https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Acolyte&feedformat=atom Baka-Tsuki - User contributions [en] 2024-03-29T21:18:27Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.35.2 https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=HEAVY_OBJECT:Volume18_Chapter_2&diff=565412 HEAVY OBJECT:Volume18 Chapter 2 2020-10-15T03:46:36Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Chapter 2: Failure &gt;&gt; Attack on the Turkana District Space Elevator – Sp. Station==<br /> <br /> ===Part 1===<br /> <br /> ''Can your soul keep up with a world at 5x the speed? With 5x the concentration of the traditional recipe, Monster Girl Energy – Maximum Bottle!! has been unleashed upon the world.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> A distant look filled Private Heivia Winchell’s eyes as he watched the brown-skinned swimsuit women in the back of a pickup truck. Those bikini women had been hired to hand out 500mL glass bottles of energy drink as a campaign for a new product.<br /> <br /> This happened in the South American Amazon District.<br /> <br /> It was midsummer in the Southern Hemisphere.<br /> <br /> “Why aren’t we allowed to drink any?”<br /> <br /> “You do know what we’re waiting for here, don’t you? For a space shuttle. Fill your stomach with carbonation and it’ll rupture inside you once we launch into space.”<br /> <br /> “Why are you being such a jerk to those bikini babes? Did one of them pretend to confess to you while livestreaming it???”<br /> <br /> “I’m a Bad Bull guy myself.”<br /> <br /> Quenser yawned while leaning against a tall chain link fence.<br /> <br /> He would occasionally rub at his body through his uniform, but not because his new underwear felt weird.<br /> <br /> A giant structure towered up towards heaven on the other side of the fence behind them. But instead of an elevator, this was a space shuttle meant to launch into space and return to earth repeatedly. It was more than 40m tall and the jungle-gym-like launch equipment around it was a little taller. Several of them were lined up quite neatly, making it look like a metal corn field.<br /> <br /> “This is such a waste of fuel,” complained Quenser. “I can see now why the Capitalist Corporations are so obsessed with that elevator. It’s all about cost performance.”<br /> <br /> While the four powers had been competing to see if the space elevator or the mass driver would become the new standard, the research institute here had apparently begun a revival of these old-fashioned but tried-and-true toys. Basically it was the same as a train-obsessed government worker finding excuses to use public money to buy a steam train. Since they were even calling it a “space shuttle”, a term that had supposedly been retired, you could see this was more about a love of the aesthetic than about profit.<br /> <br /> Quenser viewed the gate that opened and closed like a city railroad crossing.<br /> <br /> “This is a busy place.”<br /> <br /> “Half the globe can’t launch any rockets thanks to Mother Lady. And that’s true for every world power. The space station is still controlled by the Federation of Elevator Industries, but that effectively makes it a decision made by 7th Core as a whole. And interference from the sky is way worse than from the ground. They can use laser beams, jamming, meteors, debris, or whatever else. That’s a problem for everyone – public sector, private sector, academic, and military. That’s why everyone’s decided to launch their stuff on the other side of the world, leading to a rush on this place.”<br /> <br /> “All because of the one elevator.”<br /> <br /> “I sense a weirdo at work here. Nothing good ever comes from letting intellectuals join the battlefield.”<br /> <br /> Annoyingly enough, Mother Lady was still not widely considered a villain despite all the news reports on the trouble it was causing. That space elevator could cheaply deliver packages to every part of the world, so it had already become a great ally of safe country family budgets the world over during its 9 month test period.<br /> <br /> The electronic simulation division said it would start sucking up more than ten times the money once it began working for real.<br /> <br /> There was a negative side to it. For example, what to do about the empty packages and cargo tanks after a delivery was made. If they were allowed to provide a collection service, they might be able to effectively create extraterritorial bases all around the world.<br /> <br /> The 37th had to tear the elevator down and end this before that happened.<br /> <br /> But that would be no easy task.<br /> <br /> “That elevator wasn’t built up from the ground. It’s dangling down from space.”<br /> <br /> “?”<br /> <br /> “That means the space station at the top is more important than the ground base at the bottom. And I’ve heard that station is 20km across. We took over the ground base by blocking off the underground water they were using for cooling, but it’s not over yet. In the worst case, the station could cut the wires to free itself and then move to another candidate location. Conquering that desert ground base was far from being checkmate.”<br /> <br /> That was why the swimsuit women had stopped their pick-up truck next to the fence denoting an off-limits zone so they could hand out sample products. The crowd here had looked lucrative to the PR team that normally operated in big cities.<br /> <br /> Quenser sighed in the hot sun.<br /> <br /> “Amateur advertising agencies have noticed what’s happening, so do you really think the Capitalist Corporations is going to ignore it?”<br /> <br /> “That’s why we’re supposed to get up into space before those greedy bastards bound by military regulations manage to rework the rules so they can act. Dammit, what idiot is causing the holdup!? Are they checking everyone’s bags? Or did the health exam show someone had a cavity or an STI!?”<br /> <br /> “That’s why you use mouthwash after doing oral. Always practice safe sex, kids.”<br /> <br /> The two idiots’ conversation was cut off by a short beep from their radios.<br /> <br /> It was finally their turn.<br /> <br /> “Are you sure this is a good idea?” asked Heivia while following the fence to the gate. “I mean, we left the Princess behind.”<br /> <br /> “Taking over the elevator’s ground base doesn’t make the local guerillas magically disappear. If we didn’t leave some kind of solid defense behind, they could surround the base and take it back. And those ad-loving Capitalist Corporations are really good at negative campaigns.”<br /> <br /> “I know that, but we left that sheltered girl to hold down the fort.”<br /> <br /> “We can check in with her at any time with the cameras. And it’s not like she’s all alone. The old maintenance lady is with her. Besides, the Baby Magnum isn’t the only defense. We took over Mother Lady’s ground base, so the others there can fire warning shots with that thing’s laser beam.”<br /> <br /> “Why isn’t the space force doing this job for us? Then we could call it quits and enjoy some New Year’s leave.”<br /> <br /> “The space force as you imagine it doesn’t really exist. Their name sounds cool and all, but they basically sit at computers on ground bases and send out jamming signals to mess with the enemy satellites and spacecraft.”<br /> <br /> “What’s your point?”<br /> <br /> “None of them are dumb enough to visit the dangerous radiation-filled vacuum of outer space. We’re stuck with a shitty job no one else wanted. As usual.”<br /> <br /> Every last one of the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes here were lined up below the blazing sun in their uniforms. Only half of the 37th was here, but they still formed a lengthy line while waiting to have their ID checked so they could pass through the gate. It took a while.<br /> <br /> “Is this what it’s gonna be like when we die?” asked Quenser while watching the line move about as fast as a snail. “ ‘The enemy Object will arrive shortly, so please enter the shelter in a calm and orderly fashion’ and then ''whoooosh, kaboooom!''”<br /> <br /> “You’re dreaming if you think the desk jockeys are gonna be anywhere near that kind to us. They never even look at the reality beyond their computer screens and they’ll just demand we bravely fight the Object to the last man and die. …Really, the Legitimacy Kingdom is behind the times. We should really build our own space base.”<br /> <br /> This may have been another problem caused by Objects ending the nuclear age. Modern battlefields were still discussed on the talk shows targeted toward housewives, but the focus was more on cyberspace than outer space. The national defense funding that all the world powers used to fight each other came out of their tax money, so they needed to make sure everyone felt terrified enough that funding countermeasures and applied research sounded appealing.<br /> <br /> “I’ve heard all the leaked photos of famous actresses that have been making a stir online lately are actually a form of propaganda meant to manipulate public opinion.”<br /> <br /> “So are you saying the only way for the space side of things to make a comeback is to start dropping those thin, single-use pieces of rubber from satellite orbit?”<br /> <br /> Finally, it was their turn to pass below the gate bar that rose and fell like a railroad crossing.<br /> <br /> A small group of people had gathered and begun shouting a short distance away.<br /> <br /> “Oh, what’s going on there?” asked Heivia. “Did a fight break out?”<br /> <br /> “It’s 38 degrees and crowded, so people are irritable and liable to run into someone from an opposing group,” said Quenser. “So who is it? An environmental protection group and an energy company?”<br /> <br /> “It might be the ever-fierce conflict between Team Salt and Team Soy Sauce. People can get heated when it comes to ramen flavors.”<br /> <br /> “Your failure to even mention Team Tonkotsu marks you as guilty. But, wow, I think it’s two women shouting. Yeah, I’d really rather not see a woman swinging her hair around with a monstrous look on her face.”<br /> <br /> “Hang on. I think I recognize one of those voices.”<br /> <br /> “Oh, god, that’s Frolaytia! What is she doing!?”<br /> <br /> Separating her from the old maintenance lady may have been a mistake.<br /> <br /> Two women were pressing their foreheads together while glaring at each other.<br /> <br /> One was Major Frolaytia Capistrano, Queen of the Potatoes, but the other was a silver-haired brown-skinned officer with a non-Legitimacy Kingdom uniform.<br /> <br /> In fact…<br /> <br /> “Ugh!? That’s an Information Alliance uniform!”<br /> <br /> “Oh, no. I forgot this was an international space launch facility that anyone can use.”<br /> <br /> Quenser smacked a hand against his forehead.<br /> <br /> The military was really bad about turf wars. Quite literally in fact. They fought to protect their national borders year round. Soldiers in the other uniform design were trying to stop their own commander with shouts of “Lendy! Major Farolito! Please calm down!”, but they were too hesitant about it and it had no effect. That was one area in which the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance were the same.<br /> <br /> The demonic commander, who was busty but made sure no one wanted to get anywhere near that bust, spoke in a deep, resentful way she never used with her own soldiers.<br /> <br /> “Oh, what have we here? I thought I detected the unhealthy scent of melted solder in here, but the Amazon District is protected by Legitimacy Kingdom Objects, so surely I must be imagining things.”<br /> <br /> “Someone too dumb to stop smoking in this day and age may be unaware, but as much influence as the Legitimacy Kingdom may have in this district, it has no official affiliation. But I suppose those colossal fatasses may have failed to notice how much trouble their presence is causing the locals.”<br /> <br /> Quenser was dumbfounded.<br /> <br /> [[Image:HO_v18_BW4.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> “(Hey, Heivia, does this count as a personal fight or a war???)”<br /> <br /> “(Shut up and don’t you dare say anything to them. I want nothing to do with this.)”<br /> <br /> The conversation moved on without those two boys.<br /> <br /> Frolaytia pressed her forehead even harder against the other woman’s.<br /> <br /> “You do understand the situation here, I hope? Do you have any idea how many Objects we have stationed here?”<br /> <br /> “I suppose I can’t blame an ignorant country girl for not knowing, but attacking us would be in violation of the Peace and Equality in Space Treaty. But if you insist on being a pest and violating PEST, feel free. I’m sure you will enjoy being assigned to an Arctic base for losing your side so many Objects.”<br /> <br /> “Oh, you want to fight!?”<br /> <br /> “Bring it on, little girl!!”<br /> <br /> The Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance soldiers rushed in. They had no complaints about a busty catfight, but these particular busts would lead to the world’s dumbest war if a fist managed to hit one of those beautiful faces.<br /> <br /> And Quenser was impressed by one thing he noticed.<br /> <br /> “You’re actually bothering to hold her back, Heivia? That’s surprisingly responsible of you.”<br /> <br /> “With all this chaos, I can cop a feel and she’ll never know it was me.”<br /> <br /> The brave warrior who rushed straight into danger ended up writhing on the ground after Frolaytia swung a 500mL bottle of Monster Girl Energy and it hit him right in the forehead.<br /> <br /> Quenser’s decision to stay out of it proved wise.<br /> <br /> Those jiggling boobs were like a Venus fly trap. Fall for the temptation and you were dead.<br /> <br /> Plus, he was officially a battlefield student, not a soldier, so it was not his job to preserve world peace.<br /> <br /> “Whoa, whoa, stay away from me, yikes, yikes, yikes, ahhhhh!!”<br /> <br /> Potato #1 protected his head with both hands and fled from the crowd of angry, stressed, and excitement-starved people.<br /> <br /> After finding peace and quiet, he let out a sigh.<br /> <br /> “G-good, they’re gone.”<br /> <br /> (But what is the Information Alliance doing here? What business do they have in space???)<br /> <br /> Just as that fundamental question occurred to him, he heard a girl’s voice from somewhere.<br /> <br /> “Okay.”<br /> <br /> “?”<br /> <br /> He turned toward the young voice to see a large RV parked there. And the external area was surrounded by bed sheets draped over ropes like laundry put out to dry.<br /> <br /> The sunlight shining through the sheets showed him the silhouette of a girl who appeared to be only around 10. She was partially bent over and standing unsteadily on just one leg. Her small hands were holding the lifted leg at the ankle. Her silhouette showed through so clearly he could make out all those details.<br /> <br /> So was she putting something on, or taking it off???<br /> <br /> “If I was going to need a spacesuit, they should have had it ready from the beginning. Oh ho ho. I do understand a spacesuit in my size can’t be easy to come by, though.”<br /> <br /> “?”<br /> <br /> “Hey, you there!”<br /> <br /> While Quenser tilted his head, a sharp voice shouted at him through the sheets. She would not be able to see him either, but she spoke in a very demanding way. She may have mistaken him for one of her own.<br /> <br /> “Oh ho ho. I cannot find the tape measure I had. Is it out there perhaps?”<br /> <br /> “Hm? Oh, you mean this one?”<br /> <br /> “That should be it, yes. Please hand it here.”<br /> <br /> An unexpectedly small hand stuck out through a gap between two sheets. She was also being super careless. She seemed to be hiding something, but her own hand had parted the two sheets somewhat. It was possible someone would see her secret through there.<br /> <br /> The careless girl’s soft-looking hand gestured for him to hurry up, so he sighed and placed the tape measure there.<br /> <br /> “Oh ho ho. Thank you. I have my measurements taken regularly, but this is outer space we are talking about.”<br /> <br /> She pulled her hand back in.<br /> <br /> Based on the silhouette, she wrapped the tape measure around ''that'' part of herself.<br /> <br /> “Not to mention that this is for a special outer space New Year’s concert. Yes, you’re in for a treat, my many fans! Oh ho ho. I will make sure the world falls in love with me all over again!!”<br /> <br /> (Hm, so she’s an idol like Monica.)<br /> <br /> He doubted she would give him an autograph or shake his hand if he asked right now, though. At any rate, he was finding a great variety of people had business in space. He was honestly jealous of the girl.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, he was headed up there to fight a war.<br /> <br /> It was the most depressing reason to be given an all-expenses-paid trip into space.<br /> <br /> ===Part 2===<br /> <br /> “Countdown – final sequence: 9, 7, 6…ignition. Blast off.”<br /> <br /> To Quenser, it felt like riding an amusement park thrill ride.<br /> <br /> He was seated in a chair, but sitting in this chair positioned him so he was facing straight down. If he were not strapped in with special belts, he would have fallen straight to the rear of the shuttle.<br /> <br /> He felt a great pressure in his gut.<br /> <br /> He heard a deafening roar.<br /> <br /> But none of it felt like he was actually blasting off from the planet earth. The lack of windows played a definite role there. It was like being trained for a form of torture that gradually squashed him with a thick but invisible wall. Maybe this was the world the Princess lived in while piloting her Object.<br /> <br /> “Gwehhhh,” he groaned inside his helmet.<br /> <br /> But that skinny boy had only been given a few days’ worth of training in a pool and in a centrifugal artificial gravity generator, so he was lucky “gweh” was the worst he got. He gave a proper report using the communicator installed in his helmet.<br /> <br /> “Th-the magnetic oxygen guidance is working for now. We won’t die right away anyway, Frolaytia. Dammit, I’m totally groping those things till the tips turn black!!”<br /> <br /> A rapid change in pressure was enough for someone to pass out and they could even die if air bubbles formed in their blood. It was known as barotrauma and was best known in the forms of altitude sickness and decompression sickness.<br /> <br /> To prevent that, Quenser and the other 37th potatoes had several electrodes attached below their clothing. Barotrauma could cause everything from fingernail injuries to fainting, but it was mainly caused by two things: a reduced amount of oxygen being transported in the blood and bubbles forming from the nitrogen in the body tissue. So you could solve all of that if you could externally manipulate the iron to stabilize the oxygen transportation and strengthen the bonds of the nitrogen.<br /> <br /> “Hah hah hah! Who doesn’t love a secret prototype weapon? You should weep tears of joy at this opportunity! I believe this was originally developed in secret to help Pilot Elites handle the massive Gs of an Object which can reach the double digits at times.”<br /> <br /> “B-but, urp, why wasn’t it adopted for general use among Elites?”<br /> <br /> “It’s so bad for your health they’d never expose their precious Elites to its effects.”<br /> <br /> In the seat behind Quenser, Myonri jumped upon hearing what sounded like metal claws scratching at the wall.<br /> <br /> “Gweh. Wh-why am I hearing something from outside!? Ugh, are we going to break apart before even escaping the atmosphere!?”<br /> <br /> “That’s just the external rockets separating after using up their fuel. If the heat caused the connections to melt just wrong and they failed to separate, then we’d 100% crash, though. Gwehhh!”<br /> <br /> Knowledge was the best way to conquer fear. It did nothing about the pain and suffering pressing down on their bodies, though.<br /> <br /> Then Quenser stared in shock at his neighbor.<br /> <br /> The other idiot was there.<br /> <br /> “Frolaytia, Heivia broke the regulations! Ugh, he must have filled his stomach with a banned drink cause his helmet is now full of carbonated energy drink barf. I’d really prefer not to describe it in any more detail. Urp, just seeing it is enough to make me feel sick!”<br /> <br /> “He only has himself to blame,” said Frolaytia over the radio. “Do not remove his helmet even if he is drowning. The instant the gravity is gone, that stuff will fill the entire shuttle.”<br /> <br /> Heivia responded with a mysterious code: “Bleh this Monster Girl bleh is from the bottle gwehhh you broke on blehhh my head!” But it was too advanced a code to crack, so Frolaytia ignored it and continued with a report.<br /> <br /> “The Princess’s team is searching for a way up from Mother Lady’s ground base, but that is only a diversion. While the Capitalist Corporations’ Federation of Elevator Industries is staring worriedly down at the bottom of the elevator, you will circle around from the other side of the planet to attack them from above. The space station is in geostationary orbit at an altitude of 36,000km, so it really and truly is in outer space. I honestly envy you this trip into space.”<br /> <br /> “Maybe if we were here on vacation, I’d agree with you! Gweh, but we’re headed to the most dangerous battlefield in the universe!”<br /> <br /> “Ah ha ha. You’ve finally move past the most dangerous in the world, Quenser. That’s a new record.”<br /> <br /> It was no use. She was so used to sending them to their deaths that it barely registered as a problem anymore. Myonri must have been used to this too because she stuck a hose similar to a dentist’s saliva ejector into the top of Heivia’s head from her seat behind them. A gross sucking sound followed. The device may have been to help the crew since the helmets prevented them from using a handkerchief to wipe away sweat.<br /> <br /> “Mother Lady is being guarded by soldiers recruited from the PMCs they love so much. And they are all top of their class, so be careful. There is one other person you need to be aware of: Louisiana Honeysuckle.”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> Louisiana.<br /> <br /> And Honeysuckle.<br /> <br /> “The researchers who develop technology with military applications are generally erased from all public records, but a few of her papers for academic conferences slipped through. They were about the influence a colossal structure would have on the planet’s environment. Until the elevator was completed, she was apparently known for her work in preserving rare animals.”<br /> <br /> “Preserving rare animals?”<br /> <br /> That did not seem to fit.<br /> <br /> Especially when he thought back to the dry and cracked desert.<br /> <br /> “There are records of her being sued by an environmental protection group, but it was completely shut down by an army of lawyers armed with ample funding. But a researcher of her caliber would have not trouble making money, so the environmental group’s claims seem unlikely to me. They claim she traveled all the way to Africa, stole the genetic information of rare animals there, and then sold that to European zoos.”<br /> <br /> Then Frolaytia got back on topic.<br /> <br /> “Anyway, Louisiana is the genius researcher who worked out all the problems with the theoretical concept of a wire space elevator and created an actually usable plan. The elevator is everything to her, making her a rare Capitalist Corporations resident who doesn’t care all that much about profit. The intelligence division’s report says she is likely holed up in the space station. She does not behave like a soldier does, so it would be best to kill her before she can cause any trouble.”<br /> <br /> The scratching sound grew louder. They were surrounded by it. But this was no longer about the rocket booster connections. The air’s friction itself was probably tearing at the shuttle’s exterior. From the outside, it would look like they had been thrown into a prison of orange heat.<br /> <br /> The battalion had split in two, half on the surface and half in space, but Frolaytia did not seem to be having too much trouble. Everything was done over the network these days, so commanding remotely was not a problem at all.<br /> <br /> It was while that thought occurred to him that Quenser felt his bangs float up. And that was not all. The pressure bearing down on him completely vanished, and not just because he had gotten used to it.<br /> <br /> The concept of up and down was gone.<br /> <br /> From his perspective, he might as well have been seated in an ordinary bus. He was now facing forward. The weird part was how his butt had left the seat just like his back had left the chair back. Without the belts, he might have floated up to the ceiling and started slowly spinning.<br /> <br /> “Hello, world of zero-g sex. Now we can invent a brand new kama sutra with none of that pesky gravity restricting the glorious possibilities!”<br /> <br /> “Let’s see. Which tube is Quenser’s oxygen?”<br /> <br /> Myonri’s dangerous hand reached in from behind and Quenser very nearly died of asphyxiation.<br /> <br /> The scraping sound on the outer walls ended.<br /> <br /> Only silence surrounded them.<br /> <br /> This time, not even Myonri made a noise. They were all holding their breath at the painful silence.<br /> <br /> “Welcome to space,” said Frolaytia to drive the point home.<br /> <br /> It did not feel real. They had not encountered any aliens and they had not rapidly evolved as lifeforms. They were surrounded by thick walls and contained in awkward spacesuits. It only felt like being restrained by those two layers of cramped protection. They were in space that continued forever with no horizon, yet they did not feel remotely free.<br /> <br /> There was zero atmospheric pressure.<br /> <br /> This was a vacuum devoid of oxygen.<br /> <br /> Radiation stabbed directly into them without anything to weaken it.<br /> <br /> People would die here if they were simply exposed to it without any protection. It was a lonely place where they could scream in terror and not a peep would reach their awful friend right next to them. It was a profound place where the human beings who had spread across the planet and chewed through its resources were separated out into individuals and forced to face their own insignificance. People were not meant to exist in space. It was a hell colder than the sea and hotter than fire.<br /> <br /> “Your next step is to circle across the Atlantic to reach central Africa,” said Frolaytia. “The battle begins once you arrive. Overeagerly unstrapping yourselves now will only get you injured before the fighting even starts, so be careful.”<br /> <br /> “You make it sound all fancy, but we’re basically following the long mountain trail around so we can peep on the open-air bath from above, right? Are you sure they won’t notice us???”<br /> <br /> “Do you have any idea how many rockets and shuttles are being launched from the Pacific and South America right now? We didn’t paint ‘The Legitimacy Kingdom’s Super Cool New Weapon’ on the side, so you’ll be fine. The official paperwork says you’re a construction crew.”<br /> <br /> “Construction?”<br /> <br /> “For a lunar villa.”<br /> <br /> That was even more outside Quenser’s experiences than an indoor golf course or casino built in the middle of the Las Vegas desert. Rare bugs and plants in the jungle were biological resources, new online possibilities were data resources, and the deep sea – considered to be the final frontier on the planet – was all about oil and shale gas. And now people were attaching price tags to the moon’s land and selling it off. Humanity really knew how to turn anything into a quick buck.<br /> <br /> “I almost feel sorry for those lunar villas,” said Frolaytia. “The space station’s jamming has brought down their high-speed wireless internet, so they have no way of knowing what’s going on. And without control signals, they can’t launch any rockets or shuttles. I don’t know if the Federation of Elevator Industries meant to do it, but the moon is like a remote island out in space.”<br /> <br /> “Serves ‘em right,” spat out Quenser.<br /> <br /> But more importantly…<br /> <br /> “Should we really be doing this? Won’t soldiers get in trouble from a number of organizations if we pretend to be civilians for a sneak attack?”<br /> <br /> “We have no other choice since physical stealth only goes so far. Oh, and I would recommend not checking outside. That way you won’t have to see all the deadly eggs that have been laid out there.”<br /> <br /> “There are that many of them?”<br /> <br /> “The space elevator allowed them to send an obscene number of those killer satellites outside the atmosphere, so the area above Africa is filled with tens of thousands of those military satellites that can move around on their own with explosives filling their belly. If the enemy notices you, they’ll approach silently and then – boom – you have a hole in your hull. And you know what even a finger-sized hole means out in space, don’t you?”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “Explosions in space have a wide lethal range. With no gravity or air, there’s nothing to slow the razor-like shrapnel. To be blunt, not even a pizza delivery worker who knows the side roads by heart could slip through that floating minefield. Which is why – in my infinite kindness – I chose to rewrite the official paperwork.”<br /> <br /> “Anyway, we’ve made it into orbit. The first challenge when launching into space is the separation of the booster and tank. 50% of the risk of death comes from that, so now that we’ve gotten past that without incident…”<br /> <br /> He was cut off by a quiet clunking sound.<br /> <br /> He looked up (from the perspective of his seat and the movable range of his head) and Myonri laughed at him.<br /> <br /> “Ah ha ha. So much for sounding smart there, Quenser. Sounds like we still had one more piece to separate off.”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> He fell quiet.<br /> <br /> He checked his helmet’s seal and the remaining oxygen meter on his wrist while his thoughts turned to the extravehicular activity unit on his back. He grabbed and then let go of the grip connected to the cable that would emit nitrogen gas from 32 different nozzles. He finally reached for his seatbelt, but he had trouble operating it with the spacesuit’s thick fingers.<br /> <br /> Or were his fingers trembling?<br /> <br /> “Myonri, you should check your equipment. Like right now.”<br /> <br /> “Why?”<br /> <br /> “The shuttle only had the booster and tank to separate off, so it should only have happened twice. There is no air friction out here in space, so that just now was something else – an accident! Something’s coming!!”<br /> <br /> All of a sudden, the lead-shielded roof of the shuttle was torn away.<br /> <br /> The shuttle’s cabin was exposed to the vacuum of space.<br /> <br /> The starry sky as seen from earth was like viewing it through the wall of a plastic greenhouse. The real thing was much too distinct. More than that, they could see a shining blue disk overhead. That was the earth. It was a lot smaller than he had expected.<br /> <br /> Without the electrodes attached all over his body, the pressure difference might have made his red blood cells rupture, killing him before he could have even seen this.<br /> <br /> But he could not just stare at that strange sight.<br /> <br /> Something was attached to the shuttle.<br /> <br /> A perfect 2m cube shined silver in the sunlight. Much like an attack helicopter, weapons were attached below the solar panels spread out on either side. Work arms with multiple joints were extending this way. The shuttle’s roof had been made to open and close, but the four arms had used a chemical or something to slice through the seam, grab it by force, and pull to either side to tear it open. Just like opening a bag of chips.<br /> <br /> “A killer satellite!?” shouted Heivia with eyes wide.<br /> <br /> Those satellites were used to destroy other satellites. Human nature had finally made its way into space. The Capitalist Corporations had their space elevator, so to bring quantity to the outer space conflicts, they had created a space minefield made from tens of thousands of killer satellites.<br /> <br /> “Dammit, we need to protect the shuttle!!”<br /> <br /> “No, Heivia!!”<br /> <br /> A few of the soldiers responded to the boy’s voice (that reached them via their helmet transmitters, not by sending vibrations through the air) by pressing their assault rifle stocks against the shoulder of their spacesuits and aiming at the killer satellite.<br /> <br /> “Dammit, this round helmet makes it hard to look down the scope!! And these giant gloves make it hard to hold the gun. And that’s after cutting away the trigger guard!!”<br /> <br /> But…<br /> <br /> “Gah!?”<br /> <br /> “Gyah, my eyes!!”<br /> <br /> The soldiers groaned before they could fire. They seemed to be writhing in pain and trying to hold their eyes, but the thick helmet got in the way. This was yet another accident. The killer satellite must have struck first while continuing to widen the wound in the shuttle, but it had produced no light or sound.<br /> <br /> Or maybe…<br /> <br /> (Did it shine its sensor-destroying laser in their eyes?)<br /> <br /> “Go to hell!!”<br /> <br /> Heivia’s assault rifle finally opened fire.<br /> <br /> He had no way of fighting the recoil in space, so he simply had his body pushed back into his seat. The most training they had gotten was wearing VR goggles while submerged in a giant tank of water, but he pulled it off pretty well.<br /> <br /> He was firing away in the next seat over, but Quenser could not hear a thing. That suggested he would die if he removed his helmet now.<br /> <br /> And the student did not hesitate to remove his seatbelt.<br /> <br /> “Watch out, everyone!!”<br /> <br /> Did his warning reach them?<br /> <br /> What happened next happened whether it did or not.<br /> <br /> There was no sound, but he saw a flash of light brighter than a lightning bolt.<br /> <br /> The killer satellite had taken enough damage, so it detonated from within, scattering 2000 metal balls smaller than pachinko balls.<br /> <br /> Killer satellites were not expected to accurately shoot down fast-moving ballistic missiles with laser beams or railguns like in the SDI program of a former age.<br /> <br /> They would generally approach slowly and then self-destruct.<br /> <br /> Simple and primitive destructive power was all they needed.<br /> <br /> As machines and computers advance over time, they had enough space leftover to do other things before self-destructing. So they now had plenty of optional functions such as shining powerful lasers on the enemy satellite to destroy its sensors from afar or using metal arms to grab and break solar panels.<br /> <br /> But in the end, they would still explode.<br /> <br /> So they were not given the latest tech; their exteriors were even made from flimsy aluminum foil. They did not need nimble mobility. They were mass-produced for cheap as disposable tools. The wars fought in space were so tediously realistic, with barely any bizarre technology to be found.<br /> <br /> “Gahhh!!”<br /> <br /> After undoing his belt, Quenser sprayed nitrogen gas from the nozzles on the extravehicular activity unit on his back to slip into the slight space below the seat. He curled up and protected the soft spacesuit with its back – with the metal tank there.<br /> <br /> In space, an attack did not need to punch or slice through the enemy. Without any pressure or gravity, a single scratch was enough for the satellite to slip out of stable orbit or for an oxygen-filled shuttle or station to break apart from the difference in internal and exterior pressure.<br /> <br /> The trick was to cause as many shallow scratches over as wide an area as you could.<br /> <br /> An attack similar to a shotgun with unlimited range was ideal. As long as you did not care if the debris you produced got in your way afterwards.<br /> <br /> And in fact…<br /> <br /> “Bhhghhwahhh!!”<br /> <br /> “Help me out here, Myonri! Hold Cottage’s arms in place while I seal his suit up with airtight tape. He’ll die if we don’t hurry!!”<br /> <br /> Quenser had no idea how effective that tape was. It might have been issued to them more to make them feel better than because of any scientific evidence it worked. But he had to believe using it was better than leaving the soldier with a torn spacesuit. While the soldier nearly lost consciousness from a rapid pressure change similar to elevation sickness, Quenser forcibly bound his thigh with a tool similar to duct tape and filled the invisible gaps by melting the adhesive with an electric iron similar to a soldering iron.<br /> <br /> “Don’t die, Cottage. You’re being treated by a girl. You’ve dreamed of this situation! So don’t you die!! Listen, your wound is being treated by a soft-skinned girl in a short-sleeved gym shirt and sports bloomers at the sports festival. You’ve never been happier!!”<br /> <br /> “Oh, you seem to be doing well given the circumstances, Cottage.”<br /> <br /> “Good, more like that, Myonri. Fill him with your medical girl power. If I tried to cheer him up as Quensette, the shock of learning the truth might just kill him!!”<br /> <br /> The shuttle had reached its limit.<br /> <br /> It was never going to fly normally again after the roof was peeled away like a convertible.<br /> <br /> And the Capitalist Corporations’ Federation of Elevator Industries was equipped with killer satellites. That one had been part of a networked minefield. If they continued on like this, the killer satellites waiting up ahead would gather together like a soccer defense. The shuttle was not the most maneuverable craft, so they could not nimbly dodge out of the way. Many more explosions like that one and the shuttle would not last.<br /> <br /> Quenser shouted to the others.<br /> <br /> His physical voice could not actually reach them in the vacuum of space, but his earth habits were hard to shake.<br /> <br /> “You can’t hold onto your weapons with these gloves, so wrap their straps around your wrist and then jump out from the shuttle!!”<br /> <br /> “But this is outer space!”<br /> <br /> Heivia’s eyes widened, but they had no time. Quenser kicked off his seat while holding still-shaking Cottage. Even though he would have been thrown out from the broken roof anyway.<br /> <br /> Heivia waved his hands wildly even though it was program controlled.<br /> <br /> “How can you use that extravehicular unit so well? It’s got 32 different nozzles.”<br /> <br /> “It’s basically the same as the civilian models I saw back in my safe country school. Those were marine leisure toys that let you float in the sky by spraying pressurized seawater. There hasn’t been much military value in spacewalks, so the civilian side is more advanced. Basically, the controls have been simplified to the point that an amateur can pick up and use it. Paper manuals aren’t a thing anymore. If it’s more complicated than a stick and two buttons, you lose customers fast.”<br /> <br /> “Your point?”<br /> <br /> “If you volunteered to help with the R&amp;D, you could play around with them all you wanted in the school’s huge 5m-deep experiment pool. Eh heh heh. Which included providing hands-on tandem support for unsuspecting swimsuit girls.”<br /> <br /> Whether they had obeyed Quenser or simply been thrown out of the shuttle, most of the potatoes escaped out into deadly outer space while still plastic-wrapped in their spacesuits.<br /> <br /> But not all of them made it.<br /> <br /> Either they had not trusted Quenser or they had been too panicked to undo their seatbelts, but a few of the soldiers remained inside the torn-up shuttle.<br /> <br /> Quenser could have sworn his eyes met theirs through their thick helmets.<br /> <br /> A moment later, the many killer satellites gathered together and produced a series of silent explosions. The shuttle was transformed into an orange shooting star as it broke apart while enveloped in explosive flames.<br /> <br /> The sharp fragments scattered by the explosion had nothing to slow them in space. Simply watching was risky, but Quenser was in no position to respond to that threat.<br /> <br /> There was nothing he could do.<br /> <br /> He could only clench his teeth and squeeze his eyes shut.<br /> <br /> But then he opened them again.<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “That violent mom just took away our precious shut-in room,” said Heivia. “So what do we do now? What about oxygen!? How many hours will the tanks on our backs last!? I know it’s less than a full day!”<br /> <br /> “Focus on regulating your breathing instead of worrying about how much you have left. And avoid talking too much.”<br /> <br /> “What kind of bizarre corpses are we gonna leave out here in space!? Dried up mummies? Or maybe something like frozen food!?”<br /> <br /> “If you don’t want to die, then use your head! Complaining isn’t going to produce oxygen from your garlicy breath!!”<br /> <br /> The student was panicking too.<br /> <br /> They were in the silent vacuum of space with nothing to even stand on and mother earth’s blue shine felt like it was rejecting them. When he looked up at the planet hanging above them like a ceiling, he could make out some red dots of light. Those all symbolized human civilization. They were the massive flames of war caused by Objects.<br /> <br /> (The earth is blue, my ass. Or does this mean things were still relatively peaceful back when everyone was threatening everyone else with nuclear missiles?)<br /> <br /> Quenser cursed to himself before speaking again.<br /> <br /> “Which way to that elevator – Mother Lady? Something that damn big should be obvious even from space.”<br /> <br /> “You’re still trying to continue the mission!? I think we’ve got bigger issues right now. We can’t keep fighting, so we need to withdraw!!”<br /> <br /> “Withdraw to where? Do you think if you ask for help, Frolaytia’s gonna blow the trumpet and lead the cavalry in to rescue us? You’d better hope she can pull a secret space cavalry out of her ass.”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “If we want to survive this, we have to figure something out ourselves. The only place nearby with plenty of oxygen is the space elevator’s space station. If we don’t pay them a visit before the tanks on our backs run out, we’re all dead. If you get that, then get moving. We don’t have much time. If the Capitalist Corporations was judging the success of their attack using radar, they should assume we all died with the shuttle. We can pass right through the network of killer satellites right now!”<br /> <br /> The killer satellites were of course designed for use against large machines like enemy satellites and spaceships. People in space was generally unthinkable, so they did not search for them. Just like the giant doppler radar on an airport control tower would fail to detect skydivers or a pair of panties blown off the clothesline, the killer satellites would likely overlook Quenser and the others since they were outside the design specs.<br /> <br /> “No radio. Switch to close-range lasers.”<br /> <br /> “Goddammit. Like always, that busty commander goes silent the second things go south.”<br /> <br /> “The killer satellites would pick up any transmissions, so this is her way of being nice. It’s just that her tsundere levels are so high it can be really hard to tell.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm, hmmm!!”<br /> <br /> “If you don’t like that explanation, then how about this? Imagine she shut off the transmission to stick her hand down her underwear and enjoy herself. Pray hard enough and the video footage might just start transmitting by some freak accident.”<br /> <br /> They were equipped with extravehicular activity units that sprayed compressed nitrogen gas from nozzles for attitude control, but that was only meant to keep their balance and counterbalance the recoil of gunfire, so it was really like having brakes they could only use a limited number of times. They could not be used as accelerators like a space ship or robot’s rocket boosters.<br /> <br /> Orientation was everything in zero-g.<br /> <br /> If their nitrogen gas tanks ran out before their oxygen, they would be stuck spinning helpless and alone in the silence of space waiting for their oxygen to run out. Running out of oxygen first would actually be the better way to go.<br /> <br /> Quenser operated the LCD screen on his arm. It was designed for use with the fat fingers of the spacesuit, but the screen was less sensitive to his touch than an ordinary phone.<br /> <br /> “Man, that thing is sending EM signals everywhere. It must think it’s the king of outer space. Anyway, I found it. The elevator is 50km thataway!”<br /> <br /> Compared to space as a whole, 50km was nothing, but the potatoes could not move a single centimeter forward no matter how hard they moved their legs. They could not walk without ground and they could not swim either.<br /> <br /> “What do we do now?” asked Heivia.<br /> <br /> “There are tons of killer satellites out here and we can’t be the only things they’ve attacked. There has to be some large scraps in a satellite orbit out here. We can calculate out where they’re going and hitch a ride with one of those trucks as it passes through.”<br /> <br /> Fortunately, they had countless opportunities.<br /> <br /> Space was vast, but satellite orbit around earth was a fairly packed area. 1800 pieces of rocket and satellite wreckage were floating around up there (and that was only the number that had been officially reported and confirmed). Add in all the bolts, nuts, paint chips, and other tiny pieces, and the number had to be close to 3 million. Most of those were abandoned remnants of the Nuclear Age when humanity had been in a race to develop ridiculous rockets while claiming it was some great dream for the future of humanity (while it was actually just an excuse to develop more missile tech). Space development had been more sensibly planned out once the Object Age arrived and people awoke from that particular madness. Although “got bored and lost interest” may have been the more accurate way to phrase it.<br /> <br /> Quenser wanted a piece of scrap that was sufficiently large, not moving too fast, and not spinning.<br /> <br /> A scorched cylindrical cargo tank (perhaps originally meant to send additional supplies to a space station) was about to pass them by.<br /> <br /> (The laser range finger says…good, it isn’t moving so fast it would tear my arm off the instant I touch it!!)<br /> <br /> “Try to keep up.”<br /> <br /> “Wait, they didn’t teach us this in the pool training!”<br /> <br /> Touching it directly could slice his glove open with the jagged edges, so Quenser instead attached a carabiner to the handle sticking out from the door. That way it dragged him along with it.<br /> <br /> He was swept through that cramped area of space filled with killer satellites.<br /> <br /> After seeing Quenser pull it off, Heivia, Myonri, and the others began locating their own debris and hesitantly following after him.<br /> <br /> “Eek, eek, eeeek!?”<br /> <br /> “Mute yourself, Heivia. That’s just painful to listen to!!”<br /> <br /> “There’s so much trash out in space,” said Myonri. “Do the people in the elevator just use the atmosphere to burn up their trash and defective parts?”<br /> <br /> It seemed unlikely elevator parts would end up floating around in space if they were sent straight up the wires, so this had to be intentional. Some of the debris was as large as a bus.<br /> <br /> Even if they could transport large quantities of supplies into space, the self-destructing killer satellites were still a limited resource. You would lose one every time they were used, so non-hostile scraps would be registered as such and removed from the attack list to avoid wasting the satellites. By pressing against the scorched side of that scrap, Quenser could slip right past the Federation of Elevator Industries’ defense network.<br /> <br /> The moon was always smaller than the earth that seemed to be pressing down on them from overhead.<br /> <br /> But even out in space, a mere boy could not reach it.<br /> <br /> The moon remained a lonely queen.<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> With how terrified he was of the vacuum held at bay only by the thin spacesuit, Quenser could not believe those wealthy people would actually build villas out here. He wondered if he would come to understand it after becoming a successful Object designer and diving into a bathtub full of cash.<br /> <br /> But for now…<br /> <br /> (We can finally make this an actual battle, even if just barely.)<br /> <br /> With no horizon or air in space, there was nothing to block your view. Or so he thought, but the sun and its reflection off the earth itself created a blinding blue shine. That was why he could only see it after moving so close. A long, long line extended unnaturally up from the surface. The spread of the manmade had finally broken free of the planet and arrived in space.<br /> <br /> That was the Mother Lady space elevator.<br /> <br /> “Hey,” said Heivia through their helmets.<br /> <br /> They were using close-range IR at the moment, so he had to be pretty close. He must have been riding on a different scrap.<br /> <br /> “Do you honestly think we can arrive there without issue?”<br /> <br /> “Wow, Heivia. Frolaytia really has you brainwashed, huh? How can you look at everything that’s happened so far and think ‘without issue’ is even remotely still on the table?”<br /> <br /> “That’s not what I meant.”<br /> <br /> Heivia’s usual worrying nature was rearing its ugly head.<br /> <br /> He tended to grow cowardly the instant some unknown technology, like a new Object, showed up. Just like someone who saw new smartphones and tablets and decided they preferred an insular regulated society over a bright future. Quenser was annoyed by that elderly way of thinking, but…<br /> <br /> “Yes, we might be able to slip past the killer satellite defense network if we hitch a ride with the registered scraps,” said Heivia. “But there are scraps too big to call debris headed toward the elevator’s space station.”<br /> <br /> “If they weren’t, we would be starting an endless journey into space. What’s your point?”<br /> <br /> “Ummm, won’t those scraps look like a threat to the space station? Won’t they have defense weapons ready to shoot down the scrap metal???”<br /> <br /> The elderly way of thinking contained wisdom this time.<br /> <br /> Quenser frantically unhooked his carabiner and kicked off the side of his scrap just before a thick, bluish-white electron beam stabbed through the silent vacuum of space. It pierced the center of the cylindrical cargo tank, causing it to rupture from within.<br /> <br /> Incidentally, the supplies that never reached their destination happened to be sex toys.<br /> <br /> Since any videos watched or VR data accessed on a space station’s computer equipment would be contained in the logs sent back to the control center back on the ground, Quenser was surrounded by a blizzard of analog paper magazines, silicone tubes, and life-sized dolls.<br /> <br /> “Get away from the scraps!!” he shouted “The defense system meant for meteors and large scraps can’t detect anything human-sized!!”<br /> <br /> “Oh, no. That cloud of sex toys is floating out into space,” lamented Myonri. “The aliens are going to know all about the most embarrassing side of our civilization.”<br /> <br /> “Huh? What are you worried about, Myonri? This is tradition. Have you ever heard of the space probe they launched back when the country called America still existed? The world’s brightest scientists got together and decided the best way to contact aliens was to carve a picture of a naked man and woman into a metal plate. But since being bright doesn’t mean being a good artist, they got some complaints about spreading a poor representation of earth’s civilization.”<br /> <br /> If you were not sure how to use the books and dolls, they would only look like detailed examples of human anatomy. With that much reference material, the little green men flying around in saucers and harassing farms could stop abducting humans and pulling out their insides. The books might even be preserved in an alien museum as anatomy textbooks. But right now Quenser had to focus on the space elevator more than the aliens who seemed to have a thing for milk and busty country girls.<br /> <br /> He was in the middle of a war between humans.<br /> <br /> The Mother Lady built by the Federation of Elevator Industries was right in front of him.<br /> <br /> The wires extending all the way from the earth seemed to pierce through a giant disk-like structure that looked something like a flower with petals or like an analog clock face. A donut-shaped block for living space and cargo storage were connected to the central sphere and 8 “flower petals” extended sharply out from there. From the central sphere to the tip of the petals, it had a radius of more than 10km.<br /> <br /> The wires seemed to “pierce through” it because they did not stop there. They continued a long, long way up into space. Space had no horizon or atmosphere, but the faint blue light of the planet got in the way, preventing Quenser from seeing the end. It was probably connected to some kind of weight, like a wire reel that was no longer in use.<br /> <br /> The space station was located at an altitude of 36 thousand kilometers, but the wires apparently continued past 100 thousand. That was the only way for it to remain balanced, but that meant the distance from the station to the top of the elevator was about twice the distance from the ground to the station.<br /> <br /> The moon was even further out at 380 thousand kilometers. The luxury villas disconnected from all the wars on earth seemed to be coldly staring down at the incompetent potatoes who could not stop the killing even after launching into the silence of space.<br /> <br /> “Heh. That thing’s the world’s biggest piece of space trash,” spat Heivia.<br /> <br /> Even now, the bluish-white rapid-fire beam weapon continued to tear through the vacuum of space to burn away the large scraps the station had created itself. The kilometers-long flower petals were covered with solar panels and had apparently been converted into weapons, so a careless look at the sharp tips could expose your eyes to the blinding light.<br /> <br /> But just as Quenser had predicted, the weapons were only attacking the scorched hunks of metal. Once the potatoes let go and floated away, they no longer had to fear the defense weapons.<br /> <br /> They soon arrived at the giant station that only looked like a smooth wall from the outside.<br /> <br /> They touched it.<br /> <br /> “God, this is terrifying!” said Heivia. “Where am I even supposed to grab this thing!? I’m gonna float away from it again!!”<br /> <br /> “Don’t come to me for comfort just cause you’re worried. It’s creepy!!” said Quenser. “Using your extravehicular unit to press against the wall would be a waste of gas, so attach yourself with a wire!!”<br /> <br /> Something as simple as landing proved to be a trial and error affair. Heivia seriously did end up flipping away into space, so Quenser had to seriously think for a moment whether he would grab at the filthy guy’s waist or let him fly off never to be seen again. He ultimately decided to throw over the other end of the wire he had attached to the wall, snagging it around Heivia’s leg.<br /> <br /> Once he had finally arrived safely on the station’s wall, the idiot forgot all about saying thanks as he changed the subject.<br /> <br /> “Pant, pant! A-anyway, where do we get in? Let’s not make our space adventures into a trilogy. We only have so much oxygen.”<br /> <br /> “We have airtight tape. And since Cottage is still breathing, it must work. Let’s blow a hole in the airlock with a bomb and then seal it up from the inside. We need oxygen too, so no one survives if we just thoughtlessly pop the place open like a balloon.”<br /> <br /> They had arrived at the space station, so the killer satellites defending its surroundings would have a hard time aiming for them. The Capitalist Corporations’ Federation of Elevator Industries would not want to blow a hole in the wall and dump themselves out into the vacuum of space.<br /> <br /> Using the extravehicular activity unit’s gas for movement was not recommended, but they had no choice at the moment. Trusting that he could steal some equipment from the station, Quenser used the nitrogen gas to approach one of the large flower petals. Instead of the sharp tip, he was interested in the donut-shaped living space and cargo block located inward of the petals. He felt like a bug going for the flower’s nectar.<br /> <br /> He pressed up against a rectangular section reminiscent of an elevator door reinforced with a rubber seal.<br /> <br /> “Is this the airlock? I was expecting something more like a bank vault door, but this is pretty flimsy. Hey, Heivia, let me use your rifle’s sensors. I’ll check the material and thickness of the door with the ultrasound sensor and then set up the plastic explosive.”<br /> <br /> He held out his hand while staring at the airlock and then looked over to see someone there.<br /> <br /> They shined silver and stood over 3m tall.<br /> <br /> It was a Capitalist Corporations powered suit used for extravehicular activity.<br /> <br /> “……………………………………………………………………………………………”<br /> <br /> His mind went blank.<br /> <br /> A beat later, a scream too high-pitched to even call girly erupted from Quensette’s mouth, signaling the beginning of a battle between Legitimacy Kingdom shoulder-fired missiles and a Capitalist Corporation shotgun.<br /> <br /> “Kyaaaaahhhhh!!”<br /> <br /> “Stop worrying about your nitrogen supply, Quenser! Get away from that wall!!”<br /> <br /> ===Part 3===<br /> <br /> The Capitalist Corporations’ strategy was to cause shallow scratches over a wide area instead of concentrating penetrative power on a single point. Even if the attack did not break through the enemy spacesuit, it would still cause them to spin uncontrollably and a single pinprick in those thick plastic suits would cause the person inside to die. The conditions were entirely different from when everyone was covered in bulletproof fibers and thick armor plates. Air was the dividing line between life and death, not blood.<br /> <br /> Shotguns could cover a wide area with a single shot, so they were the perfect choice.<br /> <br /> With no air or gravity in space, their power was not reduced by distance.<br /> <br /> They saw a bright muzzle flash right in front of them.<br /> <br /> “C-Cottage!?”<br /> <br /> “Pull out the bullet before using the airtight tape! Those are smoke rounds, so seal it with tape now and he’ll smoke alive in his suit!!”<br /> <br /> “Wow, it actually worked. I think he might be immortal.”<br /> <br /> Being treated by cute Myonri was enough. A guy who could convert lust into strength in battle was unbeatable. Quenser complained about the guy’s survival, but then he heard Heivia click his tongue over the transmission.<br /> <br /> “Dammit, I can’t get a stable trajectory with my rifle or missiles. Earth projectiles designed to be used in the air are useless!”<br /> <br /> “Wait, you couldn’t even aim the missile you fired to save me!?”<br /> <br /> It was just like a student from a safe country to complain after having his life saved. A child who did not know how to cook and always had his mama cook for him could never appreciate how wonderful it was to always have a homecooked meal made for you.<br /> <br /> Were the Capitalist Corporations using shotguns because the ballistic trajectories were so unstable?<br /> <br /> With all this tech developed for use in space, it was easy to forget they had been hiding in cracks in the ground to avoid the enemy not long ago.<br /> <br /> “The Island Nation is the holy land of robots and they’ve also got Hollywood that insists on doing everything in full 3DCG.” Heivia sounded disgusted. “That must have influenced them. We’re in trouble cause I can’t even imagine what kind of bizarre weapon they’ll pull out next!!”<br /> <br /> “That just means this place is a treasure trove of tech they can’t go public with. I’m gonna get a look at it and steal all their ideas. This deadly trip into space won’t be worth it otherwise.”<br /> <br /> A powered suit was a lot better than a spacesuit, but it was still only as sturdy as an armored truck. They could be shot through with a missile or an anti-materiel rifle.<br /> <br /> At any rate, the soldiers on the run triggered a silent explosion in space, launching the powered suit away from the station and into the emptiness beyond.<br /> <br /> “They know we’re here now, so blow open that airlock already,” said Heivia. “Who knows how many are going to be rushing over here soon!!”<br /> <br /> “You might want to move outside of the blast range. Unless you want to go crashing through a lunar villa’s roof, that is.”<br /> <br /> They blew up the airlock and moved inside.<br /> <br /> They did not have time for them all to pass through the one airlock. Luckily, there were plenty of airlocks. Once Quenser had a few more people in his, they sealed the outside door with airtight tape, pried open the inside door with some tools (because using another bomb would have killed everyone inside the airlock), and finally paid the space station a visit.<br /> <br /> The bright white LED lights made the inside look unnaturally sterile. It was so perfect it instead looked unhealthy. It was reminiscent of a research lab deep underground where a zombie virus or something was being developed.<br /> <br /> They were in a simple corridor, but it was as wide as a road with two lanes both ways. It followed a gentle curve, so they could not see all the way down it.<br /> <br /> The place was unnecessarily large, evidence that they had no trouble transporting things into space. A station like this would have been unthinkable back when everything used rockets where people racked their brains to reduce the weight by even a single gram.<br /> <br /> The space elevator was neither a train station nor a hotel, so they did not bother using centrifugal force to produce artificial gravity. Everything remained zero-g like normal.<br /> <br /> (Zero-g like normal, huh? Humans adapt so fast.)<br /> <br /> Quenser smiled cynically in his helmet. He hoped he would be able to stand on his own two feet once he was back on earth.<br /> <br /> He glanced at the computer on his arm. Operating the simple screen controls was difficult with a hand larger than a baseball glove.<br /> <br /> “There’s pressure. One atmosphere in fact, so there’s probably air.”<br /> <br /> “Then open your helmet’s visor and prove it. I’m not about to open mine and have my head swell out and pop like a balloon.”<br /> <br /> Heivia’s ideas of space appeared to be based on a hodgepodge of misinformation. Death in a vacuum would not be that gruesome. You would still be dead, though.<br /> <br /> “Come to think of it, what happens when you die in space?” he asked. “There aren’t any bacteria to make you decompose out here, so would you float on outside of the solar system inside your enclosed spacesuit without ever rotting until some aliens finally picked you up???”<br /> <br /> “You have a ton of bacteria in your gut,” replied Quenser. “Not to mention mites on your skin and cavity bacteria on your teeth. Some people will have parasites like athlete’s foot too. Once we die and our immune system shuts down, we’ll be devoured from within. Inside a sealed spacesuit, you’ll be reduced to a sticky goop made up of rotted flesh, filth, and even the squid-smelling goo in your balls. That would make for an awful surprise for the little green men who open up your suit. They’ll be wondering why the earth sent them such a cruel present.”<br /> <br /> He made sure not to hold his breath since that could damage his lungs.<br /> <br /> But he still wanted to preserve his suit’s oxygen tank, so he went ahead and raised his visor. If the tank did run out, he could still suffocate to death inside his spacesuit even when he was surrounded by oxygen in the safe station.<br /> <br /> He felt dizzy the instant the outside air reached him.<br /> <br /> “Ugh!”<br /> <br /> “Hey, your eardrums didn’t burst, did they!?”<br /> <br /> “I’m fine. I think it’s just my inner ear.”<br /> <br /> He shut off the oxygen supply from the tank while he thought.<br /> <br /> Could he find a Capitalist Corporations oxygen tank anywhere?<br /> <br /> The two idiots searched around. This structure was generally shaped like a donut, but there were a ton of sturdy metal doors for airlocks on the outside of the metal ring. Those were connection joists for attaching additional experiment rooms.<br /> <br /> The delinquent noble (who now removed his helmet after seeing Quenser was fine with his visor open) frowned as they checked inside those.<br /> <br /> “Pwah. The hell? These are so boring.”<br /> <br /> “No, they’re not. These are a treasure trove.”<br /> <br /> The two of them had vastly different opinion on what they saw.<br /> <br /> The experiments came in all types. The cylindrical experiment rooms were each the size of a large bus and had various company logos plastered on them. Were all those companies supporters of the Federation of Elevator Industries? The one with plants growing on steel racks protected by glass cases was probably a plant factory that grew vegetables which could be harvested dozens of times per year. In addition to food, there were frozen earthworms and slugs. Those may have been a cold sleep experiment.<br /> <br /> (Hm? Is this the latest space trend? I could have sworn the focus was more on new alloys and microscopic chemical development.)<br /> <br /> “Look, they’ve got drinking water.”<br /> <br /> “Heivia, that machine recycles the astronauts’ piss with a filter.”<br /> <br /> “Bfff!? Thank god I didn’t swallow!!”<br /> <br /> Heivia’s over-the-top spit take made him spin around in the zero-g.<br /> <br /> There was also a section with genetic information preserved in cold storage. Basically, it was the fertilized eggs of animals.<br /> <br /> “This one is a zebra and this one a giraffe. There’s even a lion and a hyena.”<br /> <br /> “What the hell’s the point? Can you order endangered species with the click of a button in the Capitalist Corporations???”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> Quenser thought for a bit and then faced the machinery again.<br /> <br /> He saw water, dirt, nutrients, and even fertilizer. A closer look showed none of it appeared to have been created in a sterile lab. The dirt had apparently just been dug up from the ground because the bags full of it still contained chunks of mold and small bugs.<br /> <br /> “Heh,” laughed Heivia. “Do those rich bastards even want their experiments to be free of additives and agrochemicals?”<br /> <br /> “No, wait. Is this what I think it is?”<br /> <br /> “?”<br /> <br /> Heivia tilted his head, but Quenser was not even looking his awful friend’s way.<br /> <br /> “Was this for Re Terra?”<br /> <br /> “I don’t know and I don’t care because we’re bringing this elevator down today. Here, isn’t this what we wanted? Capitalist Corporations oxygen tanks!”<br /> <br /> Sure enough.<br /> <br /> In fact, there were tanks everywhere.<br /> <br /> “Wow, the elevator sure is generous to its people. They have so much precious oxygen they can just leave it lying around like curly hairs in the corner of your room.”<br /> <br /> “Couldn’t you at least compare it to a fire extinguisher or AED, you bastard?”<br /> <br /> But once they actually pulled a tank out of its metal box, they found the socket did not match. These could not be attached to Legitimacy Kingdom equipment.<br /> <br /> “These mystery hairs are completely useless! Why can’t they be more accommodating, dammit!?”<br /> <br /> “Probably to prevent their enemy from using them. Y’know, like we’re trying to do.”<br /> <br /> If they borrowed the lathe in one of the experiment rooms and shaved down the metal connector to match the tube’s width, they could probably get it to fit, but they were in space. They were dead if any oxygen could escape, so they were afraid to trust DIY work. Unfortunately, they would have to give up on the oxygen tanks for now.