Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 5 Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Circular ArenaColosseum Duel

Part 1

The citizens of Zeltis were walking on the street with smiling faces that were overflowing with expectation.

It was the city of the common citizens which was surrounded by the most outside castle wall. At the sides of the street, stores aimed at that procession were lining up. Not to mention beverages and snacks, there were also various things like opera glass and souvenirs sold. That sight was exactly the same like the shopping district that was adjacent with tourist attractions or sport facilities on earth.

The people were talking with enjoyment, they ran their thoughts of the fun things that would happen after this and made their heart swell with anticipation. And then, ahead of that procession, the facility that was their destination was displaying its dignity proudly.

It was something that was completely like the Colosseum of the ancient Roman Empire.

On its outer wall that was created by the same black stone, several reliefs of angels fighting were carved. Slashing with sword, stabbing with spear, grappling with bare hands. Their figures were completely unlike angels. As if to color those reliefs, light of magic power was flowing on the wall. How the colorful radiances were flowing even looked similar to the flow of electricity that ran inside integrated circuits.

As if being invited by those angels and magic power lights, the people were being absorbed one after another into the entrance of the Colosseum. When they came out of the passage, there a huge battle field was spreading with diameter that surpassed five hundred meters. And then surrounding it were audience seats where a hundred-odd thousand people could watch the battle at the same time.

The extent of this Colosseum was for the sake of the battle between magic weapons, and even possibly between people wearing magic armor.

Similar to the ancient Roman Empire, Vatlantis made criminals and prisoners fight, which was exhibited as a spectacle event.

The most popular was the competition between fellow humans wearing magic armor. The appearance of magic armor was nice, each one was rich with personality, with various weapons making the people watching entertained. Besides being granted magic armor was also the proof that the person’s ability was recognized as suitable. There was a showy impressiveness in a battle between fellow strong warriors, it was only natural that the audience would be excited.

However, if they fought using that kind of weapon, the audience too wouldn’t end up safe. There, this whole Colosseum was constructed by means of sorcery mechanisms. The battle field was wrapped by many layers of Life Saver, creating a solid wall that was invisible to the audience’s eye. Thanks to that, there was not a single worry that stray bullets or blown away magic armor would plunge between the audience seats. At the same time, it also served as the cage so that the prisoners fighting in this place couldn’t escape.

Several huge floating windows were opened above the battle field and the audience seats. And then phrases to promote today’s show were streamed, heating up the audience’s excitement in one go.

The gathered hundred-odd thousand people understood. That the match today would be a special competition card which they had never seen until now. And then, that this match was also attended by the emperor who returned after ten years and the second princess.

It was the beginning of a festival without doubt.

Aine who was sitting on the throne which was prepared for the sake of royalty was overpowered by the Colosseum which she witnessed for the first time and the excitement that ruled the place.

“This is……what’s this commotion?”

“Yes. This is one of the events to celebrate Ainess-sama’s return. Magic knights with pride in their strength will devote all their strength and skill as attraction. Especially since there is Ainess-sama and Grace-sama in attendance this time to watch, so I had prepared a treasured card.”

Aine made a frown and looked over the audience seats and the battle field.

“Making people fight as an attraction like this……it’s not a good hobby.”

“However Nee-sama, didn’t you say that in Lemuria there is also a similar attraction like this that made people fight each other. Something like……boxing or pro-wrestling?”

Sitting on the two lined up thrones, at the right side was Aine and at the left side was Grace. In contrast with Aine, Grace was waiting for the start of the match in a cheery mood.

“Those are just sports, it’s not killing each other like this.”

Aine answered without looking at Grace. It even felt like there was a tear growing in her voice.

Zelsione who was standing by beside the two took a step forward and lowered her head reverently.

“Ainess-sama. The objective of this match is not for killing each other. Until the end it has the objective of pitting each others’ skill, it doesn’t mean that one side will die for sure. Besides, the people fighting here are not just enemies or prisoners. For example there are Clayda and Lunora there who are members of the Quartum, they originated from this Colosseum.”

Zelsione pointed at a blonde eye-patched girl and a blue haired beautiful woman among the four Quartum standing still behind her.

Clayda was the girl who led away Kizuna from the cell in the battleship into the prisoner transport. Right now she was not in her imperial guard uniform, but she was wearing a battle outfit that clung tightly to her body. She wore a no sleeve short vest with vertical line in it. Together with that was a hot pants with size that was abnormally little. And then on her back she was armed with a thin sharp sword that looked like a crescent moon.

The other one, Lunora, was a female with elegance and beauty like a daughter from a good family rather than a swordswoman. However, the atmosphere her body was clad in seemed bizarre somehow. She put on the white shirt of imperial guard and a see-through camisole under it. At her lower body there were only panty that was tied with strings at the left and right sides and tights until above her knee, her appearance looked like she was coming outside in the middle of changing her clothes. Her look was really inflammatory, but she wasn’t merely sexy but also caused a bizarre pressure towards those watching her.

The cause for that were the large gashes carved on her beautiful face and body.

There was a diagonal painful-looking scar from her forehead until her cheek that seemed to be coming from a sword cut. The wounds were not only on her face. There was a large scar along the valley of her breast that was like a vertical stitch. Similar scars were also carved on her neck and abdomen, and her legs and arms. It made one wonder just how many life and death battles she had acted in this Colosseum. Aine felt a shudder in her back just from imagining it.

“I grew to desire them no matter what while watching the fight of these two many times. They were scouted by this Zelsione truly.”

Grace was staring at the proud Zelsione with astonished eyes.

“What scouting. Isn’t that just your quick hand, or your bad habit of philandering huh?”

Behind Zelsione were the Quartum and then also Aldea who recently was added as a close-aide standing in a slightly distanced spot.

“I feel obliged by the praise your highness bestowed me.”

Zelsione made a theatrical bow. Aine spontaneously leaked out a smile looking at them. She then asked Zelsione while once again staring at the faces of the four Quartum.

“Other than Clayda and Lunora……the other two didn’t originate from the Colosseum?”

“Yes. Elma is a native-born of the imperial guard.”

Elma was a beautiful girl with an atmosphere like a caged lady. She had cute charm points with her long gently wavy white hair as her characteristic, and her ears which were a little like beast ears with how it pranced up.

The combat uniform she was wearing was also like a feminine dress, there were frills arranged on it making it seem like young lady, her skin was exposed in places like the valley of her breasts or her stomach, its exposure rate was high. Besides a large slit was inserted right in the middle of her skirt, her thighs and panty were in plain sight, the essential places weren’t hidden. The modesty of lady was combined with obscenity in that figure, creating a dangerous feeling of immorality.

She pinched her skirt and bowed elegantly.

“Ainess-sama, it’s lovely to be in your presence. This is truly a great honor to serve as your highness’s guard in this occasion.”

“Yes. Take care of me, Elma. And the remaining one is……”

A girl with flaming red hair.

“She is called Ramza. There is a little special circumstance――”

At that time, a powerful music began to flow in the Colosseum.

“Oo, it will begin soon Nee-sama.”

Grace raised her voice happily.

At the same time with the opening of the battle field’s gate, white smoke blew out. Inside it a figure with light brown skin was walking. A splendidly tight body with the muscularity. Her short cut blonde hair and the white costume that hid the body unsatisfactorily suited the light brown skin.

Aine had seen that figure before. Rather, it was someone she couldn’t possibly forget even if she tried.

“That’s Gravel!? ……Why is she?”

She was a soldier of Vatlantis who assaulted Ataraxia and struck Aine with her gunsword. The opponent who acted a mortal combat with Kizuna at Okinawa.

“Ainess-sama, Gravel is under the suspicion of the crime of treason. Right now she is being entrusted to me and is under investigation.”

“Treason……?”

Just what in the world happened? Aine stared fixedly at the back figure of Gravel who was slowly walking to the middle of the battle field. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but it looked like there was tiredness seeping on her back.

If she remembered right Aldea should be her comrade…….

Aine who thought that took a glance at Aldea who was behind Zelsione. However Aldea was expressionless, it seemed there was no particularly strong emotion welling up in her even after looking at Gravel’s figure.

The music suddenly stopped and a different tune began to flow.

And the wall at the opposite side of Gravel opened and similar white smoke like before was blown out. Cheers thundered in the Colosseum. From inside the misty smoke which was like mist, the figure of the opponent appeared.

The instant she saw that silhouette, Aine gulped.

She wouldn’t mistake that person even just from his figure. Aine’s heart was ringing like an alarm bell.

“Ki……Ki, zuna?”

With his whole body swaying the white smoke coiling around, Kizuna’s figure appeared. In place of his pilot suit, Kizuna was wearing top and bottom which was prepared by the promoter for him, he was walking while looking straight ahead. His clothes had similar design with Vatlantis’s military uniform, giving a masculine style to Kizuna. The fighting warriors wouldn’t liven up the place if they had shabby appearances, so Kizuna was made to wear that for the production.

Aine’s clenched hand was trembling hard.

“What is……the meaning of this?”

Zelsione tilted her head as if she didn’t understand the meaning of Aine’s words.

“The meaning?”

“Why is Kizuna over there!? Don’t tell me that you plan to make Kizuna fight――”

“Of course. There is no other meaning than that for someone to stand in the battle field.”

Aine’s astonished expression hardened.

“Is something the matter?”

After returning to her senses with a ‘hah’, Aine lifted her eyes.

“Stop this match right now! Zel-! I should have told you already to treat everyone courteously! Yet……what’s, with this-!”

Zelsione kept back Aine with a wheedling voice to calm her down from her agitation.

“Please rest assured Ainess-sama. This is just an entertainment you know, entertainment.”

“Entertainment……you say?”

“Yes. This is the unveiling of the black magic armor……Kizuna. This is to let the people of Vatlantis to know, and recognize of Ainess-sama’s friend. Ainess-sama also wished for them to live as a member of Vatlantis correct?”

“Tha, that’s……if that’s the case, that’s certainly fine, but this is too rushed or……no! If they die before that then it will all come to nothing.”

“Kizuna is a really strong magic knight. I think he doesn’t compare unfavorably with Gravel. Rather, Kizuna has defeated Gravel once hasn’t he? Then there is nothing to fear. Besides, this Zelsione who has actually fought him gives his strength my stamp of approval.”

Grace too had her eyes shining from deep interest, she chuckled ‘fufu’ after hearing that.

“Hohou, I’ll look forward to this then. Moreover the opponent is that beast with tanned skin.”

Zelsione nodded as if to say ‘that’s exactly what I think too’.

“Yes. Furthermore combined with the fact that he is a rare species of male, there is no doubt that he will become the star player of this Colosseum.”

Unable to endure, Aine yelled with a loud voice.

“You’re wrong. At his current state, Kizuna’s strength is the same like being nonexistent! He is going to get killed by Gravel!”

Grace and Zelsione reflexively looked at each other. For the two of them who didn’t know about Heart Hybrid and Climax Hybrid, they couldn’t comprehend at all just what Aine was talking about. However, they at least understood that Aine was worrying about Kizuna’s safety.

