor.

The third wall that partitioned the deepest part of Fuji’s sea of trees, there someone put up a seal in order to not let anyone enter inside at all. That meant… it was the previous generation’s King of Solomon.

But for some kind of reason Leme lost her contractor, lost her power and memory, and separated with a long period of time she made Kazuki into her new contractor.

‘Aah, I see. That is why, compared to the other Kings, I am lagging behind.’

When compared to a [completed King] like Arthur or Regina, he felt that it was only him whose days since his contract with Leme was obviously too short.

Because he was too inexperienced… to the degree that he couldn’t straighten up anything.

However Leme said that she still had no intention of talking about what had happened to her and that contractor in the past.

“Fufun♪ I had my eyes on you since the time when you were just a baby, so there is also this reverse Genji-like aspect in our relationship, how cute.”

Leme who had a completely adult look was staring fixedly *jii―* at Kazuki, and then she smiled complacently.

“…You, if you recover your power even more than this, by some chance will you grow even older?”

“Are you thinking that at the very last Leme is going to become an old hag?! How rude, Leme’s current appearance is the peak. There are also Divas whose strongest state are in old people's appearance, but Leme is not that kind of type.”

“…Leme whose appearance was still like a child is more relaxing.”

Kazuki released a deep sigh while still feeling the lingering sweet sensation at his fingertips.

“If you say that you like loli, I can also turn back into a child again just in external appearance you know?”

“I don’t mean that… until now I look after your selfishness in your child form all along, yet for you to suddenly act as the older one here really makes me troubled.”

“Fufun! From now on too, I’m still intending to keep saying out my selfishness though!”

Leme proclaimed with her eyes closed and a smile on her mouth.

If he had to say, the current Leme was in the age just before twenty years old. Her external appearance looked like the age of a university student young lady.

From a child to an adult in one go. Thinking back on it, Leme had completely grown splendidly and rushed off to [an age around the same as Kazuki].

“It’s not like Leme’s mental age has changed all along. It’s just that there are some places that are governed by emotion and body. When Leme’s body changed into an adult’s, naturally, concerns other than the appetite for food will also heighten. This time there is this itchy feeling inside… perhaps this is what you called as [sexual desire] I think. Appetite for food and also sexual desire, both of them are enjoyments that are distinctively coming from materializing into a flesh body, but Leme loves them♪”

Leme once again pulled Kazuki’s hands, trying to make him touch her breasts for the second time.

“Come on, rub Leme’s breast more, play around with my nipples♪”

Kazuki recalled Leme’s appetite until now that was her [tenacity for food]. She was a fellow that mostly thought only about food.

If now her tenacity for this kind of thing was also similarly heightened like her desire for food, then that was something awful.

“Don’t persistently try to make me touch them! Don’t try to vent out your sexual desire to your contractor. Even for my side, it’s troubling to harbor some kind of wicked feeling for my own contracted Diva…”

“Don’t say such cold words like wicked feeling for this.”

Leme’s face suddenly turned serious. “Even though both of us are existences that are most close to each other… to draw a line between a human and a Diva, that’s really lonely.”

Suddenly Kazuki recalled of what Leme once leaked out to him before, about how [I want to become a human].

Looking in reverse, there might not be any meaning in trying to draw a line with a feeling of avoidance just because she was a Diva.

A faint sound of footsteps became slightly audible from the corridor outside the room. Someone was coming to wake him up.

It was not like there was something here he had to feel guilty for, but for some reason Kazuki immediately blocked Leme’s mouth.

The footsteps stopped right in front of Kazuki’s door and next whispering voices could be heard.

“…Kazuki, is he still sleeping I wonder? This is a chance for a wake up kiss! Just like a princess and a prince!!”

“That’s a romantic idea, but normally isn’t it the reverse? The one who is wakened up from the eternal sleep using a kiss, it’s the princess’s side.”

This highly spirited voice with a punch line and the calm tsukkomi, its Mio and Koyuki.

“Someone like Kazuki is close to a princess you see. He is always on the side that is being chased around by a lot of admirers after all.”

“Those girls’ conception is really interesting.” Leme said that with a broad grin.

“I finally noticed that it’s no good for our side just to keep waiting with a feeling like a princess! Even Hiakari is like that right? If you just keep quiet and fidgeting around then the chance will be gone in a flash!”

“Tha, that’s…”

Mio incited a stir inside the introverted Koyuki. Unexpectedly it seemed that Mio felt a female friendship with Koyuki. It was just when he thought of their personalities… he had the feeling that Koyuki was not the one that actually could be said as introverted.

That was because there was another side of Koyuki that she never showed except to Kazuki, where she became strangely bold when the two of them were alone together.

“Let’s do a romantic kiss for waking up someone once! The chance for someone like Kazuki to wake up later than us is super precious! I won’t hand over the right for the first turn to Hiakari!”

“Ple, please wait, I too…!”

Mio said so determinedly with her mouth and then she opened the door carefully and sloo-wly.

“I’m awake already.”

“Wahyan!” When Kazuki talked the moment the door opened, Mio raised a strange scream and backed off, she crashed into Koyuki that followed her behind who said a protest of “puu”.

“Even though you say that you are going to rest from the morning training because yesterday you used up your magic power.”

Mio showed up her face a little from the door and said her complaint.

“I didn’t say that I’m going to rest from the chores too. Right now is around the time I’m thinking of waking up you see.”

“We came thinking of waking you up just in case, but… isn’t it fine for you to sleep just a little bit more? Because you are tired right?”

“Even though I’m resting but I have taken the necessary time for sleeping enough with this. Sleeping more than this is just indolence.”

“Muu―, if you said until that far”

“…It’s not a big deal but can you quickly move forward for me?”

Koyuki lightly tapped the back of Mio *peshi peshi* who showed out her face just a little from the door for conversing with Kazuki.

Both of them was in the maid appearance of the summer version that looked light.

“Fu-fu-fu, how unfortunate for you two to be unable to give my master a wake-up kiss.”

Behind Kazuki, Leme raised her upper body from the bed and chuckled. The way she laughed was as if an evil mastermind was entering the stage and gloated provocatively. Mio raised a voice of ‘ahh’.

“Le, Leme!? You are sleeping together with Kazuki even though you have grown that big!?”

“Is it not allowed? Kazuki belongs to everyone of the Witch’s Mansion right? Fu-fu-fu.”

Leme hugged Kazuki from behind while pressing her breasts at Kazuki.

Mio couldn’t find any argument to just say that it was not allowed and could only moan “Uu―”.

“But Leme looked like someone that is always together with Kazuki all along, it didn’t bother me when you looked like a kid, but to cling close to Kazuki like that with an adult appearance is…”

“Fu-fu-fu, then you two just have to approach Kazuki with even more boldness too. If you don’t, then Leme will use the position as his contracted Diva and monopolize my master like this~♪ Fu-fu-fu~♪”

Leme leaned her body forward from behind and lined up her face with Kazuki, before nuzzling her cheek at him.

Mio went “Aaa~!” with a pitiful voice.

While his cheek was nuzzled, Kazuki became suspicious of Leme’s behavior. It was not like the usual Leme.

Until now Leme had always shown a behavior that conceded her contractor, that was Kazuki, to all the other girls.

That was only natural, after all Leme’s objective was to make Kazuki into a Harem King.

‘…Don’t tell me that now just because she has recovered her memory and got back the minimum of her power, she is planning to change her behavior from now on.’

Just when he suspected so inside his heart, Leme’s figure vanished with a pop in an anticlimax.

{My master, with your magic power still not recovered, don’t do anything rash for one or two days. Right now is the time to give your undivided attention to flirt with these girls and raise their positivity level.}

Leme who lost her physical body resounded her voice inside his head so that Mio and Koyuki couldn’t hear.

Was he over thinking it? Leme was only provoking these two and incited them up.

Leme was still Leme, she didn’t change even after turning into a seemingly adult woman.

Suddenly, “Kazu-nii!” “Kazuki!”, Mio and Koyuki talked at the same time and leaped onto the bed.

“Uwaa-!” He raised a surprised voice while being pressed down on the bed, Mio and Koyuki embraced him from his left and right.

The frilly sensation of the frills and the soft sensation of the skin inside it. Now that he was getting caught between the two, the situation he was in was completely a maid sandwich.

“Kazu-nii! I too, am going to flirt even more with you than before!”

“…Ka, Kazuki should flirt with me today!”

Mio and Koyuki insisted from his left and right. But even if both of them said so to him at the same time…

Lately everyone was accepting of Leme’s advocated harem even more than Kazuki, Kazuki’s feeling of avoidance has also kept thinning. However he loved everyone, yet it was the most difficult when he was told to choose.

Mio turned to Koyuki with an expression that seemed to say she accepted the challenge.

“Why? With what kind of reason are you asking to monopolize Kazuki?”

“…It’s only me who still didn’t have a date just together with Kazuki. That’s unfair.”

“Mu, certainly… But hadn’t you explored the academy’s underground together with just Kazuki?”

Mio talked about the day when they battled Nyarlathotep. Now that she said that, it was different with everyone else, at that time they were in a situation where he absolutely had to shrink his distance with Koyuki to escape from the dungeon.

“You became really close with Kazuki from that, thinking carefully that was also a date right?”

When Mio said that forcefully, Koyuki talked as if to throw out everything that she had kept piling up inside until now.

“That kind of blasphemous date that kept throwing out SAN value check is just unpleasant!”

“Wha, what is SAN value check?”

Mio asked Kazuki while feeling scared, Kazuki too tilted his head saying “Is that Cthulhu language?”

“I have been thinking that it’s unfair all this time! Even I want to have a date with Kazuki without any grotesque tentacles anywhere…”

Koyuki hung her head down in dejection while saying that. Kazuki reflexively embraced back Koyuki’s shoulder and petted her head.

Sunlight poured in from outside the window, and a blue sky spread out without a single cloud in it.

The academy was currently in a special holiday the next day after they challenged the Grand Haunted Ground.

It was a day that was exactly the most ideal for a date.

“…Well, as expected from my compassion, should I say it can’t be helped.”

Mio withdrew while making a deep sigh. In the end she was not that insensitive to keep forcefully pushing.

{This is good. After all Hiakari Koyuki’s positivity level is just barely under 150. Let’s raise it right before the decisive battle.}

Leme too ran her mouth inside Kazuki’s head calculatingly.

Part 2

“Fufu, so it was Koyuki-chan that invited Otouto-kun to a date? Then you have no choice but to give her a date.” Kaguya-senpai smiled gently while saying that.

“It was said before that it’s time for flirting until your magic power recovers so I too am expecting it somewhat though~. Ahaha, But if it’s like this then it can’t be helped.” Hikaru-senpai said that while laughing generously.

“Koyuki-oneesan is really looking forward to it inside her heart, but it’s cute that she works really hard to not let it show on the surface desu-!” Lotte grinned brightly like an angel saying that.

“…Don’t leave me alone too much, okay? I feel that the time I can be together with you is too short because I’m in the Sword Division, it feels a little lonely.” Kazuha-senpai honestly became sulky while saying so.

“I too have never been together with Kazuki except in that forest where many dead people were wandering around. If we go by that argument then next time should be my turn.” Shinobu-senpai said so and booked her turn in advance.

“When the conflict with Yamato becomes clearer, take me and Shinobu to the sea just like you promised okay? Because I had bought a new and more amazing swimsuit already.” Miyabi-senpai said something dreadful.

“It doesn’t concern me at all that Hayashizaki Kazuki is going for a date. Nn? But if he is doing that then who will make today’s dinner? If it’s not you who make it then and I don’t wanna―!” Like that Karin was crying while hitting him.

“I don’t know the feeling of a person that likes to go outside of his own free will degozaru.” Kamimura-san rejected this thing called a date right from the bottom of her heart.

―Without even any discord that especially happened, everyone gave their official recognition for this date without difficulty.

It was surely the embodiment of everyone’s good relation with each other. Also, as far as it went, it was also their trust in him.

If it was like this then it might be fine even if they didn’t purposefully rendezvous at another place sneakily.

When Kazuki tried to propose so, Koyuki shook her head with an expression that fixated on something.

“But, until now Kazuki’s date with everyone all started after rendezvousing with them at the arranged place right?”

“Well, it’s just as you said.”

Since his first date with Mio, the front of the station became the place where he would be waiting for the date.

This was the habit that Mio created because she was embarrassed to be seen by the students of the academy when she was together with Kazuki, but now there was no more necessity for it since their relation had become public knowledge.

“But if everyone did it like that, then I too want to do it like that.”

Koyuki stared at Kazuki with upturned eyes filled with emotion while saying that.

“Because, this is our first date.”

“…Sorry, did I make you wait?”

Saying that, Koyuki appeared in front of the station that was the place where they arranged to meet. Of course Kazuki replied like this to that question,

“No, I just arrived here too.”

“…But of course, after all, this is still one hour earlier than the arranged time… Why was Kazuki here already…”

Koyuki heaved a deep sigh with an amazed face.

“Koyuki too. It seems that we both came too early so as to not let our partner wait.”

Both of their amazed face immediately changed into a smile that this couldn’t be helped.

Koyuki was mostly lightly dressed. Before he noticed, the season had already changed into the early summer.

Koyuki was wearing a no sleeve blouse that was decorated with light blue ribbon together with a beige hot pants.

The blouse was sized just right to bring the bulges of her chest to the fore, it had short length and so Koyuki’s navel was peeking out. The hot pants with light earth colors clung tightly to her round bottom and smoothly exposed her dazzling white thighs. Her feet were wearing sandals with a leather strap.

“Koyuki, you look cute but it’s fairly bold isn’t it?”

Magician could regulate their body temperature no matter how, but exactly because of that embodying the season with the clothes made her all the more stylish in contrast. Having said that, he had the feeling that Koyuki today was just too bold.

Her clothing not feeling vulgar was surely thanks to the fresh combination of the colors and Koyuki’s own cool atmosphere. Her stature was short but her legs were long, the goodness of her style was making her atmosphere even firmer.

In other words it was actually suiting her even though it looked contrary to her personality.

“I bought it through mail order. I heard on the net that this is the current fashion trend and so I bought it, but now that I’m wearing it…”

Koyuki fidgeted around from receiving Kazuki’s gaze,

To be stared at by Kazuki continuously even now without stopping, Koyuki looked down while her face became completely red.

“You don’t need to get embarrassed Koyuki, it really suits you after all.”

For her to order that through mail order meant that she had been preparing for this date with Kazuki for quite a while. She thought hard of what suited her and prepared the outfit and then became embarrassed when the appointed day came. It was really like Koyuki.

“Wh, why are you looking at me so intensely like that?”

“Because your embarrassed appearance made you even more excessively cute.”

“That’s sexual harassment…”

Even while saying a complaint, Koyuki’s expression burst open slightly in delight. Kazuki understood well that Koyuki also had such an aspect in her.

“If you show me such a lewd appearance, then it can’t be helped even if my gaze becomes nailed on Koyuki like this, don’t you think so?”

“So, something like a lewd appearance… I don’t intend for that kind of…”

Koyuki became increasingly bashful when she was tormented by words from Kazuki like that. Just from her behavior, even without looking at her positivity level he knew that this was the correct manner of speaking in regards to Koyuki.

Koyuki too was staring at Kazuki’s appearance. Kazuki came wearing a simple polo shirt and jeans. These clothes chosen for him were fairly good items that were cheap in the store that Mio often visited. Kazuki didn’t really understand much about clothing, but due to its silhouette that followed along the body line and its three dimensional sewing, it was easy to move in like a second skin regardless of its smart and tight look.

Koyuki said “Kazuki too, that, you look cool…” while fidgeting around acting embarrassed. Having said that something like a man’s appearance was just a thing that looked like a mere extra. Kazuki also became self-conscious then wordlessly he encircled his left arm on Koyuki’s waist before embracing her closer. Koyuki’s head hit his chest with a light knock and her body became glued to him.

“We, we are going to walk sticking to each other like this?”

Koyuki was flustered even with a heart mark of positivity level up flying at him.

“Because Koyuki, the gazes of the surrounding are gathering on you, see.”

Koyuki went “Eh?” and for the first time she paid attention to the surroundings outside of Kazuki.

Although today was a weekday but a considerable number of people were walking through the road from the station toward the public park. The males walking down the road all had their eyes stolen by Koyuki’s appearance that was like a summer fairy. It made Koyuki’s face turn excessively red.

“If a cute girl like Koyuki is showing that kind of appearance then of course you’re going to become the center of attention. By any chance perhaps Koyuki was choosing those clothes because you wanted to expose yourself?”

Before Koyuki said to him that [she liked to expose her embarrassing appearance to Kazuki].

She liked for her embarrassing self to be received by Kazuki.

“Tha, that’s not it. …Please don’t say a mean thing like that.”

Koyuki clung to Kazuki in order to hide her face on Kazuki’s chest. But he understood that she didn’t hate it from her sweet tone of voice. A pleading tone of voice that implicitly said [I want to be bullied more] to him.

Kazuki who had completely grasped Koyuki’s preferences that was like that, raised the looking down blushing face of Koyuki forcefully with his right hand, and gazed at her right from the front.

“Because Koyuki is like this, strange men won’t approach you, I have to show the surrounding people that you are my girl to be safe.”

Kazuki gave the first kiss for today on Koyuki’s soft cheek. It made Koyuki’s spine shiver.

“…Yes. I am Kazuki’s possession, so it doesn’t matter what other people think…”

There was no doubt that Koyuki’s peculiar preference appeared as the manifestation of how she still didn’t have confidence in herself.

‘I want to be liked’, ‘I want to be loved’, her feeling that wanted to feel for real those kinds of things more and more became a worldly behavior and manifested towards Kazuki.

‘Today. let’s do a date that will fill the gaps that are still left inside Koyuki’s heart’―Kazuki was determined to do that.

Both of them were heading to their first destination from the station in a walk. Along the way, Kazuki repeatedly kissed Koyuki’s cheek each time they walked a few steps forward. Of course if Koyuki showed any sign of hating it then Kazuki too wouldn’t do anything like that, but

“Ka, Kazuki… please properly walk normally…”

Because Koyuki was making a face that seemed to say ‘I want you to do more’ while fidgeting around, it couldn’t be helped.

“I said don’t…♡”

A heart mark came flying at him while Koyuki was saying no.

{Kazuki-oniisan, there is this thing called <Sasoi’uke> among many attributes desu…}

Kazuki recalled when Lotte was giving him a lecture while watching anime. So this was what it meant.

Koyuki was waiting in expectation for an attack from Kazuki. Her posture was a posture of a receiver(uke), she was demanding a resolute attack from Kazuki. As a swordsman he couldn’t withdraw back from this.

Although today was a weekday but they were in front of a station, this was why the pedestrian traffic was quite busy. The people who walked down the road were directing gazes that seemed to say “There is an outrageous bakaple here…” at them. But Kazuki was an able man that would do something thoroughly when he was doing something.

Over and over he tasted the white and smooth cheek of Koyuki with his lips.

“Don’t kiss me here…” While saying that Koyuki was directing her lips at him full of desire.

Considering Koyuki’s wordless will, Kazuki stopped his walk, then he kissed her lips to lips.

After sucking at each other’s lips for a while, they began their walk again.

However immediately “…more” Koyuki leaked out a small voice.

“Wasn’t it no good here?” Kazuki immediately returned a bullying reply. Koyuki looked down with a bright red face and fidgeted around, but she wordlessly turned her desiring lips at Kazuki.

Kazuki stopped his walk again and kissed her.

While sucking at each others’ lips, Koyuki was fawning at him by rubbing her body to his body.

“Now you want your body to be touched?”

“Tha, that’s not what I mean… in this kind of public place…”

As expected doing such in a public place like this was bad. Kazuki worked out a plan and stroked Koyuki’s long ear with his right hand.

“Hyann-“ A sweet voice escaped Koyuki’s mouth. “Haven’t I said before that the ear makes me feel lewd feelings… please don’t do this kind of thing in front of this many people…”

He was told that the ears of an elf are more sensitive than the average person and so it gave off a lewd sensation.

But that was something that was unknown for normal people.

“If Koyuki doesn’t make an expression that seems to feel good like that, then no one will know we are doing anything perverted here.”

“I’m, not making such an expression at all.”

“You are doing it so obviously. Your face is bright red, and your breathing is rough.”

“Li, lies…”

Fingering his partner’s ears while walking around this much was surely still barely in the category of something they could do in the public’s presence. However a sensuality that couldn’t be hidden was oozing out onto the young beautiful face of Koyuki, forcefully attracting the eyes of the males that were walking down the road. The attention from those people made Koyuki become even more thrilled.

The distance that usually only took five minutes to arrive now took more than ten minutes.

Perhaps they were now mostly just like a pervert that exposed themselves on a road.

“…Perhaps it’s just as I thought that I am a pervert… I’m sorry…”

In translation it became an expectation that said [You will accept a pervert like me right?].

“Perverted Koyuki is also cute, I like it.”

Koyuki that he first met was cool and reliable, a girl that took a brusque attitude at Kazuki saying things like [I don’t care at all]. Yet now

“Then please kiss me more…” Right now she had completely melted like this at him.

Kazuki kissed her for who knows how many times already.

“Everyone is looking at Koyuki.”

“…It doesn’t matter because I’m Kazuki’s possession.”

Hiakari Koyuki―144

Suddenly, a worry about what became of yesterday battle’s later-processing flashed through Kazuki’s head.

What happened to the Einherjar and the Ryouzanpaku fellows that fell into magic intoxication?

But for now he was going to concentrate on Koyuki―his work for today was to flirt.

Both of them finally arrived at the combined movie theater near the station with an already abnormal mental state since the start of the date.

There was more than ten screens in this building, there was even screens that was installed with Projection ProjectorPsycho Projection that was a state of the art alchemy technology.

The Phantasmagoria that had spread even into the ordinary household was an alchemy technology that made use of thoughtography magic that transmitted three dimensional image information to the mind of people watching it. But Psycho Projector had advanced a step further than that, it was using [Shared Reflection MagicSympathy Graphic] that could even transmit the emotion information of the film maker’s intention to the people watching it.

When an excellent movie director that had grounding in magic power possessed a strong emotion like [I want to convey this image] and filmed a movie, the alchemic flim would also sympathize as far as that image too and it could preserve it.

Psycho Projection could project out the light that contained that image to the screen.

The light that was projected to the screen contained even the emotion information, and when that light entered the retina of the audience, the emotion image would be recollected at the same time when the brain read the electric signal and shook the audience’s heart.

But it was not so strong that it could take over a human’s heart. Until the end it was only something just to the degree that strengthened the emotions and the feeling of immersion towards the movie.

Kazuki and Koyuki bought the ticket for a romantic movie. To watch a romance movie, for these two who was still beginners about dating was something that was really date-like that exhilarated their heart.

Furthermore there was a ticket for a couple seat.

Kazuki and Koyuki entered the designated screen room and took a seat in a couple seat.

The seat was wide and looked more like a sofa, the shape made it possible for the two of them to take any kind of sitting posture they liked. The intervals between seat and seat were also pointlessly wide, making an atmosphere that seemed like they were in a personal room.

Even further there was also the fact that currently it was an afternoon of a weekday, not to mention the couple seat, even the general seats were vacant from visitors. When the lighting turned off, it became a space exactly just for the two of them.

On the screen the romantic movie that had its immersion feeling strengthened with the Psycho Projector was projected.

It made him and Koyuki feel like they were the main character and the heroine. It made him feel like he was meeting Koyuki back once again inside a completely different storylife and fell in love with her.

When it reached the scene where the main character held hands with the heroine for the first time, Kazuki and Koyuki naturally connected their hand with each other.

Even in the scene where the main character and the heroine did their first kiss, Kazuki and Koyuki kissed sweetly just like in the movie. That kiss became the second first kiss for Kazuki and Koyuki.

It was fine if that was the farthest it went, but the content of the movie was quite extreme.

Barely staying inside the age limit by avoiding a blunt depiction using a clever camera work, the main character and the heroine completely accomplished a wonderful bed scene with each other.

The scene where both characters were loving each other mutually was projected without any omission.

Inside the screen, the heroine bared open her own clothes and became naked.

Kazuki and Koyuki were watching that with their mental state still being abnormal somewhere.

{Kazuki…} Koyuki called him with a small voice of Telepathy. Koyuki too put her hand on her blouse with an intoxicated expression and unfastened the buttons one by one just like the heroine on the screen.

When Koyuki’s front was opened and the appearance of her light blue bra appeared, she didn’t even hesitate and lifted it up completely.

It was a good thing that there was no other audience at all around them―just like the scene in the movie―the white small mounds and its peach colored buds on the center were exposed.

The main character on the screen, Kazuki who was inside the darkness, had their breath taken from the beauty of that bare skin.

The main character of the movie, massaged the breast of the heroine.

{Me too… please touch me just like that…}

Koyuki shook her small chest in temptation. The last bit of Kazuki’s remaining reasoning made his reached out hand hesitate. But his gaze was completely nailed on that sight. Just from Kazuki’s gaze, Koyuki’s breathing turned rough, and the peach colored buds on the center swelled and sharpened aloofly.

{Qu, quick…} He had no intention to keep Koyuki in suspense, but her face looked like it was going to cry.

Kazuki turned his back to the movie while covering the small mound with his palm. Then he massaged just like that as if enveloping the mound. He pinched the buds on the center with the tips of his fingers. Poking. Koyuki’s body was trembling in small shivers.

{Fe, feels good! More…!} Koyuki’s reaction was honestly sensitive.

There was also the passion that reached them from the movie, but perhaps from the start of this date his desire of [I want to touch] towards these breasts have been piling up all along.

{Koyuki, it’s no good to let out your voice, okay}

While looking around their surrounding, Kazuki pushed his thought to Koyuki with Telepathic communication. They were completely alone just the two of them, but this spot was by no means a closed environment. But it seemed that fact only made Koyuki even more aroused instead.

{…As I thought, perhaps I’m a pervert…}

She murmured in self-torturing way with a rough breath. But her eyes that was staring at Kazuki in tears was colored with expectation that she wanted to be accepted even while debasing herself as a pervert.

In exchange of a reply, Kazuki raised the right leg of Koyuki who was sitting at his left and put that leg on top of his knee. Koyuki’s waist was jutting out forward with a slide.

Her posture became like a baby that was made to pee with both her thigh widely opened, exposing her crotch.

{N, no… this kind of posture…!}

Even while Koyuki became full with shame, yet she shook her hot pants contrary with what her mouth was saying.

{If I, am touched in this kind of posture…}

She was saying that she wanted to be touched.

Kazuki smoothly caressed Koyuki’s largely opened thighs.

Even inside the movie, the main character and the heroine was getting along well with each other.

Both of them were being aware of two realities without any contradiction and it heated the passion in their heart doubly.

{…Kazuki, this place too…} Toward Kazuki who was continuing to caress her thighs, Koyuki shook the nether region of her hot pants and urged Kazuki. There’s a thin cloth that was biting into between her legs, clinging snugly there, its center spot looked wetly moist. Kazuki pressed his finger on top of the hot pant’s center line and rubbed up and down.

{…!♡}The tips of Koyuki’s toes spasmed tensely.

He wanted to make her feel even better. He wanted to see Koyuki that was feeling good. Such feeling spurred on Kazuki. Where did he need to touch to make her feel good, with trial and error he moved his hand and began to search around the hot pants.

He sharpened his mind as if he was in a place of a serious match.

At that time from Koyuki’s chest, a swarm of small heart marks that normally was not visible was flying to him. That was the micro change of positivity level that he had never perceived until now.

When Kazuki changed the way he touched, the size and amount of the small heart marks also changed.

The places where she had good and not good reaction were visible to his eyes.

Kazuki opened the front button of Koyuki’s hot pants and slipped inside his finger smoothly into that opening.

Koyuki’s underwear was perfectly wet and sticking to her skin.

He slipped into there too―and directly, he searched for Koyuki’s most sensitive spot.

{Kazuki… directly-!♡ My important place…!♡}

Inside there was a vertically long slit that was softly stirring up, the entrance was splitting open with how her legs were opened out. When he pressed his finger, it was as if his finger was absorbed and it got buried there.

From Koyuki’s important entrance, into the inside of Koyuki’s body. Inside it was wet with liquid, a watery sound *kuchu kuchu* was leaking out. Koyuki’s face was dyed crimson and rough breathing of arousal escaped her mouth.

His fingertips gently stimulated the places it could reach at the inside and the outside both simultaneously. On the upper part of the outside, there was something small and sensitive that stood out. When he pressured that with the ball of his finger, a scream with her breath caught escaped Koyuki.

“Nnn―!!♡”

{You shouldn’t leak out your voice Koyuki.} Kazuki kissed her while talking telepathically. He sucked her lips and blocked off her voice.

This place felt good for her. Kazuki toyed around with that protrusion he found while a different finger played with Koyuki’s dripping wet inside. A large amount of heart marks flew at him.

His powers of observation that was forged by the Hayashizaki-style perfectly saw all of Koyuki’s weak points. Kazuki moved his fingertips trying to bring about the maximum stimulation for Koyuki. The heart marks’ amount decreased when he did it strongly instead. Till the end he would gently―

Koyuki opened out both her legs immodestly even further in order to coax Kazuki more and more.

{Ka, Kazuki-! How do you know the places which feels that good!? It, it feels far better compared to when I did it myself…! ♡}

{Doing it yourself? Like how?}

{…!}

Koyuki self-exploded and wasting no time at all Kazuki attacked. He attacked and bullied Koyuki with both his words and hand.

Koyuki’s spasms became even fiercer and her white navel was rippling. Feeling the sign that Koyuki was going to scream, Kazuki beat her to the punch and he sucked her lips as much as he could.

“…Nn―n! Nn―n!!”

Her scream was blocked in the exit due to the kiss, the intense thing inside Koyuki ran in counter-current and that small body of hers was trembling *gaku gaku* like a broken toy.

“……! ……!” Something hot gushed out from Koyuki’s important place.

With that as the last, strength left Koyuki’s body and she turned limp.

Kazuki stroked her head gently for a while and waited until her breathing turned calm. But when her breathing calmed down, Kazuki stimulated her breast and important place again.

Immediately Koyuki reacted intensely once more, she trembled. Time and time again Koyuki was carried to an extreme high. So that she wouldn’t scream out, all that happened while she desperately sucked onto Kazuki’s lips like a baby.

―When the movie was over, Koyuki had completely become messed up sloppily.

Her limbs stretched out like a puppet whose string was cut, her thighs were sopping wet as if she had just peed, her expression loosened from being short of breath and absentmindedness, the saliva that spilled out from her mouth drew a line to her chin.

Koyuki was completely messed up similar to when Kaguya-senpai became sensitive from Asmodeus’ influence.

A staff name roll streamed down together with a splendid music. Getting ready for when the room would be turned bright, Kazuki put Koyuki’s clothes in order quickly. He then wiped away the traces of their act just now with Pyrokinesis and Psychokinesis.

The light turned on.

“…No, now that I have calmed down, I feel like I have exposed out an unsightly appearance…”

“Koyuki was really cute.” Kazuki kissed her from the side.

“…To accept a perverted elf like me, Kazuki is also an unthinkable pervert…”

Koyuki kept clinging at Kazuki and for a while she kept lying on the couple seat with him without any sign of standing up.

Hiakari Koyuki―148

When Koyuki finally arrived in front of the ramen restaurant, her expression turned tense.

Various things had been vented out in the movie theater and it seemed the wicked thing inside the two of them had fell behind.

This place was the famous ramen restaurant in the city that Koyuki had wanted to try out for a long time. Because today was a weekday, there was almost no line and they didn’t have to queue in.

Koyuki was hiding an unexpected aspect of her as a ramen freak, but it seemed that she had never come to this restaurant. When he asked why was that, she said it was because this restaurant was famous for its [couple ramen].

“Isn’t it a heresy to compete with such made-up thing like that?”

“Ramen is freedom, you cannot judge without eating it.”

The tensed Koyuki pulled Kazuki’s arm and went through under the restaurant’s banner.

The interior design inside was not like a ramen restaurant but like a stylish modern restaurant. There was not a single drop of oil stain on the tables or the floor, in place of things like ticket machine, decorative plants and artistic pictures decorated the place, the atmosphere of the place was completely like a café. A young waitress in apron appearance lavished a refreshing smile at them.

After they were guided to a table, Kazuki and Koyuki were told to not sit facing each other but sitting side by side horizontally. This is a characteristic of this ramen restaurant. Both of them then ordered the couple ramen without any hesitation.

After a while, a jumbo ramen was put in the space between the two who were sitting side by side.

This single ramen had to be eaten together by the both of them.

The soup was a vibrant red with tomato as the base. A fragrant shrimp aroma was tickling their appetite.

A ramen with tomato base… it looked curious with a single glance, but tomato contained umami component that was not inferior even against a soup stock made from konbu, it also went well with the seafood flavor of katsuobushi .

Pink colored naruto in heart shape were floating on the soup, pastrami beef in replacement of roasted pork fillet, and then lustrous green herbs were coloring the bowl.

The noodles were thick. Kazuki promptly paid attention meticulously so that the soup wouldn’t fly everywhere and offered it to Koyuki with “Aa―n”. Koyuki ate a mouthful―and her expression changed.

Koyuki too fed Kazuki with an “Aa―n”. Kazuki also slurped the noodle carefully.

“The noodle’s texture is really tender to chew despite how thick it is.”

“Most likely this is…so that the noodle won’t grow stale even if a couple is eating this while taking their time, the cook heightened the water dilution ratio.” Koyuki answered with a serious tone as if she was on the middle of a battlefield.

“I see…!” Kazuki shouted a little. When people were eating their ramen slowly, the noodle would grow stale no matter what. The noodle would be soaked by the soup and its texture would get degraded completely.

But if the noodle’s water dilution ration―namely its water amount was already a lot beforehand and then it was boiled up, because since the beginning the noodle had contained a lot of water, it would be hard for the soup to soak the noodle and so the noodle would stay tender.

But a noodle with high water dilution ratio was easy to get sticky when it was processed by a roller machine, a lot of time would also be necessary for its fermentation time, it would take a lot of effort for this. There was no doubt that this noodle was a homemade noodle original of this restaurant.

“The noodle is a little short isn’t it…”

Koyuki said with a sharp glint in her eyes. This time it was Kazuki that first noticed the meaning of such size.

“If the noodle is made short then there is little need to slurp the noodle. Even if a couple fed each other this noodle then it will be hard for the soup to fly at their clothes, don’t you think so.”

Koyuki noticed with a ‘hah’ and her countenance hardened.

“For me to come to a ramen restaurant with this kind of clothes, what a blunder…!”

It was as if she noticed that she had made an unforgivable mistake on a battlefield, an expression that was filled with terror. Koyuki today was wearing a white blouse. “I got too elated by the date and got careless…”

“No, I think you can just float the stain and drop it off with magic even if your clothes get dirty though.”

“That’s no excuse, to get your clothes dirtied in the middle of a date, everything will go to ruin just from that clumsiness…”

Kazuki tilted his head saying “I wonder if that’s so” looking at Koyuki who was trembling in shivers. Anyways, back to the ramen.

“Even though the noodle is short but there is no unsatisfied feeling after a mouthful of it, that must be because of this thick noodle with high water dilution rate that has really firm texture and gives off the feeling of substantiality when eaten.”

“This soup is delicious but, I feel something a little different from a normal ramen here.”

“The combination of tomato and shrimp… This is the technique of [American sauce] that is used well in cooking pasta. There is also the umami that is extracted out from the shrimp’s head and shell.”

“I see, while being a ramen it also incorporated the stylishness of pasta into it…”

“Furthermore with the refreshing aroma of the herb, it relieves you from bad aroma that gives you a peace of mind even if you continue the date…”

Several meaningful things were hidden in each single one of this ramen’s schemes. While the ramen connoisseur and the maid youth were seriously investigating the ramen a lot, suddenly, a sharp glint of eyes flashed from the inside of the kitchen.

“That young couple… they really get it don’t they…”

Kazuki suddenly realized and raised his face from the ramen bowl. There was the presence of a craftsman that was glaring at them like a beast.

Inside the restaurant refreshingly young employees were rushing about busily, but there was a single employee in the depth of the kitchen whose disposition was obviously different, lurking inside. Standing stock still in front of a container that was seething with boiled noodle with high temperature vapor rising up without even blinking his eyes, a towel that was wrapped around his head, and burly arms that peeked out from the black T-shirt he wore.

It was a traditional ramen artisan from the old times. (AN: What he means is that the appearance of the cook here is really similar with the normal ramen store). He had heard the conversation between Kazuki and Koyuki. That man was completely like a bear that had woken up from its winter hibernation. He was sluggishly peeking out his face from the kitchen into the restaurant.

“Wait a second Oyaji-san, please don’t show out your face here! The atmosphere of the restaurant will get destroyed if you do that!”

…He was scolded swiftly by another waitress.

The big man that was like a bear trembled with a twitch saying “So, sorry” and withdrew back to the kitchen. However before the oyaji left into the kitchen, he sent a last gaze filled with affection to all the couples inside the restaurant saying “Become happy for sure…”

Kazuki and Koyuki once again clearly comprehended that this ramen restaurant was the real thing.

“For a long time I had wanted to talk about this with someone while eating ramen together.”

Koyuki slurped the ramen with a smiling face, happy from how her maniac preferences were being accepted.

Hiakari Koyuki―149

The aquarium was filled with light and shadow.

The site area of the urban-type aquarium inside the city was cramped, the variety of the animals that were exhibited was also few.

But in its place it possessed a water tank that was provided with gimmicks to the fullest, and the aquarium became a famous date spot to [look and enjoy]. Kazuki and Koyuki came here next.

Inside the building was dim. But there was a sensor that functioned to match Kazuki and Koyuki with the fishes’ movement, brightly colored light ran after them, and images were projected with the fish tanks as the screen.

It was a technology that was called as 3D Projection Mapping. Lights and images were illuminated at the landscape in reality, combining them together, and created a completely new magical world from them.

Moreover the floor, the wall, and also the ceiling, 360° around them were all turned into a fish tank. With acrylic panel that had its transparency and hardness improved due to alchemy engineering, it was possible to construct a space the fish tank itself without even needing any joint to connect them. It gave off the sensation as if they were walking inside the sea.

The shower of artificial light made the unpredictable fishes’ movements sparkle in irregular reflections.

Large shark, large jellyfish, they all passed through while sparkling inside the light.

Inside the romantic atmosphere, both of them lost their words and were watching in fascination for a while.

“Won’t we be unable to see the essential fish with all of these excessive shows… that was what I thought, but this is more beautiful than I thought and I got overwhelmed. But…”

“The water tank had been turned into a magic mirror and it seem that the light is not visible from inside the fish tank. It’s written here that the fish won’t be stressed from the illumination of the strong lights.”

Koyuki made a face that was a little relieved. It seemed that it was bothering her.

“What a lovely room of art isn’t it?”

At the end of the route, a normal tank that was completely different from all the shows until now was waiting for them.

When they stood in front of that fish tank, the light shower that kept following them all this time was also cut off.

What was entered into the last fish tank was various kinds of goldfish. It was as if it was saying that excessive show was unnecessary for such beautiful fishes. It was a fantastic show for a normal fish tank to make its entrance at the very end.

A goldfish that elegantly swam while swaying its tail fin to turn backwards, a goldfish which had a pattern like a picture on its back, a goldfish with a protuberance on its head that looked like a flower bud, there were various goldfish.

“…Perhaps these goldfish are similar with the elves.” Koyuki said to herself.

“Goldfish are loved by influential people since the ancient times, outrageous selective breeding that [culled] all the goldfish except for those that possessed unexpected variations was performed, piling up competition for its beauty and rareness for generations, and finally the shape of goldfish became what they are now.”

Koyuki was reading up the explanatory note that was written near the fish tank.

For the sake of beautiful goldfish, a large numbers of goldfish became sacrifices in the [selection].

He had heard before that goldfish had once became a problem from the point of view of animal protection. However goldfish had become weak against sickness and stress from the repeated abrupt variation it had undergone, they were already unable to return back to nature.

“When we sympathize and think of the goldfish as pitiful, the species called goldfish will vanish won’t it?”

Certainly elves are too similar to goldfish. In trying to invent humans with strong magic power artificially, many sacrifices were paid and the elves were born.

Now that Nyarlathotep had been banished, the number of elves wouldn’t increase anymore. However there was no going back anymore for the people that had been turned into an elf.

“Even if you curse your origins after all this time, the past won’t disappear and become nothing. That’s why at the very least… the beauty of goldfish, the magic power of an elf, each of them have to demonstrate the significance of their existences…”

Kazuki embraced Koyuki, who was facing the fish tank, from behind.

“But by no means is Koyuki’s worth just your magic power.”

The previous Koyuki frequently said that [my only worth is just my magic power] in self-abasement. But there was a lot more human appeal inside her. Things like her sad past, or the magic power that she obtained in exchange of that, he didn’t want Koyuki’s heart to only get caught up with such heavy facts.

If Koyuki still felt that what she had now was insufficient, then he would more and more―.

“If Kazuki doesn’t get affectionate with me, I won’t be able to keep on living, that’s why…”

Koyuki put her body weight on Kazuki who was hugging her from behind and leaned her body against him.

“…Though I am a masochist, and a pervert, and a ramen maniac, and a really hopeless elf.”

A large heart mark flew from Koyuki’s chest and it was absorbed into Solomon’s ring.

Hiakari Koyuki―150

Part 3

The night of that day―a forest was burning.

It was inside the forest that surrounded the Grand Haunted Ground <Fuji’s sea of trees>.

The King of Russia who pillaged one of the Three Sacred Treasures <Yasakani no Magatama> from Fuji’s sea of trees and then tried to escape by turning into lightning and soared to the sky, Ilyailiya, was shot down by the <Ptéra Lonkhé> that was thrown by Regina Olympia Folnar who was laying in ambush.

In order to give the finishing blow to Ilyailiya who crashed in the forest―Regina pursued her into the forest.

Although the opponent was also a <BasilleusKing>, she had been wounded already.

She would easily finish her off. That was her intention at first.

The battle began―a fierce hell fire betrayed Regina’s expectations.

“…You bastard, what is the meaning of this?”

Regina asked while being surrounded by burning trees that split open with popping sounds.

To [ask the answer] from the opponent was a humiliating behavior, but this was a question that had to be asked.

The woman who stood in front of her separated by a few meters distance was―black. Her appearance was like a jet black god of death. The woman’s surroundings was gouged and sinking forming craters.

Ilyailiya Muromets. Right now she was in a completely different appearance compared to the time when she was fighting Hayashizaki Kazuki. The Magic Dress of the god of sky <Svarog> that shone silver was―changed completely into an ominous jet black Magic Dress. It was a puzzle that couldn’t be let go unanswered.

In principle, one person was attached with one contracted Diva. For Magic Dress too, there should be only one type per person.

“What is the meaning of that appearance!?”

In place of a reply, the black clothed King resounded her spell chanting to the Astrum.

“O tremor of Prima Materia, derive the end of all thing from the beginning of all thing right here…”

…That magic would come again!! The magic that burned the surrounding forest and gouged the earth deeply!

Prima Materia particles were glittering brightly in the surrounding of the jet black Ilyailiya while starting random movements.

“The chain of world creation reside in my body, become the white flame that tear the world…”

Every single one of the particles became a ball of fire and swelled up. The fire balls overlapped with each other one after another, turning gigantic like a sun. Ilyailiya’s figure was buried inside that brightness.

‘She can cause this kind of phenomenon?’, Regina felt dread. ‘Just spare me this joke…!’

“―Demise of OriginEl De・Es Nui.”

A one of a hundredth second later, the fire ball exploded.

With Ilyailiya as the center, shockwaves of destruction radiated out with an intense heat.

“…What an idiotic act! Suppress, Ptéra Lonkhé!!”

With <Spear that Grows Wing> in hand, Regina faced the shockwave and brandished it.

From the tip of the spear, Zeus’s great storm arose.

Its objective was not to protect Regina’s own body. The great storm whirled and rotated, then it concentrated into a single direction the shockwave that radiated outward with Ilyailiya as the explosion center.

It was an act with the purpose of limiting the damage to the land of this Japan to the minimum.

And then the shockwave that had its intensity magnified instead from being concentrated assaulted Regina.

Regina too didn’t just stay quiet doing nothing while waiting for Ilyailiya’s chanting.

“Show the majesty of Zeus right here! Repulsing every disaster, the great protection that promised victory right here! The Radiant Olympia’s ProtectionKyzemonikos Aigis!”

A brilliant wall of light appeared and stood in front of Regina.

It was Zeus’s protective wall that was also called as [Zeus’s shield] in legend. It was Regina’s trump card of protection which she had the self-confidence as the hardest defensive magic without compare in all kinds of Mythology.

But her prided wall of light was rattling due to the shockwave. Regina had to concentrate all of her concentration power to maintain the wall. Regina had concentrated the shockwave in order to suppress the damage to a small area but the trees at her surrounding all snapped and got burned severely.

The fire ball finally used up all of its energy, blowing upward a cumulonimbus cloud that looked like a mushroom to the sky. Like that the magic phenomenon ceased from being.

“Flare up, arrive―Agouni Koparyof.”

At the other side of the light and smoke, Ilyailiya’s Magic Dress transformed from pure black into silver.

“Mec.”

Ilyailiya’s right arm was enveloped with silver flame―the flame elongated from the tip of the elbow slimily and turned into a large blade that emitted metallic luster.

In contrast with the grand magic just before, this time her chanting almost took no time at all.

Ilyailiya’s appearance shone like a lightning―and appeared in an instant in front of Regina’s eyes with a flash.

“An attack power just to that degree is pointless!”

Regina easily repelled the slash with her Aigis that was still in a sound condition.

And then she thrust back at Ilyailiya with the [Ptéra Lonkhé] in her right hand.

The spear stabbed empty air―Ilyailiya’s figure had already vanished from her sight.

She was fast when she was in her silver appearance.

Regina magnified her Extra Sense and searched the surroundings.

A few dozens of meter behind. Regina found Ilyailiya right away and turned back.

―At that moment Ilyailiya had already changed into her jet black appearance.

The swift attack and the instantaneous mode change. What in the world is going on here.

Ilyailiya, when she was in her jet black appearance, was slow.

But she exhibited a truly tremendous power like that. Now she had already began chanting the spell that should be rightly feared.

“O tremor of Prima Materia, derive the end from every beginning…”

…That attack magic would come again! Regina had to focus herself on defence.

“The chain of world creation reside in my body, become the white flame that tear the world…”

Regina had to chant back her defensive magic once again. Even Aigis wouldn’t hold getting hit with that twice consecutively. Although it was Regina, but if she was hit with that attack magic while defenseless then she would surely explode and scatter into the four directions ignoring her Resist. It was that much of a magic―now it was going to be cast again solemnly.

“El De・Es Nui.”

Prima Materia shone at Ilyailiya’s surroundings, overlapping with each other, and became a giant fire ball.

Against the radiating flash and shockwave, Regina once again concentrated all of that towards herself with [Ptéra Lonkhé].

“Kyzemonikos Aigis!”

And then she was protected by the Aigis that she cast again.

While protecting her body, Regina reinforced her perception and observed the phenomenon that was currently happening.

“This is… Prima Materia are decomposed and produces energy, the so called [nuclear fission] phenomenon! Contaminating the land like this, isn’t this a cursed power!?”

The fire ball used up its energy and a repulsive mushroom cloud once again blew upward.

Regina looked around at her surroundings. She had suppressed the explosion into a really confined area, however there was still a radioactive reaction all around her. A magician was able to repel even the negative influence of radioactive contamination with their defensive magic power, but surely it would take time and labor to decontaminate this area using alchemy. During that time, this forest would become a land that humans couldn’t live in.

Although this was the land of another country, Regina who loved nature felt fury towards this indiscriminate power.

But rather than this fury, what she should be even more surprised with was how she could almost feel none of the fatigue that Ilyailiya should be having. Her damage should be extreme from her continuous battle against Hayashizaki Kazuki, and then against this Regina.

Regardless of that, Ilyailiya was still coming at her with a large scale magic to this degree.

This attack magic―possessed a terrifying efficiency in its magic power usage.

As for her own Aigisdefensive magic, the waste might be more fierce for her.

The trees at Regina’s surrounding were bursting into flames and the damage was still spreading.

The radioactive pollution was also a problem, but if it kept like this a forest fire on this mountain would happen.

“Damn! It’s trivial whatever happened to this kind of country, but there is a thing called a position! Someone who has no righteousness won’t have any right of judgment!”

Regina spread out the wings of a swan from her back and flew to the sky.

She confirmed the damage situation of the conflagration from the air and chanted a magic anew.

“The radiance of my hand become the Callis that loves the earth. Fill this sky, please moisten the blazing field and grant it the rain of blessing! Thunder of GraceKraunos!!”

A strong radiance was created in Regina’s right hand and she launched it to the sky.

This light transformed into the thunder of destruction when it was thrown at Hayashizaki Kazuki before.

But this thunder could also be transformed into a power of blessing.

[Kraunos]―it was the symbol of the god of sky, Zeus’s great power.

The light spread on one surface of the sky and turned into a rain cloud in a blink of an eye. Everywhere rain was pouring down as if a bucket full of water was overturned. Regina twirled the Ptéra Lonkhé in her hand in circles and scattered the heat with wind, advancing the fire fighting work effectively.

But while her attention was taken by that―a silver light flashed inside the smoke.

“Mec.” Ilyailiya turned into a silver lightning and assaulted Regina who was in the sky without expanding any defensive wall. Regina poured her concentration in her Resist in panic.