<br /> <br /> (I have no idea if we’re making these decisions based on the reality of space or based on an idea of space born from dubious facts we picked up somewhere, but it’s our lives on the line here.)<br /> <br /> Quenser gave a self-deprecating smile.<br /> <br /> Taking over the space station would be their best bet, but if that did not work, they at least needed a spaceship they could stay on for longer periods of time. Either way, securing a survivable environment was top priority. Being kicked back out without any new supplies would be the worst-case scenario. Whether it was oxygen or nitrogen, if they ran out of the supplies needed to operate in space, they could not avoid drying up and dying in the emptiness out there.<br /> <br /> “I’m honestly pretty jealous of that powered suit from before. One scratch to our spacesuits and we’re dead, so that thing must be such a relief. Maybe we can find some in storage somewhere.”<br /> <br /> “That’s Capitalist Corporations gear,” pointed out Heivia. “Steal one and our own people will shoot you the instant you step out the door.”<br /> <br /> For that reason, stealing just a tank or even a full spacesuit from the Capitalist Corporations would be dangerous.<br /> <br /> “This station is more than 20km long, so it’s huge. Whether it’s manned or unmanned, they must have far more firepower than us. So where do we make our attack? If we don’t choose a specific target, they’ll use their superior numbers to surround us.”<br /> <br /> “I’m aware of that.”<br /> <br /> This space had no gravity, but it did have artificial air. That meant bullets produced for use on the surface would hit their targets here. With the exception of long-range sniper shots that took gravity into account.<br /> <br /> (Mother Lady must have a power source up here as well. Otherwise, the Princess’s group could have cut their power from the ground base. Is it just those flower petal solar panels, or do they have something else? No, that won’t help. Even if I did know they have a nuclear reactor here, I wouldn’t know where in this 20km fortress it is.)<br /> <br /> Quenser could only think of one option.<br /> <br /> Since they lacked a detailed map of the station, they could only aim for somewhere they could generally guess was important. In other words, something that structurally had to exist.<br /> <br /> “Let’s head to the center.”<br /> <br /> “You wanna go straight on in without even kissing the nape or earlobe first? Got a particular target in mind?”<br /> <br /> “No matter how big this thing is, it still needs attitude control. It isn’t a spaceship just floating out here – it’s an elevator connected to a long wire. Since the wire is 100 thousand kilometers long – a quarter of the distance to the moon – you could calculate out its natural frequency. They must have some a gyro or a pendulum that counteracts the vibration of this giant string instrument. And that has to directly interact with the wire, so it must be at the center of the station. Take that down and the vibration of the wire will tear the station apart from within.”<br /> <br /> “Even though it’s 20km long?”<br /> <br /> “It could be 100 or even 200km long. The size of the building doesn’t matter.”<br /> <br /> They could use that to negotiate.<br /> <br /> If they were going to settle in anywhere, the center of the station would be best.<br /> <br /> Instead of running, Heivia walked along with his hand on the wall.<br /> <br /> “Hey, how about we let the station break apart while we escape to safety in an escape pod!?”<br /> <br /> “Sure, if you can find enough of those wonderfully convenient escape pods for everyone and prove that the station can’t fire those thick electron beams up our fleeing asses while it falls apart. Whatever we’re gonna do with this giant thing, we need to take the center if we want any bargaining chips at all.”<br /> <br /> They heard a distant sound like thick rubber being crushed.<br /> <br /> A six-wheeled armored vehicle appeared from around a corner of the wide corridor.<br /> <br /> It was the size of a van.<br /> <br /> “What the hell!? We’re inside right now!!”<br /> <br /> Heivia shouted and immediately tried to shove the frozen skinny boy aside, but he completely forgot about the whole zero-g thing.<br /> <br /> He could not suppress the force of his own shove without using the extravehicular activity unit on his back.<br /> <br /> The two boys ended up floating away in opposite directions.<br /> <br /> The armored vehicle’s machinegun gave a roar and red-hot bullets flew through the gap between them.<br /> <br /> “That was too close!”<br /> <br /> “Where’s Cottage!? We can test this new weapon on him!!”<br /> <br /> Heivia was trembling behind a metal tank filled with who-knows-what, but Quenser analyzed the situation while hiding behind a pillar rising from the floor.<br /> <br /> “The recoil didn’t push it back? Oh, I get it. That thing’s an asteroid probe. Its tires aren’t filled with air. They attach to the floor instead. Does it use suction cups? No, maybe it uses spikes similar to a cocklebur. It must be able to electrically change the angle of the spikes.”<br /> <br /> “You’ve got a huge boner for tech! I get it already! Got any useful information for us!?”<br /> <br /> “It looks fancy, but it’s really the same old thing.” Quenser seemed awfully calm for having an armored vehicle’s machinegun aimed at him. “They took a lightweight aluminum probe and attached some armor panels that defeat its entire purpose. Its defenses are flimsy as hell compared to a real tank and the bullets its firing are only made to ‘scratch’ the target instead of punching through them. …This isn’t anywhere near as bad as a normal battlefield. Having our spacesuits tear isn’t all that bad when we’re inside a space station full of artificial air.”<br /> <br /> Yes.<br /> <br /> It was harmless.<br /> <br /> It did not have a bunch of legs or antigravity tech. Forcing a new method would only lead to malfunctions, so the Federation of Elevator Industries had stuck with the tried and true standard of wheels. That suggested it also used ordinary electric power. Burning gasoline or diesel was out of the question since there was no air in space, so what else could they use? They had likely avoided anything too bizarre.<br /> <br /> Even if they had the equipment, the other side would not want to fire anti-materiel bullets thicker than your thumb at a rate of hundreds per minute. They would not want to tear apart their space station from within after spending so much money and effort building it.<br /> <br /> Everything was normal, ordinary, and unsurprising.<br /> <br /> Even though they were in space. Or maybe because they were in space?<br /> <br /> “I get your reasoning.” Heivia was still curled up behind cover. “But what are we supposed to do about it?”<br /> <br /> “Weren’t you listening, dumbass? We fight the kind of war the Capitalist Corporations doesn’t want. Fire your gun and fill the wall to our right with holes 150m ahead of here!!”<br /> <br /> To avoid wasting the nitrogen for his extravehicular activity unit, Heivia grabbed onto a large tank with one arm to hold himself in place while firing his assault rifle. He only held it in one hand, but that was fine when he only needed to hit the wall and not pinpoint target someone between the eyes.<br /> <br /> The wall was blown through right next to the armored vehicle.<br /> <br /> There were different kinds of walls on the station.<br /> <br /> For example, there were the extra airlocks that did not yet have an additional experiment room attached.<br /> <br /> Once there were too many holes to count on your fingers, the pressure difference tore the entire metal door away. A gust of wind formed, like air escaping a giant balloon, and it tore the nearby armored vehicle from the floor, sucking it out into the black of space.<br /> <br /> That was a major kill for Heivia, but for once he did not brag about it.<br /> <br /> Instead, he paled in horror at what he had done.<br /> <br /> “Wait, wait, wait, wait!! What do we do!? What do we do now!?”<br /> <br /> “If the Capitalist Corporations have any sense at all, their central control will close the shutter.”<br /> <br /> There was no response.<br /> <br /> The Federation of Elevator Industries had no sense at all.<br /> <br /> “In that case, escape to the next block over!”<br /> <br /> “How dumb are you!? Your plan should never be reliant on the enemy’s benevolent nature!”<br /> <br /> The storm was rapidly expanding.<br /> <br /> “Oh, god. It’s sucking like crazy! Once that greedy old hag gets her lips on you, she’s never letting go!!”<br /> <br /> “Try to knock some sense back into your messed-up brain, dumbass.”<br /> <br /> Before the air could be sucked out of their current location, the potatoes kicked off the wall, passed to the next section of the segmented corridor, and pulled the lever to manually lower a thick shutter.<br /> <br /> They had barely escaped with their lives, but they had learned something through nearly dying.<br /> <br /> “The Federation of Elevator Industries isn’t some unbeatable enemy.” Quenser took a deep breath to confirm that there was still air here. “The space elevator and the station up in satellite orbit are a hell of a first impression, but nothing they’ve done in this fight has been all that crazy. So far, anyway. They’re only using whatever weapons were available and they’re intentionally reducing the amount of explosives. I was afraid what we would find in a zero-g war with no Objects, but this isn’t a destructive war where everyone’s aiming nukes at everyone else to ensure their own safety.”<br /> <br /> “And?”<br /> <br /> “We should be able to negotiate. Maybe by placating them and maybe by threatening them.”<br /> <br /> But that did not change where they needed to go. They had to leave the donut-shaped living space and cargo area and enter the center of the elevator itself. The long, long wires would vibrate at a set frequency, so there would be a device that counteracted that. Control that, and they could begin to negotiate with the Federation of Elevator Industries that was losing more and more people because they were too worried about damaging the space station to take sufficiently strong action.<br /> <br /> They aimed their guns at anyone they came across, but most of them were more Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Phillip. Make some kind of signal before stepping out. I nearly shot you!”<br /> <br /> “And let everyone know it’s me in advance? They might ‘accidentally’ shoot me because of some stupid grudge they hold.”<br /> <br /> The potatoes were indeed potatoes. Gambling and moneylending within the same unit led to mutual suspicion in a flash. A military unit meant to protect the world could be destroyed from within by a single deck of cards.<br /> <br /> After rejoining with a few other Legitimacy Kingdom groups, Quenser and Heivia approached the center.<br /> <br /> There was a shutter down between the areas, but the student’s plastic explosive made short work of that and they continued on.<br /> <br /> The inside was not at all what Quenser had expected.<br /> <br /> He had been imagining something like the bridge of a giant aircraft carrier, but the central area was more like an airport luggage management room or a drink factory. Conveyer belts with protrusions to hold them in place ran every which way, creating lanes like a highway interchange or junction. But instead of suitcases or plastic bottles, the conveyer belts were transporting large cylindrical cargo tanks.<br /> <br /> The area was larger than a domed stadium.<br /> <br /> A few parallel lines pierced straight down the very center of the vast space, but these were not thin threads. They were shaped like flat belts about 80cm wide and thinner than a razorblade. Needless to say, those were the elevator’s carbon nanotube wires.<br /> <br /> But Quenser did not have time to stare at that piece of the space elevator.<br /> <br /> A girl with a fluttering lab coat floated in the zero-g world beyond those wires that looked like a giant string instrument.<br /> <br /> But she did not seem to be a soldier.<br /> <br /> What kind of soldier would be dressed like that?<br /> <br /> [[Image:HO_v18_BW5.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> In what was probably the gym outfit of a safe country school, she wore a short-sleeved gym shirt and red sports bloomers. On her feet, she wore black kneesocks and functional sneakers. The baggy lab coat she wore above all that was the only thing hinting that she was a researcher.<br /> <br /> This was a female researcher involved with the elevator.<br /> <br /> Each of those symbols and facts danced through Quenser’s mind. Plus, a tablet floated next to the girl whose long hair and lab coat were fluttering in the lack of gravity. The alphabet stickers on the tablet’s back spelled out the name Louisiana.<br /> <br /> “Eh? What?”<br /> <br /> The answer was right in front of him, but Quenser still blinked in confusion.<br /> <br /> “Do you just happen to have the same name? Is this a body double? Because you can’t be her! I mean, Louisiana Honeysuckle was the girl in Braskine’s story! And it has to have been at least 4 years since he made those memories!!”<br /> <br /> “Try 6. I went to graduate school.”<br /> <br /> “Hm? Hmm??? But then how are you only 17? Or did you master immortality so you always look 17!?”<br /> <br /> “I’m what they call a genius, so I skipped several years of school.”<br /> <br /> “B-”<br /> <br /> Quenser Barbotage was not usually the type to speak ill of the dead.<br /> <br /> He was proud of that fact, but he chose to break that rule here.<br /> <br /> It was a reflexive response in this case.<br /> <br /> “Braskiiiiiiiiiine!!!??? Why did you make that sound like a bitter love story!? How young a girl did you fall for you, you son of a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!!?”<br /> <br /> “What, she’s a friend of his!?” asked Heivia while still aiming his assault rifle.<br /> <br /> Louisiana Honeysuckle.<br /> <br /> She might be a monster in the field of space technology, but it was hard to imagine that clothing had been modified to be bulletproof or blast-resistant. Nevertheless the gym clothes girl grinned and did not even put her hands up as countless guns were aimed her way.<br /> <br /> “What’s with the weird getup?” asked Heivia.<br /> <br /> “Oh, sorry about that. It may depend on the material, but your bra shows through some of them.”<br /> <br /> “This isn’t a joke!!”<br /> <br /> “This is a logical choice. Do you know how much your muscles deteriorate while living in zero-g. It also effects your calcium, so I’m worried about the strength of my bones.”<br /> <br /> “Do you really think you’re in any position to speak on equal footing with us? Or what, do you think you can stop our bullets with some very scientific psychokinesis!?”<br /> <br /> “PK? No, that’s a bit outside my field of expertise.”<br /> <br /> She kept a jocular tone of voice.<br /> <br /> Quenser sensed something more to this unusual confidence and then he gasped.<br /> <br /> “No!! Wait, Heivi-”<br /> <br /> A gunshot and muzzle flash burst out.<br /> <br /> But the one who froze in terror was the very one who had fired the warning shot: Heivia.<br /> <br /> The rifle bullet flew just a few centimeters past his head to hit the wall behind him.<br /> <br /> “Oh, how kind of you.”<br /> <br /> The 17-year-old girl continue smiling thinly in midair as she quietly applauded Heivia. Her shirt was not tucked in, so it floated up to reveal her shapely navel.<br /> <br /> Evidently, she really did not need bulletproof equipment.<br /> <br /> “If you had aimed between my eyes with that first shot, that would have killed you.”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “So even after seeing it in action, the soldier remains in his egg. That baby chick there seems to have noticed, though. These carbon nanotubes are the heart of the giant transportation infrastructure supporting this 100 thousand kilometer elevator. Mere bullets cannot tear them. If you do hit them, they will take in the bullet like a bow or slingshot and send it right back at you.”<br /> <br /> Jack-of-all-trades Myonri had rejoined them at some point and she glanced down at the grenade on her chest. And with this many people paying Louisiana a visit, they could split into two teams and circle around from both sides, preventing the wires from acting as a shield.<br /> <br /> “Any questions?” asked Louisiana while slowly flipping upside down.<br /> <br /> “Was your relationship with Braskine a, uh, p-platonic one!? You didn’t throw out your inhibitions and do a lot of experimenting just because you were in college, did you!?”<br /> <br /> “Why do you hear about a boy and girl being friends and immediately assume it’s sexual in nature? Is that just how it is with you high schoolers who run entirely on lust?”<br /> <br /> Louisiana breathed an exasperated sigh.<br /> <br /> Quenser’s question must not have been clever enough for her liking because the genius girl reached her slender finger toward something while still floating upside down.<br /> <br /> Namely…<br /> <br /> “I can us these carbon nanotubes in more than just passive ways. So how about I get more aggressive this time?”<br /> <br /> She flicked the edge of one of the belt-shaped wires. With just the one finger.<br /> <br /> The immediate result was more like an invisible wall than a noise.<br /> <br /> The bizarre shockwave hit the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes, slamming all their backs against the walls and transportation equipment.<br /> <br /> Quenser thought he was going to expel the contents of his stomach.<br /> <br /> “Gah!?”<br /> <br /> “The wires are wires. This facility is meant to restrict their vibration, but it can also give them a new vibration. And since this room is filled with artificial air, sound and vibrations can of course propagate through it. How do you like the music played by the world’s largest string instrument that covers a quarter of the distance from the earth to the moon?”<br /> <br /> It was more than he could have imagined.<br /> <br /> The very technology being used was different. Instead of supertechnology that were just guns and bombs but better, this was like being thrown into a sword and sorcery fantasy world.<br /> <br /> The Federation of Elevator Industries was not just a single company.<br /> <br /> It was a giant space development agency jointly funded by 7th Core, the seven large companies that controlled the Capitalist Corporations home country. Simply put, the Federation spoke on behalf of the Capitalist Corporations as a whole. It had been given funding and the latest tech from those seven monstrous companies, so of course they would have some crazy stuff.<br /> <br /> However…<br /> <br /> (We were caught off guard by new tech we’d never seen before, but we’re still alive.)<br /> <br /> Quenser forced down some sour saliva and pushed his thoughts in a positive direction.<br /> <br /> (This isn’t like the Object wars. If we let an Object’s first attack hit us like this, the entire unit would’ve been reduced to ashes!!)<br /> <br /> “If possible…”<br /> <br /> The genius girl in gym clothes and a lab coat traced her slender finger along the vibrating wire. She was looking at the carbon nanotube, not at Quenser and the others.<br /> <br /> Guns were not a bargaining chip against her.<br /> <br /> That extraordinary aerospace researcher had displayed something that seemed even more supernatural than psychokinesis.<br /> <br /> “I would prefer not to use her to kill. I accept that Mother Lady is a weapon that will change the very era we live in, but I want to use it to help the Turkana District.”<br /> <br /> “After you tricked them and stole their land for your precious elevator and then turned the whole place into a desert by sucking all the water out of the ground!?” shouted Heivia. “Your supposed philanthropy makes no sense!!”<br /> <br /> “Re Terra.” Quenser slowly interjected while grimacing in pain. “Re Terraforming. Are you trying to give the world a single unified environment?”<br /> <br /> He searched for the meaning of everything he had seen so far and constructed a theory he would much rather not know about.<br /> <br /> “I saw the plants, animals, dirt, and water of the Turkana District in this space station. You plan to suck it up from the ground base and scatter it from space. Across the entire world! Then Asia, Europe, North and South America, and the rest of the world will all be remade to have the same environment as the Turkana District. You aren’t planning to alter some other planet – you’re remaking earth. Because you believe that will make every part of the world equal, regardless of terrain or environment!!”<br /> <br /> “Hmm?”<br /> <br /> Louisiana did not provide a real response.<br /> <br /> Instead of a yes or a no, she brought her finger to the back of her hips. Fixing the red sports bloomers riding up in her butt was apparently more important to her than listening to the enemy.<br /> <br /> She did not even look their way when she spoke again.<br /> <br /> “You seem to be mistaken about some things. You shouldn’t accuse people based on groundless speculation.”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “Besides, you’re not the Faith Organization, so surely you don’t think the world will be saved if you just continue with your blind Object worship. You have no way to save the world. Rejecting someone else’s ideas without one of your own is what children do.”<br /> <br /> The space elevator was a largescale space project meant to carry great quantities of cargo outside the atmosphere. If her plan was executed, it would be far worse than volcanic ash paralyzing a city. No matter how much the people on the surface tried to fight it, they would never catch up. Once the environment itself had been altered, the lifeforms already there would die out. Everything would be made uniform.<br /> <br /> Slugs could not live on the dry ground and moles could not live in the hard ground. The distribution of animals could be easily controlled using soil and water quality. If you could dump dizzying amounts of it from the sky, that is.<br /> <br /> The deep ocean bottom barely changed across the entire world, but it apparently grew deeper at a rate of 1mm every thousand years. That was supposedly due to fine cosmic dust that poured down from outside the atmosphere, but Louisiana was trying to dump meters of it in a single day.<br /> <br /> That might increase the population of endangered animals like giraffes and lions.<br /> <br /> But there would be no variety there. The Legitimacy Kingdom was fighting for the extremely ill-defined plan of “protecting the varied plants and animals that might be useful as a drug at some point”. What if some strange new disease was spreading and the plant or animal needed for the cure had gone extinct? A unified environment would take away crucial flexibility and might even lead to more extinctions.<br /> <br /> And that was not an issue with the plants and animals of the Turkana District.<br /> <br /> It would be the same no matter what part of the planet you chose. Life could not be ranked in a hierarchy – none of it was superior or inferior to anything else. If a species of wheat or grape considered the most valuable to humans was planted all across the planet, that would only increase the risk of it entirely dying out at some point. Even seemingly useless weeds and the bugs swarming below the streetlights were supporting the world in some roundabout way.<br /> <br /> A single person would change the world.<br /> <br /> Quite literally so. She really was going to change the planet’s environment.<br /> <br /> (I knew Louisiana Honeysuckle was supposed to be a genius, but this is absurd!!)<br /> <br /> Even so, if she was going to use sound, she would be bound by the nature of sound. If she was going to use wires, she would be trapped by the shape of a wire. Louisiana Honeysuckle had used her intellect to extend her reach into space where she was trying to remake the planet as a whole, but she was not a witch with a magic wand.<br /> <br /> All of this was the result of high-level science. If they figured out how it worked, they could prevent her from using it.<br /> <br /> “Heivia, ready your gun.”<br /> <br /> “Wait, shouldn’t we withdraw for the time being!?”<br /> <br /> “Louisiana is a true monster. She knows the structure of the elevator like the back of her hand, she can entirely ignore standard military tactics, and she can even use ‘magic’. Don’t carelessly try to attack her directly.”<br /> <br /> Then was there nothing they could do?<br /> <br /> Quenser continued before anyone could ask that question.<br /> <br /> “But those wires are 100 thousand kilometers long and they have a known natural frequency. We knew the number from the beginning, so we know what her magic really is and interfering with it won’t be that hard!!”<br /> <br /> “Oh, I’m shaking in my boots.”<br /> <br /> Louisiana cowered down in an obviously performative way. That kind of confidence was terrifying. She was surrounded by dozens of soldiers who made a living killing and shedding blood, so how could she smile? If it was based on science and not groundless faith, then she had to know her tricks were not absolute.<br /> <br /> Anyone could use science as long as they understood how it worked. That was what made it the standard most wildly supported by humanity.<br /> <br /> And yet…<br /> <br /> “Okay, enough playing around. I should probably just play my trump card now. Time to end this romantic space story and drag it back to the boring world of the military. Development Code: Elinabell.”<br /> <br /> The Federation of Elevator Industries had funding and technology from the seven large companies of 7th Core.<br /> <br /> This genius and true monster had full authority over it all. She wielded a supposedly impossible privilege in the world of science that should have been equal to all.<br /> Genius.<br /> <br /> That one word felt like an occult jinx or an invisible barrier. That researcher had everything a student like Quenser did not.<br /> <br /> As the snap of her finger rang through the artificial air, Louisiana Honeysuckle introduced them to her insane talent.<br /> <br /> “We have developed a Second Generation Object specifically designed for use in outer space.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 4===<br /> <br /> In that moment, logic vanished from the world.<br /> <br /> ===Part 5===<br /> <br /> Quenser’s vision returned.<br /> <br /> But he still could not fill in the blank in the back of his mind. He could only see things in unpleasant flashes and his brain could not figure out what the colors and shapes meant.<br /> <br /> His senses did not return for a while.<br /> <br /> It was a weirdly pleasant feeling, like having his fingertip freed from the fishing line constricting it.<br /> <br /> “Pant, pant.”<br /> <br /> He only now realized he had been breathing rapidly, nearly to the point of hyperventilation. His helmet’s thick visor was down, but that was the correct decision. He had been thrown out into the starry sky where he could not tell up from down or judge distance or direction.<br /> <br /> He was in outer space.<br /> <br /> (What – dammit – what happened!? How could I be thrown out into space when I was in the middle of the space station!?)<br /> <br /> His memories were failing him.<br /> <br /> But instead of the memories not existing, his weak mind was refusing to recall them.<br /> <br /> “Heivia, Myonri! Is anyone still alive!?”<br /> <br /> There was no response.<br /> <br /> Had they all been reduced to chunks of flesh floating out in the vacuum of space, or were they afraid sending out a signal would give away their position to the enemy?<br /> <br /> The enemy.<br /> <br /> The 7th Core’s representative.<br /> <br /> The symbol of the Federation of Elevator Industries’ power.<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> He could not calm his breathing. Beads of sweat swam through his helmet and he could not even brush them away with his hand.<br /> <br /> (That’s right.)<br /> <br /> It was like a jigsaw puzzle or like defragging a hard disk.<br /> <br /> The fragments he had been refusing to recall began to piece themselves together, whether he wanted it or not.<br /> <br /> (We were caught off guard. Louisiana fixed herself in place with a carabiner and pulled a lever while laughing. That opened a smoke vent in case of fire, so we were all sucked out of the space station.)<br /> <br /> But how had Louisiana Honeysuckle managed to catch them off guard?<br /> <br /> That lab coat girl may have been a genius, but a large group of Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers had gathered there. She was not the star of a samurai movie, so it was unrealistic to think she could take on so many enemies at once.<br /> <br /> Real war was much crueler and more boring.<br /> <br /> They were not fighting in order to look cool, so that was not too surprising.<br /> <br /> So what had happened?<br /> <br /> (''It'' arrived.)<br /> <br /> There was only one thing that could allow one side of a battle to crush the other: sending in greater firepower. It was a simple but absolute law.<br /> <br /> (She did something…and then the whole station shook violently. Which distracted us enough for her to catch us off guard.)<br /> <br /> He gulped.<br /> <br /> Pain flashed in the back of his mind. The blinding light was coming from his brain, not his eyes. Was it really this painful to recall a traumatizing experience?<br /> <br /> He did not want to believe it.<br /> <br /> He did not want to accept that was real.<br /> <br /> But his head moved all on its own. It turned. He could not fight the ultimate charisma carried only by the strongest weapon.<br /> <br /> There it was.<br /> <br /> It was a few kilometers away, which was nothing in space.<br /> <br /> It was more than 50m tall.<br /> <br /> He saw a colossal nuke-resistant mass.<br /> <br /> The spherical main body was covered with so many laser beams and plasma cannons it looked like a sea urchin or a chestnut burr. The most notable trait was the large half-circle piece attached around the main body. That bridge piece was fixed in place like headphones and had cylindrical tanks attached at even intervals.<br /> <br /> The large rings on the back and bottom of the main body appeared to be the propulsion devices.<br /> <br /> But they seemed insufficient to support its 200 thousand ton weight. The rings probably had some kind of engine equipped at even intervals for a multipurpose attitude control device that could act as retrorockets as well.<br /> <br /> “She cut her precious daughter loose from its huge umbilical cord,” said a dazed voice over the radio. It was Heivia. “Where the hell was that thing in the elevator!? In a higher station? Or in the weight at the top!?”<br /> <br /> “How should I know!? And that isn’t what matters!!”<br /> <br /> Quenser could not imagine what this thing would do.<br /> <br /> What kind of main cannon did it have? What kind of propulsion did it use? Were its armor panels and reactor different from the surface Objects? What kind of tactics would it use?<br /> <br /> It was right in front of him, but the information refused to enter his head.<br /> <br /> Instead…<br /> <br /> “Gyaahhh!!”<br /> <br /> “Stay low. We need to withdraw. Find something to hide behind!!”<br /> <br /> “That’s useless against an Object. What good is playing hide-and-seek with that thing!?”<br /> <br /> Only the sounds of lives being shredded shook his eardrums and then his entire body too.<br /> <br /> Then he realized this should not have been possible in space.<br /> <br /> (I can…hear them? I’m in a vacuum, but I can hear the sounds directly???)<br /> <br /> This was not reaching him through his communicator. He could tell the physical voices were reaching him. It was just like a movie or game where firing a laser beam filled outer space with noise.<br /> <br /> He heard an odd sound of ejection.<br /> <br /> It came from that Object. It had a main cannon on either side, but instead of from the front, some kind of gas was being ejected from small holes covering their sides.<br /> <br /> In fact…<br /> <br /> “Oxy…gen???”<br /> <br /> He thought this had to be some kind of joke.<br /> <br /> But that nightmarish waste of resources did not vanish from his view.<br /> <br /> 7th Core and the Capitalist Corporations as a whole had sent this monster out into the world.<br /> <br /> The Federation of Elevator Industries was not your normal organization. That much had been obvious ever since Louisiana Honeysuckle made an appearance, but the nightmare had taken physical form here.<br /> <br /> The vacuum of space was such a basic and fundamental concept, yet it had been shattered with a single attack.<br /> <br /> “Are you insane!? That Object controls oxygen in the vacuum of space!?”<br /> <br /> The sound of burning metal reached him.<br /> <br /> It was like hearing a cheap cigar lighter.<br /> <br /> But this was concentrated oxygen filling deadly outer space. Some of the soldiers had to be breathing a sigh of relief when they did not die after their spacesuit tore or helmet broke. Was there really enough oxygen there to have some level of atmospheric pressure???<br /> <br /> They were surrounded by lifegiving oxygen.<br /> <br /> But.<br /> <br /> That very oxygen was used as fuel for a fire hot enough to melt steel.<br /> <br /> There were screams.<br /> <br /> Those death cries normally would not have reached him through the vacuum of space, but he could not get them out of his ears or brain.<br /> <br /> “Ah, ahh, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?”<br /> <br /> He was on the outer edge of the oxygen area, so he was flipped over and thrown beyond the reach of the explosive flames. The flames had not hit him directly, but he still would have been roasted by the heat if not for his heat-resistant spacesuit.<br /> <br /> He could not perform the calculations necessary to determine if this was possible with just oxygen.<br /> <br /> It may have also used some other gas like hydrogen or acetylene. But it was not the technological issues that left him speechless.<br /> <br /> He saw countless spheres the same color as flesh floating around.<br /> <br /> It took him a second to realize that was the result of human flesh being liquefied, gathering together in zero-g, and then cooling. It had long been said that people became stars in the sky when they died, but that had finally been made a reality with technology. But this was not something anyone had wanted to be real. In contrast to the original saying, the reality had no hint of dignity or respect to be found. They were just round blobs. People were reduced to things. No more and no less.<br /> <br /> This was not the only way to use oxygen.<br /> <br /> It could be used to burn, to cool, and to oxidate. Since the Object had a near endless supply of the element necessary to maintain life, it could also be using some kind of biological weapon. Like a microbe that eats aluminum or a larva that chews through plastic.<br /> <br /> “Louisiana.”<br /> <br /> The Capitalist Corporations had completed their space elevator.<br /> <br /> They had carried materials into space for war.<br /> <br /> Was this why they had needed so many supplies in space that they needed to build Mother Lady?<br /> <br /> “Louisiana Honeysuckle!!!!!!”<br /> <br /> ===Part 6===<br /> <br /> “A Second Generation built for use in space?” groaned Frolaytia Capistrano in the civilian space base in the distant Amazon District of South America.<br /> <br /> Their Object was in Africa. Their First Generation could intercept ballistic missiles, but the Baby Magnum could not hit the Capitalist Corporations Second Generation from the ground.<br /> <br /> (All seven 7th Core companies paid obscene amounts of money to build that thing up in space, but what do they hope to use it against? The killer satellites are sufficient if they only want to take down enemy satellites and control the wireless data network. Are they hoping to attack the lunar villas, or do they think they need to fight space aliens???)<br /> <br /> The busty silver-haired commander reminded herself of the forces available to her while she stared at her laptop. She had sent a request for emergency support from their home country, but (as expected) that was not looking promising. Every minute and every second counted, but after spending 10 minutes trying to get through, she had only received a single sentence in response: “The Federation of Elevator Industries’ new Object has been given the enemy codename of World’s End.”<br /> <br /> (World’s End, huh? They do love their dark humor, giving that name to an oxygen-controlling Object. If we define the “end” of the world as the farthest territory filled with breathable air, then that thing’s location is indeed the world’s end.)<br /> <br /> [[Image:HO_v18_BW6.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> Of course, humanity was observing more than just the planet they had been born and raised on. They were observing outer space in several ways, including radar and radio telescopes. If a 50m mass had been floating out there, it would have led to a number of UFO sightings.<br /> <br /> So…<br /> <br /> (There was apparently another station located higher up the space elevator than the main one in geostationary orbit. The Object was probably constructed in there.)<br /> <br /> “What should we do?”<br /> <br /> “Sit tight, Princess. You need to wait. We can’t launch the Baby Magnum into space even with that elevator.”<br /> <br /> “That isn’t what I meant. Is there anything we can do from the ground base?”<br /> <br /> “Hm,” thought Frolaytia while holding the long, skinny kiseru in her mouth.<br /> <br /> Mother Lady was controlled by the Capitalist Corporations out in space, not the Legitimacy Kingdom on the surface, but did that meant there was nothing at all they could do?<br /> <br /> “Okay, I have an idea you can try out, Princess. The elevator’s wires are carbon nanotubes, so they’re made from carbon. We can use that to-”<br /> <br /> Just as the capable woman was sending out a command to help regain control of the situation, her laptop screen unnaturally froze up.<br /> <br /> “Hm!?”<br /> <br /> Her lit kiseru nearly fell from her mouth, so she had to quickly grab it in both hands. But nothing else changed. It was hard to tell with the Princess’s constantly blank expression, but the communication window had completely frozen.<br /> <br /> The connection icon on the edge of the screen had zero bars, so no signal.<br /> <br /> Military lines had multiple communication methods set up in parallel and it was set to automatically switch over if one of them went down, yet she had nothing at all now.<br /> <br /> With modern information technology, it was perfectly possible to command a team in Africa and a team in space from the Amazon District, but there was nothing she could do if communication trouble cut off all of her data.<br /> <br /> But would the officers whose hearts were more sensitive than a rabbit’s take those circumstances into account? Those people who never left their home country desks tended to ignore the risks they were demanding and then shoved all responsibility onto the local commander once something went wrong. And after setting up that kind of insurance, they would never allow any damage to their own reputations. So even if they understood the circumstances, they would pretend not to.<br /> <br /> Frolaytia knew she was in serious trouble.<br /> <br /> She messed with the settings, held her head in her hands, and then placed the laptop on the floor, touched the edge of it with one hand, and stretched her other arm and her legs horizontally with her hips still bent within her tight skirt.<br /> <br /> Was this a rhythmic gymnastics stretch, or was it a dancing sunflower toy of an older age?<br /> <br /> At any rate, she wiggled her body in that mystery pose.<br /> <br /> Since she was alone, she did not bother worrying about her short tight skirt.<br /> <br /> “Nh, nhhhhhhhh? Please! Come back, signal! Save my career!! Please! I don’t want to be demoted and sent to some godforsaken part of the world for something as dumb as thiiiis!!”<br /> <br /> Was it less pathetic to pray to god or to try becoming a human antenna? Since there was no one else around, spoiled Frolaytia tearfully went for the ultimate answer of both. However…<br /> <br /> “Excuse me, Major Capistrano.”<br /> <br /> “Bwahhhh!!!??? Cough, cough, ahem!? …Do you need something?”<br /> <br /> After clearing her throat in a “speak a word about this and you’re dead meat” sort of way, she turned around in a composed fashion.<br /> <br /> The intellectual girl (age 12) who had skipped so many grades she had ended up in the electronic simulation division was still tilting her head in confusion.<br /> <br /> “We have detected high-power wide-range jamming from ultra-high altitude. The Federation of Elevator Industries is likely responsible. The jamming signal is being blindly sent down from space, so it is unlikely they have located us here. But just in case they do begin an orbital bombardment, you should hurry to the tank base’s heavily-armored operation command vehicle.”<br /> <br /> “Curse the Capitalist Corporations. This was a cheap shot!!”<br /> <br /> It made sense. Why else would she not have received a single bar of signal after selling off her pride and stretching her arms and legs out like that? All that embarrassment for nothing!<br /> <br /> “It defeats the purpose of a laptop, but you can attach a wire to recover communications. Using the undersea fiber optic cable network, you can contact the team in Africa. And the Baby Magnum’s powerful communication equipment can break through the jamming to communicate with those in space. In other words, no good luck rituals are necessary in this case.”<br /> <br /> “Then get communications back up pronto. And I wasn’t doing anything!!”<br /> <br /> Unable to restrain the heat rising from within her body, Frolaytia shouted (in a display of childishness greater than the 12-year-old).<br /> <br /> The Legitimacy Kingdom response to being shamed was to retaliate 100-fold, so the major renewed her resolve toward this harsh and dangerous war: ''Don’t think you’re getting off with just having to dance in the nude.<br /> <br /> “Hee hee. I sometimes rely on good luck rituals too. Like when I’m baking something in the oven while off duty and the tablet displaying the recipe site freezes.”<br /> <br /> “Please stop. I don’t want to hit a 12-year-old, so use that genius brain of yours to figure out when to hold your tongue!!”<br /> <br /> ===Part 7===<br /> <br /> Death was approaching.<br /> <br /> It could hardly have been closer in this zero-g space that barely felt real.<br /> <br /> Quenser could not even think about the space elevator or the plan to unify the earth’s atmosphere. Not when his survival one second from now was far from guaranteed.<br /> <br /> “What the hell are we supposed to do?” <br /> <br /> A radio transmission suddenly reached his spacesuit’s helmet.<br /> <br /> It was from his awful friend Heivia.<br /> <br /> “The World’s End? I don’t want its name! I want to know what to do about it! Was that one staticky transmission all we get!? No one told me they had an Object! We don’t have any equipment capable of taking that thing down, you idiots!!”<br /> <br /> (Then stop sending out this meaningless transmission, you true idiot!! Do you want it to detect your location!?)<br /> <br /> Quenser did not dare send out a warning.<br /> <br /> This Generation Two space Object was bizarre even for the Capitalist Corporations.<br /> <br /> It was fundamentally different from the traditional Objects that traveled along land or sea. It lacked a system for keeping its 200 thousand ton weight afloat, so no air cushion engine and no static electricity propulsion device. It had ring-like parts on the back and bottom of its spherical main body, but they looked too delicate. The exact system was unknown, but those had some sort of propulsion device attached at even intervals which were likely used for attitude control and as both rockets and retrorockets.<br /> <br /> The central main body had an additional component attached like headphones or like a hagoromo from Island Nation mythology and that component had cylindrical tanks attached at even intervals. Its primary weapons were the pressurized oxygen nozzles extending from either side. It controlled massive amounts of oxygen in the vacuum of space to burn away all enemies in the ultimate act of waste and luxury.<br /> <br /> The propulsion devices attached on the ring-like units behind and below it could apparently all be moved separately.<br /> <br /> Whether they used oxygen, ions, photons, or jets, those were likely used for attitude control, acceleration, deceleration, and turning. Its main cannons could melt armor, but they may have been able to emit different amounts of oxygen from both sides to rotate the enemy.<br /> <br /> (The Capitalist Corporations includes the Island Nation that’s gone mostly isolationist, doesn’t it?)<br /> <br /> Quenser gulped.<br /> <br /> (Is it supposed to look like their Fujin and Raijin? Dammit, this is why it isn’t healthy to have enough money and talent to actually build every little idea that occurs to you!!)<br /> <br /> And he did not have time to just sit there observing it.<br /> <br /> He could not escape the Object’s attacks by spinning defenselessly around in empty space. Before even thinking about winning this, he had to find a shield capable of protecting him or he would die.<br /> <br /> He heard what sounded like a soda being opened but much louder.<br /> <br /> That was the oxygen.<br /> <br /> If that sound could reach him, then there was enough oxygen for the sound to propagate through.<br /> <br /> “The space station.”<br /> <br /> He grabbed the grip connected to his extravehicular activity unit by a cable.<br /> <br /> He knew it was risky, but he still gave a shout.<br /> <br /> “Listen, you don’t have to respond. Doing so would only tell it where you are. That damn thing won’t want to destroy its own home base!! So use your nitrogen or whatever else to get over there. Hurry!!”<br /> <br /> The student was traveling toward the giant donut-shaped space station’s wall even as he sent the message. Specifically, toward the back side of a giant parabolic communication antenna sticking out from the gently curving wall.<br /> <br /> His reasoning had to be correct.<br /> <br /> One look at the sun was enough to tell, but heat traveled differently in space. Instead of heating the air or water, the sunlight was emitted as rays of heat and anything they shined on would receive that energy. In other words, it happened directly. Structures built for space would be made to reflect the radiation that caused machine malfunctions and health problems, so the station would reflect infrared.<br /> <br /> However.<br /> <br /> The invisible oxygen that normally represented life could move behind anything in the way.<br /> <br /> When the oxygen was ignited, some of the spacesuited soldiers were roasted despite using one of the container-shaped experiment modules as cover. The flames moved like a chameleon’s tongue to accurately capture its prey.<br /> <br /> That was less than 20m from Quenser. On the astronomical scale of outer space, that distance was razor thin.<br /> <br /> “Gyahhhh!?”<br /> <br /> The scream that reached the student’s ears belonged to Cottage who had survived so many seemingly hopeless situations before. Not even the miracle boy was a match for that Object. He was killed before he could even fantasize about a medical girl. Quenser actually had trouble telling whether that had been a human scream or simple noise from the heat destroying the communication equipment.<br /> <br /> Only a few round blobs remained afterwards.<br /> <br /> It was those balls with the same color as flesh.<br /> <br /> The exact same tragedy had repeated itself. This was a stabilized form of hell.<br /> <br /> People were robbed of their dignity and reduced to mere things. It felt like getting a glimpse of a factory production line that automatically processed human bodies into leather bags.<br /> <br /> “We can’t last like this.”<br /> <br /> Peeping Tom Heivia defeated the entire purpose of hiding by complaining over his radio. Maybe he feared the stress would destroy his heart if he did not.<br /> <br /> “For one, we can barely move! These extravehicular activity units are only meant to stabilize us – they aren’t rocket boosters. If we try to use them like that, we’ll run out of nitrogen in no time. Then we’ll be stuck spinning endlessly through space. Even after we die!!”<br /> <br /> The Object would send out just enough oxygen for the flames to reach the soldiers hiding behind cover but not enough that it would destroy the heat and radiation-resistant space station’s hull. It only had to repeat that process to eliminate all of the aphids crawling on its precious flower. As huge as it was, it was surprisingly good at delicately adjusting its power. That meant Quenser and the others could not use the elevator, the space station, or any other Mother Lady facilities as hostages.<br /> <br /> (What do we do?)<br /> <br /> Quenser could not calm his breathing or even wipe the sweat from his face. It occurred to him that he might be able to breathe right now if he removed that troublesome helmet, but if that were true, it would mean having his flesh and even bone roasted away by a brutal flamethrower a moment later.<br /> <br /> (How can we possibly survive this!? That thing’s an Object, so not even a nuke could destroy it. We couldn’t even scratch it if we fired our peashooters at it while carefully keeping our balance out in space!!)<br /> <br /> Flames exploded not far away from him. They was more distance this time, so the oxygen must have run out while it was spreading in a marble pattern. He could not hear the explosion, so it had the same empty feeling of watching an old silent film. But the lives being burned away were 37th soldiers in the same uniform as him.<br /> <br /> “Can’t we contact the Princess who must be itching to join the fight down there!?” said Heivia. “She has to be directly below us since she was protecting the elevator’s ground base!”<br /> <br /> “You heard all that noise in her long-range transmission, didn’t you? Not even an RC toy would work out here! Besides, do you really think her attacks could reach up here even if we did contact her? We’re 36 thousand kilometers up, so nearly the entire circumference of the earth! And that distance is straight up for her!!”<br /> <br /> “What about her anti-air laser beams?”<br /> <br /> “Even the old-fashioned ballistic missiles only flew at around 3000km up, so this is another world altogether!!”<br /> <br /> In fact, they had to pray that the Capitalist Corporations Second Generation World’s End did not have any ground-attack weapons. If it could launch an Object-level bombing from satellite orbit, the Princess would be unilaterally destroyed. From the BCE wars when boiling water or quicklime were dropped from atop cliffs to modern wars where the terrain could be permanently changed with the tap of a touchscreen, holding the high ground had always provided a significant advantage.<br /> <br /> But now was not the time to be worried about her.<br /> <br /> It was Quenser’s group that was being directly targeted right now. Only Object-level firepower could blow away an Object. They knew they were asking for the impossible, but if they could not procure some firepower on that level for themselves, they would be destroyed by that 200 thousand ton weapon.<br /> <br /> “What do we do!?”<br /> <br /> ===Part 8===<br /> <br /> The Princess yawned like a sunbathing cat in the middle of the vast empty desert of Africa’s Turkana District. She was in the cockpit of the First Generation Baby Magnum.<br /> <br /> She had gotten bored of watching desert reference footage while eating popsicles from the freezer behind her seat. Her stomach was feeling kind of full.<br /> <br /> (I’d really like something a little more interesting. Like a shaved ice machine. Or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of a large frappe with iced milk tea on top of that.)<br /> <br /> The old maintenance lady spoke to her over the radio.<br /> <br /> “Stay focused, Princess.”<br /> <br /> “I am.”<br /> <br /> “I can see in the data when you snap back to focus like that. Your vitals don’t lie.”<br /> <br /> The ground base at the bottom of the Mother Lady space elevator was stationary. The Capitalist Corporations’ Federation of Elevator Industries had provided generous amounts of money and supplies to win over the local guerillas and us them to defend the elevator. Now that the Legitimacy Kingdom had taken the ground base, there had been concerns that they would be worn down by never-ending attempts to retake the base, but that had not happened.<br /> <br /> The only attacks came from the occasional mortar shells.<br /> <br /> That was nothing to fear with an Object’s anti-air lasers that could accurately shoot down a MIRV long-range ballistic missile attack that scattered countless warheads through the air. When the explosives flew in like a long throw in baseball, she shot them down easier than clay pigeons at a shooting range. Sending in an Object had helped immensely. The Capitalist Corporations had thought they could use the guerillas as disposable pawns, but the locals were not rushing in to attack anymore.<br /> <br /> The Princess rapidly moved her eyes behind her goggles.<br /> <br /> But she was not accurately tracking explosives tearing through the air.<br /> <br /> “Hey, how many different birds are there in the Turkana District?”<br /> <br /> “According to a conservation group’s records, there are 150 species of wild bird…although this data is from before the rapid desertification. Why? Explosives disguised as birds have existed as far back as ancient China, so did you find a special drone?”<br /> <br /> (So I’ve found half of them. Now, where are the other half?)<br /> <br /> The old maintenance lady’s worries were unfounded because the Princess was locking onto every bird-sized reading and marking them down. Once she got bored with that, she planned to scale the radar down to the insect level. The guerillas must have had their spirits broken and given up on even the mortar attacks because those were the only things she could find in the air here.<br /> <br /> It was strange.<br /> <br /> This elevator was sponsored by the entire Capitalist Corporations and had been constructed with joint funding from 7th Core.<br /> <br /> Surely there was more than just the guerillas making cautious attacks with borrowed weapons. When was the ultimate Capitalist Corporations Generation 2 going to arrive from beyond the horizon? The Princess yawned again while filling in her hand-drawn bird encyclopedia.<br /> <br /> (Do I not even get to fight this time?)<br /> <br /> “Yawwwwn… This peace is boring me to death.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 9===<br /> <br /> Quenser felt like the fear was going to awaken something inside him.<br /> <br /> The chattering of his teeth was so loud and irritating. He tried to hold his jaw to stop it, but the round helmet got in the way.<br /> <br /> He shouted into his helmet’s mic despite the risk.<br /> <br /> “I’m going to detonate it. Hold onto something for support, everyone!!”<br /> <br /> There was no sound.<br /> <br /> The outer wall of the space station was destroyed. With their shuttle destroyed, Quenser’s group had nowhere else to go. If they overdid it and the station fell apart, they could only wait for their oxygen to run out. But if the station held together, they would have created a bunch of debris out in space.<br /> <br /> Their extravehicular activity units for attitude control could not provide long-range movement like boosters, but what if they grabbed onto that scattering debris to “hitch a ride”?<br /> <br /> “Dammit, they have a cutting-edge Object while we’re stuck surfing on metal scraps!?” complained Heivia.<br /> <br /> “Sometimes a dress made by patching together newspapers found at the park can be sexier than full silk mourning clothes. If you don’t like it, then use that extravehicular activity unit of yours, Heivia. Now get going!!”<br /> <br /> “I can’t stop trembling!!”<br /> <br /> “So what? It’s the same as a baseball. Check the speed with an IR laser and then grab onto a safe piece of debris!!”<br /> <br /> Quenser shouted those instructions while clinging to a thin panel about the size of a tatami mat. That finally allowed him to move. The piece of debris could only move in one direction, so he would have to jump to another piece if he wanted to change directions.<br /> <br /> The World’s End space Object did not seem troubled.<br /> <br /> He heard a gas being expelled. And since it reached his ears…<br /> <br /> “Eek, here it comes!” said Heivia. “It’s that oxygen. Did it light the deadly fuse sticking out from its ass!? We’ll all be roasted!!”<br /> <br /> “Shut up! I know that!!”<br /> <br /> Quenser shouted back, stuck a pen-shaped electric fuse into a clay-like Hand Axe plastic explosive, and threw it. He used his radio to detonate it once it was suitably far away.<br /> <br /> The resulting explosion resembled a thermobaric bomb and was large enough to engulf an entire city. His personal equipment could never have caused that. It had used the oxygen. But he had detonated it before the oxygen could reach them, so no one was hit by the flames.<br /> <br /> Quenser breathed a sigh of relief even though he still could not wipe the sweat from his brow.<br /> <br /> He was alive. His theory had preserved his life. He was not a chained-up pet dog that shoved its face in a bowl of food placed in front of it at a set time every day. He thought for himself to survive. That was the human way to live.<br /> <br /> “The oxygen doesn’t care who you are or why you detonate it. If we can ignite it before their Pilot Elite, we can trigger the explosion when we want.”<br /> <br /> The oxygen was consumed by the explosion, so they could eliminate its power over them by burning it all away before it spread too far.<br /> <br /> The oxygen was so frightening because it was invisible, but they could take advantage of the short lag between releasing it and igniting it.<br /> <br /> Was the Object not using its laser beams or other secondary cannons because of the oxygen? Those were never meant to aim for such small targets anyway, so it would not want to ignite the oxygen at an unexpected point.<br /> <br /> “The earth is covered in oxygen, but that doesn’t mean you can just make the whole atmosphere explode. It has to be concentrated pretty heavily and mixed with hydrogen or acetylene to be weaponized like this. Don’t panic just because you can hear sound in space, Heivia. There’s nothing to fear if it can’t reach that deadly concentration!!”<br /> <br /> “But how are we supposed to know if it’s reached that point!? That’s as ill-defined a standard as saying it’s healthy to play with yourself ‘in moderation’! How much is too much!?”<br /> <br /> What mattered was that the World’s End was an Object that used large quantities of oxygen.<br /> <br /> It could not create oxygen out of nothing in the vacuum of space. Maybe it used electrolysis on large quantities of water and maybe it had the oxygen compactly stored in liquid or solid form at an extreme low temperature, but if it did have it stored in those tanks, they only had to destroy those.<br /> <br /> The obvious target here were those cylinders arranged around it like the drums of the Island Nation’s Raijin.<br /> <br /> “As cutting-edge or bizarre as that thing is, it’s basically a giant flamethrower, right? Let’s set fire to the enormous flammable tanks on its back and crash it into a lunar villa.”<br /> <br /> “And how do you propose we do that!? That’s a nuke-resistant Object!!”<br /> <br /> Quenser ignored the complaints. There was no path to survival that way. If they wanted to live, they had to push past the panic, keep thinking, and challenge their own fear. If they stopped thinking, they would either stop moving and become a stationary target, or they would charge in toward certain doom based on thoughtless emotion. They had to be brave but still rationally face the reality before them. Only those who never gave up on making progress could grab at the lifeline dangling before their eyes.<br /> <br /> (It doesn’t move all that nimbly for an Object. Is it afraid of knocking some debris into the station it’s supposed to be protecting?)<br /> <br /> Whatever the reason, it presented an opportunity.<br /> <br /> Quenser moved between a few different pieces of debris larger than an Island Nation tatami mat in order to approach the Object’s surface.<br /> <br /> If he was going to pull out a plastic explosive, it had to be here.<br /> <br /> “Here goes. This is your only chance to see how it’s done!!”<br /> <br /> He threw the clay.<br /> <br /> Just as he placed his fat finger on the detonation switch, he sensed a disturbing pressure. He felt someone’s gaze crawling across him.<br /> <br /> He was not scorched by an invisible laser beam and he was not turned into space garbage by a tackle from that 200 thousand ton weapon.<br /> <br /> He heard a gross sound.<br /> <br /> He looked down at his right arm. From the wrist to the elbow, the supposedly polished spacesuit was turning black.<br /> <br /> “Oxidation!?”<br /> <br /> It really was oxygen. The spacesuit was designed for use in a vacuum, so it never should have taken this sort of damage.<br /> <br /> There was a reason the spacesuit with over ten layers was also polished bright. It could not deflect the sun’s heat rays or radiation without that. At this rate, he would lose his life to the fury of nature. Invisible poisons would kill him.<br /> <br /> He suppressed the rising fear, clenched his teeth, and pressed the switch.<br /> <br /> The sound did not reach him.<br /> <br /> His vision spun around, but he was certain the explosion had directly hit the headphone or bridge-like part that connected Raijin’s drums in a half circle.<br /> <br /> “This doesn’t have to break the tanks. It only has to send a shock through them to reach the internal pipeline connecting them!!”<br /> <br /> “What good is that? A shock? You think pressing a massager against that Object is enough for her hips to give out!?”<br /> <br /> “Whether it’s from a solid or a liquid, the World’s End has its oxygen compactly stored in a different form at ultra-low temperature. That means it has to convert it back into a gas to use it.”<br /> <br /> He tried to hang on, but it was no use.<br /> <br /> The piece of debris slipped from his hands and he could only flail his limbs in search of another piece.<br /> <br /> “That means we should be able to do the same thing that causes car engines to stall. Mix some air bubbles in with the liquid and it’ll malfunction. So shaking the pipe isn’t useless. We can’t destroy it and we can’t tear it away, but a small impact should still trigger a malfunction!!”<br /> <br /> Heivia, Myonri, and some others must have followed him because he saw some poorly-guided missiles flying toward the Object.<br /> <br /> Just then, the World’s End quickly changed direction.<br /> <br /> The action sent a stir through its surroundings. Specifically, the killer satellites equipped with four arms below its solar panels responded to its presence and approached.<br /> <br /> Maybe the space Object was considered an enemy because it had never meant to be sent out to fight and thus was not registered in their systems, or maybe their sensors had malfunctioned from the heat. Either way, the weapons loaded with explosives crashed into the surface of the 50m Object.<br /> <br /> Countless explosions followed.<br /> <br /> “Gahhhh!?”<br /> <br /> Quenser had already been spinning, but now he was given an additional twist in an unnatural direction. He tried using his extravehicular activity unit, but the brakes would not work. However, he must have been thrown toward the space station. He did not have time to measure their relative speed with a laser, so he just grabbed at something hard with his flailing right hand. It was probably the remains of some cargo materials used when sending the killer satellites out into space from the station. He clung to the large piece of debris that resembled a metal wall.<br /> <br /> The Object was surrounded by explosive flames, metal balls, and all sorts of debris, but it was unharmed.<br /> <br /> “It didn’t work at all,” lamented Heivia, wherever he was at the moment, but his voice was drowned out by another sound.<br /> <br /> It was the sound of highly concentrated oxygen being released into the vacuum. They did not have time to let the failure bother them. The next attack had already begun.<br /> <br /> And since Quenser could hear the oxygen, it must have reached him.<br /> <br /> He quickly pulled out some Hand Axe.<br /> <br /> “It lured in all those killer satellites and let them explode,” continued Heivia. “Just so it could blast the fleas off of itself!! There’s no way we can make it malfunction with an external impact!!”<br /> <br /> Quenser was still unsure what to do when the city-sized explosion erupted.<br /> <br /> ===Part 10===<br /> <br /> Louisiana Honeysuckle heard a quiet electronic beeping.<br /> <br /> That girl in short-sleeved gym clothes and a lab coat was riding a bicycle. Really, she had only used the station’s cargo sorting system to bring a container loaded with a training bike to the center of the elevator. With a 20km diameter, she could never live there comfortably without a system that allowed her to transport entire rooms.<br /> <br /> This was the elevator terminal at the center of the safe and comfortable donut-shaped station. The terminal alone was larger than a domed stadium, but it may have been more like a switchyard since it included the cargo management and the elevator car maintenance and cleaning.<br /> <br /> They did not have to worry about weight since the station had no gravity, so unlike a switchyard, the materials and pathways were stacked vertically as well.<br /> <br /> (Today’s quota is 30km. They say every part of the human body has its purpose, but when you look at the cellular level, it’s packed full of unnecessary functionality. Just like a computer sold for cheap at an electronics store.)<br /> <br /> She whispered to herself while pedaling the bike and sending small beads of sweat out into the zero-g air.<br /> <br /> “Shouldn’t be long now,” said the genius girl who had conquered space before anyone else.<br /> <br /> The Legitimacy Kingdom intruders might think the Capitalist Corporations had used the space elevator as camouflage for constructing a space Object, but it was actually the opposite. She had been unable to receive funding to simply build the elevator, so she had needed to rework the plan into a military context.<br /> <br /> That was where her much older brother Sladder Honeysuckle had failed.<br /> <br /> He had dedicated his life to the mass driver system and, once that had been rejected, he had chosen to leave the Capitalist Corporations as a whole. There was nothing wrong with carrying your own ideals about space, but let them control you and you could never make them a reality. Louisiana had possessed the flexibility to allow her ideals to be clouded by compromise.<br /> <br /> As the name suggested, the Federation of Elevator Industries was dedicated to the construction and use of the space elevator. As long as she never lost sight of that, she could stay true to her ideals.<br /> <br /> She was indebted to the Turkana District. So much so that she had known it had to be the location of the elevator she had bet her entire life on. Yes, that choice may have caused some suffering for the local people, but she would repay them in time. All the necessary calculations were already complete in her head.<br /> <br /> She had intended to empty her mind while pedaling the bike, but the simple task had instead turned her focus inwards.