For just an instant, cold light flashed in Zelsione’s eyes. That light wasn’t noticed by anyone before her expression changed into a troubled one. Zelsione then whispered into Aine’s ear as if she was reluctantly exposing a secret.

“Of course, there is also the case where the fighters bet their lives. However, just as I told your highness before, this is an entertainment. This is not a battle where they are taking each others’ life, but it’s nothing more than two fighters displaying their respective strength. They are not really fighting for real.”

“Eh……”

‘――That means, this is a fixed game?’

Aine’s expression softened a little.

“Ainess-sama, if Kizuna can suddenly become famous here, surely he will be able to regard Vatlantis as his second home and live a happy life here.”

“……!?”

With a violent shake, Aine’s heart was greatly wavered.

‘――Living together with Kizuna in Vatlantis. A happy life……’

Aine stared at the center of the battle field with trembling eyes. Surrounded by cheers that shook the Colosseum, Kizuna and Gravel confronted each other with glaring eyes.

Kizuna was staring hard at Gravel that he even forgot to blink.

Previously she was an opponent with whom he acted a battle that was on the verge of life and death, but mysteriously he didn’t have any ill feelings or hatred towards her.

“Gravel……it’s strange to say long time no see, but why are you in this kind of place?”

On the other hand Gravel’s eyes felt down, her face looked a little lacking in vitality. Her glossy tan skin also seemed to be somehow dull.

“Kizuna……that’s your name right? I am already not the me of before. Right now I’m merely a captive……I’m in the same position as you. No, now that I have received utter humiliation, perhaps I’m even lower than you.”

Kizuna felt a shock that even resembled an impact from the murmur coming out of that dark expression.

She was completely like a different person than the Gravel he once crossed swords with. The killing intent, ambition, the power of soul that he felt amidst the defense and offense in paper thin difference, he couldn’t feel at all of all those things from that time.

“What’s wrong? You are really down.”

Reacting to Kizuna’s voice, Gravel lifted her gaze with upturned eyes.

“You are concerned about the opponent you will kill each other with after this?”

Kizuna knitted his eyebrows. He recalled the thing Zelsione announced to him in the cell.

{I’ll grant you the chance to be liberated. Tomorrow, if you can triumph in the duel that will be carried out in the Colosseum, you will be free. But, if you lose――}

“Killing each other……huh. So this is an attraction where people watch the prisoners kill each other.”

“That’s right. I never thought that I will be able to see you again in this kind of place and shape.”

Gravel’s mouth was slightly smiling. However that was a self-deprecating smile, that sneered at herself.

“So it’s true that the one who loses in this match will die?”

“That’s right.”

“But, I also heard that if you win you can be free.”

Gravel snorted.

“I was also told that. But don’t believe those guys’ words. Even if you win you will only be put in the next fight anyway. And then, you will continue to kill your opponent to win and advance to the next round, and die when you lose.”

“Something like that……I want to refrain from that huh.”

“This body is smeared with humiliation. I don’t feel precious of something like my life at this late hour……but if there is still a sliver of hope……if my life can still become useful, then there is still something that I have to do!”

After letting out a deep breath, Gravel yelled with a tensed voice.

“Zoros!”

Together with that voice, orange light enveloped Gravel’s body. That radiance was compressed and crystallized, creating a magic armor.

“Eros!”

Kizuna too immediately called his own Heart Hybrid Gear. In response to that voice, pink particles equipped Kizuna’s body with armor possessing black luster.

As if already estimating the timing, fireworks were launched all at once around the Colosseum. Fierce explosive sounds thundered, beads of light fell from the sky, amidst all that, cheers that resembled screaming welled up from the audience who reached the peaked of their excitement.

The gong of the battle rang.

Three line particle cannons were floating behind Zoros in wing shape. Twelve cannon muzzles in total from the four wings were directed at Kizuna. While they were just the common equipment, but it was Zoros’s main equipment that possessed powerful destructive power. The street of office buildings of Ataraxia was cruelly returned to ashes after receiving the volley from them. Gertrude of Masters had her Heart Hybrid Gear destroyed after receiving bombardment from close range. And then she became heavily wounded to the degree that all the bones in her body broke and she wandered between the boundary of life and death.

“Here I go Kizuna!”

Kizuna too deployed several layers of Life Saver.

“Yeah, I too cannot die in this kind of place!”

Zoros ignited its particle cannons. Flame explosion rose up at the spot where Kizuna was standing, Kizuna’s figure was hidden by the flame. Surprised and disappointed voices leaked out from the audiences who thought that he was instantly killed. However, Kizuna’s figure who flew out from inside the explosion like gliding made cheers to be raised once more.

“Shit! That’s too severe for a preliminary attack!”

His Life Saver quickly reached the limit with the attack just now. In his condition without Climax Hybrid, Kizuna didn’t have any method of fighting. What he could do was just continuing to lay out Life Saver and blocked the attack. Cold sweat flowed down Kizuna’s cheek.

“Damn it! I’ve got to quickly think of a way to defeat Gravel!”

Gravel ignited her thruster and chased after Kizuna. However she was putting a fixed distance between them from what might be a precaution.

“What’s wrong Kizuna. Escaping forever like this is not like you.”

“Ku……-”

He didn’t have any way to pick a fight even if he wanted it!

He wanted to speak back like that, but he endured with an effort. He raised the output of his thruster and could only run away. But, Gravel was gradually closing in on Kizuna. Although it was a spacious battle field, Kizuna was soon cornered to the wall.

Gravel reached out her hand to the gunsword on her back.

On the large caliber particle cannon that was like a bazooka, there was a huge and wide single-edged sword buried into it. The sword part elongated even more ahead from the gun muzzle and its length was even taller than Gravel’s height. There was a trigger in the hilt and an ammo cylinder at the gun barrel. By changing the bullet that was inserted into the cylinder, it could be added with a special attack.

Putting aside the Corruption Armament, it was Zoros’s strongest weapon.

However, Gravel was also hesitating whether to draw out the gunsword or not.

‘――Why doesn’t Kizuna come to attack?

His movements are also slow, there is no speed for him to escape.

Is he inviting an attack from me?

What is he aiming at?

No, there will be no end to it if I’m hesitating!’

Gravel’s fingers grasped the hilt of her gunsword. She accelerated at the same time and closed the distance in one breath.

Kizuna sensitively sensed her presence.

‘Here she comes!’

He made a spin-turn near the wall and faced Gravel.

“HAAAAAAAAA-!”

Gravel’s gunsword was swung down at Kizuna.

‘――Now!’

Kizuna’s leg kicked on the ground.

He leaped aside with the maximum instantaneous force the current Eros could use. The gunsword that cut empty air slashed the wall and fierce sparks scattered.

That wall was the entrance from where Kizuna arrived to this battle field. It was the door he entered from.

“Yosh-! Did that do it!?”

For Kizuna who didn’t have a weapon, he made use of Gravel’s strength and tried to destroy the Life Saver that was enveloping the battle field. If it was the gunsword that destroyed even Kizuna’s Life Saver, then perhaps it could destroy this wall.

Kizuna was staring fixedly at the dazzling light and sparks that the conflict between the gunsword and the Life Saver emitted while holding his breath.

‘――Just now was a speed that Eros can only barely create. A movement that I can only do after training for a while in the prison. If I’m still the same until now, perhaps I’ll get killed by that attack.’

The sparks the gunsword caused stopped and Gravel raised her sword. She swung around the gunsword lightly and then pointed its tip at Kizuna.

“You won’t be able to get out from this Colosseum using this kind of petty trick.”

“What-!?”

The door of the entrance was completely unharmed.

“The Life Saver enveloping this battle field is firm. Your Life Saver is also hard, but the one here is even harder than that. If it’s possible to break through with the gunsword, then I’ll have done that a long time ago.”

Kizuna groaned with a face as if he was chewing a bitter bug.

“Shit-, so your gunsword is also no good……even though it destroyed my Life Saver in Okinawa like a joke.”

“Certainly if it is my Corruption Armament [Sword Gatling] then……if I use that then even the Life Saver of this battle field can be destroyed. However, it’s impossible right now.”

“Why!? If there is your Corruption Armament, then we can escape from here without killing each other!”

In contrast with the frustrated Kizuna, Gravel answered disinterestedly with an expression as if she had given up.

“In order to draw out Sword Gatling, a large amount of magic power is necessary. My magic power is insufficient. Before this, I was confined in a special prison. That prison has the function to absorb magic power, I cannot store a magic power above a certain amount.”

Kizuna recalled of the prison where he was locked at.

“Is that the prison that looked like ice?”

“I see……so you too were in the same prison. If so I can understand of the half-hearted way you fight. It looks like your magic power was absorbed even more than me.”

“……uh huh.”

Gravel comprehended it as she pleased, but that actually wasn’t it.

‘Even if I have magic power……Hybrid Count enough, I still don’t have the power to fight.

When I haven’t done Climax Hybrid with someone, my combat power is equal to zero. Shit-, if I just had the chance to be together with Himekawa or the others……’

“It seems that the power you showed at Okinawa……the power to create an inexhaustible supply of weapons is unusable huh.”

Gravel stared hard at Kizuna as if she was trying to see through the inside of Kizuna’s heart.

“Most likely that miraculous power was accomplished by consuming a vast amount of magic power right? The secret of your strength is due to the absurd storage amount of magic power that surpassed our common sense. But, the current you is nothing more than a huge tank filled with only a few drops of water……am I wrong?”

“……Something like that.”

He whispered his true thoughts inside his heart while replying ambiguously.

‘――That’s totally not it!

Rather than something like that, there is something I’ve got to think about.

What do I do to defeat Gravel?

What should I do so I can escape from here?

Honestly speaking, there is no plan I can take. I’m walking blind here.’

Gravel directed her gunsword at Kizuna and fixed her stance.

“Kizuna. Even if you don’t have any way to fight right now, I am not allowed to sheath back my sword in this situation. Also I’ll, live……I have something that I have to accomplish at all cost. That’s why, no matter how low I have to live in disgrace……I cannot die here no matter what!”

In the face of Gravel who wrung out a painful voice, there was not a single speck of happiness from being convinced of her victory. What was there were only dark shadows and tragic determination.

“Gravel……what in the world are you fighting for? I understand that it’s not only because you value your life. For what, for whose sake that makes you try to survive here?”

Gravel glared at Kizuna with a bitter expression as if her wound was widened. After glaring at him for a while, she suddenly sighed and lowered her gunsword. Her gaze also fell to match that movement. There was nothing but the ground ahead of her hung down gaze, but those eyes were staring at the far beyond.

“Two things.”

Two things?

Kizuna didn’t understand the meaning of those words. However, he had the feeling that a door inside Gravel that wasn’t opened until now was going to open.

“I have things I want to save……one, is my motherland and its people.”

“Motherland? This Vatlantis Empire you mean?”

“No. My country is a small country in the corner of this continent that lost the battle with Vatlantis. Right now it’s nothing more than an administration sector of Vatlantis.”

‘Is that so……so this world originally wasn’t a single united country. There are multiple countries like on earth, war happened, and amidst that there is a powerful country that is the Vatlantis Empire that ruled at the top.’