A backlash of smashed magic power. “…It’s hard as expected.” Ilyailiya murmured.

Regina was beaten down to the ground.

“…Kuh, the damage is not a big deal but to dare to fall this me down onto the earth!!”

Regina was in indignation while standing up. But even while in rage, she was still calmly observing.

Ilyailiya was hovering in the sky. While floating in the air, she transformed her silver Magic Dress into the jet black Magic Dress. For the sake of chanting that attack magic again.

―’Right this instant, that woman isn’t able to do anything, whether to evade with high speed movement or chanting defensive magic.’

“Drill, Ptéra Lonkhé!!”

Her judgment was instantaneous. Regina threw < Ptéra Lonkhé>. It pierced Ilyailiya with the speed like an arrow of light, shooting her down onto the ground helplessly.

“Hmph, this is the second time I shoot you down today, Queen of Russia!”

Regina scorned while treating her fall onto the ground just now as nonexistant.

“A variegated abilities on top of firm defense… I acknowledge your balanced fighting strength. Queen Regina.”

Ilyailiya immediately raised her body slowly.

Suddenly an alarm rang piercingly in her ear. The bracelet that was fixed on Ilyailiya’s wrist was resounding a clamorous sound of *PI―! PI―!*

That was the adamantite bracelet that Japan's government forced them to equip. Inside it was installed with GPS transmitter device.

“Why is that device transmitting only now?” Regina was suspicious.

“In the first place how did you render that device invalid until now? …You have some kind of machine that emitted something like jamming electromagnetic waves… no, are you embedding it inside your own body?”

It was something that couldn’t be hidden. After all there was a body check when they first arrived in Japan.

For Regina who had a creed that rejected machine civilization, it was something repulsive to even imagine but… she couldn’t think of any other method to prevent the GPS from capturing Ilyailiya’s location except for her to embed a jamming device inside herself.

“You are not only strong but also wiser than I thought, Queen Regina. The [Deception Repeater Device] embedded below my skin had a breakdown. After all defensive magic power doesn’t extend to machines.”

Ilayiliya looked up to the sky as if seeing off the electromagnetic wave’s departure.

“So the true present location of mine has been transmitted…”

“Hmph, whichever it is, it’s just a problem of time with a flashy battle like this. Before long Arthur and the Knight Order of this country will arrive here.”

If there is something strange happening then they will scramble immediately and rush there―that fellow of Japan’s Knight Order said so. That vigilance of them was not just putting on air.

“It’s over for you already, Ilyailiya.”

“Over?” Ilyailiya tilted her head particularly.

“I am waiting for the moment when you throw that spear once more. Because while that spear is inside your hand, I have no hope to withdraw. …This time, I have caught it firmly see.”

Ilyailiya raised the spear that was thrown at her and shown it to Regina with triumph.

Regina made a ‘hah’ face and commanded “Return, Ptéra Lonkhé!!”

But the spear was gripped by Ilyailya and didn’t even twitch. Only the wings that decorated the spearhead were flapping frantically in vain. “What a cute spear.” Ilyailiya sarcastically spoke. Regina’s whole face was dyed with rage with how she humiliated herself.

[Ptéra Lonkhé] would pursue its prey until it hit the target once. Furthermore its speed rivaled the movement speed of Ilyailiya that was like lightning.

It was Regina’s only method that could obstruct Ilyailiya when she was trying to escape.

Ilyailiya raised her left hand and showed in display the thing that was coiled around her wrist.

“I’ll draw back here. The reason is that I have to bring this Sacred Treasure back with certainty.”

What was coiled around her wrist was a line of magatama connected with a string―one of the Three Sacred Treasures that Japan and Yamato were struggling for, <Yasakani no Magatama>.

“You intend to run from a battle between Kings!!”

“It’s decided that someone who doesn’t retreat from this situation is a fool.”

“That’s so but, you bastard!!”

Ilyailiya’s Magic Dress changed from jet black into silver. It was a baffling transformation no matter how many times she saw it. Regina made a huff from her nose and recovered her composure.

“…Just run away as you like. But, you have revealed an outrageous true character huh, Ilyailiya. Your two types Magic Dress… if that’s not a double contract with two Diva then, that means your contracted Diva is a Diva that possesses two faces! That appearance! That ominous power! That’s not a Diva of Cosmos Side(Order Side) but a Diva that belongs under Chaos Side!!”

Regina pointed out in condemnation. Divas from different Mythologies were still enemies even if both belonged to Cosmos Side, but― those that belonged under Chaos Side were enemies that didn’t deserve any respect.

Chaos had to be exterminated, that was Order(Cosmos)’s absolute premise.

“…That is not an important secret. We in Slavic Mythology don’t have the concept of [good and evil] in the first place. The reason is that before such doctrine could be ripened, we were a Mythology that was eliminated by Christianity once.”

Ilyailiya turned her back in a twirl.

“…Therefore, we are doing revenge. We are not Order nor Chaos. Therefore, our chief god [Svarog] possesses one more face―the face of [Chernobog].”

[Efficient destruction Chernobog] in [lightning speed Svarog].

“Revenge you say?” Regina knitted her eyebrows.

“What a foolish objective. That’s a pathetic reason! Even though we as Kings are fighting for the sake to repaint the World SoulAstrum… the world order! You primitive Mythology that doesn’t even hold any ideal or creed! Know some shame!!”

“Shame? That’s an unknown concept for us. What’s important is efficiency. If it’s for the sake of becoming the last one standing, whether it’s Order or Chaos, we don’t mind whichever side we are in. …You, it’s fine for you to know the shame of failing to catch me.”

Regina’s face convulsed from overwhelming rage. Her forte was defensive magic but, she was weak against provocation.

“Queen Regina!” A husky voice cut in between the two.

From the other side of the burned forest, a gentleman wearing a glen check suits―Arthur Basileus was rushing at their direction. He had finally caught wind of the situation.

“You are slow Arthur!” Regina yelled.

“You too, why are you not contacting me or doing battle without the Japanese government’s permission!?”

“Just what I thought. Why did you not come immediately, you were asking something like a permission from Japan’s government weren’t you!? You’re late because you did such a thing so honestly, you idiot!”

“Even if I’m called as an idiot, even if it’s irrational, I won’t do anything that goes against my chivalry!”

“…Farewell, o Kings of the Order.”

Neglecting the two’s quarrel―Ilyailiya’s back turned into lightning and she vanished.

It was impossible to pursue her or anything like that. …Regina didn’t know whether Arthur too had any method to pursue or not. At the very least there was no chance for chanting spells.

Regina and Arthur glared at each other as if pushing the responsibility to the other party.

Slightly after that, a squad of Japan’s Knight Order was coming after Arthur.

“I’ll say this in advance, I didn’t do anything bad at this country. Damn, I should of just left things like mountain fire or the like alone.”

Regina kicked away the ashes that were scattered about below her feet.

“…We have to talk about this situation. Looks like there are many things that are extremely chaotic. It seems that the Einherjar and Ryouzanpaku were fighting each other at another spot.”

“What’s with that? Why are those guys fighting amongst themselves, how incomprehensible.”

Arthur shrugged his shoulder exaggeratedly.

“Really. How incomprehensible. Looks like the situation moved greatly with Japan’s King succession as the impetus. More than we even thought―this country might be the turning point of the world.”

While Loki was gulping whisky and relaxing inside his personal room in Oosaka’s government office building, the large window of the room where the night scenery could be viewed in one sweep of the eye was suddenly smashed apart without any advanced warning.

The one that came from the sky and leaped into the room was a light that looked like lightning―that light landed in front of Loki’s eyes.

It was Ilyailiya Muromets.

“Why the hell didn’t you enter from the front gate?”

Loki, who was a luxurious person yet was actually stingy in his roots, was frowning with thought like [how much do you think this stupidly large glass is worth for huh?] even though he was not the one that was actually going to pay for it.

The gods of Asgard didn’t have any techniques to produce tools. Formerly it was Loki who administered the role of procuring weapons and tools for Asgard from the dwarf artisans.

Consequently he hated pointless spending more than anything else.

“The reason is that it’s inefficient to purposefully climb up here from the front gate.”

Ilayiliya answered somewhat sullenly.

“…What? You look somewhat worked up?”

Loki’s sharp eyes noticed the strangeness of Ilyailiya’s condition.

Ilyailiya didn’t answer that and untied the string that was encircling her left hand. Several magatama that were stretching out by a long string―she faced Loki and threw it to him.

It was <Yasakani no Magatama> of the Three Sacred Treasures.

“Hmph, it’s the real thing. I have confidence in my eye for tool. You ain’t coming back for a while so I was doubting whether you were preparin’ a fake somewhere, or maybe you are gonna ask for something before giving this. Looks like you don’t have any intention like that eh.”

Loki released a sigh of relief after Ilyailiya handed the thing over to him sullenly.

“I fulfill my promise. The reason I’m late is because there was an accident.”

“Uncertain factor that can delay you…Arthur and Regina huh.”

“They recognize me as an enemy. …Similar with Hayashizaki Kazuki.”

Ilyailiya was expressionless, but without doubt there was a [worked up] atmosphere on her.

“So you decided already which side you are gonna stand with. Enemy of enemy is an ally yeah.”

Loki warped his mouth in a broad grin. Ilyailiya nodded.

“We are not Order or even Chaos. Therefore we can choose ourselves which side to stand in. First in order is to crush the other Cosmos Side, I’m going to join hand with you. That is for my proof.”

Ilyailiya said so while pointing at the Yasakani no Magatama that Loki held.

“Kukuku, honestly I didn’t really believe you until now but, I gotta trust you like this eh. This thing is the proof of faith, now we are comrades.”

‘…But then, this is only a matter of turn.’ Loki murmured inside his heart.

Ilyailiya first joined hands with Loki and China to destroy the weak Japan, next they were going to crush the troublesome Britain and Italia…for the last she had the ulterior motive to sweep off Loki and the rest.

Battle Royale. The one who could change the world in the end was only the last victor.

They had to use and outwit each other skillfully. Loki also thought like that―surely Ilyailiya also thought like that.

Arthur and Regina couldn’t think in this kind of way. After all they were too fastidious. That was why they were concerned with [The Magic Advanced Countries’ equilibrium], and only thinking was about standing on a stage where they would fight beautifully.

No, perhaps if it was Japan’s Solomon Mythology that didn’t have any creed―what if that King became the cornerstone?

Loki’s pondering was interrupted by a panicked *gon gon!* sound of knocked door. “Huuh?” When Loki answered so, a group of swordsmen were rushing into the room.

“The, there was a report that some kind of suspicious light was entering into Kaya-sama and Loki-sama’s room…”

“It was Ilyailiya, there ain’t any problem. Just take care of the window glass’s repairing.”

“Ha!? Yes! …Ha? Window glass? Why is the window glass?”

“Seems troublesome.”

“It’s not troublesome. It’s a problem of efficiency.” Ilyailiya amended expressionlessly.

“Forcing this Ilyailiya-sama to leisurely climb the building from the front gate is gonna take far more cost of expense than a mere window glass. Just resolve yourself from now on too.”

“…Sir, I will do as you said.”

Those swordsmen left behind that place while still in a state that couldn’t grasp what had happened.

Passing the leaving swordsmen, a woman in glamorous Japanese clothes was entering the room this time.

“…Looks like Ilyailiya has returned back.”

Aisu Ikousai―but her atmosphere was not like usual. Her breathing was rough like a beast and her eyes were bloodshot with a fierce glare.

Her right hand that opened the door was like an old man’s hand, no, the hand was trembling as if it was not her own. Her gait that was entering the room too was somewhat shaky. She couldn’t move her body just as she wanted.

There was a lack of harmony in her body and also her mind… Even so her back was straight and dignified, even her Japanese clothes that looked hard to move in didn’t have a single disorder in it from a single glance, surely that was the manifestation of her aesthetic.

“Here, the thing you’ve long awaited for.”

Loki handed over the Yasakani no Magatama to Ikousai by throwing it.

Ikousai embraced it with her both hands in order to catch the irreplaceable item.

“So you brought it back, you did well! Ilyailiya Muromets!!”

“Its impolite to call me without honorific. Why are you talking as if looking down on me?” Ilyailiya became testy.

“Fufufu… two of the Three Sacred Treasures! With this it’s not an exaggeration to even say that I have become two-thirds a king!” Ikousai laughed madly. Loki scowled and retorted.

“That’s exaggerating. Even if you have the Sacred Treasures of King, you ain’t equipped with the King’s Authority ain’t you?”

“But there is the power of Susanoo in me! If I can use these Sacred Treasures and Susanoo’s power skillfully then I can win against Hayashizaki Kazuki! This me will… guh!”

Suddenly Ikousai cramped in her right body half and she crouched down in that place.

It was completely like a different living thing was lurking right under the skin of her right body half.

“Looks like it’s still gonna be mostly a hard fight eh. Are you having special training until this late to suppress that guy?”

Looking down at Ikousai, the corner of Loki’s mouth twisted and a grin appeared.

“Fu, fufufu… it’s just this insignificant thing… Just something on this level is no big deal at all. I will use this power skillfully without fail…”

Ikousai didn’t let Loki’s amused gaze to bother her and stood up shakily, then she left behind the room with a ghost-like gait.

“I can’t feel any ambition or pride in her, her figure just looks like a wet stray dog. Can she challenge the decisive battle in that condition?” Ilyailiya murmured.

“Kukuku… don’t make light of that woman like that. She looks like trash that doesn’t stand a chance, but only the light of her eyes are flaming ablaze. Her broken pride is turning into the fuel of hell inside that woman. What is called human is the strongest when they already got cornered like that.”

“Is that so? In my circumstance I don’t have the experience of being cornered.”

Ilyailiya tilted her head expressionlessly where one couldn’t feel any humanity from it, perhaps she was even more inhuman than someone like Loki.

“…In reality, that woman is in the process of mastering the technique to control the power that she got from Susanoo partially possessing her body. It ain’t summoning a Diva, that woman is trying to become a Diva. Currently that woman might be the human race’s strongest excluding the Kings.”

“Thing like human race’s strongest excluding the Kings is meaningless.”

“That’s so but… I gotta tell Hiroko-chan too, that this side is doing ok.”

“Hiroko-chan?”

“I mean China’s King Fu Shi. Her name read in Japanese language is Hiroko-chan. It’s the nickname that our most beloved princess attached to her. …She is our comrade. Ku-ku-ku…”

Russia in addition of China. Two of the Magic Advanced Countries were in the process of being fixed in place as Yamato―no, as Loki’s backing.

“However, I didn’t expect much from Ikousai but, ain’t she turning interesting now. Humans that make that kind of eye is just so fun.”

Against Loki who continued to chuckle ‘ku-ku-ku’, Ilyailiya was once again turning her back expressionlessly.

“Even though you are a Diva of the Chaos Side, but surprisingly you like humans don’t you?”(AN:Like in this sentence means loves or is pleased by. In other words Ilya is saying to Loki you are amused/pleased by what humans do, don’t you.)

Loki stared back in blank puzzlement, as if he was just told of something that had never even entered his thought.

Part 4

His cell phone rang. Currently he was returning to his room after his date with Koyuki was over.

The one who called his phone aiming for this time was Commander Yamagata.

The commander talked in a way that poked fun at him.

“Right now should be the time that your date is over already right?”

It was strangely embarrassing to talk about something like this with an opponent whose age was like his father.

“It’s true that I was in a date, but why do even you know about it…”

“I got completely scolded by Yagumo-kun to only call you at night so that I won’t be a bother on your date. Though I don’t know where did Yagumo-kun knew about it.”

Yagumo Akane-senpai―she was a third year of the Magic Division that had already piled up practical training in the Knight Order.

Surely it was Hikaru-senpai that spread the rumor to her in a mixture of fact and fiction. The figure of Akane-senpai back-talking coolly saying ‘It’s not like I really care about that though’ was floating in his mind.

…But what the commander said next was the exact opposite of what Kazuki imagined inside his mind.

“Yagumo-kun is really caring about you, you know? When the talk’s topic is about you it’s clear that all her calm is gone.”

“Is, is that so…”

Akane-senpai was a charming person. She was always cool and intellectual, but that didn’t mean she was a straight-laced person.

She was a hard-worker that liked tactical thinking, through that she had many common points with Kazuki, her affinity with him was also good.

Now he was told that such Akane-senpai was caring for him. When he thought that the other party was an onee-san that was even older than Kaguya-senpai, for some reason he felt his heart beat faster or something.

“Kazuki.” Suddenly Leme materialized beside him and rammed her body at him with a *don*.

“Even older people are targets for conquering. Feeling timid about that is no good, okay?”

Leme whose appearance was completely an adult linked her arm with Kazuki’s arm and she pressed her heavy breasts at him.

“That is so huh.” While his attention was taken by Leme, Commander Yamagata started his talk in a surprise attack.

“Last night, Regina and Ilyailiya were fighting each other.”

Even though Kazuki was switching his awareness for a more serious talk, but it took time.

His fight with Ilyailiya was yesterday evening. In other words…

“Ilyailiya who retreated from her fight with me in the Haunted Ground, was attacked then on her way back by Regina, is that what you mean?”

It became a series of event like that in that kind of time. Two Kings were fighting in a time he knew nothing about.

What kind of fight it developed into?

In the first place, how did Regina intercept Ilyailiya who was escaping in lightning speed?

…No, the most important essential point in this story was not that kind of thing.

“What is the result of the fight? …The Sacred Treasure that Ilyailiya took away?”

Even Ilyailiya should be exhausted from the attack in which Kazuki betted his everything. And if after that she was forced to battle Regina in succession then―

“No, unfortunately it seemed she escaped.”

A strange feeling was whirling inside his chest. It was a kind of relief and also a kind of unfortunate feeling.

If in the case that Regina took back one of the Three Sacred Treasures for him, then Kazuki would surely stand in an overwhelming superior position. But inside his heart he had already resolved himself.

This was a hurdle that he was determined to overcome without fail. It would be an anticlimax if that hurdle was unexpectedly lowered by another person arbitrarily.

It was his own selfishness even though this was a battle that would decide the future of the country, but… he wanted to settle his rivalry with Ikousai who was in a condition beyond flawless.

“I heard the story from Regina but, it seems that Ilyailiya had buried a device that emitted interference electromagnetic wave inside her body beforehand to escape the GPS monitoring.”

“Doesn’t the other Advanced Magic Countries treat machines as heretical?”

“…That’s how its supposed to be but, seems like that Ilyailiya’s circumstance is strange somehow. We cannot lump her together with the other Kings in thinking how she will act. We were thinking about this too simply.”

“Every single one of those Kings is strange somewhere inside.”

It was impossible to predict what kind of move those fellows would make.

Whether it was Arthur or Regina, at this point of time they were neither ally nor enemy.

“Of course that’s true. I don’t have any intention of slackening the monitoring of Arthur and Regina.”

However the Knight Order’s [perfect monitoring readiness] had been breached twice out of two times until now.

“What happened with the Einherjar fellows that Kaguya-senpai encountered?”

Kazuki asked about the thing that bothered him the most.

“Beatrix and her team is still in magic intoxication, they still haven’t woken up yet.”

“…Is that so.” Kazuki’s feeling turned somber.

The true color of this despondency he felt was also complex. Even Beatrix was neither his ally nor his enemy.

But he didn’t want to think of her as an enemy, somewhere, his heart thought so.

But the Einherjar suddenly turned into Japan’s enemy and attacked Kaguya-senpai and her team in the Fuji’s sea of trees. They exposed Kaguya-senpai and her team to danger. And then Ryouzanpaku’s Silirat intervened and the situation developed into Beatrix and Silirat striking down each other.

It only stood to reason that Kazuki should be angry at Beatrix who came attacking and felt grateful to Silirat who came in assistance. But before he could come to a clean decision like that, he wanted to hear the detailed circumstances from Beatrix.

“Worry is unnecessary because their magic intoxications are not a deep one. The prospect is that they will wake up before long. It’s just, the only one who is still energetic among the people involved, Roshouko, is pretty annoying with her complaint from getting embroiled into this.”

“Is she coming with some kind of troublesome request?”

“No, it’s not anything concrete… she is saying a complaint for us to [recognize Ryouzanpaku more like a comrade]. Well, certainly there is a good excuse to shrink our distance and ally with Ryouzanpaku to form a common front of anti-China.”

Ryouzanpaku was a resistance organization that opposed China.

From some time ago if Japan was misunderstood to have a good relation with Ryouzanpaku―it would completely justify China’s intervention into Japan’s internal conflict with Yamato.

But now that Ryouzanpaku had held back Germany’s rampage before this, it only stood to reason that Japan was grateful and from now on both would take each other’s hand and strengthened their stance in relation to China.

“But if we do that, won’t our relation with Germany worsen?”

“It’s without doubt that Germany was suddenly commencing an attack at us.”

Commander Yamagata talked as if cutting down that line of talk. Logically it was just as he said. But….

Commander Yamagata’s voice was colored with fatigue. Inside the chaotic situation, the one who moved the government and the Knight Order was essentially this person.

“…Now when the battle is over, the one who move the situation is the adults huh.”

Leme whispered on Kazuki’s ear.

{I don’t really understand politics and diplomacy.}

Kazuki communicated that telepathically so Commander Yamagata wouldn’t hear it.

“I don’t mean to say to break any civilian control. But if it’s in regard to battle tactic then even you should be able to interfere.”

What was called civilian control was the principle that the people who controlled the army must not interfere too much into the politics. Kazuki too was a knight apprentice―so to speak he fell under military personnel.

―The statesman must be able to control the Knight Order. The statesman who was the representation of the people moved the Knight Order. The Knight Order must not stand on top of the people.

It was of the inviolable rule of the country called Japan.

―And more, since the ancient times, Japan had the emperor as the country’s symbol as a [constitutional monarchy].

This too was another of the absolutely inviolable things.

Then how should the King(Basileus) be positioned in this country then. It seemed that Arthur and Regina ruled as tyrants but….

‘I, if I accept the fact that I am a King, how should I behave then?’

“In the first place, in all this time until now, wasn’t it you the one that continuously kept wiping our ass for all the misses that the Knight Order and the academy made? You too should insist your opinion more to the adults.”

Leme kept pulling Kazuki’s arm while being indignant as if she was the one being slighted. He wanted to get away from her breast that was pushing at him sweetly. Like this he couldn’t think seriously.

“It’s a grave situation for you who are the King to be kept out of the loop of everything except for the fight. Listen well, a King mustn’t become a tool of battle.”

Tool of battle. …Certainly, he didn’t want that by any means.

In other words―he had to move the situation by his own will.

“Commander Yamagata. Please let me question Beatrix and the others when they wake up. Until that happens, can you put on hold the matter of communicating our thanks to Ryouzanpaku and forming a common front with them?”

“You are…?”

“Please let me be the one to decide the treatment of Beatrix and her group. Regarding Beatrix, I know things about her that you don’t know about.”

This should be the first time for him to ask for something like this. This was something that he wished for the most right now. From the other side of the phone’s receiver, a serious voice of “hm~mm” was audible.

“I feel it’s inexcusable to advance all this talk while you are not there. Actually this was also pointed out to me by Arthur Basileus. That this country doesn’t respect the King as a King.”

“That person was? …He is unexpectedly a meddlesome person isn’t he?”

Regina disdained Kazuki about how he didn’t have the standpoint of a King. On the other hand there was this feeling that Arthur kept interjecting unnecessarily here and there saying things like “Like that, you won’t be able to become my worthy rival!” Should he call that as Britain’s chivalric mind?

“Certainly, there are still a lot of people that has yet to recognize you as King. But, at the very least, Headmaster Amasaki and I plan to be your supporter. I want you to believe that.”

He could feel the sincerity from his voice. Things like Commander Yamagata’s positivity level couldn’t be known even with the power of King. But as fellow males, they could understand that each other was worthy of their faith, he had that kind of feeling.

“I will calm down Roshouko. The treatment for that woman is really troublesome but…”

‘Looking at your relation from the side, you two look like you are getting along well though’, Kazuki thought inside his heart.

“Also I will put an arrangement in order, so that you will be contacted immediately when Beatrix wakes up. I will show that this matter is also about you without fail. I will make the surroundings recognize it. Without fail.”

Commander Yamagata said that and cut off the connection. Kazuki felt relieved for the moment and released a deep sigh.

He guessed that it would take a little more time to clean up the aftermath of the extremely chaotic battle the other day. He was told that his current job was to flirt with the others, but by no means could he also completely ignore all the other matters.

―And then, next he had his schedule for the night.

There was one other thing, a business that Kazuki had to ask about with his own volition.

Part 5

The courtyard of the Magic Division at night where there was no human presence―when Kazuki brought the proposal that he wanted to talk, that person called out Kazuki to this place. Tonight was a quiet night with no wind.

“Sorry to call you out in the middle of night.”

“Not at all, after all it was my side that wanted to talk.” Kazuki replied.

The owner of the voice was―Liz Liza-sensei.

Her full name was Liz Liza Westwood. She was a naturalized Japanese that crossed over to Japan at the time when Japan still had diplomatic relation with Britain and obtained her nationality then. Now, she was a teacher here.

Beyond that, she had also became the first generation chosen by Solomon 72 Pillar.

<The First Knights>. In that period of chaos where the matter about Diva was still not understood well, they were the pioneers that fought the illegal magicians whose minds were violated by Diva and the Demon Beasts that suddenly appeared by tearing apart the space itself.

Even though they were able to borrow the power from Solomon 72 Pillar, the people at that time was still weak in magic power, it was said that they was mostly unable to communicate with their Divas.

The Knights at that time were still immature about the way to use magic and also the tactic to use that skillfully in an organized way.

He learned by hearsay that in that extremely chaotic situation [those people who obtained a strange power while they knew nothing at all] then became [the people that fought in order to protect the others in their surroundings even while knowing nothing at all].

Each time illegal magicians rampaged at that time, people in a number so large that he couldn’t imagine in this peaceful time died.

The first Haunted Ground in Japan, <Fuji’s sea of trees> was also created at that time.

Before long Liz Liza-sensei retired from being a knight because of her weakening magic power, and then rather than choosing to be promoted into the top brass of the Knight Order she chose to raise the next generation and cooperated in the establishment of the Knight Academy.

―That was Liz Liza-sensei’s profile.

If it was this person then she should know. Regarding the affair that happened before in the Grand Haunted Ground. And then also regarding the character that put up the seal in the Grand Haunted Ground.

Kazuki was planning to immediately head back to the Grand Haunted Ground as soon as his magic power recovered.

However before that, he wanted to know beforehand as much as possible about the person that put up the seal. Who put up that seal and how did they do it. What happened before in the Grand Haunted Ground…

There was still some things that the Knight Order hadn’t explained to Kazuki.

“But why did sensei choose this time?” Kazuki asked.

Even though she didn’t want anyone else to overhear the story, it seemed that she was excessively being careful.

“That’s most likely because this talk will not end with just talking.”

Liz Liza-sensei made a mysterious response. This wouldn’t end with just a talk…?

“Before we talk about what had once happened in that Grand Haunted Ground, first there is something that I want to confirm from my side.” Liz Liza-sensei talked quickly without any calmness.

“The will that resides inside the seal in the last wall of the Grand Haunted Ground, and your Lemegeton, they exchanged intimate words with each other right?”

Kazuki answered “Yes” and nodded honestly. The person in the seal was Leme’s previous contractor.

“Lemegeton, she has recovered her memory right?”

Kazuki noticed how her voice was trembling when she asked that.

Liz Liza-sensei who was always calm was now acting completely like a young girl that didn’t fit her age.

Beside Kazuki, Leme materialized and the person herself replied “That’s right”.

Liz Liza-sensei kept looking at Leme’s figure that had grown up into adult over and over with a bewildered gaze.

After taking a deep breath, Liz Liza-sensei asked Leme.

“Were you―Hibiki-neesama’s contracted Diva?”

“That’s right.”

…Hibiki? It was an unfamiliar name for his ear, but strangely it felt like he had heard the name somewhere, a name that felt pleasant when he heard it. Was that, the owner of the voice in that seal?

Liz Liza-sensei looked down as if hiding her expression. As if asserting that an adult couldn’t that easily let her emotion come to the surface, she closed her eyelids strongly.

Kazuki said nothing and waited for Liz Liza-sensei to be the one that opened her mouth first.

After listening to the sound of the night wind for a while, Liz Liza-sensei finally began to talk.

―Well then, how about I tell you the story about that period just as you wish.

This is a night individual class for you, Hayashizaki.

At the same time with the human race obtaining the power called magic power, they knew about the existence of a mental world called Astrum, and encountered the consciousness body that lurked there―the Divas.

Among the Divas there were existences with ill will that drove the minds of human crazy in exchange for power, and in the end they would try to take over the flesh body. The people that dirtied their hands with this dangerous contract was then called as <illegal magicians>. Those people had their minds go insane and rampaged around.

…Recently we had heard about words like [Cosmos Side Diva] or [Chaos Side Diva] from the mouths of various Divas and the Kings. It seemed that the fellows that created these illegal magicians were those Divas of the Chaos Side.

The Divas of the Cosmos Side granted humans the power to oppose these Divas of the Chaos Side. They were humankind’s protector. But in exchange they demanded faith―that is a strict order. You can understand that this absolutely cannot be said as a good thing when you see Lotte’s case.

In Japan, these fellows called as Divas of the Cosmos Side didn’t show their appearance.

…Why didn’t the Japanese Mythology try to protect us I wonder?

When Liz Liza-sensei suddenly let out such question from her mouth, Amaterasu’s avatar appeared beside Kazuki in order to answer that. She was in her jersey appearance with a sleepy face, a sun goddess (shut-in) that couldn’t give off the feeling of it’s virtue at all.

{That’s… even if we wanted to show our appearance to the humans, we were not in a condition to show up at that time. I had talked about this a little with Kazuki and Kazuha before though.}

Amaterasu exchanged a glance with Kazuki.

{During the long history of the Japanese people, their religious piety was weakening. Because of that, our <will for power> was completely weakened. Diva’s appearance change depending on people’s feeling.}

Amaterasu talked in justification.

{How we hate to fight and like to play is because the relation between the Japanese Mythology and the Japanese people was made up of <playing>, with the festivals as the core rather than <faith>. All this is absolutely not because I am a lazy person, but because this is what everyone demanded from me nyan. …It’s true you know?}

It sounded fishy because her tone was too lax, but he guessed that actually it was just as she said.

{At that time, I practically didn’t have the power to surface to the outer layer of a human’s consciousness> I was still asleep that time. By no means I just left the people to die without doing anything, don’t resent me―}

Saying just that, her figure vanished, as if escaping.

“I see. The syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism from the ancient time, the anti Buddhist movement at the beginning of the Meiji era… this is all also because of the complexity of the history of Japan’s faith.” Liz Liza-sensei nodded with a satisfied look and began her talk once more.

Anyway the other Magic Advanced Countries could immediately obtain the divine protection of the Divas of the Cosmos Side, but… Japan was unable to obtain Divine Protection from anyone.

Thinking back, those like Loki or Nyarlathotep, how a bunch of Diva that didn’t have any relation at all with Japan could even appear here too, I think this might be the reason. That’s because this country was the most optimum place for the Divas of the Chaos Side to go wild.

We at that time didn’t understand about such things at all. We didn’t even have time to be excited of obtaining a new power called magic, we just kept getting scared from all the illegal magicians and Demon Beasts that suddenly went on a rampage.

At that time the one who reached out their hand to us was Solomon 72 Pillar.

It seems that Solomon 72 Pillar is not strictly Divas from the Cosmos Side but… anyway they didn’t drive human’s mind mad and they became our power. And then they didn’t even demand faith from us.

It was mostly a selfish story, but… Solomon 72 Pillar too might have had the objective to [build their influence in this land]. And also, they might have had their attention attracted to this Japan, who didn’t receive any influence from other Mythologies too.

…Let’s stop this strange speculation that doesn’t have any relation with the main topic of the story. If Lemegeton-sama has recovered her memory, then someday, when the timing is right, she will surely talk about this to you.

What to choose, we at that time had no other option than to completely rely on Solomon 72 Pillar.

This was how it started that the generation that got contracted first with Solomon 72 Pillar… how we became the [First Knights]. Even if I called it a contract, we at that time were unable to clearly hear the voice of our Diva or talk to them. Most of us didn’t even understand which one among the Solomon 72 Pillar we got contracted with. We didn’t even work out the method to give birth to a contract with a strong tie, called Stigmata.

…That’s why, Lemegeton-sama.

I didn’t even notice that you, who were contracted with Hayashizaki, was Hibiki-neesama’s contracted Diva.

“But that kind of you became the very first ally of my King, in spite of how you didn’t notice Leme’s true identity. This, too, is surely what they call destiny.”

Leme crossed her arm and talked to Liz Liza-sensei self importantly.

Liz Liza-sensei’s expression slackened slightly and she smiled. It was a kind expression that was rare from her.

“It saved me, for you to say that. Now that I know everything―I can do nothing else, other than to devote my entire power for you, who is the forgotten memento of Hibiki-neesama.”

Forgotten memento―those words sounded like it was filled with an extremely heavy feeling.

There should also be other First Knights outside of me and Hibiki-neesama, but we didn’t know our exact number.

Hibiki-neesama―was a person that was like a big sister for me, we got along really well. That was why we fought together but, we didn’t even know about the existences of the other guys other than us. We knew that there were other people than us that also fought, but that was only after we had defeated all the illegal magicians that were rampaging at that time. …Not all of us were expected to survive in the end.

I don’t know anything about the names of the First Knights that died unseen by anyone.

Our fight at that time compared to all of you currently was completely a crude thing.

The strength of the magic power of our generation was still in its infancy compared to you guys, even the way to use Summoning Magic was something that we didn’t understand at all.

Even using Summoning Magic around level 3 was already the most we could do using all we had.

But thinking again now, the same also applied to the Divas of the Chaos Side I guess. They, at that time, were also immature compared to now. Surely they didn’t understand the way to manipulate a human’s flesh at that time.

When I recall that time I can only snicker scornfully. It was really a low level battle. Though it was really desperate.

Aah, now that I mentioned it, it seemed that when Loki obtained a flesh body in front of your eyes he said [I had grasped the trick to break a human] right? …We at that time might had also fought Loki even without realizing it. Though we didn’t know that the opponent was Loki.

At the same time with the illegal magicians appearing one after another and going wild, [Malignant Boundary AlternateCancer] sprang forth and Haunted Grounds were produced everywhere in Japan, then Demon Beasts were also coming out.

Those too also couldn’t be left alone, but… we had no choice but to leave those for later compared with the illegal magicians that went on rampage in the middle of the city. We had also liberated the smaller Haunted Grounds when we had spare time and from there got our hand on Sacred Treasures but… there was not enough people at all for Fuji’s sea of trees and it spread out bigger rapidly.

To at least delay the expansion of the Haunted Ground, a wall was constructed around the Haunted Ground.

It seemed that unexpectedly the wall had some effect.

The wall created at that time was the crumbling wall inside the Haunted Ground that even you had seen.

Of course, at first no one put any seal or anything like that on it. There was no one that could use such advanced magic skillfully that time.

We of the First Knights fought frantically. We didn’t even understand what was this power that we possessed, but anyway, we had to protect those important to us for the moment.

Summoning Magic couldn’t be used really well that time so actually the Sacred Treasures were really useful. The truth was we used Sacred Treasures often enough.

Among those First Knights, there was a person that was outstandingly stronger from the rest. That was Hibiki-neesama.

…Why was that person so strong like that? Only that person wouldn’t be inferior even if she is compared to your current generation… no, I think she was even stronger than your generation.

These are words that a person who idolized her big sister should not say, but she was so strong like a fierce god.

I know this because all along I had fought together with Hibiki-neesama, but I think those illegal magicians that went wild at that time was mostly defeated alone by Hibiki-neesama. Even I didn’t have many memories of scenes where I clearly gave the finishing blow by my own hands.

In a period of time, there was an interval where Hibiki-neesama distanced herself from the battle, but…when Nee-sama distanced herself from the front lines, the situation everywhere got worse, and soon it wouldn’t hold anymore if Hibiki-neesama didn’t return to the front lines.

At that time, the confirmed last person―the illegal magician who possessed the greatest strength was taking refuge inside Fuji’s sea of trees. Hibiki-neesama left me behind and pursued him alone.

And then… ending at that point she didn’t return back.

Hibiki-neesama left me who was just a hindrance… and didn’t return back for the second time.

After that, even when I headed to the Haunted Ground to confirm what happened with the battle, a powerful seal was fixed on the wall and entering inside the Haunted Ground was impossible.

For a long time, I was thinking that the seal was something Hibiki-neesama gambled her life to put for the sake of not letting out the strongest illegal magician because she was unable to defeat him.

But, after hearing Hayashizaki’s story, it seems that I was wrong.

What lies beyond the seal is… one of the Three Sacred Treasures, <Ame no Murakumo>.

Surely in the middle of her battle, Hibiki-neesama discerned that the Sacred Treasure she was using was something special. That was why until a worthy successor for that Sacred Treasure appeared, Hibiki-neesama sealed it.

It was something like that. This is everything that I know.

“It’s just as you said. Until the next worthy wielder appeared, she was not going to hand over that Sacred Treasure to anyone.”

―When Liz Liza-sensei’s story was over, Leme threw in some appropriate words.

“Worthy wielder… you mean Japan Mythology’s King?”

Liz Liza-sensei looked up to the night sky and whispered.

“The Three Sacred Treasures, they acted in concert with the King’s entrance to the stage and appeared in this world. If that’s so… then Hibiki-neesama, did she notice that she was someone that was chosen as a King?”

{…This is still the tip of the story but, I had the feeling that the direction of the story is heading to something that will incite my guilt…}

Once again Amaterasu’s avatar appeared.

{That child called Hibiki, she was Japan Mythology’s King. If the King really entered the stage, in response to that the chief god had to show the way for that child. But I at that time was late in my revival… I was sleeping. That was why that child had to fight wielding that Sacred Treasure without understanding anything. Although it seemed that in the middle Lemegeton looked after her in my place.}

“But I lost her completely.” The tone of Leme’s voice dropped and she hung her head down.

“That was why Hibiki-neesama and Lemegeton-sama put up that seal in order to wait until the next person that is worthy as King appeared. …And that aforementioned successor, is it Hayashizaki Kazuki?”

Liz Liza-sensei asked Leme.

“That’s right. Leme chose him.”

“Thereupon Hayashizaki finally arrived at the destiny where he will not only have the same contracted Diva but he will also wield the same Sacred Treasure as Hibiki-neesama right now.”

After Liz Liza-sensei said that, she made a ‘hah’ face from noticing something.

Her eyes opened wide and she stared at Kazuki with intense concentration.

After a while Liz Liza-sensei’s expression softened and a smile that she usually never showed appeared on her face.

“…Is that so. You are, so it’s like that…”

Kazuki was looking back at Liz Liza-sensei in a daze. He didn’t know what she meant.

“Liz Liza Westwood.” Leme shouted.

“Once again, you too swear your allegiance to my King, Hayashizaki Kazuki, and fight together with us.”

Kazuki was the one that was panicked with Leme’s high-handed attitude.

“Leme, sensei is sensei you see… also isn’t she already at an age where her magic power has weakened? That’s too unreasonable.”

Liz Liza-sensei glared at Kazuki fiercely. “Hayashizaki, don’t you dare say anything about a woman’s age.”

“My King, does this woman look like she is in an age where her magic power has weakened?”

Leme said that in a matter-of-fact voice.

“Eh, no, certainly sensei doesn’t look like that. But we are not talking about whether she looks like it or no…”

“Listen well. This woman’s age, is 18.”

With her voice still sounding so matter-of-fact, Leme said something that he couldn’t possibly believe.

“…Just wait a second there. Didn’t we just talk about a story that happened more than ten years ago in the past?”

Don’t tell him that Liz Liza-sensei was around three years old at that time, that was impossible.

Without doubt she should be around a thirty year old female teacher. That was what was written on the official papers.

“Saying it accurately… this woman’s age is freezing still at 18 years old. It was still too early for you to retire, Liz Liza Westwood! Right now is exactly the time for you to repair your ties of Stigmata contract with [Agares], it’s fine for you to liberate all of your power!!”

“Shem ha MeforashI remember thy name… thy name is [Agares]. O the sage sitting in the center of the space-time rotation, show that discerning eye.”

Liz Liza-sensei instantly finished her Astrum ConnectionAccess with her mastery of mental concentration.

She was wrapped with a powerful light that turned the night like the afternoon and Agares’ avatar floated beside her.

Straddling a dark-reddish crocodile that could be mistaken as a rock was an old sage wearing a robe with a hood attached. On his neck, a pocket watch that symbolized himself as a Diva that manipulated time was shining.

At the same time, Liz Liza-sensei also chanted a Summoning Magic. An enormous magic power was whirling. Everything of that magic power had its tip directed onto Liz Liza-sensei’s small body.

“O principle of time, listen to the calling voice of my sage. From beyond the long stagnation, awaken the waking up of the once existing fierceness… Freezing Time’s Secret FormulaLeap Stasis!”

Strong magic power light shined from Liz Liza-sensei’s whole body, and then with a fierce speed the light rotated to the right direction―completely like a clock needle.

Kazuki sharpened his Extra Sense in order to detect what was happening.

That radiance explosively expanded the magic power of Liz Liza-sensei that before this could be described as a rust-covered thing. The magic power overflowed.

It was a magic power that should be impossible to be emitted by an adult that had passed her peak. Not just that, Liz Liza-sensei’s essential something was transforming. No, it was moving. It was a something that had stopped moving until now.

―Was that time?

“Agares! …Give me the Stigma!!”

At the same time when the expanding magic power was calming down, Liz Liza-sensei shouted with a strong voice.

Liz Liza-sensei’s suit that was specially sized in a child-size, disintegrated into light and was reformed into a new shape. A green robe fluttered in a flap and a rod that imitated a sand hourglass was grasped in her hand.

It was a Magic Dress with the appearance of a sage worthy for Agares who governed over the three mysteries of the universe, earth, and time.

―It was an appearance that originally shouldn’t be able to be worn by Liz Liza-sensei who had already retired as a magician. But from the bare skin of Liz Liza-sensei that peeked out through the Magic Dress, lines of light―were running through carving the Stigmata.

“Sensei… what in the world just happened…”

He couldn’t understand what kind of magic that was just from looking.

However he only got the hunch that Liz Liza-sensei had become a warrior that possessed the power to fight.

“Just now is me and Agares’s Original One―the ultimate evasion magic that freeze all [change] and preserve it beyond the boundary of time. During these 14 years, I have frozen the growth and the aging of my flesh all along, freezing them beyond the boundary of time. Right now I have taken them back.”

“…Yo, you mean it’s perpetual youth and longevity?”

Kazuki trembled. Though of course she would die if she was killed or she got infected with a deadly sickness.

“Who knows. Doing something this absurd will create a distortion somewhere in your body and your mind, so I think immortality is out of the question… I didn’t grow into adult and had my magic power declining. It was just because I kept maintaining this magic continuously, my magic power was constantly consumed all this time.”

Right now, sensei had stopped pouring her magic power into her grand magic and recovered her original magic power.

…However, he understood that she was not aging at all since she was eighteen years old, yet it looked like even as an eighteen years old her appearance didn’t look appropriate for her age at all, that was surely because originally she was already a child-faced person with low height from the start.

“Why did sensei do such a thing…?”

“Right now, I understood my destiny. Surely it’s to raise you and then to fight besides you. Agares told me very vaguely before all this to preserve my strength until the next generation, strive diligently to study magic skill, and then impart those upon my juniors. He granted me [Leap Stasis] for these.”

Being told very vaguely… such ambiguity told him the story of the hardships for the magicians of that time.

{I raised this child.}

The old sage beside Liz Liza-sensei―Agares’ avatar was floating.

{Liz Liza was the generation immediately following the time when magic was born in this world, so her magic power amount was far fewer than the children of this time. But her magic skill that she had continuously forged during these fourteen years couldn’t even be compared to the children of this generation, surely. With quickness and efficiency, she can cast my Summoning Magic with high power. She also excels in Resist. Most of all, o King―you are young. Even compared to the other countries’ Kings you are far younger. To have a composed adult beside you should be the best support for you.}

“Agares’ eye to discern people is the real thing. Liz Liza is a good woman.” Leme too kept nodding while being ‘hmm hmm’.

“When My King was not blessed by the surrounding adults and was even in the process of failure, the one who became my King’s first ally from the beginning was Liz Liza Westwood. Only you.”

“Everything was destined.”

Liz Liza-sensei repeated one more time with a voice that was filled with a flood of emotions.

“I too, am able to know the truth of what happened fourteen years ago inside the Grand Haunted Ground from the story I heard from you and Leme-sama. That the Divas concealed that fact until now… is because they won’t hand over the thing that Hibiki-neesama left behind to any other person until you come to inherit it.”

For Liz Liza-sensei, too, this was a puzzle that had haunted her for long years. With Kazuki’s report about the mysterious happening inside Fuji’s sea of trees, all the puzzle pieces was lined up and brought about the answer.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki… I too will swear my allegiance to you. I’ll be going with you too, to grasp tight your destiny, to the Fuji’s sea of trees.”

Destiny―it was not by chance for him to be picked out by Leme.

The secret of Fuji’s sea of trees―the clear intention of Solomon 72 Pillar was guiding him there.

There were still things Kazuki didn’t understand. However, Leme who had recovered her memory said to him to directly go there to confirm it himself.

“…That person called Hibiki, what kind of person was she?”

Kazuki asked at least that. Liz Liza-sensei pondered for just a little.

“It’s hard to describe her with just a single word, but… she is a strong and bright person, who resounded hope to the surrounding people just by being there.”

“How poetic.” Leme too closed her eyes in nostalgia.

Both Leme and Liz Liza-sensei drifted off an atmosphere that sympathized with each other as the people that knew about that time.

“She resembled you a little.”

Liz Liza-sensei said that while once again making a smile as if she was tickled.

“That’s true huh, you resemble her.” Leme too grinned widely.

…What’s with them, this lukewarm sensation that could be felt from Liz Liza-sensei and Leme.

As if the aunties that were relatives of his were staring at him like he was a kid…

“That’s right, there is one more thing that I have to tell you.”

Liz Liza-sensei suddenly diverted her face aside and then talked while adopting a formal attitude.

“Right now, there is no student in the Knight Academy that is contracted with Agares. Someone close to you that is contracted with Agares is just me. There are several people among the graduated students and the third years but…”

“There is not a single person in my year? Deviation like that exist?”

Each of the Solomon 72 Pillar was in charge of many contractors, the Diva were dividing their power into each of their charges. The contractor of Phoenix and Vepar was not only Mio and Koyuki.

“If there are sociable guys among the Solomon 72 Pillar, there are also guys with high pride. Agares too is someone that doesn’t choose his contractor lightly. Kaguya’s Asmodeus too is that kind of type. Then next is… this guy called <King of Indignation Beleth> is the extreme, until now he still hasn’t choosen a single contractor.”

Leme averted her eyes a little awkwardly.

“Well… that’s because each of the 72 Pillar are different in how much they can cooperate with the humans. Saying it frankly, there are also those guys that are not serious.”

“Leme. You, aren’t you just a self-proclaimed King of gods, that leads the 72 Pillar? You need to let them have it and lead them along properly.”

“Le, Leme is the type that doesn’t shackle her comrades too much okay-! Nununu, Beleth you bastard…”

Although she had grown into an adult, she was someone that didn’t have much of a dignity…

“Anyway there is no one close to you that that can use Agares’s magic that is really powerful even among the 72 Pillar except for me. Ehem, do you understand what that means?”

Liz Liza-sensei that kept averting her face to the side cleared her throat purposefully.

For some reason Kazuki’s head was blank and his thinking got suspended. This was a matter that cut off his imagination for some reason.

Liz Liza-sensei waited for his reply for a while, but she impatiently fidgeted around and glared at Kazuki with upturned eyes.

“I’m, I’m saying for you to conquer me too! For the sake of this country’s future!!”

“Ee, EEEEEEEEE!? Do, doing that, to sensei!?”

“Wha, what’s with your reaction! You are really that dissatisfied with me huh!”

This was not a problem of dissatisfaction or anything.

This was about a relation between teacher and student. Much less how in Kazuki’s whole life it was beyond his imagination to think of a female who was [a little girl in appearance yet thirty years old in mental age] as an object of romantic interest.

“My King, don’t you become timid in regards to older woman. It’s actually okay right? An older woman.”

From the side, Leme, whose appearance had completely become an older woman, collided her shoulder with a *don* at him. Now that he thought again, she too was the same as Liz Liza-sensei, young in appearance, but unknown about the substance.

{These days are all about lolibaba desu, Kazuki-oniisan!} Lotte’s voice said inside his brain.

“Oi, Hayashizaki. How much is my positivity level?”

“So, so sensei is going to ask that so directly…”

The number reflexively floated inside Kazuki’s mind. Liz Liza Westwood―38

“…It’s 38.”

“Muu…”Liz Liza-sensei felt awkward.

“You need a score of 65 in order to use my magic right!? Raise up my positivity level more!”

“Even if the person herself said so to me! What should I do to make sensei like me!?”

“That’s… something like, using cool and tasteful speech or something.”

“You are going to get burned if you touch me so carelessly.” Kazuki said with a made-up austere and low voice.

“Oo! As expected from my King, it really pierces a woman’s heart that will chase someone in reverse when they were bluntly thrust aside.”

Leme leaned her body forward excitedly but Liz Liza-sensei was “Lame…” with an amazed scornful eyes.