<br /> <br /> A former schoolmate of hers had lamented the lack of medicine.<br /> <br /> His name was Braskine Mintfrappe.<br /> <br /> Why were Africa and Europe so different? What made the deserts of Africa so different from the deserts of North America? The two of them had given much thought to those environmental and geographical issues. His straightforward sincerity had drawn her to him.<br /> <br /> But that would soon end.<br /> <br /> She would correct the world’s problems. She would make it all equal. To those in need, it would come as a blessing. To those blessed with plenty, it would come as a crisis. How would this day be recorded in history? She continued down this path because she believed most would rejoice.<br /> <br /> Then again…<br /> <br /> (They must have already noticed. Since there’s still no sign of Object reinforcements sent in from the Capitalist Corporations home country, the higher ups must not have found as much strategic value – and thus attraction – as they had hoped.)<br /> <br /> “Hello.”<br /> <br /> “Sigh. Oh, it’s you, Silk S.”<br /> <br /> The small LCD screen in the middle of the steering wheel changed to display someone’s face.<br /> <br /> This was one of her contacts in 7th Core, the seven companies who funded the Federation.<br /> <br /> She stopped pedaling but remained on the bike as she pulled up the chest of her gym shirt to wipe off her face.<br /> <br /> “Don’t you have that incompetent president to look after?” she said.<br /> <br /> “The baby just had his milk and went to sleep. I mean, we’re talking about the emperor who still hasn’t noticed his lack of clothes – not that his company has been issuing tons of bogus stock and not that his company has been ‘hollowed out’ by selling off all of his buildings and factories behind his back. The ‘deals’ he thinks he’s making are no more real than a board game.”<br /> <br /> “You’re a scary woman.”<br /> <br /> Louisana’s tone remained light and she did not seem to care that pulling up on the shirt brought her shapely navel into view.<br /> <br /> But light as her tone was, she did mean it.<br /> <br /> This meant that one of the most famous companies in the world had no products or assets left. It simply continued scattering bogus stock to gather money from the world’s investors while selling the corporate group’s countless facilities and personnel to other companies to illicitly absorb double the profit. That was this secretary’s true job.<br /> <br /> And yet the brand name kept its world-famous reputation.<br /> <br /> It overpowered countless other companies with nothing but lies.<br /> <br /> Louisiana caught her breath, squeezed the handlebars tight, and began pedaling with her slender legs.<br /> <br /> “The Wendigo Vehicle Group has a market cap of 6 trillion dollars. The company is large enough to influence the value of the dollar, yet its actual total assets amount to a shocking 0 cents? If those furious investors saw your HQ now, they’d probably fall on their asses in shock. I mean, every floor except for the president’s office is nothing but empty offices with nothing but landline phones inside.”<br /> <br /> “If they discovered it, they would abandon the emperor in his new clothes and escape while they still could, but it looks like they won’t even have that opportunity.”<br /> <br /> “Let’s not forget that he’s the man who rose to being one of the most powerful people in the Capitalist Corporations by gathering nonexistent mining rights, wills, and land deeds and then gathering money from the world’s investors with fictional deals made with bogus stock and presentations for nonexistent new projects. He started with a paper company that didn’t do anything and continued buying up rival companies until he had reached a position in 7th Core. And you’re the woman who pampered him to the point he lost it all without even noticing.”<br /> <br /> “He makes for a decent shield.”<br /> <br /> “See, this is why you’re a scary woman.”<br /> <br /> The two women shared a bewitching laugh.<br /> <br /> Even if this conversation were being recorded and reached that president, he would immediately conclude it was an insulting forgery. That was how thoroughly he had been “educated”.<br /> <br /> That skilled secretary was known as the Silk Spider.<br /> <br /> No one knew her real name. Not Louisiana, and not anyone in the major company where she worked as a strategic secretary. The company server listed her as a Serenade Blackrose, but that was a common fake name. She was shrouded in mystery, but no one dared risk the consequences of carelessly trying to discover more about her. If you wanted to avoid being forever known on the seedier side of the internet for your role in a video that shocked the world, the wise choice was to let those mysteries remain mysteries.<br /> <br /> Eventually…<br /> <br /> “Not long now,” said Silk S.<br /> <br /> “No,” agreed Louisiana while continuing to pedal and sending jewels of sweat out into the zero-g around her. “And all because you turned a blind eye to what I was doing.”<br /> <br /> “Doing accounting day in and day out is so boring, so every once in a while, I like to cheer myself up with an unprofitable fireworks show.”<br /> <br /> “I’m glad you gave me that honor.”<br /> <br /> 7th Core was made up of seven companies.<br /> <br /> This one had been hijacked by a faceless villainess, but the other six had their own plans. They were all likely involved in some equally complicated situation that had no connection to what their business ostensibly was.<br /> <br /> They would normally be terribly particular about the accounting, yet they had still provided the vast sum needed for constructing the elevator. That suggested the executives did have their concerns about the world. Hopefully, that would be enough to solve the problem. But even if the elevator failed to live up to expectations, it could still be reused for military purposes and pay back far more money through lucrative wars.<br /> <br /> In a way, it was very simple.<br /> <br /> Her brother had been the kind of eccentric genius who refused to compromise on his principles, so this had been more than he could bear. Louisiana, on the other hand, simply saw it as something she could easily control.<br /> <br /> That may have been why the siblings never worked together on a single project.<br /> <br /> “I have high hopes for you,” said Silk S.<br /> <br /> “Hopes for what? For me to save the world?”<br /> <br /> “For you to prove that the machinations of a single individual can defeat all the boring numbers.”<br /> <br /> Louisiana smiled while sipping a sports drink from a bottle through a straw.<br /> <br /> And she spoke the forbidden words.<br /> <br /> “Haven’t you already proven that? You have earned the title of International Eater by taking over an international company all on your own, after all.”<br /> <br /> “Hee hee. Not all successful people enjoy the loneliness at the top. I would love to have some company as I look down on the world from such heights. I am praying that company can be you. Bye.”<br /> <br /> That was the end of it.<br /> <br /> Silk S had not discussed business in any way. It seemed like a meaningless transmission that only brought risk. That secretary used a real war to satisfy her personal enjoyment and set the world in motion for her own entertainment while making sure her name would never go down in history.<br /> <br /> So Louisiana had no real reason for her suspicions here.<br /> <br /> She stopped pedaling and thought to herself in the bike seat.<br /> <br /> (She made it sound like their CEO is going to break soon. Damn you, Silk S. Are you stirring up trouble to find your next target? But what greater mark is there than 7th Core?)<br /> <br /> She shook her head.<br /> <br /> She shook away those worthless thoughts.<br /> <br /> If she was going to let her mind wander, she could guide it in a more meaningful direction.<br /> <br /> (Sladder, you failed.)<br /> <br /> She bluntly assessed her own brother.<br /> <br /> That other genius had only ever focused on himself, so he had failed to become an Eater. He had failed to escape being one of those who was chewed up and spit out by society.<br /> <br /> But scientists could still see beauty in a snow crystal or extremely simple equations. And they could also detest efficiency and consumption at times.<br /> <br /> (That is why I will be the one who conquers space. Even you should be able to accept your failure if I am the one to defeat you.)<br /> <br /> She sighed and looked to the heart of the space elevator. A few carbon nanotube wires were lined up in parallel like a 100 thousand kilometer string instrument.<br /> <br /> She would take victory for herself and this toy was necessary for that.<br /> <br /> (I need to settle this while they’re busy playing with the Second Generation Elinabell. I acquired my elevator by compromising my ideals and allowing some flies in the ointment. …To do that, I had to deceive the people trying to preserve their simple way of life in the Turkana District and take their land from them. They’ve been forced to endure so much hardship up to this point, so it’s time someone finally rewarded them in some way.)<br /> <br /> “Now, then.”<br /> <br /> She began pedaling hard and pushed her body so the simple action and faint exhaustion would direct her thoughts inwards.<br /> <br /> She thought back to her memories of the Turkana District and of her old friend.<br /> <br /> She would repay them. By correcting the world’s mistake.<br /> <br /> All alone in the enormous core of the elevator, she smiled with the look of a mischievous child in her eyes and spoke as a different type of genius from her brother.<br /> <br /> “Time for the world’s largest concert.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 11===<br /> <br /> He was spinning.<br /> <br /> Quenser Barbotage’s vision was spinning.<br /> <br /> The timing of the explosion must have been altered. The World’s End used oxygen, but that oxygen would detonate the same no matter who ignited it. So if Quenser threw a plastic explosive to ignite the oxygen before it had spread out as much as the Pilot Elite wanted, he could alter how far the explosion reached.<br /> <br /> However.<br /> <br /> He heard a few cracking sounds like someone stepping on thin ice. Something white obscured the left half of his vision, like he had run into a spider web. He rubbed at his face out of instinctual disgust, but that changed nothing. He could not wipe this away.<br /> <br /> They were cracks.<br /> <br /> His helmet’s visor had been damaged. When he began to imagine what would happen if it broke and lost its airtight seal, intense static filled the back of his mind.<br /> <br /> “Eek!?”<br /> <br /> He could feel the extreme terror clutching at his throat.<br /> <br /> But it was all over if he screamed. His own panic would lead to further panic, starting an endless chain reaction, so he did everything he could to suppress it and think.<br /> <br /> (We need Object-level firepower.)<br /> <br /> He clenched his teeth.<br /> <br /> These thoughts were not a way to avoid the reality before him. They were to face it.<br /> <br /> (Nothing we do ourselves can destroy that thing, so we need to bring an Object here. I need to figure out a way to do that!!)<br /> <br /> Killer satellites, an Object, and even garbage and defective items meant to burn up in the atmosphere.<br /> <br /> The Federation of Elevator Industries had left this area of space full of trash.<br /> <br /> And the blue planet shined below him.<br /> <br /> He started to think about adjusting his angle to return safely to that planet, but that would not save him.<br /> <br /> He viewed his homeland once more. There was more than just blue there. The red lights seen here and there had to be the battlefields where Objects fought. The scale of those battles was so large that they could be seen from space.<br /> <br /> But.<br /> <br /> What did it really mean that he could see them from here?<br /> <br /> “Wait a second.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, Quenser, what are you rummaging around for? Pulling out a bomb isn’t gonna destroy that thing!!”<br /> <br /> “It doesn’t have to. I’m interested in the path of the trash floating around here!”<br /> <br /> “What?”<br /> <br /> “Redirect that trash the way I want and I can change the future!!”<br /> <br /> ===Part 12===<br /> <br /> “Meowww.”<br /> <br /> The Princess was so bored she had finally balled up her hands to become a cat.<br /> <br /> And she went the whole nine yards by pulling out black cat ears and a tail from the costumes they had prepared for the upcoming carnival.<br /> <br /> She had pursued wild birds on her screen for a while, but she had eventually given up on finding them all. She had realized that some of the birds were nocturnal, so she could never complete her bird encyclopedia during the day.<br /> <br /> She had nothing to do.<br /> <br /> She was starting to feel lonely.<br /> <br /> But a transmission reached her ears while she relaxed in her cockpit.<br /> <br /> “Quenser here. Ksssshhhhh!! Princess, ksshh, can you hear me!?”<br /> <br /> “Quenser? You…you didn’t hear anything!! Don’t listen!!”<br /> <br /> “?”<br /> <br /> She frantically waved her hands and covered her blushing face, but he seemed to have bigger issues at the moment. She was jealous. Those nimble soldiers had flown up into space where they actually had a battle to fight. Time appeared to be moving much faster for them than for the Princess who was bored to death down here.<br /> <br /> “Requesting support! Kssshhh, right away!!”<br /> <br /> “But I can’t,” she mumbled with tears in her eyes. “My anti-air lasers can’t reach geostationary orbit at 36 thousand kilometers. Even the best ballistic weapons only reach around 3500 kilometers. You’re just too high up.”<br /> <br /> “Ksh, I don’t want your anti-air weapons.”<br /> <br /> “Hm? Then what do you want???”<br /> <br /> “I don’t care about your main cannons! Kssshhh!! I just want your help right away!!”<br /> <br /> “Hmmmm???”<br /> <br /> ===Part 13===<br /> <br /> The prototype weapon was indeed only a prototype.<br /> <br /> When Louisiana Honeysuckle had put on an uncomfortable tight skirt suit to make her presentation to 7th Core executives, she had listed out its merits while tapping her pointer against the whiteboard, but she did not actually need an Object in space. She had only wanted the space elevator and the Object had been her way of earning funding. With no need to make it practical, it had been given bizarre equipment that never would have been approved for an ordinary project. That was how it had been given highly concentrated oxygen as a main cannon.<br /> <br /> She could check how much exercise she needed on the small screen on her training bike. She pulled her feet from the sandal-like straps, freeing them from the pedals. Her butt in red sports bloomers rose from the seat.<br /> <br /> (It was not a necessary part of my plan.)<br /> <br /> But an Object was still an Object.<br /> <br /> Without a second one in space, it became the unchallenged champion of any zero-g battles.<br /> <br /> (It was only meant as camouflage, but I will still use it if I can. This will not be fun for you, Legitimacy Kingdom.)<br /> <br /> She bent her legs to bring her knees up to her chest and spun through the air in something like the fetal position.<br /> <br /> But her thoughts were interrupted by some ear-splitting noise.<br /> <br /> She heard static as some EM waves messed with the communications equipment.<br /> <br /> “?”<br /> <br /> It was coming from an unthinkable direction: down. The elevator provided a solid sense of up and down, so that meant the surface of the earth. There were plenty of EM sources down there, including radio towers and airport control tower radars, but this was much more powerful. It finally surpassed the limits of the circuit boards for the cameras equipped on the space station’s exterior and the circuitry itself was destroyed. Even though those were designed to withstand a certain level of radiation and EM waves.<br /> <br /> What was this? What was happening?<br /> <br /> Had someone on the surface detonated one of the nuclear weapons that were thought to have been eradicated long ago? No, not even a nuke could cause this!!<br /> <br /> “It can’t be…”<br /> <br /> Louisiana Honeysuckle was dumbfounded.<br /> <br /> A genius girl like her was quick to understand what this had to be. Even if she did not want to reach the answer, her mind would provide it for her.<br /> <br /> “It can’t be!!”<br /> <br /> ===Part 14===<br /> <br /> There may have been 36 thousand kilometers in between, but the Princess and the Baby Magnum were waiting at the space elevator’s ground base.<br /> <br /> The First Generation’s anti-air lasers could not reach that far, but so what?<br /> <br /> They only had to make use of some other form of power.<br /> <br /> “Ksssshhhh!! What the hell? Ksshh, what’s going on here!?”<br /> <br /> Heivia had managed to join Quenser at some point and he grabbed at the other boy’s shoulders. In zero-g, that nearly put them both into a spin.<br /> <br /> He quickly used the extravehicular activity unit on his back to steady himself before continuing.<br /> <br /> “What did you tell the Princess to do!? Ksshh, what is that down there on the surface!?”<br /> <br /> “Static electricity.”<br /> <br /> Quenser’s answer was unbelievable.<br /> <br /> Heivia seriously doubted rubbing a balloon against your hair down on earth could affect anything out in space.<br /> <br /> But the student had more to say.<br /> <br /> “Listen, the Princess’s Baby Magnum uses a static electricity propulsion device. Even if it also sprays a repellant, that’s still enough static to keep a 200 thousand tons afloat. With that much power, we can use it.”<br /> <br /> “Wait, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”<br /> <br /> “But she’s surrounded by cracked desert as far as the eye can see. The desert is primarily made of quartz, iron sand, and probably small amounts of some other minerals. The quality isn’t good enough to ship it out for industrial use, but that doesn’t matter to us. When sand is floating in the air, the size and weight of the grains affects the covered area. A space with quartz floating around is a lot like a glass fiber duster.”<br /> <br /> Did it cover an area of 10km in every direction, or was it of 100km?<br /> <br /> Either way, static electricity would accumulate there. Even commercial carpet could store more than 10,000 volts, so how many orders of magnitude higher would a space this vast contain?<br /> <br /> “And any container will spill its contents once its capacity is surpassed,” said Quenser. “Just like lightning, it will scatter something very powerful along with the light and sound.”<br /> <br /> This was what he had wanted.<br /> <br /> “Static. A thick EM wall is released toward the sky!!”<br /> <br /> It seemed to cover the surface of the World’s End’s spherical main body. Sparks scattered from it like fireworks.<br /> <br /> Or maybe it was more like carelessly sticking a metal spoon in the microwave.<br /> <br /> “Wait, what happened to the Princess!?” asked Heivia.<br /> <br /> “Not even a nuke can destroy an Object. And Generation Ones in particular were designed with EMPs in mind, so this won’t do any real damage to her.”<br /> <br /> That was all Quenser said before changing the subject.<br /> <br /> “The light can reach us,” he said. “The lights down there are leaving the earth. You can see the flames of war caused by the Objects, right? Light is a form of EM, so if we can see the light, we know EM waves can reach us!”<br /> <br /> But Heivia’s response sounded skeptical.<br /> <br /> The threat had not been eliminated.<br /> <br /> “Wait, is that all?”<br /> <br /> There had been sparks.<br /> <br /> That might have brought down the average tank or armored truck.<br /> <br /> But.<br /> <br /> “Sending those deadly EM waves all the way up here is impressive. You even managed to hit your target. But that thing’s an Object, which, like you just said, not even a nuke can destroy! You can probably aim somewhat well using the elevator’s wire as a guide, but you still can’t specifically target the Object from the ground. How can you possibly break through its armor like this!?”<br /> <br /> “Not to worry.” Quenser smiled a little. If he could still smile, it meant everything was still going according to plan. “I thought of all that. Did you forget, Heivia, that the elevator controls this region of space? Now, do you remember how it launches its cars straight up? It caused us a lot of trouble down in the Turkana District’s desert, if you recall.”<br /> <br /> The change occurred primarily at a single point.<br /> <br /> Something floated by right in front of the World’s End. Maybe it had been in a transportation container caught in the fighting and maybe it had been dumped by the elevator, but that was a spare elevator car slowly rotating through space.<br /> <br /> It bumped lightly into the Object’s spherical main body. That was no coincidence since Quenser’s Hand Axe plastic explosive had pushed it there. Either the nuke-resistant Object had ignored it as harmless, or the EM waves had interfered with its sensors.<br /> <br /> However, the bus-sized machine had a certain device installed.<br /> <br /> “It converts EM waves into electricity.”<br /> <br /> Space was filled with a white flash of light brighter than a lightning bolt.<br /> <br /> “Gahhh!!”<br /> <br /> The explosive light was enough to blind someone, but Quenser could still hear everything clearly. That was probably because he was hearing the others through his helmet’s communicator. He opened his mouth while trusting his voice would reach them in the same way.<br /> <br /> He felt pain more in the back of his head than in his eyes.<br /> <br /> He felt like he was going to vomit in his helmet if he did not distract himself.<br /> <br /> “Gh…ordinary lightbulbs have a vacuum inside so the filament won’t burn, but there are a few exceptions.”<br /> <br /> “What is – ksshh – your point!?”<br /> <br /> “A flashbulb. By filling the glass ball with oxygen and passing electricity through it, the filament is instantly burned through to create a massive amount of light. Doesn’t that remind you a lot of things here? We’ve strangled it with the very high-density oxygen it sprayed everywhere!!”<br /> <br /> “Kssshhh, you did this while we were trapped inside that lightbulb!!!???”<br /> <br /> The filament was made into a thin thread so it was easier to burn through, but the Object was much the same. It had more than just the spherical main body. It had cannons, propulsion devices, tanks, and many other components sticking out.<br /> <br /> Not to mention that Heivia, Myonri, and the others had worked so hard to fire missiles at it.<br /> <br /> The nuke-resistant Object may have just shrugged that off and it may have only created scratches not even a few millimeters deep on its surface, but those slight claw marks created pieces thinner than pencil shavings that stuck out from its surface. Electricity gathered around the ends of those and they burned like a filament.<br /> <br /> Once the bright white flash faded away, the Object was flipped over and floating toward empty space.<br /> <br /> The damage must have been concentrated on the parts sticking out. The oxygen tanks connected like headphones had been torn through and its two main cannons were bent. The heat in the main body had yet to cool, so its surface was still glowing orange.<br /> <br /> None of it had been meaningless.<br /> <br /> Quenser had just one thing left to say.<br /> <br /> “It’s over.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 15===<br /> <br /> Clattering sounds echoed through the space station. With the World’s End destroyed, Quenser’s group had returned to the station.<br /> <br /> This was his second time to leave the vacuum of space and enter the artificial air, but Quenser did not feel dizzy this time. It scared him that he was getting used to it.<br /> <br /> He saw a short-sleeved gym shirt, red sports bloomers, black kneesocks, and sneakers.<br /> <br /> Plus a lab coat over it all.<br /> <br /> The central figure of the Capitalist Corporations’ Federation of Elevator Industries wore an outfit that seemed wholly unsuited for outer space. As before, Louisiana Honeysuckle was floating in the enormous central area. For some reason, the bored-looking 17-year-old girl was twisting her body. She seemed more interested in whether her underwear was sticking out from the leg of her red sports bloomers than in the fate of the world.<br /> <br /> When she noticed them, she began to speak without untwisting herself.<br /> <br /> “I see you have chosen to help destroy humanity. I assumed it would be the Faith Organization that thoughtlessly caused this sort of calamity, but it seems the true ruinbringers were the Legitimacy Kingdom. At any rate, humanity’s last hope has just been extinguished. Even I failed to predict this one.”<br /> <br /> “Shut up.” Heivia made sure to keep his assault rifle aimed at her. “You couldn’t calculate this out with that clever brain of yours? I don’t give a crap about your grand Re Terra project about unifying the environment or whatever the hell. This elevator is no more than a weapon of mass destruction. You don’t get to claim ignorance about how many people would die if that thing was used against flesh-and-blood soldiers. Or about what any survivors would want to do to you afterwards!!”<br /> <br /> [[Image:HO_v18_BW7.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> “But I notice you haven’t shot me yet.”<br /> <br /> Louisiana was isolated and alone with a few dozen guns aimed her way, yet she still smiled.<br /> <br /> Those few dozen were all that remained.<br /> <br /> Quenser did not even want to think about how many others had been with them when they first launched into space.<br /> <br /> “This space elevator is the world’s tallest structure with a full length of 100 thousand kilometers. You might not like it, but you can’t just rig it with explosives and blow it up like with an ordinary building. You need accurate plans and a user’s manual even if you only want to get rid of it, don’t you? You cannot kill me until you have that.”<br /> <br /> “You seem awfully sure of yourself, but did you really think we would stick to only the strictly legal methods of getting that information out of you? We have plenty of reasons to hold a grudge.”<br /> <br /> “Oh, and one other thing.”<br /> <br /> She ignored Heivia.<br /> <br /> She was not bluffing. This confidence appeared to be real.<br /> <br /> But why?<br /> <br /> “You seem to think you have destroyed the Elinabell with that clever method.”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “Relax, boy.” She laughed when Quenser’s shoulders jumped. “You have indeed defeated the Elinabell. She remains mostly intact, but she can no longer function and I doubt the Pilot Elite had time to eject. …But it took you an awfully long time to defeat her. During the explosion, she sprayed her oxygen and gas in a certain direction.”<br /> <br /> “Wait…wait a second.”<br /> <br /> “Was that not enough of a hint? Then how about another one? Where on the earth were you planning to drop her?”<br /> <br /> Quenser did not even have it in him to shout “wait”.<br /> <br /> Genius Girl Louisiana Honeysuckle placed her index finger on her slender chin and revealed the quiz’s horrific answer.<br /> <br /> “You’re dropping a 200 thousand ton weight, so no matter where it ends up hitting, I’m pretty sure it will affect the entire planet.”<br /> <br /> ===Between the Lines 2===<br /> <br /> The Mother Lady space elevator’s space station had 2008 external experiment modules attached on the outside.<br /> <br /> Quenser himself had checked in a few of them.<br /> <br /> For example, there had been a plant factory that could be harvested dozens of times a year. There had also been an animal protein factory that quickly produced bugs that ate those crops.<br /> <br /> There was a real benefit in those things, which may have been why he had accepted it and moved on.<br /> <br /> Louisiana Honeysuckle was undoubtedly a bad person.<br /> <br /> She had deceived the people of the Turkana District so she could take their land and build her space elevator without properly explaining the environmental risks. That had led to the verdant land drying out and the existing ecosystem collapsing. Over 80% of the many local plants and animals had died.<br /> <br /> But it could all be found here.<br /> <br /> Genetic samples for all of those plants and animals could be thawed out at the press of a button.<br /> <br /> 150 species of wild bird.<br /> <br /> 178 species of land animal, 599 species of fish, 10,630 species of bug, and 3811 species of plants.<br /> <br /> They were all accounted for.<br /> <br /> “Then again…”<br /> <br /> Earlier, Louisiana Honeysuckle had smiled and spoken to herself.<br /> <br /> The space elevator was equipped with all sorts of observation equipment. She already knew what had happened on the surface and who had died.<br /> <br /> Braskine Mintfrappe.<br /> <br /> She had met that man in college and they had laughed together about the most pointless things, but he was no more.<br /> <br /> She had only ever focused on the equations and assumed she could understand everything about the world if she understood them. But that boring worldview had undergone a radical change when she had visited Africa over her summer vacation.<br /> <br /> “I no longer have anyone to celebrate with as our dream is realized.”<br /> <br /> The land had become a wasteland.<br /> <br /> She had repaid them in the cruelest possible way.<br /> <br /> But even if no one understood her, she could not back down. She had to make this dream come true.<br /> <br /> It was her duty now that she had ''learned the truth''.<br /> <br /> This may have been the real difference between her and her much older brother.<br /> <br /> She was not attempting to reach outer space for herself.<br /> <br /> In fact, she had enjoyed talking about space to people who knew nothing about it. If not for this, she might have dreamed of working at a planetarium.<br /> <br /> But she had a much bigger task now.<br /> <br /> The threat still remained. And now that her brother had lost the competition and left the Capitalist Corporations, it was up to her to solve the problem.<br /> <br /> She had no intention of becoming a hero. She was merely driven by the duty she felt after ''learning the truth''. She could not protect anything as things were and she would lose everything if she ignored it. That impatient feeling had led her to destroy everything within arm’s reach.<br /> <br /> But that was fine.<br /> <br /> The last laugh did not belong to her. The person with whom she had hoped to share that laugh was no longer with her.<br /> <br /> But the Turkana District remained.<br /> <br /> So it was the residents of her second home there who deserved the last laugh.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> She would correct people’s mistaken worldview.<br /> <br /> She would save the world while all alone.<br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;{{HEAVYOBJECT Nav|prev=HEAVY OBJECT:Volume18 Chapter 1|next=HEAVY OBJECT:Volume18 Chapter 3}}&lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=HEAVY_OBJECT:Volume11_Chapter_2&diff=565411 HEAVY OBJECT:Volume11 Chapter 2 2020-10-15T03:46:11Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Chapter 2: Elusive Financial Source &gt;&gt; Ice Breaking Bombardment at Africa’s Cape of Good Hope==<br /> <br /> ===Part 1===<br /> <br /> A structure floated oddly on the lead-colored ocean.<br /> <br /> It was somewhere between five and ten meters long and it was spherical in shape, but it oddly did not roll as it was shaken between the waves. The hatch remained on the top at all times and the porthole on the side remained in the same spot.<br /> <br /> It was a type of lifeboat.<br /> <br /> It had plenty of emergency supplies, communications equipment, a heater, and even a generator making use of the current and the wind. As opposed to something prepared on a ship, it was more of a product for the wealthy disaster-prepper.<br /> <br /> Inside that cradle were three blonde girls with red military uniforms meant for parades.<br /> <br /> They each had a different hairstyle, but their identical faces made it clear they were triplets.<br /> <br /> Alisa Martini Sweet.<br /> <br /> Rica Martini Medium.<br /> <br /> Orsia Martini Dry.<br /> <br /> They were all genius girls created by the Information Alliance’s Project Whiz Kid. It would be hard to find a more severe upbringing in any of the four world powers, but the girls themselves barely seemed to care. They elegantly grabbed tea cakes and reached for the cups inside the round boat.<br /> <br /> Instead of coffee or tea, the cups contained an energy drink full of caffeine and other stimulants that was “kind to the body in its lack of sugar, yet somehow unsatisfying”. That showed the Information Alliance side of things most of all.<br /> <br /> “A-are you sure this is safe? We left the fleet a long time ago and we’re just floating out here on the ocean with no one to protect us.”<br /> <br /> The young man in charge of their care was sweating bullets.<br /> <br /> Alisa, the triplet with the largest chest, replied lazily.<br /> <br /> “Dooon’t worry. This isn’t some big ship like a cruiser or a missile submarine.”<br /> <br /> “Right?”<br /> <br /> “Right?”<br /> <br /> The other two were not so much agreeing as they were driving away the question because they did not feel like dealing with it. However, the normal young man was too worried to accept anything but a proper explanation.<br /> <br /> [[Image:HO_v11_099.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> “B-but we’re in the middle of the battlefield here, the Legitimacy Kingdom Object will be here any moment, um, and all of you are officers with medals hanging from your chest, so it would be very bad if you were captured. In the worst case, you might meet the same fate as someone in a light SM video!!”<br /> <br /> “Yes, but there is nothing to worry about. Look, our Laser Cracker 001 was sent out to this region of sea. That’s turned this into an ocean of death, so there’s plenty of wreckage from cargo ships and cruise ships. And of course, there are plenty of lifeboats that dried up after no one detected their SOS signal.”<br /> <br /> “You’re just scaring me more!!”<br /> <br /> “I’m saying no one will notice us because we’re disguising ourselves as one of those. Do you want us to completely vanish from the Legitimacy Kingdom’s radar? Cutting-edge stealth fighters might be able to reduce their cross-section to a minimum, but not even they can completely vanish. The clever approach is to create a situation where the enemy will remove you from consideration even if you appear on their radar screen. Don’t you think?”<br /> <br /> But the normal young man did not grasp that at all. He could not even imagine a chess game three moves ahead, so it may have been asking too much of him to stand in the same world as the Martini Series that would look a hundred years into the future. Blaming only him would be cruel.<br /> <br /> After all, the girls were intentionally avoiding a smooth conversation.<br /> <br /> Alisa responded to his question by showing off more knowledge than necessary, Rica toyed with some playing cards while feigning apathy, and Orsia feigned disinterest in the opposite sex while clinging to the young man’s arm.<br /> <br /> The triplets all held the same thing in their hearts.<br /> <br /> It was said these unmanageable geniuses would stage a jailbreak even if they were thrown into a top-security prison, but for some reason they acted like proper members of society when around this young man. That fact explained what was going on here.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Dry. It looks like the Laser Cracker 001 has reached its position.”<br /> <br /> “I’m monitoring the Legitimacy Kingdom’s movements, Medium. You need to get ready too, Sweet.”<br /> <br /> “Understood, Dry. Now, let’s get to work.”<br /> <br /> The young man nervously looked around.<br /> <br /> His presence was the sweet chain tying the three Martinis to the Information Alliance.<br /> <br /> He was the sword that divided genius from eccentric.<br /> <br /> He was oblivious to this great feat, but that was exactly what made him so adorable to them. The Martini Series narrowed their eyes in his direction and then spoke in unison.<br /> <br /> “Let’s begin the mission. Let’s charm them with our angelic performance.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 2===<br /> <br /> “Wow.”<br /> <br /> “This is awful.”<br /> <br /> Quenser and Heivia wrapped their arms around themselves and shivered in the cold on the flight deck of a small gray aircraft carrier. Their breath was white and the sky was the color of lead. Dull vibrations occasionally ran through the deck because the blade hastily attached to the bow was breaking through some pure white drift ice.<br /> <br /> Just to be clear, it was currently mid-July.<br /> <br /> They watched two connected icebergs that looked like giant breasts float past the fleet.<br /> <br /> “What happened to our summer? For what possible reason were we sent to the tip of the Southern Hemispheeeeerrrrrre!? The seasons are reversed here, so it’s freezing midwinter! There are penguins jumping into the water over there! What happened to my paradise of the Princess and our busty commander in swimsuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuits!?”<br /> <br /> “The pamphlet said the average temperature at this time of year is eleven degrees.”<br /> <br /> “Like hell it is! Our breath is white! How could it be that far off average!? There’s a giant tits iceberg right over there!!”<br /> <br /> “Heivia, it’s your fault for saying you wanted to get out of the heat after that desert. Our higher ups always take things too far.”<br /> <br /> “There could have at least been some swimsuits in there somewhere.”<br /> <br /> “Sigh. Speaking of swimsuits, Lieutenant Meena was shot. That’s actually a real shock. Both that she was the one behind all that and that I’ll never get to see that great rack that was about as underappreciated as baby’s-breath.”<br /> <br /> “Eh? Why do swimsuits make you think of her?”<br /> <br /> “What a shock…”<br /> <br /> “Hold on! We’re supposed to keep each other informed in this unit, so tell your pal Heivia what happened!!”<br /> <br /> Heivia shook Quenser by the shoulders, but Quenser’s soul had half-escaped his mouth and he would not give a proper answer.<br /> <br /> Then something else stopped Heivia.<br /> <br /> The handheld device in his pocket rang.<br /> <br /> “What? Are you using video chat to pretend you’re having phone sex?”<br /> <br /> “This is a little classier than that.”<br /> <br /> After checking the screen, Heivia walked away from Quenser.<br /> <br /> Once he reached the landing on the narrow stairway from the flight deck to the maintenance area directly below, Heivia leaned against the metal railing, touched the screen with his fingertip, and answered the call.<br /> <br /> It was not a soldier contacting him.<br /> <br /> It was a blonde noble girl in a white dress.<br /> <br /> “Took you long enough to answer.”<br /> <br /> “I’m not trading stock, so don’t get so upset.”<br /> <br /> “Even if it’s over the internet, we still arranged for this date in advance. You’re a disgrace to the title of nobility if you keep a lady waiting, Winchell boy.”<br /> <br /> “If you don’t do something about your attitude, you’re going to be in the news for being divorced on your honeymoon, Vanderbilt girl.”<br /> <br /> Even if it was a private conversation (in fact, ''because'' it was), this conversation over the military line was being monitored. However, the member of the electronic simulation division monitoring the line may have been wide-eyed in shock.<br /> <br /> The Winchell family and the Vanderbilt family were two of the biggest noble families in the Legitimacy Kingdom as well as enemies going back centuries. The dark age that had triggered the collapse of the UN had occurred just under one hundred years before, so they had carried the feud of an older age across the end of civilization.<br /> <br /> “Well, um, how should I put this?” said Heivia. “Sorry about interrupting your vacation.”<br /> <br /> [[Image:HO_v11_105.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> “My, my! That is like work to me, so I don’t mind. I am currently in the middle of the Atlantic – oh, excuse me –enjoying the world’s greatest fireworks festival, so are you having trouble hearing me?”<br /> <br /> “No. And you people have to be insane to gather more than five hundred cruise ships and launch fireworks for a full week. Are fireworks even any fun during the day?”<br /> <br /> “Oh, dear. Our rocket fireworks reach an altitude of ten thousand meters, you know? I can’t have you thinking the Technopics is the only festival in the Atlantic.”<br /> <br /> Heivia nearly said those were normally called surface-to-air missiles or surface-to-surface rockets, but he held his tongue.<br /> <br /> “And once night falls, the fireworks and the aurora will create a wonderful collaboration,” she said.<br /> <br /> “Where are you right now? It isn’t the Arctic, is it?”<br /> <br /> “Ah ha ha. The aurora is created when solar winds reach the ionosphere. Um, I think it’s a large railgun meant to clear debris, but they said something about chemically producing a massive amount of electricity just like a laser known as a COIL.”<br /> <br /> “Oh… So instead of firing a huge shell, it uses debris reduced to a sandstorm of metal fragments measured in microns to directly repel the entire ‘field’?”<br /> <br /> “Solar winds are streams of plasma and easily influenced by electric and magnetic fields, so that whatever-it’s-called can alter their course to a certain extent. By guiding it to the desired coordinate in the ionosphere, they can create a manmade aurora.”<br /> <br /> “Don’t solar winds and the aurora play a role in electromagnetic pulses? Won’t that violate some treaties?”<br /> <br /> “It’s okay as long as we aren’t using it for military purposes. It’s the same as X-rays.”<br /> <br /> That was truly entertainment for the rich. Although that kind of performance to say “look what we can do” could be seen as a sort of wartime PR.<br /> <br /> “So how did things go with the favor I asked of you?” asked Heivia.<br /> <br /> “Do you think I can’t accomplish a simple task? Besides, I only had to check through the newspapers and the TV news. That was easier than looking up a fish recipe.”<br /> <br /> “I see. I’m awful at that formal stuff, so reading through a week’s worth of newspapers sounds harder than sharpshooting from a thousand meters.”<br /> <br /> “If you wish to call yourself my husband, you need to be more cultured.”<br /> <br /> “Let’s get back on topic,” insisted Heivia.<br /> <br /> The girl on the screen sighed.<br /> <br /> “Yes, it was just as you said. There was no article on the Special 15th led by Lieutenant Meena Stinger. Of course, there are wars occurring all over the world every single day, so listing out every last death would fill up the entire paper. Plus, they provide a variety of ‘anesthetic’ to ensure the fear of war does not spread to the safe countries. There was a lot of talk about the surprise visit from that…Blue Rose, was it? Heh heh heh. They may not have had any space left after talking about your little sister so much.”<br /> <br /> “Nothing about a drug war either?”<br /> <br /> “Hm? Is that something from a movie?”<br /> <br /> Heivia silently grimaced when he saw his fiancee’s confused look on the screen.<br /> <br /> (No sign of Colorful Vanilla, then. So any news that would disgrace the military as a whole might as well have never happened, is that it? I thought they would at least stick in a cover story that pinned the war crimes on Meena Stinger alone, but they aren’t even showing the lizard’s tail.)<br /> <br /> When (supposedly) Quenser had shot the Special 15th as they tried to burn away the ergot containers with white phosphorous, he had used a Capitalist Corporations carbine.<br /> <br /> Even when Meena Stinger had been shot in the maintenance base zone, the crushed bullet they had later found was the kind that same faction commonly used for heavy machineguns and anti-materiel rifles.<br /> <br /> That meant no further investigation would be done.<br /> <br /> There was nothing they could do.<br /> <br /> Lieutenant Meena Stinger and her Black Uniform Special Platoon 15 had been killed by enemy soldiers during battle. There was nothing more to say and they were being treated as normal war dead.<br /> <br /> That was all.<br /> <br /> “If you’re curious, I could look further into it,” suggested the girl on the screen.<br /> <br /> “No, knowing what the safe country newspapers and news shows are saying is enough. Besides, what does a civilian know about the military and war?”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Nothing is more frightening than the wealthy when they have nothing better to do, you know?”<br /> <br /> She bowed with a smile and her image vanished from the screen.<br /> <br /> Heivia toyed with the device in his hand for a while and slowly exhaled.<br /> <br /> After that, he gave another annoyed comment.<br /> <br /> “It’s too clean. Whose plot am I getting involved in here?”<br /> <br /> ===Part 3===<br /> <br /> The Cape of Good Hope was the southern tip of Africa.<br /> <br /> It was hard to tell on the standard Mercator projection maps, but that area was a quick southward trip over the ocean away from the South Pole. Penguins walked through the streets, so it was not the sweaty land of the blazing sun that people normally pictured when they thought of Africa. Latitude-wise, it was about the same as the Oceanian continent, but it looked more like the kind of rough waves, leaden skies, and rocky land that suited a traditional Island Nation enka song. In terms of the North Wind and the Sun, the north wind was going all out, so no one would ever think of trading their uniform for a swimsuit.<br /> <br /> Or so one would have thought.<br /> <br /> “Ahhh. It’s so hot in here. I know you’re trying to be hospitable, but don’t you have the heat cranked up too high?”<br /> <br /> “Blue Rose, the Island Nation has a saying: oden for the air conditioner and ice cream for the kotatsu. This is truly the best.”<br /> <br /> Just one of the small aircraft carrier’s rooms had all its windows fogged up.<br /> <br /> In that sweltering heat, Frolaytia Capistrano was providing a mistaken sort of welcome and Azureyfear Winchell was accepting that mistaken sort of welcome. They had traded their uniform or dress for swimsuits and were unnecessarily sweaty.<br /> <br /> The plastic pool that Black Uniform Meena Stinger had secretly used in the Rio Grande District was filled with water and the two of them sat in chairs with their seductive feet soaking in the pool. They were clenching and unclenching their toes and topping it all off by sucking on vanilla popsicles.<br /> <br /> Quenser had been called here for some reason and he had been struck by a thick wall of feminine aroma the instant he opened the door.<br /> <br /> He had reflexively raised his voice.<br /> <br /> “You people are awful!! You damn bourgeois are killing the earth in about every way possible!!”<br /> <br /> “So you’re finally here, commoner. Come closer. Yes, close enough to touch me.”<br /> <br /> “Woof woof!”<br /> <br /> “Heh heh heh. How wonderfully obedient. Do you like ladies’ swimsuits that much?”<br /> <br /> Blue must have been her favorite color because Azureyfear smiled at Quenser in a blue bikini that glittered like a tropical butterfly.<br /> <br /> Frolaytia pulled her popsicle from her mouth and pointed it at the student.<br /> <br /> “I may not be one to talk, but she is a powerful noble. And the type who can actually use the Winchell family’s authority. Don’t screw this up.”<br /> <br /> “Um, can I ask why you’re calling for me so often today?”<br /> <br /> “I’ve taken a liking to you,” said the young lady in a blue swimsuit. “Yes, this visit is something of a performance, but if I’m going to be shown around by someone, I’d like it to be someone I have some slight connection to. I heard what you did. You fought well against those Black Uniforms involved in the drug war in the Rio Grande District.”<br /> <br /> “Eh? But that was-…”<br /> <br /> Confused, Quenser spoke on reflex, but then a sweet flavor filled his mouth.<br /> <br /> Azureyfear had stuck the tip of her popsicle in his mouth.<br /> <br /> While he was unable to speak, vanilla-flavored lips moved from extreme close range.<br /> <br /> They mouthed the word “no”.<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “Commoner, if you are to be my guide, I would like to know what kind of person you are. As a test, find an online video that can amuse me.”<br /> <br /> “Um, eh? Okay, but…”<br /> <br /> [[Image:HO_v11_112.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> “Look at this cleavage. I’ll even squeeze my breasts together and give you an upturned look. Do you also want me to put the popsicle in my mouth and faffefaafafhfhefh?”<br /> <br /> “Woof woof woof woof!!”<br /> <br /> There seemed to be a difference in understanding concerning the previous incident, but the idiot decided to set those issues aside and take advantage of this opportunity.<br /> <br /> He began his first mission with his handheld device in hand.<br /> <br /> “Wh-what about a kitten chasing a laser pointer on the wall?”<br /> <br /> “Old hat.”<br /> <br /> “This is the silver snowscape from the peak of Mont Blanc.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the point if you don’t conquer the mountain yourself? I climb Mont Blanc twice a year. You need physical strength and knowledge of nature to hunt well, after all.”<br /> <br /> “Kh!! …Since it’s come to this, I’ll break out this video showing a breakdown of a chronometer. Look at all these gears! It’s controlled by springs and gears instead of electronics, so just think of the accuracy needed in the mechanic’s fingertips to…pant, pant…make this a reality…uuhhhh!!”<br /> <br /> “Calm down, tech nerd. Are you one of those people that would prefer I step on them?”<br /> <br /> Quenser thought the exasperated look in Azureyfear’s eyes would crush his soul. Out of ideas, his fingertip accidentally touched the banner for trending news near the search box.<br /> <br /> The small screen filled with a greasy middle-aged man’s face. A stand was covered in microphones and cameras flashed like machinegun fire. A female newscaster spoke over the footage of some sort of press conference.<br /> <br /> “As a royal and a member of the royal council, First Prince Flag Eggnog’s words gather international attention. This was a portion of the standard press conference after the council session ended the other day.”<br /> <br /> “As I have been saying, drug wars only exist in spy movies. Besides, this nonsense is likely only being spread by the weak-willed youth. The addicts who cannot stop abusing Colorful Vanilla must be clinging to conspiracy theories that blame their problems on the military and government.”<br /> <br /> “Many groups and individuals have fiercely opposed this statement, including the Legitimacy Kingdom Academics of General Medicine and the White Knights of Women’s Rights. They claim the prince’s statement is inconsistent with the medical facts of Colorful Vanilla’s spread and addiction and they ask whether he is forgetting about the victims who have been forced to use these illegal drugs due to their surroundings. These groups are filling the road in front of the safe country royal palace with various protest signs in hand.”<br /> <br /> “If you can say those insane things with a straight face, we can’t let you lead our country!!”<br /> <br /> “The royal family needs to kick that bastard out right away!!”<br /> <br /> “I’m bored, so I want to cause a scene!!”<br /> <br /> “Hooray!!”<br /> <br /> Quenser found the festival of anger to be a horrifying scene.<br /> <br /> “French fries! Does anyone need some French fries!? Damn I’m going to make a killing out here!!”<br /> <br /> “Wait, you idiot! Put the mustard mayonnaise on your own fries! Ahhh! They’re absolutely covered!!”<br /> <br /> He doubted any of the news videos could move the heart of a bored noble girl, but…<br /> <br /> “Heh heh heh. Ah ha ha!!”<br /> <br /> “You’re completely carefree!? I know they say teenage girls find anything funny, but really!?”<br /> <br /> “No, no, no. Quenser, you have quite the sense of humor. To nobles like us, the misfortune of others is like the most exquisite honey. Isn’t that right, Major Capistrano?”<br /> <br /> “Ahem… I would prefer not to answer that.”<br /> <br /> Frolaytia cleared her throat to hold in the laughter, so this was apparently not just Azureyfear’s personal tastes. It did not really make sense to Commoner Quenser.<br /> <br /> “Sigh. It must be tough being a royal. He was definitely careless, but any man his age probably says stuff like that with a mug of beer in hand.”<br /> <br /> “This is ''noblesse oblige''. Authority brings responsibility. The greater authority of a noble or royal brings just as great responsibility with it. If a royal acts like a gossiping commoner at a press conference, it’s obvious what will happen.”<br /> <br /> At any rate, he had cleared his first mission of amusing her. In her blue bikini that glittered like a tropical butterfly, Azureyfear slowly lifted her small butt from her chair.<br /> <br /> “Major Capistrano, may I borrow him for a moment?”<br /> <br /> “Yes. But…ehhh!? You’re going out dressed like that!?”<br /> <br /> “I have completely boiled, so I could stand to feel the chilly wind for a bit. Quenser, bring that bath towel with you.”<br /> <br /> With that said, she really did move to the heater-filled room’s door in her swimsuit. Quenser looked back and forth between Azureyfear and Frolaytia, but his commander only shrugged in her swimsuit. She was apparently ordering him to obey the selfish noble girl.<br /> <br /> When they left the room, Quenser was a little chilly even in his uniform.<br /> <br /> Much like after leaving a sauna, Azureyfear looked comfortable even in her blue bikini. She raised her hands, bent backwards, and let the chilly air wash over all of her skin.<br /> <br /> Quenser asked the main question on his mind.<br /> <br /> “Um, about before…”<br /> <br /> “Oh, you mean in the sunflower field?”<br /> <br /> She did not seem to care much.<br /> <br /> She even shrugged while mentioning the sniping attack on the Blue Uniforms at the desert oasis.<br /> <br /> “That is simple. The Winchell family is not permitted to hunt humans.”<br /> <br /> “No one is!!”<br /> <br /> The idiot leaned forward without thinking and the noble girl’s cleavage filled his vision.<br /> <br /> She was incredibly cute, but he was not sure what to do when she had the same blood as Heivia. Or rather, that guy’s unwelcome face flashed through his mind and he could not concentrate.<br /> <br /> “So it would be convenient if you took the credit for those kills as you were the one to pick up a Capitalist Corporations gun. What must be done and one’s reputation are very different things, especially in noble society. Well, try not to think about it too much, commoner. I suggest you take the credit for saving your unit. More importantly…”<br /> <br /> Azureyfear rotated her raised arms behind her back, bent her hips forward, and peered up at him from below.<br /> <br /> “I would like to hear about my brother. You are closer to him than anyone, aren’t you?”<br /> <br /> “…So that’s it.”<br /> <br /> “You look like you want to know why I would not meet him directly when we are brother and sister. I can almost sense the warm image commoners have of family. …But that concept is meaningless among nobles who are constantly in conflict with their own flesh and blood.”<br /> <br /> “But if you want to know about it, you must not be completely divided.”<br /> <br /> “I can’t tell you how he feels about it, though. Besides, he is something of a heretic when it comes to the Winchell family. When someone is hated by their surroundings, they will in turn hate their surroundings. It’s a sort of defensive measure.”<br /> <br /> “Well…I’ll admit he isn’t your stereotypical noble.”<br /> <br /> Quenser did not quite understand and Azureyfear laughed. She seemed to like that he could not imagine what it was like to be in conflict with his own flesh and blood.<br /> <br /> It was the proof that he had a truly happy relationship with his family.<br /> <br /> “Quenser, my bath towel.”<br /> <br /> “So it was only a short luxury, huh?”<br /> <br /> He held it out and she draped it over her shoulders like a cape to keep some of her warmth.<br /> <br /> “Then again, Heivia’s Heivia. It would be heard to find something that’s different from normal. In fact, I can’t imagine his condition would change much even if he ate a rotten egg he found on the side of the road.”<br /> <br /> “Oh, my. He must really be spreading his wings here.”<br /> <br /> Quenser wondered if the boy had been different in his safe country mansion, but he had difficulty picturing Heivia Winchell during peacetime.<br /> <br /> “Is he receiving letters or telegrams with any frequency?”<br /> <br /> “I’m not some kind of Echelon Quenser who monitors all of his communications, but he gets calls and emails. It’s monitored by the military server, but everyone here at least plays an online golf game.”<br /> <br /> Then Quenser remembered something.<br /> <br /> “But I do see him messing with his handheld device a lot lately.”<br /> <br /> “My.”<br /> <br /> “I asked if he was pretending to have phone sex, but he denied it. I wonder if he was telling the truth.”<br /> <br /> “My, my!!”<br /> <br /> Azureyfear elegantly brought a hand to her mouth and her eyes sparkled for some reason.<br /> <br /> She may have just had too much time on her hands.<br /> <br /> “Then he must have a hotline to the Vanderbilt family after all… No, there is no reason to let this get to me… I already knew he had a relationship with our sworn enemy… That is just the kind of person he is…”<br /> <br /> “?”<br /> <br /> Quenser tilted his head as the noble girl faced the wall and muttered something under her breath.<br /> <br /> Then an irregular tremor ran down her spine. She rubbed together her pale thighs, fully wrapped the bath towel around her body, and glanced awkwardly toward Quenser.<br /> <br /> “I have cooled down a fair bit. Thank you for the amusing chat, commoner. I need to visit the powder room, so return to your normal post.”<br /> <br /> “So nobles really call it the powder room…”<br /> <br /> “Do not even think about asking too much about this.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 4===<br /> <br /> “Our mission today is to eliminate a negative campaign being run by the Information Alliance.”<br /> <br /> In the briefing room, Frolaytia began her briefing (having changed into her usual uniform).<br /> <br /> A map of Africa was displayed on the white wall behind her and a red dot had been added to the cape at the southern tip.<br /> <br /> “As you know, the Cape of Good Hope is a crucial marine transportation point. With instability in the Mediterranean and Suez due to a conflict between the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Faith Organization, tankers are using the safer but longer route around Africa and through the Cape of Good Hope. That means having an Object sitting there is a major problem.”<br /> <br /> “And some idiot’s done that?” asked Heivia.<br /> <br /> Frolaytia hit a button on the remote, the projector emitted a mechanical whir, and the map zoomed in on the Cape of Good Hope.<br /> <br /> “It’s an Information Alliance Second Generation named Spectre Q&amp;A. It’s an amphibious air cushion model with a laser beam main cannon that uses a dye laser. But the specs can come later.”<br /> <br /> She used the remote again and a completely different map appeared.<br /> <br /> It was of the Arctic at the very top of the Northern Hemisphere.<br /> <br /> “Since the Arctic ice has begun to melt due to global warming, a new sea route is appearing: the Arctic route. The Information Alliance is actively pushing for the opening of that route, so they must want to force everyone to rely on it by blocking the Suez and Cape of Good Hope routes.”<br /> <br /> “So they want to harass everyone at the Cape of Good Hope and stop all the tankers and cruise ships to gather attention?” Quenser sounded disgusted. “Are they grade schoolers?”<br /> <br /> “But this is no laughing matter.”<br /> <br /> Frolaytia hit another button and a few photographs appeared.<br /> <br /> They were of the ocean around the Cape of Good Hope.<br /> <br /> “The south” brought warm images to Quenser’s mind, but this was the extreme south of the continent. It was also midwinter due to the reversed seasons of this hemisphere, so there was drift ice everywhere. In fact, some areas were completely covered with thick white ice.<br /> <br /> However…<br /> <br /> “No matter how bizarre the weather here, the formation of the ice is apparently meteorologically impossible. The odds are good the Information Alliance is using some kind of meteorological weapon. So without a truly large icebreaker, no one can cross this thick layer of ice. To be blunt, even this aircraft carrier fleet we borrowed won’t cut it. Our makeshift icebreaking blade can only do so much, so we can only get so close. I’d rather not meet the same fate as the Titanic out here.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, wait. Then…”<br /> <br /> “That’s right, Quenser. This battle is mostly a naval one, but there are also several layers of thick ice all around here. The Princess uses static electricity which requires attaching or removing a float when switching between land and sea. But I don’t want the Spectre Q&amp;A noticing that and targeting the ground below her. I don’t even want to think about that two hundred thousand ton mass sinking to the bottom of the ocean.”<br /> <br /> “Then the Princess will be doing this with the naval float attached?”<br /> <br /> “Precisely. But that makes things difficult for us. Footwork is everything in battles between Objects. Particularly in the Spectre Q&amp;A’s case since it’s laser beam main cannon will require quick movement. And yet the Princess will be restricted by the need to break the ice. That will increase the resistance and slow her down. If she gets careless, she could play right into their hands.”<br /> <br /> The Spectre Q&amp;A was an amphibious air cushion model. They had not been shown the specs yet, but it may have been able to freely move between the ocean and the ice. If it did not need to break the ice, it would have nimbler footwork.<br /> <br /> “As a side note, as the name Spectre Q&amp;A suggests, it is a Second Generation that specializes in optical sample analysis. Quenser, as a battlefield student, I assume you’re familiar with femtosecond optics, the world of one quadrillionth of a second.”<br /> <br /> “Well, yes. But…you can’t possibly mean…!!”<br /> <br /> “That’s just one of its Swiss army knife of options. An atom’s oscillation lasts from a few dozen to a few hundred femtoseconds, but a pulse laser of only a few femtoseconds is even shorter. That special light can isolate and record the movements of atoms like movie film and then analyze the footage frame by frame. Simply put, the chemical changes are stripped bare in their microscopic states. Even if you mix yourself an original drink at the soda fountain, it can probably break down each of the components and list them in order. And even more accurately than the person who mixed it.”<br /> <br /> Quenser gulped, but Heivia had not understood any of that. The difference was so stark it was almost sad, but Frolaytia continued regardless.<br /> <br /> “This Swiss army knife was probably originally designed to extract and analyze the makeup of fragments of the enemy Object’s armor, the static electricity repellant floating in the air, or the special gas for low-stability plasma cannons. That way they can find an effective means of attack.”<br /> <br /> “Originally?”<br /> <br /> “We’re getting back to that drug war. The various ‘products’ may seem the same, but there are differences depending on where they were made. You could call it the drug’s ‘fingerprint’. A detailed examination of the impurities introduced in the refinement process would show slightly differing signatures even in the same sort of drug. For example, the impurities will differ depending on whether a certain ingredient was obtained by soaking commercial cold medicine in alcohol or if it was grown as a plant. By combining all those differences, a unique signature for a manufacturer will appear. Colorful Vanilla has a cloyingly sweet smell from the vanillin-like impurity it gains during creation, so it’s worth looking into a little more.”<br /> <br /> Frolaytia spun the remote in her hand.<br /> <br /> “We found the ergots used to make Colorful Vanilla in that crashed plane in the Rio Grande District. Out of the seventy-five drugs circulating through the Capitalist Corporations, the intelligence division has acquired samples of the Colorful Vanilla that has increased so dramatically recently. If we could use the Spectre Q&amp;A’s optical sample analysis, we could determine just how it’s made. By the way, the Spectre Q&amp;A’s Pilot Elite has a PhD in pharmaceutics and physiology and is suspected to have created a few different designer drugs in the past. A designer drug is one with the original chemical structure changed slightly to slip past drug tests like a variation of a computer virus. But it doesn’t seem they’re targeting safe countries in a drug war. Their MO seems to be using the internet to send the recipe to the worn-down soldiers in the enemy maintenance base zone and triggering a moral hazard there. But either way, nothing good can come from the spread of funny-smelling cigarettes or sodas that make you feel a little too happy.”<br /> <br /> In other words, the ergots made in the Legitimacy Kingdom were being made into drugs in the Information Alliance and the completed Colorful Vanilla was being sent to their common enemy, the Capitalist Corporations. It was a little confusing and it made one wonder how much any single part of the process knew about the whole.<br /> <br /> “It looks like the drug war run by Black Uniform Special Platoon 15 was just one gear in the giant contraption that is the Legitimacy Kingdom. In other words, there is still a mastermind behind all this. It hurts that Meena Stinger was killed before she could say who, but we’ve found another line back to them here. If we can get to the Spectre Q&amp;A’s Pilot Elite or get the necessary data out of the Object itself which doubles as an optical sample analysis lab, we might be able to uncover the mastermind hiding in the Legitimacy Kingdom. We can’t ignore someone who seems to think they’re a chess master as they infect both battlefield countries and safe countries. We will find the clue we need here and settle this. That is all.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 5===<br /> <br /> Any maintenance base tended to be full of motion just before a mission.<br /> <br /> The naval base made of a fleet built around several small aircraft carriers was no exception. Quenser, Heivia, and many other soldiers were rushing through the ship’s narrow corridors. They were all preparing cold weather gear and small boats. Basically, they were scrambling for the most well-maintained gear. Getting the short end of the stick would mean being thrown out in the midwinter ocean with only a coat that had a big hole on the butt.<br /> <br /> “This is just plain awful! Isn’t this a one-on-one between giant Objects? Why is that busty commander sending worthless soldiers to the front line? What possible reason is there? She isn’t just using up a quota like road construction at the end of the fiscal year, is she!?”