“However, I thought that if a just government and administration are carried out, it will be fine even like this. There is not only bad things from being under the umbrella of a large empire. Being obsessed to independence and uselessly prolonging the fight will hurt the people……but, Vatlantis is not a country that one can have expectations to.”

“Gravel……”

“The Genesis is not working normally, this world is heading to its collapse. Nevertheless, this country continues to skirmish with the surrounding countries, and the senior statesmen are only obsessed with the power struggle in the imperial castle. Even the forceful invasion to your Lemuria, is far off from righteousness.”

‘Aah, is that so.

Even the people of this world are the same like us. Even in our world, if there are good guys then there are also bad guys. And it’s similar here, there is no way that all the people of the AU are man-eating fiends.

Besides, Gravel’s position is really similar with us, how her country is under the rule of Vatlantis. Gravel and her motherland are perhaps the figure of us in the future.’

“That’s why, I have to escape from here. And then I’ll return to my country, and call out to the neighboring countries to fly the banner of revolution.”

There was a single thing Kizuna was convinced at in regards to Gravel.

‘――This woman is someone that is worthy of trust.’

“I see now, I really understand that. And then, what is the other thing?”

Gravel sent her gaze at one corner of the audience seats. Over there was a place that common audience couldn’t enter, the noble seat exclusive for the royal family.

Seeing the figure of a girl who was sitting there, Kizuna reflexively raised his voice.

“Aine……-!”

There was the figure of Aine who was sitting on a splendid chair. The instant he discovered that figure, Kizuna’s heart was beating fiercely. Beside her was a girl slightly younger than Aine with pink hair. At their nearby were Zelsione and the Quartum, and then also the figure of Aldea who they had fought against several times.

“The other one is……a personal story. There is someone that I want to rescue no matter what.”

He didn’t understand clearly just where was Gravel’s gaze looking at. But, even Kizuna could imagine that who she meant was Aldea.

“Is that so……so she is an important existence for you huh.”

“No, I don’t think of her as important. If it’s thinking of wanting to kill her then I had such thoughts several times. In the first place, we were trying to kill each other at our first meeting.”

“……Wait a second. Didn’t you want to save her?”

Gravel’s lips floated a smile. It was a real smile that he saw for the first time since they met here.

“But, I cannot abandon her.”

“Is that so……”

‘――She is also the same with me there.’

A strange feeling of solidarity was born inside Kizuna. Perhaps it was only a one-sided thing, but he began to harbor a feeling that resembled friendship towards Gravel.

Kizuna and Gravel faced each other once more.

“Kizuna, that time I fought you. That fight, in that time, in that instant, was when I felt the most fulfilled in my life. It was the best time. I even feel that every single second of that with affection.”

Gravel said that and her eyes narrowed. As if feeling nostalgic of an important memory.

“Aah, me too. But……my bad. Honestly, I cannot show a power like that time.”

“I know. But, I cannot go easy on a soldier of your level. I’ll come with all my strength.”

Gravel took out a cartridge from her waist and inserted it into the cylinder of the gunsword. And then she faced Kizuna and aimed.

“Bullet!!”

“Ku――”

Kizuna immediately jumped away. Fierce flash caused explosion in front of his eyes.

“UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

He avoided direct hit, but after that he was swallowed by the spreading shockwave. His body danced in the air as if he was just kicked flying by a giant, then his body bounced on the ground and rolled.

“Gah! Hah……”

His body was numbed. However, he had to stand up soon, Gravel was coming.

“Kizuna! Dodge to the right!”

“!?”

He could hear a familiar voice.

He reflexively obeyed that voice and flew to the right.

Sharp blade ran through his left side. He rolled just like that and jumped up with the momentum.

Gravel had stabbed the gigantic sword of the gunsword to the ground where he was just at.

‘――That was dangerous. But, the voice just now?’

“That’s how you do it Kizuna-kun!’

“Captain! Please do your best desu!”

“Everyone!?”

At the audience seats right nearby, the members of Amaterasu were there at the front row. Himekawa, Yurishia, and Sylvia looked worried for Kizuna and raised their voice desperately.

But, they were not here as audience to watch the battle. All of them had their limbs restrained and surrounded by ten-odd imperial guards with their swords drawn.

“Don’t you die, Kizuna! Win and save me here!”

Scarlet yelled so vigorously that her throat got hoarse. The Masters were lining up at the row behind her, all of them opened their mouths largely and cheered for Kizuna.

‘――I see, so they plan to show how I get tortured to death.

That’s right. This is not just my problem.

I cannot lose.

It’s for the sake of saving everyone too.’

Kizuna ignited his thruster and took distance from Gravel. However the bullet of the gunsword hit Kizuna’s body.

“GUAA-! Shi, shit-”

Even though he intended to evade with irregular trajectory, but he was hit accurately. Kizuna’s body was toyed by the gunsword’s bullets like a joke. A severe attack snapped him from his feet. Shockwave blew him away, he was rolling on the ground of the battle field.

‘Damn it! Something, some kind of way, the way to defeat Gravel.’

He stood up with staggering feet. He thought that Gravel wouldn’t waste time to attack him, but she was unmoving with her feet staying still.

In the brief moment where he took a breath, Gravel inserted a bullet into the cylinder.

“Shit-! That thing will come again!?”

The cylinder created a metallic sound and settled inside the gun barrel. Gravel didn’t aim the muzzle at Kizuna, she grasped the handle and lifted the weapon overhead. It was handled not like a gun, but as a sword. So to speak――,

‘So it’s light sword this time!’

It was the weapon that shot down Scarlet together with her barrage with a single attack at Ataraxia.

Gravel pressed the trigger at the handle. Thereupon, the sound of firing hammer shot at the bullet resounded, light of magic power ran along the sword and elongated to the sky.

“Reaver!”

“Kuh!!”

Kizuna materialized shield of Life Saver in layers. Many layers, many piles, and then they blocked the sword of light.

“UGUOWAAAAA-!”

Several layers of Life Saver broke and scattered apart. The remaining Life Savers somehow blocked the cutting edge of the light blade, but the shockwave mercilessly pierced Kizuna’s body.

“GAAH! ……-……kuh!”

The impact made him feel like he was hit by a truck. Kizuna’s body rotated strangely and crashed onto the ground of the battle field. Pain that made him wonder if all the bones in his body were broken made Kizuna’s consciousness feel far.

“Shi, shit-……in, in this kind of place!”

He desperately yelled in his attempt to hold on to his consciousness.

He got on his knees and hands from laying face-down and somehow rose up his body. The scenery looked warped. In his warped eyesight, there was the figure of Gravel walking to him with her gunsword in one hand.

‘Damn it, it’s useless with only Eros.’

Kizuna looked at the audience seats with an unfocused gaze. He could see the figures of Himekawa and the others who were yelling at him with worried faces.

‘Shit-, even though if Himekawa or Yurishia was just nearby……I can do Climax Hybrid. If I can do that my Hybrid Count will be recovered, I can even fight Gravel. If it’s a Ros-series, Corruption Armament will even become usable.

But, right now it’s impossible to do Climax Hybrid with Himekawa or the others. Everyone is captured and the wall separating us cannot be broken.’

A footstep was approaching.

Gravel finally arrived at the distance where if the huge gunsword was swung down, it would be able to cut down Kizuna. Her toes entered the sight of Kizuna.

When he raised his face, there was Gravel wearing a magic armor that shined orange looking down at him.

――Gravel who was wearing the magic armor Zoros.

Kizuna suddenly leaked out a snort.

“I’m an idiot.”

A way existed already in front of his eyes since the beginning.

“Hey, Gravel. You want to save your country and Aldea right?”

“That’s right. That’s why even if I feel bad……but you――”

“If right now, I restored your magic power fully, what are you going to do?”

“――What?”

Gravel showed a perplexed face that didn’t understand what Kizuna was saying.

“Even if you win against me, perhaps you still won’t be freed. You said that yourself just now. But……if your magic power is recovered right now in this place, if you can use your Corruption Armament, what are you going to do?”

Gravel’s eyes opened wide.

“That’s……if that’s possible. No! Such thing is impossible. What are you scheming now that it has come to this!? You are just trying to invite agitation in me!”

Kizuna understood that Gravel’s heart was shaken.

“No, I can do it! If what I’m scheming can only be realized! And then by combining our strength, we are going to escape this place. And then we will save our respective important people!”

Will to fight was disappearing from Gravel’s eyes.

“Bu, but, such thing is impossible. Don’t talk of a pipe dream that you cannot even do! Or else are you saying that you will cause a miracle!? Just what kind of miracle can you do!”

‘――Got her.’

“It’s impossible to cause a miracle with just me alone. But, if it’s you and me……the both of us can do it! This thing called miracle!”

Kizuna straightened his knees in one go and leaped at Gravel’s legs. He hugged at her thighs and pulled her down. Gravel who was taken by surprise fell on the ground looking up and got pinned down by Kizuna.

“Wha……Kizuna, you cowar――HAAann!”

Kizuna’s hand quickly grasped Gravel’s large breast. It was not too strong and not too gentle, he was rubbing with a superb control of strength. Gravel’s body was suddenly driven by a sweet sensation.

“AHAaAn……ii-……n!!”

Gravel blocked the gasping voice that reflexively leaked out from her mouth with her hand in panic.

By all rights, she wasn’t supposed to raise that kind of unseemly voice this easily. However, her body that had been thoroughly broken by Zelsione now would react even from a little stimulation.

Gravel felt an outrageous humiliation and shame from that fact. Her cheeks reddened and she bit her lips.

“Ki……Kizuna-! Even you are trying to humiliate me……-!”

Kizuna brought his face in front of Gravel’s eyes. They stared at each other in a distance where their nose tips could touch each other.

The eyes of Kizuna that were staring at Gravel were serious.

Gravel’s words stopped inside her throat from that serious gaze. Suddenly the inside of her chest pulsed poundingly.

“Gravel. How did I acquire the ability to create weapons and won against you? I’ll teach you the secret. This is the way to cause that miracle!”

“Ah……wha, what are you……kyann!”

Kizuna’s hand traced the undulation of Gravel’s body. She was the AU human that he touched for the first time. Kizuna thought that and touched Gravel’s body as if to ascertain the shape of her body.

But if he really thought about it, he remembered that Aine was also a human of AU. There was nothing different at all with a normal human. The toughness and the soft sensation wrapping it that Gravel’s body possessed was characteristic of her. Her body was virile like an athlete, suppleness without any pointless fat. Caressing that body felt like an act of taming a wild animal with excellent vigor.

“Fu-……ku……st, sto……I, don’t……aan”

Gravel tried to resist, but she couldn’t oppose the pleasure that was given to her.

‘――Ju, just what happened, to me. This is, I am feeling this……even more than with Zelsione? I cannot feel my strength. This is……even though I should be able to easily push him away……I cannot think anything, from the pleasure.’

There was Kizuna’s face in front of her eyes. It was like her expression that was feeling it was observed, it felt like her body would be scorched with shame. Above all, this place was packed with a hundred-odd thousand people as audience. To do something like this in front of them all, wasn’t something that could possibly be allowed.