“It’s impossible even if sensei suddenly ask me for something cool without any context! Isn’t cool speech something that is said because there are a clear flow of events! …Besides, 38 is really not that low sensei.”

“That’s true, that number is around something like [a friend of different sex with good relation], a relationship that feels a little conscious toward the other party. Maybe that’s a fairly good number already for a relationship between a teacher and a student.”

When Leme too nodded to that, Liz Liza-sensei’s face turned red suddenly.

“Fo, for the sake of this country’s future, I can only forcibly make myself become conscious about Hayashizaki!”

“For the sake of this country sensei said, it’s really strange there. Does sensei not have a lover or someone that sensei likes?”

“The, there isn’t any guy like that for me.” Liz Liza-sensei averted her face to the side and pouted her lips like a child.

“…In the first place the guys who are in the same generation with me have all completely become middle-aged men. And yet me who got left behind, looks like this. Still if it’s only men then even I have some that approached me. But once you see, accidentally, I became aware about how those men that liked me talked about me behind my back.”

“What, what were they saying?”

“Legal loli.”

Kazuki covered his face with his hands from this overwhelming tragedy before him. Leme too was making an expression like an “Uwaa” on her face.

“Since then, somehow I became unable to believe the good will from those guys who are the same generation as me. Certainly it’s strange right, a guy who had already passed the later half of their twenty, yet they liked a woman whose appearance is like me, it’s scary.”

“I, I think it might not be even a peculiar taste that can be called strange that made them approach sensei though…”

“No, it’s strange without doubt. Since then, things like love is something unrelated to me and I continued to be zealous in my work… that’s right, I didn’t have any free time for a thing like love! All is for the sake of inheriting Hibiki-neesama’s will and to raise the magicians of the next generation!” The loli teacher stamped her feet on the ground and lost her temper.

Besides her, Agares too leaked out a dispirited voice.

{At least if she grew old fitting for her age it might have turned out differently, but… O King, from me too I beg you to take care of this child. Suddenly a self-awareness that I had completely done something inexcusable is gushing out inside me. Tampering around with one’s age will make someone into a distorted human being isn’t it…}

“Even if you begged me… I’m asking what should I do here?”

“Hayashizaki! How did you raise the other women’s positivity level then!?”

“That’s… playing together or…”

“After this, when school is over, we are going to play together! But what should we do to play…?”

“Doing something like playing a game…?”

“Go study if you have time for doing something like playing a game!”

“Please don’t say something teacher-like! No, this is sensei but, somehow it seems difficult to go play with a teacher after school…” Kazuki was at a loss and looked up to the night sky.

Part 6

The courtyard of the Sword Division at night was dark.

The lighting was few and when the night came there was only the moon light illuminating the area.

In the first place comparing the Magic Division with the Sword Division who was treated coldly, Sword Division’s facility was terrifyingly meager. But at this time when Kazuki became the Chief Student Council President and he proposed “Won’t it be safer to increase the lighting here”,

“This can become an extra training so it’s fine even if it stay like this.” Kanae rejected the proposal curtly. The common students too went “If Kanae-taichou said so” and all of them agree with that, so in the end it was left as it was. The Sword Division was filled with people who was sports-minded from the root.

‘…That is, because if they strengthened their eyesight using magic power then the surrounding will be visible even in darkness though….’

‘…But somehow it feels like a ghost will come out here.’

Kaguya was called out at midnight to the Sword Division and she was fearfully walking ahead while thinking so.

The Japanese-style courtyard’s darkness that was like an ink painting was the most suitable world for a test of courage. Even now it felt like a human’s shadow was going to leap out from the shadow of the pine tree all of a sudden.

Magic power was the power of the mind. Therefore she had the feeling that it wouldn’t even be strange for the mind to become a ghost after the death.

‘…But wait. Perhaps it’s too hasty to act scared from deciding that the ghost is a bad person just because it’s a ghost.’

‘A strong attachment is not just limited to negative emotion. The ghost is just too pitiful if suddenly everyone gets scared of it.’

‘…Yosh, if a ghost come out, let’s try to make contact with it friendlily.’

Kaguya resolved herself so and raised her face that was looking down.

Suddenly a footstep rang from the shadow of the pine tree on her path. Kaguya immediately shivered in twitches and her resolve from just now was thrown to the wind before she made a U-turn back to the Witch’s Mansion.

“Sorry to call you out this late at night, Otonashi Kaguya.”

A voice she was familiar with called out to the back that was making a U-turn, Kaguya made a U-turn once more and after rotating in circles from excess force―she jumped Kanae with all her strength in a hug.

“Kaa―na-chaa―n!!”

“Uwa, what the!? Don’t suddenly be hugging like this!”

“I have decided already that I will greet the ghost friendlily if it comes out seee―!!”

“What’s with that!? I’m not a ghos…mugu! My, my breath…”

The face of Kanae whose height was short was buried right into Kaguya’s chest.

“So you are tempting Nii-sama with this giant fluffy lumps huh…mugugu…”

“Ann-. …Don’t, Kana-chan, don’t taste it…-!”

“It’s just my mouth flapping up and down searching for oxygen!!!!”

Kanae filled her four limbs with the light of Enchant Aura to the brim and shook off Kaguya’s embrace with brute force. Kaguya pouted her lips from the reluctance of parting and fanned both of her opened hands up and down. She looked like a penguin. Kanae was going “You strange animal” while frowning her face.

“Then Kana-chan, what is your business? In the middle of the night like this…ha-!? Don’t tell me Kana-chan, you are finally going to return my feeling…with a perverted act!”

“Don’t say such disgusting thing! …I want you to keep me company in my secret training.”

“Secret training?” Kaguya blinked her eyes.

Kanae drew out her sword from her waist smoothly. The body of the blade melted into its surrounding because of its black color.

Kaguya noticed the strange thing. It mentioned the Sword Division’s <Storm Cat(Wind God Kitten)>, two sword style using two kodachi was supposed to be her trademark.

But Kanae tonight was different. What was prepared in her hand was a jet black katana.

“This is the sister blade that form the pair with <Road WindDoufuu> that Nii-sama use, <Path ShadowMichikage>.”

“Is there…something you want to test?”

“I want to test using you, a new technique that I realized. Because around me the one with the highest spell chanting skill is Otonashi Kaguya, it’s you.”

In other words―Kanae’s new technique was a technique for the sake of destroying the chanting of enemy magician. Kaguya guessed that wordlessly and performed <Access> to change into her Magic Dress.

“While chanting some kind of magic, it’s fine for me to show that I can face that technique right?”

Kaguya puffed out her chest full of confidence.

In the first place Kaguya had prepared for her duel with Kanae and trained predominantly in her spell chanting ability until now.

The result of that―she had maintained her chanting even while receiving Beatrix’s fierce attack, if it was just a magic around middle level then she could cast it. She had reached the stage where she could just tell the Heaven and Earth Formation to hell with it.

Kaguya didn’t understand how deep the mysteries of the world of sword art went.

But she couldn’t imagine Kanae to exhibit an attack power that surpassed Beatrix.

It was a little pitiful but, that new technique would undoubtedly fail against her.

‘…Is magic around level 5 fine?’ Kaguya began to chant.

“It helps that you accept my request so quickly. …After all in the end the duel with you didn’t get realized.”

Kaguya was suspicious how Kanae showed a smile so full of confidence at her. She shouldn’t be able to succeed.

―Kaguya’s silent light of magic power, smoothly and slowly whirled like a vortex.

‘As expected from her’ Kanae thought inside her heart. For her to not produce a flashy light was the proof that her chanting had been polished instead. Like a cat that was confirming the timing to leap into her prey, Kanae observed that vortex while breathing lightly.

Their distance was only a few meter apart. It was a far closer distance than the usual duel. Her whole body was already overflowing with willpower and her katana was drawn out, her preparation to leap forward could be done anytime.

But Kanae kept her stance still and continued to observe Kaguya’s magic power.

The flow of magic power resembled breathing. Reading the breathing was a standard secret art for a swordsman.

The flow of this magic power was trying to construct a single shape.

Inside the forming structure, there was a pillar that supported everything. There was a vital point. What should be cut, was that.

―Now. Kaguya’s chanting created that exactly right now.

Kanae kicked the ground. At the same time she raised <Michikage> overhead. Her whole body automatically moved just as what she had done through countless training. She was just doing this one more time, she would do it without even a single millimeter of deviation.

Namely, this was the most optimum movement solution that was the most natural for her own body.

…She once aimed for two sword style because of her own powerlessness. She once chose not the destructive power of a single strike but the number of attacks, she would scatter the opponent’s concentration with fast consecutive attack and fight in a way that obstructed the chant’s magic power.

―But that was not the essence. Before she realized she had revised her thought like that.

The impetus for that thinking was that time she was defeated by Nii-sama’s team in the battle election tournament.

‘Isn’t my sword, becoming sloppy instead from recklessly searching for speed?’

As expected, the essence resided inside the single strike.

But destructive power was not everything there was in the single strike. Things like power or speed…the truth of sword art was not in that kind of thing. The truth of the sword art…was probably inside the single instant that had been refined to the limit.

Whether in the movement or in the timing, to reach the single ultimate instant where not even a single deviation would be forgiven―.

While feeling the wind, Kanae’s whole body was operating together with an endless smoothness.

There was [kata] in Hayashizaki-style. The greatest common divisor [standard movement] that was applied to everyone.

After repeating the movement following that kata thousands of times, tens of thousands of times, she reached the [quintessence movement] that matched her individuality―her body build, her muscle mass, her bone volume.

Her two sword style before searched for speed and became really sloppy, she distanced herself from that.

Right now one more time, she returned back to the starting point. ‘The optimum movement just for me. Even with my powerlessness and small build, the movement that is only for me.’

The muscles of her whole body contracted, and then stretched. The Enchant Aura magnified that expansion and contraction. That magnification would enlarge even a tiny deviation into a great deviation. Not even a single deviation, would be tolerated.

―Kanae followed her quintessence movement.

The black blade was buried into the vortex of magic power of Kaguya’s chanting as if it was absorbed.

Kaguya’s Resist repulsed the blade.

That repulsion―the shockwave of the smashed magic reverberated into the magic power vortex of Kaguya’s chanting.

A crack entered the magic power vortex. Originally it should be a crack that wouldn’t affect anything.

But Kanae had taken a careful aim. Like the movement of billiard ball where even the rebound movement had been calculated. She had aimed for the instant where the backlash from this Resist would enter a crack into the pillar that became the cornerstone of the magic construction.

A movement and timing where even a single deviation wasn’t allowed conformed each other like a miracle.

‘It reached―this is what I had been pursuing all along, the one other dream sword.’

The second Hayashizaki-style dream sword―<Holy PrecinctsShin’iki>.

• Pachin*, it was a too quick sensation.

For an instant Kaguya didn’t understand what had happened.

Kanae who leaped into her bosom swung down her blade at Kaguya. She was hit with a slash.

But this was…just now was not a fierce impact that reflexively made her concentration toward her chanting get disturbed. If it was just a mere impact…her concentration power had held out even against Beatrix’s fierce attack.

Kanae’s slash was just a weak attack. So weak to the degree that she didn’t even notice she was slashed.

‘Why am I right now completely stopping my chanting then?’

It was as if she had lost the track of time and her spell vanished in the middle.

“Just now is…?”

“…A cut with the perfect movement in the ultimate instant. If I have to explain, it’s like that.”

Kanae stood her body upright from her cutting down stance, then she said that while taking a step back.

Kaguya didn’t really get it, but in other words it was a superhuman feat that overlapped the perfection and the ultimate. What’s with that?

“Wait, wait a second! It was only my carelessness just now-!!”

She didn’t really get it, but she didn’t think that such miracle-like technique would be practical in a real battle.

“Aiming for such nonsensical timing, how will it hit if the opponent moves away? Just now I planned to get hit with it so I just stupidly stood stock still like that but…”

“It’s just as you said. It’s still impossible to use in real battle.”

Kaguya released a relieved sigh, then she reflected herself that her reaction just now was too unsightly.

“Before Nii-sama climbs to an even higher height, I have to master this technique…”

“Kana-chan…”

Kaguya couldn’t perceive what kind of meaning was entered into that resolve. But a spirit that quietly burned like a bluish flame was entered into the small murmur.

“Next fight me for real without standing still like a scarecrow. I don’t mind even if you train your Resist on the same occasion and cast your magic if you finish your chanting.”

“…That’s just what I hoped for! I won’t lose next time!”

Kaguya swung her arms up and down then once more she began to chant her spell.

Light and shadow danced in the Sword Division at night. The special training of Kaguya who was clad in magic power light and Kanae who swung a black blade that seemed to melt into the night’s darkness continued until late at night.

Inside Kanae’s cool heart that swung her blade free from any obstructive thought, a low humming voice was echoing.

―Hayashizaki Kanae. Thy, art a girl that possess a heart like an earnest blade.

―I desire thy to listen to my voice without fear.

Without even a little bit of disorder in her swordsmanship, Kanae asked {Who’s there?} toward the darkness of her consciousness.

―My name is Beleth.

―The most noble devil king of Solomon 72 Pillar. The black cat of indignation, devil king Beleth.

{I don’t know that name. What business do you have with me?”

She didn’t plan to get agitated but, her swordsmanship disordered slightly.

Kaguya’s [Cocytus] which had its power moderated was invoked and smashed Kanae’s defensive magic power.

Kaguya immediately chanted again, Kanae too recovered her posture and once more challenged [Shin’iki].

In the middle of that repetition―the telepathic communication inside her consciousness continued.

{What business do you have with me? My magic power is weak and I also don’t have any magic skill, what do you want from me who has no worth other than swinging a sword?}

―Even without borrowing something like the power of Diva, thy skill has already been in the region of miracle.

―O girl who rely on nothing else but your sword to advance single-mindedly on your own path.

―Thy have no business with someone like a Diva.

{So you understand? Then leave immediately.}

―Be that as it may I want thy to lend thy ear. I want thy to turn thy face at me even for just a short time.

―My name is Beleth. In these ten years, I have continued to search a possessor of soul that is worthy to be my contractor, in the end I am but a wandering devil king who can’t find even a single person.

{Isn’t your pride really high? Such a thing is not good you know, that’s what I think.}

―But finally I find a possessor of a worthy soul.

―Rather than a possessor of a great talent of magic, thy single-mindedness is exactly what is worthy for me.

―Become my contractor.

{I refuse. You too understand right, that I have no use at all of you.}

―Even if thy make a contract with me, thy can obtain everything thy wish for?

―I am the only one among the 72 Pillar, who is specializing in reinforcement magic. Power and also speed, I can grant those to thy.

{I already don’t need any power or speed. I will become the blade itself.}

If she unskillfully affixed something like Summoning Magic on her body and fooled around with magic training, the brightness of her sword would surely grow dull. Even if she obtained speed or power, <Shin’iki> would be unusable with that.

{I don’t choose the same path with Nii-sama. Even if I cannot be a match against Nii-sama in overall strength…just in sword, I want to become an existence that shows Nii-sama the path ahead. …As the daughter of Hayashizaki family.}

―Not only power and speed. But love too.

―If you make a contract with me…you can become Hayashizaki Kazuki’s conquering target.

{That is exactly… a needless help!!}

Her swordsmanship was disturbed.

“Kana-chan, your concentration dropped! Are you sleepy!?”

Kaguya brought forth a piercing blizzard and lightly blown away Kanae.

“Damn-, as expected using it in real battle format is not so simple!”

Kaguya too like this accompanied Kanae in her special training until late at night.

Honestly Kanae had respected her since the time she first met her.

{Don’t be a hindrance anymore. It’s impolite to Kaguya after she has troubled herself to accompany my training like this…}

‘With my own way…as a big sister, I will go even farther than Nii-sama ahead of this path.’

‘Even if I lose at everything except in sword against Nii-sama, even if my love won’t come true.’

―How unfortunate.

Beleth was finally gone from Kanae’s consciousness, the night where the black cat danced continued indefinitely.

Chapter 2 – Sky of End

Part 1

The Magic Division’s student council room was the strategy meeting room of Kazuki and co.

On this day there was a new face that was added as their comrade.

“This is our special advisor, Liz Liza-sensei.”

When Kazuki introduced Liz Liza-sensei, everyone's applause *pachi pachi* that seemed to be forced, Liz Liza-sensei went “How about you trashes stop, that looks stupid” a little embarrassed.

“I have gone several times to the depth of Fuji’s sea of trees before the wall was built. There are various things I can give advice for.”

“But there will be no more interference from Yamato right?”

Mio tilted her head saying so. “If that’s so won’t this be just a simple journey of Kazuki taking the Sacred Treasure and going home? Easy, easy.”

‘Certainly’, Kazuki too thought so. From here on ahead both Loki and Ilyailiya too couldn’t stand in their way.

They would be shown the way by the seal and just needed to head to the promised place―he had such a sense of security.

His sense of danger was slacking, but Kazuki immediately tensed himself.

“Just because there will be no interference doesn’t mean that there is no danger. Where we will be going from now on is the deepest part of Japan’s largest Haunted Ground. It should be even more dangerous than even Level 1 and 2 until now.”

The inner part of Fuji’s sea of trees couldn’t be liberated by the Knight Order before, and then, to cope, they built the wall surrounding the area several times to hold back the expansion. Surrounded by walls, the Grand Haunted Ground was divided into three levels.

Thanks to the wall, the Haunted Ground’s expansion was slowed down, but in exchange the magic power was confined to the inner direction and beyond the wall became unimaginably thick with magic power.

The other side of the last wall―the Level 3 area should have became a type of Haunted Ground that had never before been seen in Japan.

“It’s just like he said. It’s not an exaggeration to say that, until now, you guys probably still haven’t even tasted half of the danger of the Grand Haunted Ground just from your experience in Level 1 and 2.”

Liz Liza-sensei talked with her usual strict tone like when she was teaching in class.

“If you ask me why, that’s because Level 1 and 2 are a forest, but ahead in Level 3 the area will become the Fuji Mountain. In short a place that was originally dangerous already is transformed into an even worse Haunted Ground. …From here on out what is necessary is not just simple battle strength, it’s better to head there with a few number of people that excel in adapting to the environment.”

“Adapting to the environment… is it?” Mio asked back with a dubious face.

“…What is waiting for us from now on is a snowy mountain climbing in a Haunted Ground.”

“Actually I also have a hobby of mountain climbing. Because Britain is a great country for mountain climbing.”

For some reason Liz Liza-sensei started to explain in a lively tone of voice.

Fuji Mountain―as Japan’s highest summit, it was a mountain that was said as Japan’s symbol.

Even now that it had become a Haunted Ground, that white peak seen from afar didn’t change at all since the ancient times.

But there was no more climber there to visit the place as a tourist attraction like in the past, the true state of the place right now was uncertain.

“Originally the snow should be gone when the season entered the summer, I hear that it was an easy to climb mountain.”

Liz Liza-sensei said. If that was true then there should be no danger now that it had already been June.

“But Fuji Mountain that had been turned into a Haunted Ground is isolated by blizzard all year round and it was transformed into a mountain with intense cold. I think the harshness of that environment can even rival Everest or McKinley now. That’s my opinion.”

Everest―Even Kazuki and the others whose awareness of the world in general had faded knew about that name.

The mountain with the highest summit in the world. In a certain meaning it was a name that was like [a myth that existed in reality].

“Even if sensei said it’s like climbing a mountain in winter… we are strong against cold you know.”

Mio interjected into the lecture with a face that didn’t understand what Liz Liza-sensei wanted to say.

Magicians could manipulate heat using Pyrokinesis. Heat or cold wouldn’t become any problem for them.

In addition they also had defensive magic power, so even if they fell from the cliff or got hit by falling rocks, there would be no problem.

To put something like environment adaptation as a source of argument itself was strange.

“No, you see, the blizzard and the coldness of Mountain Fuji that had turned into a Haunted Ground resounded not in your flesh, but in your mind. It’s the same as a mind attack magic. The problem is not your defensive magic power, but your strength to maintain your [wall of heart].”

Resistance against mind attack magic―although Kazuki was better at it compared to the past, it was still a field that he was poor at.

“When the Haunted Ground’s coldness and chill resounds in your mind, you will be convinced that the feeling is real and its influence will come out for real in your body. Regardless of how you preserve your temperature using Pyrokinesis, you will still get hypothermia. Even though you are supposed to have produced oxygen with magic power already, an acute mountain sickness’ symptoms will still appear in you. There will be many agonies that you have forgotten since becoming a magician that will appear on parade. Even the knights in my generation had some people who died from challenging the Fuji Mountain that had been turned into a Haunted Ground.”

Death―for the people of this generation who could protect their body with defensive magic power, it was an extremely heavy concept.

“Won’t it be fine if we fly in the sky while chanting magic?”

Koyuki raised her hand and calmly stated her opinion. If it was Kazuki or Mio then it was possible for them.

“At that time too there was a contractor of Phoenix that tested that, but it was no good.” Liz Liza-sensei shook her head.

“When you get separated from the ground, a fierce wind will blow right overhead and beat you down to the ground. It’s as if the Haunted Ground is saying that a cunning act is prohibited. The Haunted Ground is forcing you to climb the mountain on foot. Even though that place is a world of magic, but it’s really obsessive with due form.”

Diva, Demon Beast, and Haunted Ground reproduced the form of Mythology and legend. The harsh challenge of climbing the snowy mountain that once existed in Fuji’s sea of trees―that legend enforced the people that stepped their foot in it to follow it.

“You guys have become magicians that are far more excellent than the magicians of my era. But the Grand Haunted Ground too has continued its expansion, the magic power in its center part has also been condensed even more than before. You guys had better prepare your heart beforehand as if you are seriously challenging to climb a snowy mountain without any magic power. And then there will be Demon Beasts too attacking us there.”

“A blizzard where mind resistance is necessary… then it’s better for the members of the Magic Division to be the one to go there then.”

“I guess so. In the first place it’s not an environment where you can honestly do a close-quarter combat.”

“Then there will be no turn for this one is it…” Kohaku dropped her shoulders regretfully.

“Even if you tell me to go to that kind of harsh place, there is no way I want to go there.”

Torazou-san laughed carefreely, but Kanae besides him stood up noisily from her chair.

“Please wait, Nii-sama! Please let me go together with you there!!”

“No way. You too don’t have much training in resistance against mind attacks right?”

“But!”, Kanae tenaciously dogged Kazuki.

“I cannot give special treatment to only Kanae. It’s dangerous. I don’t plan to listen to your selfishness.”

Kazuki decisively omitted Kanae from the group, not as family, but as the Chief Student Council President.

“So that we can immediately react even if any victim appears, I think it will be better to make a team composed of Magika Stigmas with high positivity levels. The Sword Division members are also out of the question because of that requirement too.”

Liz Liza-sensei added her comment to Kazuki.

“Therefore…” Kazuki made an orderly list of names on the whiteboard.

Hayashizaki Kazuki. Amasaki Mio. Hiakari Koyuki. Lotte. Otonashi Kaguya. Hoshikaze Hikaru. Tsukahara Kazuha.

With this, the girls whose positivity level toward Kazuki were above 100 became the team members.

“Fufufu, Tsukahara-san usually always talks abusively to Kazuki, but you actually really love Kazuki don’t you? I wonder how much the number actually is?”

Hikaru-senpai teased Kazuha-senpai who was sitting just beside her.

“It, it’s not really like a love. I, I just like him a little…”

Kazuha-senpai’s face was beet red and she looked down completely.

“Ahaha, Tsukahara-san is so cute~!” Hikaru-senpai poked her from the side.

“Ge, geez! Stop it~” Kazuha-senpai shook off Hikaru-senpai’s hand but,

“I’m not gonna stop~” Hikaru-senpai hugged her. Kazuha-senpai then,

“Geez… Hoshikaze-san you dummy…” She became completely docile with a beet red face.

What’s with the two of them?

“Also as someone who is experienced about the mountain, I will give you all my guidance.”

Liz Liza-sensei said that with a face that looked a little excited.

“…I’m, being left out?”

Shinobu-senpai was pouting with her eyebrows knitted while saying that.

“Eerr, it’s decided from the sequential order of the positivity level after all.”

When Kazuki weakly said that, Shinobu-senpai stood up from her seat, *tetete* she approached Kazuki’s side with little run and crouched down. After that she talked to Kazuki with upturned eyes like an abandoned dog.

“I. …Really like Kazuki.”

“I, I know that, but, err…”

When Kazuki didn’t know how he should answer, Mio who sat beside him said “I’m the one that loves Kazu-nii the most here~!” while standing up and puffing out her chest. Shinobu-senpai frowned in dissatisfaction.

Beside her a female wolf Diva―Marchosias’ avatar was floating. It was said that Marchosias could take the form of a human and also a wolf, but her true nature was more of a wolf.{Gau. O King, To leave out my contractor like this, unforgivable. Gau.}

Shinobu-senpai mimicked her Diva’s behavior and barked “Gau gau” while pulling *gui gui* at Kazuki’s arm.

“That way of acting as a spoiled doggy is still just second rate desu!”

While Kazuki was troubled, Lotte who was watching the development suddenly stood up from her seat.

After that Lotte rushed over to Kazuki’s side trottingly and hugged Kazuki’s neck. And then,

“Kazuki-oniisan, wan wan-!” She licked at Kazuki’s cheek *pero pero*.

“…I see.” Shinobu-senpai’s eyes sparkled.

And then “Gau gau” she hugged Kazuki’s neck from the other side and went *pero pero* at Kazuki’s other cheek.

“Wan wan!” “Gau gau.” Both of their soft tongues were teasing Kazuki’s cheeks. The warm saliva of girls besmeared his face all over. Kazuki’s feelings became a little strange.

“Both of you, we are still in the middle of a serious meeting here!”

After Kazuki kept being treated like that for a while, he finally pushed back the two of them off him.

Lotte said “Okay desu” and obediently returned to her seat.

“Shinobu, give up already and come back here.”

After Miyabi-senpai signaled Shinobu-senpai with her hand, Shinobu-senpai too went “Gau…” dejectedly before retuning to her own seat while crawling on all fours on the floor.

‘…No, senpai doesn’t need to become a wolf that much.’

“Well then, tomorrow let’s carry out the operation with these members! We are going to take the last Sacred Treasure!”

Kazuki declared with his face still wet with saliva.

It was only Kanae who still couldn’t accept it and she faced Kazuki with a dissatisfied look.

“You all don’t need a lot of climbing tools if you make a practical use of magic. But let’s prepare extra just for the food supply. Just in case, perhaps we will need to camp in the openbivouac there.”

Liz Liza-sensei added that at the end of the meeting.

Part 2

With this, this was the third time they went on an expedition from the Knight Academy to the Grand Haunted Ground.

It took one hour from Tokyo to Gotenba Station at the bottom of the Mt. Fuji using the magic light train, from there they changed their transportation into the military use car that the Knight Order had prepared for them and they traversed through the empty town that had become an evacuation area.

Like that they arrived at the first wall that was the entrance into the Haunted Ground.

After following the procedure at the gate that was guarded by the Knight Order to not let anyone enter, they went inside.

For the time being their numbers until here were not few, a lot of volunteering students were also coming along.

The Level 1 area that was the most outer part of the Grand Haunted Ground had already been mostly liberated from the exploration that they had done twice until now in this place. Because of that, what greeted them right after they passed the wall was the calm forest at the foot of Mt. Fuji.

Signs and facilities that were built at the time where this place was still a bustling sightseeing course were left behind as if the time had been stopped.

Aiming for the second wall that was standing towering far away, they earnestly walked the path that was filled rampantly with green conifer trees.

“Walking through this area blessed by mother nature… I cannot suppress this uncomfortable feeling inside…”

In the crowd of students slightly behind, Kamimura-san in goth-loli clothing that was mismatched with the scenery was walking forward somehow even with an unsteady gait.

“You’re not tired, Kamimura-san?”

Kazuki drew back until the behind and felt anxious about the girl’s condition.

“The sky is so dazzling… Right now I’m fine, but surely I will get tired in time…”

Kamimura-san answered him with a way of talking like a prophet.

“Should I carry you on my back to preserve your stamina?”

“Eh, tha… that’s, it’s okay. Kazuki is the one that has to preserve your stamina no matter what.”

He was completely rejected. But there was no skull mark that came flying at him so he guessed she was just acting reserved. Kazuki cut in at the front of Kamimura-san, then with a ‘hyoi’ he lifted up her small body.

Kamimura-san went “Au! Awawa-!”, then she encircled her arms around Kazuki’s neck while she was about to blow her fuse.

“Let’s be like this until the second wall.”

“…Even though I’m being tactful here… Uu―. Normally when someone is about to do something like this they will get cold feet and become scared and so they won’t be able to do it, that’s what I thought. You are completely like the cool guy in a gal-game, this pushy attitude that cannot be hated… Something like this is unfair. So vexing. …But you will get wet-!!”

“What, wet you say? Not really, Kamimura-san’s weight is like paper, you are so light that I won’t sweat much.”

“Mumumu-!? Her weight is, light you say!?”

Kaguya-senpai who was walking at the side suddenly turned at their direction with a great vigor for some reason.

“Kaguya-senpai, Kamimura-san’s lightness is because her existence is only partially out of Astrum and in this dimension. It is not something that you can get from something like a diet, so don’t mind it.”

Right now it was Kamimura-san’s existence that had already half-disappeared, not her fat.

“Why is Kaguya-senpai that sensitive about this weight talk?”

“No, no no not really. I don’t really care about something like my weight or anything!? Wow, it feels really good to walk among nature like this! La la laa― fu―n fun♪”

Kaguya-senpai’s eyes kept darting everywhere while skipping with a weird humming and whistling.

Everyone were all cute girls but… perhaps the hard work that the girls were doing behind the scene for their appeal was something that a male just couldn’t get a measure of.

“Even someone like me, have some aspects that a person that lovely is jealous of, that’s…”

On the other hand Kamimura-san was moved in a weird way.

“You are too light like this. I have to feed you a lot and make you gain weight.”

When Kazuki shook Kamimura-san up and down, she gave off a weird voice “au au au―”.

A gentle slope came into their view next, soft pastel blue manifested themselves from between the vivid green thickets.

“Kamimura-san, look, hydrangeas are growing en masse.”

“Oo…” Even Kamimura-san spontaneously raised a deeply moved voice. Everyone around them were also suddenly making a fuss about the sight.

“See, going outside once in a while is also good, right?”

Kazuki once again shook Kamimura-san on his back up and down while talking.

“…Kazuki, your way of talking, it looks like a father that took his daughter outside.”

Kamimura-san’s reply sounded like she was a little troubled of how to cope with the situation.

The reserved hue of the hydrangeas calmed down the hearts of the people watching it. If it was now, he had the feeling that he could step inside Kamimura-san’s heart for even just a little.

“Kamimura-san, you really work hard, that you even went with us into this place, you also properly attended the academy but, you’re not forcing yourself right?”

Kazuki slowed down his walk and then he asked while his gaze was following along the hydrangeas at the roadside.

It was a natural way of living, but for this girl who had been a shut-in for a long period of time such a way of living was supposed to be difficult for her.

“I’m not forcing myself. After all, I understand, that all this time you and Lotte-shishou are always being considerate of me. …Because I understand that I’m being paid attention to… I thought that in this kind of time, I have to become useful properly, by fighting.”

“You really are doing your best. Thank you.”

Why in the world would a good child like this become a complete shut-in?

Kamimura-san was scared to get along with other people. He had no doubt that she was too sensitive against other people’s attitude at herself, whether it was kindness or ill will. There was no problem in her personality, it was just that she was too sensitive.

‘In order to grant courage to such a girl, what should I do that would be good? …Let’s constantly fill her surroundings with the kindness of the people from around us.’ That was what Kazuki thought.

“Thank you, Kamimura-san.”

Kamimura-san noticed Kazuki and the others’ consideration for herself and so she tried her best to return the favor. Kazuki was happy of that and gave his thanks to her.

“…I think that the hydrangeas are certainly beautiful. I recognize it.”

As if searching for a way of how to express her own feelings, Kamimura-san talked slowly to Kazuki.

“Because you pulled my hand and led me outside from the Ise Imperial Shrine, maybe, surely, even I can become someone that tries to think of the things outside of my room as fun… I think.”

Kamimura-san was facing forward, just a little.

…The quiet promenade that was like a hiking route continued, and finally they arrived at the second wall.

Kazuki put Kamimura-san down from his back. In exchange of thanks for Kazuki’s assistance that let her legs rest were still mostly at ease, Kamimura-san wordlessly hopped up and down lightly.

They passed the second wall too and entered Level 2.

The area from here on mostly hadn’t been liberated yet. But the route to continue to the third wall had been opened by Kazuki’s reckless battle before this.

The elite squad led by Kazuki headed to the third wall while the other students spread out in order to advance the capturing of the Level 2 area. That was the arrangement that they had decided on.

“Leave this area to these ones!” “Leave it to us!” “I’ll work today.” “Gau.” “Fufufu.”

Kohaku, Karin, Kamimura-san, and the Ryuutaki-sisters saw off Kazuki and co. who were going forward.

The path that Kazuki and co. followed was gradually sloping drastically, they even had to follow some animal trails on the way.

Even so there was no Demon Beast coming out on this route that had been liberated once.They finally arrived at the third wall with the ease of advancing through a dungeon that had finished being captured completely.

There was a concrete wall that was built fourteen years ago before it was abandoned in front of them.

A plain door like a staff entrance door behind a building was installed in the lower part of the wall.

Both the wall and the door had gotten so old that it looked like it would turn into dust if it got hit with all their strength.

But a powerful barrier was set up on this wall that could even reject a King.

“Please wait! Nii-sama… as I thought, I too will go!”

Kanae chased them from the path behind. Kazuki turned around in surprise and shouted.

“I told you no already!”

He had to tell her sternly. He understood well of how Kanae’s obstinacy was.

“I can’t take you because your resistance against mind magic is weak. If something happened to Kanae, I cannot search for you like I can with everyone else. Saying it bluntly, you will just slow us down.”

“However… I have the feeling that there will be something important that is going to happen to Nii-sama after this… I have the feeling that I have to see that with my own eyes!!”

―Some kind of important thing. Leme had repeatedly said the word destiny before. Ahead of this path, there was a turning point waiting for him that would shake his future.

When he thought of that once more, Kazuki felt hesitation and his reply was caught inside his throat.

A turning point that would change his own life. To say that he was going to take Mio and Kaguya-senpai and everybody else there, but telling Kanae that he couldn’t take her was… as if he was inviting everyone to his wedding reception except for Kanae…

It could be seen as an act that threw away the existence of Kanae from his own life ahead of now.

Kanae’s feeling that wanted to witness with her own eyes the turning point of Kazuki’s life was something natural.

On the other hand, he too… he also felt that he wanted Kanae to be there at the turning point of his life.

His relation with Kanae was that deep. Even more than everybody else in this place…

―’I also want Kanae at my side.’ That kind of feeling gushed out inside him like a light shining over the darkness in his heart.

However, it was dangerous…

{…Kazuki.}

Inside Kazuki’s head who couldn’t say anything, a voice of someone was echoing. It was not Leme.

“This voice is…” It seemed that a similar voice also rang out inside Kanae’s head, she turned her head around looking for the voice’s owner.

The third wall that was right beside them emitted a faint magic power light.

That light linked Kazuki and Kanae’s consciousness and sent in a voice into them.

“The path ahead might be severe, but… take that person with you too.}

The seal that possessed its own consciousness told so to Kazuki.

{Undoubtedly, there are also things that have to be conveyed to that person too, that’s why…}

That time…*zuzuzu*, a heavy sound was reverberating.

The door of the wall that was emitting light opened by itself in invitation to Kazuki and Kanae.

“…I understand. Kanae, come together with me and ascertain what lies ahead of me with your own eyes.”

Kazuki resigned himself. He said that while shivering from the existence of someone that would once more change his life.“Certainly ahead of this path, it looks like there is something really important that is waiting.”

Kazuki and co. passed through the wall―there was a boundary line of the world there.

The other side of the opened door was pure white.

Silver grains were dancing in the air along with the wind. When they stepped inside with a step, their feet were buried right into the snow until their shin. All the trees in the surrounding had withered, turning into frost covered trees that were colored silver.

This level was a snow mountain in winter… he had been told that, but even so, the world line between the front of the wall and behind the wall was just too different.

It just told him even more clearly how incomparable the thickness of the magic power that distorted the world was in here.

“Well then everyone, let’s go.”

Kazuki stood in the lead and passed through the door, his companions followed after him.

Their feet was buried under the snow, silver wind hit the body right from the front, Kazuki’s teeth were clattering in no time at all. He entered strength into his shoulders and tensed the muscles in his whole body.

It had been a really long time since he felt the sensation of the cold.

Just like the story that he heard, it was still cold even though he produced heat in his body using Pyrokinesis. He deeply felt the cold.

“Hold your mind strongly! If not, you will get hypothermia just like your mind imagined!”

Liz Liza-sensei raised her voice. The coldness of this Haunted Ground reverberated in their minds.

“What an outrageous Haunted Ground…”

Kaguya-senpai knitted her eyebrows. Even so when he looked back to ascertain the countenance of the members, he could still feel some composure from everyone of the Witch’s Mansion.

“…Kanae, are you okay?” Kazuki was concerned with Kanae’s condition.

“I’m fine.” Kanae bit her lips and answered while glaring at the path ahead.

Her stout-heartedness that wouldn’t let any complaint escape her mouth made Kazuki feel even more anxious instead.

“This place should be at the height of around two thousand meters above the sea. As expected even the snow mountain of a Haunted Ground, too, will become even colder the higher it is, ahaha.”

Hikaru-senpai made a desperate laugh.

“The height too is like that, but thanks to the trees that are still growing around here the wind is weak. When we pass through the forest border and there is nothing in the surroundings, the blizzard will hit us fully at that time.”

Liz Liza-sensei added in a fact that he didn’t even want to imagine.

What was a little strange was how everyone was exposing their bare skin because of their Magic Dress even though they were in the middle of a snowy mountain. Though Kazuki was also just in his normal uniform. This clothing had no meaning at all for physical cold protection.

“O Divine Protection of mermaid, please block the step of the hated enemy and hasten the step of the chosen person… O ice blade, run! Moves in the Field!”

Koyuki cast an environmental control magic before they advanced through the snow for real.

Usually this magic froze the ground and formed ice blades on the allies’ feet. The allies could move around freely like ice skating while the enemy would be unable to move about… this magic had been used a lot in that way.

But this time the magic didn’t grant any effect on the ground and formed ice claws on the allies’ feet. Furthermore it also created ice picks in the shape of a ‘T’.

“It really created a fitting atmosphere huh.” Hikaru-senpai swung around her pick’s like a kid.

An ice pick is a tool used to stab the blade into a snow surface of rock wall in order to keep the holder’s balance when they fell off from the slope or their balance was broken.

“And then if we stab this claw into the snow surface, we can then walk forward and not slip.”

Mio said that while immediately moving through the path of new snow with the ice claws on her feet.

“Even if we don’t use something like this, there is also a method of walking while using friction control magic.”

The expert in general magic, Kazuha-senpai, was once more saying an amazing thing so nonchalantly.

“That’s also fine but Hiakari has already troubled herself to make this, so just use this to suppress the consumption of excess magic power. After all even just standing around like this will have your magic power consumed to endure the blizzard.”

Liz Liza-sensei said so and then she urged them on.

“Oi, Hayashizaki siblings and Tsukahara, what are we going to do if you guys don’t walk in the lead.”

Kazuki, Kanae, and Kazuha-senpai moved forward in panic with crunching sounds to catch up with Mio who went ahead.

“Wait, Mio!”

They had to stab the picks into the snow surface each time they took a step forward and stepped firmly with the ice claws while climbing in long stride so as to not slip. Just advancing forward like this in a snowy mountain was surprisingly hard.

Their feet that were buried in the snow too was so cold with a chill that seeped right inside until their bone.

Kazuki finally overtook Mio and stood in front of the whole party.

Suddenly the snow field ahead vibrated *gogogo*.

…That’s right, of course this kind of thing would naturally happen. At the other side of the sloping path―inside the white screen of the blizzard, a faint figure of an <ice giant> so big they needed to look up appeared.

They had to fight Demon Beasts in this Haunted Ground.

“That Demon Beast… be careful! It’s going to throw ice lumps from afar!”

Liz Liza-sensei yelled. The ice giant broke his own body with his fist. And then it raised high the ice lump that was a part of its own body, he faced Kazuki and co. and threw it.

The enemy was located on the higher ground. The ice lump was approaching them by borrowing the force of gravity.

Kazuki jumped to the side and evaded the ice lump.

But the instant he evaded a step to the side, *BAKIBAKIBAKI!* there was a strange sensation under his feet.

There was no ground at the place his foot was going to step on. That spot was where shrubbery was growing on the slope and looked like the ground just from the snow that was piling up on top of it. There was no footing at the place where he was going to step, Kazuki almost rolled down from the slope.

He supported his body with the pick in panic and raised a yell.

“Like, like this we are not going to be able to move our body well!?”

The ground looked like a brand new snow surface at a glance, but they couldn’t know what was going on under the snow with just one look.

The giant didn’t miss the opening and threw another ice lump at them. With this timing, he couldn’t dodge.

“Flapped the wings and scatter sparks. Trail behind the spiral wind, become the bullet that gouge life! Flap and shoot! Barrett!!”A flame bullet collided into the ice lump just in the nick of time. Ice grains and steam exploded in front of Kazuki’s eyes.

“Geez Kazu-nii, be careful there!”

With Mio as the beginning, the other companions shot out their attack magic all at once.

“My wicked thought is filled with curse, I beseech thy agony… I have no shame of my ominous thinking! Feel Pain!”

“O the will of god of the whirling sky! Converge in my hand, please grant me the authority of judgment! O radiance of royalty divine gift, become the drawn bow of splendor! Lightning Line!”

“Howl! The civilization grant destruction to human! The roar of wisdom scorch, break thy body, bury that dignity under the rubble!! Mitrailleuse!”

Kaguya-senpai’s bullet of agony. Hikaru-senpai’s lightning arrow. Lotte’s gatling bullets.

The giant staggered from the raining down magic. Its movement that was trying to throw ice lumps was stopped.

“Barrett!”

Kazuki too ran through the snow field while chanting attack magic. When Kazuki pushed his way through the snow and advanced in the front, it also made it easier for everyone that was following after him to advance.

Ahead on the pure white path of the blizzard, Kazuki sensed even more moving presences.

“Everyone, there’s not just one!”

At the same time with Kazuki yelling to inform his party, three more giants showed their majestic appearances from the depth of the blizzard and the three raised up ice lumps all at once.

“O hour hand, please blunt down the gait of the fools and show contempt for their worth… Stupefaction Time LostChrono Stutter!!”

Liz Liza-sensei chanted a magic that he had never seen before.

Three avatar of clock floated in front of the three ice giants, those three clocks had its hour hand moved really slowly while melting into the giants.

Thereupon in the blink of an eye, the giants’ movement became sluggish.

A magic that slowed a great number of enemies all at once―perhaps Liz Liza-sensei had assumed from the start that the enemy might be more than one.

The thrown ice lumps from the giants whose movements were slowed flew flimsily and fell in the middle without reaching Kazuki’s location. The fallen ice raised *DON!* a large sound and a curtain of snow was raised on the snow field.

“O craftsman’s forging that scatter the flower of night performance, fill the woven sky with sword’s tip! The role of the sword is for the sake of victory… under my command, become thunderstorm and pour down! Tenkuu Battou Renge Hou!”

Kazuha-senpai too was chanting a magic that was suited for a great number of enemies.

It was an attack magic that created a large number of Sacred Treasures and launched them like missiles.

“Burn brightly!”

When Kazuha-senpai commanded, the Sacred Treasures that were floating in the air were all covered with flames.

Kazuha-senpai’s contracted Diva, Futsunushi no Kami had his power increased from combining with Take Mikadzuchi. It seems that now senpai was able to freely control the element that the Sacred Treasures possessed.

The flame Sacred Treasures pierced into the ice giants one after another.

…But, the giants were not falling down.

“Barrett!” “Lightning Line!”

Low level magic were flying without pause. But the giants planted themselves on the snow field and stood dauntingly.

“…They are tougher than we think. Perhaps it will be better to take it slow and chant a high level magic.” Hikaru-senpai murmured.

“Or else, with close quarter combat.”Kanae who was pushing through the snow together with Kazuki murmured subduedly. It was a heavy tone of voice as if she was being cornered in some respect. …Kanae was waiting for her chance.

But the distance between her and the opponent was far with snow blocking the path.

“O shapeless and mute shadow, become the fish that swim inside the darkness that is teeming with obstructive thoughts! The origin of nightmare, vicissitudes materialism, respond to the fear and hope and sink your teeth…! Deep Specter!”

Kaguya-senpai had already concluded to aim for a high level magic and put it into practice.

A soul was residing inside the shadow of the ice giants. The black shadow that was like a spot of stain inside this white world swelled up in one go and turned into a monster with size that was not inferior with the ice giant.

The shadow monster opened its big mouth where fangs were lining up inside like a shark’s mouth, then it sunk its teeth into the ice giant.

But the ice giant didn’t even pay any heed of how their shoulder was bitten by a monster and continued to throw ice lump at Kazuki and co.’s direction. Their movements were sluggish due to Liz Liza-sensei’s magic, yet they were still throwing ice lumps even though it didn’t reach. Several of the ice lumps were falling just right in the middle.

“Their toughness is amazing, but… those Demon Beasts, are they doing something?”

Mio raised an amazed voice. The ice giants kept continuing to throw ice lumps that didn’t even reach them with sluggish movement like broken robots. Over and over they kept throwing, raising a curtain of snow on the snow field.

―A crack sharply entered the snow field. With a look of realization Liz Liza-sensei yelled.

“…Those guys’ aim to cause an avalanche! Someone use wind or flame magic!!”

Right at that instant, the snow field in front of their eyes split into two of up and down.

For Kazuki who was fighting while looking up to the slope, it looked like the world itself was cleaved down.

The lower half of the snow field in their path was all slipping down at Kazuki and co.’s direction. The snow in the shape of a plate broke down like smoke and built up, in the blink of an eye it became a wave of snow with an height of ten-odd meters.

The snow volume that could swallow all of them whole, surged, nearing them while roaring with a vibration like an earthquake.

The one who could immediately react was Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai. Both of them chanted the same magic.

“O wind of bellows, awaken the scorching heat of steel on my forging! Take into hand the hammer that had tempered hundred and strike away the impurity of the soul! Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazadzuchi!”

Kazuha-senpai finished her chanting an instant faster. When she raised her palm at the approaching avalanche, a wind of flame explosion whirled out from there. Like a katana blacksmith that awakens flames with the wind of bellows―this was a double element magic of flame and wind of Futsunushi no Kami who was the god of blacksmith. Its might had increased even more after obtaining the power of Take Mikadzuchi.

Wind explosion was blown into the approaching avalanche and evaporated it.

“Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazadzuchi!”

For the following avalanche that Kazuha-senpai couldn’t blow away completely, it was Kazuki’s turn to blow them away after casting the same magic with a time difference.

Even so, there was still more…*DODODODODO!* Tremors of the snow was approaching. The avalanche was continuing.

There were still magicians of wind and flame among them.

“O stream of atmosphere, converge in this body, become the storm that reject the hated person! The eye of the typhoon is exactly my throne! Storm Fort!”

“Burn to ash all that you touch… o scorching heat of rejection that has no place to depend! Self Burning!”

Hikaru-senpai and Mio invoked wind and flame defensive magic at the same time. Vortex of wind hid his companions from the surrounding and then flame mixed into the vortex of wind.

A storm of flames repelled away the avalanche that had its force greatly reduced from Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai’s magic and all of it was terminated.Because all of the snow that covered the snow field had moved down with the avalanche, the ground in the space between them until the ice giants was laid bare.

The snow was cleared exposing the original scraggy rock surface under it, like a path that guided them to the enemies.

Kanae quickly started to dash without hesitation―she had belief that her comrades would repel the avalanche.

Kazuki noticed that Kanae had changed from her two sword style of kodachi into using a single pure black katana. It was <Michikage> that formed a pair with Kazuki’s <Doufuu>. Kanae’s beloved sword in the past that she used when she was a child.

“Nii-sama, Amasaki Mio! Give me the protection of fire!!”

Kanae yelled while closing her distance with the ice giants in one go.

“Burn to ash everything touched… the scorching heat of rejection without any place to depend! Self Burning!”

Kazuki immediately guessed what Kanae wanted and chanted the magic that enveloped Kanae’s whole body with flame.

Mio too attached the same magic to Kanae a moment later.

Kanae used the flame that clad her whole body not for defense, but for attack, she used Psychokinesis to concentrate the flame onto her katana. And then she kicked the rock surface and flew high until the neck of the giants.

“Pierce the vital spot against a tough enemy!!”

When Kanae leaped at the giants whose movements were dulled, Kanae stabbed the flaming blade into its neck.

The ice giant writhed in agony like a living thing. …No, the giant looked like a lump of ice, but as a Demon Beast it possessed the disposition as a living thing.

There was no mistake that Kanae’s blade had severed the electric signal circuit that governed the giant’s body activity.

“…Die!” It was a really tough giant but it was smashed up into many small ice grains under one attack.

After Kanae ripped up the neck of one giant, she kicked its body before it could break and jumped onto the next giant and tore up the neck of the giants one after another.

It was a murder technique where the match was decided already once she got close, that it even made Kazuki go ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ in admiration.

“Kanae! Be careful where you are going to land!!”