<br /> <br /> “I want to be on the battlefield even if I don’t have to. There’s no point in being a battlefield student otherwise.”<br /> <br /> “It’s because of idiots like you that war will never end!”<br /> <br /> “What movie do you have a hard-on for now? Some Capitalist Corporations anti-war film?”<br /> <br /> Of course, the two idiots were not the only ones running around.<br /> <br /> Men and women, old and young, were desperately grabbing for the newest gear. If he was going to be crushed in the middle of a crowd, Quenser decided he would make the most of it and charged right into an area with a high concentration of female soldiers, but then he noticed a different voice in the mix.<br /> <br /> “Marie, I swear I’ll come back to you. Wells, take care of your mother while I’m gone.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, Kevin, let’s not get all melancholy while staring at a picture before heading out to the battlefield!”<br /> <br /> “Oh, Quenser. Hello. But don’t worry. I’m not about to lose here. Once this battle is over, I promised to put in for some leave and take my family to an amusement park. Eh heh heh.”<br /> <br /> “Kevin, you idiot! What kind of setup is this!?”<br /> <br /> As he began that fruitless argument, another voice cut in.<br /> <br /> “Commoner.”<br /> <br /> It was the previous Blue Rose, but she was not in her previous blue swimsuit. She instead wore her previous blue dress with. She had her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall to stay out of the way of the soldiers rushing around.<br /> <br /> But unfortunately, she did not have a large enough chest to lift up the way Frolaytia did.<br /> <br /> When Quenser came to a stop, he was immediately driven out of the race for the best gear. Even gloomy Kevin left, but that was hardly surprising when staying still was a lot like fighting an even greater current than a salmon swimming upstream.<br /> <br /> But even before Quenser, Heivia looked over to her and their gazes met.<br /> <br /> “Tch.”<br /> <br /> “Hmph.”<br /> <br /> The siblings barely spoke.<br /> <br /> Heivia clicked his tongue irritably and left the unwelcome family member to continue preparing for battle. The look on his face made it clear her very presence was a problem, not just anything she would say or do.<br /> <br /> Azureyfear Winchell left the wall and approached the student who had been left behind. When her sudden approach brought her face right in front of his nose, Quenser lost his nerve.<br /> <br /> She whispered to him so no one else could hear.<br /> <br /> “Take care of my brother, will you? I can only watch from here, after all.”<br /> <br /> “So you are worried for him,” he muttered in annoyance.<br /> <br /> What was even the point of her surprise visit? If it was for foreign negotiations or a performance for the press, she would not have stayed for the move from Central America to southern Africa. It was possible she was using the status of her family to disguise the fact that she was simply checking in on her family member.<br /> <br /> “Listen, noble girl. He wouldn’t die even if a shell blew up right next to him. After all, he doesn’t have an ounce of pride, so he’ll immediately curl up and reduce the odds of being hit. Did you know the rate of death from a shell explosion drops from eighty to fifty percent depending on whether they’re standing up or down on the ground? In other words, there’s statistical backing for his endurance, so don’t worry.”<br /> <br /> He sighed and gave that arbitrary comment, but then he felt a soft sensation and a faint rosy scent on his right cheek.<br /> <br /> After pulling her head back, Azureyfear placed her index finger on her lips and peered up at him from below.<br /> <br /> “If you bring my brother back safely, I’ll do the same thing on the other side.”<br /> <br /> “…Ohh.”<br /> <br /> “If you have time to stand around, then get moving. You take care of things where I can’t go, Quenser.”<br /> <br /> With that said, the girl in a blue dress spun around and left.<br /> <br /> For once, Quenser was left behind with a hand on his cheek.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “Oh, you’re finally here, tech nerd. It was like a fight for soba bread at the school cafeteria, but I snagged us a high-tech boat. Hurry up and help me fold this-…bgyah!?”<br /> <br /> As soon as the noble boy faced his awful friend, a fist slammed into his nose.<br /> <br /> “What!? Wait. What the hell was that for!?”<br /> <br /> “I guess it doesn’t matter, but take care of your sister, you spoiled bastard.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 6===<br /> <br /> “Mh…”<br /> <br /> The Princess puffed out her cheeks while sitting on the very top of the Baby Magnum’s spherical body.<br /> <br /> The 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion’s prized weapon was currently held between two small aircraft carriers by hundreds of wires as it underwent maintenance, but this meant the Princess had to wait and thus had nothing to do.<br /> <br /> Rather than doing any direct work, the old maintenance lady was using a tablet to manage the maintenance as a whole and give instructions, so she spoke to the Princess while operating the touchscreen.<br /> <br /> In the modern age of clean wears which were entirely focused on Objects, the mental state and conditioning of a single individual could lead to serious problems for everyone.<br /> <br /> “Does it bother you?”<br /> <br /> “I feel like Quenser has been neglecting his studies lately. He isn’t coming to see the Baby Magnum.”<br /> <br /> The old lady gave an exasperated sigh.<br /> <br /> This was a matter of impressions, not statistical data. A greedy commoner hoping to strike it rich would never overlook a treasure trove like this.<br /> <br /> However, there was a reason for the Princess’s inaccurate “impression”. Arguing back with accurate data was not going to convince her and the old lady was used to dealing with her, so she continued the conversation in search of another angle to use.<br /> <br /> “It’s an issue of frequency. He sees the Baby Magnum all the time, but he only gets to see the enemy Object once. A new Object might seem more important to him because it holds fresh new surprises.”<br /> <br /> [[Image:HO_v11_133.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> “Boo. So I’m the boring girl he can see any time he wants?”<br /> <br /> “Honestly, who do you see as your enemy here? The Spectre Q&amp;A or the Blue Rose of Winchell?”<br /> <br /> Only then did the Princess realize her mistake, so she began waving her hands around.<br /> <br /> “No. I was being serious here.”<br /> <br /> “Who ever said love isn’t serious? And since bloodline comes first in the Legitimacy Kingdom, you could call it the foundation of society.”<br /> <br /> “Uuhhhhh… Uuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”<br /> <br /> The Princess completely overheated. She seemed to be at a complete loss as to what to say. They could not have her getting a fever like a child too excited about an upcoming field trip, so the old lady intentionally changed the subject.<br /> <br /> “It may not be our place to talk since it’s Objects that put food on our table, but weapons development is a sinful business. Meteorological weapons in particular make me think that.”<br /> <br /> “You mean the ice?”<br /> <br /> The Princess stared into the distance where the horizon was dyed white. The scale made it hard to tell, but the thick ice had to have covered kilometers of the ocean. The fleet built around small aircraft carriers could not cross it, so normal tankers and cruise ships could easily sink after colliding with it.<br /> <br /> That unnatural ice blocked off the sea.<br /> <br /> As the old maintenance lady operated her tablet, it looked less like she was maintaining weapons and more like she was using big data to optimize inventory work at a large drug store.<br /> <br /> There was a reason for that.<br /> <br /> “That’s why you’ve been checking over the secondary cannons so carefully, isn’t it? This is a fight between Objects, so anti-personnel and anti-vehicle weapons would be meaningless.”<br /> <br /> “You were planning to do that from the beginning, weren’t you?”<br /> <br /> “Yes,” the Princess readily admitted. “Why would I just break through the ice like normal? I don’t need to fight on their turf if I don’t want to.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 7===<br /> <br /> The Cape of Good Hope was stormy.<br /> <br /> The tall waves of the ocean were gray, as if they had absorbed the color of the cloudy sky. The worker ants of the Legitimacy Kingdom advanced using the electric motors of their rubber boats and they quickly ran across some white “mines”. In other words, drift ice. At first, they were the size of a stone one could carry with both arms, but they soon grew to the size of bathtubs and finally a noble’s mansion.<br /> <br /> “Damn, it’s that tits iceberg from before. Kevin, watch where we’re headed! I’m not about to crash into that thing and sink.”<br /> <br /> “Wow, they’re covered in penguins. Do you think they and the ice came all the way from Antarctica?”<br /> <br /> “They might just be taking a vacation in this area.”<br /> <br /> There were about ten people per boat. The middle-aged man named Kevin was pointing his handheld device’s lens around taking photos.<br /> <br /> “What are you doing, Kevin? If you’re analyzing the ice, could you share that data?”<br /> <br /> “Sorry, Quenser, but I’m taking pictures of the drift ice. My son Wells absolutely loves penguins, so he’s sure to love this.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, you aren’t summoning the grim reaper and getting us caught in the crossfire, are you?”<br /> <br /> The ratio of ocean to ice gradually reversed and they found themselves sailing through rivers or valleys in the gaps between the ice. Eventually, there was no excess space and they had trouble getting the boats any further.<br /> <br /> A white wall over a meter tall waited ahead of them. If it stuck up that far from the water, they could not even imagine how far it spread beneath.<br /> <br /> “This ice really is weird,” said Quenser as he stroked its surface through his thick glove. “It’s like one meter dice were packed together like chocolate crunch. That gives it a lot of handholds though, so we shouldn’t have any trouble climbing up it.”<br /> <br /> However, the student did not hear any of the usual complaints from his awful friend, so he sighed.<br /> <br /> “Are you still in a bad mood, you gloomy noble?”<br /> <br /> “A pat on the nose from some skinny SOB isn’t about to deter the Great Heivia. But I still can’t believe you would take Azureyfear’s side and treat me like a villain when you have no idea what’s going on there. Being a beautiful girl must be nice. A single teary look and you can overturn any law!”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> Quenser looked like someone who had just noticed a pile of old newspapers after the recycling truck drove by, middle-aged Kevin looked nervous, and Heivia raised his voice because he could not stand the annoying “pressure” bearing down on him.<br /> <br /> “Fine, fine! I’ll admit it. I may not know where exactly Azureyfear falls in my list of sisters, but I do know her!! She was pretty cute when she was a kid, but that completely changed after I started dating Lady Vanderbilt. It turned out she didn’t have a personality of her own and she was only following the program placed in her head by the Winchell family. She was completely done in by her noble blood.”<br /> <br /> “So you started having trouble with your cute little sister because of your girlfriend? Do you want me to punch you again, you spoiled bastard?”<br /> <br /> Seeing a boy pout his lips and sulk was only creepy. Quenser dealt with him and turned back to the rough ice wall again. The rocking rubber boat made for unsteady footing, but since it was higher than the ocean’s surface, the meter tall ice was between waist and chest height when he stood up.<br /> <br /> Everyone on the boat crawled up onto the ice land where they found a different world covered in a flat plain of pure white. The ice literally continued to the horizon. It may have been bigger than a small megafloat airport.<br /> <br /> “This iceberg is practically an ice shelf. It’s like a continent.”<br /> <br /> “Quenser, I know your eyes only know how to stare at girl’s asses, so quit pretending to appreciate the scenery and help me with this work.”<br /> <br /> “You get so hesitant, complain-y, and just an all-around pain-in-the-ass when it comes to your family. Are you in a rebellious phase or are you a kid with his parents at school for parent’s day? The problem is that you actually think it makes you look cool.”<br /> <br /> They used the synthetic fiber rope prepared in the boat to pull the boat up from the ocean. Then the ten-person boat visibly changed form. The air inflating the balloon was released, the umbrella-like framework bent like an arm, and the alloy armor opened up. In less than twenty seconds, it had become a rectangular suitcase-sized mass. It had treads and looked like a miniature snowmobile or tank.<br /> <br /> Kevin used his handheld device, but not to take photos of the penguins this time. He seemed to be controlling the miniature.<br /> <br /> “It’s called an Armadillo. It normally follows along automatically to analyze images and monitor the situation, but it still needs some human help. Although that makes it kind of cute.”<br /> <br /> Quenser scratched his head while listening to the middle-aged man.<br /> <br /> “Will this thing really help?”<br /> <br /> “We have a lot to carry this time, so a robot should come in handy.”<br /> <br /> “True…”<br /> <br /> There was not much infantry could do in a battle between Objects.<br /> <br /> The mission these idiots had “gladly” received from Frolaytia was to take samples of and analyze the makeup of the unnatural ice as well as scattering decoy armor and shell fragments to interfere with the Spectre Q&amp;A’s analysis work.<br /> <br /> That meant carrying back containers of the ice they had carved off as well as carrying around some amount of trap fragments to spread across the wide range of the battlefield.<br /> <br /> “Yeah, this is a pretty unwieldy job.”<br /> <br /> “Ah ha ha. Well, it’s still better than going out for a firefight with other human beings.”<br /> <br /> They did not know when, where, or how the Spectre Q&amp;A would take its samples, so they could only place the fragments at evenly spaced intervals as if aligning them on graph paper. They had to carry around the equipment and measure everything out, so the robot was a lot of help.<br /> <br /> “Come to think of it, they sent bull robots after us in the Rio Grande District. Everyone’s developing this kind of thing, aren’t they?”<br /> <br /> “I would think this style makes more sense than adding legs. I’d heard whispers that the infantry is starting to need power station vehicles for all their electronic equipment. Having your soldiers worried about their phone battery would be pretty sad, after all.”<br /> <br /> In his own stupid way, Heivia must have realized that his bad mood was not very productive because he casually replied.<br /> <br /> “Basically it’s a durable caddy. It’s got power, water, food, and even that boat we were using. There’s more of a demand for these indirect weapons that don’t help fight but carry the equipment needed to maintain the front line. It can be used to block bullets in a pinch, but the electronic simulation division’s calculations didn’t recommend it. They said the gunfire could trigger a spark explosion in the transformer and we’d be caught in the blast.”<br /> <br /> “Eh heh heh. Isn’t it cute? It reminds me of a cleaning robot. When we would run ours back home, Wells would chase after it.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, you might be missing your family, but don’t draw a face on it with permanent ink. It’s military property.”<br /> <br /> That said, they would not need to use it to block bullets.<br /> <br /> Their enemy was not infantry with assault rifles or handguns.<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> The pure white land underwent a great change. An unbelievably large crack ran through the icy surface that continued to the horizon. Seen from a satellite, it may have looked like a pane of glass after it was stabbed with the tip of an umbrella, but it looked like a giant valley to those on the scene. The rocking of the waves caused an even greater height difference between the two sides of the fault.<br /> <br /> “Here she is,” spat out Heivia. “That was our Princess.”<br /> <br /> The icy land seemed to be made from one meter dice packed together like extra-large chocolate crunch and a giant form crashed into it with its naval float still attached. It was the Baby Magnum with its seven main cannons and reverse Y-shaped support.<br /> <br /> And if the Princess was here, then the other Object would be somewhere nearby too.<br /> <br /> The Information Alliance Second Generation was known as the Spectre Q&amp;A.<br /> <br /> It was an amphibious air cushion Object, so it smoothly slipped up onto the flat-looking ice in the distance. It looked like a fusion between a spider and a crab. It was supported by four long, narrow legs and it had four pincer-like arms on the front. The surface of the pincers was likely covered with vacuum cleaner-like suction devices. Those would collect the armor panel fragments or low-stability plasma cannon gas floating in the air, find their weak points with its optical sample analysis, and construct its tactics based on that.<br /> <br /> This battle was one-on-one, so it was obvious what would happen next.<br /> <br /> “Quenser, Heivia, and everyone else. Be on your guard.”<br /> <br /> The Princess warned them over the radio.<br /> <br /> Immediately afterwards, a frighteningly indiscriminate bombardment began.<br /> <br /> They did not begin with their main cannons.<br /> <br /> Instead, it was the many secondary cannons covering the spherical bodies like a sea urchin or chestnut burr that moved first. The Princess did not bother breaking the ice with her icebreaking blade. She started by firing metal railgun and coilgun shells to break the white scenery into countless blocks and then fired laser beams and low-stability plasma cannons to instantly vaporize the blocks. She advanced while turning the field ahead of her into the ocean and water she needed for her naval floats.<br /> <br /> Quenser and the others had no choice but to watch.<br /> <br /> But they did not have a chance to just calmly watch as the Baby Magnum and the Spectre Q&amp;A exchanged fire with their low-stability plasma cannon and laser beam main cannons.<br /> <br /> There was a white explosion near the surface.<br /> <br /> The dangerous drift ice could have opened a hole in the side of a cruise ship, but the intense heat had forced it to flash vaporize, triggering an explosion of water vapor. But by the time they realized that, a white wall several kilometers long was approaching the soldiers with intense pressure.<br /> <br /> “Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?”<br /> <br /> They got down on the ground. Quenser and Heivia both got down, realized they had nothing to grab onto, and got chummy with the suitcase-sized Armadillo power vehicle made from folding up the rubber boat. The white wall struck a moment later. The beads of ice stung their cheeks. Their vision was as poor as in a sandstorm and Quenser saw a large silhouette flying by at greater than his height. Rather than a UFO, it was a poor Legitimacy Kingdom soldier who had not been blessed with anything to grab onto.<br /> <br /> “Keviiiin!!”<br /> <br /> “I told you! This is what happens when you carry a picture of your family around on the battlefield, you idiot!!”<br /> <br /> “We can’t investigate the ice or scatter fragments like this. What do we do!?”<br /> <br /> “Shut up! Just focus on surviving, skinny boy! At this rate, they’ll grab our corpses and use their optical sample analysis to reveal the locations of every last mole and erogenous zone on our bodies!!”<br /> <br /> Next, they heard yet another explosion like a balloon popping.<br /> <br /> The Princess was not using these water vapor explosions to damage the enemy Object. They were simply meant to destroy the endless obstacles getting in her way, so these white walls would reach the soldiers again and again.<br /> <br /> “You’re kidding! You have got to be kidding! Let’s head back to the crack in the ice shelf. If we stay up here, we’ll be just like a line of ants being sprayed with a hose!!”<br /> <br /> “When the land is shaking this much!? The chunks of ice are rocking in the waves, so if we climb between them, we’ll be crushed by a giant mouth!!”<br /> <br /> An icy South African wind blew through.<br /> <br /> It quickly washed away the water vapor and the scenery opened up once more.<br /> <br /> Quenser felt like he was seeing something he should not be.<br /> <br /> A giant mushroom cloud covered a radius of one hundred meters. It looked like a scene from some old footage.<br /> <br /> That too may have been a massive water vapor explosion and Heivia’s eyes widened as he shouted out.<br /> <br /> “I don’t think the weather can get any more bizarre than this!!”<br /> <br /> They did not have time to stick around.<br /> <br /> They were assaulted by intense pressure, like an invisible giant’s hand was sweeping them away. This time, they were pulled up into the air. There were not given a choice in the matter and tossed right into the nearby canyon-like crack.<br /> <br /> They plunged into the gray sea.<br /> <br /> The Armadillo had fallen with them, so it opened on its own and instantly filled with air to form a rubber boat.<br /> <br /> The seemingly depthless water squeezed at their hearts, so they frantically swam for the surface and grabbed at the boat. But then they noticed someone else with them.<br /> <br /> It was Kevin.<br /> <br /> He seemed to have fallen into the crack ahead of them.<br /> <br /> “Cough, cough! A-are you two okay? L-let me grab on too.”<br /> <br /> “Kevin, grab on here. That was the Princess. Our life insurance only pays out if the enemy shoots us, so you’ll lose big if you let that kill you.”<br /> <br /> “Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’m not going to die. My son Wells gave me a good luck charm to ward off bullets. Dying here would mean rejecting his efforts and I’m not about to have him feeling down.”<br /> <br /> “Ahhhh!! Someone please stop this guy from calling in any more bad luck!!”<br /> <br /> Even soldiers decked out with cutting-edge equipment were superstitious. The two idiots covered the man’s mouth so he could not do anymore to summon an unknown grim reaper.<br /> <br /> Also…<br /> <br /> “I don’t care anymore! Why are we even out here again!?”<br /> <br /> “There is a lot we need to do. Let’s review, Heivia. We’re supposed to get the Spectre Q&amp;A to gather decoy materials so it performs an erroneous optical sample analysis and we’re supposed to gather samples from this unnatural ice. If we know the system behind its solidification, we might be able to use a chemical to instantly melt it.”<br /> <br /> “Leave all that to the Princess! With all that firepower, what does a little ice matter? If she wanted, couldn’t she fire some plasma into the South Pole to wipe out all of mankind?”<br /> <br /> “No, not necessarily.”<br /> <br /> Quenser climbed onto the Armadillo boat, stood up, and observed the battlefield like a pervert peeping over the fence of the girl’s bath.<br /> <br /> Kevin asked a hesitant question.<br /> <br /> “Wh-what is it, Quenser?”<br /> <br /> “She’s melting the ice before she moves. That means her route is visible in advance, so the Spectre Q&amp;A can predict the Princess’s next move. Nimble footwork is everything in an Object battle. It can predict where she’ll be one second later and fire its laser main cannon there.”<br /> <br /> “Then what do we do?”<br /> <br /> “What we were sent out here to do: search for a way of melting these mountains of ice without relying on the Princess. If we can get rid of all this unnatural ice, we can overturn the Information Alliance’s advan-…”<br /> <br /> Quenser trailed off and looked down at his soaking wet uniform. Then he looked to his surroundings: Heivia and Kevin who were still submerged in the water and clinging to the Armadillo boat, the gray sea, and the ice wall made from unnatural dice packed together.<br /> <br /> “This is strange.”<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> “Dammit, did my assumptions about the winter sea and this waterproof and cold-resistant equipment get the better of me? They did, didn’t they!? This isn’t right at all!!”<br /> <br /> Heivia looked at his awful friend in confusion because Quenser removed his glove and stuck his hand in the seawater.<br /> <br /> “And even if she’d been in a sauna, it was strange that Azureyfear could walk around the ship in only a swimsuit.”<br /> <br /> “That pervert! Is my sister the type that says she can only sleep in the nude!?”<br /> <br /> “It’s also strange that you two can soak in that seawater while only looking chilly and that my uniform didn’t freeze after I climbed up into this biting wind! And to top it all off, there’s this!!”<br /> <br /> Quenser slapped the water’s surface from the boat.<br /> <br /> “This water isn’t cold.”<br /> <br /> “Eh? Eh?” asked Kevin. “What do you mean, Quenser?”<br /> <br /> “It’s just your average seawater. This isn’t anywhere near the midwinter environment you need for it to freeze! That’s right. If this was cold enough to create an Antarctic-style ice shelf, we probably would have died a few minutes after falling into the seawater. The average temperature for the southernmost part of Africa is eleven degrees. It just isn’t the right environment for ice to form naturally!!”<br /> <br /> Heivia and Kevin skeptically removed a glove and checked for themselves.<br /> <br /> The idiot was right.<br /> <br /> They did not feel the piercing cold of icy water. They felt the lukewarm temperature of water left sitting in a cup.<br /> <br /> “Wait. Wait, wait. So what? This ice drifted here from Antarctica, right? Then it isn’t that strange that these giant icebergs are floating in normal seawater, is it?”<br /> <br /> “One meter dice of ice were packed together into this giant ice shelf. It’s clearly manmade. And there’s no sign of the corners melting and rounding off. It wouldn’t look like this if it had been left in normal seawater for long periods of time.”<br /> <br /> “Then what is it?”<br /> <br /> “You’ll understand if you carve off a piece with a knife and taste it. While the surface has been exposed to the sea wind, the inside won’t taste salty. The trick to creating ice that won’t melt is to reduce the impurities. If this is a meteorological weapon, they’ll have used a filter or a centrifuge to remove the salt, dead plankton, and the like.”<br /> <br /> “Wait a second. Then…you’re kidding, right!?”<br /> <br /> “It’s making the ice here. Right here and now. No one else is supporting it.”<br /> <br /> Quenser really did carve off a piece of ice with a knife, stuck it in a thermos, and continued chatting.<br /> <br /> “And it’s made enough to create this white land that reaches the horizon. This is history’s greatest obstacle. Not even a tanker full of the polymer used for diapers could build a wall like this. If you’ve got to obey conservation of mass, it’s best to use the seawater that you’ve got a near unlimited supply of.”<br /> <br /> “Wait, wait, wait. Then let me ask you something. How much coolant would they need to create a new continent for the planet? Are they using Freon, liquid nitrogen, or liquid helium? Whatever it is, they’re violating entropy or whatever! It would never work out. Even refrigerators and freezers need more than a ton of electricity. You need some kind of coolant and you can only cool as much as the coolant’s specs allow for!”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> The student thought for a bit on his awful friend’s objection.<br /> <br /> “No, it may not be cooling the water at all.”<br /> <br /> “So…what? Are they using some kind of magical device from the future?”<br /> <br /> “There isn’t a rule that says water only freezes after being cooled down to 0 degrees. Melting points and boiling points vary depending on the environment.”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, the fact that cup ramen tastes worse when made in the Andes shows up on quiz shows a lot. Marie loves those shows, but Wells always pouts his lips when she doesn’t let him change the channel.”<br /> <br /> “You can tell us more about your wife and kid later. Those cup noodles are what matter now. That’s because the boiling point for the water changes due to the difference in atmospheric pressure. Ice is the same. Apply pressure and the temperature at which it freezes will change.”<br /> <br /> “What? So are we supposed to look at this in reverse? Like dig down 4000 meters below the ground?”<br /> <br /> “No, normal water turns to ice at around 7000 atmospheres of pressure. There’s a professor at my safe country school that was always doing experiments related to that. Something about creating a holy bullet by making water molecules act like metal molecules.”<br /> <br /> “Seven thousand!? How are they supposed to do that, you idiot!? That’s just unrealistic. This isn’t a micro-level lab. It’s the macro-level battlefield!”<br /> <br /> “Oh, really? Objects are two hundred thousand tons. That’s twice the weight of old aircraft carriers. It could easily supply that pressure by creating a press that focuses its weight on a single point like stepping down with some high heels. Take those four legs for example.”<br /> <br /> Kevin groaned, either at the crazy ideas Quenser could come up with or at the extraordinary specs of the enemy Object. Water froze at zero degrees. He never would have reached this point without first questioning that standard assumption.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, the student continued like normal.<br /> <br /> “There’s also a paper on applying one million volts of electricity to a meter cube of pure water to solidify it into ice. The Object’s reactor can supply that, so that might act as a secondary method.”<br /> <br /> The student placed the thermos in the rubber boat’s holder. When the boat folded up to the size of a suitcase, it would be safely stored inside the Armadillo.<br /> <br /> “Anyway, it doesn’t need a ton of coolant that way, so it can ignore that limit. Whether it uses pressure or electricity, it can indefinitely produce ice without turning the entire Object into a giant freezer.”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> Heivia and Kevin fell silent for a while.<br /> <br /> Those conditions brought a troublesome problem to the surface.<br /> <br /> “You understand, don’t you? The Spectre Q&amp;A isn’t working with some other unit. It can create all this ice and block off the sea all on its own. No matter how much ice the Princess melts, it can fill the gaps back up. She’ll be a bird in a cage the entire time.”<br /> <br /> “This is no joke. So we’ll be getting slapped around by our own Object the whole time!? Even those water vapor explosions will kill us eventually!!”<br /> <br /> “About those water vapor explosions,” cut in Quenser. “Its main cannon is a laser beam using a dye laser, right? The unnatural ice and the screen of water vapor… They both interfere with light. If it was designed with both of those in mind, it might have some trickier tactics prepared.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 8===<br /> <br /> The Princess maintained her focus even as a white screen of water vapor covered everything and new ice flowed in below the Baby Magnum.<br /> <br /> She had done nothing more than secure her means of passage.<br /> <br /> The true earth-shaking battle between Objects was yet to come.<br /> <br /> “!”<br /> <br /> The locations of both Objects, the changes in the opponent’s movements, the orientation of their cannons, the movements and creaking of their lenses and sensor heads, etc. All of the data taken in by the Object was ultimately analyzed by a human mind and she operated the Baby Magnum with the instincts of her fingertips. The Spectre Q&amp;A fired its frightening laser beam main cannon a moment later.<br /> <br /> She just barely managed to avoid it.<br /> <br /> And instead of a straight line attack that flew at the speed of light, this attack had curved slightly through the curtain of water vapor.<br /> <br /> “I already experienced a bending main cannon back in the Rio Grande District!!”<br /> <br /> This time, a laser beam flew off in a seemingly random direction, collided with a hunk of ice, and bent at a sharp angle with some reduction in power. However, the Princess had predicted this as well, so she had moved her machine out of the way.<br /> <br /> It was the same as a mirror, lens, or prism.<br /> <br /> The Spectre Q&amp;A was using some kind of technology to remake the icy land, reflecting its light with that ice, and bending it with the water vapor screen. But if one viewed the enemy Object as the source of the light and knew how the various obstacles would interfere with that light, it was not impossible to deal with.<br /> <br /> Of course, this was the same as constantly doing the mental arithmetic to determine how a laser pointer would bounce around an amusement park’s house of mirrors, and while the source of the light was constantly moving around at over five hundred kph.<br /> <br /> [[Image:HO_v11_154.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> But…<br /> <br /> (I can do it.)<br /> <br /> The Princess operated the control stick while placing some belligerence on top of her logical thinking.<br /> <br /> Weak lasers in her special goggles read the movements of her eyes and sent her wishes to the machine.<br /> <br /> (This isn’t an unbeatable foe. Second Generations have a single point of specialization, so if I can bring an end to that gimmick, they aren’t a threat. With my focus on the fundamentals, I have less excess weight and have lighter footwork!!)<br /> <br /> None of that was wrong, but that did not mean it was entirely correct either.<br /> <br /> Yes, where did the Spectre Q&amp;A’s name come from?<br /> <br /> It retrieved samples and optically analyzed them to work out its enemy’s weakness.<br /> <br /> So the longer the battle continued, the more clues it had to make a comeback.<br /> <br /> ===Part 9===<br /> <br /> “The discord between the Winchell family and the Vanderbilt family is concentrated inside this bottle,” said Azureyfear Winchell inside the borrowed aircraft carrier’s command room.<br /> <br /> Frolaytia mentally held her head as she sat in front of a laptop at a work desk. She was trying to directly command the Object that was currently in battle, but modern warfare’s advanced digitization allowed her to do so almost anywhere as long as she had communications equipment. But unforeseen trouble was always a possibility, so she did not want to receive a message like, “The LTE antenna just died and there’s nothing we can do. Tehepero.” The entire battalion could be wiped out like an online game character after the player’s signal cut out.<br /> <br /> That was when the noble girl started speaking.<br /> <br /> The girl’s bewitching body looked a little pale and she held a small bottle of blood-red wine.<br /> <br /> “Young lady.”<br /> <br /> “I’m not going to drink any. I only spray some on my clothes and hair like perfume.”<br /> <br /> She giggled and then her voice dropped in tone.<br /> <br /> “That way I will never forget the centuries of hatred contained in this bottle. That is the Winchell family way.”<br /> <br /> “I see. Well, Blazer Bouquet is a very…unique brand that people often claim tastes like drinking perfume.”<br /> <br /> “My, my. So you enjoy it too, major?”<br /> <br /> Frolaytia was always smoking her long, narrow kiseru, but for some reason, she coughed now. She may have been reminded of her safe country maids and tutors.<br /> <br /> “Blazer Bouquet is made by mixing together several rose petals and allowing them to ferment and brew within quite a lot of flower nectar. As you mentioned, major, wheat or grapes are much better if flavor is what you seek, but a powerful impression is needed for a drink served at a celebration.”<br /> <br /> Azureyfear held the perfume-like bottle’s lid between her fingertips and swished the contents around.<br /> <br /> “It all began several centuries ago. It was far before even the fall of the UN that is seen as the turning point between eras. This is a fairy tale about a princess who was pursued by an entire nation. Our Winchell family remained loyal and hid the princess even if it meant breaking the law, while the Vanderbilt family upheld the law and pursued the princess even if it meant betraying their loyalty. The princess tried to cast aside her name and position to live happily among the commoners, but they would not allow it. On the day of a secretly-held wedding, it was a bottle of this rose wine turned into a Molotov cocktail that broke through the chapel’s stained glass window.”<br /> <br /> Frolaytia narrowed her eyes a little.<br /> <br /> This was a delicate historical issue directly linked to ideology. If she said the wrong thing she would trigger the kind of harsh response that was willing to continue hunting someone down for one hundred years. She chose her words carefully as she responded.<br /> <br /> “I had heard that story is merely a highly plausible theory, just like the big bang theory.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. When the rise of Objects brought the demise of the nuclear age, all sorts of storage media were turned to ash. There’s no telling just what people threw into that figurative conflagration if they had any inconvenient truths they wished to rid themselves of. It must have looked like the most effective shredder imaginable. For one thing, no one even knows if the fall of the UN really was what created the Objects. Similarly, no one knows the truth of our two families after crossing that turning point.”<br /> <br /> The Blue Rose continued after kissing the small blood-red bottle.<br /> <br /> “But if facts were intentionally erased, there was a reason for them to be erased. Even if the story contained within the Blazer Bouquet is false, something even more repulsive lurks even deeper within. Could you feed your baby some baby food that listed its ingredients simply as ‘unknown’? Can you really rest easy just because you don’t know? Really??”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “The very fact that it is listed as ‘unknown’ is suspicious. Thus there is no real reason to search any further. Even if the maker sent out a correction, you would never believe it. You would throw out all of the baby food and rely on a different maker, wouldn’t you?”<br /> <br /> She was already set in her ways on this.<br /> <br /> It was not just the lack of a stairway to compromise. She had prepared arguments to justify not seeking compromise.<br /> <br /> That was Frolaytia’s honest opinion, but she of course did not speak that aloud.<br /> <br /> Then an electronic tone sounded.<br /> <br /> Her laptop was lending a helping hand at the best possible time.<br /> <br /> “Major Capistrano, this is not quite an emergency, but the large-scale water vapor explosions among the icebergs have altered the weather over a wide area.”<br /> <br /> “Excuse me, young lady. …Is a tornado or downburst forming?”<br /> <br /> “Nothing yet, but our Doppler radar is showing a definite supercell. Noise from the gathering storm clouds and surges of lightning might interfere with our transmissions. In order to stay informed of the changing environment, I would recommend coming down to the battle command station if possible.”<br /> <br /> She did everything she could to keep it from showing on her face, but Frolaytia was relieved and concluded she was blessed with some excellent subordinates. She had no problem with historical romance, but that changed when it had brought about hatred that still continued to this very day.<br /> <br /> She folded up her laptop and stood from the large chair at the work desk.<br /> <br /> “Allow me to see you to your room.”<br /> <br /> “No need. I would collapse from heat stroke in there. Might I stay here?”<br /> <br /> That would normally not be allowed, but they were essentially “renting out” the entire small aircraft carrier. The command room had nearly been turned into a hotel room, so it only contained a change of clothes and the laptop Frolaytia held under her arm. There were no documents or equipment with classified information and the drawers were all empty.<br /> <br /> So she could easily answer.<br /> <br /> “Yes, that’s fine. I will be posting a guard in front of the door, though.”<br /> <br /> “Please do.”<br /> <br /> After their formal exchange, only Azureyfear remained in the room.<br /> <br /> She removed the small bottle’s lid, attached a spray cap, and lightly sprayed some on the thick blood vessels on her wrists and neck.<br /> <br /> She calmed herself as she enjoyed the rosy smell and then reached for the chest of her blue dress. She pulled out a small handheld device she had not informed the battalion she had.<br /> <br /> She used a communications method based on a special detour to contact a certain someone.<br /> <br /> “How do you do, White Lily of Vanderbilt? You seem to be investigating us, but did your lovely rat-like efforts turn anything up?”<br /> <br /> “I can’t believe you… This isn’t passing through the military server. What kind of dirty magic trick is this?”<br /> <br /> “Secrets are the ultimate luxury only afforded to the privileged. The common folk put all their effort into experiencing cheap imitations, but those of us at the top are of course laughing at their wasted efforts.”<br /> <br /> “And?”<br /> <br /> “Just talking to myself, White Lily. I care not what the Whore of Vanderbilt does in her spare time. I will praise you for shaking that vulgar ass of yours to steal away a portion of our Winchell family as part of your plan, though”<br /> <br /> The Blue Rose placed the word “but” on her tongue.<br /> <br /> With one hand holding the handheld device, she used the other to spin around the perfume bottle of hateful wine.<br /> <br /> “If you drag my brother into that pathetic hobby you call ‘pacifism’, you will wish I had only burned your face off with a Molotov cocktail, Bitch of Vanderbilt. I will turn every last hair on your head into dust.”<br /> <br /> She did not speak particularly strongly, but a strange pressure was hidden within her tone.<br /> <br /> A commoner with no history behind their name may have fainted when that pressure struck them head-on.<br /> <br /> But the girl she was speaking to was different.<br /> <br /> The Legitimacy Kingdom’s Vanderbilt family had been around for at least several centuries, just like the Winchell family.<br /> <br /> The young lady of that family laughed as she replied.<br /> <br /> “Oh, dear. …Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Don’t tell me you think I forced Master Heivia to join me in all this.”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “If so, I’m sorry to say I was only doing what he asked me to. I will, however, admit I had some spare time on my hands and continued my investigation after interpreting his request more broadly than he probably intended.”<br /> <br /> “You whore.”<br /> <br /> “Blue Rose. It isn’t right to blame your brother’s lover just because he isn’t giving you any attention. …What are you doing? The Vanderbilt family has a countermeasure office dedicated to the Winchell family and you are hiding something that not even their network could detect.”<br /> <br /> “You will know soon enough.”<br /> <br /> Water splattered against the window<br /> <br /> Dark clouds had rapidly filled the sky and rain was pouring down.<br /> <br /> “Or should I say, it is already too late.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 10===<br /> <br /> It was raining.<br /> <br /> Raindrops large enough to hurt on the cheek poured down like a waterfall.<br /> <br /> The artificial rain shower created a great din. The previous water vapor explosions had caused this. <br /> The vaporized water had cooled in the air, solidified, and fallen as water once more.<br /> <br /> “Is it just me or is the Princess the one kicking us around this time?”<br /> <br /> “It’s probably just you.”<br /> <br /> “No, it’s because you were flirting with Azureyfear! Nothing good comes from pissing off the goddess of victory that holds all of our lives in her hands!!”<br /> <br /> “You’re blaming this on your sister again, you gloomy noble!? I’m sick of hearing that. That has nothing to do with the Princess’s mental state!!”<br /> <br /> “Are you on Colorful Vanilla!? How else could you be so clueless!? You’re the real spoiled bastard here, so I think you’re the one that deserves a fist to the face!!”<br /> <br /> “S-stop that, you two. C’mon, you shouldn’t fight.”<br /> <br /> The two idiots ignored the weak-willed middle-aged man and started grappling on top of the artificial ice shelf, but they soon realized they had bigger problems.<br /> <br /> A flash of light much brighter than before stabbed into their retinas.<br /> <br /> “Gh…ah!?”<br /> <br /> “What the hell!?”<br /> <br /> They curled up like lightning had struck nearby, but the light had not been targeting them. If so, they would have been vaporized already.<br /> <br /> It was a laser beam.<br /> <br /> It had grazed one of the Baby Magnum’s seven main cannons as the Object continually dodged the Spectre Q&amp;A’s man cannons.<br /> <br /> “Dammit! It didn’t react that much before, did it!?”<br /> <br /> “Wait a second. I think the Princess was shaken by that!”<br /> <br /> The optical weapon had done more than tear at the thick armor. A tremendous explosion and shockwave followed. The half-melted main cannon had already been rendered useless, but it bent and strained like a fishing rod. The entire two hundred thousand ton mass seemed to be shoved to the side and it stopped moving.<br /> <br /> The Spectre Q&amp;A’s main cannon moved carefully.<br /> <br /> It fired the main cannon again and again. The Princess quickly resumed her evasive action, but it lacked life.<br /> <br /> Heivia muttered to himself in the downpour.<br /> <br /> “What was that? It didn’t look like a normal laser.”<br /> <br /> “A dye laser. Damn, Frolaytia even mentioned it back in the pre-mission briefing!!”<br /> <br /> “Wh-what is that, Quenser?” asked Kevin. “How is it different from a normal laser!?”<br /> <br /> “A dye laser has color added to the medium used to oscillate the laser. By switching between media, this almighty laser can theoretically create light with any wavelength, from ultraviolet to visible light to infrared.” Quenser demonstrated the fruits of his studies to his awful friend. “But dye lasers are pretty inefficient. Enough that a different type of laser is needed for the pumping…that is, adjusting it to a usable band of light. You could say that thing’s main canon is a combination of different types of lasers, like a multi-stage rocket. Since it uses different wavelengths of light, it has to switch between different media like a color palette. And of course, the more complicated the system, the harder it is to maintain and the greater the risk of it malfunctioning. Normally, a dye laser isn’t well-suited for use as a weapon.”<br /> <br /> “What are you trying to say, Quenser!?” asked Kevin.<br /> <br /> “It’s a really useful but really inconvenient laser! The end!!”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, well that giant thing’s gotten it to work. There has to be a reason why. Unless some shitty government official had some shitty plot to embezzle the people’s shitty tax money.”<br /> <br /> “Heivia, how do lasers do damage in the first place?” asked Quenser. “Setting aside some special cases, they transmit the energy of the light to their target and destroy it with that. That’s the basic idea of a laser. That means efficiency matters. What wavelength of light will build up the most energy in the material making up the armor? What matters here is that the Spectre Q&amp;A’s dye laser main cannon can produce light ranging from the ultraviolet to visible light and infrared.”<br /> <br /> “Hold on. So that blast just now…”<br /> <br /> “We already know it performs optical analysis on the stripped pieces of armor panels and the special gas floating in the air and puts together its tactics based on that. There are countless variations in Object armor. The expert craftsmen add in the fire-resistant reactive material almost by instinct and no machine can emulate it. But what if the Spectre Q&amp;A’s analysis has reached that level?”<br /> <br /> “It can choose the laser that will have the most effect on the Princess’s armor? That’s what caused that explosion!? She took far, far more energy than from a normal laser!?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, but it’s more about efficiency than power.”<br /> <br /> “It doesn’t matter. That isn’t just a tricky-to-use optical weapon. Is it more like an explosive laser that destroys the material with all its built-up energy!?”<br /> <br /> Kevin trembled in fear at what Heivia was saying.<br /> <br /> Even now, the Princess was making quick evasive actions. Her footwork was as nimble as a mixed martial artist’s, but the Spectre Q&amp;A was sending in more drift ice. That artificial ice was created by freezing the sea water with great pressure. Once that stopped her, her enemy could get a definite hit in. The preparations for that were already underway.<br /> <br /> “B-but it’s still a laser isn’t it? She already knew it was bad to get hit by it! So she just has to make sure she isn’t hit! Then it won’t explode, right!?”<br /> <br /> “Weren’t you listening, Heivia?”<br /> <br /> Quenser rejected that optimistic view.<br /> <br /> “Its dye laser can create any wavelength.”<br /> <br /> A moment later, several explosions erupted from the space around the Baby Magnum rather than the Object itself.<br /> <br /> The noise alone was enough to not just pound on their eardrums but fill their heads with internal pressure. Heivia curled up and yelled while suffering from a dull headache.<br /> <br /> “What is it now!?”<br /> <br /> “It created the optimal wavelength for either the surrounding air, the low-stability plasma cannon gas floating around, or the static electricity repellant!! It’s just like a laser space elevator. The air expanded to create explosive shockwaves that hold the Princess in place!!”<br /> <br /> The laser contained enough energy to pierce through an Object which could survive a nuclear blast.<br /> <br /> That pressure exploded in the air and scattered around.<br /> <br /> The Baby Magnum was not at the center of the blast and was not destroyed, but entirely avoiding the surface of pressure created by the shockwave was not easy and that pressure approached from multiple directions at once. The fifty meter machine’s movements were cut short and it could not keep up its nimble evasions.<br /> <br /> The Spectre Q&amp;A had no reason to rush.<br /> <br /> It had the optimal game piece on the optimal square on the game board, so it could tease its opponent until they self-destructed.<br /> <br /> With the drift ice interfering from below and the shockwaves from above, the Baby Magnum was losing valuable seconds and would eventually be fatally delayed.<br /> <br /> Then the monster’s dye laser would switch its palette and fire the most efficient attack for the Baby Magnum.<br /> <br /> Whether opening a photo album or activating a voice recorder, Kevin curled up and muttered something while staring at his handheld device.<br /> <br /> “Marie, Wells. Dad is doing his best on the other side of the globe. I swear I’ll keep my promise, so let’s have a blast at the amusement park. But…ahh, but if dad can’t make it back…Wells, listen up. You need to support your mom. This is a promise between men, okay?”<br /> <br /> “Oh, shut up you. Stop praying like that. More importantly, what are we going to do?”<br /> <br /> Still curled up, Heivia clenched his teeth against the shockwave that was breaking apart the icy land.<br /> <br /> “We were caught in this thing’s web from the beginning! How are we supposed to win!?”<br /> <br /> ===Part 11===<br /> <br /> A round lifeboat floated between the drift ice.<br /> <br /> Inside were three blonde girls in red parade uniforms and the young man in charge of their care.<br /> <br /> “Good, good. I was a little worried when the Legitimacy Kingdom melted the ice and triggered all those water vapor explosions, but we should be fine now.”<br /> <br /> “It’s all progressing well.”<br /> <br /> “It feels like we’re finally back on track, doesn’t it?”<br /> <br /> All three were facing each other with military handheld devices in hand as if they were children playing coop with handheld games. The young man was left out and he kept glancing out the round window at the intermittent light and noise.<br /> <br /> The three sisters (who actually wanted to show off to him) were a little displeased with that, but they refocused themselves.<br /> <br /> “I didn’t think you would accept this job, Dry.”<br /> <br /> “Eh? Why not?”<br /> <br /> “Because this request for help came from the Laser Cracker 001. Y’know, the one suspected to be involved in that drug war. That may be efficient, but isn’t it disgusting?”<br /> <br /> The sensible young man’s shoulders gave a start as he stared out the window.<br /> <br /> The triplets (mistakenly) concluded they could gather his attention with this topic, so there was no stopping them.<br /> <br /> “He’s not some money-obsessed drug dealer. In a way, he is taking part in the drug war, though.”<br /> <br /> “Huh? Then wat is he doing?”<br /> <br /> “The Laser Cracker 001’s Elite uses the internet to send his designer drug recipes to the enemy maintenance base, but he doesn’t do it to sow confusion in their maintenance or command structure.”<br /> <br /> “Ohh, I get it now.”<br /> <br /> “He wanted a bad example. Something like a poster hung up in an infirmary.”<br /> <br /> “Right, right. Just like any other type of war, there’s offense and defense in a drug war. You attack by sending your products to the enemy nation and earning money. You defend by blocking the products from entering your own country and secretly spreading awareness to make the youth afraid of using the products. A bad example is the best for that. Like showing pictures of paint thinner addicts’ teeth or the torn-up skin of addicts after they tried to scratch at the hallucinations of bugs crawling all over them.”<br /> <br /> “You can’t use your own people for that bad example.”<br /> <br /> “And even if it’s an enemy nation, you don’t want to destroy the people in a safe country.”<br /> <br /> “So he used an enemy nation’s soldiers. If the news runs a story on the sorry state of the soldiers after abusing drugs on the battlefield, no one will try to use that ‘cool and artistic key to the gates of heaven’.”<br /> <br /> “Even drugs are about brand name and image, aren’t they? You can see that pretty clearly when a legal drug becomes an illegal drug, when the illegal drug starts being called an herb or something, and when it’s finally known as a dangerous drug. That’s a different sort of defense.”<br /> <br /> “It leads to rumors that the filthy soldiers on the battlefield were caught in a national conspiracy, have their teeth falling apart as if from cavities, have their noses constantly running, and get hallucinations that lead to chewing their own fingers to shreds. Of course no one’s going to try to use it after hearing that.”<br /> <br /> The young man was reaching information overload and had completely lost track of who was saying what. Oblivious to that minor change yet hoping to attract that normal person’s attention, the three genius girls continued their complicated discussion.<br /> <br /> “But what does that say about the current incident?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, that ergot alkaloid lysergic acid derivative.”<br /> <br /> “Colorful Vanilla.”<br /> <br /> “He’s the one in charge of producing that, right? That seems out of character for the Laser Cracker 001. He usually takes the defensive side of the drug war to reduce the damage done.”<br /> <br /> “There’s a reason behind it.”<br /> <br /> Alisa Martini Sweet smiled thinly with the kind of cruelty unique to a genius.<br /> <br /> “This is but the tip of the iceberg.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 12===<br /> <br /> “Heivia, Heivia.”<br /> <br /> “What is it, goddammit!? My ears are hurting too bad to hear you properly!!”<br /> <br /> As the repeated explosions and shockwaves gradually cornered the Princess, Quenser grabbed Heivia’s shoulders and shouted loud enough to not be drowned out.<br /> <br /> “We need to pull up the rubber boat that’s still in the water! We need the Armadillo’s help. Heivia, you and Kevin help me out!!”<br /> <br /> “What are you even trying to do!? Wouldn’t jumping down to the boat be the faster way out of here!?”<br /> <br /> “Isn’t it obvious?”<br /> <br /> Quenser glared at the distant Spectre Q&amp;A that was firing its explosive laser main cannon that made use of a dye laser.<br /> <br /> “We’re going to do something about that thing. I can’t let it keep bullying the Princess. And if it gets away, the drug war affecting safe countries will continue. Colorful Vanilla will be spread without end while some government official’s wallet gets fatter. That would leave a bad taste in my mouth, so we need to do something, whether that means capturing the Pilot Elite or analyzing the drug.”<br /> <br /> “You’re…right. It seems to only be targeting the Capitalist Corporations for now, but they’re still targeting safe countries. I don’t want to leave any chance of that being spread anywhere near Marie and Wells.”<br /> <br /> They used the synthetic rope to pull up the boat. Once it was up on the ice, they let out the air and it automatically transformed into the suitcase-sized Armadillo.<br /> <br /> “Let’s turn this around before they reach checkmate. Come on, Heivia.”<br /> <br /> “Are you kidding!? We have to run through all those explosions and shockwaves!?”<br /> <br /> The two idiots and the middle-aged man crouched down and ran along the cracked ice land with the small power supply Armadillo.<br /> <br /> As they felt vibrations that seemed to beat all of their skin like a drum, Quenser spoke over the radio.<br /> <br /> “Princess, can you hear me?”<br /> <br /> “What is it, Quenser? I’m a little busy.”<br /> <br /> “Turning down people’s invitations on the pretext of being ‘busy’ is a warning signal when it comes to interpersonal relations, so be careful.” He twisted his lips in a smile as he joked. “Can you move from the point you’ve been concentrating your fire on and move the primary battlefield elsewhere? I want to set up a trick while you do, so you’ll have to make sure the Spectre Q&amp;A doesn’t notice.”<br /> <br /> “You don’t like giving easy requests, do you?”<br /> <br /> “If you can’t, the situation will only get worse. You know you’re being pushed around on the chess board, right? You’ll only be cornered if you let more time pass.”<br /> <br /> She replied through her actions rather than words.<br /> <br /> The Baby Magnum veered to the side. Laser beams and low-stability plasma cannons blew away the surviving portion of the artificial ice shelf, clearing a new path with water vapor explosions. She was running off.<br /> <br /> “Let’s go, Heivia! You too, Kevin!!”<br /> <br /> “I know, you bastard, but can you at least tell me how many times you’re planning to get us killed today!?”<br /> <br /> In the area where the Objects had been fighting, the thick ice had either melted or was full of cracks in a web-like pattern. It was not a ship designed to float, so it could capsize at any time. It was quite thrilling, but the two idiots and the middle-aged man got as close to the “cliff” as they could.<br /> <br /> But then short bursts of gunfire reached them.<br /> <br /> “Wah!!”<br /> <br /> Kevin curled up on the spot and Heivia dragged him back behind the suitcase-sized Armadillo.<br /> <br /> “What!? Why are soldiers showing up now!? Are those Information Alliance!? I thought the Spectre Q&amp;A worked on its own!”<br /> <br /> Heivia used his large knife as a mirror to check on the situation from behind cover. He saw four or five frogmen in pure white wetsuits, so they may have been planning to fight on the ice. They were about two hundred meters away. There were more cracks on the seemingly pure white surface, so they had likely crawled up from the ocean rather than appearing from thin air.<br /> <br /> “Seriously, what is this!? I have no idea what role they could be playing.”<br /> <br /> “It doesn’t matter. If we don’t take them out and keep moving, we can’t help the Princess! She’ll be bullied to death by the Spectre Q&amp;A!!”<br /> <br /> ===Part 13===<br /> <br /> Inside the round lifeboat, the three girls in red parade uniforms clicked their tongues in unison.<br /> <br /> One of them opened her mouth.<br /> <br /> “Our white frog bodyguards reacted. They may have gotten unexpectedly close.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 14===<br /> <br /> Dry gunfire echoed across the icy land.<br /> <br /> However, the enemy had the upper hand. The three guys were crammed in behind the suitcase-sized cover and unable to move, plus Heivia was the only one who could return fire. There were not that many Information Alliance frogmen, but they still worked together to corner their enemies.<br /> <br /> Heivia realized the situation was not going to improve, so he made a suggestion.<br /> <br /> “Hey, let’s let Kevin escape. If we drop him and the Armadillo into the water, he can escape with the boat.”<br /> <br /> “If we don’t keep moving, the Princess will lose! Then the entire battalion will be wiped out!!”<br /> <br /> “That’s why we’ll stay here! Quenser, pull out those bombs you love so much. I’ll throw a smoke grenade to block their vision, so let’s stack up the blocks of ice to create a new shield. You can blow up a nearby mountain to get the ice. I don’t see how we can fight back otherwise.”<br /> <br /> “It’s risky, but it’s looking like our only option.”<br /> <br /> Quenser gulped and agreed, but middle-aged Kevin looked nervous.<br /> <br /> “W-wait. You’re going to build yourself a pyramid in the middle of all those bullets? Even with the smoke blocking their vision, they’re still going to be firing. You’ll be killed if you’re hit!!”<br /> <br /> “You don’t need to worry. On my signal, fall back with the Armadillo. You meet up with the rest of the battalion!!”<br /> <br /> “But why just me!?”<br /> <br /> “Shut up! I don’t want to protect a greasy old man, but you’ve got a wife and kid, right? You promised to take them to an amusement park when you take leave next, right!? If I let you die here, they’d hate me forever. I’m not about to let that happen!!”<br /> <br /> “Say hi to Marie and Wells for us. Have enough fun for us all.”<br /> <br /> It was not that Quenser and Heivia were used to this.<br /> <br /> The two idiots’ faces were covered in unpleasant sweat.<br /> <br /> But they stuck with it.<br /> <br /> They stared at the Information Alliance frogmen who had come from who-knows-where, but Kevin’s face crumbled as he looked at those two.<br /> <br /> And he made a confession.<br /> <br /> “It was…”<br /> <br /> “Hm? What!? I can’t hear you over the gunfire, Kevin! And just get going already!!”<br /> <br /> “It was all a lie!!”<br /> <br /> Kevin shouted over the deadly din this time.<br /> <br /> “I made up the marriage!! I was ashamed of not being married at my age, so whenever anyone asked about it, I said I was. And as I kept lying, it got more and more detailed. Next thing I knew, it was like this. I don’t have anything. You’d be wasting your deaths if you covered for me! So let’s think of something else!! Something that doesn’t require risking your lives for someone who’ll spend his leave going to strip clubs alone and eating cup noodles in his tiny apartment!!”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> It was a lovely confession.<br /> <br /> All expression vanished from the two idiot’s faces.<br /> <br /> They removed their assault rifle, backpack of Hand Axe plastic explosive, and other equipment. Then they equipped it all on Kevin instead. In no time at all, he had evolved into a snowman-like Full Weapon Kevin. It even looked like he would have trouble moving with all that on.<br /> <br /> “Eh? Eh? Wait. What is this?”<br /> <br /> “It’s simple. Your job is simple: Run, kill, and come back. It’s the standard job for a Legitimacy Kingdom soldier living off of the people’s taxes.”<br /> <br /> “Wait a second! I forced myself to make that confession because I didn’t want to lose anyone! I wanted us to find a solution where everyone survives!!”<br /> <br /> “Don’t worry. This is the best option.”<br /> <br /> Quenser and Heivia both placed a hand on Kevin’s shoulders, brought their smiling faces in close, and spoke in unison.<br /> <br /> “It’ll be fine. There’s no way a guy like you would die.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 15===<br /> <br /> “Wah, wah! That’s gunfire! Wh-what do we do?”<br /> <br /> The young man let out a shout as he looked out through the round lifeboat’s window. The three girls of the Martini series continued relaxing and reached for a radio.<br /> <br /> “Yes, retreat, retreat. All you white frogs need to find a good point to escape! Don’t be stupid. They’ll send reinforcements if you kill them and they’ll continue the investigation even if you die. Having some unknown people disappear for some unknown reason is perfect!! The Object is still making a mess of things up there, so the birdbrained Legitimacy Kingdom will forget about you pretty quickly. Just! Do! It! You need to make sure they don’t find us here in the ocean!!”<br /> <br /> ===Part 16===<br /> <br /> And finally…<br /> <br /> “Wow, Kevin actually survived.”<br /> <br /> “From now on, he can be our shield. Let’s just follow him around.”<br /> <br /> The white frogmen (probably) from the Information Alliance were gone. Kevin’s suicide charge had not actually killed them all. They seemed to have retreated into a crack in the thick ice.<br /> <br /> “What was that about?”<br /> <br /> “Who knows. This might just have been their landing point.”<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, Kevin was angry.<br /> <br /> He was gasping for breath and throwing his hands into the air on the pure white land.<br /> <br /> “Hurry on over here! Hurry uuuuuup!! What was that, you pieces of shit!? Why would you send me on a suicide charge!? I thought we were friends!”<br /> <br /> “What do you think about that?”<br /> <br /> “He decided for himself how close we were and then got mad when it didn’t turn out that way. I can see why he isn’t married.”<br /> <br /> At any rate, the direct danger had passed.<br /> <br /> If they did not get back on track, the Baby Magnum would be defeated by the Spectre Q&amp;A. They needed to collect what was scattered across the paths – or rather, the area – the two Objects had passed through during their fight.<br /> <br /> Quenser crouched down and focused on something glittering on the vast icy surface.<br /> <br /> “Found it.”<br /> <br /> “What is that?”<br /> <br /> Heivia was asking about a ten centimeter wide disk that looked like a crushed dome. It had deviated so far from its original form that he had trouble picturing it.<br /> <br /> “This is one of the Baby Magnum’s armor panels. It was completely melted and then re-hardened after pouring down on the ice. It’s shaped like a drop of dew on a window, right?”<br /> <br /> “Then did the Spectre Q&amp;A take this in to analyze the Princess’s structure?”<br /> <br /> Heivia glanced over at the Armadillo.<br /> <br /> “That busty commander gave us some decoy armor and special gas, didn’t she? We might be able to confuse it if we scatter them around.”