――But,

“Haa……n, no-NOOoO……AAAAANNNNhN”

The body that was developed by Zelsione was reacting over-sensitively just from a slight caressing.

“Kuh……wha, what happened to me……this kind, this kind of obscene body……AaN!”

Even the audience seat began to create disturbances from the strange stage of the two.

The audience too at the start were thinking that Kizuna was bringing the fight into pinning techniques. However they gradually began to notice just what the two of them were doing, their agitation became a spreading commotion. That wave was radiated in succession and in a flash the whole Colosseum was enveloped in an uproarious commotion.

Inside the bewilderment and agitation that was occupying the Colosseum, there was only a single person raising a loud laughter.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA! Interesting! Now you really did it! You really made this enjoyable instead! I’m really pleased here black magic armor Hida Kizuna!”

Zelsione clapped her hands in a great delight from the act of love that the two suddenly started.

Aine’s mouth stayed open while thinking about what Kizuna was doing.

‘This is……no doubt about it. Kizuna is planning a Climax Hybrid with Gravel as the partner……should I stop this?

If I stop the Climax Hybrid, can I protect Kizuna by putting him nearby? However, even when I intend to protect him it still comes to this situation. Then should I overlook this? However, if I do that Kizuna will fight Vatlantis then.

――He will come, as my enemy.’

Aine grasped the elbow rest of the throne. She put so much strength to her fingertips until they became white.

“Wa……just what are you starting in front of the public presence like THISSSSSSSSS!”

It was a scream that burst out Himekawa’s wrath aura. It even felt like the temperature around her was going up from the flaming rage.

Even while making an astonished face, Scarlet didn’t let her eyes go from the act of the two.

“This is already not in the level of in front of the public……as expected from Japanese. Their perverted level is unreachable no matter how.”

“I really feel admiration to Captain’s mental power desu……but, this is――”

Yurishia winked toward Scarlet who was knitting her eyebrows. Noticing what that meant, Sylvia shut her mouth.

With a grim look, Yurishia stared fixedly at Kizuna and Gravel who were entangling with each other on the battle field.

“I’ll specially allow this, so……absolutely don’t fail this Kizuna!”

Kizuna was sweating coldly with a hard expression. He felt even more nervous compared to the usual Climax Hybrid, he also didn’t have any composure in his heart.

He absolutely couldn’t fail this. The lives of him and his comrades hanged on this. Despite so, he didn’t really understand about his partner. Furthermore he had to hurry. He didn’t know when the security or the imperial guard would enter to stop them.

Kizuna’s hand tried to touch Gravel’s breast directly and slipped under the pilot suit. The suit that was a white bikini type was easily slipped off with Kizuna’s hand movement, causing the tanned breasts to spill out.

“-! ……ya”

Gravel tried to hide her breast with her hand. However when Kizuna’s hand caressed it like kneading a dough, Gravel’s hand was only overlapping Kizuna’s hand and she couldn’t put strength to tear off Kizuna’s hand.

“Sorry, Gravel.”

“Eh……”

Her reaction to Kizuna’s voice was slow. It seemed that the inside of her head was completely melting from the pleasure.

“All of a sudden, in this kind of place……I feel bad. But, it’s fine if only for now. Believe in me. If you let me into your heart, I absolutely won’t let you die. I’ll save you for sure. We cannot die just like this. Both I, and you.”

Gravel’s eyes became drowsily moist from Kizuna’s earnest gaze.

Why was it?

The human named Kizuna in front of her eyes. An unfamiliar race called male, furthermore even though he was a soldier of Lemuria, all about this man, made her feel dearness that couldn’t be expressed in words.

It was a yearning that was in a different dimension with Aldea.

She was not protecting, this was the comfortableness of being protected. It made her want to entrust everything to him.

Gravel’s cheeks were dyed pink, her expression was changing into a loose and melting look. In that look there was already not a shred of the hero that was feared as the tanned beast.

“In any case……this is a body that already received disgrace in public……it doesn’t really matter after this late. That’s why……”

Gravel smiled bewitchingly.

“You can……do as you please.”

That expression and voice, made shudders drive through Kizuna’s spine.

He couldn’t hold back and sucked on the breast that was jiggling in shivers in front of his eyes.

“Aann, so, so strong like that…….UFUAAaaa!”

He sucked up the pink colored circle which was floating on the tanned skin. Kizuna licked up with his tongue at the pointed center. As if to trace its shape, he diligently licked and put it in his mouth to suck up.

“It’s already this hard, it’s standing tall see.”

Gravel’s cheeks were dyed in shame and she twisted her body.

“If, if you do something like that, that’s just obvious.”

She crossed her arms trying to hide her breasts, but the breasts weren’t hidden completely. Rather the breasts were turning into the pressed and lifted up shape. As if saying that it wanted to be licked more. And then, the tips of the breasts were standing up largely, pointing at Kizuna’s direction. It was as if they were pleading, that the breasts also wanted to be touched by Kizuna.

Kizuna answered that expectation by putting one into his mouth, while pinching at the other with his fingers.

“FUuNn! Ku……AAAA-, go, good-”

Gravel’s body became moistly sweaty. Luster was created on her tanned skin, changing the body into an even more indecent one.

The commotion around them didn’t enter their ear anymore. Voices that resembled scream and jeering were raised from the audience seats, but all those felt like something from another world. People who criticized, people who thought this interesting, each one were jumbled together in a great chaos, but there wasn’t a single person that didn’t harbor an interest. All present looked bloodshot fixing their eyes upon the two.

Kizuna caressed Gravel’s cheek with one hand. Gravel captured the fingers of that hand and put them into her mouth adorably.

“A……n. Un……u, NN-”

Wet sound was created, she was sucking diligently at the fingers one by one. Furthermore, her tongue was also thoroughly crawling between the fingers obsessively. Kizuna’s excitement was also heightened from that soft slipperiness.

He separated his rubbing hand and stroked around from her side to her stomach where well-trained abs were sleeping.

“Haa……ann, ah……aan, don’t, that tickles-”

Gravel’s body was trembling in twitches and writhed. She was toyed by the mixed sensation of ticklishness and pleasure.

Kizuna moved his hand further below and forced his way through Gravel’s groin.

“HYAAAAAAAAAAN-! The-, there AaaaAAUUuNu!”

The way she became disheveled was the most intense until now. It seemed that the pleasure granted to Gravel from here was special. Kizuna slid his fingertips softly along the valley of her groin.

“Aaan, don’t, don’t-, the-, Ki-, I feel ……STRANGEEEEE”

The cloth between the groin became wet in the blink of an eye. And then, immediately a surprising amount of honey began to overflow. A really nice aroma drifted from that honey that tickled Kizuna’s nose. That aroma further invited Kizuna into Gravel’s body, an aroma of temptation.

The suit that covered Gravel’s groin was something similar to the swimsuit of a bikini. He inserted his finger into the opening and tried to shift the suit aside.

“Ah……do, don’t!”

“Eh?”

“I don’t……want to show that place.”

Gravel supplicated with a face that seemed almost crying. Kizuna lightly smiled, patted Gravel’s head, and caressed from her cheek to her neck. Gravel frolicked to Kizuna’s hand like a cat and closed her eyes in a happy face.

In the end, Kizuna kept the suit as it was and inserted only his finger inside the opening. And then, he directly touched at the flower which emitted the nice aroma.

“Hii……!?”

Gravel bent backwards. In that tempo her thigh pressed on Kizuna’s groin.

Kizuna directly tortured the source of Gravel’s honey with his fingertips. The honey that gushed out copiously enveloped Kizuna’s hand thoroughly. And then Kizuna’s thing too was stimulated by Gravel’s soft but tight thigh, it became completely hard.

“This is……what?”

Gravel who held discomfort to that sensation reached out her fingers and touched Kizuna’s groin.

“No, wait. That is!”

His restraining voice didn’t enter her ear, Gravel slipped in her hand under the suit of Kizuna.

“So something mysterious like this, is attached to Kizuna……but, what? Over there became hot. It’s mysterious……”

Gravel held Kizuna’s thing with a backhand grip and began to stroke up and down.

“Kuh, at this rate……-“

In order to resist, Kizuna crawled his fingertips into inside.

“AAAAAAAAA-! Nn, aah-! Hiuu!”

He bent his finger inside and vibrated it. Gravel’s legs stretched tautly, and her body began to convulse. As if to give her the finishing blow, Kizuna rubbed up the bud that was nearby the entrance with his palm.

“NOOOOOO♥AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN♥!”

At that moment, light particles overflowed from Kizuna and Gravel’s bodies.

‘――Success!’

But this was still only Heart Hybrid. With this Gravel’s magic power should be recovered, but for him it would be the main act from here on.

“My bad, but I’ll have you accompany me a little bit more. I will――UWAA!”

Kizuna was overturned with a quick movement and Gravel straddled him.

“Wha-……o, oi”

Gravel straddled the lower body of Kizuna and she was looking down on him with half-closed eyes.

Something cold ran through Kizuna’s spine.

‘Don’t tell me……Gravel, you. I――,’

“No good……it’s still, not enough.”

With her cheeks reddened, Gravel made a charming smile.

“……eh?”

“Under my stomach is hot, it feels fuzzy……I don’t know what to do.”

Kizuna gently caressed down her breast.

“Is that so……so it’s the intoxication result of Heart Hybrid. I got panicked for a second.”

“Hey, this is the first time I feel this painful. What should I……nn?”

Feeling something out of place between her groin, Gravel looked below.

That was because she accidentally straddled just right above Kizuna’s thing. The thing standing hard was pressed down by Gravel’s groin, its head was coming out from between her groin.

“Aa……nn”

Gravel made a really delighted face.

“I don’t really understand but……perhaps, I think I need to use Kizuna’s this. Like this……”

After murmuring deliriously, Gravel began to shake her waist back and forth.

“Gr, Gravel……-!”

“Haa……it feels good……an♥”

The honey overflowing out from Gravel’s flower petal wet her panty, revealing the shape of the body under it vividly. The valley of the groin was becoming thoroughly sticky, sandwiching Kizuna’s thing softly.

“An-, an-! Haahn, aaaaa-, good-!”

Gravel who was drunk from the intoxication effect of the Heart Hybrid became dazed and continued to shake her waist.

Kizuna’s rigidity stimulated Gravel’s valley by scraping, rubbing at the sensitive bud. And then while Gravel’s slippery honey was dripping down, Kizuna’s thing was wrapped by the soft small valley.

Light particles began to shine inside their respective eyes.

Both of them were nearing the limit.

And then Gravel raised her head and bent her back like a bow.

“A♥! HAAAAAaauuuaaAAAHNNNNNNNNN♥♥”

Tears flowed out from Gravel’s eyes from the excessive pleasure. Climax pierced through her body, making her body greatly convulse. And then, matching with that motion, fierce light was emitted from the bodies of the two.

“Haa……n……? Thi, this……is?”

Having her consciousness back, Gravel raised a perplexed voice of the light wrapping on her body. And then she felt surprised from the strength that filled her body.