Kazuki noticed and shouted. Kanae who had finished dealing with the giants landed on the snow field.

But regardless of Kazuki’s warning, it seemed that under that snow there was no foothold, *zubo-* Kanae’s lower body was buried into the snow and she raised a scream of “Nya nya nya!?”

“Don’t get too carried away. …It’s better not to get too close to the snow.”

With an amazed voice, Kazuki pulled out the MVP Kanae from the snow.

The coldness of this snow inflicted harm to the mind. That was exactly why that avalanche was dangerous. It would be nothing if it was just a normal snow, but it’d be bad if they got buried under this snow.

If everyone of the Magic Division that was lacking in Enchant Aura got buried under a few tons of snow, surely they wouldn’t be able to move at all. And then they would rapidly get cornered into a dangerous situation from the coldness of the snow.

Kanae whose body was half inside the snow was shivering and her face turned blue.

“So, something like this… is not a big deal…”

“Don’t act tough. …We should warm you a little like this.”

Kazuki tightly hugged the shivering Kanae.

“Ni, Nii-sama!? Nii-sama―!! It’s a super ultra warmth!! Right now Kanae is like a cat that is inside a kotatsu―!”

“…But this is a cold that happened mentally so maybe doing this is irrelevant?”

“That, there’s no such thing! If it’s a problem of mind then right now Kanae’s heart is going puff-puff hotly!!” “…You look like your head is going to explode, let’s end it with this much.”

When Kazuki separated both his hands, Kanae was unsteady on her legs with a boiling face.

…If Kanae got buried under the avalanche―it was only Kanae and Liz Liza-sensei among the current member that he couldn’t search their whereabouts with the power of bond. When he thought so his body hair shuddered.

“Rotate to the rear Kanae. I’ll be the one that pushes through the snow.”

Kanae looked down in frustration but she followed what he said and moved to the rear.

“No, I’ll be the one at the head. I’m the one better suited for it right?”

In replacement of Kanae, Kazuha-senpai approached near him and said that.

…Certainly because she was a swordsman she had the proper strength to push through the snow with Enchant Aura, her resistance against mind magic was also better than Kazuki, and she could also deal against the assault of Demon Beast as a front liner.

Even if Kazuha-senpai fell she could stop her momentum using friction control, and even if she was buried under the snow she could blow it away using [Ameno Hidzukuri no Kazatsuchi].

There was the flexibility that could do everything even if something happened to Kazuha-senpai.

“Let’s do it with the two of us taking turn.”

“Yosh, tag.”

Kazuha-senpai laughed “he he he” and presented her palm, Kazuki high fived her with a clear sound of *pachin*.

“When it’s the time to alternate, let’s warm each other by hugging like just now.”

“Do, don’t make a needless banter-! Idiot-!” Kazuha-senpai hit Kazuki’s head.

Kazuki and co. formed a single line and resumed climbing the mountain.

…At first the fallen snow only reached until their shin, but the snow became higher when they climbed even more ahead.

The snow passed their knee… then when the height reached around their waist, it became difficult even just to move ahead.

Kazuha-senpai who stood in the lead swept away the snow in front of her with the ice picks, and then she pushed further into the snow surface that had been torn down lower with her knee, finally when the height of the snow became something that her feet could lift over she could take a step forward.

Kazuha-senpai raised a scream “Thi, this is harsh!” while her beauty was ruined from being forced to walk bow-legged.

Thanks to her pushing aside the snow in the front, the second in line could advance with a fair ease.

As expected this was an absurd task if they didn’t alternately take turns.

“Standing in the lead and pushing through the snow is called Russell. It’s one of the hardest task in climbing a snow mountain.” Liz Liza-sensei said that from the back.

“In proportion of the two that are working hard in the front, we the rear guard will work hard if there are Demon Beasts coming out!”

Kaguya-senpai went ‘Ei ei ouu―” while raising her hand. Right at that moment an ice giant appeared at the front where it was going to slide down at them, while from the sky a pure white giant bird that was covered with thick fur was flying.

The Demon Beasts appeared as if answering the request, so Hikaru-senpai yelled “Kaguya you idiot!”

“I’m not the one who is bad here!” While yelling, Kaguya-senpai began to chant.

The ice giant threw ice lumps and the giant bird breathed out a cold breath.

“Barrett!”

“O rejection of absolute zero, become the armor of isolation that protect our body! Freeze Barrier!”

Mio shot down the ice lump with [Barrett] and Koyuki protected the comrades from the cold breath with the barrier of chill.

Suddenly Kazuki looked behind. Interposed between Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai who was in charge of Russell and everyone of the Witch’s Mansion that performed magic battle―Kanae was looking down in frustration because she could not move even when there was no avalanche.

An absurd time was necessary just to advance ahead a little.

More than anything, the exhaustion of Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai was bigger than everyone who was doing battle.They rotated the turn every one hour, he and Kazuha-senpai hugged each other each time they were taking turns. Kazuha-senpai was cute with her face bright red. Perhaps if there was no reward like this then even Kazuki would have his heart broken.

Liz Liza-sensei had warned them before about the possibility of needing to bivouac, but as expected this was not a Haunted Ground that could be cleared in a day trip.

When he was became engrossed in the Russell duty and the battle, before he realized the surrounding had become dark from being evening.

The pure white world was transforming into orchid color. Like this they would soon meet with night.

“So this is what appeared in the end…”

Kazuki who had alternated with Kazuha-senpai of being Russell in the front unintentionally groaned.

…What appeared before their eyes was a rock wall without end in sight. The upper part was obstructed by the blizzard that formed white mist, they couldn’t determine how high this wall would continue.

If they didn’t claw their way up this wall, they would be unable to advance forward. This was like a bad joke.

“It’s better to stop one night here for the moment.” Liz Liza-sensei said.

“Come to think of it, sensei said that a tent is unnecessary so we didn’t bring any, but without blocking the blizzard we are only going to get exhausted one-sidedly even if we rest.”

“No need to worry about that. There is so much snow piling up in the surrounding. …We are making a snow hut here.”

Snow hut. …It was a proposal that made him strangely excited.

They immediately moved to work. Everyone piled up snow, pressed and condensed it, plundered the heat with Pyrokinesis, and froze and hardened the snow.

“Making it too big will only make you anxious if it’s going to break down from its own weight, so let’s make two snow huts.”

Although they could make the hut strong and solid with magic, they guessed that making it with a diameter of around four or five meters was the sensible limit. Thereupon Mio murmured while pushing and hardening the snow.

“…For the groups, how will we split the members?”

Everyone’s hands stopped.

Everyone raised their face all at once and looked at Kazuki’s direction. Leaving out Kanae and Liz Liza-sensei, there were only girls who understood that everyone in this place had more than 100 point in positivity level towards Kazuki.

“Kazuki. If I’m not mistaken your ability will unleash a special power when there is someone whose positivity level towards you became 150, right?”

When Kazuki was stumped to give out an answer towards the difficult question, Liz Liza-sensei gave an advice.

“Think about what will it do for you in the decisive battle if you raised someone’s positivity level. Make your answer from the side of profit.”

When it became something like that…

A single snow hut with high transparency that had been half transformed into ice was completed first.

“Enter the snow hut first and prepare the meal Kazu-nii. During that time everyone will complete one more of the snow hut.”

While talking Mio and Koyuki released their Magic Dress temporarily and their appearance turned into their uniform with a large rucksack on their back. They took out some plastic container and pot and a solid fuel from there. It was an underhanded trick that made use of a Magic Dress’ material conversion phenomenon.

Leme emerged out from his side and frowned her eyebrows while saying “Do this moderately okay, it’s just for this time only.”

“Even Leme also wants to eat a delicious meal right?”

Mio acted the same to Leme like when she was still kid-sized and poked her nose lightly. Though when the two of them stood side-by-side, Leme was already the bigger one between the two of them.

“How cheeky, to treat Leme like a kid when Leme had turned into this adult appearance already―!”

“So what―, Leme is Leme right―”

Both of them screwed around with each other by hitting the other *pechi pechi* repeatedly. …Looks like Mio still had some composure in her.

“Even if you called it preparation, I only need to warm the stew. It doesn’t really need to be me…” “I’m telling you to rest obediently here, so that Kazuki won’t get tired by doing something trivial like making a snow hut. We don’t know what is going to happen ahead of us you know!”

“Right right, just like she said!”

Hikaru-senpai butted in from the side and launched a hip attack at him with a boing.

The butt that was covered with a Magic Dress in T-back style blew away Kazuki inside the snow hut.

…If he was forced until this point then there was nothing he could do except to let himself get spoiled by their words.

Inside the snow hut, Kazuki spread out a sheet with high insulation rate and settled down his body on top of it. He set the solid fuel and lit up a fire. It was an alchemic fuel that boasted fire power of an average gas stove.

When he was staring at the burning flame, Kazuki’s feeling finally settled down.

…If he had to talk truthfully, he was nearing his limit.

Repeatedly becoming the Russell, the coldness of the snow stiffened his whole body that now he couldn’t even shiver.

The heart was also made of flesh―with a dysfunction occurring in the heart, the blood flow in the whole body was stagnating.

Due to the blood not circulating, the oxygen wouldn’t reach the brain. If he let his guard down, his thought would grow dim and turn pure white.

He planned to consume enough water, but even with his sweat not flowing out he felt a maddening dehydration in his body.

He had to warm his body. Kazuki instinctively thought so.

Now that he had escaped from the blizzard into the snow hut, surely his body would immediately recover if the fire of the solid fuel hit his body. Kazuki rubbed his coldly stiffening hands and fingers on top of the flame.

He had already upped his resistance toward mind magic but he was still immature in it.

Kanae too was feeling frustrated but… just because someone was a swordsman it didn’t mean that it was fine to only train in swordsmanship without caring for anything else. Even if comrades would help each other, there were many fields of expertise that had to be improved.

Waiting until after his blood flow recovered its vigor, Kazuki finally put the pot on top of the solid fuel.

The content of the pot was stew. The cold stew didn’t emit any aroma at all. Regardless Kazuki spontaneously gulped his saliva.

Rather than calling him starving, what he felt was closer to a breakdown. This was the first time his own cooking looked this delicious to himself. Since he was born, this was the first time his mind was ravaged by the taboo desire to snitch a food secretly like this.

But if he didn’t eat the food together with all his companions that were even now still building the snow hut outside…

Kazuki was gazing blankly at nothing while waiting for the pot to become warm.

The voices of everyone that were continuing their task outside felt awfully far. Perhaps his head was still lacking in oxygen. Feeling the warmth of the burning fuel, he dimly felt like he was in the middle of a dream.

Suddenly, he felt a presence right beside him. It was as if a ghost was standing right besides his pillow when he was sleeping.

After slowly turning his head―a slightly dazzling silhouette of a woman that was formed from magic power was peeking at the pot’s content from behind Kazuki.

It was as if a teacher was ascertaining a student’s cooking skill in the middle of a home economics class.

―It was the master of the seal. The First Knight. The wavelength of that light that dimly shone was the same with the light that appeared in his battle with Ilyailiya.

The light gave off a pondering voice.

{…Why are you, giving your all that much for your surroundings?}

Without tearing off her eyes from the pot, the woman’s voice sounded anxious in some respect.

‘What in the world is she feeling anxious for?’, before answering her, Kazuki first felt such doubt inside him.

“I am just doing it because I want everyone to be happy.”

Kazuki honestly talked about his own feelings.

“It looks like I am being quite misunderstood but, I’m doing this not because I am an orphan and so my self-esteem became really low that it makes me flatter my surroundings, it’s because I love everyone.”

When Kazuki said that, the woman became much more dejected and looked down.

{That stew is} The woman changed the topic. {…the flavor of your home?}

“I am an adopted child so, this is the flavor of the Hayashizaki’s… the family I was given to to be raised.”

Kazuki answered.“With Hayashizaki’s flavor as the base, I improved it in various ways so that I can make Kanae and father happy…”

The woman’s silhouette looked sad from something of what he said, she felt even more sorrowful in dejection.

“…Is something wrong?”

{I, can’t even teach my cooking to my own child. The flavor characteristics of just that family that every household has, I couldn’t impart it to him…}

Not only the pot, but the inside of the plastic containers were also loaded by Kazuki’s handmade cooking.

While her gaze kept wandering unable to calm down, the woman, rather than to be called a hero, she was more like an ordinary female, talked in sorrow.

Kazuki pondered about the woman’s life. There was no doubt that this woman staked her life for the sake of the seal.

To fight as a knight without looking back at her family… due to that this country was saved.

If so, then this person, should think of that proudly with her chest held high.

Kazuki tried to say such comforting words, and hesitated.

The child of this woman, could he understand that? Even though she had saved the country where she was born, and yet she left her own child in sorrow, as a mother could she really take pride of such a thing from the bottom of her heart?

For an existence of a mother to put in scale the world and her own child―it was not something that could be encouraged so simply.

“…Are you regretting it?”

{…Yes.}

The woman said as if spewing out the stagnation at the bottom of her heart.

An affirmation that a hero by no means should ever do.

Kazuki imagined what he would do if it was himself. ‘If, it was me in the position of this person. Or, if I was in the position of this person’s child…

When he thought that, a numb sensation ran through his brain.

This person, was someone. The master of the seal. The First Knight. The hero that saved this country.

The previous generation’s contractor of Lemegeton.

Not only that. ‘This person, who is she to me…’

This time Kazuki turned back his whole body behind.

He faced the silhouette of light of the woman right from the front.

Both her face and her body build were uncertain. Her voice too felt somewhat chaotic as if a wave was shaking it.

“…You are…”

{The pot, will be cooked soon. It looks really delicious… I too, want to try to eat it, but…}

As if running away from Kazuki’s gaze, the woman’s silhouette pointed out at the pot.

Even so when Kazuki continued to stare at her, the woman's silhouette dimmed and began to vanish.

{In the center of this Haunted Ground―at the peak of the Fuji, I’m waiting for you. I’m sending my avatar here like this, because I’m too impatient to wait…}

“Wait…!”

Raising his voice unintentionally, Kazuki reached out his hand as if trying to catch an empty air.

But, the woman’s figure disappeared and escaped from his hand smoothly. Silence returned to the surroundings. Were his companions really continuing their work outside the snow hut even now? Or perhaps it was just the inside of this snow hut that was completely transferred somewhere to a different world.

‘…I too have something that I have to convey.’

Suddenly, such feeling was gushing out from inside Kazuki’s chest.

He had to convey it to the woman that was waiting for him ahead.

That ‘I didn’t become unhappy or anything you know’.

That ‘I’m not resenting or blaming anyone’.

Part 3

When everyone finished their meal, the members were split up into two snow huts. To prepare against Demon Beast’s attack, there would be lookout posted alternately, they would pass a night in this place.

“Ahaha, hooray! I’m in Kazuki’s side!” Hikaru-senpai raised a joyful voice and she threw herself down before rolling around everywhere *goron goron* the moment she entered the snow hut.

“…Don’t go wild and destroy the snow hut okay?”

Kaguya-senpai warned her with a troubled face.

“The ones at this side… are you saying that we are the ones with a half-baked positivity level?”

Kazuha-senpai was the last one that entered the snow hut while being fidgety, unable to calm down.

Kazuki, Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, Kazuha-senpai. This snow hut was for these four people.

“No, in the first place the members that entered this Grand Haunted Ground all have high positivity levels. Among these members, Mio, Koyuki, and Lotte had all passed over 150.”

Otonashi Kaguya―142 Hoshikaze Hikaru―130 Tsukahara Kazuha―128

The three of them had passed 100, but they were still short of 150. From Kazuki’s experience, when someone had their positivity level passed 100, from thereon raising their positivity level became not as easy as before.

Surely it would be difficult to raise their positivity until 150 in this one night. But if he became able to use these three’s high level magic, it would be very reassuring in his preparation for the decisive battle.

He didn’t mean to raise everyone’s positivity level in order to become strong, but…

“Hmmm… it feels like after the classmates, now it’s the seniors’ turns.”

Hikaru-senpai noticed the common point of the members here and murmured. Now when she said that, unexpectedly the situation really had turned out like that. Although he had never intended at all to leave the seniors for later just because they were older, things just developed like this.

In order to dodge the issue, Kazuki followed after Hikaru-senpai and rolled on top of the sheet.

The sheet insulated the chill from entering and only transmitted the softness of the new snow.

“Ahaha-, Kazuki baa―m!”

Hikaru-senpai delightfully rolled and rolled and rammed her body at him.

Hikaru-senpai that came rolling at him with quite a power behind her was blocked and then embraced by Kazuki.

Hikaru-senpai became docile and rubbed her body against Kazuki in his embrace.

Gently, Kaguya-senpai too quietly lied down behind Kazuki.

“Fufufu… we are expected to pass a night in this cramped place with the objective to raise our positivity level. It feels quite lewd.” Her expression was filled with seductiveness while she whispered into Kazuki’s ears.

Both of them were in the appearance of their Magic Dress that had been simplified into really light clothing. Hikaru-senpai that was hugged by Kazuki was in the appearance of leotard-style complemented with tight high leg, while Kaguya-senpai who clung at his back was in the appearance of only having her breast from her neck and between her legs slightly hidden.

Being glued tightly to such two people, sandwiched between them, had already made him in an inflammatory state of emotion.

“Gulp.”

With an expression that gulped her saliva, Kazuha-senpai was snugly sitting in seiza at the corner of the snow hut.

“Kazuki… I’m sleepy…”

With a tone of voice that seemed like acting, Hikaru-senpai closed both her eyes with a snap.

“Senpai is going to sleep already? That’s right isn’t it… we have to wake up early tomorrow.”

“Of course that’s not it! There is a stereotype pattern in this kind of time right!?”

Kazuki went ‘hah’ with realization and from then he grew ashamed of his own slow wittedness.

“Senpai, you are going to die if you sleep here!” He lightly slapped Hikaru-senpai’s cheek.

Hikaru-senpai went “Uhyaa―” and received the slaps happily while laughing.

“Kazuki… I grew cold.”

“Ee―rr, what should I do this time…”

“Let’s warm each other by hugging together naked-!!”

With a fierce momentum Hikaru-senpai put her hand on Kazuki’s upper uniform.

Kazuki raised a scream “Uwaa-“ and resisted that act, like a pure maiden.

But both his arms was firmly restrained from behind.

“Otouto-kun, isn’t it no good to sleep with your uniform I wonder?”

Kaguya-senpai sealed Kazuki’s movement and whispered in his ear while pressing her breasts at him with ‘boing boing’.

Certainly it was just like she said, however!

“E, even you two senpai are not naked aren’t you!?”

After he said that carelessly, he thought of what he was going to do if both of them undressed from even their Magic Dress here.

“Ahaha☆ Well then I’ll pardon Kazuki and leave your shorts behind!”

Hikaru-senpai that was once extolled like a prince proclaimed that with a smiling face.

Hikaru-senpai’s hand unfastened all the buttons at his upper wear and Kaguya-senpai behind him took it off. It was a joint action that had been polished. Next they put their hands on the shirt’s buttons.

It was fine already if he could preserve his short… Kazuki completely thought like that.

In a flash his white shirt and trouser were pulled off.

‘If it keeps like this then it will become something awesome’… Kazuki thought with only a single shorts on him.

“Wawawa-!” Kazuha-senpai who was sitting in seiza covered her face with both her hands in extreme shyness.

But she was properly watching from the gaps between her fingers. This person was that kind of person.

“Ooo―, a boy’s chest!”

Admiring something that she didn’t have herself, Hikaru-senpai hugged at Kazuki’s chest.

Kaguya-senpai who had a muscle fetish was trying to draw Kazuki’s body at her direction while saying “My pectoral muscle~”. “I find the treasure~” “This is the treasure of this snow hut~” The two of them joked while rubbing their cheeks against Kazuki’s chest. Getting stripped into his underwear and getting treated like a treasure by older ladies like this…

Kaguya-senpai kissed lightly at Kazuki’s neck muscle and pressed her lips stimulatingly. He shuddered. The small tongue that that came out from her lips gently licked from his neck until his chest glidingly.

Hikaru-senpai too “I see” nodded and then she did the same act. Everywhere on Kazuki’s naked upper body, the two’s lips and tongues were crawling around bewitchingly.

He felt his body, that had completely chilled from the blizzard, grow hot as if his blood flow was running wild inside.

He never knew that it felt this good to have his body licked.

This is bad. Although there were two people that became his partner here, be that as it may, it would be bad if he got driven into the receiving party.

To have his side as the attacking side instead was… on the contrary a situation where he could keep hold of his reasoning more.

Kazuki stopped the face of Kaguya-senpai who was moving on top of his chest with a manner of hand picking out something.

They exchanged gazes. The eyes of Kaguya-senpai were… just as he thought, they had become violet in color.

First he had to calm down this person, if he didn’t crush them one by one, this night would become something too awesome.

“Kaguya-senpai, rather than playing with my chest, you want to have your body touched instead, right?”

Saying that he aimed for the substitution of offense and defense, he traced Kaguya-senpai’s nape of the neck with his finger. Copying the act of senpai just before this, this time it was Kazuki that kissed Kaguya-senpai’s body and softly licked.

He licked through Kaguya-senpai’s stomach, her back, her sides, while keeping her weak in suspense where he was going to lick. He licked sleekly all over, making Kaguya-senpai’s spine quiver in shivers.

“…Yes. My breast, I want you to touch them.”The desire of Kaguya-senpai that had become completely sensitive from Asmoudeus’ influence, had been received. She responded to Kazuki’s words without resistance before encircling both her hands on his back and averting her back.

With a jiggle, that earth-shattering breasts were pushed out at him.

His feeling became as if a main dish had been suddenly presented at him, Kazuki lifted up that heavy fruit profoundly. Lifting it up, his palm enveloped half of it from below and then he massaged.

“Ann-, ann-“ Each time he massaged, Kaguya-senpai let out a stimulated cute voice for him.

Kazuha-senpai took a glance at Kaguya-senpai and her gaze displayed a sign of being embarrassed.

“Kaguya-senpai when she uses Asmodeus’ power, she will be unable to contain herself all night. That’s why…”

Kazuki nonchalantly inserted a follow up about this situation. ‘That’s why, it can’t be helped.’

“Is, is that so, so it cannot be stopped in any way…”

Kazuha-senpai leaned her body forward even while still covering her face with both her hands.

“It’s true, a sensation reinforcement magic is running on Otonashi-san’s skin. It made her completely sensitive.”

Kazuha-senpai’s magic intuition saw through Kaguya-senpai’s condition.

The breast covering vanished from Kaguya-senpai’s Magic Dress. The pink pointed end had swelled up sharply as if saying that it wanted to be touched.

“Waa…” Kazuha-senpai leaned her body forward.

Kaguya-senpai was already impatient. Victory went to the one who made the first move, Kazuki aimed for that and suddenly sucked at the pointed ends. He slide his tongue from the side, played with it in circles and pecked on the peak.

“Fuaaaaaaan!♡” Kaguya-senpai raised a shout of joy while small heart marks scattered from her. How much she felt good could be understood from the minute changes in her positivity level.

“Ahaha, Kazuki, you look like a baby. …Me too!” Hikaru-senpai sucked at Kaguya-senpai’s right breast competitively.

“Hikaru!? Do, don’t…nnnn-!!♡”

Kaguya-senpai’s sensitive body reacted fiercely even against the stimulation from the same sex.

Rather than calling the stimulation had doubled physically, it seemed the abnormal situation of being stimulated by the same sex made Kaguya-senpai completely aroused.

“Waa… a, amazing…” Kazuha-senpai’s posture was now standing on her legs.

Even further Kazuki used his empty hand to stroke Kaguya-senpai‘s thighs. Kazuki took the lower body, while Hikaru-senpai attacked the back and the nape of the neck in the upper body.

The body of Kaguya-senpai who had completely become sensitive several times over was filled with a vortex of pleasure from the two.

“Do, don’t, if you do that to me… even though I’m being watched…ANN-♡“

Kaguya-senpai rapidly turned heated. Like a heat that lost its place to go and ran amok, Kaguya-senpai wriggled her voluptuous thighs back and forth and she rubbed her nether region at Kazuki.

“This place, does senpai want it to be touched?” He asked with a slightly tormenting tone.

“It, it’s embarrassing…” Kaguya-senpai murmured with a look of dimming reasoning.

“It can’t be helped because it’s Asmodeus’ fault, senpai.”

Kazuki said so and removed the binding of Kaguya-senpai’s reasoning.

He remembered Koyuki’s disheveled state when he stimulated that spot of hers while she was in delirium in the movie theater. The passion of a girl was saved up in this spot. Kaguya-senpai too was also like that… she was more sensitive in this spot than anywhere else.

He pressed his finger on the nether region part of Kaguya-senpai’s Magic Dress―the Magic Dress vanished as if melting the instant his finger touched, his finger directly went into Kaguya-senpai.

Even while surprised, Kazuki caressed that sensitive spot as gently as he could.

“Otouto-kun…Otouto-kun-!♡ More!! ♡”

Even though Kazuki was touching gently, it was Kaguya-senpai who shook her waist in order to make Kazuki’s finger pressed on that spot.

In the case that it actually hurt her, such thing should also be able to be understood from the change of positivity level.

That was why, Kazuki moved his finger relentlessly and resolutely. What way that would make Kaguya-senpai feel even better… while looking for such a way from the change of the positivity level… he strengthened his movement in one go.

Her small bead that would make a girl feel even better was generally similar with Koyuki.

The protuberance on the outside’s upper part, the dripping wet inside, he massaged both with his finger tips.

Kaguya-senpai raised a voice that was nearly a scream. “Aaa! AAA―!” With such a raised voice, before long Kaguya-senpai’s face looked like it was going to cry “Fuaaa―!”, and then it changed into a distorted expression that tried to endure “Hyii!”. But she didn’t dislike what he did. She was opening both her legs slovenly with liquids flooding out soppily from her lower body. An amazing amount of heart marks were flying at him.

He whispered “Kaguya, you are really cute” with wholehearted expression at her ear, and then he kissed her white cheek.

“Otouto-kun… Kazuki-kun! HYAAAAAANN-!!♡”

At the end of Kaguya’s sensitivity that had been raised several times over, she reached the highest peak. She was pierced with a sensation unimaginable for a man like Kazuki before her body went limp in a half-fainted state.

Kazuki felt shy at this late hour looking at Kaguya’s naked body that was drenched with sweat and he averted his eyes. He couldn’t look at her in the eyes.

“Kazuki-! Me too…!”

Without even any time to take a breather, Hikaru-senpai hugged at Kazuki.

Chuu* She sucked strongly at Kazuki’s lips. This was something he couldn’t do with Kaguya-senpai, a kiss on the lips.

“The pleasant feeling of a girl, teach it to me too♪ I also want to become like Kaguya there…”It seemed that Hikaru-senpai was honestly yearning for a pleasure like what Kaguya-senpai experienced.

Perhaps he was making her learn something dangerous here. Thanks to being treated like a prince until now, this person didn’t have such vulgar thoughts about this kind of thing.

He embraced her body that was even more slender than Kaguya-senpai and caressed her back and her spine.

But as if saying that what he did was too slow, Hikaru-senpai

“Kazuki, my breast♪ Touch my breast♪” She coaxed him.

When he obediently did what she asked, immediately this time she urged him on “Suck my nipple♪”

“Fuaaaaaa-! Kazuki is sucking at my breast♡”

She said it to herself as if making a self-hypnosis to heighten her feelings rapidly. She was in high spirits with all her strength. Hikaru-senpai shook her butt and coaxed him “Ne, my butthole, touch it♪”.

“Eh, the hole of the butt, senpai says?”

“Because, in the manga that I read everyone was doing that you know?”

Before this Hikaru-senpai often read with pleasure boys love manga and mistakenly thought of it as the friendship between men.

Perhaps it was only a natural curiosity for her too to want to obtain the pleasure that was drawn in the manga for herself.

A magician could use Psychokinesis to float any filth thoroughly and remove it, so that place was not a dirty place. Kazuki also didn’t have much reluctance for such a thing―he pressed his finger at the leotard that dug into the bottom part.

“Haaa…♡”

Hikaru-senpai’s expression became joyous as if she had obtained the sensation that she had yearned from since she was just a child.

He shifted the digging clothes to the side and exposed the covered part. He poked weakly with his finger as if knocking. His finger tips caressed the narrow spot and drew circle as if observing the situation.

Hikaru-senpai’s expression was melting with bewitching feeling of expectation. Kazuki then determinedly buried his finger into the inside of that place.

“Aa-, it echoed until the inside of my stomach-“

He moved in and out his finger like a moving piston, Hikaru-senpai’s dignified face that was called a prince was melting in ecstasy.

“Haaa, somehow my butt, feels really hot…”

Rather than calling the sensation she felt intense, it seems that what she felt was more like a heat that slowly surged inside.

“Aaaaa… something is coming… this is the sensation of a girl…?”

Even if she called it as a girl’s sensation, he had the feeling that it was not actually something decent. While playing the behind with his right hand, Kazuki reached out his left hand to Hikaru-senpai’s front.

“Aaaa, from the front and behind… Kazuki is entering my front and behind… you are resounding inside me-!”

Strength filled the spine of Hikaru-senpai that looked like she had slowly reached prostrate orgasm.

“Kazuki, my girl place, more!♡”

So that Kazuki could touch the front and behind at the same time easier, Hikaru-senpai held both her own legs under her arms and floated her waist. Her vulgar places were all exposed, making Kazuki reflexively avert his eyes.

“Kazuki, look at my girl places properly here!”

Hikaru-senpai said that in dissatisfaction. Kazuki continued his stimulation in place of a reply.

“It comes! …Something good is coming…!!”

Kazuki stopped sucking her breast and sucked at the shivering girlish lips of Hikaru-senpai.

“Nnn… nnnnnnn-!!♡”

Hikaru-senpai’s body was fiercely trembling while heart marks flew at him, her body stopped moving with an ecstatic expression. There was no vestige of a prince left anywhere in her. Kazuki gently stroked the girl Hikaru-senpai on her head.

“Kazuki… me, me too…”

Kazuha-senpai who was leaning her body forward on her knees approached him while still on her knees.

Even though this was Kazuha-senpai who was supposed to be the owner of the most upright personality among the members here, she had been thoroughly changed by the two girls before her.

“I, I too want to feel good just like this…”

Kazuki too stood on his knees and faced Kazuha-senpai.

“Then senpai too should vanish your Magic Dress.”

He said that planning to tease her meanly, but Kazuha-senpai even while looking down in shame made her Magic Dress disappear like a mist. The naked body of Kazuha-senpai that he last witnessed in the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave was now bared in front of his eyes.

Kazuki reflexively let his gaze crawl through her white skin.

“Kazuha-senpai, you are really beautiful.”

“Do, don’t stare at me that intently, quickly, that…”

“How does senpai want it?”

“I, I want you to touch me…”

Kazuki embraced her close with his left hand at her waist. Kazuha-senpai who let herself get pulled clung at Kazuki’s chest. When he impatiently caressed her skin, her white skin was rapidly dyed red.

That skin of hers dimly emitted magic power light.

“Kazuha-senpai, are you using some kind of magic?”

Like a kid whose misdeed was discovered, Kazuha-senpai twitched.

“O, Otonashi-san became until like this, so…”

This was―a sensation strengthening magic. This magic was a complete copy of Asmodeus’ influence that was mimicked using general magic.

When Kazuki pinched the tips of her breast strongly in a surprise attack, Kazuha-senpai’s body trembled exaggeratedly. Her body became almost as sensitive as Kaguya-senpai, and also even more from how she had been made to wait until the last turn where her passion had been piling up.

“Kazuki, make me become just like those two…”

“Like those two, like what senpai?”

“…Li, lick my nipple, suck it…”

Kazuha-senpai became more excited while saying such thing herself, her breath became rough.

Kazuki did just as she said. He pinched with his left hand, sucked with his mouth at the right side, and his right hand reached out toward her lower body and caressed her butt and thigh.

After stroking the inside of her thigh for a while, Kazuha-senpai began to fidget her body.

“Kazukiii…”

“How does senpai want it, I won’t understand if senpai doesn’t say it out.”

“Wh, Why are you talking that meanly only to me since a while ago―!”

“I know that Kazuha-senpai’s reaction when getting bullied is the cutest.”

“So you have a really warped fetish like that―!”

Although no matter how he imagined it, it was Kazuha-senpai’s own words and action that made other people want to do such things to her.

“…Kazu-kun! My, my important place too, I want you to make it feel good!!”

“Well then senpai, please open your legs yourself.”

Kazuha-senpai who was in the posture of standing on her knees turned her butt at Kazuki before she opened both her legs so that it would be easier for Kazuki’s right hand to touch. A hot liquid ran along the thigh and wet Kazuki’s hand.

Kazuki moved his hand in the way that purposefully made a watery sound intensely sounded and inflamed Kazuha-senpai’s shyness.

“Actually, I can understand what kind of way that makes senpai feel good from the minute changes of the positivity level.”

“Wha, what’s with that, if that’s true then don’t bully me like that. Uu… your way of touching that raises a sound like that…”

“That’s why senpai, it’s fine for you to let out your voice honestly and feel good.”

Kazuha-senpai’s expression brightened with a feeling of expectation at Kazuki’s declaration.

Kazuki searched for a spot where Kazuha-senpai really felt it―and immediately discovered it.“-! The place just now!”

When he concentrated at that spot, the piling up passion inside her flamed up all at once.

“FUAAAAAAAAA-!♡ Kazu-kun! ♡ It feels good, so good!!♡”

Kazuha-senpai’s body and heart became honest and clung at Kazuki, a line of saliva trailed down along with a wild breathing in her sweetly melting expression. Kazuki felt it wasteful seeing that and licked the trail with his tongue.

“Kazu-kun, kiss me too!”

Maintaining that movement Kazuki indulged deeply at Kazuha-senpai’s lips.

“NNN-!♡”

Kazuha-senpai too trembled in shivers and then she sunk down to the floor like a puppet whose strings were cut.

“Kazu-kun you idiott~”

He stroked the head of Kazuha-senpai whose face was messed up with shame.

Immediately after that, “Kazuki-kun-!” “Kazuki!” Kaguya-senpai and Hikaru-senpai embraced him from behind as if saying that they had recovered. Their bodies were still feeling hot, the two of them rubbed their bodies and fawned at him. His whole body was enveloped in the softness of girls.

Kazuki thought of the three girls as cute from the bottom of his heart.

At the same time he felt that he had to endure his own body’s demand with a self-restraint of steel.

Until the end Kazuki would only admire the three girls’ lovely reactions.

He absolutely must not do something more than that.

Part 4

Kanae couldn’t help herself from becoming concerned towards the other snow hut even while standing guard.

When the day became night, the blizzard became even more terrible. Perhaps this kind of thing was not really a big deal for the bunch of the Magic Division, but for Kanae this was a fierce blizzard even though she was just standing guard like this.

‘What kind of ordinary day that Nii-sama always spent with everyone of the Witch’s Mansion I wonder…’ Kanae was staring fixedly at the snow hut. Usually she could move such thought away from her mind thanks to the distance between the Witch’s Mansion and the Sword Division’s dormitory, but tonight, that was impossible and she became really concerned.

‘Even Nii-sama is not a blockhead that doesn’t have any desire.’ When she tempted Nii-sama, even while saying unkind things from his mouth, Kanae had noticed that inside, his heart was beating really fast.

If Nii-sama was surrounded by that many girls and being loved… surely they would even do something a little perverted many times already. Though of course, Nii-sama was a person that absolutely wouldn’t pass the line that must not be passed.

Kanae felt the loneliness of having only herself left alone.

Nii-sama felt a debt of gratitude toward the Hayashizaki house and obstinately tried to maintain the distance of a brother and a sister in regards to Kanae.

And then he shouldered the destiny where he had to create bonds with women that possessed Stigmata.

Thinking about Nii-sama’s sincerity and the weight of the destiny he shouldered, I thought that I must not feel something like jealousy. However…

If she at least had a Stigmata, she wondered whether she too would obtain the qualification to be loved by Nii-sama as a woman…

{Have thou felt like it to make a contract with I…?}

At the feet of Kanae who was standing still inside the blizzard, an avatar of a small black cat was approaching.

“…It’s only a weakness that welled up because of the cold wind.”

Kanae looked down at the black cat with a glare.

The avatar of the black cat snuggled close to Kanae’s foot with a brisk step―and entered into the body of Kanae who had grown cold from the blizzard. The sensation gradually changed into a mysterious heat.

“…You, you were shadowing me since the afternoon weren’t you? You were the one that was frequently sending heat into me like this.”

{The most that I can do for a human that is not contracted with me is only something to this degree.}

“Stop a behavior like this that pushes for a favor from me. My answer will not change for eternity.”

{…I understand well thy temperament. Thou are a proud human with purity inside. Completely like the blade of the katana that thou wield.}

“That’s right, I am a single katana.”

{I… don’t mean to push any favor to you. It’s purely just my wish to aid thou. I just want to take away thy suffering. I don’t know anything else that I can do to help.}

Despite how he was a terribly obstinate Diva that didn’t have even a single contractor until now, that voice of his was mysteriously gentle.

“Besides why don’t I have an Enigma? Pushing Enigma to the contractor one-sidedly that is enforced by the law is you guys’ original way of doing things right?”

{…Bestowing Enigma to thee is going against the rule of Enigma. Enigma was a simple mark for the sake of reserving early a possessor of excellent talent. And then Solomon 72 Pillar, certainly, we made the humans create the law that forcefully raised the people who received an Enigma into a Magika Stigma without fail. That is to make the excellent human think that they have the obligation. If the humans with excellent talent don’t become Magika Stigma then this country will not be able to maintain itself… there is also that kind of circumstances. …However there is no talent inside thee as a Magika Stigma.}

Kanae harbored a good impression towards Beleth’s honest manner of speaking.

{Falling in love at first sight based on a completely personal interest towards someone who has no talent, moreover bestowing the Enigma only after confirming it, such an act that makes someone lose the freedom of their life doesn’t stand to any reason. That’s why there is nothing I can do except to negotiate with thee whether thou will do me a favor and receive the Stigma.}

“I see, you mean that I have the right to refuse. Then, I refuse. …Even though you give me the consideration until that much, but can you really be this persistent just because of the problem of your own preference?”

{If it keeps like this thou… shall inevitably be left behind from the path where Hayashizaki Kazuki is going to advance, and so I thought that it can’t be kept like this. Thou should become the conquer target of Hayashizaki Kazuki, that’s what I thought.}

“…Is that so. But your thinking is mistaken. That is something that I absolutely mustn’t do.”

{Why?}

It was not bad to be frank about her true feelings towards this resident of another world that didn’t have any ties of obligation.

“Since I was a child, I continued to live thinking only about becoming the strongest swordsman as the successor of the Hayashizaki-style. I am a single katana since I was born. But I am not blessed with a physique of a swordsman. The truth is, I was always insecure whether I was really worthy as the successor. At that kind of time, father brought Nii-sama home from the orphanage after seeing his talent. At that time I thought [It doesn’t matter anymore].”

{…That’s so unlike thee.}

“Actually, I am not even that strong as a human. But mysteriously, the moment I gave up to be the successor… doing sword practice together with Nii-sama became fun. And then Nii-sama also taught me the joy of life outside of the sword art. Nii-sama was the person that made me human.”

{But currently, thou is trying to become a single katana once again. Rejecting to make a contract with me.}

“That’s because an enigma appeared on Nii-sama’s hand. Nii-sama shouldered the destiny where he could not become the successor of the Hayashizaki-style, that position rolled back to me once again. All this time I didn’t want to recognize that. It was great to be together with Nii-sama. I wanted Nii-sama to be the strongest swordsman. I was… scared to return back into being a single katana again. It was scary to face my own powerlessness.”

Kanae spewed out her true feelings that she had never leaked out to anyone before.

“I won’t recognize Nii-sama’s departure to the Magic Division! …The true feelings of me, who had continued to say such things all along is what I just told you. I didn’t want to become the successor. It was scary. I was going to continue to drag Nii-sama’s feet behind like that. Does this kind of me… have the qualifications to think of wanting to be loved by Nii-sama?”

Kanae once again directed her gaze at the snow hut where her big brother was in.

Nii-sama was shouldering an enormous destiny, he was being affectionate to other girls.

‘I, who am always holding Nii-sama back, don’t have the qualifications to enter into that…’

“Nii-sama is going to stand on his own feet, independent from the Hayashizaki house. He is going to step into an even grander destiny. Then, I too have to face my own destiny. I have to become the strongest swordsman and see off Nii-sama’s becoming independent. As the eldest daughter of the Hayashizaki house. You understand now, Beleth. By receiving a Stigmata from you and becoming Nii-sama’s conquer target, Nii-sama will worry about the genealogy of the Hayshizaki-style coming to an end, he will notice my weak heart that escaped from my destiny, he will only harbor despair and pity towards me. A human that cannot face her own destiny has no qualifications at all to be loved by anyone!”

She would continue the Hayashizaki-style as the strongest swordsman, with that Nii-sama would be able to leave the nest of the Hayashizaki house with relief, to step out onto an even more rigorous destiny.

At such a time, she would be able to face Nii-sama once more.

The blizzard suddenly stopped. Kanae looked up to the night sky. Wind that was several times stronger than at the surface blew and washed away the clouds in the blink of an eye, the weather of the mountain changed suddenly in an instant.

At that moment, the cloud flowed away and the blizzard vanished like a miracle, opening the starry night all over the sky. It was as if she was seeing the night sky for the first time. The sky looked close as if her hand could reach out to it, countless millions of stars were shining.

“I will become a single katana.”

The radiance of the stars had not a single murkiness in it, like the clearness of a katana.

She, too, wanted to be like that, Kanae thought.

{Thou art sublimely beautiful right now. Thy heart is undoubtedly like a polished blade.}

Part 5

Late at night―the executive room at the highest floor of Oosaka’s government office building.

Inside, a strange soliloquy was resounding.

“7-6 knight, checkmate. …Aa―, it’s impossible already! As I thought shogi is just impossible, impossible! Amberjack! Greater Amberjack!”

It was a girl’s voice ―the voice of Kaya.

The tone of voice was Kaya’s, but a way of talking that was different than Kaya was alternately mixing in it.

“…That’s why I told you already, the random factor in shogi is zero, it was reckless of you. But playing against someone that omitted his eight pieces of rook, bishop, lance, knight, and silver general, ‘as expected maybe I can win here―’ anybody will think like that ain’t it! If you are gonna play then let’s play a game that has some random factor in it yeah, this kind of logic game just ain’t suited for you y’know? Don’t talk to me like I’m an idiot, c’mon―!”

The girl’s arm toppled over the shogi board that was on top of the marble table. The shogi pieces that were depicting a disastrous war situation were scattered everywhere with clattering sounds.

“Even me don’t like a game with zero random factor in it. Why? ‘Cause there ain’t any chaos in it. A game without any uncertain factor in it is just too boring, this is just the Cosmos Side’s game.”

―This was a soliloquy that was not a soliloquy.

The two minds that occupied a single body were alternately talking.

Using just a single mouth that Kaya had, the one who was talking with Kaya was Loki.

Both of them could also exchange words only inside their head, but they much preferred to actually let out their voices when talking. Especially for a Diva, just moving their flesh body was a really pleasant thing.

After talking too much they now wanted to drink. Kaya reached out her hand to the pet bottle on top of the table and drank it all in one go. What she drank was a carbonated drink from the former era named [Root beer] that she recently got addicted to.

Loki who shared Kaya’s senses suddenly raised a scream.

“It stinks! That drink is just too stinky!! Drink something more natural, you! Don’t wanna! This chemical flavor is just unbearable y’know. Eei, shit!”

In order to remove the bad taste, Loki gulped down the whole bottle of the sweet potato shochu named [Invitation to Hell] that had been put beforehand on top of the table. It was a sake that he bought because he was pleased with the name. A scream suddenly resounded all of a sudden.

“GYAA―! My throat is burning! Hahaha, serves you right, get sterilized you idiot tongue!”

Kaya’s body was in agony while laughing.

“C’mon, just drink a lighter sake. No way, the balance between the punch of the alcohol strength and the taste is important in what is called as alcohol, the nasty sake with alcohol below 20% is not alcohol at all. Geez―, Loki you idiot! Being an alcoholic even though you are sharing a body with a girl is just the worst! The idiot one is your sense of taste here! What are you gonna do if you even get me addicted with this root beer addiction of yours!! Ah, just as I thought? Looks like you also started to get to like it eh!? …Yeah. It’s vexing but yeah. Yeeeiii, my root beer comrade♪”

They got along well with each other.

Loki was thinking ―he left alone the consciousness of this girl on a whim, but she made things fairly interesting here and there.

Sharing a life with another person like this was filled with many really new discoveries.

Both of them had an open personality that knew no shame, so they were not bothered at all even with a life of zero privacy like this.

For Kaya, even in the case when she was sleeping and during that time both of their flesh body got strangely mixed up, so when she woke up she found her own body grew out the penis of Loki’s giant’s body, she could still laugh explosively while holding her stomach. She was the owner of a personality that could do such a thing.

Loki too was so Loki that he was not flustered, even when he was sharing a body with a girl. In the first place he was the ultimate borderless god whose forte was sex change, on the contrary he even had an incomprehensible heroic saga where he transformed into a mare where he was then brought into a reverse rape as the Sasoi’uke by a giant’s powerful male horse. At that time he got pregnant and the foal that was born from that later on became Odin’s beloved horse, the famous <Sleipnir>. With rape being the case.

Both of them were completely a match made in heaven.

While the two of them were getting roused up from their matching mood in one body, there was a knocking sound *kon kon* from the door.

“It’s fine to just enter anytime without knocking. This great me doesn’t have any moment where I’m gonna get ashamed of being seen.”

Loki who didn’t have any shame lightly permitted the visitor who came this late at night to enter the room.

The door was opened and the one who entered was a group of three of male and female.

All of them were wearing the hooded robe that was the proof of being an illegal magician.

“Oh, it’s you guys.” Loki’s voice brightened and he welcomed them.

The three respectively were the illegal magicians that were possessed by Midgardsormr, Fenrir, and Hel.

These three Divas were Loki’s real children.

However they were quite unworthy of their father because they couldn’t really succeed in taking over their human’s flesh body.

‘Despite being my kids why are their performances this bad huh?’ Loki thought inside his heart in marvel.

In front of his children, Loki transformed Kaya’s body into his own body. His body contour distorted flabbily like an amoeba and without even emitting any magic power light the body smoothly morphed into Loki’s appearance.

“Nyoro nyoro.”

“Midgardsormr, you too has become considerably like a snake huh. Quickly shed off your skin already.”

“Aoo―n, ao―n.”

“Fenrir, you too have turned like a dog this far huh. Can you pee while raising one of your legs now?”

Towards the illegal magicians whose bodies had began to be deeply influenced by the Divas possessing them, Loki ignored the original personalities of the bodies and called them with the name of his own child. After stroking the heads of the two, he turned towards his youngest daughter Hel.

“…”

“Ou, Hel. You too have your complexion worsened like a death god… hm? Hel, you…?”

“Papa. I, have reached it already see.”

At that time, the body that was clad in a dark robe emitted a powerful light.

“Ooooh-!?” Loki raised a joyful voice. Inside the light, the silhouette of the illegal magician changed its shape like a jelly. In the blink of an eye it drew out the small―petite silhouette of a girl.

“Hel, you finally did it! As expected from my daughter!!”

Loki tried to hug the girl’s silhouette by jumping into the light.

The girl’s silhouette sleekly dodged the jump.

“Papa… I’m, not a child anymore you see. Stop trying to hug me already.”

The shining light settled down―Hel had clearly materialized her body.

With a bluish-white skin, her appearance was of a very young girl. Her body was clad in pure black gothic clothes that matched Kaya’s taste, her right eye was covered with an eyepatch.

Her noble look and blue hair that were inherited from Loki emitted a ghastliness that was not from a person of this world.

Hel―because she was Loki’s biological child she was still young, but in Norse Mythology she was the Queen of the World of the Dead that accomplished an important role. Loki greeted her materialization with a radiant smile.

“Hahaha, you shy kid. Papa is very lonely just by myself y’know. Comrades that papa can trust right from the heart are only you three after all.”

Loki forcefully hugged Hel while sinking his waist on the black-leather sofa.

Hel averted her face to the side and replied with a coldness of hell.

“Even without us, papa doesn’t really mind and is always having fun right? Papa is saying things like comrade, even though papa actually doesn’t need anything like that in your heart.”

“Why are saying such a cold thing to your papa that you have met after a long time? If you don’t act more honest and be sweet to papa, papa is gonna get lonely here…”

“Nyoro nyoro” “Aoo―n”

When Loki hung his head down dejectedly, the two people possessed by Midgardsormr and Fenrir consoled him.

In the past it was also like this but, these two were stupidly kind to Loki.

“Hmph. I hate papa so much.”

“Is that so? If so then, well, it’s fine already. However, why did you suddenly become able to steal the body in one go?”

Loki raised his face in a snap and asked.

“…Putting me aside like that… Hmph, it’s Ikousai. When I went along with that girl’s training I grasped the trick.”

Ikousai lately made these three to accompany her training. It was the special training for the sake of perfectly controlling the power of Susanoo that resided inside her. So that was it, by observing the state of Ikousai, who was controlling the power of her Diva, she grasped the trick to steal a human’s body using the reverse operation of that process.

“Oi, Midgardsomr and Fenrir. You guys also went along with Ikousai’s training right? Why is there no progress with you guys. This ain’t the time to go ‘nyoro nyoro’ or ‘aoo―n’ y’know.”