<br /> <br /> “It’s too late for that now. It’s already finished its official optical sample analysis, so it’ll be able to tell those are decoys now. Fortunately, we don’t have to do that.”<br /> <br /> “?”<br /> <br /> “They don’t have to be decoys.” Quenser waved the disk around a little. “One or two isn’t enough. Heivia, Kevin. Let’s split up and search for the Princess’s armor. The more we have, the better.”<br /> <br /> “Dammit. I feel like a kid searching for unexploded ordnance for some money.”<br /> <br /> “Ugh. I risked my life for trash like this?”<br /> <br /> With that, their battlefield scavenger hunt began.<br /> <br /> Quenser, Heivia, and Kevin gathered the scattered armor fragments and placed them on top of the Armadillo.<br /> <br /> “The Princess is going to be stripped bare before long. Can you tell us what we need to do now?”<br /> <br /> “This should be enough. Princess!!”<br /> <br /> “What?”<br /> <br /> “I’m about to give you the Armadillo’s control frequency. Um, it’s model number…S…12…A! Use its location for this! Listen, I’m only going over the plan once!!”<br /> <br /> ===Part 17===<br /> <br /> The Legitimacy Kingdom called it the Spectre Q&amp;A.<br /> <br /> The Information Alliance called it the Laser Cracker 001.<br /> <br /> That Second Generation Object’s Pilot Elite had already perfectly drawn out the pathway to victory. The Object had a press-style icemaker that used its massive weight to harden the seawater into artificial drift ice. It also had a laser that created giant explosions and shockwaves using the special gas floating in the air. Those factors gradually dulled the Legitimacy Kingdom First Generation’s movements and reduced its freedom of movement. Once that passed a certain point, the enemy would be immobilized and he could fire the most effective explosive laser.<br /> <br /> Piercing straight through the center would break it apart like a giant firework.<br /> <br /> But then something odd happened.<br /> <br /> The outdated Legitimacy Kingdom First Generation put up an unnecessary struggle.<br /> <br /> Water vapor rose from below the Laser Cracker 001. It was a massive white curtain that made it look like a cumulonimbus cloud had formed on the ground. However, the Pilot Elite was unfazed. The Laser Cracker 001 used an amphibious air cushion, so the ice melting away was not a problem. Its many sensors could still detect the enemy’s position through the white curtain. Most importantly of all, randomly destroying the game board was pointless. To anyone who knew the rules of chess, an amateur moving without giving it any thought only seemed to be placing the noose around their own neck.<br /> <br /> That was why the Elite’s path to checkmate was shortened by twenty moves.<br /> <br /> Weak lasers read the movements of his eyes and the enemy was accurately targeted through the curtain. He chose the recorded wavelength for the enemy’s armor rather than the special gas and switched the main cannon’s color palette.<br /> <br /> One attack.<br /> <br /> It would only take one attack.<br /> <br /> The Pilot Elite did not hesitate.<br /> <br /> His thumb stroked across the button at the top of the lever and he pressed it.<br /> <br /> A moment later, the screen before his eyes filled with the color white.<br /> <br /> ===Part 18===<br /> <br /> They had not had time to leisurely put some distance between them.<br /> <br /> Quenser, Heivia, and Kevin were caught in the middle of a giant water vapor explosion and collapsed onto the pure white ice shelf.<br /> <br /> “Dammit! Son of a bitch!! What was that!?”<br /> <br /> “I-I won’t die here. I’ll be just fine! After all, I have gifted blood!! My brother’s an astronaut!!”<br /> <br /> “That’s as useless as a blood type horoscope, you dumbass!!” Heivia shouted in absolute desperation. “There was a huge explosion right next to the Spectre Q&amp;A! Did its main cannon screw up or something!?”<br /> <br /> “No,” corrected Quenser. “It was the Princess’s armor fragments we gathered. We placed them on the ice and had the Armadillo’s radio signal act as a guide. The Princess blasted them and caused a water vapor explosion, so the melted and vaporized armor turned to spray with the water. So what do you think happens if someone fires into that curtain with an explosive laser designed to efficiently transmit its energy to the Princess’s armor and explode?”<br /> <br /> “Oh…ohhh!!”<br /> <br /> “That’s what happened, Princes!! The Spectre Q&amp;A was hit by the shockwave from that point blank blast. Finish this before it can recover from the knockback!!”<br /> <br /> The Information Alliance’s Second Generation had a powerful main cannon and the unexpected damage created a short lag before it could recover.<br /> <br /> The Princess was not about to overlook that.<br /> <br /> The revolver-like turret at the base of her main cannon turned to select the low-stability plasma cannon out of the multiple options. As the Spectre Q&amp;A wobbled and seemed to lack life, she did not hesitate to target the center of its spherical body.<br /> <br /> A bright light and an explosive sound surged out.<br /> <br /> The blast pierced the vital point, destroying the reactor, and the Second Generation seemed to swell out. So much energy burst into the outside world that it caused an unbelievably large explosion. It seemed to wear away the lifespan of their retinas and eardrums, but they felt a strange high in addition to the pain. The disconcerting pressure hanging over them was eliminated, their safety was assured, and they were overwhelmed by an instinctual elation, much like staring into a flickering flame.<br /> <br /> This feat was known as dragon slaying.<br /> <br /> The sight seemed to easily break the floodgates of human rationality.<br /> <br /> Kevin raised a frightened yet strangely excited voice.<br /> <br /> “W-we did it!! I didn’t die!! I’m not gonna let myself die single!! Ohhhh!! Let’s get back to the base zone where love and romance await me!! …H-huh? Why don’t you look happy?”<br /> <br /> The two idiots ignored the middle-aged bachelor as they stared blankly into the distance.<br /> <br /> “Hey, what do we do now?”<br /> <br /> “About what?”<br /> <br /> “We can’t figure out who’s behind the drug war using the ergots without either that Pilot Elite or the Object itself, right?”<br /> <br /> ===Part 19===<br /> <br /> Frolaytia was holding her head back in the aircraft carrier’s battle command station.<br /> <br /> Destroying the Information Alliance Second Generation, clearing the unnatural ice blocking the Cape of Good Hope, and securing the safety of the sea were all desirable results, but now they had lost their chance to determine who was behind the drug war.<br /> <br /> “It’s better than getting wiped out because we were too focused on that, but I still want to punch them later.”<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, Frolaytia received a report from a young operator with the courage to speak to her when she was clearly in a bad mood.<br /> <br /> “We just received an external communications request. A civilian one. It seems to be from the young Vanderbilt lady.”<br /> <br /> “Not a problem. Put her through.”<br /> <br /> She had it routed to her laptop and a familiar face appeared in the video chat window.<br /> <br /> However, something was not right.<br /> <br /> “Major Capistrano!? There’s a Second Generation Object there!”<br /> <br /> “I can’t discuss details of military operations with you, lady. But I can tell you the Information Alliance threat is gone and your secret lover is just fine. But just this once, okay?”<br /> <br /> “No!! Vanderbilt’s countermeasures office has finally tracked them down. The threat is not an Information Alliance Objec-…”<br /> <br /> Severe static filled the transmission, but the answer arrived before she could question it.<br /> <br /> “…a Legitimacy Kingdom Object! Azureyfear has you in her deadly sights!!”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> At that same time, Quenser, Heivia, and Kevin were picked up by the other Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers taking part in the mission. They were stuffed inside a rubber boat made from an Armadillo as they and the Baby Magnum made their way back to the aircraft carrier fleet.<br /> <br /> “Anyway, is your brother really an astronaut?”<br /> <br /> “He’s probably lying again.”<br /> <br /> “I-I am not. You might not believe me, but that one’s true!”<br /> <br /> At that exact moment, a deafening noise filled the world.<br /> <br /> The next thing they knew, more than two thirds of the hundred-ship fleet, including destroyers and early-warning ships, was broken apart. Their relief at finally returning vanished in a heartbeat and their minds went blank. There was nothing they could do as a giant wave sped their way. Unable to maintain its balance, the rubber boat flipped right over.<br /> <br /> “Bwah!”<br /> <br /> “Just grab on! You’ll get caught in the sinking ships! And what was that!?”<br /> <br /> “Ah wah wah wah wah wah.”<br /> <br /> “Kevin! Grab onto the boat if you don’t want to die!!”<br /> <br /> They had no time to flip the boat right-side up, so the soldiers grabbed on and witnessed what happened next.<br /> <br /> There was a giant iceberg that looked like two mountains stuck together.<br /> <br /> “What!? What is that!?”<br /> <br /> “You’ve gotta be kidding me! It’s that tits iceberg!!”<br /> <br /> It crumbled, melted, and shattered from within.<br /> <br /> Something far too large was slowly revealed.<br /> <br /> It had a spherical body fifty meters tall. In addition to the air cushion directly below, it had upside-down Y-shaped insectoid legs with boosters covering the sides. It had a single main cannon on the very front and it lacked the countless secondary cannons that usually made one look like a sea urchin or chestnut burr. Instead, some strange devices that resembled peacock feathers were disconcertingly moving on the back.<br /> <br /> Quenser spoke in utter shock.<br /> <br /> “An…Object…?”<br /> <br /> “But who does it belong to? Was the Information Alliance hiding another-…!?”<br /> <br /> Heivia trailed off, so Quenser looked over to his awful friend.<br /> <br /> “Hey, what is it?”<br /> <br /> “You’re kidding, right?”<br /> <br /> Heivia cried out like he was having a nightmare.<br /> <br /> “Why the hell does that Object have the Winchell family crest on it!?”<br /> <br /> ===Part 20===<br /> <br /> The three Martini sisters clapped their hands with joy inside the round lifeboat.<br /> <br /> “Yay!”<br /> <br /> “Success, success. Losing the Laser Cracker 001 was a shame, but this was our top priority. I’m just glad the surprise wasn’t accidentally revealed while they were melting all that ice.”<br /> <br /> “In this day and age, completely hiding from radar and satellites is impossible. Even the best stealth can only reduce the radar cross-section so much, so completely disappearing isn’t easy. …The best way to hide is to provide a reason for the large dot on the screen that everyone will accept. For example, icebergs may look small on the surface, but they continue for hundreds of meters below the water.”<br /> <br /> Only the young man was staring out the window like he was seeing the end of the world.<br /> <br /> “Y-y-you mean you intentionally sealed an entire Object inside the artificial ice? That way it could be carried in by the ocean current without anyone noticing!?”<br /> <br /> “Good job! You figured it out on your own! Let me reward you.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, stop that, Dry! But I take it that means the higher ups authorized this.”<br /> <br /> “Because they knew they would get something even better in return,” said Alisa Martini Sweet as she laughed and joined the fight over the normal man. “They knew they would get something worth handing the Legitimacy Kingdom a Second Generation built in one of our factories. We get to watch as a true celebrity in an enemy nation disgraces herself by starting a civil war as the greatest sacrifice of the drug war. It’s the ultimate negative campaign.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 21===<br /> <br /> [[Image:HO_v11_195.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> The Cape of Good Hope region was instantly transformed into the Bermuda Triangle or Sargasso.<br /> <br /> A great number of ships sank into the ocean or tilted and just barely remained floating. There was no recovering though, so the crew used the time limit until the inevitable sinking to escape on the lifeboats.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, a girl in a blue dress ignored the lifeboats and stood tall on a broken fighter wing with her arms crossed.<br /> <br /> As Heivia desperately clung to the upside-down boat so as not to be sucked in by the current of the sinking fleet, he stared blankly at his sister.<br /> <br /> “I believe I forgot to ask before: how do you do, brother? What do you think of Second Generation Destruction Fes that I have received? Don’t you think it has the coolest shape, truly befitting the Winchell family crest?”<br /> <br /> “What are you…saying?”<br /> <br /> “Do I have to spell it out?”<br /> <br /> Azureyfear pointed her thumb back over her shoulder to direct his attention toward the dreadful fifty meter form.<br /> <br /> “That is my personal possession. It took some doing, though. Even for a noble, owning an Object is a bit of a hurdle for a private force that is not part of the military. I even had to cross borders to have it constructed in an Information Alliance factory.”<br /> <br /> “That’s impossible.”<br /> <br /> “I never said it was easy. We built the control system, but the Information Alliance found so many things to complain about and refused to hand over the Object itself. I was a little worried when they delayed it until today, but they have confirmed receipt of the money and it arrived in time for its launching ceremony.”<br /> <br /> “Objects aren’t that simple! You need more than the five billion dollars it costs to construct! There are usage and maintenance costs! And since the Information Alliance is involved, there would need to make sure you can’t betray them with it and make sure their data isn’t leaked to the Legitimacy Kingdom!!”<br /> <br /> “Oh, dear. But you’ve already seen the alchemy used to raise those funds. A rotten yet sweet sort of war that brings unlimited riches to whoever runs it.”<br /> <br /> This time, Heivia Winchell felt his mind go entirely blank from that casual comment.<br /> <br /> Instead, Quenser responded while clinging to the same boat.<br /> <br /> “The drug war… So you were the one running it on the Legitimacy Kingdom side.”<br /> <br /> “But…she’s a noble!” shouted Kevin as he grew pale. “Why!?”<br /> <br /> Nobles were a symbol of law and order. The commoners trusted them enough to leave politics to them and they seemed so far removed from common life, but Azureyfear nodded with a wicked smile on her lips.<br /> <br /> “How many manors outside the watchful eyes of the noble and royal councils do you think the Winchell family owns? Transforming a few of them into ergot plants was hardly difficult. Plus, the Information Alliance was willing to handle the production of Colorful Vanilla and use it to attack the Capitalist Corporations. I could have done that on my own, but they were kind enough to help.”<br /> <br /> “Then the one who finished off the Special 15th Black Uniforms in the Rio Grande District was…?”<br /> <br /> “They were useful pawns, but I couldn’t have them talking there. Although I only needed to keep it hidden until today, so I ended up using a fairly sloppy method of silencing them.”<br /> <br /> A powerful wind roared through.<br /> <br /> They were not the only ones who could not remain silent. The Princess in the Baby Magnum had begun rushing toward the unknown Object as if to say she refused to allow any more damage to be done.<br /> <br /> But Azureyfear calmly pulled folding neckband-style headphones from the chest of her dress, unfolded them, placed them on her ears, and spoke three simple words.<br /> <br /> “That is useless.”<br /> <br /> Even at a distance, Quenser and the others could not tell what had happened.<br /> <br /> An unknown explosive sound filled their minds.<br /> <br /> Quenser’s thoughts were flashing in and out as he realized the Destruction Fes bearing the crest of the Winchell family had used some kind of weapon. He could not gather his thoughts. He could not tell front from back, left from right, or even up from down. If he had not wrapped a rope on the side of the upside-down boat around his wrist, he might have drowned.<br /> <br /> His inner ear had been taken out.<br /> <br /> But even if he had been in a normal state of mind, would he have been able to follow that with his eyes?<br /> <br /> If the Baby Magnum’s movements were like the footwork of a mixed martial artist, the unknown Object’s were like lightning. It moved so sharply that the Princess could not keep up. She had been the one charging toward it, but it moved up to her and they glared at each other from less than ten meters away. For humans, it would have been close enough for their lips to touch. And even that close, the unknown Object moved around behind the Princess.<br /> <br /> It was like grabbing a delicate girl from behind and gently kissing the nape of her neck.<br /> <br /> The unknown Object tapped its main cannon against the back of the Baby Magnum’s spherical body.<br /> <br /> It would be too late by the time she turned around.<br /> <br /> A point-blank blast would vaporize the princess before she had a chance to eject.<br /> <br /> “The inertial Gs a Pilot Elite is exposed to are said to occasionally exceed twelve Gs. A normal fighter has an acceptable limit of 9.5 Gs, so that range cannot be exceeded without creatively taking a step beyond standard anatomy.”<br /> <br /> Azureyfear made it sound so simple as she brushed back her golden hair and let dark joy fill her voice.<br /> <br /> “But my Destruction Fes is entirely remote-controlled by a great number of personnel, so that human limit of inertial Gs can be entirely ignored. No one can capture the Destruction Fes now that it has been freed from the yoke of gravity. It will simply evade, simply rush in, and simply strike a fatal blow. It is the ultimate ultra-mobile combat Object. A sluggish manned model cannot even hope to touch it. This is not something that can be overcome with effort. It is built into the design.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 22===<br /> <br /> “But it’s actually working pretty well.”<br /> <br /> Orsia Martini Dry gave a whistle as she spoke.<br /> <br /> The round lifeboat rocked calmly in the waves.<br /> <br /> No, at this point, it may not have mattered who was speaking.<br /> <br /> The triplets functioned as a single unified problem-solving device. The process mattered less than the single answer they reached while chatting.<br /> <br /> “Even as she used us, that girl is missing the main point. The Destruction Fes is indeed a major threat when viewed altogether, but the Object itself is little different from a First Generation built with existing technology. The only difference is all the extra boosters added on while ignoring the safety side of things. The main point is that it has no one on board and is remote-controlled, so it can break the limit on inertial Gs. In other words, recording and gathering the data alone will do little damage to the Information Alliance.”<br /> <br /> “What matters is the Orchestra System that lets ten thousand normal people pilot the Object, right? That global remote control system is made up of fifty to one hundred stealth submarines and countless satellites. Without analyzing that, the Object itself is useless. And our full AI control still isn’t enough to deal with the constantly changing battlefield.”<br /> <br /> “And destroying that system wouldn’t be easy. Not only would it take time to find the submarines, but the system can continue its remote control even with about half of them destroyed. Just how far will the damage spread while you’re wasting time on that?”<br /> <br /> “Does it matter? This is a civil war based on an old Legitimacy Kingdom grudge. That has nothing to do with us in the Information Alliance.”<br /> <br /> “And we’ve acquired an excellent bad example. The nobles are symbols of justice who are meant to protect the commoners, yet this one got into the narcotics business. What better ‘infirmary poster’ could we get?”<br /> <br /> “But we aren’t going to end this here, are we?”<br /> <br /> “Of course not. Of course not. We even used our Laser Cracker 001 to help out this Legitimacy Kingdom civil war, so we need take much, muuuuch more in payment.”<br /> <br /> “What mental structure does a Legitimacy Kingdom noble have and how exactly will it be distorted?”<br /> <br /> “Gaining data samples from the enemy isn’t easy, but it worked out well this time.”<br /> <br /> “Perfect Browsing… We need all the sample entries we can get to build that giant system that will guide you to any answer with a simple search.”<br /> <br /> “And…”<br /> <br /> “We might just get a look at a mental structure much, muuuuch greater than a noble’s.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 23===<br /> <br /> Feeling dizzy after his inner ear was taken out, Quenser did his best to hold onto the upside-down boat.<br /> <br /> He looked up at Azureyfear as she crossed her arms atop the broken main wing of a fighter, he suppressed the urge to vomit, and he asked a question while trying to catch his breath.<br /> <br /> He did not know what was right and he did not know what good buying time would do.<br /> <br /> Nevertheless, he ignored Kevin next to him and simply moved his mouth in a daze.<br /> <br /> “Even so, why would you go this far? Why would you try to…no, why would you actually betray the Legitimacy Kingdom to acquire a Second Generation?”<br /> <br /> “Betray? Betray!? Me? Oh, dear. I am simply trying to remove the pus as a proper member of the Legitimacy Kingdom. My brother should know exactly what I mean.”<br /> <br /> “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”<br /> <br /> Heivia yelled and pulled his handgun from its holster, completely ignoring the situation.<br /> <br /> He did not hesitate to aim it at his own family member, but Azureyfar’s expression did not change.<br /> <br /> She snapped her fingers and the earth seemed to transform below them.<br /> <br /> The sea split directly below her and a giant black form appeared. This time, it was not an Object. It was a stealth submarine that resembled a large ship made of origami.<br /> <br /> It was a one hundred meter strategic weapon.<br /> <br /> There was nothing Heivia could do as the waves tossed him around.<br /> <br /> The handgun slipped from his grasp and he could only manage to hold onto the boat for dear life.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, the girl in a blue dress laughed as she stepped elegantly onto the submarine.<br /> <br /> She grabbed her long skirt in both hands, bent her knees a little, and lowered her head.<br /> <br /> “Now, let us end this long, fruitless history of conflict, brother.”<br /> <br /> She held what looked like a perfume bottle in her hand.<br /> <br /> It contained Blazer Bouquet. Centuries before, a princess had been pursued by a nation after a revolution. At her small, small wedding, that same brand had been thrown into the chapel as a merciless Molotov cocktail. That hateful wine was made by mixing together several rose petals and allowing them to ferment and brew within flower nectar.<br /> <br /> Azureyfear’s eyes glittered as she sprayed that scent of revenge on her neck and wrists.<br /> <br /> “I believe I will start with the Whore of Vanderbilt who has manipulated you, brother. I will crush the false buds of reconciliation, dialogue, and peace and use that solemn result to whip the lax Winchell family into shape. And before the Vanderbilt family can recover from the shock, I will settle this once and for all. And with the Destruction Fes at the lead!!”<br /> <br /> She spoke of a nightmare.<br /> <br /> But would it really be a dream when she had that ultra-mobile Second Generation that was freed from the yoke of gravity and could escape the grasp of any other Object in the world?<br /> <br /> That girl had reached for the stage setting that could grant her nightmarish dream.<br /> <br /> The look on her face made her seem possessed by a vengeful spirit.<br /> <br /> Namely, the vengeful spirit of the history that tied together the Winchell and Vanderbilt families.<br /> <br /> “This is a war for peace, brother.”<br /> <br /> “Dammit…”<br /> <br /> “I will bring glory to the Winchell family as the hero who removed a seed of global destruction from this planet!! What greater desire is there!! If this is not the duty of any with Winchell blood in their veins, then what is!? Heh heh heh. Hee hee. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!”<br /> <br /> “Goddammiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!”<br /> <br /> There was nothing they could do.<br /> <br /> Azureyfear, the Blue Rose of Winchell, was retrieved by the stealth submarine which dove back down before their eyes. This “duel” ignored all international law and war treaties and no one could stop her from sending in the cruelly powerful strategic weapon that had brought an end to the nuclear age.<br /> <br /> Her target was in the Atlantic Ocean.<br /> <br /> Her target was the pacifist young lady who was enjoying the world’s greatest fireworks festival from her luxury cruise ship.<br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;{{HEAVYOBJECT Nav|prev=HEAVY OBJECT:Volume11 Chapter 1|next=HEAVY OBJECT:Volume11 Chapter 3}}&lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=HEAVY_OBJECT:Volume16_Chapter_2&diff=565410 HEAVY OBJECT:Volume16 Chapter 2 2020-10-15T03:46:10Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Chapter 2: We’ve Started Lending Out Weapons &gt;&gt; Technical Analysis Operation in the Hawaii District==<br /> <br /> ===Part 1===<br /> <br /> Hi, everyone! It’s Monica, the battlefield idol reporter who can both sing and kill.<br /> <br /> Am I ready to go?<br /> <br /> No, not really.<br /> <br /> So Quensette, huh? Did you see the search engine’s trending terms? That legendary maid is right there at #1. Why must that demon in a maid uniform always go viral and stand in my way? Eh heh heh heh heh heh heh.<br /> <br /> Oh, yes, yes.<br /> <br /> I’ll do it! I’ll do it, okay!?<br /> <br /> Ahem. Today I’m in the Hawaii District which is effectively controlled by the Capitalist Corporations. Aloha! It’s technically a neutral blank zone, so it’s full of tourists from all four world powers.<br /> <br /> The Hawaii District has long been an important point in the ocean and they say whoever controls Hawaii controls the Pacific as a whole.<br /> <br /> But not all islands are the same, so people will focus on them for different reasons. Some have the fresh water and crop land needed to be self-sufficient and some are a waypoint along several different ocean currents. And while Guam and Hawaii get all the attention, why were Easter Island and its Moai dropped from the front line of history despite being in the Pacific too? Pursue that question and you might just realize what it means to be an important point in the ocean. If you’re interested, tune into Channel 2929.<br /> <br /> Hmm, how was that for a rehearsal run?<br /> <br /> 4 minutes 30 seconds? Ugh, this is a 5 minute section, right? Wahhh, it’s way too short.<br /> <br /> I can’t do this. The human body isn’t made to function without carbs. I can’t do anything without some foooood!! Assistant director, do a search and find somewhere nearby with good loco moco!<br /> <br /> Eh? That was good?<br /> <br /> Wait, wait, wait, wait!! Wait just a second!! I don’t like the looks of that smile!! You had better use a different take! I can’t let everyone see me looking so unprofessional!!!!!!<br /> <br /> ===Part 2===<br /> <br /> No swimming!! Lots of sharks this year!<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> The two Legitimacy Kingdom idiots did not bother asking why they had traveled all the way to Hawaii.<br /> <br /> A warning was pasted over a sign that normally introduced a legend in which a god fished the islands out of the sea, but the problem was not that warning in the middle of the beach. No, it was the shocking scene before them.<br /> <br /> “Why are those cuties in swimsuits running barefoot across the white sand to reach the ocean?”<br /> <br /> “Didn’t you know, Quenser? Humans are the creatures that attacked giant mammoths because we wanted to eat meat. Survival is just an excuse since we could have subsisted off of smaller prey like deer or rabbits.”<br /> <br /> They were on the beach.<br /> <br /> To be more specific, they were at a restaurant that sold nasty frankfurters and toxic-looking sodas at tourist prices. It was like a fusion of an Island Nation seaside restaurant, a gas station, and a motel. It was actually a camouflaged observation bunker prepared by the Legitimacy Kingdom in the Hawaii District since that was technically a blank zone which belonged to no one. They used terms like crime prevention, intelligence, security, data collection, and sampling to make it sound better, but it all boiled down to some peeping by utter perverts. Sitting in an air-conditioned 2nd-story room using binoculars to spy on the skin nearly spilling out of so many bikinis counted as an official duty that earned a stable income from the people’s tax money, so whoever approved it really deserved to be punched.<br /> <br /> “Oh, the next bus is here.”<br /> <br /> “How many times have we switched busses now, dammit!? We’ve zigzagged around so much I feel like we must have made 3 full circuits of Oahu by now!”<br /> <br /> This “bus” was really a canopied truck with the name of a pineapple plantation written on the side in the local language. By now, they were used to their hips taking a beating from the shaking of the poor suspension in the back of the deadly un-air-conditioned trucks. The two idiots and the rest of the potatoes climbed into the back of this new one with dead eyes.<br /> <br /> They had been shaken around by those trucks for 3 hours now, but they had yet to be informed where they were going.<br /> <br /> “This is the worst. It’s too damn hot for war. We came all the way to Hawaii, so why are we stuck smelling like an Island Nation judo uniform?”<br /> <br /> “Neh heh heh.”<br /> <br /> Quenser heard an odd noise coming from Heivia, who was curled up in the seat next to him. This was not all that unusual for the harsh Legitimacy Kingdom military. The living conditions were so bad that following your orders and doing your duty was a good way to end up with a runner’s high.<br /> <br /> As the boy set off for a dream world with no help from certain substances, words began to escape his lips.<br /> <br /> “Quenser, did you hear about the legendary maid that appeared in an Eastern European monastery hotel?”<br /> <br /> “Gulp!?”<br /> <br /> “The hotel staff said they have no idea who she was. Press from around the world saw her, but all their equipment was broken and no one managed to even snap a photo. ‘Legendary Maid’ is the top trending term right now. Rumor has it she’s the ghost of some super cute maid who made an appearance to tell them how dangerous it would be to forcibly declare independence using an Object.”<br /> <br /> An unpleasant sweat soaked Quenser’s back.<br /> <br /> The story was taking an unexpected turn.<br /> <br /> Legendary Maid Quensette had apparently reached the level of inhuman beauty. At this rate, the Capitalist Corporations’ TechCiv would create a speculative design and the Information Alliance would create a 3D model to give her a life of her own as a Virtual Whatever-tuber.<br /> <br /> The pineapple plantation truck arrived at a processing plant on the coast. It pulled up below a roof and Quenser spoke to a man in a work jumpsuit after leaving the truck.<br /> <br /> “What do we do now?”<br /> <br /> “Take a rubber motorboat out to sea. You’ll join a destroyer battleship waiting there!”<br /> <br /> “Damn the navy. Just because Objects have stolen their thunder is no reason to start inventing weird new kinds of ships.”<br /> <br /> Quenser and Heivia went in the direction indicated with a giant machete probably used for chopping the leaves off pineapples. Any leisure shop in Hawaii would probably have something nicer than the rubber motorboat they found waiting for them. To keep sharks away, the bottom was covered with bright red and orange warning colors reminiscent of an anemone and it was loaded with sugarcane.<br /> <br /> They left the concrete bank.<br /> <br /> Traveling straight from the pineapple processing plant to the destroyer battleship would blow their cover, so they made sure to pass below a random bridge and toss all the sugarcane into the sea to change their appearance for the satellites.<br /> <br /> And eventually…<br /> <br /> “?”<br /> <br /> While they soared across the ocean, the water split open right next to them and a large silhouette jumped out.<br /> <br /> But this was nothing as adorable as a dolphin swimming alongside them. This was an 8m mass of muscle the size of a truck.<br /> <br /> It was a real great white shark.<br /> <br /> “Watch out!!”<br /> <br /> Once Heivia realized what it was, he drew a military handgun known as the Bear Killer, but the giant shark moved away as if it had lost interest.<br /> <br /> Quenser had felt entirely helpless, so he wiped sweat from his brow.<br /> <br /> “The entire ocean is learning. The shark understood the threat your gun posed. This is like a river full of black bass that can’t be caught with normal lures.”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, this isn’t looking easy.”<br /> <br /> Heivia did not return the gun to its holster for a while. It might have an engine, but they were in a rubber boat.<br /> <br /> “With this lend-lease program, I can only imagine our mission is going to end in failure and pain.”<br /> <br /> Boarding the destroyer battleship as soon as possible was the only option they had.<br /> <br /> Why did that ship have a name that made it sound both big and small at the same time? Quenser was imagining something like a monstrous magnum that was a handgun but required a shoulder rest to avoid breaking your wrist, but as they continued on in the rubber boat which was (fairly ineffectually) protected from sharks by its anemone warning lights, they arrived at an old-fashioned heavy cruiser with its anchor lowered. The gray ship was nearly 200m long and covered in giant rapid-fire gun turrets and vertical launched cruise missiles. It also had jet stream propulsion devices extending from either side.<br /> <br /> “So they’re just trying to make it as powerful as possible? Do they think they can reach an Object’s level by moving faster or something?”<br /> <br /> “That’s ridiculous. Think of a car’s speedometer. The max speed on a straightaway is entirely different from the normal speed while making small turns. If this ship tried to sidestep at speed, it would break right in half.”<br /> <br /> The ship lowered what might as well have been a rope ladder, so Quenser and the others boarded the baffling destroyer battleship (which had likely soaked up a ton of the people’s tax money).<br /> <br /> Before entering the conference room inside, they found Frolaytia in the smoking area partway down the narrow corridor.<br /> <br /> There was no definite “right answer”, but their attempt to make a quick exit was a mistake today.<br /> <br /> “Oh, oh, oh? What’s this? Shouldn’t you be showing a bit more respect for your commanding officer?”<br /> <br /> “Oh, no. She’s sulking even more than I expected! Y’know, it takes some doing to be this much of a pain in the ass when you have the silver-hair, giant tits, 18-years-old, and beautiful commander things going for you!!”<br /> <br /> “Curse that clingy commander. If she wants our attention, she’d better change into a bunny suit.”<br /> <br /> But in the extreme hierarchy of the military, there was nothing they could do. There was something wrong when they were government workers, but the labor supervisors had no authority here. There was little chance of them getting any vacation time or a mid-day siesta any time soon.<br /> <br /> “I had thought this sounded complicated from the beginning,” said Frolaytia.<br /> <br /> This was dangerous.<br /> <br /> It was like starting a conversation with, “You know how I can be really dumb sometimes?” They were about to have to keep nodding like a machine to get through a long story rivalling a school principal’s speech.<br /> <br /> “They said it was a lend-lease program for old model weapons.”<br /> <br /> “That thing where we let other people use the weapons we’re no longer using, right?”<br /> <br /> Quenser frowned even as he tried to be conversational.<br /> <br /> Lending out their old weapons had a number of merits.<br /> <br /> By strengthening the enemy of your enemy, you could attack your common enemy from multiple fronts at once. And even when that was not the case, weapons were sometimes lent to outsiders as a bit of a gamble. That was especially useful when you wanted a certain war result but did not want any of the deaths officially counted against you. It could also be lucrative to force an exorbitant asking price onto the buyers.<br /> <br /> Needless to say, war cost money and it killed people. If that was a problem, you could always find someone to work some magic on the paperwork and rewrite those numbers in the official records.<br /> <br /> “Money and lives. If they’re worried about the numbers on the strategic documents…”<br /> <br /> “The year goes by quick, doesn’t it? We’ve already reached the customary end-of-the-year performance. Although if it weren’t for this, we would start seeing anti-war protests demanding we protect the precious lives of the youth and stop wasting tax money.”<br /> <br /> Simply put, it was an underground business run by the government.<br /> <br /> It was the same as a country spreading white powder around and calling it a drug war. In this case, they were lending out tons of weapons like an arms dealer in order to rebalance the war situation.<br /> <br /> In this case, it was about the influence the four world powers had in the Hawaii District.<br /> <br /> That said, weapons were full of secrets, so if you let someone else use them, they were sure to be analyzed down to the last screw. It was an odd world where you were telling stealth fighters not to crash and tanks not to get stuck in the mud even if they were destroyed. No matter how thoroughly you checked the buyer’s identity, it was insanity to hand over a weapon with the maintenance manual included. You might as well be throwing all your military secrets in a shared folder.<br /> <br /> Frolaytia slowly shook the long, narrow kiseru in her mouth as she spoke.<br /> <br /> “That’s why they chose the outdated weapons that are past their expiration date and about to be retired from service.”<br /> <br /> “Have they never heard of intellectual property!? You never know when that will lead someone to a breakthrough in whatever tech they’re trying to develop!”<br /> <br /> “These things have been in service long enough that they’ll have already been pried from a corpse’s hands and analyzed.”<br /> <br /> It was nothing but excuses. It sounded like asking someone if they had done their homework and having them say, “I was about to, but you just killed all the motivation I’d worked up!” The words of an engineer – especially one in training like Quenser – did not hold much weight.<br /> <br /> “This was originally meant to send weapons to those that want to break free of the Capitalist Corporations’ control over the region, right?”<br /> <br /> “That’s oversimplifying things, Heivia. First of all, the Hawaii District is a blank region, so no one controls it. Even if the Capitalist Corporations act like they own the place.”<br /> <br /> “And we’re trying to get in their way?”<br /> <br /> “Not yet, Heivia. Don’t be hasty.”<br /> <br /> Frolaytia breathed an exasperated sigh mixed with tobacco smoke.<br /> <br /> The Hawaii District did not belong to anyone, so each of the four world powers was doing them the “favor” of protecting it. The Legitimacy Kingdom armed the coastguard, the Faith Organization worked to preserve the Hawaii and Polynesian mythology and culture, and the Information Alliance ran the mass media stations, but the Capitalist Corporations had the most control by maintaining the power and water infrastructure. And when you had a monopoly on the schools and hospitals, you would have the most influence.<br /> <br /> “The problem is the charity work they’re doing: the Oxyocean Operation. They claim to be bringing life back to the hypoxic area of ocean known as the Sea of Death, but…”<br /> <br /> “Are they pumping air in like for a tropical fish aquarium?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, that. Although the scale is far greater. They’ve set up a ton of ridiculous pumps that dissolve oxygen into the ocean at a rate of tens of thousands of liters per minute.”<br /> <br /> “Isn’t there only so much that can dissolve into the water no matter how much they send in?”<br /> <br /> “Don’t ask me.” Frolaytia dismissed the student’s question. “Although I was told they draw the seawater into the device, apply a massive amount of pressure while dissolving the oxygen using microbubbles, and send the processed seawater back out. It kind of sounds like the oxygen would separate out and escape as soon as it returned to normal pressure, but I guess the hypoxic Sea of Death does the most damage in the deep sea pits. The pressure is already high there, so maybe it isn’t a problem.”<br /> <br /> But why were they so interested in altering the water quality?<br /> <br /> Why would their ''military'' be interested in it?<br /> <br /> Frolaytia had the answer.<br /> <br /> “The Capitalist Corporations apparently want to revive the treasure trove of valuable fish around here. Most importantly, the sharks. Shark fin is a valuable ingredient and used for makeup foundation, so it can be sold as a luxury product.”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> They had already seen this information in the email they were sent, but they did not look exactly pleased about the reminder.<br /> <br /> “You mean they’re intentionally increasing the shark population for profit? Are you kidding me? Not even the protective nets are perfect. Do you know how many surfers were eaten this summer alone?”<br /> <br /> Heivia sounded disgusted, but Frolaytia remained somehow apathetic.<br /> <br /> “Tourist locations with travelers from every world power are always a spy paradise. That isn’t great news for the Capitalist Corporations who want absolute control over the Hawaii District, so they want to change things. Although they need to show how doing so will also make money if they want approval.”<br /> <br /> “So they’re making money off of their own vague conspiracy? Aren’t they afraid of hackers?”<br /> <br /> “It doesn’t matter to them if they’re found out. They just want all the tourists to leave. And if they spread a fear of shark attacks, it should enliven the insurance industry. We might even see a boom for cheap disaster B-movies.”<br /> <br /> They would always find a way to keep the cash flowing.<br /> <br /> And of course, the Legitimacy Kingdom wanted to put a stop to this. They wanted Hawaii to be full of tourists to maintain the spy paradise there. They did not want their binoculars to show all that bikini-clad flesh being chewed to pieces. Quenser did not know how to use a gun properly, but that may have been why he groaned in a know-it-all way for no real reason.<br /> <br /> He shrugged in a way that was unusual for him.<br /> <br /> “But isn’t that what the leased weapons are for? To hunt down the sharks! Is our coastguard doing that badly?”<br /> <br /> “Hard to say. For one thing, it isn’t sharks they’re fighting.”<br /> <br /> Frolaytia started down a mysterious digression.<br /> <br /> They had not heard this part of the story.<br /> <br /> “Now that they have more firepower, they seem to have started targeting the air pumps causing all the trouble. Those things use tons of pressure to process tens of thousands of liters every minute. So unless that oxygen supply is stopped, the shark population will only continue to grow.”<br /> <br /> “Ugh.”<br /> <br /> “This is what happens when you give an idiot nothing but a tool. And it’s the problem with the lend-lease program. They attacked the Capitalist Corporations base with nothing but some old machineguns that were close to breaking down. And that-…”<br /> <br /> Frolaytia Capistrano was cut off by a loud boom.<br /> <br /> It sounded a lot like a nearby tree being split in two by lightning and the strange 200m destroyer battleship shook vertically.<br /> <br /> It was not that anything had hit them. The ship had only been shaken by the waves created as a side effect.<br /> <br /> Frolaytia placed a hand on the wall.<br /> <br /> “And that woke a sleeping tiger: the Capitalist Corporations’ Second Generation Over Cavitation. Our Baby Magnum is currently going on a diet to shave off the excess pounds.”<br /> <br /> Frolaytia audibly dumped the contents of her kiseru into an ashtray.<br /> <br /> That meant she would explain the rest in the conference room.<br /> <br /> With the two idiots in tow, the busty silver-haired commander threw open the large double doors and made an immediate announcement.<br /> <br /> “Everyone! We are running out of time, so I will keep this short. Make sure you’re ready to fight some sharks!”<br /> <br /> She used the projector to display a map of the Hawaiian Islands and the surrounding ocean.<br /> <br /> “Currently, the Princess and the Over Cavitation are engaged in a naval battle, but you don’t need the details on that. Sending a bunch of idiots in won’t help her any. Your lives will be used for something a little more useful, so be thankful in your own idiotic way.”<br /> <br /> She set that topic aside as readily as a cooking show stepping over and pulling out a version of the dish that had been allowed to sit for 30 minutes.<br /> <br /> The Princess really must have been short on time.<br /> <br /> “Based on our analysis of past battles, the Over Cavitation is quite skilled. But at the same time, it has an odd tendency to only fight when it has plenty of weather and ocean data support. That’s the kind of demand it can only make because it’s won so often, but it also gives us a target.”<br /> <br /> With a sound like an analog camera shutter, another image appeared on top of the map. There were now Xs across Hawaii’s 8 main islands.<br /> <br /> “The Hawaii District is a disaster-prone area thanks to its several active volcanos and the more than 30 hurricanes that hit every year. That means it has plenty of weather stations and ocean observation stations. It’s the perfect place to provide the glasses that the ace Over Cavitation desires.”<br /> <br /> To finish it off, Frolaytia tapped an extra-large X with her long, narrow kiseru.<br /> <br /> “This is the Rocky Coast Ocean Meteorological Research Lab. All the data is gathered here and then sent to the Over Cavitation. Taking out this lab will shake that Object. And if we shake it, the Princess will have a chance for a cross counter.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 3===<br /> <br /> The Princess was already in the ring.<br /> <br /> They had to give their cute kitten a chance to strike back before she collapsed, could not get back up on all fours, and started convulsing with her little butt sticking up in the air.<br /> <br /> The Rocky Coast Ocean Meteorological Research Lab was located on the coast of Oahu near some sheer cliffs. It was located there to help look after the “tropical fish tank pumps”, so approaching from the ocean by motorboat would be fastest. However…<br /> <br /> “Watch out!”<br /> <br /> The rubber boat was tossed around by the loud boom, the shockwave, and the waves. The red and orange anemone pattern on the bottom of the boat came into view. The boat could entirely capsize at any time, but they could not afford to forget that the Capitalist Corporations VIPs were raising tons of sharks here to profit off the luxury ingredients.<br /> <br /> “It’s no use! That catfight is causing too much chaos! We should take a land route, even if it’s a bit of a detour!!”<br /> <br /> “Dammit, but we can see the landing point right over there…”<br /> <br /> They were not paid nearly enough to make an emotional charge, get thrown out into the ocean, get chomped by 8m great whites, and have a movie made out of their lives that would get popcorn tubs thrown at the screen. The potatoes were lacking in a spirit of loyalty and service, so they changed course and made their way to an area of coast shaped like a knife blade.<br /> <br /> “Where are we anyway? …Oh, hell! This is easily 8km away!! The current dragged us on way too much of a detour!!”<br /> <br /> “Once we walk those 8km, it’s time for combat. But this isn’t a battlefield country, so are you really brave enough to shoot them?”<br /> <br /> “Oh, shut up. They’re equipped with rifles and grenades more expensive than ours and they’re selling secrets to the Capitalist Corporations, so they don’t get to claim they’re civilians.”<br /> <br /> “Maybe not, but could you say that if it turns out we’re up against some cute girl who’s down on her luck?”<br /> <br /> They could already see the Object battle from the coast.<br /> <br /> One of them was the Baby Magnum.<br /> <br /> An extra naval float was attached to the static electricity propulsion device shaped like an upside-down Y and the 7 weapon arms attached to the back of the giant spherical body held the main cannons which aimed for its target from multiple angles.<br /> <br /> The other was the Over Cavitation.<br /> <br /> This one was built exclusively for naval battles. The float stretching back from below the spherical body was a specialized air cushion. It omitted the usual shark anchor weights used to maintain balance, but that may have been for its nimble footwork. It could not move over land despite floating up from the surface, but that was apparently because it used salinity to make minute adjustments to the air’s viscosity. It also had several metal pipes spread out on either side like wings. The world looked somewhat hazy, so it may have been sucking up the seawater and converting it to vapor with the immense heat produced by its reactor. That steam power was used to slide the 200,000-ton mass side to side.<br /> <br /> It had a single main cannon on the front.<br /> <br /> Two bipod-like parts extended to the ocean surface from the base of the cannon, so they likely supported its long barrel. It also seemed to have laser beams and low-stability plasma cannons as secondary cannons, but instead of covering the sphere like a sea urchin or chestnut burr, three specialized towers were built on the top and the secondary cannons were installed on them. Had they needed to shift those parts elsewhere to surround the entire Object in water and steam, or had they been worried the steam would slightly divert the lasers and plasma if they were not that high up?<br /> <br /> “That’s insane,” groaned Heivia as he viewed the distant fight. “Those are steam spears. It’s using that stuff to attack. An Object’s onion armor can survive a nuke, but that’s a steam engine! How is our Princess being shredded by that steampunk stuff!?”<br /> <br /> “It’s not just slicing through with the steam pressure. It uses cavitation, Heivia.”<br /> <br /> Cavitation used the same process by which the air bubbles in the water applied pressure to and ultimately destroyed a ship’s propeller. And when using that as an attack, you needed a fuse of water to get all those small air bubbles to the target.<br /> <br /> “Cavitation can be created by quickly passing a large mass through the water, but it can also be created by sending out a supersonic wave to raise the sound pressure. I’m betting this Object fires a water spear and sends a supersonic wave through that to transform it into a bunch of air bubbles. From there, Bernoulli’s principle hits the target with the water attack.”<br /> <br /> “Calm down your science boner and actually explain it this time.”<br /> <br /> [[Image:HO v16 BW4.png|thumb]]<br /> <br /> “It’s a 10km-long pile driver. Or you can think of it like a giant battering ram meant to break through a castle’s gate.”<br /> <br /> The Over Cavitation transformed the water itself into a weapon that stripped away the Baby Magnum’s armor.<br /> <br /> It was frustrating, but cheering on the Princess from the stands would not transfer her some miracle power for a mysterious awakening.<br /> <br /> “Let’s get going, Heivia. We have a job to do.”<br /> <br /> “What do you think we can even do? Jerk off and go to bed!?”<br /> <br /> “Heivia.”<br /> <br /> “At least tell me who I’m allowed to kill!! Can I just slaughter everyone in that lab!?”<br /> <br /> That was not an option, so they had Mr. Drone do some recon. They received the report from Thomas, who operated the same model of drone that had helped them at the Eastern European monastery hotel.<br /> <br /> “Found it. There are flashing IR signals. You can’t see them with the naked eye, but they have markers on their right arms to make sure the Object doesn’t blow them away by accident. Those are official military equipment, so whether they’re wearing camouflage, a Hawaiian shirt, or nothing at all, these are definitely Capitalist Corporations soldiers.”<br /> <br /> “Are you sure they aren’t lent out like our scraps?”<br /> <br /> “They’re using a Class 3 military standard, so the company president or whoever must be afraid of the signal’s encryption being broken. They updated to this latest version only two weeks ago and they’re careful to retrieve the devices from dead soldiers along with the dog tags, so there’s no chance they released them on a lend-lease program. We’re not talking about a disk of porn; you won’t find these on the shelves in their private viewing booths.”<br /> <br /> That settled it, but infrared signals were invisible. If anyone got some footage of the aftermath, it would be tagged “horrific slaughter’ and uploaded to video sites to harass the Legitimacy Kingdom, so even though they knew who their target was, they wanted more obvious justification before entering “kill everyone” mode.<br /> <br /> And this aerial vantage point let them view the distribution of enemy troops before the fighting began. The Ocean Meteorological Research Lab was surrounded by guards wearing ghillie suits despite the heat and carrying a type of bolt-action sniper rifle that had started out as a hunting rifle before making its military debut, but the wider wilderness around them looked peaceful. The smaller heat signals they detected were likely wild animals. The long-range sniper rifles were probably a way of covering as wide an area as possible with limited personnel.<br /> <br /> In that case…<br /> <br /> “Be on the lookout for mines just to be safe. Sniper rifles like that are weak to a charge from a unified group of people. They generally try to stop people and then shoot them. If they don’t have any barricades set up, they might have something buried in the dirt.”<br /> <br /> “You’re kidding, right? This is a tourist area.”<br /> <br /> Quenser heard a plastic clasp clicking into place.<br /> <br /> Heivia had attached something to the end of his assault rifle. Its shape was very different from a bayonet. The round part was similar to the kind of simple metal detector used by the bouncer at a club.<br /> <br /> “This is a blank area, so it technically isn’t a safe country. Neutrality isn’t always a good thing. It isn’t clear which of the four world powers makes the rules here, so there are no definite rules in place and they’re free to do whatever they want.”<br /> <br /> But then Thomas interrupted again.<br /> <br /> “Wait, wait. We can attach the mine detector to the Vehicle.”<br /> <br /> “The Vehicle?”<br /> <br /> “The land drone. You can think of it like an RC car you can control from really far away.” Thomas seemed a little overexcited. “The mine detector isn’t perfect. It won’t detect glass or plastic mines, so let’s have this thing go on ahead. If it detects the mine, we know it’s there. If it misses one, only the toy gets blown up.”<br /> <br /> “You’re sounding awfully Information Alliance-y to me.”<br /> <br /> “If your knight’s honor matters that much to you, then you can ride on ahead on a white horse. We need to absorb the good points of the other powers. There’s nothing sadder than a giant who can’t keep up with the changing times. Weapons these days are all IoT, so-…”<br /> <br /> They heard a bang from up ahead.<br /> <br /> It came from a mere 5m away. Thomas took a shot to the temple and collapsed to the side. It happened so suddenly that the two idiots only stood and watched.<br /> <br /> Also, what was that?<br /> <br /> What had just happened!?<br /> <br /> “That was a gunshot.”<br /> <br /> “But from where!?”<br /> <br /> Heivia held out his unwieldy assault rifle with mine detector still attached, but his aim wavered uncertainly.<br /> <br /> They were on a section of the coast that jutted out like a knife and it gradually sloped upwards on the way to the lab. There were a lot of rough boulders lying around, but there was nothing close enough for the 5m distance of the sound they heard. Only a few smaller rocks. Also, Thomas had sent out a drone and observed everything from the sky before he was killed. Even if someone was hiding behind cover, they should have been visible when viewed from above.<br /> <br /> (Is there something buried here? Not an explosive, but a remote handgun that swivels like a fan?)<br /> <br /> Something moved behind one of the smallish rocks.<br /> <br /> No.<br /> <br /> There was definitely something there!<br /> <br /> “Is it a drone!? Dammit, what is going on!?”<br /> <br /> “We can figure everything out after destroying it!!”<br /> <br /> Quenser felt just as disgusted as he would have been if he found a colorful bug larger than a slipper. He cut off a decent-sized piece of plastic explosive, stabbed an electric fuse into it, and wrapped a hard zip tie around it. Detonating that would scatter pieces of the zip tie like shrapnel.<br /> <br /> However…<br /> <br /> “Ahh!?”<br /> <br /> Heivia yelled when he used the assault rifle’s scope to see and circled around to get a view of the assassin hidden behind the rock.<br /> <br /> This was yet another thing technology had sent to the battlefield.<br /> <br /> It was a monkey.<br /> <br /> The 60cm monkey was…holding a handgun with an oddly large chamber that had probably been made with a 3D printer?<br /> <br /> It gave a short screech of warning.<br /> <br /> No matter who or what was holding it, a gun was a gun.<br /> <br /> Before the monkey could move its finger, Heivia fired a short burst of gunfire into the center of its body.<br /> <br /> “Is this a joke!?”<br /> <br /> The atmosphere had changed.<br /> <br /> Had they even fully accepted that their comrade had been killed?<br /> <br /> More and more monkeys appeared from behind rocks and on branches to aim identical printed guns their way.<br /> <br /> “Are you kidding me!? Thomas lost his life to ''this''!?”<br /> <br /> They did not have time to sit around complaining.<br /> <br /> There were more than 100 of the monkeys and they were all armed with real guns. Quenser threw his handmade grenade made from a plastic explosive and quickly sent the detonation signal via radio. He was not even thinking about wiping out the monkeys. He just wanted some cover to hide behind and use as a shield.<br /> <br /> A temporary smokescreen was good enough for now.<br /> <br /> After breaking free of that situation, Quenser and the others hurried to the thick tree trunks in the area. The soldiers that were not going to make it in time jumped toward the coastal cliff instead.<br /> <br /> “Heivia, above!!”<br /> <br /> “Goddammit!!”<br /> <br /> Heivia aimed his assault rifle up like he was firing a salute or a warning shot and he brought down the monkeys in the branches to secure their safety.<br /> <br /> “This isn’t an easy job at all. I thought our job was to ''safely'' bring the Over Cavitation to a stop!”<br /> <br /> Some other cheap gunshots rang out.<br /> <br /> Luckily, the monkeys’ guns used light 9mm rounds. They probably could not endure the recoil of anything more powerful than that. The tree trunks could block those bullets.<br /> <br /> “So what is this? What in the hell is this!? What is happening here!?”<br /> <br /> “The enemy must have given them these weapons.”<br /> <br /> “They gave animals guns to shoot at us!? Isn’t that a bit nightmarish for a fairy tale!?”<br /> <br /> “I remember seeing an online news article about a monkey picking up a camera someone left in the woods, messing around with it, and eventually taking selfies.”<br /> <br /> “What’s that got to do with-…wait.”<br /> <br /> “They can aim a camera at something and take a picture. Aiming a gun and pulling the trigger isn’t much different. With a bit of training, you can get them shooting. Those printed guns are generally disposable, so they don’t need to think about anything complicated like taking them apart for maintenance.”<br /> <br /> “But they’re monkeys!”<br /> <br /> “Using animals as weapons doesn’t violate the war treaties. Everyone’s familiar with military dogs, right? It depends on the exact conditions, but if they don’t have a semiconductor plant, they might be able to mass produce these faster than plastic and rare earth drones. They probably made sure to choose a non-protected species. I remember hearing about hundreds of thousands of monkeys being experimented on for neuroscience research, so there’s definitely a loophole there!”<br /> <br /> The biggest advantage of guns was that they gave everyone the same ability to kill or wound. Even if it was a nonhuman creature that was only taught to pull the trigger without understanding the actual meaning behind it.<br /> <br /> “How many times do I have to remind you these are animals!? How am I supposed to believe this, Quenser!?”<br /> <br /> “If you’re just repeating the same thing, it means you’ve stopped thinking, Heivia. We don’t have time to deny reality. We can think about what to do next after we deal with these monkeys to secure our safety!”<br /> <br /> Heivia and Quenser started moving while coordinating with the other Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes pressing against the other trees.<br /> <br /> They were lucky in one way.<br /> <br /> There were a lot of monkeys, but their cheap, 3D-printed guns only fired weak 9mm bullets. This was clearly designed to get some lucky shots in but not achieve a definitive victory. It was quantity or quality. Thomas had been taken out from 5m away, so they probably could not hit unless they got really close.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, Heivia and the others were equipped with sensor-enhanced assault rifles with an effective range of 400-500 meters against a moving target.<br /> <br /> They opened fire.<br /> <br /> Once they were aware of the threat, this was how it went down.<br /> <br /> Also, dead Thomas’s drone detected the monkeys’ movements just fine. He had only overlooked them because he assumed only humans were a threat. They had been right in front of him, but he had failed to see them. It was another form of camouflage.<br /> <br /> But now the soldiers understood.<br /> <br /> They had updated their definition of “enemy”.<br /> <br /> Heivia, Myonri, and the rest used the trees as shields and fired their standard equipment to swiftly eliminate the threat.<br /> <br /> “What’s next!? Bring on the Woodpecker Unit or the Otter Squad!! Attention all tool-using animals, the exterminator has arrived!!”<br /> <br /> “Is this really official Capitalist Corporations equipment? Setting aside how easy it is to get the animals to reproduce, the guns they’re using are too cheap. I’ve never heard of soldiers going to battle with printed guns.”<br /> <br /> They had a bad feeling about this.<br /> <br /> One problem remained unresolved after the incident in the Transylvania District: the arms dealer.<br /> <br /> “Is that mystery dealer sending weapons to the Capitalist Corporations like we’re lending weapons to the coastguard? We’re not trying to wage a drug war here!”<br /> <br /> “This is turning into a proxy war like kids getting rhino beetle to fight each other. Who are we benefitting as we grab at each other’s hair like this?”<br /> <br /> The advantage of numbers was not enough, so there was no fear of being defeated once the surprise wore off. It was the same idea as quantity over quality. A female soldier everyone called “mom” (age 17) woke everyone up by scattering the monkeys with a full-auto blast of a light machinegun. Then everything changed. The gun-wielding monkeys started to flee, but Heivia and the others mercilessly shot them in the back. They were enemies as long as they held those guns. If the monkeys got away, they could attack from a ditch, a roof, or a tree hollow at any moment.<br /> <br /> These were not humans.<br /> <br /> If the enemy was using that to their advantage, the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes would use it against them as well.<br /> <br /> Then some bark burst from the tree Quenser was hiding behind. He ducked his head down on reflex. That had not been a cheap 9mm round from one of the printed guns. It was heavier.<br /> <br /> “Snipers!!” shouted Heivia. “That one was a human. The lab guards are targeting us, but we can’t reach them from here!! Dammit, why do I always get the short end of the stick? Well, I’m not dying until I get a chance to see that legendary maid!!”<br /> <br /> “Please don’t talk about that right now!!”<br /> <br /> “?”<br /> <br /> “Anyway, Heivia, hand over what Thomas left behind. Machines are my specialty, so I’ll make that drone more deadly.”<br /> <br /> That was a simple task.<br /> <br /> He did not even need to attach a bomb that would only unbalance it. To keep it airborne for long periods of time, the military drone used a large lithium ion battery and it only took a bit of reworking to make one of those explode. Once it was ready, he sent the drone high in the sky. Then he used it to spy down on the enemy, flew it over their heads, and stopped the motor to drop it right on top of them.<br /> <br /> In this case, it did not matter if the snipers shot it down.<br /> <br /> The conservation of mass was absolute. Even as wreckage, the explosive would reach the ground.<br /> <br /> After detonating it with his radio, they only had to eliminate the scattered snipers.<br /> <br /> The snipers’ ghillie suits made from dried grass and palm bark proved to be a mistake. The explosion ignited them and the snipers went up in flames.<br /> <br /> “Wow, look at them dance. Why not get to shooting them, Heivia?”<br /> <br /> “No, that just sounds like a pain. And it scares me how you can spy on them and then attack them from above even though they’re hiding behind cover. I feel like we’ve reached the end of 2D battles.”<br /> <br /> “It’s not as convenient as it sounds. They’re developing countermeasures that let airport security use jamming signals or powerful IR signals to take control of the drone and force it to land. It’s also possible a cyber attack could turn it around and have it attack us instead.”<br /> <br /> They heard gunshots coming from the human fireballs. Either the spare ammo in their pouches was going off, or they had gathered their last ounce of strength to draw a handgun and shoot themselves in the head. With the snipers gone, there was nothing to stop the potatoes. They did not even need to hide behind cover. They walked toward the Rocky Coast Ocean Meteorological Research Lab while occasionally using their assault rifles to take out the few remaining monkeys.<br /> <br /> “They’ll know something’s up. Watch out for a jack-in-the-box cause you never know when something will pop out of that hive of intellectuals. We’re talking about the Over Cavitation’s favorites after all.”