“I never…..the magic power, is returning. No, not only that. This is――”

The endlessly overflowing magic power snapped apart the magic power restraining bracelets that were wrapped on Kizuna and Gravel’s arm.

“Strength is gushing out inexhaustibly……this kind of miracle”

Kizuna answered Gravel’s gaze that seemed to look for an answer.

“This is Climax Hybrid. The mixing of two people’s heart and love. This is exactly the true ability of Heart Hybrid Gear!”

“Heart and……love. I and, your……you say.”

Gravel’s cheeks reddened.

“Now! Gravel, we are escaping!”

“Eh? Ye, yeah!”

Gravel manifested a magic circle at the space before her eyes and inserted her hand into it. And then from inside the magic circle, she pulled out a gigantic gunsword. That was different with the normal equipment. Several gun turrets were linked in ring shape, the Sword Gatling.

“Here we go!”

She fired the Sword Gatling towards the sky. Bullets with destructive power that were more than equal with Bullet were fired rapidly with terrific speed. Furthermore it was added with the power up from Climax Hybrid.

The Life Saver of the Colosseum which was that firm was broken apart. Screams were raised from the audience who were watching the success of the Climax Hybrid in surprise.

“Kizuna, what should we do after this?”

Gravel asked with a tone that sounded completely like she was talking with her war buddy.

“I’ll accomplish my mission. Gravel too, accomplish your own mission.”

“……Got it. Don’t die.”

“Yeah, someday let’s once again together――”

When Kizuna started to say that, Gravel’s face became so bright red that it felt like smoke would come out.

“Stu-, stupid! That was because of the emergency situation, that’s why, that……it’s not unpleasant though.”

Gravel spoke incoherently with ambiguous words.

“Gah! If you survive, we will do it again! That’s why don’t you die!”

Zoros’s thruster spewed out particles and Gravel flew to the sky instantly. Looking at her retreating figure, Kizuna murmured.

“Let’s, once again together fight with me……will you?”

The gate of the Colosseum opened and soldiers that seemed to be the guard rushed in.

“So they are coming here too! Mode Zoros!!”

The luminescence of Eros changed color to orange. And then the same wings like Zoros were created on his back.

“I’m going!”

He aimed at the rushing in guards and fired a volley with the three-line particle cannons. Flame explosion occurred and the guards were blown away in succession.

“It’s an amazing destructive power as expected huh. But, still not yet!”

Kizuna reached out both his hands and particles of light began to converge between his hands. And then the particles grew into a single long and thick rod. When Kizuna’s hand grasped the handle, the light was torn off and a Sword Gatling appeared from inside it.

“Now, I’m going to blown away the hindrance wall!”

The audience were already beginning to evacuate. He aimed at the block that became empty and rapidly fired the Sword Gatling.

‘――Where is Aine!?’

However the royal seat had already become an empty shell.

‘Shit-! The way they run away is fast.’

This time he searched for the audience seat where Himekawa and the others were at.

“Kizuna―!”

He looked at the direction where he heard the screamed voice. There, a red ponytail disappearing at the emergency exit of the stadium was reflected in his eyes.

“Over there!”

Kizuna ignited his thruster and rushed to the emergency exit.

“!”

However, over there the imperial guard had formed a line and aimed gun muzzles at Kizuna.

“MOVEEEEEEEEEEE!”

Kizuna pulled the trigger of the Sword Gatling.

Consecutive explosive sounds were resounding inside the Colosseum.

That sound also reached Gravel’s ear. Thanks to that Gravel also understood that Kizuna was fighting the imperial guard.

‘――Can Kizuna accomplish his mission?’

Such worry floated inside her heart for an instant. However, she immediately pulled herself together and searched for Aldea’s figure amidst the audience seats. Her aim was her motherland, but she wanted to recover Aldea no matter what.

“Aldea, where are you!?”

When she landed nearby the royal seat, she called out with a loud voice.

She was supposed to be nearby here just now, but right now she couldn’t see her figure. Was she accompanying the emperor and her group? No, that wouldn’t happen. It was a different story if Zelsione commanded it, but as expected she couldn’t think that Aldea was that trusted.

‘In that case――!?’

Space was crooked on the guest seat and a hole was opened. And then from there Aldea with spear in hand leaped out.

“Aldea!”

Gravel flicked the spear that crooked the space with the belly of the Sword Gatling. Sparks scattered, Aldea whose spear was shifted rotated around and took a distance from Gravel.

And then she readied her spear once more and glared at Gravel.

“I won’t allow you to escape! I also won’t let you oppose Zelsione-sama!”

The tip of the spear was lowered and cut apart the ground. Thereupon the space was crooked and the distance was shrunk instantly.

Foreseeing the motion of the space distortion, Aldea unleashed a thrust of certain kill.

“Really, what a troublesome woman! You!”

Gravel flashed the Sword Gatling even faster than the thrust. That sword snapped the spear and dug into Aldea’s delicate body.

“Guh!”

However Aldea’s body didn’t split into two. She leaned against the Sword Gatling and slide down to collapse on the ground.

The attack that was severe even when done by the back of the blade stole the consciousness from Aldea.

“This thing is……what a surprise. It’s really strengthened.”

Gravel reflexively stared at her own hand. She never thought that she could snap the spear with one attack and defeated Aldea completely.

She felt shock from feeling for real the effect of the Climax Hybrid that was exerted on her. But, she also couldn’t take her time leisurely. Even during this time, the squad of the imperial guard was gathering one after another.

“Gravel! Don’t think you can escape!” “Return to your prison quietly!”

Gravel was surrounded from a distance even while several yells were thrown at her.

“……It’s futile to stay for long in this kind of place.”

Gravel shouldered Aldea’s body and then she fully opened Zoros’s thruster and flew up.

“Don’t let her get away! Chase her!”

The imperial guards wearing their magic armor chased from behind, but the speed of Gravel after Climax Hybrid was different. In the blink of an eye she had vanished beyond the sky.

“Kuh……we cannot catch up, at all. That’s impossible!”

The imperial guard members who gave up pursuit in frustration received transmission from the other members. The member reflected in the floating window kept talking on with an impatient state.

“There is still the one remaining Lemuria guy! Right now we are in the middle of battle outside the Colosseum! It looks like he is trying to rescue his comrades. Requesting urgent reinforcement!”

Not to mention the troops who let Gravel slip away, the imperial guards which were in the Colosseum and the security guards were assaulting towards Kizuna’s location all at once.

“UOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Kizuna swung his Sword Gatling.

Its splendid destructive power was defeating the enemies like they were just a joke.

“Really, how irritating!”

However impatience was gradually growing bigger inside Kizuna. His Hybrid Count was decreasing rapidly, but the enemy reinforcements were in a state of increasing without pause.

“YOUUUUU!”

The enemy was surrounding Kizuna right now in three, four layers. At the other side there were several battleships anchored, they were trying to board Yurishia and Himekawa above the battleship. On top of being restrained, they were connected by a chain and getting pulled by the imperial guard.

While defending the attack using Life Saver, he swung his Sword Gatling. Shining shockwave traced the trajectory of the sword and flew out. Blade of light that cut apart the sky mowed down the imperial guard.

“Yosh! I’m going now――gaha-!”

An attack of different level than what he received until now attacked Kizuna.

It was a sword that was rotating like a boomerang in the air. The sword that drew an arc like a crescent moon cut at Kizuna’s back before returning to its owner with a large rotation.

“That’s as far as you go Kizuna. I’ll have you return to the prison.”

A blonde haired girl with an eye patch was standing.

“Clayda huh……that thing is quite tough isn’t it.”

Clayda wearing her magic armor was attacking Kizuna. The crescent moon sword in her hand was slashed from left and right with a terrific speed.

‘――Chih, fast!?’

Clayda threw that sword from close range. Kizuna bent his body backwards and evaded it in a close call.

At that moment, he received a terrific impact on his back. He didn’t understand what happened for an instant.

When he thought that his neck fell behind and his chin lifted up, his body was flying in the air. He plunged into the stands lined up in the street and Kizuna stopped after cutting a swatch through the tent.

“Ki, Kizuna-kun!”

Even while being dragged by chain, Himekawa raised a worried voice.

“Shit-, fresh reinforcement still coming!”

Kizuna twisted his neck and looked for the enemy who attacked him.

A white haired girl carrying a gigantic hammer that didn’t match her figure was smiling. Elma of the Quartum.

“Hmm my, you didn’t fly far just now. Then for the next……I’ll not make you fly, but crush instead.”

While chuckling, she swung up the hammer that was twice her torso with one hand.

Himekawa and the others that were being taken away felt in tenterhooks from the appearance of formidable enemies one after another.

Sylvia wasted no time to yell.

“Captain! It’s dangerous desu. Please escape quickly desu!”

Kizuna became obstinate from the voice that was worried for him and yelled back.

“There is no way I can do that! I’ll save you guys for sure. And then we are all going back!”

‘Shit! Just……just a little more!’

Between Kizuna and Himekawa and the others, there was the army of imperial guards standing in his way. And there were further Clayda and Elma of the Quartum. In addition enemy reinforcements were arriving one after another.

‘If it’s like this then it will be a brute force approach! I’ll push through forcibly!’

He ignited his thruster and just when he was going to thrust into the imperial guard, Clayda and Elma cut in on his path.

“Chih, you think I’m scared! Here I go!”

Kizuna kicked the ground and right when he accelerated, a clear piercing voice resounded.

“Just what are you doing Kizuna! Are you stupid!?”

Kizuna suddenly halted.

“Yu, Yurishia?”

From the deck of the enemy’s battleship, Yurishia glared at him with a furious face. Being scolded by the one he was trying to save made Kizuna spontaneously get taken aback.

“That’s really pathetic! Are you really missing our breasts that much!?”

“What-……!!”

Yurishia was getting teary-eyed. It was a seriously angry expression that Yurishia showed him for the first time. She faced Kizuna and yelled angrily as if to make her throat hoarse.

“Think calmly! At this rate you will only make the chance that you created at great pains be wasted!”

Kizuna felt like his head was punched from Yurishia’s yell.

Kizuna who returned to his senses once again confirmed the situation around him. He was right in the middle of enemies with enemy troops surging in from all directions. Not only that. Even battleships and magic weapons were deploying in heap. The more time passed, the more the situation would worsen.

‘――Certainly. What Yurishia said is right.’

“Captain! Please desu, if no one escapes, the situation won’t turn for the better desu!”

“That’s right! If Kizuna is captured here, that’s exactly what being hopeless is like!”

Sylvia and Scarlet too faced Kizuna and yelled desperately.

And then Himekawa too yelled with a teary voice.

“Kizuna-kun! We will be waiting! That Kizuna-kun will come to save us! That’s why return to Ataraxia and report this matter!”

Kizuna gritted his teeth so hard that his teeth were going to crack.

His thruster began to emit dazzling light.

“Everyone……I’ll return, for sure……I’ll come to save you for sure. Without fail!”

Kizuna’s body floated in the air. Zoros’s powerful propulsive force launched Kizuna’s body to the sky in one go.

The moment he passed over a battleship floating in the air, his eyes met Aine who was inside the bridge of that ship.