“It’s impossible for these two, they are idiots after all. I’m the smartest here after all.”

With a proud huff Hel turned up her nose haughtily, “…I’m the best, I’m taking after papa the closest” she added so with a small voice.

“Right. However this is a joyous occasion. Should we have red rice for the meal tomorrow? Papa is going to fill this room with humans until bursting and make them make a lot of red rice yeah.”

“Re, red rice or whatever isn’t tasty, so it’s not like I’m happy or anything with that. Well, if you are going to congratulate me then it’s fine even if you do as you please…”

“Well, that’s just a joke though. I too don’t like red rice, it’s troublesome.”

“…!!” Hel stood up from on top of Loki’s knees and hit Loki’s shoulder repeatedly.

Even while those hits got repelled by a blue defensive magic power, Loki got flustered while saying “What, what’s with you!”

“…Papa is no different whether now or in the past. Papa is only joking around or saying insincere words. Even though I’m now able to materialize after a long time, why is papa not facing me with more of your real feelings…”

Hel murmured in complaint with a small voice.

“Nn? What are you grumbling there?”

“Nothing at all!”

Hel raised an angry voice that sounded like a flame of hell. Loki went “Sca, scary…” and shrank back from his biological daughter.

{Heh heh… Loki, so when you are in front of your kids you are like this.}

Kaya who was watching over the situation laughed sardonically inside Loki’s head.

“Anyway, I’ll go after that guy called Hayashizaki Kazuki. Just leave the rest to me.”

Hel crossed her arms and suddenly began to talk.

“Hah? Leave it to you? Papa is not blessed with capable people, so papa never got to test whether leaving something to another person is gonna go well or not.”

“I have grasped the situation even while just possessing this body. Hayashizaki Kazuki is going to the deepest parts of Fuji’s sea of trees to take the last one of the Three Sacred Treasures. …Ame no Murakumo. That thing is probably, the thing that made us thoroughly miserable 14 years ago right? That kind of thing, must not be handed over to the enemy.”

“Even if you say that, that place is sealed by that woman’s power. We cannot enter there.”

“It’s possible. If it’s me. That seal is something that was put up by that woman… a dead person.”

Hel puffed up her chest as if wanting to say “It’s fine for you to praise me.”

“Is that so, if you have recovered your power… now you can make full use of your power as the god of death.”

“Dead person is my attribute. I can look up the soul of dead people that I know from Astrum and form a connection to them. The soul of the dead that is maintaining the seal in that Haunted Ground… when that woman shows her appearance in front of Hayashizaki Kazuki, I’ll do that and I’ll eat that woman’s soul. And then I’m going to materialize my figure in that place.”

So to speak, a warp that was using the desecration of a dead person.

By reducing her own flesh into a mass of enormous magic power, she was going to connect to the soul of a dead person that was in a different place through the mental world. The soul of a dead person was the remains of magic power that kept clinging at Astrum―so to speak the remaining dregs of a mind.

By consuming the soul of that dead person, she would reveal her appearance by moving into the soul of the dead person that was in that place.

Warp magic―it was a feat that not many Divas could do even if they had materialized.

“He will see the one that he is talking with right in front of his eyes suddenly change into me. I’m going to launch a surprise attack right there when he is shocked. He is going to be helpless. And then I’m going to massacre the lot and bring back the Sacred Treasure. How’s that, papa? It’s perfect right? It’s fine even if you praise me. Though it’s not like I’m happy or anything getting praised by Papa.”

‘That strategy is gonna make Hayashizaki Kazuki go into rage huh’ , Loki thought.

‘That strategy is going to make Kazuki-oniichan go mad with rage huh’, Kaya also thought,

When [a person that knew Hayashizaki Kazuki] imagined that strategy’s progression, for some reason rather than success there was only a dangerous premonition welling up inside their heart. That was how much Loki and Kaya were being in awe of his force of will.

“…Just stop it, that’s dangerous.”

“Eh? Why?”

“Because the one who can warp like that, is just you right? Hayashizaki Kazuki that snapped, is just scary. If that guy fight without thinking of the consequences, he could even fight against the other Kings.”

“There is no way for me who has already materialized to lose against something like a human at all!”

“You say that but, even papa has the experience of almost losing against that guy y’know. See, this in papa’s chest, it’s the scar from that time.”

When Loki exposed the chest behind his shirt and showed his scar, Hel’s face went beet red and covered her face with both hands.

“I, idiot! Don’t take it off out of nowhere like that! Papa really doesn’t have any delicacy! You perverted father! Since a long time ago you always loitered around naked after rising from the bath, that kind of papa is just the worst!”

Loki fixed back his shirt while being dejected.

“Why are you this shy of a person despite being my daughter… daughters at that age are really troublesome eh. I get along much better with Kaya.”

Hel’s expression went stiff in a snap from that nonchalant comment and she became even more obstinate.

“Besides papa’s win and loss cannot become any consideration at all! Anyway that time papa was just careless right!? If we just leave that guy alone and get careless, it will immediately become a pinch for us.”

“There was also that but… Papa you see, is just worried for you.”

“That’s a lie!” Hel refuted that with a menacing look like the earthquake of hell.

“Papa isn’t worried or anything at all for me! Papa is just making light of me all along! Telling me that I cannot do anything right, papa is always, always looking down on me!!”

“I ain’t looking down on you at all here. No, strictly speaking I’m looking down on you though. Everyone except papa are all idiots after all, so it’s not like papa is specially thinking of you as an idiot y’see.”

{Ahaha, you’re the worst―} Kaya was laughing hard.

“Papa is not worrying about me, papa is just thinking of that guy Hayashizaki Kazuki as more important than me! Even though all this time papa has already had so many chances to kill that guy already!”

His biological daughter’s discerning eye made Loki shocked instead. Kaya too {Ooo-} reflexively ooh-ed in admiration.

“Just why does papa let that guy live until now!? That kind of man, can be nothing else but an hindrance to our plan!”

“That guy is also one of the pawns that I can use. …Among the Magic Advanced Countries, Japan is the only country that can form an alliance with another country. With Japan becoming a force that cannot be ignored, the balance between the countries that struggle for supremacy coulda be broken. I don’t want to face those Magic Advanced Countries honestly from the front.”

“That’s just an excuse! Our original plan was to make this country, Japan as the base of us, the Divas of the Chaos Side, as the abode of demons where we can hijack the humans of this country that had no divine protection of the advanced countries! That’s the original expectation of us of the Loki’s Einherjar!”

“It doesn’t really matter where we gotta do that, anywhere is fine. …The first plan had become hard because the <Zero Knight> really whooped our asses. That couldn’t be helped.”

Kaya was shocked hearing Loki’s way of speaking. This was the first time this Diva had the sense of defeat mixed into his actions.

To steal this country and turn it into their own base, couldn’t be done except in that era.

Right now, the Magic Advanced Countries had already gathered too much strength. They already couldn’t do anything that stood out.

That was why, rather than gathering strength, they had to plan that prioritized shaving off their surrounding’s strength. …Loki was thinking like that.

“…Papa right now, just wanted Hayashizaki Kazuki to inherit the will of the Zero Knight, and then try to fight it once more.”

“You are thinking too much.”

Hel shook her head vigorously and turned on her heel.

“I don’t know anybody like papa anymore! I’m going to kill that guy!!”

Just like that she rushed out of the door with a force that almost smashed apart the door and left the room. Having been left behind, the two humans that were possessed by Fenrir and Midgardsormr were lost “Nyoro” “Ao―n”.

“…Aaa, she went and left. Why is she like… wonder if she didn’t hear what I told her. Ain’t her plan just a suicide attack when she ain’t preparing any escape route like this?”

Loki sank his waist into the sofa and gulped his sweet potato shochu.

“Why is she that stupid despite being my kid I wonder. When I was having children, the ones that come out were suddenly a snake, a dog, and a corpse, well, like that there ain’t no way these bunches are going to turn out decent though, but even so I thought that the girl was still better cos’ she had human shape. What a stupid daughter.”

{…Loki, why did you even make something like children?}

Kaya asked while enduring the numbing sensation of the alcohol.

“I wanted them in the past see. I thought that for comrades that I can have faith in, one that absolutely won’t betray me, ain’t it fine if I just make them myself.” Loki leaked out a voice that was unexpectedly crestfallen and lonely.

“…After all whether it was those gods of Asgard, or those giants, in the end, none of them can be trusted.”

Loki’s birth origin was the giant race. The Norse Mythology was a legend about the enfolding conflict between the gods of Asgard and the giant race. Kaya vividly imagined Loki’s position in the middle of such conflict.

Loki joined the group of Asgard’s gods, exchanged the cup of sworn brother with Odin, and his relation with Thor became something that was called as bosom friend.

But in the end he betrayed the gods of Asgard and a fierce battle was enfolding.

In the end, his words that no one could be trusted was heavy.

“But I noticed in the middle that such thinking was too naïve. It’s not about fearing treachery, what’s important is to corner the surrounding bunches into a situation where they have no way to betray you. I’m not looking for something like other people that you can trust. Other people are to be used. They are pawns. That way of thinking really worked well.”

{But that girl, Hel, you cannot handle her as pawn well eh.}

Kaya pointed out with a sharpness that stabbed right at the heart of the matter. Loki gulped his shochu.

“That girl, I cannot move her well. What is that girl looking for, what kind of bait that girl will take, I really don’t understand at all.”

{I think that what that girl is looking for is really easy to understand though.}

“Is that so? …It’s incomprehensible for me.”

Surely he was just pretending to not understand, Kaya thought.

Surely Hel had seen through something like a fake love completely. That was why she was constantly angry.

But a love that was right from the heart couldn’t be called as bait anymore.

Loki who had decided to treat everything as a pawn was unable to give something like love right from his heart to other people. That was why, even for Loki the trickster, that attempted to manipulate everything, Hel was the only one in the world that he couldn’t use.

Perhaps all the words that Hel threw at him were all truth. Loki had lost the argument against his daughter.

“Really… the matter just cannot go my way.”

Kaya noticed. How that murmur sounded a little happy.

{…It doesn’t go your way, that’s why you’re looking forward to it aren’t you? An uncertain factor. Basically it’s that kind of thing isn’t it?}

Loki loved something uncertain. Surely Loki―loved Hel as an uncertain factor.

“It’s just like what you are thinking.” Loki laughed.

Hel couldn’t understand a love in such shape. That child from now on too would hunger for love, wander, and continue to act in an astounding way. Loki continued to watch that while drinking his sake.

Kaya also thought that it was pleasant. She couldn’t explain why she was having fun with such an unpleasant hobby but, without doubt, such things brought joy to Kaya and Loki.

She and Kazuki-oniichan were also the same. When saying “I want love”, Kazuki-oniichan would surely face the other party directly. But for her, she already didn’t want such a straightforward feeling. That was why she rejected that, did crazy things―and just earnestly wanting to trouble Onii-chan.

That kind of reliable Onii-chan was manipulated around with her every single action. That was great.

Inside her head was becoming full with contradiction and bankrupt personality. It was pleasant for such tragedy to be her aesthetics.

Kaya felt her [bond of chaos] with Loki that could understand that become even more irreplaceable.

“…By the way, what kind of person was that Zero Knight?”

Kaya was interested with Loki’s past. She felt that his past that she was completely ignorant of, was like a large river that stretched out between her bonds with Loki.

“I had several chances to meet her face to face and talked to her. That woman was someone that said things like [I fight in order to protect everyone!] with sparkling eyes.”

“Ugee―. That’s the honor student type that I’m bad with.”

“Hearing that I… more like my host was thinking like this. This guy is strong. So let’s massacre all her important people and plunder the will to fight, the will to live from this woman. I’m going to make that sparkling eyes get polluted.”

“O, ooo… what an awesome idea.”

“My host and my comrades ran around from the Zero Knight and massacred the Zero Knight’s family, friend, acquaintance, we cleaned all of them up. So that she won’t even have any feelings of revenge, we did it thoroughly. There was only this one strange pipsqueak foreigner that called the Zero Knight [Nee-sama] that we failed to kill because she was quite strong, but, other than that one pipsqueak, we killed them all.”

There was no more reason for the Zero Knight to fight―the circumstance became something like that.

There was no more will to protect or anything that she could feel. It wouldn’t even be strange if she commited suicide because of the despair.

“And then, what did the Zero Knight do?”

“For a while her whereabouts was concealed. During that time my host and comrades went wild as much as we wanted. But… that woman came back.”

“Ooo-…! She came back for revenge?”

“No, she didn’t have the desire for revenge. That woman said [Someone like you has to be defeated without fail] with a steady gaze. She was not talking pretty things with sparkling eyes… she talked justice with piercingly threatening eyes.”

“…That woman, was scary wasn’t she?”

“Yeah, even my host was trembling. My consciousness that time was vague but, maybe I too was shaking in my boots. We ran away until the depth of a left alone Haunted Ground that was surrounded by a wall but we got pursued, and then she entered a one-on-one fight at the summit of Mt. Fuji. There, they simultaneously killed each other.”

“Then that means you guys didn’t lose then.”

“Well, it felt like a loss. Our plan also got toppled over. Right before the Zero Knight’s death, so that the special Sacred Treasure that she used could be handed over to the hands of a worthy human, she burned her remaining life and put up a seal.”

“Loki is thinking that you want for that Sacred Treasure to be handed over to Kazuki-oniichan aren’t you?”

There was reverence towards the Zero Knight inside Loki’s chest.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki is… a worthy guy to inherit the conviction of the Zero Knight. In the deepest part of the Grand Haunted Ground, that kind of thing is waiting for that guy.”

Part 6

The next morning, Kazuki and the others crept out from the snow huts along with the dawn and lined up in front of the tremendous rock wall while looking up at it. When they tried to take a detour, they soon hit a deep valley in their way. No matter what they had to challenge this wall in order to climb to their destination.

What was in front of them was not a slope anymore, but a wall that stood upright like a folding screen. The angle began from around 50°, and then the angle gradually became closer to being vertical. The rock surface was exposed due to the wind but here and there were snows piling up inside rock cavities, making the wall look like a pattern of brown and white speckles. The wall continued until very high without the end in sight.

It was as if they were witnessing the god of earth.

“When I climbed this mountain in the past, there was no wall like this that looked like the Grandes Jorasses though.”

Liz Liza-sensei said that while breathing out white vapor. “Haunted Grounds will change even its terrain with the thickness of its magic power. With days and months that passed, the Haunted Ground will evolve into something outrageous.”

“This, how will we climb this?”

“There is no other way than to cling onto the wall with both legs and arms like a lizard and climb. Let’s have Koyuki create one more ice axe for each of us.”

Ice axe―a hammer in a T-shape model. It was a mountain climbing assistance tool in a shape like a bar with its tip turned into a sharp blade. With ice axes in both hands, they had to drive in the blade in position as high as they could one hand at a time.

Crampons―similarly with the ice claws Koyuki made for them on both of their legs, they had to kick in the claws on their toes in position as high as they could one foot at a time. They nailed the ice axes at their hands and the crampons on their feet alternately into the rock surface. They crawled up little by little. There was no other way to go up other than to steadily do that.

They supported their body by alternately stabbing the blade and claw into the rock surface deeply. So that they would be fine even if their balance broke and fell, they stretched out a rope between them so that all members were supporting each other.

They wouldn’t die even if they fell, but… they would need to climb back steadily from the start again.

“There will be falling rock, Demon Beasts will also come attacking.”

The one in the head that would support the comrades that were following after him in critical times must be excellent in stamina.

“Should the one that becomes the lead be me or Kazuha-senpai?”

“Shall I do it?”

“There is no doubt that Kazuha-senpai who can manipulate general magic flexibly is competent for this role, but what is really demanded in this role is being calm, cool, and collected to quickly deal with the problem that can happen.”

If just that one point was excluded, Kazuha-senpai would be even more suitable than Kazuki for this. But just that one aspect made him thoroughly uneasy about letting Kazuha-senpai do this.

Kazuha-senpai focused her eyes and considered Kazuki’s words. And then she immediately averted her eyes uneasily.

But she also couldn’t retract her previous offer and so her mouth kept closing and opening wordlessly.

“Also with a girl in her Magic Dress right above me will only make me unable to concentrate from all the lewdness, so as I thought it’s better if I’m the one in the lead.”

Kazuki threw out a life line to Kazuha-senpai which made Kazuha-senpai’s expression relieved before she pushed Kazuki’s shoulder while saying “Yo, you pervert! As I thought you are the one that will be in the lead!”

With Kazuki being in the lead decided, all of them were joined with each other using rope in turns.

At last Kazuki half-crawled the steep slope and began to climb. The ice axe and the crampons which had its hardness increased due to Koyuki’s power over cold easily pierced the wall when Kazuki strengthened his physical ability and nailed it on the wall. Relying on that Kazuki advanced above step by step.

“Like this… steadily…”

Looking at Kazuki’s figure that was clinging on the wall, Mio let out her impressions.

When Kazuki had climbed around three meters, that Mio also clung to the wall. She only had the power of a girl that wasn’t used to using Enchant Aura habitually, but her ice axes and crampons easily drove into the wall.

“Kazu-nii-, pull me up if I’m going to fall okay♪”

Mio looked up at him while saying that.

Kazuki looked down right below him and replied “Naturally.”

“Ehehe~, how reliable♪ I wonder if I should try to fall purposefully.”

“You are going to fall at me then.”

Koyuki who was following right under Mio replied with a cold voice.

“I’m going to thrust this ice axe into the bottom of the falling Amasaki-san.”

“FUEEEEEEEEE-!?”

Mio spontaneously raised a scream but she had defensive magic power so she wouldn’t actually get stabbed if that happened. It was just a frivolous talk. The relation between these two had also improved really well.

With only pain accumulating inside him, the monotone act where he couldn’t see when it would end was continuing.

The scenery of white mist above him didn’t change at all no matter how far he was steadily climbing up. The wind that was whirling in rumbles in the air was filled with snow and turned into blizzard that crashed into the rock surface and got blown below. Kazuki and co who were clinging into the rock wall and were trying to climb up―especially Kazuki who was climbing in the lead had his face struck fiercely by all the falling snow.

However he had to keep his face lifted up by all means, after all they didn’t know when the Demon Beasts would come attacking from the sky. The really violent blizzard reduced the visibility to zero with just his naked eyes, but he continued to focus single-mindedly on reinforcing his eye sight with magic power and saw through the other side of the blizzard.

And then it came―a swarm of giant bird that was covered in pure white fur where they were flapping their large wings to draw near and to peck at Kazuki and co. with their sharp beaks.

His companions shot them to death with a rapid-fire of attack magic.

When Kazuki tried to chant his magic, his companions scolded him to preserve his strength.

―His body that should have been warmed already inside the snow hut was once again beginning to creak. During his war of attrition against the rock wall where he didn’t know when it would end, the cold was gnawing into his body unstoppably.

What was exposed into the fierceness of the blizzard right at the foremost was not just his face but also both his hands. The tips farthest from the heart that were his fingers were the first to have ischemia occurring at it from the hypothermia.

Kazuki was witnessing his fingertips slowly changing color into brown.

Even so as long as the wall was continuing vertically, he kept raising high both his hands alternately above his head, he must not stop driving his ice axe into the wall’s surface by any means.

How far he had climbed, he wondered. He had no sense of distance and sense of time.

The surrounding was isolated by the blizzard. The senses of his whole body also went numb and began to vanish. He was feeling as if he was floating in a world of pure white.

Kazuki’s heart was suddenly assaulted by anxiety.

Were his comrades still there at the end of the rope that was tied onto his waist, following after him?

If the rope didn’t get pulled then that meant that there was no one that fell down. In the first place Kazuki was able to sense the current location of his companions.

Yet regardless… it couldn’t be helped that he felt uneasy from how he was unable to detect the existence of everyone inside this world of pure white.

“Everyone, are you still there!”

Kazuki called out to right under him.

“I’m fine!” “I’m still here!” Replies were coming from numerous mouths, Kazuki was relieved from the bottom of his heart.

His chest became warm. Everyone’s voices became a second breath for him and turned into strength inside his body.

“Hey! Let’s take a roll-call periodically okay!!”

Kaguya-senpai proposed that perhaps from feeling the same uneasiness as Kazuki.

“Then when I call out [Everyone!], everyone will give their reply in order!”

“Understood!” Mio who was right under Kazuki replied. “But what should we reply with?”

“Anything is fine, within appropriateness! Let’s try it now… everyone!”

“Nyaa―!” Mio immediately replied after she was told that anything was fine.

“Puu.” Koyuki continued.

“Wan wan-!” Lotte energetically said.

“Pan pan!” Kaguya-senpai who recently began as a panda character raised a panda’s barking voice(?).

“Eh!? I don’t have any material for that kind of impression though!?” Kazuha-senpai raised a troubled voice.

“NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Kanae shouted.

“PENIS!” Hikaru-senpai yelled out something incomprehensible.

“What the hell are you saying!?” Liz Liza-sensei who was at the end of the line scolded with a baffled voice.

Spontaneously Kazuki was experiencing the building up of laughter inside of him. That laugh was again changed into energy and he thought that he could still do his best.

While climbing Kazuki periodically took a roll-call.

“Nyaa―!”

“Puu.”

“Wan wan-!”

“Pan pan!”

“I don’t have that kind of special voice desu! I’m a normal human desu!”

“NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAA! NII-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”

“PENIS!”

“I told you not to say anything obscene already!?”

The end of the path came too quick―what appeared at the other side of the blizzard was not a rock surface but the clear sky.

What got fixed at the edge of the rock surface was not an ice axe but fingers, Kazuki lifted up his body.

Part 7

The edge of the mountains―Kazuki and co formed a single line and advanced following the ridgeline. The scenery made them think that the ridge line would continue on forever, but finally they met the end of the line. A circle was drawn in the end of the ridge line like a crown, waiting for Kazuki and co. The summit of Fuji Mountain, the crater on the very top.

At one of the edge that formed the circle, there was a light that was obviously of a different nature.

They immediately understood the true identity of the light when they got near. A single sword that pierced the edge of the crater was emitting a glaring light of sharpness that the blizzard couldn’t hide.

That sword that was waiting for them at the highest summit of Japan, looked exactly like the proof of the King just from its appearance.

When they forced their exhausted bodies and got nearer, they discovered that a human shadow was standing beside the sword.

Her long black hair was swaying due to the blizzard.

It was the female that held a mysterious and dear impression for him―the master of the seal.

The woman was already dead. But as the result of changing her very own life into the power of the seal, the woman’s mental body was haunting this ground together with the seal.

The woman and the sword were waiting for Kazuki. Kazuki and others that were forming a line at the edge of the crater dragged along their exhausted body to walk. The woman was watching that directly and quietly without even hurrying them along.

With Kazuki in the lead, they advanced forward while receiving that gaze and the blizzard right from the front.

When they arrived until a distance of just a few meters, the woman of the seal suddenly pulled out the sword that was pierced on the mountain summit and heroically thrust it to the heaven.

A figure of a hero of the ancient era was right in front of their eyes.

The woman kicked the edge of the crater―and sharply stepped into Kazuki’s direction.

The heroically raised sword was directed at Kazuki and swung down powerfully.

Even while being shocked, Kazuki ran his sword out from its sheath with a natural movement. With a flash from the drawn sword he warded off the opponent’s swung down sword and parried its strength diagonally below. After the opponent’s posture broke down, he flipped up his blade in a sharp angle and swung up his blade as the second slash.

The most basic of the Hayashizaki-style, two stage preparation of sword drawing art.

But Kazuki stopped his second slash right before it cut.

The woman whose posture was broken by Kazuki had also stopped her movement while still in the low posture from swinging down her sword.

“You really have become strong.”

The woman said with a mellow voice like a silk.

“You too…”

Kazuki felt a cold, uncomfortable feeling from the echo of the word [you] that came out from his mouth.

But he didn’t understand what would be fine to call her with other than that word.

“I understand that you are also strong from that single slash just now.”

The woman’s step-in was sharp and the force of the swung down blade was truly powerful. The force was similar with a single blow from Beatrix―truly in reverse from her willowy appearance.

Kazuki’s sword was something that was backed with the sword art that had been handed down in generations and steady training.

On the other hand, the woman’s sword was―a <wild technique> that was honed by necessity in the middle of real battles that were approaching her.

Surely, this person was originally not a knight or anything like that.

The truth was that she just recklessly continued to fight, and became strong until this much.

Thinking of such hardship, Kazuki’s chest was blocked.

“You are…”

Kazuki sheathed his katana. And then he gripped the hand of the woman that was still in the swinging down posture. It was a thin and delicate hand that was really like a female. It transmitted warmth through Kazuki’s fingers that were covered with frostbite.

The woman was not just a mere mental body, but a materialized body.

She must be using up the magic power of the seal that had finished its task and temporarily created a physical body of flesh.

“You are… my mother aren’t you?”

In no way the shaking of Kazuki’s words originated from the cold.

The woman released the sword from her hand and made Kazuki take a hold of it.

“I didn’t know about the true identity of this sword for a long time. The name of this sword is… <Ame no Murakumo>. Symbolizing the King’s authority, a sword of great destiny,”

The woman’s silky voice was slightly dyed in sadness.

“…This is a sword that forces a person to fight. This sword was waiting for you in this place.”

The woman drew back reservedly from the distance where their breath seemed to be able to touch each other.

“Long time no see huh, Hibiki.”

When Leme materialized beside Kazuki, the woman replied like she was meeting an old acquaintance.

“Leme too, long time no see. Though I never really had the chance to feel you this clearly before.”

The woman’s shoulders were slightly downcast while she began to talk to Leme.

“There is one thing that I want to ask, but… this fate, how much of it was really destiny?”

“What do you mean?”

“…This child is, my child after all, is that why you chose him?”

It was a question that really went into the heart of the matter. But Leme didn’t show any agitation and shook her neck.

“Certainly he caught my attention because he was your child, but Leme is also not such a cheap kind of person that would choose him just because of that. This guy happened to have the qualities that is worthy for Leme’s choice. Sword skill, exceptional ambition and mental strength, and above all his aspect that treasured his bonds… The Hayashizaki house raised up that kind of guy by their own accord.”

“Aah, now that you mentioned it… isn’t your ability more convenient when it’s used by a male child I wonder?”

“Of course that’s also one of the factors. The concept this time is a lovey-dovey harem king. Well, though you too could also use the magic of the same sex Liz Liza Westwood well enough before.”

When Leme said that jokingly, Kaa-san narrowed her eyes for the first time with her mouth bursting open in smile.

“Fufufu-, Liza and I were lovey-dovey after all.”

“Wha, what are you saying, Hibiki-neesama!!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s face went beet red and advanced forward out from the group of everyone.

“Be, besides you, you made a boyfriend but you kept it quiet from me… furthermore you even had a child without me knowing!”

“Because if I told that to Liza who loved me, I thought that it would make you jealous♪”

The woman―no, Mother unexpectedly stuck out her tongue playfully.

“I’m not jealous or anything, I just wanted you to talk with me properly!”

However Liz Liza-sensei’s eyes were both wet with tears and her body was trembling in shivers while she talked in reproach, it looked completely fitting with her child-like appearance.

“You didn’t tell me anything! You also entrusted your child that was just born to the orphanage! …Even though it would be fine even if you relied on me! You didn’t say anything and left to fight, and then you didn’t return back…!”

Mother smiled wryly in sadness.

“I’m sorry, Liza. At that time all the people around me were targeted, so I didn’t tell any of that to anyone. I also didn’t tell anything to the people at the orphanage and left him in front of the gate… without doing anything else.”

Mother was stealing a glance at Kazuki worriedly with her voice dulling.

Not saying anything and then in front of the orphanage’s gate… she abandoned him without doing anything else.

That was what she said.

“You were not doing nothing.” Kazuki interrupted between the two.

“At the spot where I was left behind, I had been told that there was a memo accompanying me where the name [Kazuki] was written.”

Mother looked at Kazuki with a look of realization and immediately looked down awkwardly.

“…Yes. I conveyed just that. I was thinking that I wanted to raise a boy that is really close to what is important for him, and possessed the strength to protect that important thing to the end like a large tree…”

“It might be thanks to that naming, that this guy was growing up into an ideal harem king.”

Leme interjected. “That’s also a form of education you know. Just as I thought this might really be a destiny.”

Name―perhaps unconsciously he wanted to become a human that was suitable for the name [Kazuki(一樹)]. He felt that he had the awareness more than average person that his name was really important.

“But things like naming… just something like that cannot be called as an education or raising him up. Just as I thought, I have never done anything that is like a mother…”

“Kaa-san!” Kazuki interrupted her from a sad and gloomy tone.

To call the young woman in front of his eyes that he was still unfamiliar with as mother from his mouth needed courage.

The important name of [Kazuki] encouraged the courage inside his chest, Kazuki spouted out the thing that he felt had to be said no matter what.

“I, don’t resent Kaa-san at all! Because I’m not unhappy or unfortunate! I am happy all this time!”

Kazuki lowered his head and thanked her.

“For giving birth to me… thank you very much. For continuing to fight, for this country, for protecting the future where we lived, thank you very much.”

“…You really have grown up strong, aren’t you? And then the one that raised you up this happy…”

Mother averted her eyes away from the bowing Kazuki as if to escape.

After that she was facing to the direction of his companions.

“Kanae-san.”

“Ye, yes! Okaa-sama !!” Kanae straightened her back and answered with a nervous voice.

Mother then lowered her head deeply.

“Thank you very much. For raising this child into a person this kind and strong. Your family was the one that did what I couldn’t, pouring the greatest love and growth for him…”

“That’s preposterous! I’m exactly the one… who received the best Nii-sama that I can ask for!”

Kanae too lowered her head. Kazuki too, Mother too, Kanae too were lowering their heads.

Mother then laughed “Fufu-“ amusedly.

“How weird… despite how I’m supposed to be the worst mother. Everyone happily lowered their head like this… I wonder if this is what they called a fortune.”

She was not the worst or anything. The situation just couldn’t be helped. Mother had to fight no matter what the cost at that time.

The current Kazuki understood well about such a position.

Mother loved someone. But that time was different with now, at that time it was not known that a strong emotion would become a trigger of magic power and distorted the reality completely. Magic power influenced the act of mixing the strongest feelings of man and woman, and completely hindered any contraception, such thing was unknown at that time.

If he himself didn’t know about such thing beforehand, then even he would surely have done the same act already.

Mother loved someone and conceived a child. That was why she went away from the battle.

But during the time Mother was leaving the battlefield… the situation rapidly worsened.

Moreover the people around Mother were targeted.

That was why… she had no other choice than to not tell anyone about her child and abandoned him.

And then without even informing her best friend that was Liz Liza-sensei, she went ahead to the battle alone without doing anything else.

That kind of mother, who in the world could condemn her?

―’Why in the world was it only Kaa-san who had to shoulder such an heavy burden?’

‘Tou-san is’… Kazuki was going to ask, and hesitated.

[All of my important people were targeted]. Those words had already implicated the heavy and painful fact.

“…This is not destiny or anything like that.”

Once again Mother murmured to herself.

“Kanae-san, to let me reunite with this child, thank you…”

Mother lowered her head to Kanae once again.

After that with a timid manner she faced Kazuki once more.

“While protecting the seal in this place, I have regretted the fact that I abandoned you and headed to the fight all this time. Why do I have to fight, I always thought that it was unreasonable. Now, you are chosen by Leme and this sword, inside me there is also the sad feeling that you are shouldering the same fate like me. I wanted to raise my boy normally, unrelated from all this fighting… But… I also had the dream of you being chosen and you coming to this place. I wanted to have a glance of the grown up you. After all, I’m just something like a bounded ghost that cannot leave this place.”

That’s just like a doting parent though, saying that Mother smiled self-derisively.

“You know, the moment when I gave birth to you, I had the feeling that a special, strong child had just been born. That was why I was hoping, that surely you will be chosen and then you will come here. For such a thing to happen, the possibility must be so low like expecting a miracle to happen, but… Kanae-san, everyone that is here, you all had raised Kazuki to be this strong. You let us to meet fortuitously like this once more. …To come until this far here, I’m really thankful to all of you.”

Again Mother lowered her head, to Kazuki, to Kanae, to everyone else, one by one she lowered her head at them.

She was just earnestly lowering her thin back with a sorrowful face, and continued to lower her head.

He wanted to say something. But his feeling couldn’t be turned into any word. He was not unhappy. He didn’t resent anything. He was thankful. All his feeling that he wanted to convey beforehand, he had easily finished conveying them all.

He had the feeling that there was something more that he should say.

However that feeling couldn’t come out beautifully as words from his mouth.

Mother too was wordlessly and timidly staring at Kazuki as if holding herself back.

Amidst the pure white blizzard, they were staring at each other as if the time had stopped.

Suddenly―something changed.

The warm atmosphere was―sharply changed into cold.

The magic blizzard around them was not becoming stronger. Mother suddenly realized something with a ‘hah’ and her gaze became grim, then she thrust away Kazuki beside her strongly.

“Kaa-san…!?” Spontaneously and unintentionally, Kazuki leaked out a voice like an abandoned child.

No, wrong, this situation…

“Get away! Everyone, get away from me!!”

Mother yelled with a sharp voice as if a hero’s sense of responsibility was awakened inside her.

The sky at the other side of the blizzard was roaring thunderingly from the blowing wind. The wind moved pitch black clouds to their direction and completely covered the sky. The surroundings suddenly turned dark.

From the dark clouds, a dreadful voice was reverberating.

{O people that continue to stop at the boundary of life and death, know the karma of your deep sin.}

Kazuki and the others looked at the sky altogether.

{My name is Hel. Thou is already a dead person. …In accordance with that fate, offer that everything to me!!}

Pitch black lightning flashed from the dark cloud―piercing the back of Mother.

Helheim Drive!!”

It was something that happened in an instant where no one could do anything. He was not even allowed to Foresight what kind of magic phenomenon would be caused by the dreadful and strange magic power.

The black lightning melted into Mother like an evil spirit. Mother went “Guh-!” and her body writhed in pain, blue magic power light was emitted from her whole body.

Kazuki knew this light. He had seen it before.

This emitted light was completely the same like that time when Loki encroached into Kaya.

It was the light of the existence itself being usurped by a Diva.

The emitted blue magic power and the encroaching pure black magic power mixed with each other, depicting a marble pattern. Little by little the pure black surface was increasing, it was trying to erase the existence of Mother.

It was as if he was seeing the process of a food that became spoiled in fast forward.

‘…This is a lie right?’

Kazuki stood stock still in a daze. He couldn’t possibly think that the happening in front of his eyes was reality.

Whether it was the miracle that he could reunite with Mother like this.

And even how such a miracle was currently disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Whichever it was… was unbelievable.

He couldn’t think that everything in this moment was all reality.

Kaa-san is disappearing. He couldn’t believe it.

‘This is a lie right… The thing that I still haven’t conveyed yet…”

However he didn’t understand what kind of words he should use…

They were just exchanging awkward gazes while holding back just now…

Not yet… not like this…

Who was it, the one with this black magic power.

Why would they do something like this!?

His body couldn’t move from the numbness. His situational judgment, didn’t work at all.

This was his first experience, having his body and his heart freezing completely like this in a time where he should fight.

Even his lips were freezing. ‘This is a lie right? Stop’, he thought that, but he couldn’t even raise a voice to yell.

“STOPPPPPPPPPPP!!”

―Someone was yelling as Kazuki’s proxy.

A gust of black shadow was jumping forward in front of his eyes.

It was the back of Kanae with her ponytail trailing behind like a cat’s tail.

“Don’t you dare to disturb this person and Nii-sama!! Only that, I will absolutely not forgive!!”

Kanae drew the black katana―Michikage, and swung down at the black magic power that was eating away at Mother. That slash―spontaneously he was inappropriately fascinated by the beautiful trajectory that slash drew. It was as if he was seeing a black rainbow.

Kanae’s spine, skeletal structure, all of her body was working together without even a little bit of wasteful movement. There was no deviation at all, it was a movement that looked perfect for Kanae’s flesh body. The quintessence movement.

The black rainbow that was unleashed from such a movement, tore apart the magic power that was encroaching into Mother in the timing right before it was going to swell up even larger.

It was a truly perfect timing, as if an expert martial artist had read the breathing of the opponent and took the sail out of the opponent’s move.

A perfect movement, and a perfect timing―it was exactly a divine work.

“Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword the Second, Shin’iki…!”

For some reason it was Kaguya-senpai who yelled that technique’s name while her body was trembling.

It was Kanae’s technique that even Kazuki didn’t know about. That instant, something miraculous happened. The instant the black blade was swung down―the magic phenomenon that completely covered Mother were all breaking down.

{That’s impossible! What just happened!?}

That Diva―Hel’s panicked voice was resounding. The black magic power was blown away from Mother’s back, where it formed the figure of a girl that fell on her butt. She was not an avatar but a materialized body, it was a Diva with the appearance of a very young girl.

In contrast with the materialized Hel, Mother powerlessly fell on her knees at that spot. It was not only power leaving her whole body, the magic power that constructed her body was also thinning down, faintly like an illusion, her figure was changing into a half-transparent light.

The powerful Diva that had already accomplished materializing was trying to steal the flesh body of Mother that materialized from the power of the seal. But that magic phenomenon was broken by Kanae.

However in that case―Mother’s little remaining magic power was completely stolen. Possibly her magic power had already been running out in the first place.

Kazuki caught the body of Mother, that was thinning out, in his arms in panic.

“You bastard… against my role for the sake of papa… how dare you…!!”

The Diva that fell on her butt―Hel was glaring at their way with a gaze filled with hatred. Her long blue hair that reminded him of Loki was bristling up from the blizzard right behind her.

This girl was going to steal Kaa-san… she was trying to make her a hostage.

Guessing that―violent emotion was surging inside Kazuki’s head. This girl…!!

Hel yelled. She turned at Mother.

“…Zero Knight! I won’t recognize you! Your role, your objective, I won’t let you accomplish them all! I won’t let you misunderstand, thinking that you won against papa!!”

At the same time a fierce magic power whirled out from that body. She was trying to cast some kind of powerful attack magic. The tip of that magic power was heading at Mother’s back.

Kazuki’s rage instantly changed into terror and trepidation.

If an attack was directed at Mother right now…!

It was a fear that he had never experienced before. His body and thought froze instantly.

“Lose and die again! O lamentation of the dead, carry away that soul from my hand… Hell WindNifl Driva!!”

When Hel thrust out her bluish-white palm, from there was blowing a devilish wind as if the blizzard of the Haunted Ground that had been hurling at them thoroughly until now was compressed several hundred times in it.

“Kaa-san, dangerous!”

Kazuki immediately embraced Mother close to his body and covered her with his back.

Yet in front of them a black shadow was standing in the way.

“…Don’t you bother these two!!”

―It was Kanae. Kazuki covered his mother, and Kanae covered those two. The three of them were blown away altogether and fell from the ridgeline. In such dangerous situation Kazuki used his sword―<Ame no Murakumo> to pierce the ground and held out along with his mother that he held in his left hand.

“Kaa-san…!”

Inside Kazuki’s hugging left arm, like water that was spilling out from a cracked jar, the magic power that was composing mother’s existence was vanishing. She was vanishing!

Mother leaked out a weak voice. “…Just now, it looks like my last remaining magic power was used up. But I had already accomplished my role, so…”

Accomplished her role? Already?

Wait. Please wait! There is still….

“Don’t be a hindrance! Follow after Kanae!!” Liz Liza-sensei called out to the others and rushed at Hel’s direction.

“The final time between Kazuki and Hibiki-neesama… I absolutely won’t let you bother them!”

Don’t say that this is the last time…

Mio, Kaguya-senpai… all of his companions, they all cut in between them and Hel to protect him and mother, they were shining with the light of spell chanting simultaneously.

“You plan to stand in my way! You bunch of humans!”

Hel yelled. “Against a materialized Diva, it’s futile no matter how many humans gather here, futile! Are you looking down on me!? I’ll massacre you all and get one over papa!”

What incomprehensible thing was she yelling, this girl…

His head didn’t work watching the situation in front of his eyes. Rather than that kind of thing, mother was…

Even faster than his companions magic, Hel’s magic was invoked.

“…O Grand Haunted Ground of ancient times… please offer the souls that are rotting away in this land as the dress that is armoring my body… Helheim Drive!”

Once again several black lightning were falling to Hel’s body from the dark cloud. That black magic power was whirling on Hel’s body while creating Prima Materia, its substance changed―transforming into something like a Magic Dress.

It was a strange dress. As if several Magic Dresses were mixed up messily… there was no uniformity among every single part. However every single design of the parts had the shape that they had the feeling of seeing before somewhere.

The parts looked like the Magic Dresses that the students of the Magic Division wore on their bodies.

“STOP!”

Liz Liza-sensei yelled after noticing the true form of that power.

“Stop it, don’t you dirty those guys’ souls!! You trash!!”

One part of the Magic Dress that Hel wore―the red wings were emitting orange light like a fire shadow.

Unbelievably, Phoenix’s avatar emerged out beside Hel.

“The dead is my power, mine to use as I please! …Respond to my accusation and burn to ash! Israel Judgment!!”

It was a vortex of magic power he had seen before. It was a magic that even Kazuki and others had seen before, but it was activated with a lot more abbreviated chanting.

“I told you…! Don’t you dare become a hindrance for Nii-sama-!!”

Right before that magic was invoked, the shadow of a black cat leaped once again with a force that was like flying.

With a perfect step-in and timing―once again, it was that miraculous technique.

The wavelength of Hel’s magic power that swelled up right before the magic was invoked vanished like a lie with a *PACHIN!* sound.

“What’s going on, this technique!? …Eei!!”

Hel opened her eyes wide with rage and shock but―she immediately directed a different magic at Kanae.

“Freeze and be silent… Glacier Wind!!”

A part of Hel’s Magic Dress―the floating crystal on her back was emitting a deep blue light, Vepar’s avatar emerged out.

…She was making the soul of the Magika Stigmas that once died in this Fuji’s sea of trees to posses her own body and enslaved them. That death god was activating the magic of the contract through the souls of the dead.

This time even Kanae didn’t have the composure to unleash that technique. The cold magic that Koyuki was also specializing at assaulted Kanae without giving her time to dodge.

At exactly the same time, Hel also invoked her own magic.

“You that is already dead come to this side too! Nifl Driva!!”

Hel raised her palm and then she overlapped the blowing blizzard with the [Glacier Wind] from just now.

The chill of the mermaid and the blizzard of the world of the dead mixed with each other, amplifying each other.

“Uguu-!!” Kanae raised a scream and got blown away helplessly.

Besides her defensive magic power that got smashed, she was also writhing around from the chill that was violating her mind.

The black breastplate of Hel’s Magic Dress shone. This time an avatar of a black bird, Halphas’ avatar was emerging. She was chanting magic one after another with a speed that was hard to believe.

“Suffer and die! O god of war of the spirit world, under thy Divine Protection, I’ll sacrifice the wailing of that bitter enemy… Inferno!!”

Hel created two gigantic pure black pillar of flame in both her hands, she then met both her palms and combined them into one and created a bow and arrow of black flame. It was Halphas’s level 7 magic that Yumeno-san once used to finish off her other self.

It was a rapid-fire of magic just like the Quad-core Magika that was the result of Nyarlathotep’s research. No, her magic invocation was even faster than that.

The giant mass of black flame was fired at Kanae who was writhing in agony.

“O principle of time, listen to the calling voice of my sage! To the other side of the long stagnation, exile away that calamity… Leap Stasis!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s chanting―an avatar of clock emerged out in order to protect Kanae.

When he thought that the hand of that clock was fiercely rotating, the black flame that was flying near vanished.

“You trash Diva! I blew away your magic to the space-time!!”

Liz Liza-sensei’s Original One―it was once cast with her own body's aging as the target, an evasion magic that postponed the <change> in exchange of vast magic power, especially with that short chanting.

This time Hel was not surprised.

“Hmph, there is no way the likes of human can consecutively use that kind of convenient magic!”

The red wings, the crystal, the black breastplate, all of them shone simultaneously. Hel’s own magic power that caused the blizzard of the world of the dead was also included.

“Hayashizaki Kanae! Do that technique more! Block them all!!”

“That technique is not something you can do successfully that many times! Damn-!”

Liz Liza-sensei and Kanae shouted angrily at each other.

Finally at that time, the magic that the others’ were chanting were all invoked simultaneously.

“O water surface that sway from my singing voice, manipulate the small wave skillfully, gather, and become a giant tsunami! Come from the beyond and wash away to the distant place… Tidal Wave!”

Koyuki invoked Vepar’s magic of tsunami. It ignored the space and a tsunami that was created behind Hel using magic power came surging.

“Nifl Driva!!”

Hel immediately turned back to the tsunami and fired a blizzard.

The violent blizzard froze the tsunami all over and destroyed the power of that phenomenon making it disappear.

“O the calling voice of the ruler of flame, set free the rage of the bottom of the earth! Open the gate of my rampart here… tower in heaven and earth, isolate the impurity! Fire Wall!!”

“O shapeless and mute shadow, become the fish that swim in the darkness that is pregnant with obstructive thought! The origin of nightmare, the vicissitudes of materialism, respond to both hope and fear and bite…! Deep Specter!”

Mio and Kaguya-senpai’s magic was invoked at the same time. A wall of flame was going to rise from the bottom of Hel’s feet. Pitch black shadow was crawling up from inside the shadow.

Hel detected the danger and tried to run away from that spot.

“This hand reached out to the height of Babel, right now this hand grasped the falling thunder of god! In accordance with my life, o lightning, whirl following my will! Collider Field!!”

But Lotte equipped a gauntlet on her left hand and locked Hel inside a barrier of electromagnetism. Hel’s body was paralyzed by the electricity and she was rooted to that spot.

Furthermore there was several small lights that were floating around Hel.

“The fate of all creation is inside the great celestial sphere… o binding of constellation, stop the revolution of the sky! Horoscope Stasis!”

Line of light was running between countless stars, that [constellation] tied up the paralyzed Hel.

“…This kind of irritating act!?”

The body of the yelling Hel was swallowed by a wall of flame. Even further her head was chewed apart by the giant monster that jumped out from the shadows.

From inside the wall of flame, from inside the mouth of the black monster, a dark blue defensive magic power was shining and scattered.

“O Mikadzuchiaugust lightning that rain down due to god’s rage! The spilt blood of Kagutsuchi dripped down to the hilt and gather, become a flash of blade! The large drum of lightning sound of lightning speed, Mikafutsu SoulMikafutsu no Mitama!!”

Kazuha-senpai created a golden blade―with that heavily curving katana that hid a destructive power like lightning, she slashed at Hel with all her strength.

Hel that couldn’t move her body was blown away along with a thunderous roar.

Consecutive attack―but Hel immediately stood back up.

“Hikaru! Mio-chan! Koyuki-chan!” Kaguya-senpai yelled at her comrades of the Witch’s Mansion.

“This girl cannot be defeated with average magic! We are going to use Chorus Magic!!”

The four people began to match their magic power wavelength.

In order to protect them, Kanae and Kazuha-senpai and Lotte stood as the vanguards and prepared their weapons.

“…You bunch of humans… hand over the Zero Knight and the Sacred Treasure…!!”

Along with a voice that made the listener shudder, Hel tore off the binding of constellation with brute force and ripped apart the biting big jaw of the shadow monster with both her hands, at the same time she then once again shone with several magic power lights.

―Kazuki was largely unaware of the battle that was currently happening.

The sounds of the fighting felt like it was far away as if a thin membrane was filtering all of it.

That was how much Kazuki was concentrating on what was inside his embrace, his mother that even now was disappearing.

“Kazuki.”

His mother was, for the first time, calling Kazuki with the name that she named him with.

But just from such a little matter, it made Kazuki’s sight damp with tears.

“Kazuki… the Ame no Murakumo…”

He didn’t need that kind of thing.

Rather than such thing, right now, the person that was going to disappear inside his arms was someone that was far more important. His mother’s body temperature, body weight, were vanishing away in no time at all, he knew that.

“I don’t need that kind of thing, Kaa-san… Kaa-san, I, I’m living perfectly happy.”

Kazuki repeated the thing that he had already said like a spell. Even though what he wanted to say was not this kind of thing. For some reason, the feeling that was rampaging inside his chest couldn’t be turned into words.

Even though if he kept wasting time like this, she was going to vanish completely.

“I see. I’m glad.”

His mother smiled hearing that―she raised her thin white arm and stroked Kazuki’s head.

Even though it was weak like the branch of a tree that swayed from the wind, it was a gentle hand movement.

It was a completely unknown sensation for him.

He had the feeling that sparks scattered inside his head, inside his eyes that were wet with tears.

From inside the head of Kazuki who was searching for words, all words and reason disappeared, a pure white emotion completely covered everything.

He noticed. There was nothing that he still wanted to convey.

What he was looking for, was not that kind of thing.

He was only merely, overflowing with emotion.

When he noticed that emotion ―Kazuki hugged tightly the thin and weakened body of his mother, then he buried his face into her chest.

“Kaa-san… I don’t want you to go.”

―What was rampaging inside his head uncontrollably was easily coming out from his mouth.

He felt something that he had never noticed was armoring him until now, disappear completely.

Once it had come out, it was pouring out of him together with tears and scream.

“No! I don’t want this!! No!!”

It was not something exaggerated like something he wanted to convey or anything.

‘I―just want to be spoiled by Kaa-san.’

Their relation was not something exaggerated like the previous King and the King that succeeded after her.

‘I am my mother’s child!’

‘No! I don’t want this!’ Kazuki cried like a child.