<br /> <br /> But whether there would be traps, an ambush, or a mysterious superweapon from an ancient civilization, Quenser and the others did not have any tanks or armored trucks to shield them and all the cover on the ground was only large enough for the monkeys. They settled on spreading out as much as they could to make sure they were not all wiped out at once by a spray of bullets or an explosion.<br /> <br /> “I hope our lives are still more valuable than some plastic toys and pet shop rejects.”<br /> <br /> “Whatever the case, our lives are more valuable than theirs. It’s time for a year-end sale.”<br /> <br /> The lab in question was on a cape-like point of the coast. Reaching it from the cliff would have been easy, but that had not been an option. They had been forced the long way around with the Princess’s battle stirring up the ocean so much.<br /> <br /> As they approached through the human, animal, and drone remains littering the ground, they came across what looked more like a prison than anything. There were barbed wire barricades taller than they were, a double wall of reinforced concrete, and guard towers at each corner. None of it looked like later additions. Whatever it was officially registered as, this place had been constructed to military standards from the beginning.<br /> <br /> “What do we do?”<br /> <br /> “Send out a radio signal. If they don’t respond, that counts as hostile intent and we wipe them out. Our goal here is to trip up their Object, so let’s get back at those intellectuals and their Over Cavitation.”<br /> <br /> “Will anyone but Martians even be able to receive a signal on this core band?”<br /> <br /> This was how war worked when you were winning. There were no snipers in the guard towers, so they may have retreated inside. There were heavy machineguns that swiveled without anyone manning them, so they had jack-of-all-trades Myonri switch to an anti-materiel rifle to silence them. After that, they sliced through the barbed wire with a large knife, continued on in, and approached the reinforced concrete walls.<br /> <br /> “Myonri, take out the cameras around here and then knock on the front door.”<br /> <br /> “This can’t punch through that steel gate.”<br /> <br /> “You only need to warn them to keep clear.”<br /> <br /> They knew the layout thanks to the aerial drone footage, so they decided to go for the building closest to the wall. While Myonri knocked on the giant main gate with her anti-materiel rifle, Quenser set up a plastic explosive.<br /> <br /> “Myonri, match your timing to mine!”<br /> <br /> With a ridiculously loud explosion, they blew down the wall. They used the large hole to walk a few meters inside and then attached a bomb to the building wall there.<br /> <br /> “While you’re at it, destroy the switchboard on the courtyard-facing wall to take out the security. We’re counting on you!”<br /> <br /> “Sure, sure,” replied Myonri.<br /> <br /> A loud gunshot joined the next blast.<br /> <br /> None of the building’s cameras or sensors were working anymore, so the potatoes snuck into a hallway which lacked air conditioning now that the power was out.<br /> <br /> Once inside, Quenser hung back to let Heivia and the others take the lead. Myonri also switched back to her submachinegun.<br /> <br /> At first glance, there was no one there.<br /> <br /> But this was not like a school at night. They sensed the strange pressure of people holding their breath and waiting.<br /> <br /> “Watch out for an ambush.”<br /> <br /> “We don’t necessarily need to kill everyone, Heivia. Focus on taking out the weather and ocean data support to shake the Over Cavitation.”<br /> <br /> “Do you want to get shot in the back because you decided to go easy on them? Getting killed by some skinny researcher is even worse than by your own pet. Do you want that written on your gravestone?”<br /> <br /> According to the map on the wall, there was a large boiler room in the basement. If they set up a bomb there, they could probably blow up the entire facility.<br /> <br /> They heard a heavy metallic scraping sound coming from around the corner to the stairs leading down there.<br /> <br /> Heivia aimed his assault rifle that way and Quenser cut off a grenade-sized piece of plastic explosive just to be safe.<br /> <br /> They first focused on the floor at the corner.<br /> <br /> That floor reflected the light and they glimpsed a blurry figure in that reflection.<br /> <br /> That settled it.<br /> <br /> There was someone there.<br /> <br /> But they still were not sure how that person was equipped or if they were alone.<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> Heivia took the lead with his assault rifle. Myonri followed a short distance behind with her submachinegun. It might seem harsh, but this formation allowed her to swiftly eliminate the enemy if Heivia was shot.<br /> <br /> One step.<br /> <br /> Two steps.<br /> <br /> Three steps.<br /> <br /> Heivia came to a stop just before reaching the corner. He pressed against the wall so he could freely swing his gun around.<br /> <br /> He was prepared to eliminate the threat in the blink of an eye.<br /> <br /> But that was when Quenser noticed something on the wall at the corner. He saw something reflected in the window which had a thick wire mesh across to keep anyone from getting in or out.<br /> <br /> He threw his ball of clay at Heivia’s temple while that boy readied his assault rifle in 120% serious mode.<br /> <br /> “Wait, Heivia, you idiot!!”<br /> <br /> “Bgwah!?”<br /> <br /> He had expected it to be light, but it was apparently quite heavy. Heivia collapsed to the floor like someone had swung a bag of apples at his head.<br /> <br /> Myonri’s eyes widened.<br /> <br /> “Quenser, are you finally sick of how he treats you!?”<br /> <br /> “He framed me when he was caught searching for porn on a military computer! When I kill him, you can expect a much more devious plan! Anyway, everyone needs to wait!!”<br /> <br /> After shouting and having them lower their guns, Quenser peered around the corner.<br /> <br /> A brown-skinned girl of about 12 was sitting on the floor with tears in her eyes.<br /> <br /> And a grapefruit-sized metal ball was chained to her skinny ankle.<br /> <br /> ===Part 4===<br /> <br /> [[Image:HO v16 BW5.png|thumb]]<br /> Things could hardly be worse.<br /> <br /> The girl wore a Hawaiian shirt and a tennis-style pleated skirt. She had a hibiscus flower decorating her semi-long black hair and a straw skirt accessory worn over her actual skirt. The overall outfit provided a tropical mood, but the tears in her eyes and metal ball chained to her ankle filled the air around her with a gloomy weight.<br /> <br /> “Uuh…”<br /> <br /> “Excuse me. I just want to take a look.”<br /> <br /> Quenser crouched down to her eye level and reached toward her slender ankle while she remained sitting on the floor. He could just about see her underwear up her short skirt, but she held the skirt down with one hand while he touched her warm and slender ankle.<br /> <br /> He was interested in the shackle.<br /> <br /> Even this much was progress. She gave a shrill cry whenever Myonri or the others approached. The armed potatoes may have looked like a gang of villains to her. Given what had happened, that was not too surprising, but she seemed to view Quenser differently since he had hit and silenced Heivia before the boy reached her.<br /> <br /> Quenser felt a little guilty when he realized it was a lot like the good cop, bad cop routine.<br /> <br /> “It’s a lot lighter than it looks. It’s a capsule made of aircraft materials. Does it have a GPS transmitter inside?”<br /> <br /> Speaking loudly or looking down at her from above seemed to scare the brown girl, so Myonri made sure to be careful when she spoke up.<br /> <br /> “Is this what they use to monitor sex criminals? Why are they using that to track a young girl like this? …Wait, but aren’t those attached to the ankle with a belt? That way you can hide it in your pants leg and live a normal life.”<br /> <br /> “They’ve intentionally designed this one to eliminate the wearer’s dignity. Is this what the Capitalist Corporations does with all its cash?”<br /> <br /> But unlike a narrow wire, they could not cut through this with a knife and their guns and bombs were too powerful. They had plenty of special tools back at the maintenance base zone, but…<br /> <br /> “Lady, do you mind if I take a look at this?”<br /> <br /> “No…go ahead.”<br /> <br /> Quenser borrowed the ID on the girl’s flat chest.<br /> <br /> It had a sticker of a cartoonish man carrying a fishing pole with the sun in the background. It may have been some kind of local mascot.<br /> <br /> “Hina Liqueurball? I’m not familiar with that last name.”<br /> <br /> “If she isn’t from the four world powers, is she a local Hawaiian girl?”<br /> <br /> “But this ID is for a researcher at Kilauea University with a student loan. Hm? That’s odd.”<br /> <br /> She was 12 years old, but Quenser had seen plenty of students who skipped grades back in his safe country school. It sounded like something from movies or dramas, but it did actually happen. However, it was something else he found odd. Why did the ID need to specify that she had taken out a student loan? He could only guess that was a Capitalist Corporations thing. This showed how they viewed people who had no money and had to borrow money to get by. That would also be why she had to wear the humiliating shackle designed so she could not hide it.<br /> <br /> The Capitalist Corporations had effective control over Hawaii.<br /> <br /> That was an unofficial thing and it was not actually registered that way, but the Over Cavitation was already acting like it owned the place.<br /> <br /> Quenser looked up toward heaven.<br /> <br /> “I think I get it. Their major corporations and investors are recruiting talented people, trapping them here with student loans, and promising to pay off the loan if the students work for them. That’s what’s happening here. This lab is near the front line, so they man it with those indebted students.”<br /> <br /> That must have been entirely normal here because brown-skinned Hina only tilted her head. Myonri felt a chill when she realized what they had nearly done.<br /> <br /> “They’re all innocent students. I’m glad we didn’t carelessly shoot any of them. Good work, Quenser.”<br /> <br /> “Please, please. That’s not nearly enough praise.”<br /> <br /> By the way, after being hit in the temple by Quenser’s “good work”, Heivia remained collapsed in the hallway while convulsing a bit, but no one was paying any attention to him.<br /> <br /> “Lady, were the people with scary guns friends of yours?”<br /> <br /> “No, I don’t know them. They came from the army.”<br /> <br /> Quenser had suspected as much, but the confirmation was still a relief.<br /> <br /> Even if those snipers had opened fire first, they had still been burned alive in their ghillie suits. Sleep would have been hard to come by if it turned out those were civilians.<br /> <br /> Those snipers had been professional soldiers. Since Hina had not been supplied with anything to protect herself, the Capitalist Corporations military must not have trusted her or the other indebted locals. Those locals had plenty of reason to hold a grudge, so the soldiers had been afraid to give them guns.<br /> <br /> Quenser was thankful for that.<br /> <br /> That gave them a convenient way to tell who they could kill and who they had to keep alive. If the civilians had been forced into some kind of combat training, the distinction would have been a lot harder to make.<br /> <br /> “So are all the researchers like this?” wondered Quenser. “We need to evacuate them before blowing the place up.”<br /> <br /> “Um, do you think they’ll actually listen to us at this point?” asked Myonri. “We did break into the place looking ready to kill everything that moved.”<br /> <br /> “Here, take a look at this.”<br /> <br /> “What?”<br /> <br /> Quenser showed her the colored ball launcher he found alongside the axe in the emergency box on the wall. It used compressed carbon dioxide gas to fire those things found next to convenience store registers. It was shaped a lot like a single-shot grenade launcher.<br /> <br /> “I’ll mess with its power output so it will knock people out. The rest of you create projectiles by stuffing socks or stockings full of rice or flour. Make them the same size as these colored balls. If you can’t find any grains, you can use the stuffing of a beanbag or pillow, but don’t use any kind of metal balls. Those will kill someone.”<br /> <br /> “Um.”<br /> <br /> “If they refuse to listen, just knock them out like Heivia over there and drag them outside. We don’t have much time. If we don’t do something, the Princess will lose to the Over Cavitation. Don’t aim for the face because you take an eye out. Also make sure they aren’t near anything they could hit their head on like a desk corner or a protrusion on the floor.”<br /> <br /> “Wow, you definitely don’t put the ‘gentle’ in gentleman, do you?”<br /> <br /> The potatoes could be a little too passionate about ditching work and getting sidetracked, but they could still get the job done once they had a clear goal in mind. Quenser started by making five of the modified launchers.<br /> <br /> “Heivia, wake up. It’s work time.”<br /> <br /> “Ugh, what happened?”<br /> <br /> “A nightmarish superweapon showed up and we were facing certain doom, but my courageous actions saved us all. You can use this, so make sure to pay me back for my moving heroics.”<br /> <br /> After Quenser made up a story and gave the other boy a launcher, they cleaned up the facility with Hina Liqueurball in tow.<br /> <br /> “Squeeze.”<br /> <br /> “Excuse me, lady.”<br /> <br /> Quenser had a simple reason for grabbing Hina’s small head with one hand and having her press against the side of his hips: her Hawaiian shirt was pretty baggy, so when there was space between them, looking down at her would have given him a tunnel-like view of her undeveloped chest. He had needed to prevent that somehow.<br /> <br /> The launchers were never put to use. It was over before they could even think about firing. As soon as the red laser pointer dot reached them, the chocolate-colored researchers (no, given Hina’s circumstances, they may have been indebted students as well) shrieked and put their hands up. Some of them were carrying a cat or a birdcage. They were generally harmless, so the potatoes felt bad doing this even though it was necessary.<br /> <br /> They also spotted the occasional squid and eel mascot character that may have come from a local legend, but that was all. There were no cruel tricks like a grenade on the doorknob.<br /> <br /> “Damn, there’s a lot of them!” said Heivia. “Does this lab have bus service? If not, we can’t bring them all back with us!!”<br /> <br /> “Why would we bring them back with us, you idiot?” replied Quenser. “Once they’re outside, they can get back to their own homes. Unlike us, they aren’t being targeted by the Capitalist Corporations.”<br /> <br /> “What about their GPS signals?” asked Myonri. “I’d prefer they weren’t advertising their location while they’re with us.”<br /> <br /> “Lead is the all-time champion when it comes to blocking signals,” said Quenser. “This uses microwaves just like a cellphone, right? Then we can block it with a fine wire mesh like they use in microwave doors.”<br /> <br /> A couple of gunshots rang out.<br /> <br /> This was not from the nonlethal launcher Quenser had given them. Heivia clicked his tongue with a large military handgun in his other hand.<br /> <br /> “Someone else stole a Hawaiian shirt from a locker to hide among the researchers. Check out the tattoo on his arm. He’s from White Harpoon, an elite naval PMC. But he was obviously a fake since he didn’t have the ball-and-chain on his ankle. That’s what you get for lying, buddy.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, couldn’t you have used the launcher?” asked Quenser. “You just cratered all the good will we’d been gradually building up.”<br /> <br /> “Was he the last one?” asked Myonri. “I found this high-quality thermal sensor in here. It’s meant to read the water temperature, but it interfaces with my gun’s multipurpose sight just fine and it isn’t showing any other heat signatures.”<br /> <br /> “We can have them do a roll call. But if anyone is hiding their thermal signature behind a special shield, we know they’re not a civilian. And who cares if some professional soldiers were late to evacuate and get killed. Sounds win-win to me.”<br /> <br /> “We’re never getting that good will back, are we?”<br /> <br /> Quenser sounded exasperated while Hina tearfully clung to his hips like she was hugging a giant stuffed animal after having a nightmare. He could feel her somewhat high body temperature and a faint sweet aroma coming from her black hair tickled at his nose. The more the others scared her, the more she felt she could only rely on Potato #1.<br /> <br /> During all this, they had set up the bomb on the boiler in the basement and Quenser contacted someone with his radio.<br /> <br /> “Aloha. How you doing, Princess? It looks like you’re being carved up a fair bit, but it’s not at the level of a gore video yet, is it?”<br /> <br /> “Hurry up. I feel like I’ve lost 2 kilos from the tension alone.”<br /> <br /> “Ha ha ha. So you’re a kilo away from getting down to your original weight?”<br /> <br /> A powerful blast stabbed into the ocean nowhere near the enemy.<br /> <br /> “Hold on, don’t draw the enemy’s attention this way!!”<br /> <br /> “I have not gained weight. I know how to manage my health.”<br /> <br /> “I bet it’s all that coconut milk. Maybe you should rethink having a fridge in the cockpit. Anyway, we’ve secured the lab, so we can stop the transfer of weather and ocean data at any time. I’ll leave the detonation timing to you, so tell us when to trip up the Over Cavitation.”<br /> <br /> Quenser gestured for the others to leave the lab.<br /> <br /> “Start the countdown at 30 seconds,” said the Princess.<br /> <br /> “Will do. If things change, feel free to cancel the countdown and start over. Don’t do anything dumb because you feel bound by the time you set.”<br /> <br /> “Who do you think you’re talking to?”<br /> <br /> “The person who’s losing and having her dress shredded. Okay, begin the countdown.”<br /> <br /> Fortunately, they did not need to redo it.<br /> <br /> It was the Baby Magnum vs. the Over Cavitation.<br /> <br /> After walking outside the reinforced concrete wall and looking to the ocean, Quenser heard the end of the countdown.<br /> <br /> “3, 2, 1.”<br /> <br /> “Zero.”<br /> <br /> An explosion burst up from the ground behind him and the prison-like research facility collapsed.<br /> <br /> ===Part 5===<br /> <br /> The change was readily apparent from the Baby Magnum’s cockpit.<br /> <br /> The Over Cavitation had been moving side to side so much before, but now it caught a bit like the needle skipping on a record.<br /> <br /> (I can do this.)<br /> <br /> The weapons system got to work when the lasers in the Princess’s goggles read the movements of her eyes. To maintain her extreme focus, she reached for a drink bottle with a straw sticking out from it. She regretted it when she tasted the sweetness of that first sip. Quenser’s words had pierced the teenage girl’s ultra-sensitive heart, but she could not spit out the coconut milk now.<br /> <br /> “Princess, the Over Cavitation uses an aircushion to stay afloat, but that means the status of the waves influences the layer of air. It also uses the salinity of the air to create a kind of ‘stickiness’, so it should be restricted to naval battles only. It probably uses its data support to receive accurate information on those factors.”<br /> <br /> At any rate, the Princess’s widened eyes focused accurately on her target. She selected the appropriate weapon and 7 low-stability plasma cannons accurately locked onto the Over Cavitation now that its movement had been slightly disturbed by the lack of data support.<br /> <br /> She would not miss now.<br /> <br /> A cross counter was fine. The battle would end here, so taking more damage was not a real problem as long as it was not critical.<br /> <br /> Defeating the enemy took priority.<br /> <br /> (I will end this here!!)<br /> <br /> And.<br /> <br /> And.<br /> <br /> And.<br /> <br /> A “leg” appeared out of nowhere, kicked at the water…and launched it sideways???<br /> <br /> “Huh?”<br /> <br /> The Princess was dumbfounded after she fired the 7 main cannons. This was supposed to be a sure thing, but the enemy Object suddenly hopped to her right and escaped the 7 beams fanned out over the expected range of its evasive actions.<br /> <br /> It was the main cannon.<br /> <br /> Or more accurately, the two bipod-like parts at the base. One of those had extended like a police baton and suddenly kicked the ocean surface.<br /> <br /> The steam pipes spread out like wings and the very edge of the spherical body had their onion armor shaved away with an orange light, but that was all. The Over Cavitation could still move. It aimed her way with the long white spear of a main cannon created by combining water vapor and air bubbles.<br /> <br /> (It didn’t work.)<br /> <br /> The Princess tried to force her Object into evasive actions of its own, but the machine could not keep up with the rapid back and forth movements she was demanding of it. It groaned like a settling house and inertia squeezed at the organs inside her slender body.<br /> <br /> What was that “leg”?<br /> <br /> No one had told her about that!<br /> <br /> ===Part 6===<br /> <br /> The Over Cavitation had unleashed a merciless attack.<br /> <br /> Quenser was as shocked as anyone as he watched from the coast.<br /> <br /> “Are you kidding me?”<br /> <br /> His trembling hand reached for his radio.<br /> <br /> “Are you kidding me, Frolaytia!? This isn’t what we were told! We did what we were supposed to and so did the Princess. So were you planning to have a good laugh while we died because you kept secrets from us!?”<br /> <br /> “We don’t know what this is either!! None of the records of previous battles include this propulsion device. This was a troublesome enough Second Generation already, but it looks like it was modernized at some point!!”<br /> <br /> “What happened to the Princess?”<br /> <br /> “She took a main cannon hit but just barely managed to avoid complete destruction. Frankly, it’s a miracle she’s managing to stay afloat and keep fighting.”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> Complaining was not going to help.<br /> <br /> No matter how unfair it was, they had to accept the reality before their eyes and figure out what was going on or else they would be slaughtered without accomplishing a thing.<br /> <br /> This new equipment was not a part of the Capitalist Corporations’ official specs. So what outside entity could have supplied a propulsion device from a completely different line of technology?<br /> <br /> “The arms dealer,” said Quenser.<br /> <br /> “Huh?” said Heivia. “You mean the one from Eastern Europe?”<br /> <br /> “They’re learning!! It takes years to build a whole Object, but a single part reduces the cost and time by a considerable amount. The incident at the monastery hotel came to light ahead of time because it took too much time and effort, but this method keeps the watchful eyes of international society from keeping up!!”<br /> <br /> “B-but a Capitalist Corporations Object belongs to the Capitalist Corporations, right?” said Myonri. “Wouldn’t they just use the arms dealer for as long as it took to complete the modernization and then arrest them?”<br /> <br /> “What if the arms dealer is the only one who can maintain and supply spare parts for something as crucial as the Object’s propulsion device or main cannon? The Over Cavitation would only have struck a deal with such a suspicious figure if it had a complex about something. They were told this would improve and strengthen the Object, but the arms dealer was essentially hijacking it. The Capitalist Corporations can’t just get rid of them if they’re needed to keep the Object running. Once they’ve worked their way deep enough into the system, they’ll become a criminal organization with official protection!!”<br /> <br /> That may have mattered more than the Object deal itself. It was like threatening the executives of an above-the-board corporation and turning it into a front for a criminal organization.<br /> <br /> “What do we do, Quenser!? This is all for nothing if the Princess is taken out. We’ll lose our trump card!!”<br /> <br /> “I know that!”<br /> <br /> Right now, he wanted accurate information about the Over Cavitation’s undercarriage and new propulsion device. But the damaged Princess would not last long enough for a complete analysis made from observations during the battle.<br /> <br /> He needed a shortcut.<br /> <br /> And he had an idea.<br /> <br /> “We find the arms dealer hidden in the Hawaii District. That way we can steal their plans for the propulsion device they’re using to protect themselves!!”<br /> <br /> ===Part 7===<br /> <br /> Quenser and the others had originally planned to approach by sea in rubber motorboats. That meant they had no land vehicles. They ended up hopping into the back of the military truck Frolaytia must have arranged after being informed of the situation. The rude cowards driving the trucks had refused to approach until the threat was gone.<br /> <br /> “Hey, do we even know the arms dealer is here? You can buy anything online these days, so they might be relaxing on the other side of the globe.”<br /> <br /> “They’re keeping themselves safe by keeping the secrets of the new propulsion device to themselves. They wouldn’t hand the plans or manual to anyone else. They’ll be on the scene to boss around the maintenance soldiers while never letting them see the whole picture.”<br /> <br /> “And why is that Hina girl still clinging to you?”<br /> <br /> “Wow! When did you sneak in here, lady? The other truck will take you home!”<br /> <br /> That belated instruction was meaningless because the truck headed to Oahu’s urban area had already left. It was too late to change trucks now.<br /> <br /> “Que’ser.”<br /> <br /> Also, Hina Liqueurball puffed out her cheeks, clung to him like he was a giant stuffed animal, and made no attempt to move. He could sense her high body temperature and faint sweet scent. She must have picked up on his name from the conversations she overheard and she said it with bit of an accented pronunciation. This was looking more like Stockholm syndrome than popularity with the ladies. The soldiers spoke up in annoyance because they did not like being used as the bad guys in that scenario.<br /> <br /> “Make sure you look after her yourself.”<br /> <br /> “If a stray bullet flies her way, you had better take it for her. Let Hina die after all this and all four world powers will hunt you down.”<br /> <br /> “What are you people expecting of a battlefield student who can’t even fire a handgun? I’m not a shirtless macho man with a Gatling gun who can soak up bullets without ever dying.”<br /> <br /> At any rate, Heivia had given up on overturning Hina’s view of him, so he simply tried not to scare her.<br /> <br /> “Now, you say they’re in the Hawaii District, but that’s more than 130 islands if we count the small ones. Where is this truck headed? I assume you have some kind of idea.”<br /> <br /> “Hina is our hint.”<br /> <br /> “Hm? I am?”<br /> <br /> The brown girl looked confused.<br /> <br /> “Or rather, the ocean meteorological research lab we found her in. It was located on the point of a cape so it could look after their precious equipment.”<br /> <br /> “What’s that supposed to mean?”<br /> <br /> “Just let him ramble. Tune back in 10 minutes from now and you’ll get the actual answer you want.”<br /> <br /> Myonri must have been tired because she did not hold back in the slightest, but Quenser did not let it get to him.<br /> <br /> “The arms dealer will be living comfortably in Capitalist Corporations territory and they will have an escape route ready in case the Capitalist Corporations turn on them. They’re on an island and there’s a laser-covered Object here, so the only real option would be a sub. They’ll have planned this out carefully, but that narrows down the possibilities. The ocean surface looks flat, but it has varying terrain as well. There are only so many places where an emergency sub can avoid detection by sonar thanks to thermoclines and brackish water.”<br /> <br /> “Could you be more specific?”<br /> <br /> “We can check the ocean terrain with Hina, but anywhere the Object overreacts to would be the most suspicious. Heivia, do you remember why the Baby Magnum and the Over Cavitation started fighting in the first place?”<br /> <br /> “The coastguard armed with the weapons borrowed from our lend-lease program were attacking the air pump facilities the Capitalist Corporations is using to increase the shark population, so they decided to take a gamble and…”<br /> <br /> Heivia trailed off when he caught on.<br /> <br /> Quenser snapped his fingers and continued.<br /> <br /> “That was their biggest overreaction. There’s something there they want to protect badly enough to send out a Second Generation. The arms dealer is located at one of the Oxyocean Operation air pump facilities. This one.”<br /> <br /> The military truck took them to a point on the coast. This time, there was a long bridge heading out to a square artificial island with sides longer than a kilometer. According to Hina, the entire island absorbed the seawater, applied tons of pressure, used microbubbles to infuse it with oxygen, and sent that back down to the deep pits where the hypoxic Sea of Death was located.<br /> <br /> Quenser and the others were not reckless enough to ride the truck down the straight bridge with nowhere to hide.<br /> <br /> It was known as Tunaroa Bridge and there was no stopping once they started down it. The potatoes climbed out of the military truck after it stopped in front of a sign bearing an illustration of a man with a fishing pole, a giant eel, and a girl.<br /> <br /> “Watch out for a monkey army wielding cheap printed guns. Those probably came from the arms dealer.”<br /> <br /> “Do you think they’ll try the same thing twice?”<br /> <br /> “Watch out for the Object too. Don’t forget that it was the coastguard poking at this hornet’s nest that called the Over Cavitation here in the first place.”<br /> <br /> “Oh, god. What can we even do by ‘watching out’? That’s about as useful as learning the weather forecast predicts an extra-large meteor shower raining down on the earth this afternoon.”<br /> <br /> Hina Liqueurball was a 12-year-old civilian, so they left her in the military truck.<br /> <br /> Would they simply walk across the bridge, or would they use one of the rubber boats with the anemone-like red and orange warning colors on the bottom?<br /> <br /> When you could not figure out the right answer, you just had to split your personnel and choose both. Even if one group died, the other would reach the destination.<br /> <br /> “Lives are on a really good sale today. It’s like we have clearance stickers on our souls.”<br /> <br /> “Why the hell did you bring Hina on this crowded boat, you idiot!?”<br /> <br /> “Que’ser.”<br /> <br /> “Hina, what!?”<br /> <br /> Quenser looked over in shock and yelled, but it was too late now. She had joined them without anyone noticing. And the rubber boat was already headed out to sea with its motor running. If they hung around in one place for too long, a great white shark would probably show up.<br /> <br /> Myonri’s group would be walking across the bridge directly overhead. And to be extra careful, they would be sending a drone to scout out ahead.<br /> <br /> “There’s less here than we thought. I was expecting an ambush and a big shootout.”<br /> <br /> “Let’s just hope we don’t find the place abandoned.”<br /> <br /> The boat was faster than on foot, so Quenser’s group landed on the artificial island first and used their guns and binoculars to make sure they were safe.<br /> <br /> Myonri’s group joined them shortly thereafter and the girl spoke up with a cheerful smile.<br /> <br /> “Wow, no one died this time. That’s pretty unusual.”<br /> <br /> “Myonri, is this what you’re like on your period?”<br /> <br /> That comment just about got him shot, so Quenser used Heivia as a shield for the rest of the conversation.<br /> <br /> “Anything here?” she asked.<br /> <br /> “Not that we can see from the ground. Did the drone see anything?”<br /> <br /> “No.”<br /> <br /> This was only getting more baffling. They could not find the enemy. It would normally delight them to avoid a deadly battle, but it was still worrisome. It was unnatural and unnerving.<br /> <br /> Regardless, they knew this artificial island held something that had led the Over Cavitation to exacerbate the war. And the damaged Baby Magnum had no time. They could not come to a stop just because the place was so unsettling. They wanted accurate information on that Second Generation’s undercarriage. And they wanted it now. No matter how suspicious this felt, they had to investigate.<br /> <br /> “If this was a horror movie, continuing the mission would be what gets us all killed.”<br /> <br /> “Would you prefer waiting out here all alone? That’s the guy who always gets killed almost immediately.”<br /> <br /> They also could not leave Hina by herself. It was the Capitalist Corporations who saw value in her intellect, so the arms dealer might see no reason to keep her alive.<br /> <br /> With no advance knowledge, the artificial island would have looked like a square piece of land covered in factories and pipes. The buildings were of varying heights, which created a warship-like silhouette. The space was crammed full.<br /> <br /> “The arms dealer is all about being cheap and reliable. You can see that in the experimental monkeys with printed guns and you can see it in the modernized undercarriage for the Over Cavitation. The ideas are really out there, but they’re still sensible. This is not going to be a fun opponent.”<br /> <br /> That was when they heard some quiet noises in the distance. These were not gunshots or explosions. It was more like steam valves opening. The island was an air pump facility, so it was sure to have tons of that sort of equipment.<br /> <br /> So they assumed that was all it was.<br /> <br /> But then a squall of metal balls rained down right next to Quenser.<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> It was such an extreme change that his mind failed to keep up at first. They had been relaxed a moment before. They had been smiling together about how no one had died. They had breathed a definite sigh of relief and they had all been alive.<br /> <br /> Yet now orange sparks tore away the asphalt.<br /> <br /> Metal ball bearings larger than a pachinko ball crashed into the hard ground and bounced back up.<br /> <br /> They had been dropped from a great height.<br /> <br /> But worst of all, the colors red and black were splattered across the ground.<br /> <br /> That was all that remained of their allies. There were no recognizable uniforms, weapons, human flesh, or even dog tags.<br /> <br /> They had been reduced to something like jelly.<br /> <br /> Their merciless death had been like an invisible giant crushing a row of ants underfoot. If that squall had been directed just three meters to the side, it would have been Quenser and his immediate group that were killed.<br /> <br /> “…!!”<br /> <br /> Quenser belatedly got on top of Hina to cover her young eyes, but then he heard the same sound again.<br /> <br /> It sounded a lot like air escaping something. The breath of the grim reaper was quiet enough to entirely miss it if you were not focused.<br /> <br /> “We need a roof! It doesn’t matter what, just get below something that will shield you from the sky!! Quenser, you take care of Hina!!”<br /> <br /> Heivia gave a shout while Myonri and the others took off running. It was no time to worry about moving as teams or staying in formation. Quenser had both his hands free, so he scooped up Hina’s small body in a princess carry, pushed open a nearby metal door with his back, and practically fell inside.<br /> <br /> The deadly squall filled the outside once more.<br /> <br /> “Wh-what is that, Que’ser? What is that!? Don’t go away! I’m scared!!”<br /> <br /> “Never fear, lady. It can’t hit us now that we’re inside the building!”<br /> <br /> Quenser decided explaining the details would only worry her, so he got straight to the point. And if he kept holding her, he was afraid she would notice he was trembling.<br /> <br /> Sometimes people would fire a handgun straight up as a warning shot. It was a common sight in movies and dramas, but where would that bullet land? Just as a screw or bolt could become a weapon when dropped from a skyscraper roof, the bullet had to land somewhere and it would be quite deadly from the fall. In major metropolises, that probably took more accidental lives each year than lightning strikes.<br /> <br /> The arms dealer had properly weaponized that phenomenon. A thick tube was probably stuffed with metal ball bearings and then compressed air or carbon dioxide gas launched them more than 100 meters into the air. That created a squall-like quantity of weapons to suppress a general area when accurate targeting was not needed.<br /> <br /> You could not hope to dodge it.<br /> <br /> It was a lot like being crushed by a falling ceiling covered in spikes.<br /> <br /> It took a bit of work to set up, but it was far cheaper than a standardized machinegun. After all, durability, fire rate, precision, and accuracy could all be ignored. You just had to launch them into the air. If you could ignore its quality as an industrial product, you could cut a lot of corners.<br /> <br /> Cheap and reliable.<br /> <br /> This new product took lives with cost efficiency.<br /> <br /> Quenser clenched his teeth and grabbed his radio.<br /> <br /> “Heivia. We can’t take the shortest route to regroup outside! Can we find a route that stays below a roof at all times?”<br /> <br /> “That squall shot down our drone. We have the general aerial photos on our mobile devices, but that doesn’t tell us the exact internal layout. This place is as cluttered as a warship, right? There’s no guarantee we can regroup right away. Everyone, use what range of movement you have to eliminate the enemy. Let’s clear one safe zone at a time until we can finally regroup. Like water droplets joining together on the window.”<br /> <br /> “I don’t have a gun…”<br /> <br /> “But you have Hina who should know a lot about these facilities. You haven’t abandoned her, have you? Get her advice as you move along. You came here to fight a war, didn’t you?”<br /> <br /> “Are you serious?”<br /> <br /> “We all got the short end of the stick here. Dammit, I swear I’ll survive and meet that legendary maid. I’d love to go on a personal scouting mission in search of her.”<br /> <br /> “(Is no one on my side anymore!?)”<br /> <br /> Quenser clicked his tongue and pulled some Hand Axe plastic explosive from his backpack. He could use that like a grenade if need be…but that raised a crucial question: could he win this labyrinthine indoor battle with nothing but grenades?<br /> <br /> (In the worst case, I’ll blow myself backwards with my own blast.)<br /> <br /> The arms dealer would have more than just the one weapon. The first weapon had eliminated the outdoors area as an option, so the next step would be to pick off the separated potatoes one at a time.<br /> <br /> He would have to protect himself here.<br /> <br /> And he was not allowed any mistakes with Hina clinging to the side of his hip and giving off a sweet scent from the hibiscus decoration in her black hair. His death would mean her death.<br /> <br /> “Lady.”<br /> <br /> Fortunately, her small size was an advantage here.<br /> <br /> Quenser found some duct tape, copy paper, and plywood nearby and created a rectangular shield she could fully hide behind.<br /> <br /> “It’s a bit heavy, but if you hear any noises, hold this out toward it with both hands. Press the bottom of the shield against the floor so there isn’t a gap.”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “Despite what movies and dramas would have you believe, you can still die of blood loss when shot in the hand or foot, so make sure you stay fully hidden behind the shield. Got that?”<br /> <br /> “What about you, Que’ser?”<br /> <br /> “Me?”<br /> <br /> He would be entirely exposed.<br /> <br /> He did not have a single bullet to fire.<br /> <br /> They had no idea how many enemies there were or what kind of equipment that enemy had.<br /> <br /> Heivia and the others could not rush in to save him no matter how much he asked for help.<br /> <br /> The girl’s question forced him to focus on those various aspects of reality, but he forced down those thoughts.<br /> <br /> He could not let Hina notice his fear while she looked worriedly up at him with the handmade shield, so he shook his head and spoke.<br /> <br /> “I’ll be fine. C’mon, let’s get going.”<br /> <br /> He had given Hina the shield to protect her from the arms dealer’s bullets and from any nearby explosions. He knew he had to do it, but he could not predict what exactly would happen once he started throwing bombs around in this labyrinthine space.<br /> <br /> Also, the shield might double as a blindfold and prevent her from seeing the splattered corpses.<br /> <br /> “Hina, let’s ignore the arms dealer side of things for now. How many workers would they need to keep this place running purely as an air pump facility?”<br /> <br /> “Hm. Probably none.”<br /> <br /> He had not expected that answer.<br /> <br /> “They stepped outside their field of expertise and developed an unmanned factory OS for it. Although I think they keep three people here in case of any trouble.”<br /> <br /> “How can I tell them apart from the bad guys?”<br /> <br /> “They’ll understand the local language. The foreign soldiers only ever look puzzled when they hear us speak.”<br /> <br /> “You mean like aloha?”<br /> <br /> “Que’ser, that means both hello and goodbye. Did you know you say that at funerals?”<br /> <br /> Heivia had been right. Hina was a valuable ally. Maybe even more than an industrially produced handgun.<br /> <br /> In this case, they did not have a single set goal such as destroying a turret or reaching the power station. They had to check every room they came across to make sure everything was as safe as possible and eliminate any enemy soldiers they came across. It was a lot like walking around a minefield to find the explosives. You wanted to detect them in advance so you could dig them up. Eliminating them by stepping on them would not be fun.<br /> <br /> The corridors were unlit, perhaps because the place was designed to be unmanned. It was all plain concrete. As Quenser walked along with Hina, the imitation ball-and-chain unavoidably made a scraping noise as she dragged it behind her skinny ankle. The chain was too short for her to carry it around in her hands and wrapping a towel around it would not actually help all that much. On straightaways, he tried to make sure there was always a door they could jump inside at a moment’s notice. The light through the windows highlighted the dust in the air like a projector bream. There was no air conditioning, so both the heat and the tension made it hard to focus. He felt like he was rotting from the fingertips.<br /> <br /> They continued further in while Hina explained that they were in a transformer room or in a storage room for the hunks of salt that came from the seawater due to electrolysis. The salt sounded like it would be easy enough to sell, but the impurities were apparently concentrated along with it and people could not eat it. Pufferfish and shellfish toxins were gathered from the plankton the animal had eaten, so you could not underestimate concentrations of anything from the sea.<br /> <br /> But there was no one around.<br /> <br /> The arms dealer had weaponized monkeys to keep anyone out of the lab and an enemy waiting behind a door would have been enough to defeat Quenser when he only had bombs to work with. The tension only continued to grow, but there really was no one there.<br /> <br /> “This is weird.”<br /> <br /> He had not wanted a tour of the factory or to explore an abandoned building. The metal ball squall was enough to know the enemy was definitely there. They were not simply in the wrong place. The arms dealer had intentionally let the potatoes cross the bridge and only used the squall once they were on the artificial island so they would flee indoors. They had essentially been split up and trapped. He was certain there would be further attacks. And yet…<br /> <br /> “Que’ser.”<br /> <br /> Hina moved right up next to him while holding the handmade shield in both hands. As if covering him with the shield too. Was she worried and trying to protect him?<br /> <br /> Her high body temperature and faint sweet scent reached him.<br /> <br /> Quenser longed for his radio. Or rather, he missed the presence and reactions of other people. He knew it was meaningless, but he pressed the switch.<br /> <br /> “Heivia, has anything happened there?”<br /> <br /> Only static answered him.<br /> <br /> “Heivia?”<br /> <br /> The enemy was here.<br /> <br /> The arms dealer had intentionally invited them in. There was no escape inside this building or on the artificial island as a whole. While trapped in that double prison, they could be easily finished off.<br /> <br /> In that case…<br /> <br /> “Hina, have your shield at the ready.”<br /> <br /> “Why? Are the others being attacked?”<br /> <br /> The brown girl looked worriedly up at him, but he said nothing more.<br /> <br /> …That was not it.<br /> <br /> The jamming was affecting Quenser and Hina. That meant they were the ones being separated from the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers. They were the ones surrounded by the hounds.<br /> <br /> The battle was approaching.<br /> <br /> (The jamming means I can’t detonate the fuses via radio.)<br /> <br /> This eliminated one of the few cards in his deck. The pen-like fuses could be set to a timer, but timing it right probably took practice.<br /> <br /> And as he carefully checked inside each of the doors around them, he noticed something odd.<br /> <br /> “What is this?”<br /> <br /> There was a large space there.<br /> <br /> Whatever the space had been originally designed for, there was now something sitting in the center of it.<br /> <br /> It was a flat cylinder that glinted with a silver light. It looked thick and solid and it was larger than a school classroom. The airtight door on the side had a round handle that was turned to open it, just like on a submarine. If not for that door, he probably would not have recognized it as a room.<br /> <br /> This was clearly different from everything they had seen so far.<br /> <br /> It did not fit in with the rest of the facility.<br /> <br /> Hina tilted her head too.<br /> <br /> “I don’t recognize this. What is it? A pressure cooker?”<br /> <br /> She had a good reason for saying that. The scale was different, but the safety valve on the top used the same principle as a pressure cooker. She looked like a small girl, but she was already in college. She may have had even more knowledge than Quenser and it was that knowledge that led her to view this as a pressurized container larger than any she had ever seen.<br /> <br /> “Is it a hyperbaric oxygen chamber?” muttered the boy.<br /> <br /> Come to think of it, wasn’t this an air pump facility meant to increase the valuable shark population by artificially infusing oxygen into the hypoxic Sea of Death?<br /> <br /> It was part of the Oxyocean Operation.<br /> <br /> It was true that facility’s horsepower could be used to run some extraordinary equipment, but…<br /> <br /> “That isn’t possible.”<br /> <br /> It was not that Hina had lacked the knowledge.<br /> <br /> In fact, it was her knowledge that had prevented her from considering the idea and that now led her to oppose Quenser’s suggestion.<br /> <br /> “Hyperbaric oxygen chambers are used for medical therapy, not industrial work, right?”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “This island’s air pumps are especially large so they can dissolve oxygen into seawater at a rate of 90,000 liters per minute. If you put a human in such a giant pressure cooker, they wouldn’t just hyperventilate. Their red blood cells would rupture or they might just be crushed by the pressure.”<br /> <br /> “Maybe for a normal human.”<br /> <br /> It was gradually coming into view.<br /> <br /> He was gradually realizing why the Over Cavitation’s undercarriage had been secretly modernized and why it had wanted to protect this air pump facility that contained a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. How had the arms dealer made themselves indispensable to the Capitalist Corporations? Also, what crucial core component for the Object had they supplied?<br /> <br /> And.<br /> <br /> Why were civilians like Quenser and Hina being targeted ahead of Heivia, Myonri, or the others?<br /> <br /> That was when he heard a sound like an electric razor coming from outside that large space. It was not particularly loud, but he would have heard someone dropping a ball-point pen in this deserted place.<br /> <br /> (Is it some kind of drone?)<br /> <br /> “Que’ser.”<br /> <br /> “(Sh! Over here, Hina.)”<br /> <br /> They circled behind the giant pressure cooker of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.<br /> <br /> The sound came from the hallway.<br /> <br /> This was a large space, but it had no other exit. He did not know if his explosives could break through the wall and an explosion could ignite the highly concentrated oxygen in the pipes. Detonating one in an open space like a grenade was one thing, but attempting to blow down a thick wall made of who-knows-what would be too risky.<br /> <br /> They just had to wait it out.<br /> <br /> They just had to hope whatever this was continued right on down the hall.<br /> <br /> However…<br /> <br /> “(The sound…)”<br /> <br /> Hina fearfully squeezed the handmade shield in her hands.<br /> <br /> The electric razor sound had stopped near the door. It was not continuing on. It was staying. It was sealing the exit while waiting to see what happened. The machine(?) knew they were here.<br /> <br /> “(I’m scared, Que’ser. Is there anywhere with a lock? Oh, I know. Let’s close ourselves in the oxygen chamber.)”<br /> <br /> “(They could operate the machinery to knock us out with the pressurized oxygen.)”<br /> <br /> This was no time to panic.<br /> <br /> The train known as reality was still roaring down the tracks. Gathering the resolve to jump off was useless if it had already passed the station you wanted to reach.<br /> <br /> They had to change how they viewed this.<br /> <br /> This was still an opportunity.<br /> <br /> There was just the one entrance.<br /> <br /> Whatever this enemy was, it would have to pass through there. The plastic explosives were not the easiest thing in the world to use, but he could hit the enemy with the blast if he tossed one toward the door. It was too late if he waited until it was already in the large room and could move wherever it wanted. This was the neck of the gourd or hourglass. Taking out the enemy here was his best bet.<br /> <br /> “(Hina, wait here with your shield at the ready.)”<br /> <br /> “(You’re going on your own? Wait, Que’ser.)”<br /> <br /> The hyperbaric oxygen chamber in the center of the large room was a flat cylinder much like a petroleum tank. Unlike a boxy building, it had no corners. That made it difficult to tell how far he could go while staying just out of sight.<br /> <br /> “(Que’ser.)”<br /> <br /> The tearful girl ended up following him. If he was killed now, the enemy would not just leave, assuming they had killed everyone. If he died, they both died. The look in his eyes grew a bit sharper. He had to take this seriously. Ensuring their safety by crushing the enemy was the only option left.<br /> <br /> While leaning against the curved metal wall and slowly moving forward, he rolled a ball of plastic explosive and stabbed in a pen-like electric fuse. The jamming kept him from using a remote detonation, but the timer would work fine. If he set it to three seconds, he could use it just like a grenade.<br /> <br /> Although that was still a problem since Quenser was not all that familiar with using normal grenades.<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> He was pretty sure he had gone as far as he could without being seen from the door.<br /> <br /> He would be spotted if he went any further.<br /> <br /> He silently came to a stop and raised the ball of plastic explosive to shoulder height. He of course held it in the hand opposite the wall to his side. This would be a side throw. It was basically the same as a grenade, but it was soft like clay and he could not expect it to bounce and roll. He had to picture it flying in a parabolic arc and landing right where he wanted it.<br /> <br /> The electric razor sound continued.<br /> <br /> But he also heard some light footsteps.<br /> <br /> (Feet?)<br /> <br /> This was not just a drone. Was there someone with it? He was still confused, but the situation did not wait for him to figure it out. The sound of the footsteps changed.<br /> <br /> The person had moved from the hallway to the large room.<br /> <br /> He had no idea who this was, but they had just walked through the door. That was the neck of the gourd or hourglass. The difference in skill was irrelevant. This was his first and last chance for an amateur’s explosion to actually work!!<br /> <br /> “Hh!!”<br /> <br /> His life was on the line, but…no, ''so'' his thoughts were of secondary importance. The fuse was set to three seconds. The pressing situation led him to lean out and throw the hunk of clay. It was a side throw that sort of tossed it around the wall of the oxygen chamber.<br /> <br /> And he realized something once he leaned out.<br /> <br /> The enemy was a human woman.<br /> <br /> But he was not sure if he should call her a soldier. After all, she was not wearing a military uniform. She may have been ''that'' kind of person because other than her military boots, she only wore a small bottle hanging from her neck by a thread and a thin ribbon wrapped loosely around her. The tall woman with radiant skin walked casually through the door with her long red hair fluttering behind her.<br /> <br /> And she had giant red wings behind her back.<br /> <br /> “Wha-?”<br /> <br /> Was she not actually human?<br /> <br /> This was a greater shock than her radiant nudity.<br /> <br /> What was she? What in the world was she!?<br /> <br /> With a loud compressing sound, the wings roared to life. It looked all the world like they had melted into a streamlined shape, but that was not it. The electric razor sound remained and the wings were technically not connected to the naked woman’s back.<br /> <br /> (That sound…is it the same rotors that drones use? Did she attach armor to a flying car!?)<br /> <br /> He did not have time to speak out loud.<br /> <br /> The wings roared through the air and accurately struck the clay to knock it back toward Quenser with a sound like a metal bat.<br /> <br /> With the jamming in effect, he could not use a remote detonation and had instead used a timed one.<br /> <br /> He had set it to three seconds.<br /> <br /> It was just like a grenade.<br /> <br /> “Oh, shi-…!?”<br /> <br /> He did not have time to hit it back into his opponent’s court like a game of badminton.<br /> <br /> The Hand Axe mercilessly detonated above his head.<br /> <br /> ===Part 8===<br /> <br /> More than his ears, it felt like all the organs in his gut were being squeezed. It may have been an issue of pressure instead of the noise or shockwave.<br /> <br /> “Ghhh!!”<br /> <br /> Quenser doubled over but was not blown to bits. There were a few reasons for that. First, he had not modified the plastic explosive for anti-personnel use, such as wrapping a hard zip tie around it or filling it with metal balls. Second, it had blown up in the air a short distance away from him instead of right at his feet.<br /> <br /> And third…<br /> <br /> “Hina!?”<br /> <br /> “Que’ser!!”<br /> <br /> Hina Liqueurball had stepped forward and held the handmade shield overhead. The one blast broke through the cushioning made from copy paper and snapped the plywood in two, but he would have been killed without it there.<br /> <br /> Hina was defenseless without the makeshift shield, so he picked her up with both arms and moved back on unsteady legs.<br /> <br /> The woman with only a loosely wrapped ribbon covering her nudity had yet to do anything.<br /> <br /> “Now, then.”<br /> <br /> She spoke for the first time.<br /> <br /> She was finally taking action.<br /> <br /> Were the red wings meant to make her look like an angel or like a demon?<br /> <br /> She grabbed a red flower petal from the small bottle hanging from her neck and placed it on her tongue like it was the forbidden fruit.<br /> <br /> In what almost seemed like an afterthought, the symmetrical weapons – probably an armored version of a flying car – moved casually out.<br /> <br /> They gave a roar of their electric razor sound.<br /> <br /> Now it was Quenser’s turn to save Hina. He got on the ground with her below him while the wings passed by overhead with a weight closer to a car than a motorcycle.<br /> <br /> “Eek!?”<br /> <br /> “Don’t worry, lady. We’re still alive!”<br /> <br /> A single hit would kill them instantly.<br /> <br /> Hina’s body temperature and sweet scent were the only things proving they were not yet ghosts.<br /> <br /> Flying cars might sound impressive, but some were modeled after airplanes and some after helicopters. These were something like multicopter drones weighing more than a ton. Their streamlined bodies did not have the crane fly shape of the recon drones, but that was only because the rotors were contained inside and the air was released through vents, just like fans that hid their blades.<br /> <br /> “Wait, I thought they were all about cheap and reliable!!”<br /> <br /> Quenser gave a shout and somehow managed to get back on his feet. He grabbed Hina’s warm hand and half-dragged her back some more. Being in that naked woman’s field of vision was too dangerous. The red wings had not returned after passing by, so they must have circled all the way around the cylindrical hyperbaric oxygen chamber so she could retrieve them. They were cars, after all, so they moved much faster than people.<br /> <br /> An unhealthily saccharine voice reached him from around the curved metal wall.<br /> <br /> [[Image:HO v16 BW6.png|thumb]]<br /> <br /> Had his comment drawn her attention, or was she trying to distract them while she planned an attack from behind?<br /> <br /> “These are actually surprisingly cheap.”<br /> <br /> Once they saw each other once more, one side or the other would lose their life.<br /> <br /> And at this rate, it would be Quenser and Hina.<br /> <br /> “We have already built a commercial model. As long as you don’t have any weird dealers acting as middlemen, you can buy these for as much as a used car.”<br /> <br /> The cost of various different military vehicles varied wildly, but the most expensive tanks could cost as much as 10 million euros each. Not even hitting the jackpot at the lottery would be enough for that. Given the price of vehicles that could survive in this field, that probably was incredibly cheap.<br /> <br /> “Who are-…?”<br /> <br /> “Dora Blue-Hawaii. You can address me as queen, mistress, honey, or whatever you like really.”<br /> <br /> He was not about to just believe her. That was indeed a Capitalist Corporations last name, but it seemed a little too convenient to find someone with “Hawaii” in their name while actually in Hawaii. Plus, he doubted someone from a criminal arms dealer would offer their real name so easily.<br /> <br /> “I assume you already know what this place is used for. And why I ignored the others to eliminate you first.”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> Small Hina tugged on Quenser’s uniform. She pointed past the cylinder wall behind them. She probably wanted to say that continuing to move back would take them all the way around and back to the exit where they could escape the room, but Quenser doubted it would be that easy. When he patted the top of her head to calm her elevated heartrate, she had a somewhat ticklish reaction. They would only have an instant to act. For example, if Dora sent the two wings around the cylinder in different directions, Quenser and Hina would be caught between them at some point.<br /> <br /> (If they really are as bulletproof as an armored truck, a normal gun won’t work. Throwing a randomly balled-up bomb won’t work either. I need something made to pierce armor. I don’t know how we win without a shoulder-fired missile like Heivia carries around.)<br /> <br /> It was a lot like a driverless car with impenetrable tires charging straight toward a checkpoint. If you could not shoot out the tires or the driver, stopping it with bullets would be no easy task. And what if the entire thing was covered with thick bulletproof armor?<br /> <br /> These things could crush the enemy with their speed and weight and they could also act as a shield to protect their user from gunfire. This special equipment was the best of both worlds.<br /> <br /> “Your product wasn’t a new propulsion device. It was a much more important core component.”<br /> <br /> “That is correct.”<br /> <br /> “What we saw out there was no more than an optional feature added for balancing purposes. It was not the main point.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly. Which is why I must kill you for revealing our precious Parasite Plan. Although after coming this far, I would still silence you even if you were completely off base.”<br /> <br /> Either Dora felt no need to carry a gun herself or she was not accustomed to using her own “products”. He had no definite proof, but Quenser decided not to be optimistic. No matter how absurd it might look, this woman had found a way to survive on the front line. And she did so without joining a world power or using the clean war system. That was a shocking thing for someone who was protected by the system.<br /> <br /> “That explains why the Capitalist Corporations couldn’t ignore you. And why they immediately sent out the Over Cavitation to protect a foreign criminal group.”<br /> <br /> “Oh, is that what you call her? The Second Generation Antoinette is already ours. The parasite process is complete. It now works for us more than the Capitalist Corporations. Nh, hh.”<br /> <br /> She punctuated her sentence with an odd breath because she had removed a flower petal from the small bottle and placed it in her mouth.<br /> <br /> That said, if she was following them around, there was a way to fight back. He could not change the plan on the fly with the remote option removed, but if he set the timer to 30 seconds or a minute and placed the explosive on the metal wall or a corner bordering the floor, he could lure Dora into the blast range.<br /> <br /> (And those wings are flying cars. She can have them charge toward a destination point, but they shouldn’t be able to remove any garbage located around the corner. That’s the hardest part of designing a cleaning robot!)<br /> <br /> They no longer had the handmade shield.<br /> <br /> Simply circling around the curved metal wall was not enough. At the moment of detonation, Quenser tightly held Hina’s warm body and curled up.<br /> <br /> A deafening boom filled the space and a faint sweet aroma scattered around.<br /> <br /> This one had not been knocked back. It would have exploded at her feet.<br /> <br /> However…<br /> <br /> “So did you really think you could kill me with that?”<br /> <br /> (It definitely went off! Wait, did she do what I think she did!?)<br /> <br /> “My shields are much more precise. Do you want to try a chemical round next? Maybe some napalm or white phosphorous? These multirotor ‘flying cars’ are giant fans powerful enough to keep a 1-ton mass afloat at all times. Did you honestly think flesh-and-blood soldiers stood any chance against their control of the air currents and air pressure?”<br /> <br /> That powerful wind pushed up a literal ton of metal.<br /> <br /> They could divert the current of poison gas or a flamethrower. It was possible even a long-range sniper rifle would be useless against her.<br /> <br /> Either the thick shields would deflect it or the air power would divert it. Either way, her defenses were impregnable.<br /> <br /> (What do I do?)<br /> <br /> There was no time.<br /> <br /> She was not going to wait around for him to think.<br /> <br /> (Normal explosions don’t work. I can’t even touch her without doing something about those wings first! But how is she controlling them with this jamming in effect!?)<br /> <br /> Due to the explosion, they had circled a good bit around the cylindrical hyperbaric oxygen chamber. When viewed as the face of a clock, Quenser and Hina were at 4 o’clock, Dora was at 9 o’clock, and the exit was at 12 o’clock. Hina tugged on his uniform again, but this was not really their chance to escape. Dora was trying to end this inside the large room. That meant 12 o’clock was their time limit. It was a giant hornet’s nest. If they thoughtlessly arrived there, she would immediately send both red wings their way. She would have them circle around on either side at more than 100km/h. They would be trapped between the two weapons with no escape.<br /> <br /> (All signals are being jammed. IR would be easily blocked by fire. Ultrasound would be affected by the strong winds. Are they just fully autonomous using an offline program? No, that would put her life at risk. If they malfunctioned like a shoplifting sensor, she’d be screwed, so she wouldn’t rely on that. There must be some kind of wireless interface that lets her make direct adjustments!!)<br /> <br /> He would only be able to make one or two more moves.<br /> <br /> There was little time left until the flying armored cars made their final charge, but he could not afford to make any mistakes.<br /> <br /> “The Parasite Plan? You mean your product was the Pilot Elite, don’t you!?”<br /> <br /> “The Antoinette was an excellent Second Generation, but it seems her Elite came down with an endemic disease. It would have taken a while for them to finally die, but it was not difficult for us to ‘fine-tune’ a new one.”<br /> <br /> That had to be a lie.<br /> <br /> It could not have been that easy, but Dora made it sound like nothing.<br /> <br /> “That said, Objects are generally only compatible with the one pilot. It is not easy for two Elites to pilot the same Object at the same level. So the Parasite Plan needed to alter the structure of the Object for the new Elite while keeping the basic frame the same. So we had to create the world’s best Object for her specifically.”<br /> <br /> Even the best Object was worthless without someone to pilot it. A weapon that only absorbed maintenance expenses would only create greater and greater losses as it sat in storage. It would have to be scrapped.<br /> <br /> But the arms dealer had said they could breathe new life into it.<br /> <br /> For the Capitalist Corporations, it must have felt like selling their soul to the devil.<br /> <br /> “This hyperbaric oxygen chamber might look like an execution device, but it was actually used to make adjustments to the Pilot Elite, wasn’t it?”<br /> <br /> “It apparently feels like a comfortable hammock to her. But, well, it has made her very concerned about weather data. She apparently gets headaches when the pressure changes.”<br /> <br /> Quenser doubted the outside pressure could actually affect someone inside an Object cockpit, so it was probably a psychological thing. What had happened to the original Elite who fell ill? Had they had headaches, or had they requested the meteorological data for some other reason? There was no way to know now.<br /> <br /> Quenser came to a stop.