‘――Aine!’

It was really just an instant.

‘――Kizuna!?’

He felt like Aine was calling for him.

But, that was all.

After passing the battleship, Kizuna changed his direction and flew towards the gigantic Entrance that was nearby Zeltis.

“Damn it! I……I!”

Together with tears that overflowed even when he held it back, Kizuna vanished into the Entrance.

Part 2

About two weeks had passed since the Tokyo recapturing operation. Currently Ataraxia, Megafloat Japan, and West USA were stopping in the Pacific Ocean far distanced from Tokyo.

Losing Amaterasu and Masters all at once made them to be at a loss. They really had nothing that could be done and now they could only drift in the ocean. They were already preferred giving up taking back their countries or anything and thought that maybe it would be better to just live their whole life above the sea. Among the citizens, such atmosphere was beginning to hang in the air. Above all, losing Amaterasu and Masters which were their only way to resist the AU was decisive. Their life and death was unknown, but the viewpoint of despair was gaining strength.

――It was at such a time.

“Kizuna came back you said!?”

Reiri’s color changed and rushed into the lab’s intensive treatment room.

{He is sleeping on the bed over there.}

Even before she could read Kei’s floating window, she discovered the figure of her little brother lying on the bed. Tears were immediately overflowing from Reiri’s eyes.

“Kizuna-……!”

Reiri jumped and embraced the sleeping Kizuna.

The title of commander and dignity were all irrelevant. Without any shame and honor, she expressed her heart and emotion straight.

She had already given up. She thought that perhaps he was dead. She had already understood that he was her irreplaceable important family. But, the feeling of loss and shock when she lost him was far bigger than she could even imagine.

“You……you did well coming back……”

She hugged Kizuna and rubbed her cheek on him. The tears were touched on the cheek, wetting Kizuna’s face. Tears and body temperature were transmitted to Kizuna. Kizuna opened his eyes to that warmth.

“Nee……chan?”

Returning to her senses with a ‘hah’, Reiri separated their bodies in panic. And then she turned her back to Kizuna and nonchalantly wiped her tears.

“Kizuna-……no, sorry. I woke you up. Just sleep like that.”

“No, I’m glad you woke me up. We have to, think of a countermeasure soon.”

Reiri sharply yelled at Kizuna who tried to get out from the bed.

“It’s fine already, just sleep! Kei, what about Kizuna’s diagnosis? Has his examination finished?”

The letters that Kei typed were displayed on the floating window like a stream.

{It’s roughly finished. There are bruises and lacerations on the whole body, but there is nothing serious that will affect life. However, the Hybrid Count is endlessly near zero.}

Kizuna bore the pain and raised his upper body while distorting his face. He raised an embarrassed wry smile at Reiri who was looking at him worriedly.

“On top of getting into a scuffle, I also came out in Britain. As expected I feel a little tired from all that. Well, it’s impossible for me to fight without Hybrid Count, but I’m fine if it’s just walking.”

After crawling out from the bed, Kizuna stood up even while staggering. He even did calisthenics practice in order to confirm his body movement.

{Britain? Why did you come out in that kind of place?}

“Aah, I flew into the Entrance that was the nearest of the enemy’s……Vatlantis’s capital, but it was connected to Britain’s London. From there I came here going halfway around the earth……It saved me that the Climax Hybrid with Gravel’s Zoros had high efficiency.”

“What?”

{Eh?}

“Nn?”

Reiri and Kei were making a face that seemed to say ‘What are you saying?’, but Kizuna didn’t understand the meaning of their expression and tilted his head.

“What were you doing with the enemy……no, I’ll listen to your story slowly, so first return to the bed. We cannot grasp at all what happened since in the middle of the Tokyo recapture operation. After you were almost killed by the enemy’s general, suddenly all communication was cut off, and we became unable to understand the situation in Tokyo. Just what in the world happened?”

The figure of Aine releasing Code Breaker passed through Kizuna’s brain. He reflexively clenched his fist.

“Aah……I’ll tell you, everything.”

And then Kizuna spoke of the unknown happening at the Tokyo recapture operation. While in the middle Kei and Reiri interjected with some questions, it easily took three hours until he finished the whole story.

Leaning her body on the chair of the treatment room, Reiri brushed up her long black hair.

“……If Kizuna wasn’t watching a dream, then this is a really surprising fact.”

It was her honest impression after finished listening to the story.

“Aine has already completely become the emperor of Vatlantis……that’s what you mean?”

“No……I don’t know.”

“However, she tried to win you over, and when she failed the next day you were thrown into a death match right? If that’s the――”

“Wrong! No……I think, that’s wrong.”

Putting his hand on his forehead, Kizuna recalled the face and voice of Aine at the scene of that time.

Aine said to him that she wanted to consult him. She was really troubled and her face looked like she wanted to cry. ‘Just why did I say such things that spurned her over?

Aah, shit! I hate just how petty my caliber is.

But, Aine came to the Colosseum. If she came then why didn’t she try to save me? By any chance, she was really trying to have me executed……no, that’s stupid!’

Kizuna scratched off his hair.

‘――Aine.

Aine, have you really become an enemy?’

“……It’s fine already, you are tired right? Rest for now.”

Reiri forcefully pushed down Kizuna’s body on the bed. And then she closed his eyes overbearingly.

“I want to meet her one more time……meet her, and talk……”

“Kizuna?”

When he lied down, Kizuna immediately began to have sleeper’s breath.

Reiri sighed to reassure herself and fixed the blanket covering Kizuna.

“Kei, you listen?”

Kei nodded to that voice and exited the room after Reiri.

The two of them headed to the central control room of the lab. As a matter of fact, it had become Kei’s personal room where there was no one inside, it was convenient for a discussion of the countermeasure with just the two of them.

Entering the room, Reiri suddenly began to talk after the door was locked.

“What do you think?”

Kei separated from her keyboard and spoke not with text on a monitor but with her own voice.

“I examined him but……there was no abnormality in Kizuna. He is sane, by no means he was seeing an illusion.”

It was a feeble voice, like a delicate work of candy floss. There was no one who had heard this raw voice of Kei other than Reiri. Her vocal cords weren’t used except at the time when there were just the two of them together.

“If it’s really true……then that means the Entrance that is the nearest to the capital of the AU is in London. Then, we should not focus on Tokyo, but it’s better to assault them directly from London’s Entrance.”

“But, Re-ri. In the present, our combat strength consists only of Kizuna and Gertrude whose wound isn’t healed yet you know? Even Gertrude, with her current wounded state, it’s impossible for her to do Climax Hybrid with Kizuna……maybe.”

“What about the development of the new weapon for use against magic weapons?”

Kei dropped her gaze while looking troubled.

“Everyone in research department is also doing their best……they had tested several in the actual combat at Tokyo recapture operation, so they want the test feedback from Kizuna.”

Reiri nodded quietly. She went until the cooler that was in the corner of the room and opened its door, she then took out a cold beer bottle from inside. She pulled the cork and gulped the content in one go. The carbonic acid stimulated the inside of her mouth. The cold liquid wetted her throat and cooled the inside of her body.

She separated the bottle from her mouth and Reiri stared at empty air with a grim face.

‘――That woman. What is Professor Nayuta thinking?’

For Reiri, she felt shocked about the information of AU, but she also felt eerie that she didn’t know what Professor Nayuta was thinking about.

“……But, we won’t progress if we only keep being cautious. Leave behind Megafloat Japan and West USA here, only Ataraxia will head to Britain.”

“But……our combat strength is overwhelmingly lacking. We only have two Heart Hybrid Gears, even if we entered the Entrance of London……”

Kei was staring at Reiri with forlorn eyes.

“We are going to try coming into contact with the other megafloats while heading to London. We are heading to Europe while collecting battle strength. Even if for example we don’t find any megafloat……there should be Europe’s megafloat at the Atlantic Ocean.”

“Tha……that’s, right.”

Kei nodded several times with a smile that didn’t seem confident.

Both of them didn’t speak of the possibility that the megafloats of the other countries might be already sunk down.

Part 3

A week after Kizuna returned to Ataraxia. Ataraxia separated from Megafloat Japan and moved from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. From here they planned to circle the African Continent and aimed towards Britain. They were looking for other megafloats while moving, but they didn’t find anything at all.

At the wall of the lab’s central control room, the surrounding of Ataraxia was projected. When looking at the panorama of every direction, it felt like oneself was Ataraxia itself. The blue sea had gentle waves, white clouds were drifting in the clear sky. As far as the eyes could see, not to speak of artificial objects, there wasn’t even any shadow of living organism that could be seen.

“There is still no response from other megafloats yet?”

Reiri asked Kei, but the answer was the same.

{None. We are calling to all directions for twenty four hours.}

Sense of danger was drifting in the whole of Ataraxia from how there was no contact with other megafloats. But the one who felt impatient the most was Kizuna.

“Shit-! Why is there no one replying? Just where in the world the megafloats of the other countries have gone!?”

This was incomparable with loitering around the ocean around Japan. They had sailed until this much distance. Even if they couldn’t confirm it by sight, there should be a good chance that they would come into contact with another country’s megafloat already.

“Calm down Kizuna. We won’t find anything even if you make a commotion.”

He certainly didn’t think that they would find other megafloats quickly. But the days where they didn’t pick up any noise continued, and his impatience and anxiety were becoming even bigger reluctantly.

“But, no response came at all even after this far. Don’t tell me……”

{There is no basis for this, so I don’t want you to take it seriously, but the possibility……that they had fought the AU and sunk down……couldn’t be denied.}

The bad premonition that Kizuna hesitated to say, was given shape by Kei with her letters. Having that possibility thrust before him, it felt like that possibility was approaching with a pressure like a fact.

However, Reiri faced the two with a calm attitude and reminded them.

“That too is nothing more than a guess. When people become impatient, they will have their wild delusions swell, whether to an extremely bad direction, or to an extremely good direction. Calm down.”

“I know that but……but if we don’t compensate our combat strength, we won’t be able to do anything when we arrive at Britain. It will be meaningless like that.”

Kizuna hit his fist to the wall.

“I……have the responsibility, to go save everyone even for a second faster.”

‘Yes. I came here by leaving behind everyone in the AU.

They told him to leave them behind and escape alone, Himekawa and Yurishia, and then Sylvia and Scarlet, he recalled their expressions. The other members of Masters whose figure he couldn’t confirm.

And then――Aine.

‘Is everyone made to fight like me in the Colosseum?’ When he thought that, his breath stopped and it felt like his chest was stabbed.

“Even while we are doing this, just what is happening to everyone……”

Besides just what was Aine thinking about and what was she intending to do? If she was actually only pretending to defect to the enemy, then she would save everyone and then return with a face as if there was nothing that happened. And then, she would abuse him with her poisonous tongue just like usual. He was having such a dream everytime.

“Kizuna……”

“Shit-! What should I do!?”

Reiri looked at the figure of her brother suffering and felt pain in her heart. She involuntarily almost dropped her mask as a strict commander.