“…Fufu-“

His mother returned his hug weakly and let escape a faint chuckle.

“You should not say something selfish.”

After saying that, she stroked his head once again.

‘―Kaa-san, I, have never said anything selfish through my life until now.’

No matter what happened even if it was unreasonable, he had never done anything like giving up.

Even without anyone rewarding him, he overcame all kinds of hardship with his hard work.

He had never seriously yelled words like ‘don’t wanna’ or anything like that.

He almost never cried at all.

Despite so, could what he did right now be called as selfishness.

What’s with that… that kind of thing…

“No way! I don’t want something like this! I don’t want…!!”

She was disappearing! Merely, just during this short instant, his mother was!

‘Don’t say what I’m doing is selfish!! By all rights, isn’t what I’m doing only natural!!’

“No! I have been patient for all these fifteen years!! There was no one at all that patted my head saying that I have done my best! I didn’t even realize that such a thing is strange! I realize now! That all this time I wanted my head to get patted by Kaa-san!! It’s strange you know! This kind of thing… I don’t want…!!”

‘I shouldn’t be defeated by this kind of thing’, Kazuki thought.

This is irrational. For the first time since he was born, Kazuki was overpowered by this monster called irrationality.

He pressed his face that was messily stained with tears onto his mother’s chest, he cried and shouted as if to spew out everything from the bottom of his throat out of his heart. It was as if he was completely changed into an existence that was just crying and shouting.

The tears and screams that had been piling up without him even noticing during these fifteen years were all overflowing without pause.

“Kazuki…”

His mother put a faint strength into her weak arm that was like a dry wood, and hugged him back.

Gently, sweetly, warmly, because of that his tears were overflowing out even harder.

“Thank you. For giving me a chance to spoil you in the end. With this I finally…”

His mother too, during this fifteen years she was enduring until now in this land.

When he understood that, the weight of this monster called irrationality became doubled.

“With this we could finally do something like a true mother and child…”

Vanished.

On the other side of his sight that was stained messily with tears, the chest of the mother that he was hugging, was turning into countless particles of light before disappearing.

Her lingering voice entered his ears before disappearing.

The warmth seeped into his chest and disappeared.

From within Kazuki’s embrace, a dried up sound was spilling out and fell onto the ground. It was a white skeleton.

“Aa, aaaa…”

She was a person that had already died fourteen years ago.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!”

Refusing the truth, Kazuki cried and shouted.

“NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

The countless light particles that were scattering were floating lightly in the air before entering into Kazuki’s chest.

{We are going to be together from now on you know. After all, we could even meet like this.}

Certainly that was a miracle.

{If we can just meet, humans can be changed forever in an instant. That kind of magic had already been used by humans since the time long ago.}

The small particle of magic power became the final voice and it was absorbed into his chest.

Certainly, he would never forget everything that happened here forever.

{Thank you for growing up happily, Kazuki.}

{Thank you.}

{I just keep saying thank you but, I’m really happy.}

{…Thank you.}

Suddenly a scene was opening up inside of Kazuki’s head.

Those were the scene that was shown by the small magic power that was absorbed into Kazuki’s chest. At the same time with the magic power making his mother’s feeling into voice and conveying that to him, his mother’s past memory was recalled inside Kazuki.

Kazuki’s oldest memory―this scene was the continuation of that.

The orphanage at night. Avoiding the eyes of the people, his mother abandoned Kazuki in front of the gate.

His mother turned her back at the crying Kazuki and even while looking back many times she kept walking through the night street with an unsteady gait.

Even her tears were drying up. This was her last determination.

She couldn’t consult anyone. She couldn’t even let anybody see her current figure.

If she didn’t head to the battle alone, the victims would only increase.

She had to fight no matter what. Without anybody seeing her off, without anybody even cheering her on, with her everything snatched away entirely, she even abandoned the child that she obtained at the very end from the person that she loved.

―She had to fight.

While walking alone unsteadily, the light of the town that she passed through cursed her. When she thought about how there was as many happy families as there were the light shining, it couldn’t be helped that she felt accursed. Negative emotions like rage and sorrow were raging crazy inside her chest.

Why was she the only one who couldn’t get her hands on such an ordinary thing.

No. I don’t want to fight. This is unreasonable.

Even so, other than her… there was no human that could fight that enemy.

When she was faced with such ultimate truth―it made her realized that this thing called self-sacrifice was by no means a deceit.

She was made to realize that she loved this unreasonable world.

Even with all her important people killed and torn away from her, still…

She had to fight.

Together with that determination―the world of memory was cut off.

Kazuki returned to reality.

―Inside the blizzard, Kazuki was hugging the white skeleton. While hugging the white skeleton so that it wouldn’t be blown away by the wind, Kazuki heard the sound of his comrades fighting. Those sounds were finally reaching his ears.

He understood just from the sounds that it was a difficult enemy. He understood that if it kept like this his comrades would fall into danger.

“No…”

Kazuki was still continuing to cry while hugging the skeleton.

But, he had to fight. No matter how unreasonable it was.

Fight, there was something he had to protect at all cost.

Until now, everything of this world had been kind to him.

He had already made a lot of people that he loved and that were important to him.

There was also the irrationality but, there was even miracles.

Such an obvious world, was obviously lovely.

He was not some special existence.

He was going to stand up after crying just for thirty more seconds, Kazuki decided.

“I… don’t resent anything Kaa-san. I’m not unhappy. That’s why…”

Kazuki grasped a handful of snow, using Pyrokinesis to plunder the heat he made the snow even colder and pressed it together. He made a small snow hut to store the skeleton there so that it wouldn’t be blown away by the wind.

“…I’m going to fight, Kaa-san.”

Holding Ame no Murakumo in hand, he stood up.

Kazuki rushed to the decisive battle at the crater.

He finally recovered the clearness of his head in order to fight.

Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, Mio, and Koyuki were entering the preparation for Chorus Magic. But that cooperation wouldn’t tolerate even a slight disturbance in it, it became even more difficult than normal inside this fierce blizzard.

The blue haired death god named Hel was displaying an absurd power.

Kanae and Kazuha-senpai and an armed Lotte challenged Hel determinedly, each time they dealt a single attack on the opponent, they received a fierce magic counter and got blown away. That divine work of Kanae also often failed, even if it worked it did nothing more than blocking a single gunport (opening) of Hel.

―There were three. There were three souls of Magika Stigmas that Hel made to possess her body and turned into parts of her dress. And then with her own magic there was a total of four rapid firing magic that was continuously invoked.

Even in the case where it was high level magic that was used, that casting speed of hers was dreadfully fast.

All three of the vanguards were equipped with the armor of [Seusenhofer] that Lotte chanted, yet the armors were already in destroyed shapes.

Their strategy was in the process of failure. The limit of the three vanguards for buying time was going to come first before the Chorus Magic could even finish.

―During such thing, Kanae who failed to make her divine work succeed was hit right from the front with a high level magic. Kanae’s small body was blown away like a scrapped rag.

“You, die while feeling a special agony!”

Hel’s black breastplate shone and made the avatar of Halphas emerge.

“Inferno!”

The jet black flame that possessed both physical destruction and mind destruction attacked Kanae at an inescapable timing.

“Leap Stasis!!”

Liz Liza-sensei just barely [postponed] that single arrow.

Combined with the previous one she had activated this magic twice in total, the magic postponed the magic that was heading to Kanae. But surely when this magic was cancelled later on Kanae would taste a hellish agony. Though that was only if they could safely go home.

Liz Liza-sensei’s magic power too was also wholly carried away to beyond the space-time as the compensation of the postponing. That magic power wouldn’t return back until after the magic was cancelled.

Hel also saw through that and directed the brunt of the attack magic at Liz Liza-sensei.

“You don’t have any magic power left anymore right! …Sink a hundred ships, o threat of the sea that is lurking in the deep sea…show that whole face!”

Vepar’s avatar floated on Hel’s back. The power of Solomon 72 Pillar was forcefully dragged out from their contract with the dead people. There was no one among his comrades that was in a state that could immediately react to that.

―He had to protect them.

Kazuki ran, passing through his comrades at the rear that were preparing for Chorus Magic and cut in front of Liz Liza-sensei with Ame no Murakumo in hand.

“Hayashizaki! …What about Hibiki-neesama!?”

For an instant, Kazuki’s chest was blocked up from Liz Liza-sensei’s words.

“…Stab your fang! Ice Breaker!!”

Several vortex of magic power were created in front of Kazuki’s eyes, giant icebergs were sticking out from there surging at him. Kazuki held up Ame no Murakumo.

How did his mother handle this sword ―he could faintly sense that <Battou Kaikon>.

“Mow down the whole creation, <Ame no Murakumo>! Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!!”

The power that Yamato no Takeru used in legend that time he was falling into the trap of the fire plan―inside this royal sword there was the power to bring an end to natural phenomenon.

His magic power was absorbed into the blade where it emitted a golden light.

When Kazuki swept Ame no Murakumo to the side, as if an unseen blade was flying, all the surging icebergs were bisected into two.

“That power… was Zero Knight’s…!”

Hel leaked out a shocked voice.

It seemed that she had fought his mother before.

Kazuki grasped the sword naturally and he felt power filling his hand.

“The power of Solomon King and, the power of Japanese Mythology’s King that Zero Knight used…? But even if you are a King twice, you are still just an inexperienced King aren’t you!? If that’s so then even I alone will suffice!”

“Everyone! The Chorus Magic will be complete with just a little more! Until that time, I will buy time! Those whose exhaustion is severe are to draw back!”

Inexperienced King. Certainly, he might be so.

However the bonds had been already tied. ‘That is my power. I don’t know where this Diva came from but, I’ll make you regret making light of me as inexperienced’, Kazuki thought.

“Intending to win against me… I’ll make you regret that.”

Hel too spouted out words that were in the same mood as Kazuki.

In another words this Diva also still had a trump card. She was going to use that now.

Hel removed the eye patch that covered her right eye and from there a deep red light burst out.

The Magic Dress on Hel’s whole body disintegrated and reduced into a pure magic power light.

“O dead people that are tired of waiting for glory, you are together with me! Become my brethren!!”

Even more countless lightning ran from the dark cloud and went towards Hel. Enormous souls of the dead were gathering inside Hel’s small body. Hel’s body floated in the sky like a dark saint.

“Together right now, celebrate the beginning of Ragnarok loudly!”

The pitch black magic power that completely covered Hel’s body―called out to an endless number of dead people and brought to fruition a single magic.

“Now, let’s begin the legend! Announcing Ship of God and Evil’s Mortal CombatNaglfar!!”

The assembly of the black magic power swelled out enormously. It was huge―as if covering the sky.

Yes, it was physically large.

What appeared from the materialization of that magic power was not in the scale of Magic Dress. Hel was buried in the core of that enormous mass, he was already unable to confirm by sight her shadow or shape.

The thing that was floating in the blizzard sky was―an outrageously gigantic jet black ship.

Naglfar―even Kazuki knew that name. It was the ship that brought about the huge turning point in the world of Norse Mythology. Until the promised day, Hel who was the king of the dead gathered the nails of the dead that were filled with grudge and magic power from all over the world in order to make a gigantic ship. And then in the advent of <Ragnarokthe day of twilight of the gods>, a great amount of evil giants would ride Naglfar and advanced to the world of the gods.

It was the huge symbol of nightmare of the end of the world.

That was Hel’s trump card.

There was no sail on the ship that was floating in front of Kazuki’s eyes, it was covered with thick board, rather than calling it a ship from the Middle Ages, it was more like a <battleship>.

Its black thick armor had an uneven surface with disorderly scaly appearance. When he looked more in detail the ship was exactly like in the myth―it was formed from the pitch black nails of the dead.

It was like the finger tips of humans that went into necrosis from the cold, a bloody jet black color that was mixed with purplish red color.

The grotesque battleship of darkness was lording over Kazuki and the others.

‘…I’m going to defeat her, and I’ll begin.’

“This is not a power on the level of gathering the souls of three Magika Stigmas from this mountain like before! Know the seriousness of the death god!!”

At the same time with her proclamation of war, there were several vortexes of magic power that floated up in the frontage of Naglfar. It was told in the myth that magic power was residing inside the nails of the dead. That magic power was floating in the frontage of Naglfar. The magic power was whirling while converging―*DON!* such sound rang out and a magic bullet was fired. *DON!* *DON!* *DON!* Several sparks of black magic power were scattered.

It was undoubtedly a ship’s bombardment.

“Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!”

Kazuki tore apart that first volley with one swept of Ame no Murakumo and extinguished them. But with a *JIIN* the heaviness of the bombardment numbed the hand that was holding the sword. He didn’t feel such thing at all when he cut apart the [Ice Buster] from before, the heaviness of the bombardment felt like it was several tens of times of that.

• DON!* *DON!* *DON!* ―the magic bullet was fired rapidly even now without pause. Kazuki took a stance of slashing with Ame no Murakumo.

…He was unable to invoke [Kusanagi no Tsurugi] with the same speed of the enemy’s rapid-fire.

Kazuki had such a hunch too.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!”

He had already chanted a magic that could deal with a large amount of magic power attack.

Countless Sacred Treasures were created behind him, then all of it was fired one after another.

The magic bullets and Futsunushi no Kami’s Sacred Treasures collided, the blizzard sky shined.

It couldn’t block them all―the magic bullets that couldn’t be neutralized were heading at Kazuki and his comrades behind him before raining down.

“Zekorbeni!”

While trembling from the intensity of the bombardment, Kazuki used his trump card.

Right now there was nothing he could do except using this power for the sake of defense.

“I will protect everyone! …Mode・Phoenix!!”

Enormous flame spewed out from Zekorbeni on Kazuki’s chest, creating an armor in firelight color. That orange light connected Kazuki’s mind with Phoenix directly.

“O the calling voice of the ruler of flame, liberate the rage of the bottom of the earth! Open the gate of my rampart here… tower in heaven and earth, isolate the impurity! Fire Wall!!”

With a loud voice the defensive magic of the flame wall was invoked. Zekorbeni could amplify the might of the magic the more magic power was poured into it. Kazuki poured several times the amount of magic power that was originally needed for this level 2 magic in one into Zekorbeni.

A thick wall of flame was built up all at once.

The flame wall swallowed the magic bullets that couldn’t be neutralized.

Even so the remaining small magic bullets that looked like dregs of the original were still raining down on Kazuki behind the wall like a shower. Even the comrades behind Kazuki were―.

“Kyaa-!” Mio’s scream was raised.

Even just this much might become a hindrance for the chanting of the Chorus Magic.

The flame wall lost its power and vanished. But Naglfar was still floating in the sky while creating vortexes of magic power even more. The bombardment would continue without pause…!!

The attack was simple, but it was an excessively thick curtain of attack.

“Damn-!” Kanae raised a voice that was irritated with herself who couldn’t do anything.

…A swordsman couldn’t do anything in this situation.

“Kanae, you move back with Liz Liza-sensei whose magic power is used up! Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!!”

Kazuki yelled while once again bisecting the raining down magic bullets all at once in a single slash.

He slashed Ame no Murakumo directly horizontal. There Kazuki’s movement that was controlling the sword stopped. The magic bullet unceasingly flew at him in that gap.

This gap had to be filled.

Ame no Murakumo was still hiding more power but―a Sacred Treasure was not something that could be mastered where the user could use all of its powers right from the start. Training was needed.

He couldn’t hold back the bombardment just with the power of Ame no Murakumo. His power as the King of Solomon was also necessary.

“Fire Wall!!”

Kazuki poured a lot more magic power into Zekorbeni and unfolded a thicker wall of flame. At the same time he chanted [Tenkuu Battou Rengehou]. He was working at full capacity.

“Lotte!” Kazuki shouted.

“Yes desu! …Hit and run attack right desu!!”

Lotte understood Kazuki’s intention even without being ordered.

“O guardian of human race, the wisdom for the sake of opposing the will of the tyrannical god right here… Custom Liberion!”

Lotte equipped armors that were lined up with countless small type thruster units on both her legs and arms, she immediately ignited them―flying to the blizzard sky. She circled to right beside the battleship of darkness that was flying in the sky and scattered bullets from the large type gatling that was attached on the armor.

“You’re a nuisance, you fly!”

Naglfar also directed several vortexes of magic power at Lotte and fired rapidly magic bullets from there.

Lotte who was clad in [Custom Liberion] that excelled in mobility flew around Naglfar and ran away from that line of fire. No, she has also gotten hit with several shots that she couldn’t evade. Each time she got hit, smoke rose from the armor. Yet Lotte continued her hit and run with preparedness for death.

But with a lot of the [gunport] directed at Lotte, the attack to Kazuki and everyone behind him that were chanting Chorus Magic was lessened. There was also a limit on how many gunport Naglfar could take out each time.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!!”

Kazuki intercepted the lessened attack with countless Sacred Treasures.

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!!” Kazuha-senpai too imitated Kazuki and invoked the same magic.

This time it was Naglfar that couldn’t neutralize the countless Sacred Treasures and the gatling bullets, the armor of the battleship of darkness was beginning to be impacted by the projectiles.

They displayed a situation of a fierce bombardment exchange.

“Many of you combining your power… it’s annoying! Even though I’m just alone! Even though papa too won’t lend his hand to me… everyone, everyone is ganging up and making fun of me!!”

A voice of an irritable child escaped from the inside of the eerie Naglfar.

…No, was she a child? Papa… did she mean Loki?

Putting that aside, she was held back enough.

Even with a materialized Diva as the opponent, if he united his will with his comrades in this number then they could hold her back.

They have arrived at the place where they could stand against a god with the power of a human.

And then, if there was the power of bonds, and this sword that he inherited from his mother… they could defeat her.

For that sake, a momentary opening was necessary. Naglfar’s bombardment would stop, Kazuki believe that that moment would come before long and persisted in defense.

“ “ “ “Shem ha MeforashWe know thy true name!!” “ “ “

That time was approaching.

Finally the Chorus Magic of everyone from the Witch’s Mansion entered the climax. Mio, Koyuki, Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, the four of them created enormous pillars of magic power that felt like it could reach the heavens.

Those magic power pillars emitted wavelengths that were accurate to the inch while mixing with each other.

“ “ “ “Thy true name is Baal… though that be so, all of evil was born in the Middle Ages! Calculating faith, and sham loyalty stained the sublime Baal! Born from falsehood the army of demons multiply in multiply and thy stand at the summit!” “ “ “

Behind the four people the golden great king that carried the power of the stars, Baal was floating and materialized.

But under the identity of Baal there was one other face that hid a more mighty power. Baal’s greatest magic was―obtained in posterior due to curses, now all of it was liberated.

The contractor, Hikaru-senpai, commanded.

“The great god of Ugalit Mythology Baal… answer my command, liberate all of that curses!! …Thy stained name is… King of FliesBeelzebub!!”

“Very well… watch it thoroughly!!”

Together with a voice that was filled with rage―Baal’s golden figure was breaking down and decayed like mud.

He was stained jet black exactly the same like the accursed Naglfar in front of their eyes!

And then the thing that was Baal became Beelzebuba swarm of countless giant flies.

Like a dark cloud that was flowing, the giant swarm of the flies passed overhead Kazuki and the others and surged to Naglfar.

Due to Christianity in the Middle Ages, Baal who was a god of a different teaching was repainted as a devil and received the curses of the people. That curse was―one of the seven deadly sins [gluttony].

Beelzebub was maximizing that nature.

The swarm of flies was bathed in countless magic bullets. But the flies ate at that. While eating away the bullet curtain one after another, the flies finally clung to the black armor of Naglfar. And then, even that armor that was made from the nails of the dead began to be eaten.

“Thi, this…!!”

Hel raised an impatient voice and created vortexes of magic power, she fired magic bullets at the side of the giant flies that were eating greedily. Several of the flies vanished from the hit at their side. But the flies too were eating greedily at the armor into shreds with momentum that was not inferior to that.

It was a fierce devouring at each other between the Heldeath god and Beelzebubthe king of demon.

Of course Beelzebub’s summoned body couldn’t stay in this world for long.

But―right now was the time to go out in offensive. The bombardment had stopped, Naglfar’s armor became littered with moth-eaten damage, the path for the sake of bathing Hel with a blow was opened widely.

“Everyone!”

Kazuki gave out a signal to his comrades. After that he immediately poured magic power into Zekorbeni.

“…O undying bird that soar from dusk to dawn, please grant that wings of hope on my back! The destruction for the sake of rebirth right here…! Blazing Wings!”

The swarm of flies moved aside and conceded a path to Kazuki that spread out wings of flame and flew away.

And then―the greatest magic that he could use from Mio’s positivity level of 155, level 8.

The trump card that he hadn’t used until now because of the intensity of his fatigue was now used.

“O undying bird that repeated life and death! Liberate the flame of one’s last moment, become the sun of the surface… Sun of the EndImitation Flare!!”

The avatar of the firebird was liberated and headed to Naglfar from Kazuki.

The avatar of the firebird exploded like a bomb.

Phoenix that symbolized the sun liberated all of his own flame that was in the juncture of life and death and burned the target to ashes. That phenomenon was reenacted in this place.

The energy liberation that rivaled the solar flare(sun surface explosion) also sacrificed the flies that were late to escape while swallowing Naglfar.

The giant fire ball that even swallowed Naglfar whole floated in the air like a sun and continued to blaze. Inside it, they could see that the armor that was eaten away by the flies was melting in the blink of an eye.

“(Mermaid Armament)Mode・Merfolk!”

Kazuki instantly switched Zekorbeni―from Mio’s Phoenix, he went to Koyuki’s Vepar. He was enveloped in blue raiment that looked just like the shape of the sea itself. Koyuki’s positivity level had also reached 150 from that date. The greatest fire power of this bond, the level 8 was instantly invoked.

“Time turn drawing circle, the history repeated following the inevatibility, awaken the forgotten era right here… leave behind everything inside the dream, toward the era of glacier! Absolute Ice WorldIce Age!!”

The instant the fire ball liberated all of its energy and vanished, this time it was Vepar’s avatar that emerged―the surrounding of Kazuki and Naglfar was instantly freezing.

A pure cold that surpassed even the blizzard of the Haunted Ground and the blizzard of the world of death―a world of ice.

Naglfar, and Hel that rode inside it were freezing, their movement was stopped.

“Mode・Veritas!”

Kazuki switched Zekorbeni even further―from Koyuki’s Vepar to Lotte’s Prometheus. His body was wrapped with a silver suits with a texture that was hard to consider as something of this world.

Lotte’s positivity level was also surpassing 150. He poured his magic power into the greatest fire power of that, to level 8.

“Turning thy back to the god, pour the wisdom of human history to the dream of destruction… hear the roar of human’s independence! Betrayal’s Romance CannonGustav Dora!!”

A gigantic ordnance towered erectly from Kazuki’s chest to the front direction. It was a gigantic gun battery with length of few dozen meters and the thickness diameter close to one meter. A recoil propulsion system in order to withstand the firing of that gun battery was created on his back. In front of Naglfar, Kazuki also turned into a large weapon and determined his aim.

The unrealistic cannon that possessed the power of magic―fired.

A high explosive projectile that was almost as large as a human’s stature with the weight of a few ton was fired rapidly along with a thunderous roar that pierced your ears.

Masses of destruction landed one after another on Naglfar’s armor that was subjected under rapid freezing right after a super high temperature and exploded grandly. The nails of the dead were peeled off and fell apart.

When Kazuki finished firing all the explosive bullets and made the ordnance vanished―it was at the same time where Naglfar was finally destroyed from the attacks that came one after another.

“For, for a human, moreover a male to fire magic this powerful in rapid succession, how can your magic not run out..?”

Hel opened her eyes wide inside Naglfar that was barely floating in the air with its barely remaining fragment of magic power.

“No… that magic power inside you… that is Zero Knight’s…!”

Hel still survived! Kazuki flapped his wings of flame while taking a stance with Ame no Murakumo.

It was at that time that following the signal of commencing attack from Kazuki just now, his comrades invoked the magic that they were chanting all at once.

“Tearing the skin and blooming the flower of blood, the scream that echoed eternally… fell the betrayer and awaken the hell right here! Cocytus!”

Behind Kazuki who was slashing at Hel, a piercing cold of hell was overtaking him.

At that time the Ame no Murakumo in Kazuki’s grasp reverberated *JIIN* as if saying something to him.

…He could hear, the voice of the Sacred Treasure!

In this kind of time, this Sacred Treasure must be… used in this kind of way!

“Carry the mystery in your blade crest <Ame no Murakumo>! Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Kazuki immediately made a half turn on the spot and ran his blade not at Hel but at the cold of [Cocytus]. While Ame no Murakumo was enveloped in cold, it shone as if in echo.

Like Kusanagi no Tsurugi that tore apart magical phenomenon and dispersed them―it was not, the magic phenomenon was absorbed into that shining blade. The golden blade was frozen into deep blue and all the cold was compressed in it.

The essence of [slash] was to compress the energy within the narrowly linear range.

Katana could [cut] things by compressing the movement energy into the sharp blade.

Ame no Murakumo could even compress the magic energy into the blade’s narrow range.

That was this Battou Kaikon―[Tsumugari no Tachi].

Kazuki used his movement of cutting Kaguya-senpai’s [Cocytus] just like that to rotate in full circle and cut at Hel with the blade that carried cold.

“UOOOOOOOOOO!”

With Ame no Murakumo that was carrying the power of [Cocytus], Kazuki pursued the blown away Hel and dealt her one more blow even further. Hel was thrown onto the rock surface of Mt. Fuji.

“O lightning god, disturb the law of heaven following my will, liberate the undulation of destruction that is hidden in the atmosphere! Super Lightning Arc DischargeArc Flash Hazard!!”

Hikaru-senpai also cast Baal’s level 7 magic. The power of the Haunted Ground’s atmosphere was compressed into the two poles of positive and negative energy and raised a vortex around Hel, that equilibrium broke and caused a pure white great explosion. That was not something that was caused by nature, but by plasma.

Instantly, Kazuki cut at that plasma with Ame no Murakumo.

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

He swung that blade at Hel that was crashed into a rock wall. The compressed electric heat destroyed Hel’s defensive magic power with each blow.

It didn’t stop at one attack. Second, third, fourth…he repeatedly hacked her to pieces. The recoil of the defensive magic power gouged a crater at the surface of Mt. Fuji like an explosion, with each blow Hel was buried even deeper.

“O bird of paradise whose body is carrying the light of heaven, respond to my accusation and burn to ash the sin on the surface! Israel Judgment!!”

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Mio had already guessed everything and directly fired Phoenix’s heat ray not at Hel but at Kazuki’s blade. That power was settled smoothly and the blade of sun’s heat slashed apart even further at Hel.

“Ga, ganging up on me like this while borrowing the power of a great number of people! You, you coward! Not fair! Even though papa is not helping me…!! Give me back Naglfar!!”

“O singing voice of mermaid, manifest the freezing thought. Sadness into ice flower, loneliness into light snowfall, cover the world with freezing blankness… White Album!”

“Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

Koyuki also invoked her magic and Kazuki’a Ame no Murakumo accepted it. Hel was buried until a depth where she couldn’t even move her body anymore while Kazuki earnestly stabbed his sword.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I’m, vanishing! If you keep doing that… I’ll vanish!!”

It was evident that her defensive magic power was almost extinguished.

When Kazuki thought whether he was going to stab his blade just like this until the end, for an instant, he hesitated.

He could win. But, would he kill her?

{It’s not like the Diva will die you know? When she used up her strength then she will only fall asleep for a long, long time.}

Leme told him through the telepathic communication.

―Her appearance was a little girl but, this opponent was a terrifying Diva. For the sake of protecting his comrades he couldn’t afford to go easy on her.

If he gave her an instant of opening here―the next moment it would be Kazuki who fall into a pinch. He had already used up his magic power to the limit. He had already spent everything to bring the situation into this direction.

He would finish her off until the end! Kazuki resolved.

But suddenly―Kazuki felt a magic power expanding in circle shape around Hel. It was not a magic power that came from Hel. It was an unknown magic power from someone that was isolated from them with a distant space.

It was hard to predict what was going on.

This was not an attack magic. If he created [Futsu no Mitama] he thought that perhaps he could destroy the magic phenomenon, but he wouldn’t make it in time if he chanted only after he noticed this.

The circle shaped magic power that expanded with the buried Hel as the center instantly materialized into a huge ring.

Ring―the thing that was like a string that was connecting through several magatama.

This was an enlarged Yasakani no Magatama!

Its inside instantly became pitch black and connected into another dimension, a different space. The exhausted Hel was absorbed into the black dimension while the girl herself was making a confused face saying “What’s this!?”

“Ikousai!?”

Reflexively Kazuki almost threw his body into the other dimension, but recalling his own exhaustion he stumbled his step. If enemies were waiting at the destination of the other dimension, his current self would be unable to do anything.

There was no reply to answer Kazuki’s calling voice, after the ring swallowed Hel inside the other dimension, the ring of Yasakani no Magatama shrank in the blink of an eye and vanished.

Part 8

Aisu Ikousai with her body wrapped in her trademark Japanese clothes was standing still inside her own sword dojo that was prepared in Oosaka. Some composure came out in her expression ―her special training was bearing fruit.

At the space before her eyes the enlarged Yasakani no Magatama was floating along with magic power. It was connected with the deep black dimension in its inside and with a plop it dropped off Hel who was in a worn-out state of body and mind.

“You really got beaten up mercilessly huh. …If you got worn out until this bad then you won’t be able to come out at the frontline for a while until your divinity is restored.”

Hel was limply sinking on the cool floor of natural wood inside the sword dojo where it seemed she couldn’t even hear Ikousai’s voice.

Yasakani no Magatama smoothly became smaller and wrapped on Ikousai’s wrist naturally.

“Wh, why…?” Finally a voice escaped Hel.

“Yasakani no Magatama is a Sacred Treasure that can only display its effect within my perception sphere.”

Ikousai had already tested the Sacred Treasure many times, she was already able to completely grasp its effect.

“Something like exerting the power of this Sacred Treasure at the far away Fuji’s sea of trees originally should be something impossible. But… the Three Sacred Treasures resonated with each other, like a power that called to each other. Most likely it was the moment when Hayashizaki obtained Ame no Murakumo in his hand, that Yasakani no Magatama and Yata no Kagami reacted. Yata no Kagami projected your figure fighting that guy holding Ame no Murakumo. If it’s visible, then that place is a range where my imagination can reach… it’s inside my magic perception range. That was why I could save you using the power of Yasakani no Magatama.”

Yasakani no Magatama―it twisted the space between its string.

“Hel is my master that taught me the way to handle a Diva’s power. I heard the story from Loki… I was thinking whether there was any way for me to go help you. It was something miraculous, but I’m glad I made it.”

Ikousai had a really arrogant personality, but toward someone that gave her something―toward the existence that she called as mentor, she was someone that paid her respect from the bottom of her heart. Hel too was not an exception.

“Uu… uu, ueeee…”

“Hel?”

“UEEEE~N, IKOUSAI~!!”

When Ikousai just thought that she was seeing tears gathering inside Hel’s round eyes, Hel suddenly clung at Ikousai’s chest while crying loudly like a child.

“Uwaa, don’t you press your soppy face to my clothes.”

“Ueee~! Why~! Why is everyone making fun of me~! Why is papa not praising me~! Give me back my Naglfar~! Even though I worked really hard to gather a lot of dead people’s souls, why did it get broken like that~!! I hate everyone~!!”

Feeling troubled of how to deal with Hel that was crying like a child, Ikousai just kept patting her blue haired head for the time being.

“Ueee~! I hate everyone except Ikousai~!!”

Hel bawled even harder, like a child that was scolded for the first time.

Chapter 3 – Male and Female

Part 1

“However I’m really troubled here if you don’t treasure us a little more as comrades that fought together on the same side. Even though we came to help and trying to stop those Germans from going wild, there is my comrade that just got left to die without any help and fell into magic intoxication for all that. That’s just really heartless ain’t it―. And then there is no thanks or apology at all, you guys looks like you are just completely concerned about those German bunch only, yeah―”

A rare guest was visiting the Witch’s Mansion.

That person was securing the position right in front of the Phantasmagoria where it was the easiest spot to watch the show in the living room. The person was earnestly complaining and spouting sarcasm while gulping down the served cookies and black tea.

“Mu… this cookie! I said many selfish things to that old man Yamagata and got him to feed me with various high class food, but this cookie is the tastiest I have gotten to eat until now… It looks simple somehow, but there is this good feeling that it was made courteously. It feels like a mom’s cookie. Seconds!”

That person shamelessly held out the plate that had become empty to the [server].

“Then please enjoy.”

Kazuki took the plate and placed a second helping. The one who brew the black tea was Mio, but the one that baked the cookies was Kazuki. …After hearing the word mom, there was still a complicated feeling gushing out from him.

“Hauu―…even though it’s Otouto-kun’s cookie that was baked for us… because of the sudden visitor the portion for each person decreased completely…”

Kaguya-senpai fell prostrate on the table.

The rare guest―was Ryouzanpaku’s Roshouko. From the wild jacket and denim pants that she wore, it showed her figure in civilian clothes with her skin that was burned healthily exposed, giving off the impression of her southerner origin.

She looked wild but her instinct was sharp, she was strangely proficient at bargaining―she gave off the impression that she was someone he mustn’t let his guard down against.

“Shouko-san, how can you act this freely?”

Originally she was not a person that was supposed to be left alone too much to do as she pleased. She was friendly but, she was similar to the Kings that came from the outside, a powerful warrior that was a match for a thousand. It was strange that she was monitored by the country.

“You don’t really need to worry, after all my comrade is hospitalized in Japan’s Knight Order’s facility y’know?”

Shouko-san shrugged her shoulder and answered.

“I’m not gonna do anything suspicious okay. I begged to Old man Yamagata to let me go play, if I try to do something then it’s fine for them to just kill off Silirat. It’s the opposite way of thinking.”

I’ll give you my comrade as hostage so let me do as I please―opposite way of thinking or whatever, such a shameless reason wasn’t supposed to be accepted. But he guessed that Commander Yamagata couldn’t really reject her so strongly.

Before, Silirat intervened to help Kaguya-senpai that fell into a predicament because of Germans running wild, and because the girl fell into magic intoxication from that fight, right now these girls were perfectly in the position of a good willed injured party.

By making the rampaging Germans into their common enemy, it also could become a good chance to deepen the relation between Japan and Ryouzanpaku.

But as for Kazuki―he didn’t want to turn Germany into an enemy.

First he wanted to ask the circumstances why Beatrix rampaged around like that.

As for Silirat’s action, who was going to add more injury to Eleonora whose magic power was gone, without even asking about the circumstances, although they said it was for the sake of helping Japan’s side… that was something that he couldn’t thank them for.

Due to that Japan’s attitude toward Ryouzanpaku was still in the air until Beatrix and the others woke up.

Shouko was dissatisfied with this stance that compromised with Germany rather than Ryouzanpaku who was supposed to be their comrade in standing together against Chukadou.

“So, why does Shouko-san who became free come to this place?”

“It’s Old man Yamagata’s public stage after all, so I was thinking to watch it with everyone like this. Come on, it’s beginning see. …Hyaa―, they really make a spectacle eh.”

Shouko-san amusedly pointed at the Phantasmagoria while biting at the cookie.

{Regarding the east and west war that was suddenly tied with a cease-fire agreement, the General Staff Headquarters Vice Chief Yamagata Koyata of the Knight agency opened an urgent press conference. We are now broadcasting from the Asaka garrison of the Knight Order.}

Along with the stiff voice of the announcer that was colored with nervousness, the Asaka garrison where many knights were forming a tight line there was projected in the Phantasmagoria. The avatars of Solomon 72 Pillar were floating at the back of the knights in a line. What Shouko-san called as a spectacle was surely about this rather than the knights itself.

In the center, there was Commander Yamagata with his best serious expression.

No, should he call him General Staff Headquarters Vice Chief now?

So that the household that didn’t have the Phantasmagoria could also watch, this announcement could also be watched on flat television. It was the consideration so that this announcement could be conveyed to all the people of this country without fail.

“Leme, what’s with these avatars of the 72 Pillar?”

Kazuki asked Leme who was gulping down cookies with a vigor that didn’t lose or was inferior to Shouko.

“It’s just a show. With this the persuasiveness toward the people will increase right? Everyone of this country loves the 72 Pillar after all.”

In Japan the people were not obligated to be faithful to Divas, rather the 72 Pillar was loved like idols.

The announcement from now on was something supported by the 72 Pillar. If they appealed with that kind of setting, the way the people received it would greatly change.

“Still I wonder why it’s old man Yamagata that does this? For this kind of thing, the highest big shot… in this country it’s the Knight agency’s minister right, shouldn’t it be more logical for that guy to be the one that does this?”

Shouko-san was talking while somewhat making fun of it along with sending a sidelong glance at Kazuki. It looked like she was looking for an answer from Kazuki. He felt her nastiness that was trying to test him. Kazuki answered.

“This too might be a show. Today, what will be announced here will be more persuasive if it’s said by a person that was actually there.”

Originally Vice Chief Yamagata was the commander of Shizuoka regiment that was located in the front line of the east-west war. He fought along with Kazuki till the end and accomplished a promotion in this occasion.

Because Kazuki’s active role was not made public, in the society the achievements from the battle against Yamato were all assigned to Vice Chief Yamagata. Of course the person himself didn’t wish for that, but…

In the eye of society, he was without a doubt a hero.

{…It’s exactly as has been reported, the mediation of the other Magic Advanced Countries was the impetus behind the sudden ceasefire of the east-west war. It was a mediation on the basis of the logic of a mythological country.}

Vice Chief Yamagata got the ball of the press conference rolling with a grave tone of voice.

{Their logic disregard the historical legitimacy that we own and stated that the one that should govern this Japanese archipelago is the mythologically legitimate King―the Basileus. Because of that the dispute between our country and Yamato will be settled not by war, but by looking at who can gather the King’s symbol―the Three Sacred Treasures the fastest. Regarding this matter, I think it will make all of you the people of this country become terribly uneasy of this course of events that cannot be understood at all looking from the sense of values of our country, but this matter until the end is something for the sake of obtaining the international acknowledgment.}

Something for the sake of obtaining the international acknowledgment―in other words it was not something absolute.

They still did the Three Sacred Treasures gathering for the sake of obtaining the acknowledgment from the other countries, but if they lost in that endeavor they still wouldn’t withdraw so easily, it was that kind of thing.

If the situation is moving to the destruction of the country, we the government plan to continue our battle of resistance while telling something like international acknowledgement that they could go and eat shit. That was what was indirectly said here.

{Here I reported that the struggle for the Three Sacred Treasures between the two camps of Japan and Yamato had come to an end.}

The journalists that filled the interview hall were making a stir.

{With <Ame no Murakumo> in our country, and <Yasakani no Magatama> and <Yata no Kagami> in Yamato, all of the Three Sacred Treasures have been discovered and the searching has ended.}

The commotion among the journalists grew even bigger as if an earthquake was happening.

{Isn’t it one against two?} {What’s going to happen?} {There was also the legend that the magatama had low importance you know.} {How are you going to take responsibility?} {What responsibility if the country is going to disappear…}

Vice Chief Yamagata surveyed the journalists and informed more without any panic.

{The Three Sacred Treasures are divided between the two camps, so both camps are going to bet their respective Sacred Treasures and a duel will be performed by the two people that Japan and Yamato respectively have as King.}

The commotion reached its peak. …Even Kazuki swallowed his saliva nervously.

{Who is this King you talked about!?} Someone yelled that. Asaka garrison fell silent in unrest.

{The King is―a fifteen year old high school student named Hayashizaki Kazuki.}

He said it. Vice Chief Yamagata really said it.

“Oohh hoh! It’s finally really said out huh!”

Shouko-san pointed the tip of her finger at the screen and directed an amused gaze at Kazuki.

“Otouto-kun, are you okay…?

Kaguya-senpai was worrying for him. Kazuki shook his head unrelated to the strong pressure.

“It should be clearly announced officially like this. It’s different with the era of Kaa-san’s time. The connection between people and Diva has become strong. There is no need to shoulder this alone by myself and fight while understanding nothing.”

“But won’t this affect the fight later~? What are you going to do if you get cold feet and lose and this country ends then~? As expected it’s hard right? This kind of thing will only become unnecessary pressure on you yeah.”

Shouko-san laughed as if to stir him up.

“Of course this will become a pressure without doubt, but I don’t think that this fight that will decide the fate of this country should be performed behind closed doors without anyone knowing. I should fight in front of the people. After all the fight this time is not for the sake of protecting the people that is only within my sight, this is a fight for the sake of protecting all the people of this country.”

“Hou…?” Shouko-san retracted her laugh and narrowed her eyes.

{Who is this young man called Hayashizaki Kazuki?}

Inside the uncomfortable silence, Vice Chief Yamagata continued his words with a powerful weight.

{He is without a doubt the strongest Magika Stigma in this country. I, who knows every single one of Japan’s knights, can affirm that.}

{But he is still a young boy right..?} {Moreover a male…?}

{He has already grown up by piling up diligent training of an old style sword art since his childhood and made a contract with a special Diva―the King of the Diva that supervises Solomon 72 Pillar. He had cultivated the skill of a sword master, moreover he possess the possibility to be able to use all the Summoning Magic of Solomon 72 Pillar. He has already obtained several dozens of magic and special abilities. Let alone being the strongest person in the Knight Order, even if he is paired against a single regiment of the Knight Order as his opponent he is able to win… while he is a human he is still a young boy that is bestowed with a power that is similar to an ultimate weapon. That is what a BasileusKing is.}

There was conviction that was not just fleeting inside those powerful words.

The figure of Vice Chief Yamagata that extolled the young boy called Hayashizaki Kazuki with conviction didn’t seem like a top brass of the Knight Order or the likes anymore. That was the figure of a [follower of Hayashizaki Kazuki].

He who was seen as a hero by the society had declared such a thing until that far.

{All of you are mistaken if you feel an apprehension whether it’s okay or not to leave such an important matter to him. If you asked why, that’s because if he didn’t fight in the first place then Yamato would have already finished invading this country. That is the reality of the battle before.}

The anxiety of the group of journalists that were in that place was gradually changing into anticipation towards the new hero that was still unseen. At the same time a solemn atmosphere that was unlike a press conference of a democratic country but more like of a religious conference of a religion country began to drift in that place. One of the journalist raised a fearful voice.

{If he wins… will this country become the possession of that youth..?}

{It won’t.} Vice Chief Yamagata declared so.

{Of those I know he is stronger than everyone, and also a person with a more upright nature than anyone. He is absolutely not someone that is going to change the thing that he loves the most by his own greed. Also in the case that he does such a thing, he will lose his power as a King… it will become something like that.}

―After that Vice Chief Yamagata announced that the duel would be performed tomorrow and ended the press conference.

The announcement was sudden, but there was already previous arrangement between the two camps and Kazuki had already been notified in advance.

The duel ground was Sekigahara.

“It seems they really made too much of this matter.”

When Kazuki unintentionally uttered that out while sitting and drinking tea, Mio stood up from her chair noisily and hugged at his neck right from the side, the tea was almost spilled.

“Isn’t all of it the truth! As expected from our Kazu-nii! Kazu-nii is magnificent!!”

Kaguya-senpai also took the opportunity to stand up.

“As expected from Otouto-kun! This Otouto-kun is raised by all of us!”

She said something like an old man of a farmer family and then hugged Kazuki from the opposite side.

The face of Kazuki who was sitting on the chair was sandwiched between the breasts of the two that were hugging him while standing.

Kazuki distorted his expression to hide his embarrassment while continuing to drink his tea.

Seeing that situation, Shouko-san too murmured “Hmmm…” while drinking her tea.

The tea time was over, so Kazuki sent Shoukou-san back.

After that, when Kazuki was washing the tea set, Kamimura-san in a jersey appearance came trotting into the kitchen. An active Kamimura-san that moved by her own instigation like this was rare.

“Kamimura-san, are you coming to give me help?”

“That’s absolutely not it. I don’t want to work degozaru.”

A wry smile reflexively appeared on Kazuki’s face hearing Kamimura-san clearly declaring that.

He thought that someone younger that needed to be looked after was cute.

Kamimura-san sat down with a plop on the nearby floor and looked up at the working Kazuki.

“Kazuki… sorry. It looks like I pushed it out to you, about becoming the King of the Japanese Mythology…”

“The bad one is Amaterasu who abandoned her work you know.”

When Kazuki carelessly back-talked like that, {Just wait right there―} the avatar of Amaterasu too was floating beside Kamimura-san.

How he was going to simultaneously become the King of Solomon along with the King of Japanese Mythology, when he thought back now it was only the natural progression of events.

“But Kazuki… after coming back from Mt. Fuji, I have the feeling that your atmosphere has changed a little.”

“Is that so? Though I don’t know it myself.”

“Somehow… you feel heavy.”

Was she saying that he was fat? Kazuki reflexively tilted his head.

Kamimura-san stood up and tightly gripped the fringe of the working Kazuki’s shirt from behind.

“Maybe you feel even more worth it to depend on than before… I feel this awesomeness from you, that if I become a parasite to this person then he would give me support, that I can continue to live without working. It’s a NEET’s intuition.”

{I get it.} The NEET god Amaterasu was also nodding.

“But I’m thinking… I wonder whether I have made Kazuki shoulder something really heavy like this.”

“That’s not true Kamimura-san.”

Certainly, perhaps right now he had become unperturbed by everything. The heavy pressure that he thought to be really heavy before, didn’t feel like it burdened him really that much now.

Why he became like that―it wasn’t really related with Kamimura-san.

Right now he already knew that he was really loved by his mother from the bottom of her heart, and then he also knew that his mother now had already died in the true meaning.

It was nothing more than that.

Part 2

When Kazuki returned to his room, a paper was stuck at his door.

When he took and looked at it, it was a cutely looking pastel pink paper sealed with a heart seal, but right in the middle of it there was [Letter of Challenge] written with a bold stroke.

He wondered who was the owner of a sense that made a love expression and letter of challenge coexist together on one paper without any contradiction. When Kazuki confirmed the name of the letter’s sender, it was Kanae just as expected.

―Tonight at 10 o’clock, I will be waiting in front of the Sword’s Division Washed Blood Pond.

‘Just where in the world is this Blood Washed Pond located…’ Kazuki thought.

To purposefully prepare a cute paper yet choosing the meeting place that the other side had no way of knowing, it was a really careless mistake that really seemed like Kanae. Kazuki contacted Kazuha-senpai by phone and got taught the general location of the place, and then right at 10 o’clock after he finished tidying up the aftermath of the dinner, he finally arrived.

The garden of the Sword Division at night was dark as usual. Before, Kazuki had once proposed to install illumination here though it didn’t happen.

The place called [Blood Washed Pond] had an outrageous name that seemed to be earned because it seemed the place was often used as the duel arena for fellow students. There was an open space in front of the pond. Even though originally it was a plaza for the sake of admiring the beautiful pond, the youthful students began to use the place as a duel space.

Kanae was waiting there with her back facing the pond. The night sky was really clear without a single cloud in sight, moonlight that really matched a black cat was shining down.

“So you came, Nii-sama.”

“I didn’t know at all about this place called Blood Washed Pond, so it’s quite a trouble to arrive here you know.”

Kanae raised “Eee-!” voice and for the first time she noticed her failure, she was then pitifully all shaken up from the shock of having the wind taken out from her sail.

“So so so so, sorry Nii-sama.”

“You careless girl. And then, what’s with that letter of challenge?”

Kanae who received a fresh start from Kazuki cleared her throat with *kohon*.

“Just like the words that I wrote there… right now, in this place, please have a match with me.”

Kanae unsheathed her black katana smoothly. <Michikage>… it was Kanae’s old beloved sword that she used a long time ago.

Although these few years Kanae had been using two kodachi, in a two sword style all along until now.

Her two sword style that came from her concern of her powerlessness. For her to stop doing that meant… that she might have broken out of her shell. That should be the reason of this sudden duel.

―[Shin’iki]. The technique Kanae used in the Grand Haunted Ground that even Kazuki didn’t have any knowledge about.

What kind of technique was it, Kazuki at that time couldn’t ascertain it clearly.

“Got it.” Kazuki didn’t ask her reason and drew his sword too.

“Is it fine to start from this distance?”

Kanae asked. The distance between them was around 3 meter. The distance between them shrank really naturally due to their conversation in the middle of this darkness. It was a swordsman’s distance that was disadvantageous for chanting a spell.

“I’m not a magician. It’s fine for you to start at the timing that you like in the distance that you like.”

“Nii-sama has an important event tomorrow so… let’s do this only until a good timing to quit.”

The decisive duel was tomorrow. Some magic power could be recovered when sleeping but he couldn’t force himself here.

“That helps.”

“Well then.” The figure of the black cat melted into darkness.

He used not just his eyesight but also used his magic power perception to Foresight Kanae’s movement―behind.

The magic power’s flow conveyed to him a horizontal sweeping slash.

Evasion was impossible. Kazuki put up Ame no Murakumo vertically and blocked the attack while his body was still turning behind. The sound of steel and steel clashing scattered sparks inside the darkness.

From there the two blades entangled with each other softly, trying to break the sword stance of each other.

The disturbance at each other was equal. When they both saw that what they were doing was difficult, both of them simultaneously took distance from each other to the back.

Immediately Kanae’s figure vanished with a jump. It was similar with a reinforced Beatrix and Ikousai, a speed in the dimension where a naked eye was helpless to do anything. He had to read her movement using only the portent of the magic power.

The movement of Kanae tonight was sharper than usual.