<br /> <br /> Hina kept tugging on the side of his hip and turning toward the exit with a sweet scent coming from her black hair, but they could not fall back any further than this.<br /> <br /> They had arrived at the oxygen chamber’s submarine-like door and console.<br /> <br /> (Think.)<br /> <br /> Quenser fought with his pounding heart.<br /> <br /> (She has those armored flying cars, she’s naked and doesn’t have a gun, and those things always stay by her side to protect her. The jamming isn’t causing her any trouble and they can manipulate the air. There has to be something there. There has to be a logical solution!!)<br /> <br /> “Que’ser…”<br /> <br /> While clinging to his hip, Hina looked up at him and spoke as if her heart could not bear the pressure.<br /> <br /> And he looked down at her.<br /> <br /> He saw the tears welling up in her eyes, her healthy chocolate-colored skin, her glossy black hair, and the hibiscus decoration on her head.<br /> <br /> (Could it be?)<br /> <br /> It was like a piece of trick art.<br /> <br /> He had not noticed it at all before, but once it occurred to him and he observed his surroundings again, something was definitely off. It made no sense for that to be here. And if that meant Dora must have snuck it in for her own purposes.<br /> <br /> He had to bet on this.<br /> <br /> He gripped some of the clay-like Hand Axe plastic explosive.<br /> <br /> “Dora!!”<br /> <br /> “Come to think of it, I never got your name.”<br /> <br /> A single hit would mean instant death.<br /> <br /> Neither one knew the other’s real name, but they both prepared their deadly weapons as the final clash began.<br /> <br /> ===Part 9===<br /> <br /> There was no reason for concern.<br /> <br /> Dora Blue-Hawaii only had to do the same thing again.<br /> <br /> She audibly swallowed the red flower petal in her mouth.<br /> <br /> She sent it to her stomach.<br /> <br /> She had one of the red wings remain by her side to protect her while she sent the other toward the target. A 1-ton mass of armor would collide with them at 80km/h. That would be even more deadly than an anti-materiel rifle. Her opponent would be torn to pieces even if they wore a full-body powered suit.<br /> <br /> This would end it.<br /> <br /> Or so she thought.<br /> <br /> “Que’ser!”<br /> <br /> “?”<br /> <br /> But the naked woman frowned in confusion when she walked casually around the curved metal wall. The boy in what appeared to be a Legitimacy Kingdom uniform had indeed been knocked to the ground, but something was wrong. He was too clean for someone hit by a head-on collision with a 1-ton mass moving at highway speeds. The figure the local girl was tearfully clinging to did not look at all broken.<br /> <br /> Dora toyed with the ribbon wrapped loosely around her.<br /> <br /> (Did it miss? Did it only catch at the end of his clothing?)<br /> <br /> However.<br /> <br /> The machine would not malfunction without a reason. There had to be an explanation for why it had missed. Dora removed a red petal from the small bottle, placed it on her tongue, and tried to call back the wing she had sent out, but then she gasped.<br /> <br /> She took a step to the side in her boots.<br /> <br /> The red wing maintained its speed and violently crashed into the floor. The solid floor dented in. If she had stayed where she was, it might have turned her to mincemeat.<br /> <br /> This was a first.<br /> <br /> It had looked casual, but Dora had still taken evasive action.<br /> <br /> “What happened?”<br /> <br /> She saw the other one – the one she had kept with her for defense – wobbling unnaturally. It was not completely out of control, but it could stall and fall to the floor at any moment. And it was a literal ton of metal, so it could easily be a disaster if it so much as fell on her little toe.<br /> <br /> What had that uniformed boy done at the last second? It had not looked like he threw a plastic explosive as the one trick he knew.<br /> <br /> Just then, Dora Blue-Hawaii finally noticed something on the curved metal wall. The airtight door to the hyperbaric oxygen chamber sat partially open and the console’s light was flashing.<br /> <br /> Plastic explosives were a special kind of explosive made by combining normal explosives with malleable rubber. They were stable enough that they would not explode without a special fuse, but they also inherited the traits of the rubber. If you dumped them in hot water, they would melt. If you removed the plastic packaging and left them in the open air for a long period of time, they could grow cracked and dissolve.<br /> <br /> Left in the open air.<br /> <br /> Oxygen.<br /> <br /> So if you threw one into that hyperbaric oxygen chamber that used the air pump facility’s power to produce enough pressure to kill the person inside…<br /> <br /> “It wasn’t EM, IR, or ultrasound.”<br /> <br /> “Kh.”<br /> <br /> The boy spoke from the floor.<br /> <br /> He was weak, but he smiled and raised his middle finger.<br /> <br /> “It was the smell. They use an ion absorption sensor. You’re naked because you control them using the adrenaline or whatever that’s mixed into your sweet sweat. That’s also why you keep taking petals out of that bottle and eating them. You didn’t want to use a gun because you had to keep the gun smoke smell out of your hair. Those giant fans don’t just blow out air; they’re made so one of them absorbs the air and the other blows it back out. Although that means you can’t send them very far even though they’re unmanned.”<br /> <br /> “Dammit!!”<br /> <br /> “When I hold Hina, I can sense a sweet scent from her hair. …You never know what will give you the inspiration you need to turn everything around. Hina can smell like that since she’s a civilian, but I shouldn’t have sensed the same thing from someone on the battlefield like you.”<br /> <br /> Of course, not just any scent would have done the trick. Dora had said she could handle poison gas and white phosphorus.<br /> <br /> But everything changed if he could guess what she used to make the judgment. He hated to admit it, but Dora had a nice body. It was hard to imagine a bitter or sour smell coming from her skin or hair.<br /> <br /> It was sweet.<br /> <br /> The unique stench of melting rubber could sometimes seem sweet.<br /> <br /> That had confused the controls.<br /> <br /> Dora gave a shout and sent in one of the red wings. The boy in the military uniform pulled the brown girl close and rolled to the side. Normally, that would never be enough to dodge it, but things were different now. It failed to keep up with his amateurish movement, just barely missed him, and crashed into the half-open door to the hyperbaric oxygen chamber, slamming it shut.<br /> <br /> A failed attack was acceptable.<br /> <br /> But she also had to question the precision of their defenses. A single mistake there could literally cost her everything. That was the much bigger problem.<br /> <br /> Dora Blue-Hawaii made a swift decision.<br /> <br /> She still had an overwhelming advantage. It would be a problem if the intruders destroyed the hyperbaric oxygen chamber, but there was no need to finish this here. She could fall back and try again later. She could escape elsewhere and then make an attack with the pair of red wings to turn those small fries to mincemeat in a single second.<br /> <br /> But.<br /> <br /> But.<br /> <br /> But.<br /> <br /> A floral scent snuck into Dora’s nose.<br /> <br /> “Ugh!?”<br /> <br /> The wings casually fell to the floor. The naked woman came to a complete stop. The flying cars had not completely ceased functioning, but they weighed a literal ton each. If she tried to send them out while imbalanced like this, they might run wild like a pinwheel firework and crush her instead.<br /> <br /> That boy had said you never know what would give you the inspiration you needed to turn everything around.<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> It was that chocolate-colored girl who Dora had thought was powerless.<br /> <br /> She had a hibiscus decoration in her hair. Was it not just an imitation? The boy had grabbed that flower and crushed it in his hand. All so he could scatter the sweet scent created by mixing a girl’s sweat with a flower’s nectar.<br /> <br /> That was the same as the scent created by the contents of Dora’s bottle after it passed through her female body.<br /> <br /> She could not have wielded these weapons like this on a normal battlefield. Soldiers generally wanted to remain odorless to not give away their position to the enemy, so they would avoid not just perfume but soaps and clothing starch too.<br /> <br /> But things were different here.<br /> <br /> All four world powers had a presence in the Hawaii District and it was not a battlefield country. It was a blank zone that belonged to no one. The civilians living in the cities would be covered in all sorts of scents.<br /> <br /> Dora heard someone tearing a plastic explosive away from collapsed Quenser’s hand. It was Hina Liqueurball.<br /> <br /> The deadly weapon looked entirely out of place in the 12-year-old girl’s hands.<br /> <br /> She nervously turned toward the naked woman.<br /> <br /> “Oh, what do you know,” said Dora. “I recognize you.”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “I visited the Rocky Coast Ocean Meteorological Research Lab a few times, so you recognize me, don’t you?”<br /> <br /> But she was not asking the girl to spare her.<br /> <br /> In fact…<br /> <br /> “But I’m surprised. I thought you were more obedient…no, more powerless than this. I mean, the Oxyocean Operation run by that lab is increasing the population of dangerous great whites. Surely you aren’t going to say you have forgotten how your parents died.”<br /> <br /> It was Quenser and not Hina who gasped at that.<br /> <br /> And Dora’s words continued as if mercilessly digging into an old scar.<br /> <br /> “You gave up and decided it was useless to resist when they threatened you with guns and brought up your debt, didn’t you? You knew you could not fight the grownups. And you used the very intellect your parents rubbed your head and praised you for to assist a program creating more of the very sharks that ate them! Ah ha ha!! So is this a belated attempt at a moving revenge scene? Don’t make me laugh! We both know you’re just a weak little puppy that wags her tail for whichever side the seesaw is currently tilting toward!! Do you really think you can take back your life now!?”<br /> <br /> Thinking back, it would be hard to say Quenser had not noticed anything out of the ordinary.<br /> <br /> When the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers had blown up the lab’s prison-like walls and stormed the facility, why had Hina stuck so close to Quenser? Why had she followed him here instead of returning to her safe home?<br /> <br /> She had wanted the power to fight.<br /> <br /> Even if she did return home, she would not have found any warmth there.<br /> <br /> She had wanted someone to rely on.<br /> <br /> He was just some older boy she had happened to meet that day. He was little more than a stranger, but she had longed for someone who would take her side. She had wanted to hear someone speaking out against the increase in man-eating great whites.<br /> <br /> So she had felt like maybe it was possible to go back to the way things were.<br /> <br /> “Do it.”<br /> <br /> With only the loose ribbon to cover her nudity, Dora gave an odd smile and spoke to the girl.<br /> <br /> She was one of the arms dealers that had tried to absorb even the greedy Capitalist Corporations military.<br /> <br /> “We both know you can’t do it. You would come to regret it. Do you think the Legitimacy Kingdom will accept you as one of theirs if you help them!? They’ll be gone before you know it, you’ll be left all alone again, and the seesaw will tilt back toward the Capitalist Corporations! But you’ll have been branded a traitor, so who will save you then!? First your parents, then the soldiers!! Everyone will abandon you, just like they did m-…”<br /> <br /> She was cut off by a quiet sound.<br /> <br /> Something had bounced off the center of her bare chest.<br /> <br /> It was a pen-like electric fuse Quenser had tossed over from the floor.<br /> <br /> The timer was set to three seconds.<br /> <br /> The fuse alone produced a bang louder than a firecracker. The small bottle at her neck shattered, the ribbon wrapped loosely around her shredded, and her soft flesh burst with a dark red color. With a hole the size of a ping pong ball torn in the center of Dora Blue-Hawaii’s chest, blood gushed out and she collapsed backwards.<br /> <br /> “Shut the hell up,” spat out the boy in an unusually violent tone of voice.<br /> <br /> Quenser took his time standing up and pulled out his mobile device. He was of course targeting the red wings Dora had used. He attached a cable to those armored flying cars, extracted their data, and cut off the jamming.<br /> <br /> He could finally use his radio again.<br /> <br /> “Heivia, I have the Over Cavitation’s plans. And this is the complete version that includes the modernized parts the arms dealer added in their Parasite Plan. Use this to support the Princess.”<br /> <br /> “You weren’t responding, so I was afraid you’d died. Where are you? We were just starting to withdraw!”<br /> <br /> “Withdraw? Was Dora not the only arms dealer using some bizarre weapon?”<br /> <br /> “Don’t be dumb!! Do you have any idea how bad things have gotten while you were being jammed? It’s the Object! The Over Cavitation is headed this way!! Just like when the coastguard attacked and got turned to Swiss cheese!!”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> Just like then.<br /> <br /> But Quenser had to wonder if it really would be just like then. What if the Over Cavitation’s new Pilot Elite could detect Dora’s defeat through brainwaves, an EKG, or something? It was possible the Elite would ignore all previous assumptions and blow away the entire island to get back at Quenser.<br /> <br /> What had the Elite really wanted to protect?<br /> <br /> If the answer was not the equipment used to maintain her, then she would be wailing in the cockpit right now.<br /> <br /> “Hina, I have the data we need, so let’s get out of here. Hina?”<br /> <br /> She did not respond, so he looked back to find the chocolate-colored girl named Hina Liqueurball slowly approaching the arms dealer woman.<br /> <br /> Dora Blue-Hawaii.<br /> <br /> The naked woman.<br /> <br /> But she did wear solid military boots on her feet. That had been curious, so Hina crouched down and removed the right boot to reveal the foot below.<br /> <br /> There was an old scar around the woman’s ankle.<br /> <br /> It was the unique scar of someone who had spent a long time dragging around a ball-and-chain just like Hina’s.<br /> <br /> “Sur…prised?”<br /> <br /> Just like they did me.<br /> <br /> This woman had used whatever tricks and underhanded methods she could to break free of that closed-off life.<br /> <br /> That arms dealer had traded something for great wealth and celebrity status.<br /> <br /> And with her dying breath, she left behind just the one word with the smile of a mischievous child.<br /> <br /> ===Part 10===<br /> <br /> They finally managed to regroup.<br /> <br /> With young Hina in tow, Quenser exchanged a look with Heivia and Myonri. While Quenser had been fighting Dora, the others had searched the facility on their own and they had secured the few ordinary workers stationed there. That explained the few unfamiliar faces in Hawaiian shirts.<br /> <br /> “Holing up inside isn’t going to help. In fact, there’s nothing but pipes and tanks full of concentrated oxygen around here. If an Object fires one of its huge-ass cannons, who knows how much of the place is going to blow up!”<br /> <br /> They heard a loud sound from outside that was more like spraying steam than a metal shell.<br /> <br /> They hesitantly approached a window to check.<br /> <br /> “The bridge is falling.”<br /> <br /> “I guess it isn’t going to let us escape.”<br /> <br /> They were already within the Over Cavitation’s firing range. If they stood in front of it, they would be crushed immediately. They were afraid to use their radios, but they had to check on the situation.<br /> <br /> It was unclear how much good it actually did, but they used some of the facility’s radio equipment to help disguise their signal.<br /> <br /> “Princess, are you still alive!?”<br /> <br /> “Just barely. And I wouldn’t be if the Over Cavitation hadn’t made an unnatural course change.”<br /> <br /> “If you can still move your Object, then let’s end this. We have the accurate plans, including the Parasite Plan part. The new leg-like propulsion device disguised as a bipod at the base of the main canon is really just a form of aircushion. It uses a layer of air to kick off the ocean surface like it’s stepping on an invisible balloon. It only works on the water. Princess, if you follow my instructions, you can strike back at it. Do you think you can do that!?”<br /> <br /> “Just get to the point.”<br /> <br /> She really was a great girl who you could rely on. Just having her nearby gave you plenty of opportunities. Quenser shared the plans he had taken from Dora’s device, explained his idea, and urged them all to action.<br /> <br /> Of course, success was not guaranteed.<br /> <br /> They had run across plenty of accidents and unforeseen circumstances while reaching this point and more than a few of their comrades had fallen along the way.<br /> <br /> Quenser had no way of taking responsibility if this failed spectacularly.<br /> <br /> But everyone still set to work.<br /> <br /> They were sick of waiting around to be killed. If there was any chance at all, they were on board. That was the thought process pushing them onward.<br /> <br /> “Hina, if you’re going to run and hide, use that storage room over there. It looks like they added on an empty space not in the original plans. There is a panic room in case of an explosion, but if their Elite knows the layout, that will be the first place she targets. Thick walls can’t save you, but a location the enemy doesn’t expect can. Hina?”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> The girl felt like she was being left behind.<br /> <br /> She simply stood there with her head lowered, so Quenser crouched down to look her in the eye from below.<br /> <br /> “How?”<br /> <br /> “Hina.”<br /> <br /> “How can you stay so positive?”<br /> <br /> Finally, she got the words out.<br /> <br /> “I couldn’t do anything. I knew dad couldn’t swim and mom never would have forced him to go into the ocean. It made no sense that they were attacked by sharks while surfing, but I had to believe what the grownups said!”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> “I was afraid of the Object! I was afraid of all the grownups in army uniforms!! We found the arms dealer, but all I did was tremble in fear!! You were the one that ended it, Que’ser. Even though I had the bomb in my hand and the enemy was right there!!”<br /> <br /> …Who could blame her?<br /> <br /> She had a gun pressed against her head, her debt was used against her, the police, the military, and the law were all stacked against her, the entire adult world around her had viewed her with scorn, and the parents who should have protected her were no longer there. Who in the world could blame her and call her a coward for holding her tongue to protect her own life?<br /> <br /> But.<br /> <br /> Just because no one blamed her did not meant it had not built up inside her little by little. Until it was too much to bear.<br /> <br /> “I always knew it wasn’t an accident. Mom and dad welcomed in all the foreign people who moved here. And they said it was wrong to treat some of them better than others, so they got into arguments with people from the Capitalist Corporations who claim to be in charge here! They knew what the Oxyocean Operation would do, so on that night, they said they were going to discuss it with the people running the program! They said those people would understand if they talked it out!! But they…!!!!!!!”<br /> <br /> “Hey.”<br /> <br /> Quenser spoke lightly to interrupt her increasingly erratic words.<br /> <br /> “I think you’re confused about something, lady. We aren’t saints. Just because the people who fought di the right thing doesn’t mean the people who didn’t fight did the wrong thing. We only say that to keep the wars running smoothly. If we don’t make the soldiers look like badass heroes, no one’s going to enlist. So throw out that idea of justice and focus on the dumber things you can actually believe in.”<br /> <br /> “But they…my mom and dad and I couldn’t do anything!!”<br /> <br /> “Hina, your parents stayed true to themselves to the very end.”<br /> <br /> Little Hina’s eyes opened wide.<br /> <br /> She looked like she had stopped breathing and Quenser had more to say to her.<br /> <br /> “Increasing the shark population for profit will get the ignorant tourists eaten first. And your parents would have known how dangerous it was to aggravate the professional killers of the military in private talks. …But they still did it. They still didn’t rely on guns. Nor did they rely on terrorism or guerilla warfare. They decided they would fight with their words and they stepped up onto the final stage with that as their weapon.”<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> [[Image:HO v16 BW7.png|thumb]]<br /> <br /> “That’s a noble thing. The lies we tell to facilitate war have nothing on that. Lady, your parents risked their lives to stay true to that path, so are you going to defile it now? It isn’t violence that decides who’s strong and who’s weak or who’s right and who’s wrong.”<br /> <br /> He could not say anything more.<br /> <br /> Hina’s face crumpled as she hugged crouching Quenser and exploded into tears.<br /> <br /> She had not avenged her parents.<br /> <br /> It may have been the most difficult decision she had ever made.<br /> <br /> But it was a much stronger and more human decision than someone who icily held a gun or knife over the corpse of their hated foe. Hina Liqueurball was smart enough to have pulled it off if she had put her mind to it, but she could remain a kind girl for now.<br /> <br /> Heivia and Myonri waved over at Quenser from a short distance away.<br /> <br /> They were done with their preparations.<br /> <br /> With Hina still hugging him, Quenser nodded and used his empty hand to grab something that had fallen to the floor.<br /> <br /> It was a tool that looked like a pair of wire cutters enlarged to the size of a two-handed pair of scissors.<br /> <br /> It was a pair of chain cutters.<br /> <br /> “Don’t worry, lady.”<br /> <br /> He kept it short.<br /> <br /> And he made his point clear.<br /> <br /> “We’ll take care of all the dirty work. You don’t need to dirty your hands over this.”<br /> <br /> There was a snapping sound.<br /> <br /> It was a clear sign of a counterattack. It was the sound of him cutting the chain holding that binding metal ball to the girl’s ankle.<br /> <br /> ===Part 11===<br /> <br /> The Over Cavitation was fast.<br /> <br /> Its target was defenseless and stationary, it knew the facility’s internal structure, and it had no need to hold back any longer. It fired spears of white steam and air bubbles while circling that 1km square of land given a warship-like silhouette by the many buildings of various sizes.<br /> <br /> The thick concrete walls and the pipes large enough for someone to stand in were shattered and blown away like styrofoam.<br /> <br /> Heivia’s eyes widened and he got down on the ground as rubble fell from overhead.<br /> <br /> “Watch out!!”<br /> <br /> “We expected this, remember? Okay, it’s keeping a distance of 3km. This is our chance. That’s a lot closer than I expected!”<br /> <br /> “This is our chance? ''This''!?”<br /> <br /> “After hiding and crying all alone for so long, Hina made a choice none of us could. She chose not to fight despite the situation. I can’t let that go unrewarded!”<br /> <br /> “Tch. Fine, then!! I guess we can be the cavalry for just the one day!!”<br /> <br /> Since Objects fought from ranges of 10km, the enemy had essentially rushed right up to them. Even though its special main cannon used steam, this was unthinkable when up against a stationary target. The Pilot Elite must have been furious.<br /> <br /> But both sides had a reason to kill the other.<br /> <br /> That criminal group had further corrupted the already awful Capitalist Corporations military. Quenser had made a promise to Hina who had resisted the temptation even though her parents had been killed. He would show his respect for that strength. Quenser and the others were not going to let those pieces of shit have free rein in the Hawaii District any longer.<br /> <br /> As expected, the Object skewered the crucial parts of the facility, such as the compression tanks, the power room, and the panic room.<br /> <br /> But that knowledge of the internal structure could be a problem. Either the Elite was unaware of the room added after construction was complete, or she simply did not even consider the sturdy storeroom where Hina and the others were hiding.<br /> <br /> That relieved Quenser’s concerns.<br /> <br /> Now the wolves could focus on hunting their large prey.<br /> <br /> “Let’s get started, Heivia. We only have one shot at this.”<br /> <br /> “You really are a freak for licking your lips at a time like this.”<br /> <br /> The air pump facility, which removed the oxygen from the seawater via electrolysis and then sent that oxygen back into the ocean, was badly damaged, but it had already completed the action they required.<br /> <br /> The Object was 3km away.<br /> <br /> Quenser’s group on the island could not approach. They would be slaughtered before they could get the rubber boat out there.<br /> <br /> Quenser slapped Heivia on the back.<br /> <br /> His awful friend was resting a missile launcher on his shoulder.<br /> <br /> “Fire that thing.”<br /> <br /> With a fwoosh reminiscent of a firework being launched, the explosive flew off in a straight line. They did not have time to watch its progress to see if it did its job. It was powerful and convenient for a handheld weapon, but the smoke tended to give away the launch point and staying put was a good way of being hit by a counterattack.<br /> <br /> A Second Generation loaded with laser beams would have any number of chances to shoot down the missile. But the laser beams and low-stability plasma cannons gathered on the three towers built on top of the Object wavered back and forth in a weirdly human sort of hesitation. The missile was not headed toward the Over Cavitation. It would fall into the ocean before reaching the Object.<br /> <br /> But that accomplished what Quenser’s group wanted. As long as it hit the ocean surface, they did not care if it was shot down along the way.<br /> <br /> They just needed a ball of flames to land in the ocean.<br /> <br /> “This facility takes in tons of ocean water, uses microbubbles and a high pressure environment to dissolve oxygen into it at a rate of 90,000 liters per minute, and sends it back to the hypoxic Sea of Death found in the deep ocean pits.”<br /> <br /> Quenser could not stop smiling as he rolled out and dove toward more cover. He could not help but smile when he did this, so he could never walk the same path as Hina.<br /> <br /> However, there were things he could protect because of that nature.<br /> <br /> “But using electrolysis on the ocean water gives you more than just oxygen. You also get hydrogen. What happens if you dissolve a bunch of that into the ocean instead? And what happens if you ignite it?”<br /> <br /> The Over Cavitation was knocked upwards from below as if all the seawater below had become a single giant bomb.<br /> <br /> It was a hydrogen explosion.<br /> <br /> The basic concept was the same one seen in simple experiments done by elementary school children everywhere. But the scale here was very different. The shock was enough for that 200,000-ton mass to literally float up into the air.<br /> <br /> “Modernization? A new propulsion device? Bipod-like legs? I don’t give a shit about your Parasite Plan! Did you really think I’d give you a chance to use your secret weapon!?”<br /> <br /> Quenser yelled out at the Object, but it was not over yet.<br /> <br /> That impact would have split the average warship in half, but the Over Cavitation had not sunk yet. It endured. Its presence seemed to loudly announce that only an Object could defeat an Object and that message was meant to squeeze at the puny soldier’s hearts.<br /> <br /> Even its small cannon could blow them to smithereens. The two idiots had dived behind cover out of habit, but if the Object was serious about attacking them, it could break through that cover like it was wet tissue paper.<br /> <br /> But the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes were still smiling. They had all gone pale and were soaked with a nervous sweat, but they saw no sign of an unforeseen accident.<br /> <br /> Yes.<br /> <br /> All of this was still part of the plan.<br /> <br /> Quenser, the originator of the plan, shouted into his radio.<br /> <br /> “It’s about to react! Everyone get ready!!”<br /> <br /> ===Part 12===<br /> <br /> Hina Liqueurball could not just sit there.<br /> <br /> She and the air pump facility workers had hidden in the sturdy storeroom added after the initial construction, but she could not stand it any longer.<br /> <br /> Quenser and the others who had cut the chain from her ankle were fighting on her behalf.<br /> <br /> If they lost, they were sure to die. If they won, they could not escape the label of murderers. But they had not hesitated in the face of that harsh choice.<br /> <br /> “Nn!”<br /> <br /> She opened the heavy door and left on her own.<br /> <br /> She gave no concern for her short skirt and ran out with the legs now freed from the GPS ball-and-chain. She swayed unsteadily and tilted a bit diagonally as she ran down the corridor. She had meant to head to the exit, but the third floor wall had crumbled away, revealing the scene outside.<br /> <br /> “Ah…”<br /> <br /> There, the chocolate-colored girl became a witness of history.<br /> <br /> “Ahh!?”<br /> <br /> The ocean had changed color.<br /> <br /> It was no longer the beautiful clear blue with a hint of green used on postcards and tourist sites. It had a sinister fury. Something like a dark clump of rock jutted out from it. It must have been quite hot because steam was rising into the sky with more intensity than smoke from a chimney.<br /> <br /> It was a submarine volcano.<br /> <br /> Quenser and the others had filled the air pumps with hydrogen and sent it into this area of ocean. But how far had it gone? Not just in length or width, but in depth. If the “single bomb” that had created reached the ocean floor, it would have violently shaken the earth’s crust itself.<br /> <br /> The pumps had been designed to send oxygen-filled water to the deep pits where the hypoxic Sea of Death was most common.<br /> <br /> To start with, heavy pressure had been to infuse the seawater with lots of hydrogen and that was sent to the depths of the ocean.<br /> <br /> Even if the pressure of those depths was insufficient and some of the hydrogen separated from the water, hydrogen was the lightest element. It would only rise, so large bubbles of hydrogen would have been rising from the bottom of the ocean like an upside-down waterfall.<br /> <br /> In other words, it had all been connected.<br /> <br /> If one point was detonated, the explosion would instantly spread to the entire area.<br /> <br /> That created an artificial earthquake.<br /> <br /> And that led to a forced eruption.<br /> <br /> The Hawaii District was known as a disaster-prone area due to its many active volcanos and more than 30 hurricanes each year.<br /> <br /> As all that lava flowed out, it had rapidly cooled in the seawater and hardened into rock. As that rock continued to grow, the ocean bottom broke the surface and formed an island.<br /> <br /> The Over Cavitation, or Antoinette, was a Second Generation built for naval battles, so it was like a fish out of water. It could not move on land even with the new bipod-like legs.<br /> <br /> A heavy rumbling arrived.<br /> <br /> The battered Legitimacy Kingdom Object used a barely-functioning main cannon to slowly take aim from the distance.<br /> <br /> As badly damaged as that Object was, it would never miss a stationary target that had been flipped onto its side to reveal its belly.<br /> <br /> This was checkmate.<br /> <br /> “…”<br /> <br /> Hina had skipped all the way to college, so she understood the science behind the trick.<br /> <br /> But she still softly gripped the ID card at her flat chest. No, she was reaching for the cartoonish character sticker she had placed on the card.<br /> <br /> The character was from a legend known all across Polynesia, which included the Hawaii District. The generous man had never grown out of his mischievous nature no matter how much power he gained and he had taught humans how to use fire.<br /> <br /> Maui Tikitiki.<br /> <br /> That god of hers was said to have fished their islands from the bottom of the ocean in order to save someone’s life.<br /> <br /> With a deafening blast, the Baby Magnum’s low-stability plasma cannon pierced the wicked monster.<br /> <br /> ===Part 13===<br /> <br /> “Princess.”<br /> <br /> “What is this weird frequency? This isn’t our encryption format.”<br /> <br /> “You’re already pretty badly damaged, so can you do one last thing for me? Purge one of your destroyed main cannons. If possible, break the laser beam’s solvent tank so its contents leak into the ocean. The brighter the color the better.”<br /> <br /> “Hm? What good does that do??? It will break down on its own.”<br /> <br /> “It doesn’t have to actually do anything. As long as it ruins their brand’s image.”<br /> <br /> “Wait…”<br /> <br /> “Defeating the Over Cavitation doesn’t actually stop the entire Oxyocean Operation. Even if we destroyed all of the air pump facilities, they could always rebuild them. So I want some other way of stopping the Capitalist Corporations’ plan.”<br /> <br /> “They’re increasing the shark population because the fins are a luxury ingredient, aren’t they?”<br /> <br /> “If their ruined image causes the price to plummet, that business plan fails, right? Whether used as a luxury ingredient or a collagen gel for makeup foundation, the shark fins are targeted toward the wealthy. Money is everything to them. The facilities will be a liability for as long as the plan is placed on hold, so they’ll make some adjustments before they start losing too much money. The Capitalist Corporations will be forced to stop.”<br /> <br /> “It won’t make Hina sad?”<br /> <br /> “She won’t let a trick using fake pollution get to her. She’s smart enough to see what’s really going on. More importantly, let’s drive out those filthy SOBs who aren’t as smart as her.”<br /> <br /> ===Part 14===<br /> <br /> It was all over and they had returned to that destroyer battleship.<br /> <br /> “The next time that busty commander gives us bad intel, I say we make her bow down in apology. How many people does she think died this time?”<br /> <br /> “Have you ever heard of the Island Nation’s fantastic culture of bondage? We can also have her sit in their ‘seiza’ style and place a heavy stone slab on her knees.”<br /> <br /> “Are there any energy drinks around here?”<br /> <br /> “Not going to let her sleep tonight, huh? I’m in.”<br /> <br /> The commander only consolidated the information gathered by her subordinates, so this could not be entirely blamed on Frolaytia. But the exhausted idiots could be unforgiving.<br /> <br /> And the busty silver-haired commander did care for her subordinates, so she could not bring herself to get after them too strongly.<br /> <br /> “…Don’t you forget how you’re treating me, you two.”<br /> <br /> “Oh, there are two things I never, ever forget: convenient loopholes and other people’s weaknesses☆”<br /> <br /> “You’re wearing a bunny suit at the next pre-mission briefing. You got that?”<br /> <br /> At any rate, Frolaytia placed her long, narrow kiseru in her mouth to distract herself from her irritation.<br /> <br /> “We received a few new pieces of data from the support device belonging to the arms dealer Quenser killed and from the destroyed Over Cavitation. The electronic simulation division has finished decrypting it, so we have learned a lot about their organizational structure and their Parasite Plan.”<br /> <br /> “We still don’t get any time off? But I really want to go searching for that legendary maid.”<br /> <br /> “Frolaytia, please kill him by restricting his sleep and overworking him.”<br /> <br /> Everyone ignored Quenser’s rapid comment.<br /> <br /> “I’ll omit the specifics and get right to the point: the arms dealer is known as Woodstock. They appear to have begun when an Eastern European gang joined with an engineering group who found no place for them in the Indian peninsula.”<br /> <br /> “An engineering group?”<br /> <br /> “You saw the flying cars that woman going by the name of Dora Blue-Hawaii used, didn’t you? Due to the population explosion in that region, the entrance exams and fight for employment have overheated. The people in this group were only lacking in connections, so their skill is real. They were exactly what a criminal organization would have been looking for. That is the group supporting the products used for the Parasite Plan.”<br /> <br /> Frolaytia sounded exasperated. The look on her face said she wished they had come to the Legitimacy Kingdom for employment.<br /> <br /> “Woodstock has a presence in more than just the Hawaii District. All over the world, they have been locating defective Objects from all four world powers and effectively hijacking them through modernization. That is the Parasite Plan. Although now that the plan has been revealed, it seems they have started a disappearing act to avoid mass arrests.”<br /> <br /> “So is our next mission to attack their headquarters? What a pain in the ass. Aren’t there police for that? Do the special forces really have better things to be doing?”<br /> <br /> “You might want to hear this first: Woodstock has added or replaced core components to make up for the defects in more than 10 Objects in all. It might be the undercarriage, a main cannon, the radar, the armor, the cockpit’s electrical system, or the reactor itself.”<br /> <br /> “Wait. You don’t mean…?”<br /> <br /> “Altogether, they have the parts for a brand new Object of their own. The Parasite Plan’s true goal was the construction of a cutting-edge Second Generation. The manufacturing process for a whole Object takes years, but this method changes that. Or rather, it doesn’t matter if their actions are discovered even if it does take years. I propose we call it the Gangster. Those arms dealers are apparently waiting for us with a cutting edge Second Generation the likes of which no one has ever seen. That undoubtedly makes this a job for the military.”<br /> <br /> ===Between the Lines 2===<br /> <br /> Yes.<br /> <br /> That’s right.<br /> <br /> To be honest, this was a crossroads.<br /> <br /> And I really would have preferred for things to go more smoothly. I mean, doesn’t it feel so nice when the government and the people join forces in corruption? Everything is so much easier. There is more than one path to our goal, so there’s no reason to actively choose the harder one.<br /> <br /> But the easier path is no longer an option.<br /> <br /> Cruel, isn’t it?<br /> <br /> But this is not a problem. In fact, this is just the beginning of hell for them.<br /> <br /> If spoiling them didn’t work, we’ll just have to get tougher. It’s time to switch from the carrot to the stick. If the government and the people won’t join together in secret, then we the people must crush the useless government. They are the ones that swatted away our outstretched hand, so it’s time to teach them a lesson. Traitors must be harshly punished and we use the fear of that retribution to control both our own people and our enemies.<br /> <br /> I really hate doing this.<br /> <br /> That’s why I wish they had just accepted the corruption in the first place.<br /> <br /> I was trying to keep things peaceful so this wouldn’t happen, but they took a wrong turn at the crossroads. So we must respond accordingly. Let’s show them what the real bad guys can do.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> We are Woodstock.<br /> <br /> We are the arms dealers who fell the bloody trees of the cursed forest and transform their wood into weapons.<br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;{{HEAVYOBJECT Nav|prev=HEAVY OBJECT:Volume16 Chapter 1|next=HEAVY OBJECT:Volume16 Chapter 3}}&lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=HEAVY_OBJECT:Volume_13&diff=518022 HEAVY OBJECT:Volume 13 2017-04-26T13:33:45Z <p>Acolyte: Created page with &quot;== Novel Illustrations == {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations}} {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Prelude|Prelude}} {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Track 1|Track 1}} {{...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>== Novel Illustrations ==<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Prelude|Prelude}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Track 1|Track 1}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Track 2|Track 2}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Track 3|Track 3}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Track 4|Track 4}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Track 5|Track 5}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Track 6|Track 6}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Track 7|Track 7}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Track 8|Track 8}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Track 9|Track 9}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Track 10|Track 10}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Track 11|Track 11}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Track 12|Track 12}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Postscript|Postscript}}<br /> {{:HEAVY OBJECT:Volume13 Bonus|Bonus Track}}<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;{{HEAVYOBJECT Nav|prev=HEAVY OBJECT:Volume 12|next=HEAVY OBJECT:Volume 14}}&lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=User:Acolyte&diff=467201 User:Acolyte 2015-10-18T22:55:16Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>I'm just another LN reader that likes to help out editing minor typos and such. I started watching anime and reading manga when I was a kid, stopped when I went abroad for high school and continued again when I was in college. When I started to work, anime and manga tires me eyes out due to looking at LCD too much. Then I got a Kindle and started stuffing LNs into it, especially from Baka-Tsuki.<br /> However, for now I don't have much time to learn Japanese. I wish I could read all the untranslated stuff out there. Some day maybe when I can force myself to learn the kanji..<br /> Please recommend me any additional LN that I might like too!<br /> <br /> I am an Indonesian currently living in United States. I have a good understanding of English and Indonesian but I'm not confident enough to help out the Indonesian translators here unfortunately.<br /> <br /> I usually edit stuff that I happen to read for typos. If you don't like my edits please undo them because I don't dare to register myself as an editor due to my limited English compared to the other editors here :)<br /> <br /> For now, while I'm not busy at work, I decided to focus on editing these series as much as I can mainly while still editing whatever I happen to read out of my reading list:<br /> * [[Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden]]<br /> * [[Sekai no Owari no Encore]]<br /> Especially considering the first two is on high translation speed right now and I get to chat often with the translators for the three of them.<br /> <br /> Reading LN from BT (pretty much my BakaReader EX watch list)<br /> # [[A Simple Survey]]<br /> # [[Absolute Duo]]<br /> # [[Accel World]]<br /> # [[Antimagic Academy 35th Test Platoon]]<br /> # [[Baccano]]<br /> # [[Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu]]<br /> # [[Biblia Koshodou no Jiken Techou]]<br /> # [[Black Bullet]]<br /> # [[Campione!]]<br /> # [[Chrome Shelled Regios]]<br /> # [[CubexCursedxCurious]]<br /> # [[Date A Live]]<br /> # [[Densetsu no Yūsha no Densetsu]]<br /> # [[ELYSION virtual region]]<br /> # [[Ero Manga Sensei]]<br /> # [[Fuyuu Gakuen no Alice and Shirley]]<br /> # [[Gakusen Toshi Asterisk]]<br /> # [[Gekka no Utahime to Magi no Ou]] (external hosting)<br /> # [[Golden Time]]<br /> # [[HEAVY OBJECT]]<br /> # [[Haken no Kouki Altina]]<br /> # [[High School DxD]]<br /> # [[Hikaru ga Chikyuu ni Itakoro]]<br /> # [[Hyouka]]<br /> # [[Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden]]<br /> # [[Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou]]<br /> # [[Infinite Stratos]]<br /> # [[Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi]]<br /> # [[Kagerou Days]]<br /> # [[Kamisama no Memochou]]<br /> # [[Kaze no Stigma]]<br /> # [[Kenshin no Keishousha]]<br /> # [[Kikou Shoujo wa Kizutsukanai]]<br /> # [[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon]]<br /> # [[Log Horizon]]<br /> # [[Madan no Ou to Vanadis]]<br /> # [[Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei]]<br /> # [[Maou na Ore to Fushihime no Yubiwa]]<br /> # [[Maoyuu Maou Yuusha]]<br /> # [[Mokushiroku Arisu]]<br /> # [[Mondaiji-tachi ga isekai kara kuru soudesu yo]]<br /> # [[Monogatari Series]]<br /> # [[Mushoku Tensei]]<br /> # [[My Maid is a Formless Entity]]<br /> # [[No Game No Life]]<br /> # [[Oda Nobuna no Yabou]]<br /> # [[Omae wo Onii-chan ni Shite Yarouka!?]]<br /> # [[Owari no Chronicle]]<br /> # [[Papa no Iu Koto o Kikinasai!]]<br /> # [[Psycho Love Comedy]]<br /> # [[Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan]]<br /> # [[Rakuin no Monshou]]<br /> # [[Rinkan no Madoushi]]<br /> # [[Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut]]<br /> # [[Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo]]<br /> # [[Samayou Shinki no Duelist]]<br /> # [[Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance]]<br /> # [[Sekai no Owari no Encore]]<br /> # [[Shakugan no Shana]]<br /> # [[Shiinamachi-senpai's Safe Day]]<br /> # [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha]]<br /> # [[Shinonome Yuuko wa Tanpen Shousetsu o Aishite Iru]]<br /> # [[Silver Cross and Draculea]]<br /> # [[Sword Art Online]]<br /> # [[Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai]]<br /> # [[The Circumstances Leading to Waltraute's Marriage]]<br /> # [[The Zashiki Warashi of Intellectual Village]]<br /> # [[Toaru Majutsu no Index]]<br /> # [[Tsurugi no Joou to Rakuin no Ko]]<br /> # [[Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria]]<br /> # [[Zero no Tsukaima]]<br /> <br /> Reading LN outside BT<br /> # [http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html Mushi-uta]<br /> # [http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html Sayonara Piano Sonata]<br /> # [http://japtem.com/projects/moonlight-sculptor-toc/ The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor]<br /> # [http://japtem.com/projects/kill-no-more-toc/ Kill No More]<br /> # [http://japtem.com/projects/ark-toc/ Ark]<br /> # [http://hereticlnt.blogspot.com/p/clockwork-planet.html Clockwork Planet]<br /> # [http://aquascans.wordpress.com/novels/sugar-apple-fairy-tale-novel/ Sugar Apple Fairy Tale]<br /> # [http://guhehe.net/cautrs/ Ore Dorei]<br /> # [http://guhehe.net/hundred/ Hundred]<br /> # [http://toshosen-tsl.livejournal.com/ Library Wars]<br /> # Juuni Kokuki (spread all over..)<br /> # [http://unlimitednovelfailures.mangamatters.com/tsukitsuki Tsuki Tsuki]<br /> # [http://guhehe.net/oniai/ Onii Ai]<br /> # [http://guhehe.net/cautrs/ Netgame]<br /> # [http://solitarytranslation.wordpress.com/category/danmachi/ DanMachi] (Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka)<br /> # [http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=124566 Arifureta]<br /> and more?<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Right now the top of my wishlist to be translated (i.e. one day if I can read Japanese I want to read them first) is Sazane Kei's series (Fukanzen Iris, Hyouketsu Kyoukai, and Tasogare-iro) - also S.I.R.E.N and Sekai no Owari no Encore as I have found out recently'''</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sekai_no_Owari_no_Encore:Volume_1_Epilogue&diff=443543 Sekai no Owari no Encore:Volume 1 Epilogue 2015-05-19T00:45:45Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Epilogue: The Knight of Reincarnation==<br /> <br /> The town of the blazing cliff Jio.<br /> <br /> At the visitor’s room of a large auditorium——<br /> <br /> “……Ouch, ouch, ouch!”<br /> <br /> “Don’t go panicking. Burns like this will only take a day to heal for a Dragon like me.”<br /> <br /> “Umm, I’m a human-being……”<br /> <br /> Ren who took off the bandages wrapped on both his arm and Kyelse who put disinfectant on him by force.<br /> <br /> “But, you know……”<br /> <br /> “Hmm?”<br /> <br /> “No. It’s nothing.”<br /> <br /> I’m glad everyone returned safely. Ren felt shy saying that so he stopped himself and hid it with a smile.<br /> <br /> “But I was shocked. I would have never imagined that you would defeat Achendia just by yourself. Even if you had a spirit support you and even though you had Elline’s sword while her guard was down……”<br /> <br /> The Dragon Princess shook her head as she tightened the cap of the disinfectant bottle.<br /> <br /> “Well, she didn’t even see me as a threat the whole time. She saved her strength the whole time since she knew there were strong people left such as you, Fear-senpai, and Elise. I couldn’t even damage her at all with my own sword.”<br /> <br /> “Of course. To begin with, the Five Great Disasters are stronger than the current Demon Lord. If you actually won against her it would mean you are stronger than the current Demon Lord.”<br /> <br /> “T-That’s for sure.”<br /> <br /> “Even so——”<br /> <br /> Kyelse sat on the chair and took the glass on the table with her hand.<br /> <br /> “No matter what situation you were in, it’s also the truth that you made one of the Five Great Disasters admit defeat. I wasn’t shocked simply because she was taking you easily and you fought with unexpected strenuous effort. The reason why she reserved her strength was because she knew you would be an opponent who she could defeat with ease while holding herself back, right?”<br /> <br /> To reserve your strength by controlling your spell-power. The Demon General made such judgment that it would have been enough against Ren.<br /> <br /> But Ren’s potential power and growth rate surpassed her expectations. That was the reason why Achendia admitted her defeat without revealing all of her strength.<br /> <br /> ''“If there was one thing I fear about humans.”''<br /> <br /> ''“Then that wouldn’t be the population of the human species but their growth speed.”''<br /> <br /> “……She certainly said something along those lines.”<br /> <br /> “That Demon is very calculative. Or perhaps she thought of the possibility where she would fight you again in the future. There’s a chance that she believed revealing all her powers to you now would be dangerous.”<br /> <br /> She might had foreseen it.<br /> <br /> Maybe one day this fake Brave Hero would actually reach the height of Elline.<br /> <br /> “Well, for me, a rematch against her would be a bit……”<br /> <br /> “It was just a theory. For a while——”<br /> <br /> Knock.<br /> <br /> The sound of a soft knock echoed on the door.<br /> <br /> The one who appeared on the other side of the door when Ren opened it, was a black-haired girl who looked up at him nervously.<br /> <br /> “……E-Excuse me. I was told that you would be here.”<br /> <br /> “Are you that girl from back then?”<br /> <br /> Right before Ren climbed the Great Volcano. This girl, who was left behind in the burning mansion was the one he saved.<br /> <br /> “T……Thank you very much. For saving me……”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “Excuse me?”<br /> <br /> “O-Oh, it’s nothing. Anyways, I’m glad you are doing fine.”<br /> <br /> The girl bowed at him and ran through the passage.<br /> <br /> “What’s wrong? Why the senile face?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah……well, it was the first time I saved someone and had been thanked for. So for a moment, I wasn’t sure whether the “thank you” she said was directed at me.”<br /> <br /> Ren leaned on the wall and replied with a bitter smile.<br /> <br /> As if responding to that answer.<br /> <br /> “Oh my, it sure is amazing outside! It turned into a carnival outside! Or rather, we are a hot topic throughout the town. As a four-member party who defeated the Five Great Disaster.”<br /> <br /> The door opened powerfully and the one who entered the room was Elise.<br /> <br /> “Ehehe, I even had people ask me for a handshake when I was walking through the street.”<br /> <br /> “……Is that even okay? For a former Demon Lord to act in such a light manner.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine~. Because I retired already. Well, if I was an active Demon Lord then I would act as such. ——Oh, and about what you were talking about just now, Ren.”<br /> <br /> “Which one?”<br /> <br /> “The discussion about you defeating Achendia. I have good ears so I heard it from the corridors.”<br /> <br /> The dark-skinned girl who approached him while skipping.<br /> <br /> She gazed at Ren with eyes brimming with curiosity.<br /> <br /> “Anyway, let’s get along from now on. The issue I was concerned about has been dealt with so I will officially be joining the party.”<br /> <br /> “……Ah, now I remember. That was the promise.”<br /> <br /> To help her against the Five Great Disaster who had rebelled. That was the condition Elise gave to join the party and to find the Encore together with them.<br /> <br /> “I’m also looking forward to it, you know? Ren, you weren’t acknowledged by the humans, right?”<br /> <br /> “Well, yeah……”<br /> <br /> “I’m sure you realised it yesterday but Achendia certainly acknowledged you, Ren. So she realised that you weren’t just a lookalike of Elline.”<br /> <br /> Elise said it while pouring hot milk which she was very fond of.<br /> <br /> “Obviously you would need more time and effort to reach the true strength of the Five Great Disasters. But one day in the future, Ren, you may become stronger than the Five Great Disasters and the Demon Lord……no, maybe you will become stronger than all of us and really reach the strength of Elline. Right, Kyelse?”<br /> <br /> “You are being too hasty.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse said it while drinking sips of her apple juice.<br /> <br /> “Though we would be troubled if you don’t reach his strength one day. I would be the one training you. So you need to become strong enough to overwhelm the Five Great Disasters, the Demon Lord, and the Goddess of Heaven soon. You would need to accomplish it within three months.”<br /> <br /> “……Who's being hasty now?”<br /> <br /> “Now now.”<br /> <br /> The moment Ren sighed, the one who entered the room last was the blonde girl.<br /> <br /> “I have made my return now.”<br /> <br /> “You took your time. Weren’t you just supposed to report the defeat of Achendia at the town's sanctuary?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, that’s the issue Kyelse. It’s the issue about being hasty.”<br /> <br /> Fear chuckled and smiled. What she had under her arm was——<br /> <br /> “An article?”<br /> <br /> “It’s the newspaper extra. It was being given throughout the town free of charge. Don’t you reckon the ones being hasty are these people?”<br /> <br /> She gave the two-sided article to them. Ren, Kyelse, and Elise looked at each other after they read through the content.<br /> <br /> <br /> ——The boy who may be the reincarnation of Elline and the three lovely girls.<br /> <br /> ——The party, the “Knight of Reincarnation” defeated the Five Great Disaster.<br /> <br /> “The parties gathered in this town of Blazing Cliff would scatter throughout the world once again to find the Encore. And the “Elmekia Dusk” would most likely give their report about us at the supreme metropolitan.”<br /> <br /> “……So the information on this article is known throughout the world now?”<br /> <br /> He was more embarrassed than being happy about it.<br /> <br /> And more than that, the content of the article was so exaggerated it made him turn red.<br /> <br /> “More importantly, Fear-senpai, what’s this the “Knight of Reincarnation”?”<br /> <br /> “Do you remember we registered our name as anonymous? It won’t look good if it was put on the article so the news agent made up this name on their own.”<br /> <br /> The blonde Archangel showed a rare sight of putting on a bitter smile.<br /> <br /> “So it means “the Reincarnation party of the Elline Sword Emperor Brigade” was what was important to them.”<br /> <br /> “Woah. That’s too much for an exaggeration……”<br /> <br /> Regarding Ren, they drew a portrait of him which was probably that of Elline. The three girls on the other hand had detailed information given from the witnesses which was put on the article.<br /> [[Image:Sekai_no_Owari_no_Encore_V1_Non-colour_010.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> The party name and the exaggerated comments. There was no way the world wouldn’t give their attention to them.<br /> <br /> “……This is a bit——”<br /> <br /> “Let them say what they want.”<br /> <br /> Elise said it in a light manner while drinking her hot milk.<br /> <br /> Instead, it seemed like she was enjoying this situation.<br /> <br /> “No one would actually think that you are Elline’s reincarnation. Even the three girls they mentioned here. They would never guess that we are the actual ones. Except, it would have to do with the fact that it was a good coincidence for them.”<br /> <br /> “But that’s also, you know…… Like being used in order for them to make hot topics.”<br /> <br /> “Then we simply need to teach them. Let’s prove it to the world by finding the Encore before everyone, the whole world, and the other parties.”<br /> <br /> The one who gave such answer was——<br /> <br /> Kyelse, who was standing by herself near the window of the visitor’s room.<br /> <br /> The Princess who stood at the top of all Dragons.<br /> <br /> While she had the breeze blowing her hair back, the girl quietly smiled.<br /> <br /> “Let’s prove to them that we are the {{Furigana|“reincarnation”|ENCORE}} of the Brave Hero who saved the world in the past.”<br /> <br /> {{SimpleNav<br /> |b=Interval|bn=Interval<br /> |f=Afterword|fn=Afterword<br /> }}</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sekai_no_Owari_no_Encore:Volume_1_Interval&diff=443539 Sekai no Owari no Encore:Volume 1 Interval 2015-05-19T00:35:11Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Intervalː The Moving World==<br /> <br /> The territory of the supreme metropolitan Elmekia.<br /> <br /> The ancient castle of Istalucile, the “heaven mirror hall”——it was a huge room where the floor, the ceiling, and all of the four walls were covered in beautiful shinning mirrors.<br /> <br /> The training room for {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}}.<br /> <br /> It was a place for training where they would grasp hold of themselves while being reflected on the mirror to acquire a more subtle swordsmanship.<br /> <br /> ——The {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}} covered in black battle-wear stood at the centre.<br /> <br /> He appeared to be around thirty-years old. His short, ash-coloured hair which had been trimmed, and his black irises. He was tall as he would be a head taller than the average adult male and his whole body was trained like steel.<br /> <br /> A swordsman with an atmosphere where it felt like the vibe around him was the sharpest blade there was by simply “being” there.<br /> <br /> “Reporting sir!”<br /> <br /> The two {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}} who rushed in to the spacious hall. Both of them were members of the same party and also wore the black battle-wear.<br /> <br /> “We have received contact from the town of the blazing cliff Jio. They have confirmed the withdrawal of the Five Great Disaster who had seized the Great Volcano of Galia.”<br /> <br /> “They defeated her?”<br /> <br /> “W-What do you mean by defeat sir?”<br /> <br /> “I’m asking whether those troops, consisting of lower members, actually defeated the Demon General of Blaze.”<br /> <br /> The swordsman asked with a low voice which added pressure to his words.<br /> <br /> “N-No sir……apparently our troops were struggling against her henchmen.”<br /> <br /> “————.”<br /> <br /> “H-However! They had reported that they succeeded in the mission to guard the town of the blazing cliff.”<br /> <br /> “Of course they did. If they hadn’t I wouldn’t allow them to remain in this knight squad.”<br /> <br /> “……Y-Yes sir.”<br /> <br /> The two {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}} nodded their heads with a nervous expression.<br /> <br /> “Even so. '''Which party was the one that defeated the Demon General of Blaze?'''”<br /> <br /> “M-My apologies. The actual details about the ones that defeated the Five Great Disaster is unknown……”<br /> <br /> “No information? You are telling me it was a nameless new party?”<br /> <br /> “Elline.”<br /> <br /> “What?”<br /> <br /> “We haven’t actually confirmed this information but they are saying a boy, who has an exact resemblance to the famous Brave Hero, had three girls follow him and had defeated the Demon General Achendia……”<br /> <br /> “————.”<br /> <br /> “W-What should we do sir? Though we have pushed them to get the exact details.”<br /> <br /> “Leave it. Tell the troops at the town of the blazing cliff to return immediately. And there’s no need to find the information about that party of four either.”<br /> <br /> “Yes sir.”<br /> <br /> The two subordinates saluted respectfully and left the “heaven mirror hall”.<br /> <br /> Without even looking at them——<br /> <br /> “The Sword Emperor Elline. The strongest swordsman in history who ended the End War......and someone who resembles him? ……”<br /> <br /> The Knight King Zellbright.<br /> <br /> The man who was called the strongest man of this era simply muttered that out.<br /> <br /> “Was it his reincarnation or was it merely his imposter? But if he is the real thing——”<br /> <br /> He made the large sword, he was holding with his left hand, stand on the floor. The man who stood at the top of “Elmekia Dusk” lifted the side of his mouth.<br /> <br /> “Interesting. If he is indeed the reincarnation of the Sword Emperor who was the strongest man in history, then I shall defeat that man. I will then settle my score with that foolish swordsman, Sword Saint Shion, and I shall indeed become the strongest.”<br /> <br /> There was no need for his subordinates to get more details. If he was indeed the real deal, then they will certainly meet in this world where a world scale battle of gaining the Encore was happening.<br /> <br /> Swordsmen were those who were born with such fate.<br /> <br /> “Come. The reincarnation of the Brave Hero. I shall wait for you here.”<br /> <br /> The Knight King Zellbright.<br /> <br /> It wasn’t for his ambition or for his honour. It was simply his path to supremacy. That man sought for strength more than others and had his gaze towards a sword which existed very far away.<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;==========&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> The holy-land Canaan. The Cathedral, the “room of prayers”——<br /> <br /> A place filled with peacefulness. The flow in this room had stopped like a frozen air. The place of holiness where every single sound had been silenced.<br /> <br /> Though there was one girl in a golden robe.<br /> <br /> “The spirits are making a commotion.”<br /> <br /> She had a hood covering her face while looking up at the ceiling.<br /> <br /> “There was someone else besides me who commanded a spirit? The user of ancient summoning……and Great Volcano of Galia was the location? A person who commanded a spirit showed up on that location where the Five Great Disaster was present?”<br /> <br /> “Excuse us, Elies-sama!”<br /> <br /> Two women in white robes appeared while stepping quietly.<br /> <br /> “I believe you are already aware then?”<br /> <br /> “I am aware that the Demon General of Blaze had retreated. This child had informed me.”<br /> <br /> What was present in the room of prayers was a whirlwind, which was a prank of the spirit “{{Furigana|ancestral spirit of wind|SYPH}}”. And the only one in the holy-land of Canaan who was capable of hearing the “voice”, was the girl called Elies.<br /> <br /> “Except, I don’t understand. The ones that defeated the Five Great Disaster weren’t “Elmekia Dusk”. The spirits are saying it was much more special……a group of four with mysterious powers.”<br /> <br /> “Pardon me?”<br /> <br /> “Have people investigate it. Get in contact with the town of the blazing cliff and enquire about all of the parties that was made up of four members. There is a chance that there is someone else besides me who is an {{Furigana|“Ancient Caster”|ANCIENTER}} among them.”<br /> <br /> “An {{Furigana|“Ancient Caster”|ANCIENTER}}!? It can’t be! The only one who is currently capable of hearing the voices of the spirits is you, Holy Elies-sama. And the only one closest to you is the Sword Saint Shion-sama.”<br /> <br /> “That’s why I’m curious. And, yes. Can you also get in contact with Shion?”<br /> <br /> “Yes. But that Sword Saint-sama and his party the “Investigation of the Spirits” are……”<br /> <br /> “We don’t know which part of the world they are at, right? This is Shion we are talking about so he’s most likely taking a nap somewhere such as a sanctuary or a spirit’s habitat. Anyway, please find him.”<br /> <br /> “……We will do our best.”<br /> <br /> Her subordinates made a beautiful bow and simply left the room of prayers.<br /> <br /> She looked at them with warming eyes and——<br /> <br /> “Shion, you can also feel it, can’t you? These commotions by the spirits. The spirits being startled.”<br /> <br /> Holy Elies.<br /> <br /> She was the holy woman who leads the party gathering of women of the highest-level spellcasters, the “Canaan Pilgrim, the Boat of the Sacred Teaching”. She was also the only {{Furigana|“Ancient Caster”|ANCIENTER}} of this world. She spoke as if she was telling herself.<br /> <br /> “It’s not the Five Great Disasters. Something else besides them. A mysterious presence is starting to cover the world.”<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;==========&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> A nameless sanctuary.<br /> <br /> Everywhere you looked, it was covered in green and the cries of the birds. It was a space wrapped in pleasant breeze.<br /> <br /> In that location cut from the tumult of the world——<br /> <br /> “Hey, Shion. Apparently the rumoured Five Great Disaster had retreated without any trouble.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “Shion. Hey Shion. Wake up already. How long are young going to take a nap?”<br /> <br /> “……Yeah, I’m sorry Karei.”<br /> <br /> The Sword Saint lifted his upper body slowly after he had his shoulder shaken by the black haired {{Furigana|Barrierer|ENCHANTER}} girl.<br /> <br /> “Your back. It’s covered with leaves now.”<br /> <br /> “Yup. I was sleeping on the grasses after all.”<br /> <br /> Innocent. The blond swordsman smiled with an innocent, smiling face.<br /> <br /> He appeared to be around twenty years old.<br /> <br /> ——A swordsman with a neutral atmosphere.<br /> <br /> His blonde hair which grew down to his shoulders flowed like silk. His charming eyes, his handsome face, and his manner of speech. There wasn’t even a single factor which would be considered as vulgar in him. And the peaceful atmosphere around him was feminine.<br /> <br /> Sword Saint Shion.<br /> <br /> Along with the Knight King Zellbright, he was a young swordsman who was also said to be the strongest right now.