But, she held on desperately to the mask that was covering her heart. She was burdened with Ataraxia, with Megafloat Japan, and in addition to this world. And then above all she had to protect Kizuna. And she could only do that by not giving him kind words or by not hugging him and letting him depend on her.

Reiri whipped her own heart and cheered herself.

“Then Kizuna. Do what you can do right now. Kei, you have work you want to request from Kizuna don’t you?”

Kei stared at Reiri with a little surprise, but she immediately ran her fingers through her keyboard.

{Yes. I want your feedback of the research department’s anti magic weapon.}

“Anti magic weapon?”

Suffering expression vanished from Kizuna’s face, in exchange he stared at Kei with eyes that were harboring question.

“We more or less tried them in actual combat in the Tokyo recapture operation but……is it about that?”

{Yes. Since then there are also improvements added, new weapons are also in the middle of development. First it will help us if you give your impression of using them in actual combat, and then also telling us your opinion regarding the new model.}

“……I understand.”

Kizuna exited the central control room together with Kei, and he headed to the research department’s evaluation and examination hall.

When they exited the research building, they rode a small commuter that was stopping at the entrance. Even though the place was called with the short name of Nayuta Lab, it consisted of a gathering of various facilities inside a vast ground. It would take time going by foot so this couldn’t be helped.

After riding the commuter for two or three minutes, they arrived at a wide place that was like an airfield. The gigantic hangar adjacent to here was the place where they carried out the preparation for the Tokyo recapture operation. In front of it there was a railgun which was longer than five meters in a half disassembled state left there, a maintenance staff member was working on it.

Even from afar, he could distinguish that the person was wearing the designated fatigue of Ataraxia high school’s technical research department. After all Kizuna was a student of the same high school.

Perhaps because the person had been working for a long time that it felt hot, or perhaps because of the weather now that was near the equator, the maintenance staff member had deliberately lowered the zipper that closed the clothes’ front. It was as if a fruit had its skin peeled, young and lustrous ripe fruits were spilling out from inside heavily. The breasts that were like a peeled white peach were supported by a black bikini.

Just when that girl was taking off the upper part of her wear and tied the sleeves on her waist, Kei drove the commuter. That girl got startled and turned around, when she looked at Kei’s figure, her expression became happy.

“Chief Shikina!”

She was a cute girl with how her expression was constantly changing. Perhaps because it became a hindrance to her work, her brown hair was tied up and fixed in place with a hair clip. She looked a little young, but she looked about the same age as Kizuna.

Her arms and waist were slender, she really didn’t look like a laborer that was maintaining a large weapon. She looked more fitting to sit in a stylish café while reading.

That girl took of her gloves while rushing near with a jog.

“What’s the matter Chief? So suddenly――”

Her face suddenly cramped and she stopped still.

“Co, Combat Department second year first group’s……Hida Eros.”

“Don’t call me a strange name as you please!”

“Kyaa!”

She ducked her head due to Kizuna who reflexively yelled angrily.

Kei took out a portable type keyboard and typed *pochi pochi* with both her thumbs. A window appeared in front of the girl and Kizuna.

{She is still a student of the high school section, but she is really a superior talent, so I have her working in the research department. Momo, introduce yourself.}

That girl coiled both her hands awkwardly while looking up at Kizuna with upturned eyes.

“Err, I’m from Ataraxia high school research department second year second group, Kurumizawa Momo.”

After the self introduction finished, it was as if she remembered something and wiped her forehead with a towel hanging down from her waist. Her skin was dyed in cocoa color from sunburn, but he guessed that she was fair-skinned in the beginning. Perhaps she was wearing running shirt previously when working, there were traces of a suntan like a school swimsuit distinctly remaining on her skin. The contrast of the sunburnt cocoa skin and the white skin was strangely sexy. It seemed that she noticed Kizuna’s gaze that she was fidgeting her body shyly.

“Recently there were a lot of times where the work was outside……before this I forgot to put on the sunscreen, and it left a distinct trace like this. It’s embarrassing……”

Each time she fidgeted her body, the voluptuous breasts wrapped in the black bikini were shaking like pudding.

‘――You aren’t embarrassed about having your upper wear taken off?’

Getting troubled of where he should look, Kizuna looked up to the sky to look for an escape place for his gaze.

“It’s obvious that you will get sunburnt with the sunlight this strong, isn’t that the proof that you put your work as the first thing seriously? You don’t have any need to feel shame for even a little, rather if I have to say it, on the contrary you look eroti……ah, no.”

Momo’s cheeks reddened and she patted around the railgun that was in the middle of maintenance shyly.

“Ge, geez, don’t make fun of me. Isn’t that right, Rogaa-chan?”

‘Ro, Rogaa-chan?’

“Ah, this child, I called him Rogaa-chan. Treat him well.”

Her smiling figure while caressing the steel barrel was like someone stroking her pet dog while introducing it.

“You gave it a name……”

He had heard that the research department had many peculiar people in a different meaning with the one at the combat department, but now he once again comprehended it.

“Aah, I too need to introduce myself. Combat department second year first group’s――”

“I know. Rather, I think there is no student that doesn’t know about you.”

‘Perhaps that was so. After all I’m standing out in various meanings……it’s not strange for Kurumizawa-san to know about me.’

“I’m told that you are the owner of a lust dozens of times than that of normal people, the devil that sucked the vitality of beautiful girls to obtain energy. Alias [Demon King Eros]. Everyday you change girl students in the combat department like someone changing clothes, and the combat department is changing into Eros’s harem or――”

“You ain’t know anything at alllllll! That’s just too cruel even for a false rumor!”

“Eh? It’s wrong?”

“Obviously! What Demon King Eros-! I know that everyone is talking whatever they like, but that’s the first time I heard that alias!”

Momo blinked her eyes as if she was startled from the bottom of her heart.

“But…..everyone is believing that though? Like, I heard that you are extremely fond of beautiful woman with especially high status……your particular favorites are the best three that are the cream of the crop whether in ability and beauty, Chidorigafuchi-san, Yurishia-san, and Himekawa-san, I heard the rumor that they are becoming the demon king Eros’s slave. The combat department is an amazing place isn’t it?”

“Rather, it’s your common sense that is doubtful here for believing a rumor like that!”

Kizuna sighed and once again stared at Momo from the top of her head until the tips of her toes.

“No, if I’m actually really that demon king Eros, then what are you going to do huh? Is it okay for you to expose that kind of stimulating appearance in front of me? Normally you are going to think that you are going to get assaulted by me won’t you?”

Momo tilted her head in a slump with a wondering face.

“Because, Ero――Hida-kun doesn’t have any interest except towards beautiful girls with high status, and excellent beauty and talent right? There is no way you are going to notice someone like me, so there is no need to feel scared.”

“……Is that so?”

For some reason he felt like nothing really mattered anymore. Just when he thought that perhaps he should go home already, Kei’s window was streamed with words.

{Momo is serving as the leader of the development of anti-magic weapon. The weapons used at the Tokyo recapture operation the other day were also the weapons Momo was in charge of. In order to capitalize of the test for the development from now on, we want the frank opinions from the battlefield. Feedback the experience of using the weapons and we will improve them even further from hereon.}

Recalling his original business, Kizuna straightened his back.

“Aah, I’m happy to cooperate if it’s for that……but”

When Kizuna took a glance at Momo, Momo leaned her body forward readily.

“Tell me by any means! Hida-kun is someone who participated in the Tokyo recapture operation, and right now you are the only returnee. For the sake of the development from here on, please tell me without fail about what kind of contribution was made by the weapon that I developed at Tokyo!”

Momo grasped both his hands and her eyes were shining with anticipation. Surely she had the confidence in the thing that she created herself. That expression had a close resemblance with an elementary student that wanted to be praised by her teacher.

Scratching his head while looking troubled, Kizuna spoke to emphasize something.

“I cannot say only things that will be pleasant to hear. I’ll do it if you’re fine with that.”

{Naturally. It will be meaningless if it’s not like that.}

Kizuna nodded and with a serious gaze he stared at the nervous Momo.

“Honestly, the weapons were not really usable.”

“――Eh?”

Momo’s cheeks cramped and twitched, her body stiffened.

“Certainly its effect towards the enemy had been heightened. I think that’s a great progress. But fundamentally we only used Heart Hybrid Gear’s own weapon. We are more familiar with them, on top of it the destructive power of the two cannot be compared in a large gap. In that case it’s more effective to use our own weapons.”

“Bu, but……you can use them as support weapons right? Just like the students of research department. Besides even Heart Hybrid Gear also needs auxiliary weapons.”

“Certainly, I think it’s better for the development to be progressed in that direction. But presently all of research department’s new weapons are large and heavy. Furthermore it consumed a large amount of electricity and bullets, so our equipment becomes even larger and heavier. Like that our mobility drops down strikingly. If even Heart Hybrid Gear is like that, then it will be even more difficult to be used by the common soldier.”

“Bu, but. It had effect towards the magic weapons right-? They defeated the enemy?”

“Yeah. We were able to defeat several with them. I think that’s amazing.”

“Waaa♪”

Momo raised a delighted voice and clapped her hands.

“But, the equipment was too heavy. Inside that chaotic battle, that mass and volume became nothing more than a shackle. There were also a lot of us that immediately threw them away after the first attack. Aine and Masters were using them for a while, but they ran out of bullets quickly. In that case, it also hurt that we couldn’t reload.”

Momo’s smile froze, her gaze dropped to her feet.

“Unfortunately, we cannot use them currently in various meanings. Of course there is a possibility. But, throwing them into real battle has a lot of problem. What’s left is, they are lacking in offensive power above all. Putting aside category-B magic weapon, they don’t have any bite toward A-class above and magic armor……eh, Kurumizawa-san? Is something wrong?”

Momo who cast her eyes down was murmuring to herself in mumbles.

“You……you didn’t need to say it like that……even though we had worked so hard……”

Momo’s body was shaking in small trembles. She surely had never imagined that she would be told of things like that. However she forcibly made a smile with a pale face and wrung out a trembling voice.

“Ri……right. Those were still in the middle of development after all……bu, but, enter inside! There is even miniaturized railgun that is in the middle of development right now!”

Momo trotted inside the door of the hangar and turned around at Kizuna.

Kizuna peeked at Kei’s countenance to confirm. Looking at Kei nodding expressionlessly, Kizuna followed after Momo and entered the hangar.

Inside was a workshop for new weapon development. The atmosphere was more like a large scale research room rather than calling it a workshop. Inside the clean and immaculate facility, small guns until large cannons were lining up orderly.

“Hey, Hida-kun. Look at this!”

What Momo introduced while spreading both her hands proudly was a new type railgun. Its shape was a combination of linear design and level surface. A part of the cover was taken off and the mechanism inside became laid bare.

“This is a railgun that was miniaturized until an assault rifle’s size you know? Its firing range is short, but it has the initial velocity of mach 2. In addition the warhead has been miniaturized so its portability is also good. His name is Chobi-chan.”

“As I thought it also has a name……”

Kizuna reached out his hand to the railgun. When he tried holding it, a profound weight rested on his arm. It would be fine if he was wearing his Heart Hybrid Gear, but for common soldiers this was severe.