A thrust assaulted him from diagonally behind. Kazuki drove away the tip of the sword to the side and tried to parry the attack. Kanae’s blade twisted like a snake’s head and tried to run away from that redirection. Both blades entangled with each other once more. Instant Positioning. But he couldn’t pour the concentration of his whole nerves into this battle between sword and sword.

If he couldn’t chant Summoning Magic, this fight would only become a one-sided defensive battle. The other side was superior in speed.

Saying it in reverse, as long as he could just maintain his spell chanting, he wouldn’t mind even if he got hit with one or two strikes.

However… what about Shin’iki?

Kazuki began the chant of Phoenix’s level 5 [Blazing Wings]. If he could just invoke that then it was a large scale attack magic that was impossible to evade.

Having said that, it was hard to contest Kanae equally in sword while maintaining this chanting. While advancing his chanting, Kazuki was falling little by little into the inferior position.

His posture was broken. Kazuki resolved himself to get hit. In exchange he passed the climax of the spell chanting. He switched his consciousness’s gear from the sword to his chanting and poured all his concentration onto that.

“O immortal bird that soar from dusk to dawn, please grant that wings of hope on my back…”

“Now!” At that time Kanae shouted―she had read what Kazuki was going to do.

Kanae’s movement became even more honed and accelerated with a trajectory that depicted nothing pointless in it.

It was a movement that was the only one for Kanae. And then her timing was exactly when Kazuki was welcoming the climax of his chanting. He had the feeling that some kind of unseen gears were clicking in him.

“Shin’iki!!”

While slipping into Kazuki’s bosom, leaving behind an afterimage, Kanae swung down her black katana diagonally at his shoulder. All of her movement was unified like a gust of wind. The impact of a slash ran inside Kazuki.

“For the sake of rebi……..”

The attack just now was by no means something heavy.

But blue defensive magic power was shining and the reflectionrecoil from that transmitted a spark at the most vital part of the chanting that Kazuki was spinning inside his head.

Like a candle extinguished by a gust of wind―the chanting inside Kazuki’s head vanished on its own.

“…So this is Shin’iki!”

Kazuki spontaneously yelled and took a step back behind. But Kanae was fast. Foreseeing his escaping movement, she came in pursuit to attack. He couldn’t evade. But something like a minor damage was trivial.

The true identity of Shin’iki was a chanting destroyer technique. Power was unnecessary for it. It slipped a single attack at the keystone that became the chant’s most inner core with extreme sharpness and accuracy.

He was being in wonder that a human’s movement could produce such an extremely sharp blow. There was no mistaking it, that this technique was something obtained from the realization of the most optimum movement solution that was derived from Kanae’s muscles, bone structure, and every kind of factors in her body.

Slipping the ultimate sharpness inside in the ultimate timing, a miraculous technique.

The hair on Kazuki’s back stood up in cold shivers. In front of this technique, Magika Stigma were powerless.

Having said that, this was absolutely not a technique that would succeed without fail.

Just now he tried level 5 but… if he went for a low level magic with an easier chant then…

Kazuki corrected his posture and once again he clashed his sword against Kanae’s. What kind of magic should he chant from here? There was a lot of choices available for Kazuki.

Several methods to deal with the situation appeared inside Kazuki’s head. Magic that could make Kanae’s Shin’iki powerless if he invoked it in this occasion. Kazuki picked out one from the list of his magic that he thought would be the most certain.

“O stream of atmosphere, converge on this body, become the storm that reject the hated person…”

Baal’s level 3 defensive magic. He brought down the level quite far, also if a defensive magic was targeted to the caster himself, then the Targeting step would be unneeded and he could chant easier.

It was a magic that clad the whole body with an armor of wind. Moreover that wind could be manipulated according to the user’s will. In other words he would be able to disturb Kanae’s delicate swordsmanship with wind. Her perfect movement would deviate due to the wind that was impossible to calculate against, if her timing was out of place, just from that, Shin’iki would be unable to be completed anymore.

It seemed that Kanae sensed the nature of the magic that Kazuki was trying to chant from the magic power wave because her face went ‘hah’ in realization. Kanae’s concentration increased even further.

“Become the storm that reject the hated person…!”

“…Shin’iki!”

Before Kazuki’s eyes, Kanae stepped in with a speed that made her seem as if she was warping. It was a perfect movement.

Shin’iki had once more―destroyed Kazuki’s chant.

“Level 3 defensive magic is impossible-!?”

Kazuki was struck with admiration. With this the majority of Kazuki’s magic became sealed.

Kazuki barely blocked Kanae’s pursuing attack. He didn’t have any composure to bring out offense from his side.

Plan B―a magic with even more simpler chanting, that he thought would most likely be able to break down Shin’iki.

“O peerless master, make another showing from beyond the dream…”

Futsunushi no Kami’s level 2 magic, [Kenki Tensei].

It summoned a phantom of famous swordsman from the past, whose history of sword was remembered even in this era, to make them fight. Kanae wouldn’t be able to unleash Shin’iki while fighting the phantom swordsman. During the interval when Kanae wasted her time driving away the phantom swordsman, he could just chant [Storm Fort] or [Blazing Wings].

“Along with the flame of transmutation…”

Now, what would she do? Kanae who was just earnestly swinging her sword and Kazuki who was blocking that while chanting, both of their gazes entangled.

Kazuki’s spine froze in shudders. Kanae’s eyes stood out inside the darkness of the night. A strong magic power was residing inside those eyes for the sake of sensing Kazuki’s magic power, those eyes were shining with magic power light.

That blue magic power light increased in intensity and was changing color to green―and then it was changing into a golden color.

It was a phenomenon he had never seen before. He felt the shivers from witnessing something amazing.

Kanae’s figure vanished. That instant, Kazuki completely felt gears interlocking inside him. ‘No good, it’s going to get smashed’, Kazuki half gave up.

“The memory sealed inside the silver mirror……….”

“…Shin, iki-!!”

Kanae’s strained voice. Blown away magic power. Even level 2 magic was destroyed…

His Plan B… Most of level 1 magic was a simple attack magic. It wouldn’t land on Kanae.

The Summoning Magics were all sealed.

Then with pure swordsmanship…

Kazuki’s expression turned bitter. Kanae’s swordsmanship had been polished several levels higher than several months ago.

In contrast during these several months he spent all his time just for magic training.

So Kanae was this powerful if she could just force her opponent to stand in the same arena as her.

Another alternative plan, there was none. Now it was only a matter of until when Kanae’s concentration could continue, how many times she could continuously make her Shin’iki succeed against Kazuki’s magic in succession.

Finally the two laid down on the lawn while feeling a comfortable fatigue. The scent of the grass was pleasant.

After that Kazuki attempted low level magic three times. Kanae crushed all of those attempts.

In the first place it was a match that started with the promise to stop at a good place. If they gave it their all, it would affect the duel tomorrow. Inevitably, Kazuki instantaneously invoked magic with Zekorbeni and ended the match.

A magic with its potency weakened hit Kanae with a bump. The match ended with that.

That meant Kazuki as a magic swordsman was destroyed by Kanae, and Kazuki became the victor as a King.

Of course rather than the sense of fulfillment of his victory, his feeling that was extolling Kanae was stronger.

“This technique is, Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword the Second, named Shin’iki.”

Kanae who was lying down with him said melodically.

There was a technique in Hayashizaki-style that was called the dream sword. A technique that was hard to realize like fulfilling a dream. His stepfatherfather created a technique called [PileKasane] and handed it down to Kazuki and Kanae.

“…[Kasane] is still hard to put into practive and that’s why it’s a dream sword, but this technique is different don’t you think? Because yours can be used in the form of real battle.”

That was exactly the point that had to be praised. Kazuki too was able to understand the principle of the sword. But this time he didn’t get it how the technique could continuously succeed even against low level magic. Rather than a divine work it could be thought of as an abnormal technique already. It was just too absurd that he wanted to feel astonished more than praising it.

In the first place, those golden eyes…

“No, it absolutely cannot be used until this far in real battle. It’s because the opponent tonight is Nii-sama that it could be used until this far.”

“What?”

“It’s Nii-sama doping. Nyaa―!”

Incomprehensible. Kazuki turned his head with a roll to Kanae and asked for an explanation.

“…I wanted to show my good aspect tonight towards Nii-sama that I could display a concentration that surpasses my limit. Even I, myself, am surprised that I can do that technique successively like that. Even if I try the same thing to other opponents, it’s absolutely impossible. After all I cannot let out my full power if it’s not concerning Nii-sama.”

Kanae also rolled and turned her face at Kazuki and returned a wide smiling face like a cat.

“…What if, for example it’s concerning your life, or it’s concerning the fate of the world?”

“If there is no Nii-sama in there, surely I will not become so heated up like this. The greatest concentration that cannot be used except once in a lifetime, was used tonight, only in this moment.”

Kazuki was astonished and looked up to the sky.

“Tonight, the time where I was exchanging slashes with Nii-sama, just the two of us with determination and conviction… for Kanae it was completely like a stage of a dream. That’s why this technique, is still just a dream sword.”

Unintentionally a deep sigh escaped his mouth while looking at the moon. Just when he thought that she had mastered an absurd technique and became a monstrous swordsman, she then completely returned to the usual little sister.

“You who can let out a power even greater than your full strength because I’m the opponent… what kind of meaning does that kind of thing have? Use that kind of thing for something more, like, for the sake of world peace or something.”

“I’m fine with this. I’m different with Nii-sama… After all rather than everything in this world, I love only Nii-sama alone.”

It was the usual―stupid beloved little sister of his.

“That is why, fufufu. Nii-sama, what do you think? About Onee-chan’s strength.”

“I still admire you just like in the past you know. Rather than me or Ikousai… Kanae-neesan is exactly the strongest swordsman.”

“But even Nii-sama surely can also do that technique you know? Even Nii-sama should have continued to pursue your ideal movement until now.”

Perhaps that might be so. It was simple to imitate it if he had worked out the how and made comparison.

“If there is an instant where I cannot concede that I rapidly concentrate on something… when my adrenaline is flowing out gushingly inside my brain…”

What was needed was a concentration that saw through instantly. This technique was largely influenced by the state of mind.

Kanae tonight was concentrating to her maximum limit.

“In my case, I had to demonstrate this technique to Nii-sama no matter what tonight.”

He somehow understood. Why did Kanae look for a turning point in the relationship between them tonight…

These few days, the person called Hayashizaki Kazuki was in the process of having his essence changed dramatically.

“Nii-sama is not a successor of the Hayashizaki-style anymore. Nevertheless, there is me here so please rest easy.”

Surely Kanae wanted to say those words no matter what before the decisive duel.

“…It looks like you have confidence in it huh.”

“Yes. Please climb to a different stage Nii-sama. I will become the strongest swordsman.”

If Kanae could say so with pride, then the Hayashizaki house had no need for anything like Kazukia child for duty anymore.

Unneeded. That’s why…

“That’s why Nii-sama, Nii-sama is not a Nii-sama anymore. Nii-sama now is an existence that is like a Nii-sama.”

“You suddenly said out something so incomprehensible.”

“Nii-sama is not a Nii-sama… but an existence that is like a Nii-sama… a man that I love.”

He felt a sign of nimble movement like a cat from Kanae.

He felt a weight bump his stomach. On the torso of Kazuki who was lying down face up, Kanae was taking a pose of straddling him. From there she brought down her body and got her face closer to him.

“Please look at me… not as brother and sister, but as a woman.”

Kazuki softly caught the face of Kanae that was nearing him with one hand.

“…Since a long time ago, I have already been aware of you as an opposite sex you know?”

Since his puberty arrived, he had always mobilized his reasoning power in full to reject Kanae’s temptation while saying jokes in his mouth even though inside he was desperately reigning himself. Now the reason to reject her had completely disappeared.

“I noticed already that Nii-sama on the inside is always throbbing fast from my every single action. Kanae is not that shameless, to keep asking to be spoiled so much like that while knowing that what I’m doing is making the other party seriously draw away instead.”

“What a wicked woman.”

While saying something like a sore loser, Kazuki accepted the face of Kanae who even now was still drawing closer.

Even inside this darkness Kanae’s lips looked extremely alluring.

“…nn-“

The lips felt extremely sweet, like strawberry milk.

Their lips admirably separated after touching only slightly.

“Nii-sama… I’m happy…”

A single male and female were connected.

“Fufufu… tonight for while… please kiss me like this the whole time.”

One more time, Kanae brought her lips closer timidly. Kazuki embraced tightly the thin waist of Kanae.

Part 3

The ground of the duel was at Sekigahara.

Looking from the sequence of events until now, from the geographical situation between Japan and Yamato, from the historical nuance that Sekigahara possessed, there was no place more fitting to settle the dispute other than here.

Looking back, the place where the battle between Japan and Yamato was halted because of the intrusion from China was also at Sekigahara. It could be said that right now the time that had stopped since then was moving again.

The battle between Tokugawa and Toyotomi happened far in the past, but even now Sekigahara was still a vast field. It was surrounded by fields of crops and partitioned by roads, but there was nothing blocking the view at all around them in this unduly wide field. When taking an extensive view at the stretching out mountains in the distance, the viewer would understand that this ground was a hollowed basin.

The sky of the midday was clear. In the center of Sekigahara, Kazuki and Ikousai were facing each other. Taking a few dozen meters distance from there, the east army and the west army were taking position in representation of Japan and Yamato.

The promise was a one on one fight, but there were a lot of people that would ascertain this event with their own eyes.

On the east side, everyone of the Witch’s Mansion were forming a line at the front line. After them was the top brass of the Knight Order, with Vice Chief Yamagata at the front with ten knights as their escorts. There were also the figures of Kanon-senpai and Akane-senpai.

Roshouko-san of Ryouzanpaku too was coming here, though for some reason, she was taking along her beloved horse while wearing a knight outfit. Perhaps she didn’t ride the car of the Knight Order and came here riding her horse.

“Kazuki, knock downBOM-BA-YE♪ Kazuki, knock downBOM-BA-YE♪”

Kamimura-san and Amaterasu were singing a strange cheering song.

So that they wouldn’t be a hindrance the mass media people were asked to hold back, but surely there were people that were taking pictures from a distance. There was nothing around the two that would be a hindrance.

The bunch of Yamato was lining up on the west side. Loki and the illegal magicians that were his close associates were also there. Hel’s figure was not there. He wondered if it was because she had still suffered from the serious injuries previously dealt. The Japanese Divas that were still in the Wild God state, <Susanoo Faction>, should also be here, but the figures of the Shrine Maidens couldn’t be seen.

The cavalries of the Chukadou Emperor’s Imperial Guard were not here. Kazuki was relieved about that.

In comparison the battle power of Japan’s side was more numerous.

Even in the case that they became dissatisfied about the result of the duel, this place wouldn’t fall into turmoil.

There were also three people that consisted of Arthur, Regina, and Ilyailiya, who were standing on the boundary line of east and west like judges.

Ikousai who was confronting Kazuki, was in her usual Japanese clothes carrying a katana in one hand. Yasakani no Magatama was wrapped on her left wrist while Yata no Kagami was held in her hand like a shield.

Neither a composed smile nor an exhausted look could be seen from her, just an expressionless face like a Noh mask.

Kazuki who was in his uniform was only holding Ame no Murakumo in hand as the replacement of his lost beloved sword.

Kazuki, too, didn’t feel nervous.

“Between you and me, unnecessary words are no longer needed.”

Ikousai talked with a calm tone. It was a battle that had been prepared until this far, but there was no rule at all in it. Both of them wouldn’t mind whenever the duel would start.

“I too had already grown weary of fighting you here.”

“What is left is only the conclusion.”

“I agree.”

That became the signal for the both of them.

Ikousai pointed Yata no Kagami in her hand at Kazuki.

Kazuki poured magic power into Zekorbeni that appeared on his chest.

“Illuminate the seven seas and all countries, <Yata no Kagami>! Sun Fire Single FlashFukyou Kaikon―Hika Issen!”

Yata no Kagami instantly polished up from bluish green color into pure white and emitted light like the sun itself.

“Mode・Veritas!”

Kazuki’s body was wrapped in Prometheus’s streamlined shaped silver dress and instantly invoked that power.

“Custom Liberion!”

Equipped with a high speed maneuver thruster system, Kazuki instantly escaped from the high temperature light that was emitted by the mirror. His defensive magic power was slightly scraped but he immediately came out from the light’s exposure range and circled to Ikousai’s back with a twirl.

He didn’t let Ikousai chant strengthening magic. There was a speed difference between them from the Custom Liberion that Kazuki wore which couldn’t be evaded even if she had predicted the attack. Kazuki kept riding on the speed and swung Ame no Murakumo.

But Ikousai met Kazuki’s attack with the minimal movement.

“Illuminate all creation, <Yata no Kagami>. Fuukyou Kaikon―Mizukagami no Tate.”

Ikousai directed the mirror that had finished radiating light at her own blind spot. Just doing that was enough for her.

Yata no Kagami enlarged and became a mirror shield.

Kazuki’s figure was reflected on the mirror shield. Thereupon the shield moved automatically and repelled the strike from Ame no Murakumo.

Auto-defense. It was a shield that automatically blocked all attack that was reflected in the mirror.

That solid defense ability was just as demonstrated previously in their battle at Fuji’s sea of trees.

…But why can she use the Sacred Treasure’s power this skillfully during this short time?

Kazuki still had yet been unable to master all of Ame no Murakumo’s power.

“Open the world boundary, <Yasakani no Magatama>! Open String Release SouKaicho Kaikon―Gate of Divine CrossingKamiwatari no Mon!”

Yasakani no Magatama that was wrapped on Ikousai’s left hand naturally untied and floated on the air while enlarging.

Inside that giant string became a pitch black another dimension and it absorbed Ikousai.

Yasakani no Magatama shrank down in the air and vanished. Suddenly, Kazuki’s opponent disappeared.

“Is that the warp ability like the time help came for Hel!?”

Kazuki strengthened his perceptions and paid attention to his surroundings.

Ikousai’s magic power had perfectly disappeared.

No matter how fast an enemy he faced, Kazuki was able to Foresight them.

But against an enemy that was not fast but warped instead?

Magic power flipped behind Kazuki and without any time to dodge a slash was dealt to him.

While receiving an impact from the smashed magic that made him stagger forward, Kazuki swept Ame no Murakumo while turning his body.

At that time Yasakani no Magatama that was floating in the air―the entrance to another dimension had already absorbed Ikousai’s body inside and vanished.

The body of Yasakani no Magatama itself also shrank and vanished, Ame no Murakumo slashed empty air.

Ikousai disappeared again.

She was right now located in an another dimension. He couldn’t Foresight at all where she would appear next.

He couldn’t sense the magic power of another dimension or the like!

“O piling up wisdom in human history, become the armor that armored my body in several layer! Heavily, thickly, reject every brutality! Seusenhofer!!”

Kazuki prepared for the attack that he didn’t know when it would come and deployed defensive magic. He poured magic power into Zekorbeni and set up a thick armor on his whole body.

Immediately his armor was broken. He received an attack that was impossible to Foresight from behind.

By the time he turned back, Ikousai was already vanishing.

Both evasion and counterattack didn’t make it in time.

…There was no other way than to sense the magic power when she came out for even an instant faster and react.

Kazuki concentrated his mind and guarded against the magic power that he didn’t know when it would come.

―A magic power at his back once again!

Kazuki tried to escape from the slash right away.

But while he was still in an unsightly posture of frantically twisting his body, he was cut down by Ikousai.

…He didn’t make it. She was just too fast from when she appeared and then attacking.

“Hahaha, run around more! You pitiful worm!!”

Ikousai laughed scornfully while once again disappearing into another dimension.

“…So this is the power of the Sacred Treasure she has.”

He wouldn’t be able to escape if he couldn’t react more instantaneously…

If he didn’t overcome this wall then he wouldn’t be able to fight properly.

No, even if he could avoid the slash and counterattacked, there was still the auto-defense of [Mizukagami no Tate].

If he didn’t surpass that wall too, his attacks wouldn’t have any effect at all.

Warp and auto-defense. If he didn’t surpass these two walls simultaneously…

An unpleasant sweat flowed down his forehead.

“The Three Sacred Treasures each have the power of offense・defense・movement!”

She appeared at his back and slashed him once more. [Seusenhofer] became hacked to pieces and vanished.

Ikousai disappeared while leaving behind a yelling voice.

“Yata no Kagami is defense, Yasakani no Magatama is movement! Offense is Ame no Murakumo, but… if defense and movement are perfect then an opponent can be made to not do anything and get shutout completely!”

While receiving damage without any way to get out from the situation, Kazuki asked at the vanishing Ikousai.

“In this short time period, how can you become this skillful in using the Sacred Treasures?”

She appeared at Kazuki’s back once more and answered while slashing her blade.

“…That’s because I have been mostly Susanoo himself! There is no way Susanoo cannot use these Three Sacred Treasures skillfully!! Solomon King… I’m already waking up to the power as the King of Japanese Mythology!!”

Kazuki was slashed helplessly.

He couldn’t call her cowardly. Hit and run―it was a way of fighting that perfectly sealed the opponent.

“But that doesn’t mean that my offense is incomplete! Right now, part of my body is becoming Susanoo!! The herculean strength of god that is unrivaled under the sky!!”

The willowy woman clad in Japanese clothes, Ikousai was having one of her arm changing into the muscular arm of a giant. Certainly a single attack from that was heavy.

“…You are already not even Aisu Ikousai or anyone anymore huh.”

“What a foolish sore loser! I’m only using everything that I possessed skillfully!!”

Ikousai appeared and vanished many times over as if her existence itself was turning into an illusion. Only realistic and certain slashes were left behind.

“Thunder fall on my body and I obtain lightning thought and god speed… awaken the sleeping lion! Ride Lightning!”

While Kazuki kept being slashed he invoked strengthening magic for the time being so the time wasn’t wasted in vain. His physical ability was strengthened electrifyingly. Though right now there was no way he could put it to use.

“Thy rage become the happiness of the war Shrine Maiden! Answer the Kagura of soul invitation and break out storm of outcry, split the cloud and please descend here. The spirits and demons in this body! Super Strength InvitationChouryoku Shourai!!

Ikousai also invoked a strengthening magic. She was chanting while crossing another dimension and attacking.

“This won’t drag out any longer!”

Her strike’s heaviness increased even more. Ikousai immediately dashed once more into another dimension.

Saying it in reverse, right now Ikousai was also unable to sense the magic power on this side.

Think of a breakthrough solution. …On the contrary if Ikousai was already feeling relieved from discovering just a single winning pattern, then the breakthrough from this situation would become a chance at the same time.

There was an aspect of Ikousai that was like that. He could say confidently that she hated to doubt her victory.

In contrast, no matter how cornered he was, he still had countless magic in reserve. Without doubt there was supposed to be the correct solution among these options. He was able to believe that there was a possibility of victory no matter what kind of disadvantageous situation he was in.

‘Are you still continuing to think even at the other side of that another dimension…?’

Kazuki was slashed many times over.

But while being slashed, he was pondering.

“…O desire that lurk in the sea of heart, that hand reach out passing through the deeply sinful flesh. O incarnation of violation entangle following the desire. Desire Tentacle.”

Kazuki silently chanted a magic that he thought would likely become necessary. It was a magic he could freely manipulate that grew out tentacles from inside the ground. ―Kazuki made the produced tentacles to not break out from the ground so that it was on standby inside the earth.

Ikousai that was inside another dimension didn’t notice that he was chanting a tentacle magic. She was similar to his side that was unable to sense the magic power of the other side.

The instant Ikousai appeared in this world, she would be captured by tentacles in a surprise attack.

…It was still impossible. He still needed some more conditions. He was still unable to even evade her attack. His reaction was just too slow, surely by the time the tentacles appeared Ikousai would be already gone.

He was slashed again. He was concentrating at his pondering, but Ikousai’s slash was by no means light. Rather, his magic power was shaved off steadily and his remaining time was rapidly shortening.

Think. What was needed was an even more sensitive sensor.

A sensor to detect the opponent’s appearance. Kazuki didn’t have that kind of magic. He had never used something like that in all of his battles until now, so Ikousai also roughly knew about that aspect of him.

But if he changed his point of view for his currently existing magic…

“Mode・Phoenix!”

Kazuki switched to Phoenix’s dress. Kazuki’s Magic Dress transformed from the silver suit to a flame armor.

“Burn to ash all that you touch… the scorching heat of rejection without any place to depend on! Self Burning!”

He poured magic power in the amount more than what was needed originally into Zekorbeni and invoked a low level magic.

A flame in the amount that was incomparable with when he was using [Self Burning] normally was completely covering Kazuki’s whole body.

Excessively large amounts of flame―he manipulated that with his will―he stretched out the flame like a net to his surrounding in a 360° angle.

For the flame to be manipulated by his will meant that the flame got across to Kazuki’s mind. This flame passed through his nerves and was close to being a part of his body.

It was hard to detect a generation of magic power in a space where there was nothing and react immediately. He would be late no matter what.

But reacting immediately when something was touching his body could be done instantly if he was watching out for it.

And then, for the sake of surpassing the two walls―he needed one more method.

Think.

Ikousai appeared―right in the middle of the net of flame.

Right there! Kazuki immediately reacted as if his body was directly hit.

“This is!?” Ikousai raised a shocked voice from being so suddenly caught inside flame.

But there was not much of damage from the flame that was spread out thin. She didn’t even pay it any heed and swung her blade.

The reaction that Kazuki immediately took was not an evasive action.

A large amount of tentacles overflowed out breaking the ground with a thunderous sound, it entangled Ikousai who was floating in the air and bound her hands and feet.

“Guh-!?” Ikousai raised an agitated voice.

Kazuki turned his body while swinging his blade.

Not at Ikousai―the blade ran through his own left wrist.

He had removed his own left hand’s defensive magic. Fresh blood scattered at the same time while he was turning back.

It was his last hand for the sake of overcoming the second wall.

Kazuki directed his left hand at Ikousai and spurted out his blood. Blood spurt was reflected on Mizukagami no Tate at Ikousai’s hand, At that moment in order to protect Ikousai from the spilled blood, Mizukagami no Tate pulled Ikousai’s arm on its own accord and defended automatically.

It was blocked. The entirety of the blood was blocked by Mizukagami no Tate.

Mizukagami no Tate was dirtied. …At this moment, Ikousai was not paying attention to that fact.

“Just tentacles on this degree!”

With the right arm that was transformed into a giant, she tore apart the tentacles with brute force before trying to cut away at the tentacles by swinging around her katana with her right arm that had obtained freedom. After all it was just tentacles from a level 2 magic. If Susanoo’s herculean strength was exerted it wouldn’t pose any challenge at all.

With a hair breadth timing Kazuki stabbed Ame no Murakumo and blocked Ikousai’s katana. The situation became a sword locking contest with him protecting the tentacles from being cut away.

Ikousai noticed how Mizukagami no Tate didn’t react and for the first time a look of impatience floated on her expression. And then she noticed―how the mirror didn’t reflect anything from being dirtied by blood.

“O august god that call the storm, please bestow thy breath on my back that is dancing under the heaven! Fuujin Kenbu!!”

Ikousai invoked reinforcement magic while locking her sword with Kazuki. It was a magic that accelerated her every single action by manipulating the wind freely.

But her objective was not acceleration, she was attempting to wipe away the blood that dirtied Mizukagami no Tate with wind.

“O stream of atmosphere, converge on this body, become the storm that reject the hated person! The eye of the typhoon is exactly my throne! Storm Fort!”

Kazuki who had read ahead that Ikousai was going to do that had also began to chant ahead and invoked the magic at the same time. It was a defensive magic that manipulated the wind freely and defended against enemy’s attack.

But his objective was not defense. He collided the wind at Ikousai’s manipulated wind from the opposite direction. He neutralized the wind that was trying to wipe away the blood and also trying to keep the blood staying on the mirror surface.

It became a double layered sword locking contest―an entanglement of blade and blade that was trying break each other’s sword stance, and also wind against wind that entangled with each other twisting and bending in various directions trying to outwit each other.

He wouldn’t let her bisect the tentacles. He wouldn’t let her wipe off the blood on the mirror.

Both of them manipulated their respective blade and wind with a do-or-die spirit. This moment was exactly the moment that Kazuki had been waiting for.

“…You Susanoofake King of Japanese Mythology! This is the victory of the King of Solomon’s power! Even I am already awakening to the power of my bond!”

Just a moment was enough. He drove magic power into Zekorbeni―and invoked magic instantaneously.

“O undying bird that repeated life and death, burn that body and liberate the last flame, become the sun of the surface…! Imitation Flare!!”

Level 8 magic he could invoke from his bond with Mio―between Kazuki and Ikousai who were unfolding a double layered sword locking contest, the avatar of the immortal bird was floating, it liberated all of the flame in its body and turned into a small pseudo sun. That energy of light and heat possessed directionality and it advanced in Ikousai’s direction.

The Mizukagami no Tate reflected nothing.

“UOOO…!?” Ikousai was burned entirely together with the tentacles by the colossal heat. Her defensive magic power was smashed up. The blood evaporated and the stain on Mizukagami no Tate was sticking onto the mirror even more.

While her body was ablaze Ikousai finally succeeded in running away into the entrance of Yasakani no Magatama.

Kazuki maintained the flame sensor and stretched it out to his surroundings.

In order to escape from that range, Ikousai appeared far separated from the distance of sword range.

“The blessing of Susanoo o <lightningthe spouse of rice plant>, cover the surface and show the power that smash and devastate violently…Heitei Banrai!!”

She invoked a large scale attack magic at the same time with her reappearance.

It was a high speed chanting due to her possessed assimilation with Susanoo.

Dark clouds hung over the clear blue sky overhead in the blink of an eye, lightning cloud and lightning cloud clashed with each other and made it rained down lightning. It was a magic that didn’t give any place to escape even if he Foresigthed it. But―

“So you throw away yourself as a swordsman huh Ikousai! That’s pointless! Battou Kaikon―Kusanagi no Tsurugi!!”

With Ame no Murakumo, Kazuki mowed down the downpour of lightning.

With that one sweep―an invincible blade that was like a soundless wind bisected all the lightning and lightning clouds with one slash and made them all disappear. Witnessing the power of Ame no Murakumo that was finally made apparent, Ikousai’s eyes opened wide in shock.

In panic Ikousai tried to escape to another dimension.

“Mode・Merfolk!!”

But before she could do that―Kazuki instantly had Zekorbeni switched. The flame armor changed into water feather robe. He poured magic power at the same time into Zekorbeni.

“Time turn painting circle, the history is repeated inevitably, awaken the forgotten era right here… leave behind everything into inside the dream, toward the era of glacier! Ice Age!!”

Ikousai who was going to escape into Yasakani no Magatama that was floating in the air froze instantly altogether with the space. Her defensive magic power was smashed up and Ikousai’s muscle instantly stiffened.

Kazuki ran. He closed the distance in an instant and swung Ame no Murakumo at the frozen space.

“Carry the mystery in the blade crest, <Ame no Murakumo>! Battou Kaikon―Tsumugari no Tachi!!”

The chill that spread out widely in all the space was compressed into the blade of Ame no Murakumo.

The blade where the compressed chill was residing―was slashed diagonally at Ikousai who was freezing in place from her shoulder.

Ikousai barely moved Susanoo’s right arm in time and blocked the attack with her katana.

A terrific impact was generated.

―It was not only a clash between blade and blade, extremely low temperature was conducted instantly through the blade, turning the metal’s crystalline structure brittle where it was going to break.

The defensive magic power of Ikousai that extended until her blade was magically trying to neutralize this cooling pulverization phenomenon. Ikousai’s defensive magic power was smashed up in large amount just in an instant.

―That reflectionrecoil. From the impact of an enormous smashed magic, the body of Ikousai who was moving her foot to another dimension was blown away. He would continue like this and end this in one go―just like in his battle with Hel.

“Tenrou Kaidan!”

Ikousai’s body, that he thought was going to collapse onto the ground just like that got up as if she was rebounding on an invisible spring and she adjusted her stance for a counterattack.

Ikousai’s original magic technique! Kazuki who aimed for a pursuing attack was taken by surprise.

Her explosive thought in regard with the unexpected situation that was happening to her―as expected, Ikousai was an excellent swordsman.

At the same time―Ikousai’s figure changed.

“Hand over more power Susanoo! In exchange… I don’t care even if you plunder me more!!”

Ikousai’s trademark Japanese clothes disintegrated into Prima Materia and transformed into a completely different jet black costume. It was exactly the same like carving the avatar of Susanoo onto her body.

Susanoo’s power of existence that was suppressed into just Ikousai’s right arm ran amok into Ikousai’s whole body. He felt vast magic power was going crazy at the inside of her skin.

Ikousai―liberated that in the shape of magic.

“O young noble of storm, set free all of that violent emotion right here!”

It was a reinforcement magic―it was also in a level that he had never seen before until now.

Kazuki was able to Foresight the invoked magic but―his body had already begun to move in a pursuing attack.

He couldn’t stop.

Kazuki accelerated using [Level 6Custom Liberion] and [Level 5Ride Lightning] while [Level 8Ice Age]’s cold was compressed inside the blade of Ame no Murakumo, he unleashed a thrust with all that.

He didn’t expect Ikousai to have put her stance in order, but there shouldn’t be anything to criticize in this single attack of his.

“Residing in my body, make another showing of the tragedy of the heavensTakamagahara!!”

While chanting reinforcement magic, Ikousai threw away Yata no Kagami and thrust out her left fist.

The katana gripped in her right hand was still repelled because of the impact from before.

In desperation she was only swinging her left arm―it was kind of like a left straight.

But the instant his blade and her fist collided, Ikousai’s unknown reinforcement magic was invoked.

It was the ultimate reinforcement magic.

“Tyrannical God of Military ArtsBougyaku Bushin!!!!”

For an instant he hallucinated Ikousai’s left fist turn gigantic.

• KAA-* A flash of the collision between magic powers―Kazuki’s body was blown away. He received a hard blow that unbelievably overmatched his attack and hit him, Kazuki opened his eyes wide unable to believe what just happened.

Ikousai took a further step forward at the direction of the blown away Kazuki. *DOSHIN!* The earth shook. This time she raised her right hand that was holding her katana tightly―and swung it down.

He was unable to take any evasive motion or defense at all.

It was a completely dreadful slashing attack that he had never experienced personally before. The blade was pushed into his body diagonally starting from his shoulder.

[Custom Liberion] burst and scattered leaving none of its original shape behind.

His defensive magic power burst open and Kazuki’s body was blown away for many meters through Sekigahara.

…He was safe. He is still living. While lying down on the ground, Kazuki reflexively thought like that.

It was a blow that for an instant made him unable to think that he was protected by a defensive magic power.

What the hell, with that power… so that’s Susanoo’s full power!

“UAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!!”

It was not the blown away Kazuki, but Ikousai who was raising a shriek that sounded like she was completely in agony.

She was trembling clatteringly looking like she was unable to suppress what was inside her body.

But even while trembling she kicked the ground powerfully and ran at Kazuki who was lying down on the ground.

Once again, that strong sword with hard to believe power was raised up.

…It would be bad to be hit with that kind of destructive power in succession.

No, he couldn’t get hit again for even one more time with that!

With the table turned, this time it was Kazuki that was cornered. Ikousai was approaching with the speed of a raging wave.

With his thought working explosively in an instant―at that instant, Kazuki thought it fortunate that currently he was clad in [Mode・Merfolk]. Without his date with Koyuki he would get killed here.

“Moves in the Field!!”

With a prompt judgment, Kazuki pulled out the most optimum solution.

His blue feather robe shined, Kazuki froze the surrounding ground surface.

Ikousai had never seen this magic. Also Kazuki invoked the magic just too fast for Ikousai to predict that it would turn out like this, and then currently she had also lost her presence of mind. Ikousai’s foot that was treading powerfully on the ground while raising her katana overhead, slipped. All of that power turned into nothing.

“What the!?”

While falling down, even so Ikousai was still swinging down her katana in desperation. Because she did that right after flopping down, the edge of that attack didn’t reach Kazuki.

“Impossible… reach! Shiraha Kagerou!!”

The instant he thought it wouldn’t reach, with that secret technique Ikousai extended the length of her katana.

But this time Kazuki was not surprised. He had already remembered that his opponent was a swordsman in the level that could do such a thing. Taking a precise half-step back, he saw off the tips of the elongated katana passing him away with paper thin difference.

And then in a counterattack he took a step forward.

“ “UOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-!!” ” Both of them yelled at the same time.

As if scooping up the falling down Ikousai, Kazuki raised the Ame no Murakumo that was filled with a condensed cold.

Their offensive powers were mutually inflated. This time it was Ikousai who was blown away with a single strike.

“Te, Tenrou Kaidan!” Ikousai’s body that was blown away rebounded back at him.

But Kazuki didn’t swing his katana completely. He immediately reversed his blade and laid in wait, able to swing a second slash any time. The Tenrou Kaidan with its movement read was the same as if coming to offer herself to become a sandbag.

Even faster than Ikousai’s counterattack, Kazuki swung down his second slash. Her defensive magic power was pulverized. This time Ikousai didn’t use Tenrou Kaidan and turned into a somersault before rolling on the ground.

He wouldn’t allow any counterattack at all and kept beating her! Kazuki drew closer to Ikousai with Ame no Murakumo that still carried the compressed cold in it in his hand.

“Susanoo!” Ikousai yelled.

“Susanoo, give me more! Hand over more power!!”

“Stop Ikousai! You are really going to lose yourself at this rate!”

Ikousai had already reached the limit where she was just barely suppressing the power. If she continued to invite Susanoo into her any more than this, she will be consumed completely…!!

“GUAAAAAAAAAAAAA-! SUSANOOOOOOO!!”

Ikousai who was lying on the ground sprang up her whole body as if the blood flow throughout her body was boiling up, she was struggling. From her right arm that had been changed into Susanoo himself, a muddy black magic power was overflowing out and went to encroach into Ikousai’s body. In the blink of an eye the color and texture of her skin was changing. Her body was being converted into a totally different bone structure and muscle. She was becoming a male god with flawless darkish skin.

She couldn’t control it at all.

Ikousai herself let escaped a breath of dread “Hyii-!” witnessing the transformation from her neck to her lower body.

But once a Diva had been presented with a flesh body, they wouldn’t stop anymore even if their host lost their nerve. Ikousai who immediately relied on Susanoo from her fear of defeat already didn’t have any willpower left to oppose that.

Ikousai was going to vanish if it kept like this.

Altogether with her sword art’s technique that she had bet her life all this time to temper.

“Stop it Ikousai, don’t you lose that!”

Kazuki spontaneously shouted.

He loved sword art. He had respect for someone that worked hard in swordsmanship.

Kazuki was… he had recognized Ikousai as his rival, he respected her skill, he noticed that in a sense he fell in love.

He earnestly sympathized towards Ikousai’s strength, he felt respect and affection.

That Ikousai, right now, her figure that was going to completely throw herself away for the sake of her longing to become strong was something that he absolutely wouldn’t accept, no matter what.

Muster out the strength for the sake of protecting!

Kazuki’s mind tensed in that instant and he concentrated.

The body moved naturally. With a movement that didn’t have even a single futility in it he took a step forward.

…What Kanae worked out, that technique!

Finally Susanoo’s magic power completely eroded everywhere of the body below the neck and it fully covered the face of Ikousai that painted the look of terror. The last stronghold of the existence called Ikousai, when even that fell then Ikousai’s everything would be changed into the god of rage.

The timing, that would become the cornerstone of Susanoo’s encroachment.

With a motion that had been honed, Kazuki swung down Ame no Murakumo.

That was the most ultimate movement that the flesh body could possibly build. The motion was different from Hayashizaki Kanae’s optimum movement, an optimum movement solution that was only his. Added to that, with a perfect timing he finally reached it. The gears were meshing perfectly with each other.

The single strike that broke down every kind of magic phenomenon.

• DON!* Something shot off from Ikousai’s body―and vanished. The pitch black magic power that eroded Ikousai’s body was torn off, broken down, and evacuated back to Astrum.

“…Ju… just now… what kind of technique that…?”

Ikousai who was a researcher of the sword asked that as the first thing even while sprawling down.

The duel was decided. Kazuki answered while slowly pointing out the tip of his sword right before her eyes.

“Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword the Second, Shin’iki. The highest peak of Japan’s sword art, that my little sister worked out. …Recognize your defeat, Ikousai. Both as the King of Yamato, and also as a swordsman.”

Part 4

…Now that he remembered, his wrist hurt.

Only after this late Kazuki grimaced his face from the blood that continued to flow from his left hand.

“O dazzling beauty of fire of reincarnation, burn the surface of life and make bud the regeneration inside… Anti-Aging!”

He invoked the magic that accelerated cell renewal and restored the wound of the body.

Even with magic power yet if a human bled out in a large amount then he would die.

“…I won’t recognize it.” Ikousai squeezed out her voice while still sprawling down on the ground.

“I’m… going to stand up no matter how many times… I’ll keep challenging you.”

“If that’s what you want to do then its fine if you do that. I absolutely cannot do anything like stealing your life, so you just do as you please.”

In this case his bond with her was completely different compared to his bonds with everyone of the Witch’s Mansion, Kazuki felt something like a bond between swordsmen with her and his expression broke out into a smile.

Although before this fight he had already spouted off some abusive language about how he had grown tired already of facing her.

“But as promised, I’ll receive all of the Three Sacred Treasures now. If you say that you are going to challenge me again, you are going to be empty handed next. You’ve got to train really diligently before that won’t you?”

Kazuki plundered Yasakani no Magatama from Ikousai’s powerless hand and then picked up the thrown away Yata no Kagami. Ikousai groaned “Shit…” while being treated like that.

“You can do whatever you like about how the conclusion between us is going to be, but… the matter about Japan and Yamato is settled already.”

A sudden command rang out in Sekigahara.

“Go!”

The neigh of the horses that seemed to paint the atmosphere pitch black answered that.

From the west direction, *DO-DO-DO-* a sound of earth tremor was audible.

It was the sound of horses’ hooves coming closer. Kazuki who understood that turned back.

The pure black cavalry of the Emperor’s Imperial Guard Squad of China’s army that appeared out of nowhere was rushing all at once at Kazuki and Ikousai.

The one who gave the command was Loki.

“What are you planning!?” Kazuki yelled at the really sudden happening.

Their number was about ten horsemen. …These guys, where in the world were they coming from!? He had confirmed at the beginning, these guys shouldn’t be anywhere near here.

Ambush troops…? But there was no hiding place in this field where the visibility of the surrounding was great.

The cavalry that was on the level of having achieved the unity of horse and man was clad in magic power, they were shortening the distance in the blink of an eye.

Arthur was flustered but he still rushed to Kazuki and Ikousai, whose battle was over, in order to cover him.

“Stop! If you all don’t stop…!”

Arthur was yelling, but the cavalry was not stopping.

Arthur didn’t lose his composure and he didn’t even hesitate.

“If all of you don’t stop… draw!!”

Magic power light wrapped the stick that Arthur was holding close to his body, it transformed into an elegant knight sword with gold ornament. The Sacred Treasure that was famous in legend―Excalibur.

“壮揚兵馬(Zhuang yang bingma)!” “杀, 杀(Sha―, sha―)!”

The soldiers atop the horses let out words of violent atmosphere from their mouths. And then several streaks of low level attack magic flew wildly all at once at them. Completely like a wild shooting of cavalry rifles.

Kazuki too took a stance with Ame no Murakumo in hand.

“Excalibur!”

“Kusanagi no Tsurugi!”

Against the approaching bullets of flame, lightning, or ice―Kazuki and Arthur that was standing side by side swung their swords that were their proof as King at the same time. A flash of horizontal line erased the flying bullets like smoke.

After all those were attack magic to hold them back in the first place. The cavalry shrank the distance even closer.

What made Kazuki feel a chill was how the cavalry fired magic wildly regardless of Ikousai who was sprawling down right besides him.

The one who gave the order was Loki, and the one that came attacking then was the soldiers of China. These guys already didn’t pay any mind of what was going to happen to Yamato after this or the like.

“Finish off the exhausted Hayashizaki Kazuki and his comrades in this place!”

Loki yelled. “Ilyailiya! You too!!”

Loki and also the illegal magicians were rushing to their direction behind the cavalry.

“Immediately using others so roughly… No, I see, so he has that kind of ulterior motive. What a petty Diva.”

Ilyailiya who was standing beside Regina was murmuring to herself.

“Regina! You take care of Ilyailiya!!”

Arthur looked back and yelled while going to meet the attack of the cavalry unit.

“…Chih! Trying to order me around just for the sake of this country!! But Ilyailiya, I really can’t stomach you!!”

“Agoni Koparyof… Mec!”

“Ptéra Lonkhé!”

Ilyailiya changed one of her hand into a sliver blade that she swung down, while Regina blocked it with a thick Resist and stabbed back with her spear.

“Kazu-nii-!”

Everyone from the Witch’s Mansion that came to witness the duel with their own eyes and also the guard knights that were protecting the top brass were rushing to him all at once. But the cavalry of China would arrive at his location faster than them.

“Hayashizaki-kun. Please take Ikousai away and escape.”

Arthur worried about Kazuki’s exhaustion and said that.

“Even for you isn’t this too excessive. It’s one against ten.”

“It’s unnecessary for you to worry about me! There is no such thing as excessive or the like ahead of the path that a knight should advance on!”

Leaving those words behind, he went to intercept the approaching cavalry squad. ‘Is he serious’…Kazuki saw him off.

“Loki bastard…”

Ikousai whose whole body was damaged from inside by Susanoo was raising her upper body with difficulty.

“So he already considered me the loser from the start and cowardly prepared an ambush troop like this…!”

“No, that guy is a Diva that always prepares a situation so it will go well for him no matter what kind of result turned out.”

That guy easily discarded Yamato.

From the start he didn’t have anything he wanted to protect or the like. That was why he easily changed his attitude like that.

From the east, there was also a single horseman that rang out the sound of hooves approaching near Kazuki and Ikousai.

“Now then King, what are you going to do?”

―It was Shouko-san riding her horse.

“You knew that it would become like this didn’t you?”

Even though Shouko-san was in the position of being a witness of the duel. From the beginning she was already prepared, riding her horse here for the sake of battle.

She was grinning widely on top her horse while looking down on him. It was only her smiling face that was innocent like the sun.

“Among those Imperial Guard bunches, there is a guy that can use concealment magic that hide their appearances. The extent of its effect is ten people. Using that to become an ambush troop is those guys’ specialty. It’s just as you said, I have expected this.”

“You have that much information. Why didn’t you teach it to us?”

“I forgot to mention it.”

…This girl.

“What are you going to do now, King. If you clash with them like this… there might be some damage that comes out to your comrades in a place where your hand doesn’t reach.”

It was her usual unpleasant tone that seemed to be amused while in her position where the happening were other people’s problem.

“I have thought this from quite a while ago, putting you aside, several of your comrades are a little inadequate to seriously clash against China. Just look at that.”

From atop her horse, she pointed at the beginning of the hostilities that had opened exactly at that moment between Arthur and the ten horsemen.

Even further behind Loki and three of his close illegal magician associates were following after the cavalry. There was also the figure of that black skinned girl called Nyarlako among them.

“Those tens horsemen are chosen among the best of China’s army. I think even with Arthur as the opponent with the ten of them the battle will be more than equal y’know. Well, Arthur too is not exposing all his hand here so I wonder if he is cutting corners. And here your comrades will rush there after this. Loki and his guys will also come running. If they clash with each other just like this, now, I wonder what will happen then.”

She longwindedly talked in a roundabout way plainly trying to agitate him.

But certainly, Kazuki was scared of his comrades fighting in a place where he was not there.

“Even winning against Yamato like this, Japan is still a minor power. However feel relieved, of course this Shouko-san of Ryouzanpaku will lend her hand to you! That’s why this time for sure…”

At this point her way of talking changed completely into a heavy tone.

“…This time for sure, feel some obligation properly. Not to Germany, but towards us.”

Shouko-san left those words behind and spurred her reins, she was heading to reinforce Arthur.

“…That kind of thing is an unnecessary concern you know.”

Leme materialized beside Kazuki.

“The contractor of us, the Solomon 72 Pillar is not inferior at all against the contractors of other Mythology’s. …Kazuki, you too have become a splendid King. Leme and the others have stopped our test for all of you. We are going to hand over that power completely. This is not only regarding you… but for your <favored princesses> too.”

“Completely handing over…? Are you saying that until now you were still holding back on us?”

Leme didn’t answer. Right there Mio and the others were rushing at him.

“Kazu-nii! We are going to fight so Kazu-nii escape… kyaa-!”

“The Magic Dress is…!?”

The moment they arrived Mio and Koyuki’s Magic Dresses shined dazzlingly. …It was the two whose positivity levels were above 150. Above their head, the avatars of Phoenix and Vepar were floating sublimely.

{The time that should arrive has come. Right now this country is not a baby bird that is still waiting to grow into an adult. The time to liberate the power that you should possess has come.}

{The King is standing here, and then the princesses that are the most favored by the King were born. We too are going to offer this power without sparing anything left to the princesses.}

The avatars of Phoenix and Vepar were absorbed into Mio and Koyuki. The Magic Dresses of the two, who were taken aback, were continuing to shine.

Kazuki turned his face to Leme in order to demand for an explanation.

“What is happening!?”

“You have become a human that is worthy to be called a King. Until now, so to speak was [the testing period of Solomon King], but in this occasion of your victory in the battle against Yamato, Leme and the others are also recognizing you for real as the King of this country. From now on Solomon 72 Pillar and Japan are truly a collective of one body and soul that share the same fate. Consequently we are liberating a new power for the comrades that are supporting you.”