“Certainly it has the size miniaturized, but this size is not including the battery isn’t it?”

“Ye, yes……the battery is outside the casing.”

A large box connected to the rifle with a cable was put on the floor.

“It’s going to be severe like this……how much destructive power it has? Can it break a magic weapon’s armor?”

“No, this is manufactured by pursuing the portability so……”

Kizuna put back the railgun and crossed his arms with a groan.

“Then it won’t be usable like that. Show me things that at least have an effect on the enemy.”

Her shoulders dropped a little, Momo then led Kizuna to the neighboring section.

“It’s this……I think. I called him Yuujirou-kun.”

“Suddenly it has a normal name! Rather, there is no explanation of what this is in the name!”

Looking at a glance, it was close to a large anti-material rifle. Its length was around two meters. It looked destructive from its appearance.

“You can pierce magic weapon’s armor using this. It has its output upped by 10% compared to what was used at Tokyo recapture operation. We also succeeded in reducing its weight for 20%.”

However this thing wouldn’t even move an inch when the one trying to carry it wasn’t wearing a Heart Hybrid Gear.

“How many bullets does it have?”

“There are five shots in its chamber. Later if it can be attached with a bullet belt……though for that, it will be heavier.”

“I see……at least it needs to be lighter by half, if not it will be too much a sacrifice in mobility. I also want you to think of how to carry it when it’s not in use. Only carrying it by hanging it on a belt will make us unable to move freely. Also there is a limit in the number of bullets we can carry, so there needs to be some kind of way. In its present state, it can only be used in limited situations. Perhaps it will be good to use as a fixed battery to stop the enemy in its tracks, but in that case a larger caliber will be better.”

Momo gritted her teeth while looking down.

“You……don’t keep saying anything selfish like that.”

Her voice was trembling.

“Even I, even the other staff, have been doing our best desperately you know? Do you think about what kind of feeling we had in making this!? You don’t know anything about our hardship!”

Momo’s eyes were wet with tears. Never would she have thought that she would be beaten down until this much. Looking from Momo’s view point, there was no mistaking it that she felt like she was thrown down by an unreasonable slander.

“You just keep complaining! Not usable, not usable, that’s not it, just think for yourself the way to use it skillfully. Even I’m working hard here!”

Kei’s window stood up in front of Momo.

{Momo, you must not say that. We are――}

However, for Momo whose blood was rushing to her head, those letters didn’t enter her eyes.

She had shaved off her sleeping time, repeated experiments many times over, before she managed to complete these weapons in the end of her hard work that was soaked in her blood. Even the magic weapons that once couldn’t be affected at all by mankind’s weapons had become something manageable with these weapons. She felt like her prided children who she had raised splendidly were made fun of.

“You guys are using them so nonchalantly, but you have never thought just how difficult it is to make them right? Before this weapon reached your hands just how much――”

Kizuna held back Momo in a panic.

“Wait, just wait. I’m just saying frankly my impression from using them in the battle. I’m not denying Kurumizawa-san’s effort or anything. But, in the practice we are the one who are actually using this. And then more than just using this, we are entrusting our lives to them. I have the responsibility to protect everyone’s lives. That’s why, there is no way I can irresponsibly line up sugared words. Understand that.”

However tears were still flowing from Momo’s eyes as she wrung out her voice.

“I don’t get it! Besides, even if you say everyone, there is no one anymore isn’t it! Even now your Heart Hybrid Gear doesn’t have any weapon, so you came here to look because you need it right! Don’t talk extravagantly here!”

“Wha……”

Those words gouged out Kizuna’s chest. His calmness left from his heart with loud footsteps.

Kei typed on her keyboard with a panicked state.

{Both of you, stop there. Your respective position w}

However Kizuna lost all restraints while Kei was typing.

“Yeah, that’s right! My Heart Hybrid Gear is just useless when everyone else is not here. Even those everyone right now are the enemy’s prisoners. All of this and that, everything is my responsibility! Yet despite so, I abandoned everyone and returned here alone! I was……everyone.”

“Eh……tha, that’s.”

Momo was overwhelmed by Kizuna’s dangerous look. That shock made Momo’s own rage shrink down and she recovered her calmness.

“I abandoned everyone who helped me and returned back here. Someone like me, who cannot do anything at all when alone, who doesn’t even have a proper weapon, this me!”

The man that was ridiculed as demon king Eros was throwing out the words of his heart with a really painful look.

“Tha, that, I, don’t mean……”

Momo regretted running her mouth carelessly. However, words that had been said once couldn’t be taken back. Not knowing what she should do, she could only get in dithers.

“We are fighting while gambling our lives. Are you making weapons with your lives on the line? Is this really the limit? It’s just as you said, right now Amaterasu and Masters are gone. There is already no one else but me. And then I cannot fight alone. That’s why, give me a weapon I can fight with! I beg you here! If not I cannot fight. I cannot save them! Even Aine!”

Momo felt like she was touching Kizuna’s heart directly. Fear, rage, regret, those things were transmitted to Momo’s heart.

And then, she also felt an unexpected shock from looking at Kizuna’s face that was almost crying.

Just from hearing the rumors, Amaterasu was like a gathering of monstrous superhumans. It was even the more for Kizuna who was the captain, she didn’t feel like he was really a living human. According to the character image created only from the rumors that the students said, he was exactly a monster.

That was why Momo, she had never even imagined that her words would make Kizuna this angered and hurt.

Kei pulled at Kizuna’s sleeve. Kizuna finally noticed this late of Kei’s text that was floating in front of his nose.

{Kizuna. Let’s stop here. There is another thing I want to show you. Follow me.}

“……Got it.”

He turned right-about face and headed to the entrance. Both of them exited from the door that Kei opened.

When Kizuna and Kei’s figure vanished, there was only Momo alone left inside the huge hangar. And then unable to sort her chaotic head, she stood stock still in a daze for a while.

Before long she lied down on the nearby bench and closed her eyes.

Even after time passed, her chaotic head and stirred up heart could not recover their calm.

But, she understood the thing that she had to do.

Momo woke up and declared to Kizuna who was not there.

“Fine then……I’ll prepare a method of fighting for you. And then I will make you……”

‘――a real Demon King, not just demon king Eros.’

She sat in front of the console of the development facility and slid her fingers on the touch panel. And then the trump card that was in the middle of development. The blueprint of the weapon that was prepared to be the strongest weapon in Ataraxia was opened.

Part 4

“Big……”

Strangely the place where Kizuna and Kei went after they left the hangar was the one that Momo had just opened the blueprint of.

Dozens of floor underground, there was a stratum that was nearby Ataraxia’s center. And then there was a gigantic cave that pierced that stratum continuously straight. It was a tunnel with diameter around twenty meters. Several pipes and wires were running along the wall.

“I mean, just how long this thing is continuing forward?”

He couldn’t see the end of just how far this tunnel was continuing. At a glance it looked like a multipurpose underground utility conduit, but the pipes and cables crawling inside the tunnel were obviously engendered with a different atmosphere.

{This tunnel pierces through the center of Ataraxia, it is continuing until the end of the other side.}

“For there to be a hole this big……so, what is this used for?”

{The main cannon of Ataraxia, an electrically charged particle cannon. This is the particle accelerator for that.}

“Particle cannon? This is!?”

{Yes. A particle cannon with a large caliber and a large output. It’s still not completed yet, but it has been developed until the level where a test firing is possible. There were things like this created experimentally until now, but it couldn’t reach the level where it could endure a practical use. But this time it’s the real thing. A particle cannon is a normal equipment for a Heart Hybrid Gear, but when we try to make it with our own technology, it becomes this big in the end.}

“I see……even so this is amazing.”

{The acceleration distance is the diameter of Ataraxia itself, three kilometers. The spec we are using as a benchmark is Cross’s Differential Frame, that is our target.}

‘I see. When they are trying to reproduce Yurishia’s Cross, it turns out that a facility this large is necessary.’

{The original concept came from Professor Nayuta. I gave it shape and right now Momo is the one finishing it.}

“That girl is……”

Kizuna’s chest was a little painful. He snapped before and yelled angrily. It was like he vented his anger on her.

{If it’s about Momo then you don’t need to feel bothered. Momo was the bad one just now.}

“No, but……”

{Besides, Momo is a strong child. Surely around now she is reflecting and strives to do her work even more. Rather it even became a good medicine. I’m grateful.}

Even if he was told that, Kizuna couldn’t calm down. He thought to look for a chance next time and properly apologize so they could make up with each other.

{If this particle cannon is completed, it will be possible to attack the enemy directly from outside their radius of action. On the contrary, we can bombard the enemy’s capital directly.}

“I see, this thing at London……that’s why, it’s necessary to bring Ataraxia itself there huh.”

After walking through the tunnel even further, he could see bright light ahead. Over there was Ataraxia’s most outer part. When Kizuna stood on the edge, blue ocean reflecting the light of the bright sun in the blue sky was spreading before him. And then nearby the horizon, a faint shadow of land could be seen.

But, a strange thing was visible above the land. A round luminous body floating in the sky.

“That’s?”

Kei manipulated her keyboard and displayed a floating window with the image of an external camera. When the image was zoomed up, it was a large magic circle floating in the sky.

{Most likely, it appears to be the magic power plant put on that area.}

“What did you say!?”

The state of Tokyo was resurrected inside Kizuna’s brain.

“Shikina-san, quickly do something to that magic power plant with this thing!”

Kizuna talked vigorously, but Kei typed on her keyboard in a clam appearance.

{That’s impossible. This thing still cannot be fired.}

“Eh? But it’s already in the level that can be test fired you said!”

{A test is possible, but it’s not on the level of practical use. The biggest reason is the lack of energy to operate this weapon. That problem hasn’t been resolved yet.}

What?

{This particle cannon needs a vast amount of electricity to fire. The problem is where to obtain that electricity.}

“That’s……if we focused all the electricity in Ataraxia then…!”

{Even so it can only supply 50% of the electricity needed. Creation of electricity storage with good efficiency and the construction of a power plant are being done urgently.}

“Shit-! There is a magic power plant in front of our eyes, and we cannot do anything……”

Kizuna once again gnawed on his powerlessness.

‘With this kind of situation, can I really save everyone?

The captured Himekawa, Yurishia, Sylvia. And then Scarlet and the others from Masters. Even while I’m doing this, perhaps they are being approached by danger.

Perhaps, they are being made to kill each other at the Colosseum just like me……furthermore, they might be faced against each other.

“SHITTTTTTTTTTTT-!”

He faced the sea and yelled with all his strength.

‘――Aine. You won’t possibly do something like that won’t you?’

He looked up at the sky ahead with the feeling as if praying.

‘Surely even now everyone of Amaterasu and Masters are being put under harsh experience, there was no doubt of that. But, do your best. Survive!’

“I will……I will for sure, COME TO SAVE YOU AAAALLLLLL-!”

Facing the blue sky where there was no one, Kizuna raised a roar of oath.

However the sky and the sea, nothing replied back to Kizuna. There was only a quiet gentle breeze fluttering Kizuna’s hair.

Translator's Notes and References

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