“A new power? This time it’s not to me, but to everyone?”

“A new power… the power of Solomon 72 Pillar that was scattered until now is temporarily concentrated into a special Magika Stigma. That is the <Chouki Magician>. Watch…”

With a flash shining brightly for an instant―the luminescence from Mio and Koyuki’s Magic Dresses finally settled down.

When the light settled, both of their Magic Dresses achieved [evolution]―with a single glance he understood that it was not transformation but an evolution. With the contractor recognized by the Diva that they were worthy, the ornaments that decorated the dress became something with more gravity. Like flower petals in full bloom.

Phoenix was orange and Vepar was light blue, with their personal color staying the same, the Magic Dresses turned into something with raw materials that possessed depth like a thick magic power made real.

“…This, Phoenix’s magic power is transmitted at me through the Stigma…! Phoenix is supplying me with magic power!!”

Mio touched her greatly exposed breast with one of her hands and raised a voice of wonder.

“Magic power supplied from Diva you say…? Is that kind of thing possible? What is called as Summoning Magic is so to speak an action where the contractor receives a [magic blueprint] from the Diva right?”

Summoning Magic was receiving the blue print of the ten magic that symbolized the myth of the Diva through the Stigma. Using that blueprint the contractor kneaded their own magic power and caused a magic phenomenon in a greater scale and efficiency that was far more complex compared to the phenomenon that was caused by general magic.

But in the end the one that invoked the magic was nothing more than their own magic power.

“Correct, Summoning Magic is just bestowing the source of magic phenomenon. But in the first place a Diva is a vast mass of magic power. Nevertheless there is a reason why Divas don't lend away that magic power. …That’s because there are a large number of contractors. For example Phoenix has dozens of contractor in the Knight Order. He is unable to share his power equally to all of them.”

In order to deal with the illegal magicians and Demon Beast that appeared throughout the whole land of Japan, Solomon 72 Pillar distributed their power to a large number of knights. Even so the number of Magica Stigma was still quite lacking.

“That scattered power is… temporarily, concentrated on the Magica Stigma that you favored. That’s the Chouki Magician. Using a direct connection with their Diva, their chanting speed becomes faster and they can cast large scale magic from the magic power of the Diva itself that is lent to them. …But during the time Amasaki Mio becomes a Chouki Magician, all of the other contractors of Phoenix become unable to use Summoning Magic though.”

Zekorbeni was the King’s trump card, and then this was the princesses’ trump card…

“…It’s great that we got a power up but, I think its fine even if you don’t up the exposure rate too.”

Even while Koyuki was twisting her body around fidgetingly while acting embarrassed, she kept stealing glances at Kazuki.

He had the feeling that even while being embarrassed she was indirectly appealing to Kazuki.

Certainly Koyuki’s dress that until now was in the shape like a school swimsuit turned into a suit with a sense of translucence as if the skin was showing through just like that with a cutting that was a little bold.

“I think it’s cute you know. …No, now is not the time for that though.”

In that direction Arthur and Shouko-san were struggling hard against the cavalry of ten horsemen as their opponents. Behind them Loki and his group were standing by.

“Chouki… With Kazu-nii as the King, we are the princesses!!”

Mio hopped up and down happily then like a princess she puffed out her chest and instructed Kazuki.

“Kazu-nii just withdraw! We are not only going to keep getting protected by Kazu-nii, we are going to protect Kazu-nii too! Just like what we promised at the beginning!!”

Mio and the others rushed with full speed to the location of the fighting.

“Otouto-kun has to conquer us more so that we can quickly become like that too.”

Kaguya-senpai too who was watching over the development with wide eyes was following after Mio while saying that.

…Certainly he who was running out of gas right now might just be a hindrance here.

He should move out of the way while preparing himself to move immediately if something happened.

“We are drawing back, Ikousai.” Kazuki pulled out the hand of Ikousai who was still powerlessly sprawling down.

Ikousai was flustered “Wha-!?” having her hand grasped and she resisted, trying to shake off his hand.

“Stop it! I have never got my hand held by the opposite sex you know!”

“…It’s not like I hold your hand for something strange, there is no way I can let you get away right now. You are a prisoner you know?”

“Kuh… I won’t forgive this disgrace…!”

For a while Kazuki kept pulling at Ikousai’s hand like a tug of war, but then “Sheesh troublesome!” he lost his temper and carried up Ikousai forcefully from her waist.

He ran in this princess carry posture toward the east side where the stronghold of the Knight Order was located.

“I―am―dir―ti―ed-!”

“There is no way you got dirtied just by a carry like this!”

“Is the King of Britain just around this level huh!?”

Chukadou’s Imperial Guard―Son Shouryuu bared his teeth and howled like a wild monkey making an intimidation. In his hand the Nyoibou created by his contracted Diva, Sun WukongSeiten Taisei was gripped.

Other than him another six horsemen, in total seven horsemen were surrounding Arthur.

“I don’t really want to use Summoning Magic against the likes of all of you.”

As if waving his finger patronizingly, Arthur brandished Excalibur. In the end Excalibur was a Sacred Treasure. With Arthur Basileus relying fully on it, he particularly hid the power of his Diva.

He felt Loki’s gaze. He didn’t really want to show his hand here.

“You really said it!!”

The seven horsemen matched their breath and assaulted Arthur without giving him any opening to dodge. Nyoibou, Heaven JiHoutengeki, Snake SpearJahoko, Moon Fang StaffGekkajou, Wolf Fang PoleRougabou… all of them created their own respective Sacred Treasures and added the speed of their horses into their attack like a falling meteor coming at Arthur. All of them were Magika Stigmas that had expertise in their weapon technique.

…No, was it as expected that he couldn’t get out from this just with a single sword?

Arthur honestly recognized his opponents and took out a small wood branch from inside his glen check suit. It was a small oak branch that carried the magic power of a druid.

He carried it around in reserve as an item that had the characteristic of a disposable item after a one-time use.

He pointed the tips of that branch to the opponents without considerable regret of wasting it and threw it away.

The instant it left Arthur’s hand, the small branch set free its magic power and it grew into a giant trunk in the air. The solid trunk diverged into several branches while spreading wide, and entangled the seven horsemen.

Their advances were obstructed. While they were trying to escape from the tree branches that even now were still elongating, their sure-kill formation was disturbed. Just with that the battle was now his―a single sword was enough to face them hand-to-hand, one by one and crush them.

Arthur raised Excalibur overhead and rushed aiming for Son Shouryuu who was in the middle of the disordered rank.

…He could also blow away all seven horsemen altogether if he got serious.

But the reason why his will to fight didn’t get that far was not only because of Loki’s gaze.

Because it was obvious that the fault was in Yamato’s side who broke the agreed stipulation, he was not reluctant to lend a hand to Japan like this. But because of that, if Japan’s Knight Order was going to leave dealing with this situation all to the foreign forces like this, then in that case they deserved to be scorned….

“Still, if the King has used up all his power then next it’s the turn of his close aides to show their power for him, now then…”

With a glance Arthur took a look at the encampment behind, he was anticipating for Japan’s Knight Order to rouse themselves.

“As always, you ran around well! You insect are shrewd as usual!!”

A manner that made people think of Kan’u Unchou… rather than that it was the huge girl that exchanged contract with <Kantei Seiten> himself that was yelling at Shouko while swinging around Seiryuutou.

Other than her, two more horsemen were chasing around Shouko.

But the horse of the escaping Shouko―had been transformed into a completely different living thing. Using the magic of her contracted Diva <Taikoubou> the horse was evolved into a magic creature <elpahureSuppushan>, with its mysterious appearance that was a crossbreed of various animals’ appearance, it was flying in the sky as if swimming even though it didn’t have wings.

“Your attack is always a large swing huh! I’m already practiced buying time like this with you guys as the opponent y’know!”

Shouko who was riding Suppushan nimbly moved around with a far greater maneuverability than the cavalrymen could and she further laid out violet magic smoke around.

“But, if you are just running around then you won’t be able to obtain victory!!”

The huge woman yelled. As for Shouko―’As always she is a woman that cannot pay attention to the situation.’ Inside her heart she was laughing derisively.

She was saying threatening things to Hayashizaki Kazuki, but Loki had already achieved his objective. That guy was already in the state of waiting for the chance to retreat. That was why just buying time like this was good enough.

Shouko had noticed. Loki and the illegal magicians with him pretended to join the fight yet stayed still in the middle of the way. He was watching her and Arthur from the distance where he could escape anytime.

Although for the moment she was laying out smoke screen… it would be her loss if she was observed even if she fought seriously.

Shouko who was straddling Suppushan and flew ran around parrying the severe martial arts of the Chinese cavalrymen like a flexible willow. Both her hands were swaying to and fro around and she directed a fooling around face to the horsemen chasing her.

“Hmph, what are you talking about that I cannot obtain victory. Idiooooooooott! Your King is ugly!!”

‘Now then, what will become the cue’, Shouko looked back at the behind―and saw the Magica Stigmas of Japan rushing here with their body clad in an evolved Magic Dress.

“From the bottom of earth dance the wing and scatter. Trail behind the spiraling wind, become the bullet that reveal the fury of the star! Flap, shoot and destroy! Lava Spiral FlowerVolcanic Barrett!!”

After Mio’s instantaneous chanting, the ground was splitting up in cracks and bullet of lava was floating, it rode the spiraling wind of Phoenix’s wing and shot out.

Koyuki too chanted quickly at the same time.

“O the utmost limit of permanence, with that freezing wind please comfort this chest. With the flowing silence of rejection, let’s announce the demise of that life… North Pole WindArctic Wind!!”

The wind of intense cold that symbolized the world where life couldn’t live was brought about into this world following Koyuki’s will.

Both were level 1 magic in the first place, but those destructive powers were greatly amplified.

“Fuh… as expected they won’t leave it to us huh. It’s great that I didn’t make a misjudgment!”

Arthur’s expression broke out into a smile witnessing the attack of the Magika Stigmas who appeared to be the comrades and close aides of Hayashizaki Kazuki.

“Oops, is that some kind of power up? Wonder if that is the cue he is waiting for.”

Shouko who was earnestly running around to buy time heaved a sigh of relief.

The cavalry that was concentrating in their battle with Arthur and Shouko was taken by surprise at the magic of Koyuki and Mio that came flying, the pace of the cavalry became disturbed.

“Now! Those that can use sword are going to charge there!”

Kanae called out to Kazuha like that and went to slash at the cavalry that were in agitation.

The cavalrymen looked down on Kanae who came charging without using any Summoning Magic. They fired low level magic simultaneously and swung a single attack of a Sacred Treasure at Kanae while making light of her.

―That kind of thing wouldn’t hit Kanae. She saw through all of the intercepting attacks and leaped between the cavalrymen. She sowed disturbance while running about between the cavalrymen and made them fall further into disturbance with a single strike to each opponent that she passed.

…Kanae was feeling impatience inside her heart. It was another matter if this was a one-on-one battle, but in this chaotic melee, Shin’iki was completely unusable. In the end it was a technique that still couldn’t be called as practical for real battle.

As expected it was Summoning Magic that dictated the battlefield. She once again thought so after witnessing the power up of both Amasaki Mio and Hiakari Koyuki.

Perhaps both of those younger Magika Stigmas now had even become as strong as Otonashi Kaguya.

And then from now on too there should be the same power up that was waiting for that Otonashi Kaguya too.

‘Wait a second’, Kanae thought. She was troubled that her [rivals] could be powered up so casually like that.

That’s right, they are rivals.

Herself was completely pursuing the path of swordsman. That determination didn’t shake at all. But… the desire of wanting to be loved by Nii-sama even more than those girls was burning Kanae’s chest like a devilish fire.

Even though until now she showed jealousy on the surface, but inside her heart she was coolly thinking that she was herself, and they were themselves. That was because she had the thought that she didn’t even stand on the starting line at the time. But now she had finally kissed with Nii-sama and Nii-sama was looking at her as a girl.

Now that she had progressed to this point, she couldn’t stay as she was until now. Moreover that kiss…

“Nyaa~~~~~~!!”

Something that was completely improper for the occasion filled Kanae’s head, her face was blushing bright red and she meowed. Her beautiful footwork completely degenerated into jitters and she swung around Michikage up and down.

The Sacred Treasures and attack magic of the cavalrymen flew wildly at Kanae, who thought of a strange thing and got agitated by herself.

…Damn it. Lacking in observation and concentration were something that was absolutely forbidden in the Hayashizaki-style.

“Burn to ashes all that you touch… the howl of flame without place to depend! Embrace of Fire WingSelf Burning・Empress!!”

Flame was whirling in Kanae’s surrounding in the nick of time, the burning wings of the immortal bird became a folding shape and protected Kanae, who was enveloped inside, from the countless attack magic.

“Please be careful there! Kanae-oneesan!!”

Mio said that with a tone that got carried away.

“I, I never remembered becoming something like a sister-in-law of someone like you!”

‘I, if I don’t stay calm’…Kanae thought while being protected inside the flame.

―Hayashizaki Kanae, thou art wholeheartedly a heaven-sent child of the sword.

Suddenly a voice rang out inside her head. Kanae was amazed with his timing.

“Bereth huh. What do you want at this kind of time? Right now I’m in the middle of a bustle that has no compare you know. Go back.”

―I have resolved myself.

“Listen to what I’m saying. This is not a situation for something like a long-winded talk. I cannot make anymore blunders.”

―I have continued to think for a long time, whether there is a way or not for me to [aid] thy resolve.

The Diva that was called as the Devil King of Indignation said that with a meek voice.

―By no means thou art going to become my contractor. Thy pure soul won’t accept a contract in equal form with me. Then… Then, I have resolved. I’m going to become thy follower. For thy sake, I’m going to distort my own state.

“What?”

―From this, I will abandon the fact that I’m a Diva. I will make all of my magic power to possess thy weapon… becoming a single Sacred Treasure. Doing that I can make thee, still as a swordsman, aim for a greater height.

“Wait, wait a second. Are you fine with that?”

Kanae was flustered. She had the feeling that an outrageous being was going to do an outrageous thing after dragging out his own resolve.

“Wait, you have been searching for a contractor to be a Magika Stigma all this time right? Surely you also have your own pride as a Diva. Why, to go that far for my sake…?”

―I am Beleth. The supporter of noble valor and earnest love. The significance of my existence as a Diva is all in there. O girl that straightforwardly follow thine own path, this is by no means an emotion of love, but I have been charmed with thy soul. A human that charmed me this much, I won’t find it anymore hereafter even if I search for eternity.

“…Hmph. I also don’t really like Sacred Treasures though.”

Kanae murmured annoyedly.

“If you say until that far, then I’ll accept you.”

Kanae too, despite appearance, was also pleased by this Diva called Beleth.

So, a supporter of noble valor and earnest love. Being liked by such a Diva didn’t feel so bad.

―Then as the replacement of thy beloved blade, call my name.

Beleth’s presence that appeared inside her consciousness through Astrum was overflowing out to the outside world.

Magic power that was like a mist of jade color floated in Kanae’s surrounding. This was Beleth’s color.

“Shem ha MeforashI know thy name! Thy name is Beleth! O the supporter of noble valor and earnest love! That passion into my beloved blade!!”

The jade magic power flowed into Michikage in one go. Kanae shuddered from that momentum that was like a muddy stream while holding tight the hilt of her sword. Michikage was changing. It unified with Beleth!

The name of that Sacred Treasure was…<Black Cat Path ShadowKuroneko Michikage>!!

Countless Stigma emerged on the surface of her beloved sword. That was the shape of Beleth’s soul. The sword blade distorted and changed. ‘Don’t make any weird shape okay’, Kanae thought.

‘Similar with a Magic Dress, it’s the shape of my and thy soul hailing each other in concert’, Beleth answered.

The blade’s shape fixed into a streamlined form that gave off the impression like flowing water, a gust of wind, an impression of speed.

Kuroneko Michikage… draw out that power immediately!!

“<Black Coating DreamBattou Kaikon―Kokui Musou>!!”

The Sword Division battle uniform that Kanae wore disintegrated into Prima Materia, mixing with the jade magic power that overflowed from the Sacred treasure. While making a vortex, it materialized into a completely different shape.

This was… completely like a Magic Dress?

―This long talk is exchanged inside your heart in an instant using telepathy.

At the time when the attack magic and the defensive wing of flame finished fighting each other with both sides neutralized and vanished, the contract between Beleth and Kanae was over.

At the same time with the flame vanishing, Kanae appeared in a completely new appearance.

“Kanae-san also powered up!? …Wait, is that a Magic Dress!?”

Kazuha who was right beside her was the first that noticed and raised her voice.

“No… it’s not a Magic Dress, but a power created by Sacred Treasure? But there is the presence of a Diva…?”

The girl that excelled in manipulating magic power analyzed accurately the true form of that power.

That’s right, this was not a Magic Dress. But a <Sacred Treasure Dress> that was produced by a Sacred Treasure.

Until the end the core of this was the katana in her hand. But she wondered what kind of power resided inside this black outfit that overflowed out due to the Battou Kaikon.

{Even though it’s called a cloth, but thou doesn’t need defensive power.}

Beleth’s voice sounded the clearest she had ever heard until now.

{This is <the clothes of one who seeks the way>. Since thou made a contract with me, thou art not allowed any crude movement anymore. That black outfit become a sensor that sense the movement of the four limbs, that movement is a movement that thou idealize, the more thou move closer to thy [Quintessence Movement], the clothes will bestow Divine Protection and bring about might into the sword blade. If thou make a crude movement, the power will wane instead. This is the power that is born from the hailing of my and thy soul.}

It was an ability that was stranger than she imagined. It seemed that the Sacred Treasure didn’t simply heighten her defensive power or physical ability. In other words everything would be fine if she just swung her sword with the determination of constantly unleashing [Shin’iki] from her every single attack.

Kanae kicked the ground and attacked the enemy that was in nearest distance from her. The opponent was in the middle of chanting a spell. But it was difficult to Foresee her movement on top of the horse and Shin’iki failed.

But Kanae’s own movement was close to the quintessence. The instant the blade slashed―her black outfit shone faintly in jade color and it flowed into the blade.

An impact she never experienced before and a thunderous roar rang out. The black cavalryman was blown away to the side as if gotten hit by a cannon rather than just being slashed, the knight desperately controlled the reins so the horse barely stayed standing.

It was great if Shin’iki succeeded, yet even if it failed the attack would still become a critical hit depending on how much her movement deviated from the quintessence.

Kanae spontaneously opened her eyes wide. For Kanae who had continuously worried of her powerlessness, the attack just now gave a feedback she had never known before.

{Looks like there is irregularity in thy concentration. A crude movement like just now that resulted in embarrassing failure is intolerable so pay more attention.}

Beleth talked in a way completely like a partner. Kanae let a huff escape her nose.

“Hmph, not bad. Thank you Beleth.”

She said that in a just a little good mood. The gripped hard Sacred Treasure’s hilt emitted heat as a reply.

“They are resisting more energetically than I thought… though if luck is on our side I was thinking of making surprise attacks too.”

While maintaining a distance from the battles of Chukadou’s cavalry and Ilyailiya where he could escape immediately, Loki observed the battle progress and then he gave his order.

“Yosh! We are retreating you bastards! Run away!!”

When Kazuki, who moved away to the encampment at the back while carrying Ikousai, looked back at the battlefield, he caught the sight of Ilyailiya and the cavalry of China making a complete U-turn and retreated from there.

The speed of Ilyailiya and the cavalry were so effective that they had vanished from Sekigahara to the west before he could even say ‘ah’. It was a splendid retreating performance to the degree that it felt like anticlimactic.

{Kazu-nii, Kazu-nii! This is an emergency, Kanae-neesan, she!}

Suddenly Mio transmitted her voice using telepathic communication to him.

{…What’s with the ‘nee-san’. I get the feeling that there is something different in how you say that. What’s wrong with Kanae?}

{Kanae-san, she, she turned into an appearance that completely looks like a Magic Dress!!}

What did she say? He couldn’t imagine that Kanae making a contract with a Diva as a Magika Stigma, but…

{Kazu-nii, by any chance… you are also connected with Kanae-san, with the power of bond? By any chance Kazu-nii can now understand the positivity level of Kanae-san or…} Mio inquired from him timidly and anxiously.

Amasaki Mio―155 Hiakari Koyuki―150 Lotte―152 Otonashi Kaguya―148

Hoshikaze Hikaru―140 Tsukahara Kazuha―138 Ryuutaki Miyabi―74 Ryuutaki Shinobu―74

Katsura Karin―55 Kamimura Itsuki―42 Liz Liza Westwood―39

Hayashizaki Kanae―175

One, a single fellow with a ridiculous number was there.

{Yo, you have checked now? About how much? Is it higher than me?}

{Mio is 155, Kanae is 175.}

When the positivity level had went pass 150, it then became fairly hard to raise. At that stage the emotion of love that was flaring up in one go was already maturing, it seemed there was no other way to move the number up except for piling it up little by little with emotional attachment. That was why Kanae’s number was not unexpected for Kazuki.

{Fu, FUNYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?}

But for Mio who thought of herself as number one, she could only raise a shocked scream.

Epilogue – Cradle

Part 1

An unconventional mock battle was held in Asaka Garrison.

On the other side is a two-man team of police knights that were stationed in this garrison. Both of the women had been given the seal of approval by Vice Chief Yamagata as Magika Stigmas that possessed above average ability.

The mock battle was already over, these two women had yielded while falling on their knees.

On the other side were students of the Magic Division―Amasaki Mio and Hiakari Koyuki.

This two-man team didn’t even breathe hard.

This mock battle was for the sake of ascertaining the true power of the <Chouki Magician>, it was performed in front of the eyes of a lot of knights and the top brass of the Knight Order.

And the result – the confidence of many knights that possessed an abundance of experience were smashed into pieces.

Inside the hearts of the knights they still didn’t believe about the special existences like [the King and his favored princesses]. Those kind of fellows made light of such thing saying that it was not a big deal.

Being favored by the King gave birth to this much power―witnessing that in practice with their own eyes, for the first time they clearly understood how special the existence called as King is.

From this day on, the organization called the Knight Order underwent a complete change.

The knights lost their self-awareness that they were government workers with the leadership of the Knight Order as their superiors.

The knights were now being self aware that they were subordinates that could be used by the [symbol of power] that was the King.

―However, Kazuki’s daily life didn’t change. He was just having a special power, in the time of need that power would protect those important to him, he was just a student with that determination.

“And so this is Amasaki Mio, the new version! Ehehe, Kazu-nii, how is it!?”

In the dead of night just before going to sleep, Mio visited Kazuki in his room.

Mio who defeated veteran knights at Asaka and proved her ability went back to the Witch’s Mansion in a good mood and even put down three bowls of rice at dinner.

The girl named Amasaki Mio that was full with bright energy was the cutest when she was getting carried away like this.

And then Mio twirled and twirled on the spot to flaunt off her new appearance.

“It becomes even more gorgeous than before. But as I thought the exposure is a lot and looking at it makes my heart throb.”

“Heheh, Kazu-nii you pervert~”

Mio who was in an appearance that looked half naked sat on top of the knees of Kazuki who was sitting on the bed.

He hugged that body tightly from behind. Thereupon for some reason, Kazuki recalled the rotting bones of his mother inside his arms, that lightly dry and sorrowful touch.

There was the elasticity of meat at Mio’s skin, there was the warm pulse, and a sweet fragrance that was like flowers from her blond hair.

“…Kazu-nii, aren’t you hugging me stronger than usual?”

While Kazuki was burying his face into Mio’s blond hair, it seemed he didn’t notice that he put too much strength into his arms that were hugging Mio.

“Sorry, does it hurt?”

“No, I feel happy somehow. It’s fine even if you are not overly gentle you know?”

When Kazuki relaxed the strength of his arms, Mio half rotated on top of Kazuki’s lap and faced him face to face with the posture of straddling Kazuki’s lap.

“Kazu-nii, I love you-“ She hugged him tightly from the front and kissed him.

Lips and lips touched each other. It felt like their hearts overlapped with the other.

“Kazu-nii, I love you. I love you so much.” The lips separated and she whispered, then she kissed again.

“Ehehe, I love you.” She repeated it many times while kissing.

“You say love so many times.”

Kazuki made a wry smile and retorted during the spare moment where their lips separated.

“Because, I saw the recent Kazu-nii sometimes looked a little lonely. Kazu-nii showed the surrounding of your confidence, but it’s somewhat painful to watch instead.”

His heart ached pricklingly.

He had no intention to act brave. He didn’t even feel nervous in the duel with Ikousai that would decide the fate of Japan. Somehow, he felt something bulky and heavy attached to him inside himself.

However certainly―there were moments where he succumbed to loneliness as if suddenly a draft was blowing inside his heart. Just like before when he recalled the feel of a bone inside his palm.

In a corner of his heart, a part that was dyed with loneliness, that forever couldn’t be wiped off, had been created.

“That’s why Kazu-nii, let’s sleep together tonight-!”

Mio said that with a bright voice and pushed Kazuki down. Kazuki didn’t resist it and collapsed together with her while hugging her back.

“Hey, Kazu-nii. A long time ago, do you remember, the time when we slept together at the orphanage?”

“I remember. Mio was always clinging to me when it became night.”

Mio had the habit to cry at night that she couldn’t fix no matter how long time had passed and she always clung to Kazuki when it was time to sleep. Of course, the two at that time didn’t have any awareness as man and woman at all though.

“Ehehe. Then, then, you remember when we woke up in the morning? I mean did you notice?”

“Morning?”

“Right. At night it was always me that clung to Kazu-nii, but when the morning came it was Kazu-nii that clung to me before you noticed, our posture became hugging each other you remember. It always became like that you know?”

Kazuki had the feeling of knowing a completely new fact, he peered into Mio’s face staringly.

“…I did that?”

“That’s right. Even Kazu-nii was lonely that time. But Kazu-nii would immediately act tough. You did that without even being aware yourself.”

―Kazuki remembered about his mother again.

Thinking of it thoroughly, what was the first thing he was going to convey if he met his mother was that [he was not unhappy]. However if he conveyed that now, those were words that didn’t ring true in some parts.

Just before his mother disappeared… he sobbed [something like this is unreasonable]. Those words were exactly his true feeling.

Even he himself was unaware that he was feeling this lonely.

“Kazu-nii is by no means alone okay? We too didn’t have a papa or a mama. That’s why, hey, Kazu-nii.” Mio repeated the same words many times over, and made Kazuki listen.

“Kazu-nii, I love you. I think it’s really, really important, telling that I love you like this properly. I once again think so.”

“…Mio, thank you. For always staying beside me.”

‘She is someone that understands me, even more than myself.’

“Ehehe. I’m just clinging like this to Kazu-nii every time.”

“I too love Mio you know.”

“I know tha~t♪”

Both of them hugged each other tightly on top of the bed. The soft, pulsing, warm skin brought tranquility to Kazuki’s chest.

He repeatedly kissed with Mio with some noise. The warm tranquility was mixed with a heated urge.

He wanted to taste Mio’s skin more strongly. And then Mio’s bare plain reaction toward that and also her figure in rapture accepting him, he wanted to see that he thought.

His emotional and lonely and instinctual urge wanted the girl named Mio without any contradiction at all.

“Mio. I want to touch your breasts.”

Kazuki boldly said. Mio’s slightly surprised face reddened.

“I too… want to touch.”

Koyuki wanted to feel love for real, Kaguya-senpai received Asmodeus’ influence, both of them proactively came at Kazuki and tempted him. However Mio whose positivity level was the highest didn’t do any such thing. Mio put a break of any improper thing, she was a girl that stopped until the level of a sweet kiss.

From Kazuki himself until now, the time when he was touching a girl, rather than asking it himself he was going along with the other party’s feelings.

But quite strangely, right now, he felt an urge toward Mio.

Mio separated her body slightly from him and presented her breast. The part of the Magic Dress there was faintly disappearing.

Kazuki didn’t say that he wanted to touch only her breast, he crept his palm all over Mio’s smooth skin, caressing dearly with his finger tips. Immediately Mio’s voice turned stimulated and heat ran throughout her whole body.

He wanted to delight Mio. Kazuki recollected his experiences until now, he searched through Mio’s whole body while paying careful attention to the minute change of her positivity level.

Mio directed a reproachful eye to him while her body was trembling from the sensation.

“Kazu-nii… somehow you are really skillful in this…?”

“Sorry.”

“Buu―” Mio pouted her lips.

But the expression of Mio that was like that was immediately repainted with a different color.

He reached out his hand to the improper spot where a girl was the most shy. Mio opened her legs in order to receive Kazuki’s hand. A split was running on the beautifully smooth skin, something that looked similar with a lip was peeking out. That place was wet with secret fluid.

“…I too want to make Kazu-nii feel good.”

Mio’s palm was caressing all over Kazuki in opposition. Her palm was lowering down little by little from his chest, toward his lower body. With a bright red face, Mio’s breathing turned rough.

“…Kazu-nii’s here too, looked painful.”

Mio’s palm gently caressed the part of the sensitive thing that became bared. He felt numbness like electricity that ran from his spine into his head.

Kazuki too similarly touched Mio’s sensitive spot gently. Mio too tensed from her spine until the tip of her toes as is she was struck by electricity.

Both of their sensitive spots that were as if the most directly connected with the heart and emotion which were the most sensitive throughout the body were exposed, they mutually caressed each other dearly at those spots.

“Mio, it feels good.”

“Ehehe, it’s the same for me.”

―From there on both of them said “I love you” to each other many times over. Both of their feelings swelled out together with how much they expressed themselves to each other, Mio reached the height many times over. For the last, Kazuki too reached the end simultaneously, both of them were drained of their strength on top of the bed as if they were drifting inside a dream.

“Kazu-nii…”

Mio whispered dreamily while using Kazuki’s arm as a pillow.

“I, want to give birth to Kazu-nii’s child.”

She was just saying something extraordinary but Kazuki didn’t feel that it was something extraordinary. He felt like it was really natural words.

“Someday for sure, you will.”

Embracing a repose as if the consistency of the whole world was here, Kazuki caressed Mio’s blond hair.

Mio went “Goronyaa~” and fawned at Kazuki.

Part 2

Inside that room, the rough breathing of a woman was leaking out.

The woman was doing muscle training. She was performing the training with all her might.

“…By any chance, are you using gravity strengthening magic at the same time?”

Kazuki who was visiting that room was amazed and asked that.

Beatrix who was bathing in her own flowing sweats while doing one-handed push-up was,

“That voice is Kazuki!?” She raised her face in fluster, her hand that was wet with sweat slipped and slid sideways before she crashed to the ground with a bang.

“Fu, fufufu.” Beatrix chuckled with her face still planted on the ground.

“But of course. After all doing training with your own weight normally won’t become any training at all.”

“Just for the sake of normal muscle training, you will go as far as laying out an advanced general magic like using gravity…”

“Even when there is no tool like dumbbell or barbell, I can do muscle training anytime and anywhere.”

Beatrix’s body that was slowly raising up was by no means filled with excessive muscle mass.

Rather than calling it muscle, what she tempered was her Enchant Aura.

“It seems that I have been completely asleep for quite long, getting entered into this kind of place is a one way road of getting my body dull.”

―What she called as this kind of place was the cell she was in. When he heard that Beatrix and her team had awakened from their magic intoxication, Kazuki went to the isolation cell at Asaka garrison.

“It can’t be helped that you got put into an isolation cell right? How we are going to treat you after this is still not decided yet.”

Kazuki sat down while subtly avoiding Beatrix’s sweat that wet the floor.

“…Why are you bathing in your sweat like that? You can do something about something like sweat somehow with magic right?”

“Because sweating like this feels good don’t you agree?”

Beatrix sat down on the floor that was wet from sweat with a thump and faced Kazuki. She was not even wearing a prison uniform, but for some reason she was wearing a pastel pink pajama that was pointlessly cute.

“However this is really a generous treatment huh. It won’t be strange even if I get a death sentence after that.”

The foreign knights that were staying in Japan in a set-up of a cooperative relationship, of all things disturbed Japan’s tactical operation that was in the middle of progression by picking a fight, they had assaulted Japan’s knights. Certainly it wouldn’t be strange even if they send back the dead bodies of Beatrix and her team back to Germany as a protest.

But with Kazuki’s own discretion, the matter was halted where they would first wait for Beatrix to wake up.

“Explain the circumstance. What in the world were you planning that you did that kind of thing?”

Beatrix had her eyes turn round from Kazuki’s way of talking―it was a way of speaking as if it was Kazuki that had grasped the full authority of how to deal with Beatrix.

“Explain the circumstance… huh. The circumstance you ask?”

Beatrix’s eyes wandered around and she crumpled her eyebrows.

“…Eeerr, why was I doing that kind of thing again?”

Kazuki who was inquiring with a serious expression reflexively hung his head down in a slump.

What the hell was this girl saying?

It appears that rather than an action that she had done after a deep thought, it was an action that was done really impulsively instead. After Beatrix tried to recall the matter of that time with far away eyes, she suddenly went red with a puff.

“Wa, wait! Kazuki! You are telling me to talk of the circumstance!? That’s something really embarrassing to say to you, you know!!”

“What’s with that. There is no way you can be let off without telling me the story here. Do you really understand the gravity of the situation here?”

After Beatrix groaned “gununu” she confessed.

“It was in order to bring you back home!”

“Ha? …Haa?”

“If Yamato wins you are just a low commoner, so I think with that I can bring you back home then!”

“…I seriously don’t understand at all what you are talking about.”

“No wait… in the first place I got that idea because… certainly… that’s right! I remember the crucial thing!! I found the data of the strange experiment that Japan is secretly conducting. It was a data of a gory human experiment. After reading that there is no way that can be allowed.”

“Human experiment?”

When Kazuki asked in detail, Beatrix started to talk about the details of a repulsive experiment with anger mixed in her tone. The data was about the experiment that Nyarlathotep was doing in the underground of the Knight Academy.

“That’s old data you know. The guy that did the experiment was already judged as a criminal. Who in the world gave you that data?”

Beatrix’s noble face went blank with her mouth hanging open.

Kazuki was glad that they had waited before deciding how to deal with them.

This was a scheme for the sake of inviting antagonism between Japan and Germany. Someone that would profit if a confrontation between fellow Magic Advanced Countries was deepened―Loki’s face easily emerged to the surface inside Kazuki’s brain.

When Kazuki explained to Beatrix that all of it was a big misunderstanding, Beatrix was astonished saying “What the…” and her shoulders dropped in a slump from their own misunderstanding.

“That careless idiot Erii… no, that girl went that far to get between me and Kazuki to…”

“And then, what are you planning to do from now on?”

“What are we going to do… you ask? Don’t tell me, you are planning to just overlook this?”

“You too had just gotten tricked after all. Also about that, whether I’m going to overlook this or not, that depends on what you guys are going to do from now on.”

“It’s hard you know, thinking something like that without Erii. Eerrr… the first thing is I got to go back to my home country to report for the moment.”

It was the proper answer, but Kazuki pondered that.

“There is no need for all three of you to go back to report right?”

“Mu? That’s true but”

For them to go back to their own country meant a suspension of the cooperation set-up between Japan and Germany.

…Even if he had to act half-coercively, he wanted to preserve the cooperation between Japan and Germany.

Of course to cooperate with the Germans in the true meaning from hereon was depending on the decision of their home country after receiving the report though.

“Loki is supposed to be the common enemy of Japan and the Einherjar. We who have defeated Yamato will take action to defeat Loki next, Beatrix, leave the report to Eleonora and you stay in Japan to continue the cooperation. For you yourself this should not be an odd decision.”

“….u, mu…” Beatrix hummed.

“Even so, if the one that go back to report is not me myself that is the captain… there is also that consideration.”

“That’s no good. If your home country decide to stop the cooperation, it’s fine for you to go back at that time. However until that happens you are going to take joint action with me.”

He had given them some favor because of the case this time. Beatrix couldn’t reject.

For some reason Beatrix’s face reddened.

“I, if you said it so pushily like that, then… it really can’t be helped…”

Kazuki who left behind the isolation cell next headed to the room of the headquarter chief.

“When your interview with Beatrix is over, please bring yourself to the headquarter chief room. There is something I have to tell you and also to the Knight Order’s leadership.”

Vice Chief Yamagata that informed him of Beatrix waking up also passed the verbal message of Arthur that was saying that to Kazuki.

When he knocked and entered the room―inside there were Vice Chief Yamagata, Arthur, and then Shouko-san of Ryouzanpaku was also there.

“Russia declared their cooperative relationship with China.”

With Kazuki entering the room, Vice Chief Yamagata said that without even a greeting first.

Kazuki answered after thinking for a little. “In other words, they are joining hands with Loki then.”

“The one that draw this scheme is without a doubt Loki.”

“After the duel with Ikousai, Loki suddenly launched a surprise attack, and yet they immediately retreated, that was for the sake of creating an established fact I guess. It was for the sake of making Ilyailiya unable to play both sides.”

Kazuki recalled about the happening at Sekigahara and said that.

“Oo, so you properly noticed that.” Shouko-san raised the corner of her mouth in a grin.

“Hmm, I see, so it’s for that kind of thing.” Arthur hit his palm with his fist.

“It seemed that Ilyailiya had told Regina that Russia Mythology can attach themselves freely to Cosmos Side or Chaos Side. So it’s this kind of thing.”

Loki made Ilyailiya’s position fixed in place conclusively. He wouldn’t let Ilyailiya go off with just a verbal promise. He deliberately made her exchanged hostility with Arthur and Regina.

“However right now that Yamato is gone, does Russia and China still have any just excuse?”

“For now… they are demanding us to hand over Aisu Ikousai who is contracted with Susanoo as the one with the true qualification to rule over Japan.”

“Aren’t they completely ignoring the conclusion and all now? Perhaps as long as Ikousai is not killed then they will keep being persistent like this.”

“Naturally this is a matter that has to be considered I think. About Ikousai’s execution.” Shouko-san interjected.

“Just killing Ikousai won’t crush the other side’s just cause. If you do that then they surely will once again make up another excuse and come picking a fight, so perhaps it’s pointless doing that, anyway for the time being there is no harm putting aside killing her.”

“You, saying for the time being like that…” Yamagata-san frowned.

“’Perhaps it’s pointless but for the time being’, in Japan human life is not so light that we can kill someone just from mood like that.”

Kazuki rejected that clearly. “Ikousai didn’t really have any malice in her, she was just a maniac of strongest sword art that was lifted up by Yamato’s government as a symbol.”

Kazuki recalled the first time he met Lotte. Because of the judgment between countries, the life of a human was treated so lightly. That kind of judgment was clearly overflowing with malice.

“I don’t mind even if they are finding fault with us. It’s just what we wish for to continue our battle with Loki. …Arthur-san, you are also going to lend your hand in this aren’t you?”

Kazuki turned his sight to Arthur. But, why was Regina not here?

“The conflict between Japan and Yamato about the seat of the legitimate ruler was over already. It ended in the manner that all of you recognized. And then Loki, Russia, and China that even now want to continue the fight… fighting against them in other words mean a battle for the sake of protecting the world’s order. This battle should be something that all of you have to fight too.”

Arthur rounded his eyes listening on Kazuki’s decisive way of talking.

However he nodded as if saying that it was only natural.

“Of course I called you with that kind of intention. I wanted you to pass that judgment. But your way of saying that is more decisive than I imagined. It appears that you are… getting accustomed as King.”

‘I wanted you to pass that judgment’ ―Arthur who called to Kazuki to talk about this matter was intentionally ignoring Japan’s government.

“…I’m going to convey this to the top so that they can act in accordance with Hayashizaki-kun’s will.”

The way Arthur was developing the matter made Vice Chief Yamagata say that with a troubled face.

“What about Regina? It seems that she is not in this place though.”

“She is… I brought the matter about the danger of Lokithe Chaos Side Diva colluding with China and Russia to her attention, but she said that she has no obligation to fight and went home to Italy. If she said that then I cannot detain her. That’s also a King’s judgment.”

If Germany gave their cooperation to Japan then their side would be Japan-Britain-Germany while the other side was China-Russia-Loki.

“A confrontation structure has been created in the world with this…”

Vice Chief Yamagata said so with a bitter expression. Confrontation structure―of all things there were Magic Advanced Countries that appeared as Loki’s ally, with that the order between the Seven Great Magic Advanced Countries was breaking down.

“For that I have a proposal. Hayashizaki-kun… won’t you go with me to America.”

“…America?”

It was a word that he didn’t anticipate. Kazuki spontaneously asked back.

“That’s right. The one that will become the key person in this situation is America. If America stood as our ally… Regina surely won’t jump ship to the other side, that’s why we can stand in the superior position with number. On the contrary we cannot let even America to get sweet talked by Loki’s cajolery.”

America―they were the country that evaded involvement with other countries the most among the Seven Great Magic Advanced Countries, a country that persisted in their isolationism. Could they do something about such actual state of affairs, not to mention Japan but most likely there was no doubt that the other countries also didn’t understand the situation there.

“Certainly… it’s a country that we don’t know what they are thinking but it’s important who they are going to side with.”

“By some chance, just like all of you in Japan, perhaps a King has also still haven’t been born yet in America.”

“Because they don’t have a King, that’s why they aren’t getting involved with other countries and their standing point is unclear, is that it?”

“Our Britain is the land where magic was first born in this world, the land where Basileus Basilleon put the headquarter of <Dawn’s OmnipotentLibel Mundi>. The history of alchemists is the oldest there. That was why there is a lot of record about Basileus Basilleon left there.”

“The alchemist Basileus Basilleon?”

Why did that name suddenly appear here?

No, perhaps it was obvious why.

That name was the root of everything of this era of magic. It was a name that was connected with everything.

“He left behind these words. ‘The time when all the Kings are standing in a complete set, the battlefield of the Kings will rise from the depth of the sea. A treasure existed there’.”

“Treasure you say?” Kazuki knitted his eyebrows dubiously.

“The Divas know about the treasure’s true form. They said that they will surely talk about it when the suitable time arrives.”

Arthur said that unhesitatingly as if delivering an oracle.

“I expected that it’s most likely―the Philosopher Stone.”

No, wait. A treasure that the Divas knew about… Hearing those words, Kazuki remembered something that was stuck in his mind. He had the feeling that before this there was someone saying something like that.

The thing that the Divas fought each other to try to get their hands on it…

“I predicted that the King in America has still haven’t been determined yet because there is this kind of legend. The instant you defeated Ikousai, I thought that perhaps there is going to be an unusual phenomenon happening in this world. But nothing happened.”

That meant Arthur had expected him as the last King. Kazuki made a bitter face.

However the world’s unusual phenomenon. What in the world it meant that a battlefield would surface from the bottom of the sea?

Like how a Haunted Ground was generated… would there be an island or even a continent created from the Astrum then?

“…What I have misgivings for is that the American continent which is shrouded in darkness is currently just like this Japan and Yamato, perhaps right now they are also embroiled in a conflict between order and chaos there.”

If there was a conflict like that and Loki intervened…

“And so my proposal. We should head to America and know more about them. The darkness shrouding that continent has to be removed.”

…Kazuki nodded. There was also the factor that he couldn’t see Arthur as a human that would deceive others.

“Understood. Let’s do that.”

“…Hmm. I will take this to the top so that they can go act in accordance with Hayashizaki-kun’s will.”

Vice Chief Yamagata also said half-resigning himself.

“Roshouko. What are you and your group going to do?”

After they finished hearing Arthur’s story, each of them left the room―in that timing, Kazuki picked the time where Arthur had gone and caught Shouko’s shoulder.

Kazuki called Shouko without any honorific.

“What we are going to do you ask… of course we are Japan’s ally obviously.”

Shouko said that while making a buttering up smiling face.

“It’s just that we cannot just leave our hideout alone so there is no way we can go along to America. We are going to remain in Japan and cooperate in Japan’s defense ‘kay.”

Suddenly in Kazuki’s mind, an image of their back stabbed by Shouko flashed.

Hearing that this Shouko would cooperate with Japan’s defense during the time he would be in America, that she would continue to stay in Japan, an uneasiness that couldn’t be explained was welling up in him.

No, this anxiety meant this kind of thing…

“Shouko, I cannot approve that.”

“Ah?” Shouko opened her eyes wide in shock from Kazuki’s rumination.

“Why is that? You are saying that you cannot really trust us? Listen here, mister. I’m really troubled here. You guys cannot get all buddy-buddy with us on the surface, but a force that matched Japan’s interest the most is us Ryouzanpaku. For Japan that is in conflict with China we are the ally that you can trust the most yeah?”

With a condemning tone like when before this he prioritized Germany’s Beatrix, Shouko-san was talking calmly however her tone was sharp.

“No, your objective is China. Our objective is Loki.”

Kazuki decisively rebutted. Their interests didn’t match each other.

“You guys are by no means belong to Order. From what I can gather of [Taikoubou’s will] that you talked about before, I can surmise that. Your group’s objective is to first overthrow China to guarantee your own safety. If it’s for that sake… then you won’t mind whether you join hands with Order or with Chaos, whichever is fine.”

Taikobou’s will. That will was―to prevent the arrival of the age where the Mythology was ruling over humans.

Rather it was a thinking that opposed the Cosmos Side.

“And then Loki and China’s alliance will surely breakdown someday.”

Shouko’s eyes shook with slight agitation.

Not only the objective right before the eyes, he also had to think about the true objectives of each force.

“And when that happens, you will come running to Loki bringing a nice present… maybe.”

Kazuki pulled Shouko’s shoulder closer to him and whispered on her ear.

“Perhaps that nice present, is going to be this country and my head.”

This woman named Roshouko was a woman that might have went that far.

Shouko caught her breath and stared back at Kazuki’s expression.

“What are you talking about rabbit-san. We are your ally you know.”

“It will be great if it turns out like that in the very end. But in the current stage I can trust you as an ally only as long as Loki is still in an alliance with China. During the time until that happens…”

Kazuki pushed aside Shouko’s shoulder and high-handedly said.

“Just as you said we will accept Ryouzanpaku’s force to be added in Japan’s defense. But I’ll have both Shouko and Silirat to accompany me to America.”

The forces that Ryouzanpaku could ally themselves with in the very end were only between Japan or Loki.

But ultimately Japan too was incompatible with the Order. That was why certainly Shouko’s interest was close to Japan.

―Therefore Kazuki pressed a choice to her.

“Come with me, and then whether you should side with me or with Loki, make sure of it with your own eyes.”

Afterword

Finally we reached the turning point! Even the content makes you feel the turning point, this is the ninth volume of Magika. I am really thankful that I am given the chance to come this far! To be able to pile up a number of volume until this many in this extremely harsh light novel industry, even myself cannot believe this.

Moreover! Magika is still continuing ahead! (as if it’s something that is really awesome) I still want to stir it up even more, so if you reader will continue your patronage from now on too I will be happy. I, if it pleased you reader then perhaps you can recommend this novel or something to your friend or someone… currently taking application for Magilover. *Glance* *glance*

It’s not like Magika got particularly sold like crazy or anything, but I had changed my residence. At the property that my relative possess, he felt it troublesome if there is trouble so it’s fine even if he got cheaper rent, he just wanted to make a relative to live in the place. He brought a story with that kind of feeling to me along with a transcendental bargain rent. Oh yeah! So for around five days from now I will be moving home in timely manner, even though this is not really an important news but I must write about this moving. Though I always write an afterword that is not important at all like this in the end…

Right now, I’m in the middle of carrying away the baggage in my room and I’m flat out broke. My room is a six tatami room that was always in a state like a trash box, so its state right now where I can see the floor is a really fresh experience. However a crimson stain is spreading on my floor like a place of a murder scene. It’s not like I killed someone here but when I was building Cha○’s exclusive mobile suit, the Sa○fi plastic model I made a mistake and the paint spilled on the floor completely. There is no way I can make my room into a C○ar’s exclusive so I’m going to repaper the whole surface of the flooring. It’s going to take much time surely… You really got me huh, Char!

Now that I mentioned it, when my mother brought the baggage that I left behind in my parent’s home to my new home, she sorted my things in my room from around the time I was in middle and high school as she pleased and brought it over to me. When I carelessly checked the inside,

• A mountain of ero manga (what a really nostalgic design)
• The files that I scrapped from the page of eroge magazine (I didn’t have the courage to buy eroge)
• Light novel production notes (Indescribable content that cannot be called as anything else than my black history)
• A mountain of sketches of moe character drawn with extremely pathetic skill (There are also some perverted pictures you know!)

The instant I opened the baggage these treasured things felt like iron scraps piled up on my head, the killing power is too overkill and I died. Especially the last thing was just too last boss. It’s extremely painful. You really got me mama!

When doing the cleaning of the room and I personally carried the various articles of darkness to the trash processing facility, somehow I feel like I have been reborn. Moving house is a renewal of the soul. Now that I mention it I have the feeling that the content of Magika’s ninth volume is about facing the past. Like this a human grow strong don’t they?

With a completely sparkling new self I’m thinking to let fly the tenth volume of Magika to great height. Thank you very much to CHuN-san that drew super cool illustrations for this volume too! I yelled ‘nyaa’ the instant I saw the front cover. The rumored comicalization that went even more swimmingly than the original version Monrin-san, the characters of the second volume are also grandly entering the stage that I’m super looking forward to it every month! And then the editor-in-charge K-nya! Please don’t grumble things like “That guy break the deadline so calmly without any guilt” to my contemporary Iwanami Ryou-sensei… I feel bad, I’m reflecting… Fueee… Please expect even more great efforts from Mihara-san whose bath and toilet had now become separated! This is Mihara Mitsuki.

Translator's Notes & References

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