<br /> <br /> “So, were you listening to what I said? It’s regarding the Five Great Disaster.”<br /> <br /> “Yup. She retreated didn’t she? I thought it was about time she would. I’m sure she wasn’t intending to conquer the earth from the very beginning. I knew she didn’t get along with the Demon Lord of the Underworld so she probably came up to earth because she didn’t like him.”<br /> <br /> “If I think about it, you were saying that from the start.”<br /> <br /> “Though I’m glad. With this the people of the town of the blazing cliff would be relieved.”<br /> <br /> “Besides, the mission to hunt her down was given to “Elmekia Dusk” as well.”<br /> <br /> “Yup. Though it would appear that it was a different party which defeated the Five Great Disaster.”<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> The {{Furigana|Barrierer|ENCHANTER}} screamed in shock.<br /> <br /> “Surprising, isn’t it? Well, I was also shocked as well.”<br /> <br /> The Sword Saint on the other hand made a teasing smile as if he was waiting for her to make such a reaction.<br /> <br /> “Gabrie told me just before. He received a contact from someone he knows……ouch!”<br /> <br /> “You. If you knew it already then you should have told me right away. And likewise for Gabrie. Where did that {{Furigana|Caster|ARIA}} go?”<br /> <br /> “He went to gather information. He went outside since he said he won’t be able to know the situation from here. He said he’s curious about the party which defeated the Five Great Disaster so he went to investigate them.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? I thought you ordered him to. Aren’t you curious about them?”<br /> <br /> “I am. But you know, getting along with them without knowing anything about them may be more fun.”<br /> <br /> They would definitely meet.<br /> <br /> The Sword Saint spoke in a manner as that time would certainly come.<br /> <br /> “I can’t wait. The reincarnation of that Brave Hero……”<br /> <br /> “Huh? You said something?”<br /> <br /> “Nope, just talking to myself. By the way Karei, we will be moving once Gabrie returns. So be prepared.”<br /> <br /> “Oh. So the next destination has been chosen then?”<br /> <br /> “It’s the place I mentioned before. Except, let’s move a bit faster.”<br /> <br /> The blond swordsman stood up. The direction his jade-coloured eyes gazed at was high above his head.<br /> <br /> His gaze was as if he was looking at a place not present in this world. Like he wasn’t gazing at the present but the future——<br /> <br /> “The spirits are scared. Something is trying to appear in this world.”<br /> <br /> “……The mysterious atmosphere you mentioned before?”<br /> <br /> “Yup. The way the spirits are being afraid wasn’t normal. '''I already have an idea of the location of the Encore.''' It may be better if we aim to find the Encore first.”<br /> <br /> “It’s rare to see you active. Did you finally start to want the title of the Brave Hero?”<br /> <br /> “That isn’t like me. Even if we did find it, we won’t tell anyone or report it. I don’t want people making a commotion and the Brave Hero Elline probably doesn’t want that either.”<br /> <br /> Shion answered with a bitter smile as he waved his head.<br /> <br /> “Except, the information I am seeking for might be recorded in the Encore. I just want to find that out.”<br /> <br /> “…...Yeah yeah. I know.”<br /> <br /> Karei nodded while she placed her hand on her glamorous hips.<br /> <br /> “Then I’ll start preparing.”<br /> <br /> “Thanks.”<br /> <br /> The swordsman waved his hand to the {{Furigana|Barrierer|ENCHANTER}} girl who turned around.<br /> <br /> The Sword Saint Shion.<br /> <br /> The highest-level swordsman who led the most famous party in the world, the “Investigation of the Spirits”, continued to stare at the white clouds above for a bit longer.<br /> <br /> {{SimpleNav<br /> |b=Record.5|bn=Record.5<br /> |f=Epilogue|fn=Epilogue<br /> }}</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sekai_no_Owari_no_Encore:Volume_1_Record.5&diff=443538 Sekai no Owari no Encore:Volume 1 Record.5 2015-05-19T00:33:42Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Record.5: It, the Conqueror of Fire——==<br /> <br /> ===1===<br /> <br /> The Great Volcano of Galia.<br /> <br /> An active volcano which erupted approximately one-thousand years ago where you could still see gas billowing out from its crater. Even now the ground was covered by pumice stone, volcaniclastic materials from back when the magma cooled down and solidified.<br /> <br /> At the junction of its three paths.<br /> <br /> “Elise should have taken the right path and Fear, the middle path, aiming towards the summit.”<br /> <br /> “Then we will be taking the left path huh.”<br /> <br /> To reach the summit, the junction of the three paths should each connect to the three different routes.<br /> <br /> The middle path which Fear took should be the shortest, but there would most likely be many Demons guarding it. Predicting that, Elise took the route which would have the longest distance to reach the summit.<br /> <br /> As such, the route Ren would take would be the remaining route which was the left path from the junction of the three paths.<br /> <br /> “——We should move fast.”<br /> <br /> They climbed up the volcano’s path. Even though they should already have reached halfway up, not meeting the other parties impliep they had a late start.<br /> <br /> &quot;It's natural that at this time, the parties that advanced up the mountain should have started battling Achendias' minions.&quot; Don’t lower your guard since we don’t know where a high-level Demon would be lurking.”<br /> <br /> “......Roger that. By the way, do you know the situation of the battle?”<br /> <br /> “The parties have mostly been annihilated. The Demons have left their miasma everywhere.”<br /> <br /> “It can’t be!?”<br /> <br /> “They were weak parties lured here by hearing the name of the Five Great Disaster. This would be a natural outcome if this was their first battle with high-level Demons. There won’t be a problem though since Fear and Elise would be rescuing them.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse climbed up the mountain in a lightly manner as if she was skipping.<br /> <br /> “If the parties worked together, they may have been able to put on an even fight.”<br /> <br /> “……That’s only if they headed to the mountain together.”<br /> <br /> Not only did they not work cooperatively, it instead turned into a time attack battle where each party would first aim for the Five Great Disaster.<br /> <br /> And the one who triggered such situation was none other than the five member party formed by Ren’s seniors. As a result, each party would get taken down by the Five Great Disaster’s henchmen on their own game.<br /> <br /> And then——<br /> <br /> Without any warning, a circular symbol, glowing in crimson-colour appeared on the ground.<br /> <br /> “A spell!?”<br /> <br /> Ren kicked the ground to evade it.<br /> <br /> That moment, flames shaped like a giant dragon almost grazed Ren’s back and soared up the sky.<br /> <br /> “Huh? He dodged it, Ranaku.”<br /> <br /> “That’s a rare sight, isn’t it? Looks like he has good reflexes for a human, Kanaku.”<br /> <br /> Two winged Demons appeared from the sky.<br /> <br /> Pale skinned children with solid yet transparent wings. Despite their adorable appearance making them appear like fairies, the expressions on their faces were like carnivores who had found their prey.<br /> <br /> “It will be a competition since we can report this to Achendia-sama.”<br /> <br /> “Which one of us can——”<br /> <br /> “Eyesore.”<br /> <br /> The two Demons, with their miasma around them were blasted away by explosions around them.<br /> <br /> “……H-Huh? It ended already?”<br /> <br /> “I don’t have time to waste for novice Demons that doesn’t even know who I am. Let’s get going.”<br /> <br /> The Dragon Princess started running ahead without waiting for Ren’s response.<br /> <br /> “H-Hey? Was it okay to blast them away like that?”<br /> <br /> “Dang it. I should have blasted them away after making them tell us where Achendia’s location is.”<br /> <br /> “That’s not what I meant! Wouldn’t they also be considered as Elise’s former henchmen?”<br /> <br /> The Dragons, the Angels, and the Demons were the three beings representing the earth, the Heaven, and the Underground, respectively. If Kyelse who was a Dragon carelessly attacked them, then there would be a possibility that it willhinder the balance of the three worlds.<br /> <br /> “The Demons strength lies in their toughness. Just like Elise’s ability to reincarnate.”<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?”<br /> <br /> “Even if I did “destroy” them here, they won’t be “annihilated”. Either way, the Demons here are a bunch that betrayed the Demon Lord of the Underworld. It won’t be a problem if I lay hand on them. More importantly, don’t assume it would end with those two. There’s more coming.”<br /> <br /> The area where the battle took place between the parties and the Demons. If those two were the scouts——<br /> <br /> “What……is this powerful presence? A Dragon!?”<br /> <br /> “No, wait. What is up with this abnormal pressure? It can’t be?”<br /> <br /> “That legendary——”<br /> <br /> “Just get lost.”<br /> <br /> There are three Demons that appeared from the ground. But even they were defeated by Kyelse's round kick, without putting a fight.<br /> <br /> “Ah, geez. I can’t stand this! Because of that seal!”<br /> <br /> “……Even though you are saying that, that was too easy for you.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse was taking down the Demons as they appeared.<br /> <br /> Not even one of the Demons, who would be a threat to the human’s party, could be a hindrance to her.<br /> <br /> And then——<br /> <br /> “! Are all of you okay!?”<br /> <br /> Ren in a rush, headed to the party of six that were on the ground.<br /> <br /> Maybe they received a surprise attack from the Demons which Kyelse had just defeated. The party formed by the two {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}}, the two {{Furigana|Casters|ARIAS}}, a {{Furigana|Predator|HUNTER}}, and a {{Furigana|Curer|HEALER}} were all burned up and lying on the ground.<br /> <br /> “……Did you two h……help……us……?”<br /> <br /> The {{Furigana|Curer|HEALER}} girl opened her eyes a bit.<br /> <br /> “Your injuries?”<br /> <br /> “……It’s not a fatal injury. Even I can heal……injuries of this degree……”<br /> <br /> She stood up weakly.<br /> <br /> “Go ahead. There were parties ahead of us. Elmekia Dusk and a party formed by young people.”<br /> <br /> “Elmekia Dusk!? So they passed through here!”<br /> <br /> “Yes. That party……their strength were on a different level……they headed for the summit while overcoming high-level Demons.”<br /> <br /> “Thanks, I was wondering about them.”<br /> <br /> Ren faced towards Kyelse and nodded. Then they ran up through the path heading towards the summit.<br /> <br /> “Ren——”<br /> <br /> “I know. The young party that girl mentioned must be my seniors from the academy. I assume they progressed through this route by using anti-Demon barrier since one of them was a {{Furigana|Barrierer|ENCHANTER}}.”<br /> <br /> “But that spell won’t work on high-level Demons, you know?”<br /> <br /> You could separate the sources of spells used by humans into two major categories.<br /> <br /> The destruction-type spells copied from the spells used by the Demons——magic and attack spells would be included here.<br /> <br /> The protection-type spells copied from the spells used by the Angels——de-spell and defence spells would be included here.<br /> <br /> Among these two categories, the anti-Demon barrier would be taken from the Angels’ spells.<br /> <br /> The effect it has against the regular Demons would be high, but it was merely an inferior spell used by humans. It wouldn’t work against high-level Demons with overwhelming power.<br /> <br /> “……I thought I already knew this.”<br /> <br /> Ren realised once again after witnessing the fallen party.<br /> <br /> The ones that were able to compete with the high-level Demons, the rulers of the Underworld, were a portion of the parties such as the Elmekia Dusk. They were not an opponent that a novice party should challenge in a rush.<br /> <br /> ——Screams.<br /> <br /> It was then when Ren heard familiar screams coming from above.<br /> <br /> “We were late……! Senpai!?”<br /> <br /> The {{Furigana|Caster|ARIA}} who barely was conscious had his knee on the ground.<br /> <br /> The {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} student who was using his sword to support his body didn’t move an inch. Standing next to him was a {{Furigana|Barrierer|ENCHANTER}} girl who was looking at the Demon in front of her with expression filled with terror.<br /> <br /> “Ren!?”<br /> <br /> The {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} opened his eyes wide while breathing heavily.<br /> <br /> Without even answering him,<br /> <br /> “The aura of your power isn’t bad. You are such a waste to be Achendia’s henchman.”<br /> <br /> “This smell, the Heavenly Silver Dragon!”<br /> <br /> Kyelse’s punch and the large Demon’s punch. Both fist clashed creating a flash which burned the eyes. A powerful shock which could even distort space passed through the scene.<br /> <br /> “What the……!?”<br /> <br /> The silver haired girl who took the attack of a Demon head on.<br /> <br /> Seeing such situation, the five academy graduates screamed in shock.<br /> <br /> ''——Unbelievable.''<br /> <br /> ''——Such small girl countered the attack of a high-level Demon.''<br /> <br /> Everyone had their eyes pop out while such thought passed through their mind.<br /> <br /> “Senpai, behind you!”<br /> <br /> Only Ren was staring ia a completely different direction.<br /> <br /> A dangerous presence which appeared behind them.<br /> <br /> A Demon which had an appearance of a brown lion, whose colour was its main trait. Ren certainly saw the four legged beast stood firmly on the ground while it lit a crimson glow in its mouth.<br /> <br /> “Senpai, watch out!”<br /> <br /> “Ren!? Stop, you will——”<br /> <br /> Kyelse’s scream could be heard. The instant the boy who was called the fake Brave Hero pushed away the {{Furigana|Barrierer|ENCHANTER}} girl, his body was enveloped by the crimson flames.<br /> <br /> “Re————”<br /> <br /> “Thanks. You saved me again.”<br /> <br /> But the crimson flames were compressed in the empty air.<br /> <br /> There was one boy who calmly stood right after the burning flames turned into small sparks.<br /> <br /> He had a spirit which was glowing brilliantly and sitting on his right shoulder.<br /> <br /> “The {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}}!? Ren, when on earth did you master it!?”<br /> <br /> “Ancient summoning! You are telling me there is a human who can command the spirits which exists in this era!?”<br /> <br /> The Demon which had the appearance of a lion shivered.<br /> <br /> Ren used that slight opening to mow down the lion’s body as he passed by it.<br /> <br /> “……Splendid……”<br /> <br /> That Demon disappeared like a shimmer of hot air.<br /> <br /> Besides it, another Demon defeated by Kyelse perished.<br /> <br /> “Ren, what’s going on!? Since when did you become capable of using spirit summoning!?”<br /> <br /> “Ouch, it hurts! Rather, my eyes are spinning! Calm down!”<br /> <br /> Ren, with Kyelse grabbing his collar, was being shaken around.<br /> <br /> “That proves how amazing Fear-senpai’s divine tool is.”<br /> <br /> “But……even so……no, let’s leave it for now. Though it was beyond what I expected——”<br /> <br /> The spirit had an appearance of a winged lizard.<br /> <br /> The {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}} which looked like a small red Dragon disappeared. Kyelse who saw that turned around to Ren while looking happy.<br /> <br /> “That was a great job coming from you. There isn’t much distance left till we reach the summit so we will keep on going while immediately taking down the enemies.”<br /> <br /> “Yeah.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse advanced ten metres ahead with a single step.<br /> <br /> Ren ran while following after her.<br /> <br /> <br /> At the mountain path where it had become silent——<br /> <br /> The party of five members were watching such scenery in a daze.<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;==========&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> Near the crater of the Great Volcano of Galia.<br /> <br /> “Looks like this is it for you.”<br /> <br /> “Achendia the Demon General of Blaze. The great Demon who was even called a Five Great Disaster. We would never have thought you would flee while leaving your henchmen behind. Looks like the name of the legendary Demon had fallen.”<br /> <br /> The five humans that were wearing black battle wear.<br /> <br /> The Elmekia Dusk——. They were the only ones who managed to arrive at the summit, while the other parties were defeated one after another by the Demons who blocked their way, as they also aimed for the volcano’s summit.<br /> <br /> “Pretty skilled there. I never have thought all of you would catch up to me by using {{Furigana|pursuit spells|trace}}.<br /> <br /> The great Demon calmly stood there, smiling as she had the crater boil out magma behind her.<br /> <br /> ——Demon General of Blaze, Achendia.<br /> <br /> Her crimson hair which looked like scorched heat was possessed by it. And her golden-coloured eyes made her look like a female leopard.<br /> <br /> Simply, her appearance was that of a fascinating woman.<br /> <br /> Her appearance was that of a woman in her mid-twenties. Though the dress she was wearing had a brilliant red colour, she was equipped with an unknown precious metal on her wrists and neck.<br /> <br /> “Now then. What shall I do?”<br /> <br /> Behind her was a precipitous cliff. If she stepped in a wrong place, she would fall into the boiling magma. Even though she was in a situation where she was cornered, the Demon General of Blaze kept her confident smile.<br /> <br /> “We warn you. If you don’t want to suffer then leave this mountain immediately.”<br /> <br /> “Oh? Is that supposed to be some human’s joke?”<br /> <br /> The great Demon who had a fearless glow in her golden eyes.<br /> <br /> “So are you saying you would fight us?”<br /> <br /> “Such dummies. I wasn’t talking about that. What I was wondering was——should Mii reveal myself.”<br /> <br /> The spouted flames enveloped around the Demon General.<br /> <br /> “……What!? Who are you?”<br /> <br /> “Hello there. I think your party was called the Elmekia Dusk, wasn’t it? Anyways, good job.”<br /> <br /> The white haired little girl sat on the giant orb which was floating in the air. <br /> <br /> “One of the Three Followers of the Demon General of Blaze Achendia-sama, Mii of the “Imitation”. Let’s get along.”<br /> <br /> “A fake! Then where is the real Five Great Disaster——”<br /> <br /> The Demon answered with an innocent chuckle.<br /> <br /> “Achendia-sama was also bored so she could have played with all of you. But an interesting bunch, who would entertain us even more, showed up exactly then. So we needed the pests to be removed.”<br /> <br /> “An interesting bunch?”<br /> <br /> “Yup. Mii was also shocked. I would never have thought there would be a reincarnation of the legend from three-hundred years ago.”<br /> <br /> “……Your words don’t make any sense. But we simply need to break through you and reach the Demon General of Blaze.”<br /> <br /> The party of five humans in black attire.<br /> <br /> Each and every one of them were professional {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}}, as well as being {{Furigana|Casters|ARIAS}} and {{Furigana|Barrierers|ENCHANTERS}}.<br /> <br /> “Terrific. It’s been a while since I met humans that are worth the fight.”<br /> <br /> She sat on a pearl-coloured orb.<br /> <br /> Mii of the “Imitation”, who was opposing the Elmekia Dusk, said it with a chilling smile.<br /> <br /> “I will play with all of you on behalf of Achendia-sama. Shall we start then?”<br /> <br /> ===2===<br /> <br /> The Great Volcano of Galia, the summit of the third route——<br /> <br /> “This was unexpected.”<br /> <br /> That was the first thing Kyelse said to the Demon standing in front of her.<br /> <br /> “I thought more of your so-called trusted retainers would be waiting for us, but you came all the way here to meet us?”<br /> <br /> “It’s called special treatment. After all, it had been a while since we last met.”<br /> <br /> The one who answered, was a crimson Demon, who was the highest-class Demon.<br /> <br /> The Demon General of Blaze, Achendia. She had her crimson hair blowing behind her and didn’t lose her smile despite Kyelse glaring at her.<br /> <br /> “Has it been three-hundred and five years ago since we last met? But I’m surprised. It seems like the former Demon Lord-sama and the strongest Archangel in Heaven is with you as well. I can’t believe it. If Elline was also alive, then it would have been the reincarnation of the legendary party.”<br /> <br /> “……Elline isn’t here anymore. He was a human. So he had a lifespan.”<br /> <br /> “Then is that boy over there the reincarnation of Elline? He resembles him so much.”<br /> <br /> The Five Great Disaster’s gaze moved to Ren.<br /> <br /> The golden-eyes like that of a female leopard. She was looking at him. Ren couldn’t help but feel cold sweat pour down his back like waterfall simply from that.<br /> <br /> ''——She’s different.''<br /> <br /> ''The presence of the Demon in front of me is in a different league than the Demons I have encountered till now.''<br /> <br /> Even Ren who simply stood in front of her could realise that. She looked like a human from a quick look. But the miasma and pressure which poured from her body was completely different to the other Demons.<br /> <br /> “So? Are you?”<br /> <br /> “You should know the answer already. Don’t even think I’m Elline’s reincarnation.”<br /> <br /> Ren held the chills he was feeling and answered by keeping his tone down.<br /> <br /> “Heh? I like it. You are the kind of human who knows his place.”<br /> <br /> “……There’s one thing I want to ask.”<br /> <br /> Ren looked straight at the Demon with such overwhelming presence.<br /> <br /> “You were a Demon General who was previously the subordinate of Elise, right? I heard that you rebelled because Elise resigned from her post as a Demon Lord and didn’t like the current Demon-Lord.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? Well, I guess you aren’t far off.”<br /> <br /> “Then couldn’t you just remain as Elise's, the former Demon Lord’s, subordinate instead of the current Demon Lord's? Elise is having trouble since her body turned into that state. Didn’t you think of helping her?”<br /> <br /> “That’s out of the question.”<br /> <br /> That became the final verdict of a Demon who was once the candidate to become a Demon Lord.<br /> <br /> “To be honest, the current Elise doesn’t appeal to me at all. Especially as someone who once knew of her beauty, strength, and brutality. More importantly, don’t you think there isn’t any reason for me to obey someone who is weaker than me?”<br /> <br /> The highest-class Demon whose strength even surpassed that of a current Demon Lord.<br /> <br /> That was the declaration of war from the legendary Demon who was called the personification of blaze.<br /> <br /> “Though meeting Elise would be the last entertainment for me. Until then, don’t you think it will be troublesome if I don’t crush you two and Fear till then? All of you also want to defeat me in order to protect the human’s town, right? So why don’t we get started now.”<br /> <br /> “Ren, step aside!”<br /> <br /> Kyelse jumped the same time as she shouted.<br /> <br /> On the other hand the Demon General of Blaze jumped to the rear towards the slope of the mountain while she made phantoms of herself.<br /> <br /> The phantoms of the Demon General. All of the phantoms moved at the same time and spoke.<br /> <br /> “This is so saddening.”<br /> <br /> “For that invincible and unequalled Dragon.”<br /> <br /> “Maybe it was due to that seal.”<br /> <br /> “You don’t even have a trace left from back then.”<br /> <br /> The crimson detonation——the scattered current of thermal expansion created by the spells of the four phantoms turned into shockwaves that burned and demolished the huge rocks.<br /> <br /> “Just be quiet.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse’s power of language.<br /> <br /> The scattered blast swiftly turned into a pleasant spring breeze.<br /> <br /> It must had been a spell to intervene with the energies and fluids within a wide-range. But it was in a level where a human like Ren couldn’t possibly understand the constitution of the spell even though he saw it up-close.<br /> <br /> “Split.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse’s raised feet stepped on the ground. That instant, a shock ran through the Great Volcano of Galia like a rumble caused by a huge Dragon landing on the mountain.<br /> <br /> The lifted pebbles along with hundreds and thousands of small rocks headed towards the Five Great Disaster.<br /> <br /> Every one of the rocks had the power and velocity of an arrow or even bullets. Even getting hit by one of them would cause fatal damage. But——<br /> <br /> “This isn’t like you. A cunning fighting-style like that isn’t something a Dragon would do.”<br /> <br /> They perished before touching the Five Great Disasters.<br /> <br /> Miasma——a garment of curses that high-level Demons has around them. Metal objects would turn into rust. And mere objects such as pebbles would be disintegrated in an instant.<br /> <br /> “You realise it, don’t you? In your current state you can’t——”<br /> <br /> “That’s enough talk.”<br /> <br /> The Princess of Dragons approached right in front of the Demon General. The many pebbles from before was for deceptive means. A trap used to deceive the eyes of the real Achendia and her four phantoms at the same time.<br /> <br /> “It’s so obvious. And sadly, in your current state you won’t overcome my miasma——”<br /> <br /> “Fall to the depth of the realm of the dead.”<br /> <br /> ……Shook.<br /> <br /> The air shook. The punch created by Kyelse pierced through Achendia’s activated miasma and nailed her in the stomach.<br /> <br /> “Who do you think I am?”<br /> <br /> “!? ……k-ka……!?”<br /> <br /> The Five Great Disaster held her enormous breast and couldn’t hide her pain.<br /> <br /> Barrier breaker. Body destroyer. And the spell intervener. The punch which has those three different high-level spells reached the Demon General of Blaze.<br /> <br /> “……Splendid. To be expected from the legendary Dragon Princess Kyelse. I guess that was roughly between thirty to forty percent of the strength of your prime. And that was while being in a human’s appearance. '''Won’t you return to that beautiful Dragon?'''”<br /> <br /> “That isn’t your concern.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse simply approached her.<br /> <br /> Seeing the silver haired girl doing that, the crimson haired Demon simply put on a cold smile and——<br /> <br /> “I see. So you can’t transform back, can you?”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “That’s too bad. If you could, then you would have been able to fight me even with only half of your strength.”<br /> <br /> “What?”<br /> <br /> “The cause of your loss would be that there hasn’t been much time since you woke up.”<br /> <br /> The real Achendia. And the four phantoms.<br /> <br /> Purple-coloured spell-circles appeared below the feet of the five bodies of the legendary Demon. Strange barriers made up of many complex spell-circles, symbols, and pentagram.<br /> <br /> “Anti-Dragon element barrier!?”<br /> <br /> “You should have realised by the time I summoned the four phantoms. I pity you since your senses were still dull due to three-hundred years of being sealed.”<br /> <br /> The light made from the barrier wrapped around Kyelse as if it was restraining her——<br /> <br /> “Kyelse!?”<br /> <br /> “Don’t come, R————gu……aaah……!?”<br /> <br /> Before Ren could even reach her.<br /> <br /> The silver haired girl’s scream echoed, where she then fell at the centre of the barrier.<br /> <br /> “I already knew you were coming. It’s natural for me to have prepared barriers against you beforehand. I obviously have many anti-Angel barriers set around there against Fear.”<br /> <br /> The four phantoms vanished.<br /> <br /> The remaining Demon General of Blaze looked down at Kyelse with a bewitching smile.<br /> <br /> “What will you do now? Good timing, I was hoping to have a henchman like you.”<br /> <br /> “……Like hell……you low rank……”<br /> <br /> She said while she had lights from the barrier restraining her to the ground.<br /> <br /> She still tried to move despite it. The Dragon Princess bit her teeth hard, got on her four limbs and moved her head up.<br /> <br /> “I’m astonished. You can still speak? Hmm, you are dangerous. If I don’t make you completely powerless before Elise and Fear shows up, you might break free from the barrier with some kind of trigger.”<br /> <br /> The condensed flames.<br /> <br /> She had a spell of intense heat, within her palm, which was burning so much that it was so bright——<br /> <br /> “Anyway, I’ll have myself weaken her moderately.”<br /> <br /> <br /> “Before that happens, I will have you go down.”<br /> <br /> <br /> Achendia didn’t realise it.<br /> <br /> No. To be precise, she knew Kyelse’s strength that she was very cautious of her. Thus she didn’t pay attention to the human who came behind her.<br /> <br /> ——The Angel’s feather in Ren’s left hand.<br /> <br /> ——At the same time the divine item glowed, a crimson spirit appeared behind Ren.<br /> <br /> “Don’t worry about me {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}}, take me down along with her!”<br /> <br /> “!? That spirit! Don’t tell me you are trying to intervene with my spell!?”<br /> <br /> The fire spell compressed inside Achendia’s palm suddenly swells up in rage. It spiraled around in the empty space where the intense heat of flames surrounded Achendia and Ren.<br /> <br /> An instant flash.<br /> <br /> “Ren!?”<br /> <br /> Kyelse’s scream echoed——<br /> <br /> The huge explosion thrusts up the sky. Ren and the Demon General of Blaze gets dragged into the blast and both fell deep into the abyss of the Great Volcano’s slope.<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;==========&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> The Great Volcano of Galia, near the crater of the second route.<br /> <br /> The earthquake shook the slope of the mountain.<br /> <br /> The scattered shockwave passed consecutively through to the starting point of the mountain. Many small stones turned into fallen rocks due to the shock and started to roll down the mountain.<br /> <br /> At the centre of that——<br /> <br /> There was an Archangel and a high-level Demon, who were exchanging punches in close-range, within breathing distance.<br /> <br /> “Destroy!”<br /> <br /> Chorus of loud spirits between the two.<br /> <br /> Fear bent her body to dodge the punch of a huge high-level Demon which came down at her. She went within his reach and thrusts her fist up from below.<br /> <br /> The punch which could drill through the ground.<br /> <br /> The punch which could cut through the sky.<br /> <br /> Sounds of great destruction continued to echo. The punch from the Demon created a large crater on the ground and the punch from Fear which hit the air creaked the atmosphere. The two punches created a tornado-like blast.<br /> <br /> “You are pretty good. It’s been a while since I had a fight which made my heart race so much.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel who had a red face from excitement with her skirt gently blown by the air.<br /> <br /> “I shall hear your name.”<br /> <br /> “That would be an honour. Archangel Fear, the biggest battle maniac of Heaven who directly served under the Goddess Resflaze.”<br /> <br /> The Demon who was wrapped in black and gold armour.<br /> <br /> His actual skin turned into a powerful armour like that of an insect's exoskeleton.<br /> <br /> “One of the Three Followers of the Demon General of Blaze Achendia-sama. The Veldred of the “Armament”.”<br /> <br /> “That was a well-trained martial art. The name of your title don’t come from armed equipment but your “martial art” which acts as an “equipment” itself. I shall remember that name. ……However.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel jumped as if she was dancing.<br /> <br /> “It’s regretful but I don’t have the time to be dancing with you.”<br /> <br /> “——That was my intention.”<br /> <br /> The high-level Demon didn’t even try to dodge Fear’s punch. He crossed his arms. He used the back of his palm which was also the part of his body to take her attack directly.<br /> <br /> “The Archangel who is the number two of Heaven. Even though you have weakened, I am still no match for you.”<br /> <br /> “Oh my? You know when to give up.”<br /> <br /> “Wrong. For that reason I need to buy time and wait for Achendia-sama to arrive.”<br /> <br /> “……Oh, that’s what you meant.”<br /> <br /> She glared at the Demon who jumped to the rear.<br /> <br /> This henchman of Achendia was a martial artist but more than that, he was her royal retainer. The plan where they would concentrate in wasting their strength at their spot so Achendia could later defeat their enemy one after another afterwards.<br /> <br /> ''…..What shall I do now?''<br /> <br /> ''……We wanted to avoid fighting Achendia directly in our current state.''<br /> <br /> Elise, Kyelse, and herself. If two of them among the three joined forces, then they wouldn’t lose against a Demon General. Instead, if they were alone, then Achendia would be an opponent who would be extremely difficult to handle.<br /> <br /> “Looks like we miscalculated.”<br /> <br /> If the four of them, including Ren had headed towards the Five Great Disaster together, then such situation wouldn’t have occurred.<br /> <br /> But in order to rescue the humans that were defeated by the Demons on their way, they needed to go through the different routes. That was the biggest loss.<br /> <br /> “It would be a timed attack indeed. Would I join my comrades after defeating you who is concentrated on defending, or would Achendia defeat my comrades first.”<br /> <br /> “That’s exactly it. Come. The strongest Archangel in Heaven.”<br /> <br /> “No need for you to tell me.”<br /> <br /> She crunched her fist very hard.<br /> <br /> The blonde Angel jumped ahead while she raised her fist which had the strongest hardness in the world and was only equaled by the fangs of the Heavenly Silver Dragon.<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;==========&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> The Great Volcano of Galia, near the crater of the first route.<br /> <br /> Elise who was standing very close to the crater which was the origin of the flowing magma.<br /> <br /> The one who was opposing her was——<br /> <br /> “Let me think, I think you were Nesica of the “Reflection”. The follower of Achendia.”<br /> <br /> “It’s a great honour to have the former Demon Lord-sama remember my name.”<br /> <br /> The blonde Demon who held the side of her long skirt bowed to Elise.<br /> <br /> She also had an appearance of a human girl. But what was clearly different was her long ears like a rabbit's and a tail covered by fur like a fox's.<br /> <br /> “I think you specialised in reflecting spells? Geez, Achendia sure did pit me with the troublesome one.”<br /> <br /> It would have been different if she was pitted against an all-rounder type like Kyelse. But Elise mainly specialised in spells. Just how troublesome would be an opponent who could reflect spells.<br /> <br /> “I’m looking forward to it. Just how much would my ability work against the former Demon Lord-sama.”<br /> <br /> “……Sure. But bye-bye.”<br /> <br /> Elise clicked her fingers. As if it responded to her click, powerful spell-circles appeared and surrounded the blonde Demon.<br /> <br /> “You won’t be able to “reflect” binding barrier, right?”<br /> <br /> “——Wrong.”<br /> <br /> The smile of a high-level Demon. At the same time, the loop of light which was about to restrain Nesica perished.<br /> <br /> The barrier itself gets teleported to Elise.<br /> <br /> “Wah, I didn’t hear that you could even reflect barrier-type spells!?”<br /> <br /> Elise slipped through the loop.<br /> <br /> “It would have been different if it was Elise-sama when you were an active Demon Lord. But if it’s a spell activated by you in your current body, then there isn’t any spell from you I can’t reflect.”<br /> <br /> “……Hmm, this really is getting troublesome. I don’t even have the time to spare.”<br /> <br /> Elise made a bitter smile while she scratched her head. She lifted her eyes which was burning with curiosity and glared at her opponent fearlessly.<br /> <br /> “What should I do now?”<br /> <br /> “Oh my. You still have that much confidence despite having that earlier spell reflected? Do you have a final trick up your sleeve?”<br /> <br /> “Rather than a final trick, it’s more of a……but this is, no, it can’t be helped. I don’t have any more time to waste anyway.”<br /> <br /> The dark-skinned girl shrugged her shoulder in an exaggerated manner.<br /> <br /> The eyes of the girl, who was known as the former Demon Lord, becomes filled with ominous and cold light making Nesica who was standing against her feel the chills.<br /> <br /> “I really wanted to save this for Achendia.”<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> “————————I shall teach you fear which would even make Demons shiver in fear.”<br /> <br /> The wind of spell powers suddenly stopped.<br /> <br /> The area which had spells activated, started to compress and what breezed instead was black wind.<br /> <br /> The jet-black miasma which was even colder and chaotic than the black of night. Such wind swirled around Elise’s body as if it was enveloping her. Even the atmosphere around Nesica was tainted in black and continued to spread.<br /> <br /> At the centre of that miasma——<br /> <br /> One dark-skinned Demon appeared.<br /> <br /> “Eh? ……Eh…………ah, n-no…………it can’t be…………”<br /> <br /> Nesica’s expression froze in fear. There is no Demon who wouldn’t know her. In the past she used her powerful and unrivalled black miasma to shroud the Underworld with. The strongest Demon who even had the Five Great Disasters serve under her——<br /> <br /> “It’s been a while since I returned to this appearance.”<br /> <br /> The one who said that was a tall dark-skinned Demon.<br /> <br /> Her clothing changed to ominous colour and shape due to receiving her miasma. Her tied-up hair was now untied and was continuing to blow due to the powerful and black miasma.<br /> <br /> She changed from her small girl’s appearance to an appearance of a woman with a fascinating body——<br /> <br /> “D……Demon Imperial Princess……Eliselis Di Mariablaze-sama……”<br /> <br /> “Indeed.”<br /> <br /> The former Demon Lord looked down to Nesica who was standing in front of her with eyes which didn’t show the slightest mercy in them.<br /> <br /> “You should be honoured. After all, you would be the first Demon to see me with this appearance ever since I reincarnated ten years ago. I haven’t even told Kyelse and Fear about it.”<br /> <br /> The forbidden spell of the rebirth of the Demon Lord.<br /> <br /> She spent ten years to create it after she reincarnated as a small girl. A secret spell which was solely created by Elise. Since it required consumption of a great amount of spell powers, there was a restriction of being able to use it for only a very short time——<br /> <br /> “I-It can’t be……!? I-I didn’t hear that you could......r-return to your previous form……”<br /> <br /> “Fool. Did you really think I would head towards Achendia without any tricks?”<br /> <br /> “Ugh……gu, fine……bring it!”<br /> <br /> Even though she had to fight the motion of fear which had bound her whole body, Nesica looked up towards the former Demon Lord.<br /> <br /> “What’s this?”<br /> <br /> “Since your original body is that of that small girl, you would require great amount of spell powers to maintain that body! Several mintues at most. Then if I could endure it here for several minutes, your spell power would reach the limit first. There’s no change in Achendia-sama’s victory!”<br /> <br /> “Haha, to be expected from Achendia’s retainer. You are smarter than I thought.”<br /> <br /> The Demon Imperial Princess answered with a smile on her face.<br /> <br /> “But, let me give you a correction. The reason why I didn’t want to waste time wasn’t because I needed to consume enormous amount of spell power to maintain this form.”<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> “I am no longer a Demon Lord. I am merely a single Demon who left that position and lost all of my henchmen. But even for someone like me, I still have irreplaceable comrades. They aren’t my henchmen like all of you once were. But comrades who is equal to me. I just want to make it in time for that danger. That’s simply it.”<br /> <br /> Those words.<br /> <br /> The high-level blonde Demon made an expression as if she couldn’t believe her ears.<br /> <br /> “……You have changed. Former Demon Lord-sama.”<br /> <br /> “You’re right. I may have. But it doesn’t feel bad. A journey with equal comrades that is.”<br /> <br /> She had an overwhelming dignity, and miasma enveloped her body. The charming Demon Imperial Princess walked slowly towards the Demon in front of her.<br /> <br /> “And that’s how much I also want to watch over him. The possibility of Ren who is known as the fake Brave Hero.”<br /> <br /> ===3===<br /> <br /> The Great Volcano of Galia, the midpoint.<br /> <br /> At the midpoint of the mountain, where there wasn’t even the slightest sign of parties, and the Demons that would counter them——<br /> <br /> “……! ……Ku……looks like…...I overdid it.”<br /> <br /> Ren used his sword to support himself and stood up on his own, while his body was full of cuts and bruises.<br /> <br /> “Hmm. Ancient summoning. I wonder how many hundreds of years since it has been since I last met a human who can command a spirit. You sure came up with an interesting tactic when you commanded the {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}} to intervene with my flames and made it explode.”<br /> <br /> The crimson Demon whose tone became lively in joy.<br /> <br /> Even though she had been blasted in the same explosion as Ren, she didn’t receive any wounds.<br /> <br /> “You, a human who resemble Elline. I think Kyelse called you Ren earlier.”<br /> <br /> “——Yeah.”<br /> <br /> “So, what was your intention? It seemed like you protected Kyelse but what are you planning to do?”<br /> <br /> “I was desperate. To be honest, I didn’t have the leisure to think anything through.”<br /> <br /> Ren shook his head.<br /> <br /> Seeing Kyelse put in danger right in front of him, he suddenly took action without even thinking and finding the reason to do so, just to get the Demon General of Blaze away from there at all cost.<br /> <br /> “But by having the discussion with the two of us, I now have two things I wanted to say to you.”<br /> <br /> “What would those be?”<br /> <br /> “First. Why did you betray Elise? I don’t care about the current Demon Lord. But Elise……is a good girl. The relationship between you and Elise may have been that of a master and her retainer, but still, you two were comrades right? I don’t want to see the two of you fight each other and hurt each other.”<br /> <br /> “That sure is an interesting impression you have there, don’t you think?”<br /> <br /> “It isn’t interesting since it’s something I experienced myself. It was the most painful experience I ever had.”<br /> <br /> He continued to be called the fake Brave Hero during those three years at Holy Fiora Journey Academy.<br /> <br /> No one took him seriously. Since he didn’t have any friends who would practice swords with him, he continued to swing his swords alone outside while using the empty air as his sparring partner.<br /> <br /> ''——It’s because I wanted someone to acknowledge me one day.''<br /> <br /> ''——So I intend to understand very well what it means to have comrades, more than anyone.''<br /> <br /> “If I were you……I would never betray such precious comrades no matter what the reason would be. Why can’t you get along with her? It doesn’t matter if Elise is or isn’t a Demon Lord right now. Didn’t she fight till her body was battered three-hundred years ago!?”<br /> <br /> Elise had lost her body in the battle from three-hundred years ago.<br /> <br /> She lost her position as a Demon Lord and reincarnating into a younger but weaker body surely wasn’t something she wanted either. However——<br /> <br /> “Wasn’t Elise, the Demon Lord, the one who fought alongside all of you who were her trusted retainers!? So don’t just betray her easily like that!”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> The crimson Demon didn’t answer.<br /> <br /> “……So, what was the second thing you wanted to say?”<br /> <br /> “I certainly am no Elline. Yeah, I’m none other than the fake Brave Hero. I don’t mind to be called that in the academy, the town of the blazing cliff, and even from a Demon as yourself. ——But!”<br /> <br /> Ren gripped his sword harder.<br /> <br /> There was one promise he made which passed his mind.<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“Don’t forget the strong spirit you showed when you protected me and challenged the Wyvern. That is the only requirement I ask from you to form a party with me.”''<br /> <br /> <br /> “There is something I also can’t give up on. I won’t break the promise I made with Kyelse no matter what!”<br /> <br /> “Are you going to buy time so you can call the other three here?”<br /> <br /> “No way. I don’t have time to do that. Your henchmen is doing whatever they like and are rampaging in the town located below this mountain.”<br /> <br /> The story of the boy who was called the fake Brave Hero.<br /> <br /> This was truly the beginning of it.<br /> <br /> “I will! Now, right here! I will end this by defeating you!”<br /> <br /> “Dummy. If it was Elline from the past it would have been different, but you are merely a human. Know the power difference between us.”<br /> <br /> The Demon General of Blaze raised her right hand.<br /> <br /> Roar!<br /> <br /> Cracks were created on the ground where a giant wall of flames blew up so high that you had to look up. Not only did the flames hava high temperature which was enough to melt the rocks it touched, it was also a wide-range spell which covered your whole sight in flames.<br /> <br /> “This should be the end for it.”<br /> <br /> Torrent of flames which was heading at Ren.<br /> <br /> Those flames————was cut in half by the swing of the boy’s sword.<br /> <br /> “You stopped my flames for the second time!? ……I see that the spirit is quite fond of you.”<br /> <br /> The {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}} which was resting on Ren’s right shoulder.<br /> <br /> It responded to the sword Ren used, as he swung it to intervene with the flames coming towards him.<br /> <br /> “!”<br /> <br /> The Five Great Disaster got stirred. Ren used that instant to jump.<br /> <br /> The mass of flames which was created by Achendia fell down towards Ren after it spun in mid-air. Ren continued to dodge every one of them. No, there should have been flames which had hit him. But even those flames disappeared, leaving just white smokes as if it had been washed away by water.<br /> <br /> ——The Archangel’s feather and the former Demon Lord’s jewel.<br /> <br /> As well it was a jewel to activate ancient summoning, it could also be used as a defence-barrier which had resistance to varieties of spells. It was the effect of those supports.<br /> <br /> “Over there!”<br /> <br /> Ren closed the distance with the Demon General who had jumped away, and swung his sword slanted from a lower angle.<br /> <br /> The tip of the sword grazed her.<br /> <br /> But the whole body of the crimson Demon disappeared that instant like a mist.<br /> <br /> “Mirage!?”<br /> <br /> “Correct~. I distorted the layers present in the air with the heat of my flames in order to manipulate the refractive index of light. Since it was a genuine physical phenomenon, I can even confuse those who senses the spell-power of their opponent……well, you didn’t seem like such a skillful person so I was surprised by you. I had to take that measure.”<br /> <br /> The charming Demon was smiling from far away.<br /> <br /> “Ancient summoning and spirit summoning. Did you train at the Holy-land of Canaan?”<br /> <br /> “Of course not.”<br /> <br /> The heat of the flames lurked in the surrounding area.<br /> <br /> Ren wiped away his sweats which was falling down like waterfall and then shook his head.<br /> <br /> ''……This is bad.''<br /> <br /> ''……I wanted to settle this with that attack just now.''<br /> <br /> She was a Demon whom even the current Demon Lord would be frightened with. Ren himself was fully aware just how much power gap there were between the two of them. For that reason, he wanted to settle this right away. He wanted to settle it before he revealed the {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}} as well as the divine tools given to her by Fear and Elise.<br /> <br /> “That was unfortunate. Your expression tells me that you wanted to use it while I had my guard down, you know?”<br /> <br /> She spoke as if it was an obvious act.<br /> <br /> But she didn’t have the slightest expression of looking down on him as she had before.<br /> <br /> “You are the same as Kyelse. It was a bit too early for you to fight me.”<br /> <br /> The earth which the crimson Demon was standing on started to slowly give out a red glow.<br /> <br /> The stones around her started to melt and fuse. As if it started following after it, the earth around her, the giant rock which was present, and all kinds of objects started to turn red and melt——<br /> <br /> “The lava flow!?”<br /> <br /> “The temperature is more than 1000 degrees. I guess it would be too hot for a human to bathe in.”<br /> <br /> That instant, the lava flow which was glowing brilliantly spouted from the ground.<br /> <br /> From Achendia who was standing normally in the centre of it, the lava flow came down to Ren who was standing below her eyes. The lava flow came rushing at him powerfully, like an avalanche, while devouring everything in its way.<br /> <br /> “By the way, flames are the only factor the {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}} can intervene with. Lava which is made from rocks that were melted by heat cannot be guarded or intervened with. What will you do now?”<br /> <br /> “So it’s a counter measure against the {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}}……!”<br /> <br /> Ren bit his teeth hard and looked around.<br /> <br /> The bumps of the mountains created from natural cause was made from the earth and the sand. If the lava was coming from the higher altitude, then evacuating to a higher place would allow Ren to escape this situation……or could he?<br /> <br /> “Dammit, come {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}}!”<br /> <br /> Ren jumped while he had the spirit obey him.<br /> <br /> The lava flow was coming at him as it blew out flames. It approached so close that he could feel the heat from it burn his skin——<br /> <br /> “How unfortunate. Maybe you won’t make it?”<br /> <br /> Achendia’s words of pity.<br /> <br /> At the same time, Ren tightly gripped the amber he had received from Elise.<br /> <br /> “I hope this will work……!”<br /> <br /> Ancient summoning to teleport physical objects. The more complicated the spell was, the more powerful the activation substance would be and hence, the easier it would be to break the limitation of the distance and quality of the object you would have teleported.<br /> <br /> ——A huge rock.<br /> <br /> A huge rock which Ren had seen far ahead gets summoned between him and the lava flow.<br /> <br /> “Are you planning to stop the lava? Dummy, a simple rock like that would get melted as a whole.”<br /> <br /> “That’s not what I’m planning to do.”<br /> <br /> Ren simply said that and jumped towards the huge rock right in front of him.<br /> <br /> ''……It’s obvious that I would only be able to summon that for an instant with my current skill.''<br /> <br /> ''……Please make it!''<br /> <br /> The huge rock was to mold a space for his footing.<br /> <br /> Several seconds remained till the summoned rock would disappear. He stepped on the rock within those seconds and jumped once again from the top of the rock. He jumped over the lava flow that was coming at him.<br /> <br /> “Good decision. But my lava doesn’t just flow————now explode.”<br /> <br /> Rumbling.<br /> <br /> Fragments of lava got shot out to the front. It came flying towards Ren in the same velocity as that of a bullet.<br /> <br /> “————”<br /> <br /> Countless flying pebbles which was burning in intense heat lands on Ren. The boy fell without crying out and had lots of blood spurt from his body............did not happen since he instantly disappeared from sight.<br /> <br /> “Is that my mirage!?”<br /> <br /> “That was your trick. You distorted the air with the heat of your flames in order to create a camouflage by bending the light!”<br /> <br /> The boy who rushed right in front of Achendia swung down his sword at her.<br /> <br /> ——Emission of heatwaves by the {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}}.<br /> <br /> Those flames distorted the air around Ren and created an artificial phantom on the spot.<br /> <br /> The flash of the sword.<br /> <br /> It was certainly the moment when Ren’s sword strike had caught the Demon General of Blaze.<br /> <br /> “……'''Ren-chan.'''”<br /> <br /> “!?”<br /> <br /> Something cold passed through Ren’s back with that one word, said by the Demon. Ren took distance without thinking twice.<br /> <br /> ——The tip of the sword had rusted.<br /> <br /> Right before the tip of the sword touched Achendia’s body, the blade made from steel rusted in an instant, by the high intense heat of the miasma which was enveloping and protecting her.<br /> <br /> ''……I was prepared ever since Kyelse told me about it.''<br /> <br /> ''……So this is the threat of the miasma which is worn by highest-level Demons.''<br /> <br /> The protection given to him by the divine tools he had received from Fear and Elise. He had a faint hope of having his sword protected from her miasma. But the miasma of the Five Great Demon was overwhelmingly ominous.<br /> <br /> “Now I get it.”<br /> <br /> On the other hand, Achendia spoke as if she was talking to herself.<br /> <br /> “I’m shocked. It was thanks to the power of the {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}} that you were able to copy my move by seeing it with your own eyes and it was thanks to Fear’s divine tool you were able to summon it. But the judgement you made to actually put that in practice in the very last minute was no doubt your power. …..If that sword was even a bit of a famed sword, I may have received some wound by you.”<br /> <br /> Her dress which had a small cut.<br /> <br /> The Demon stroked the small cut made by the sword on her breast. By that time not only wasn’t there a scratch on her crimson dress, but even the slightest crease was repaired.<br /> <br /> “If there was one thing I fear about humans, then that wouldn’t be the population of the human species but their growth speed. Rather than being described as learning, it won’t be an exaggeration to call it an evolution. You know, with that in mind, Ren-chan? There’s one thing I’m sure of.”<br /> <br /> “……What is it?”<br /> <br /> “'''In a near future you will become a threat to me. So I will kill you here.'''”<br /> <br /> The atmosphere suddenly changed.<br /> <br /> The glare of the Demon General of Blaze Achendia. Even inside the intense heat of the place due to the heat from the lava, she gave an intense cold feeling which was so cold as if you were thrown into the current of an ocean. ——No, this was a simple pressure.<br /> <br /> “The forbidden chapter of blaze, the “Crimson World”.”<br /> <br /> <br /> The sky of the night gets tainted in crimson color which was close to that of blood.<br /> <br /> <br /> ''……A barrier? No, it’s Achendia’s miasma.''<br /> <br /> ''……Did this whole mountain get covered by miasma of Achendia’s flames!?''<br /> <br /> “I, the Demon General of Blaze.”<br /> <br /> The crimson Demon raised her hand.<br /> <br /> “The light, the heat, and the flames are within my control as close as it can eternally be.”<br /> <br /> The red light which started pouring down.<br /> <br /> Those came pouring from the crimson sky of night. There were countless number of lights which poured like intense rain.<br /> <br /> The single drop of light—— the moment it touched the tip of his elbow, the fibre was burned away without even flames actually appearing and burning it.<br /> <br /> “Agh!?”<br /> <br /> “The hell fire which would burn away this world. I shall show you what real spells are.”<br /> <br /> The Demon General of Blaze just calmly stood there, while she had red lights pouring on her.<br /> <br /> The rains of light, there were thousands of them.<br /> <br /> When the raindrop touched the ground it melted away the stones and when it touched the grove of the trees it turned the whole trees into charcoals. Even though it was pouring like rain, it changed its course while dropping. There were rains where it dropped vertically even though it was pouring in spirals.<br /> <br /> ——The spell where the energy of flames all turned into light and heat.<br /> <br /> ——They returned into flames only when it touched the target and burned it away.<br /> <br /> “Ku……a……!”<br /> <br /> ''……It isn’t a spell a human can control.''<br /> <br /> ''……This is the highest-level Demon. She is indeed a true monster.''<br /> <br /> The {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}} intervened with Achendia’s flames and weakened the flames that were attacking Ren.<br /> <br /> On top of that, the Archangel’s feather and the Demon Lord’s jewel, which created a powerful and unrivalled protection-barrier to weaken the power of flames even more, played a role. But even still, a single drop of light had high intense heat.<br /> <br /> Ren didn’t even have the will to imagine what would have happened to him if he wasn’t protected by both the spirit and the divine tools.<br /> <br /> “Even still, it’s not over yet!”<br /> <br /> Ren swung down his sword even though he was feeling intense pain on his shoulder.<br /> <br /> The pouring rains of light with high intense heat. The single drop which could be called a raindrop or even a flash was accurately cut by the sword swung by the boy.<br /> <br /> “————”<br /> <br /> The boy didn’t stop.<br /> <br /> While he was inside the pouring flashes, he concentrated only on the raindrops pouring on him so he could mow them down with the tip of his rusted sword. The blade itself would melt if Ren blocked them with the tip of his sword so the {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}} intervened with the course of those flames and distorted them.<br /> <br /> “Magnificent.”<br /> <br /> The praise from the crimson Demon which came from the bottom of her heart.<br /> <br /> “To only cut the lights pouring on you. Or was that a coincidence?”<br /> <br /> “No, I simply had done this training before.”<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“There’s nothing wrong with your training and your hard work.”''<br /> <br /> ''“Seize the drop of water and a fraction of fire, and strike it down with a single slash instantly.”''<br /> <br /> <br /> ''……I really need to thank Kyelse.''<br /> <br /> He who was an outsider at the academy. He couldn’t find classmates who would train with him so his training partner had always been the empty air.<br /> <br /> ''——I have been swinging my sword against the pouring raindrops by following its course, when it was raining.''<br /> <br /> Kyelse was the only one who acknowledged his hard work. She even pushed him to strive even further. That experience is now bearing fruit.<br /> <br /> “But it was still too early for you to fight me.”<br /> <br /> “!?”<br /> <br /> “Burst.”<br /> <br /> Lights covered his sight.<br /> <br /> The next moment the detonations which shook the air attacked Ren.<br /> <br /> “——Gah!?”<br /> <br /> The rain of lights which poured on him. Those thousands of raindrops, which acted like very small bombs, exploded at once and the blast spread everywhere.<br /> <br /> The sword fell from Ren’s hand and made a sound as it hit the ground.<br /> <br /> ''......This is bad. For an instant, I really lost my consciousness with that impact.''<br /> <br /> Ren had his knee on the ground by the time he realised it.<br /> <br /> “I guess this was your limit after all. Even though you have the appearance of Elline, you are very far from being him.”<br /> <br /> The broken sword.<br /> <br /> The blade broke due to the impact of the blast. The Demon General of Blaze looked down at the bladeless sword.<br /> <br /> “Well, you sure did put up a fight for a human. You did so well that I don’t mind making you my henchmen together with Kyelse. A human who can use ancient summoning is rare after all.”<br /> <br /> “……Don’t……mess……with me.”<br /> <br /> Ren wiped his cheek which was covered in his blood and sweat.<br /> <br /> He tightly gripped the bladeless sword and glared at Achendia.<br /> <br /> “I……can still……stand as you can see.”<br /> <br /> “I can’t understand it.”<br /> <br /> She had Ren in front of her, who had replied to her as such, while breathing heavily.<br /> <br /> It was none other than the Demon General of Blaze who tilted her head, eyes filled with wonder.<br /> <br /> “Your sword broke and your body is battered. You can’t even completely control the {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}} which is your trump card. What can you possibly do in this situation? Are you planning to call out your comrades?”<br /> <br /> “Nope.”<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> “There’s only one thing I’m thinking of and that is the way to defeat you.”<br /> <br /> Ren took a step, despite the fact that he couldn’t keep his body balanced, and showed a fearless smile.<br /> <br /> “I……want to become a member of this party. I want to become the actual comrade of those three.”<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“When we are fighting, just put your life as the priority.”''<br /> <br /> <br /> ''The Dragon Princess Kyelse, the Archangel Fear, and the former Demon Lord Elise.''<br /> <br /> ''And myself who was merely allowed to “join” them. But that isn’t it. There won’t be any meaning if it stayed like this. The party I am aiming for is——''<br /> <br /> “I just……want those three to really acknowledge me as their comrade. I want to continue journeying the world with them. That’s why I can’t lose at a place like this!”<br /> <br /> His body was covered in cuts and burns due to the impact of the blasts.<br /> <br /> Even so, the boy who was known as the fake Brave Hero declared it, while he had the legendary Demon standing in his way.<br /> <br /> “Bring it, Demon General of Blaze. This will be the last battle!”<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;==========&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> The Great Volcano of Galia, the summit of the third route——<br /> <br /> The faint purple light which came from the top of the mountain was a strange barrier made from a variety of different spell-circles, symbols, and the pentagrams.<br /> <br /> The anti-Dragon element barrier. The pillar of lights would intervene the more powerful the Dragon was and would cancel their power.<br /> <br /> “Gu……to use……such trick……”<br /> <br /> Kyelse bit her teeth hard while the pillar of lights restrained her to the ground.<br /> <br /> A mere barrier such as this would have been easily destroyed by her in an instant, without needing to transform back into a Dragon, if this was three-hundred years ago.<br /> <br /> “……Ren……”<br /> <br /> She said that name while she was in pain.<br /> <br /> Ren commanded the {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}} to intervene with Achendia’s spell in order to protect Kyelse——. He fell down to the mountain’s slope along with Achendia from the blast. She possibly couldn’t know how far they had fallen but the biggest problem was that too much time had passed since then.<br /> <br /> ''——She isn’t someone who you could beat alone.''<br /> <br /> ''——Even Ren should know that.''<br /> <br /> “Don’t play with me humans! Why must all of you leave me and hasten to your death!”<br /> <br /> The three-hundred years of imprisonment, being sealed.<br /> <br /> She had the Sword Emperor Elline, who had reached out to her die before her——<br /> <br /> And if she lost Ren here who she had reached out her hand to——<br /> <br /> “I won’t allow it……I certainly don’t want that to happen! I won’t allow it!”<br /> <br /> The silver haired girl.<br /> <br /> No, the Dragon who was in the form of a human howled.<br /> <br /> “Return and reincarnate! I am the Princess of the Dragons. I shall abandon my body of a human once again!”<br /> <br /> The magnificent howl. The silver haired girl’s body vibrated for an instant. Then a bright silver-white glow was emitted from her body. It shined at the summit of the Great Volcano widely. And then——<br /> <br /> “Disappear. Beautifully, and violently.”<br /> <br /> The absolute power of words.<br /> <br /> It shredded the purple pillar of lights which then disappeared into the empty sky.<br /> <br /> The barrier perished without a trace.<br /> <br /> In the centre of it was the silver haired girl who crouched once again and was breathing heavily.<br /> <br /> “……Sigh……a……ah…………I was able to……return for an……instant……?”<br /> <br /> Large number of sweats passed down her cheek and dropped from her chin.<br /> <br /> But that only happened for a short time as Kyelse stood up and climbed down the mountain right away.<br /> <br /> “Wait for me, Ren……!”<br /> <br /> She wouldn’t get lost.<br /> <br /> The girl climbed down the mountain path as if she was being guided.<br /> <br /> ===4===<br /> <br /> The Great Volcano of Galia, the middle point.<br /> <br /> At the steady slope of the mountain, there wasn’t any sight of either the parties or the henchmen of Achendia that were also Demons like her.<br /> <br /> “The last battle? You should know your place.”<br /> <br /> Crimson miasma appeared from the whole body of the Demon General of Blaze.<br /> <br /> The magnificent and absolute power dyed the night sky of the Great Volcano with its color. What fell from the sky which was dyed in crimson were numerous flashes just like a meteor shower.<br /> <br /> The small light which had the size of a raindrop.<br /> <br /> Each drop of light fused with the stones by simply being in contact with it, and turned the ground into lava. Simply using the term being burnt by it won’t be enough to describe the seriousness of the situation if a person was hit by it. Even so——<br /> <br /> “I’m telling you that I won’t give up!”<br /> <br /> Ren gripped his broken sword in which the blade was broken from the middle, and sprinted through the battlefield which had red lights pouring from above. Right behind him was the {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}} which was obeying him as it floated above in the air.<br /> <br /> “Hah!”<br /> <br /> He swung his sword against the flash of light which came from high above his head. Even though the tip of his sword was missing, the {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}} intervened with Achendia’s spell while responding to Ren’s movement. It moved away the flashes which was pouring above Ren.<br /> <br /> ''…...Elise and Fear-senpai.''<br /> <br /> ''……And Kyelse. I need to thank all of them.''<br /> <br /> The former Demon Lord’s jewel and the Archangel’s feather. Ren wouldn’t have been able to summon the {{Furigana|ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}} without these two divine tools and he also wouldn’t have been able to endure Achendia’s attack either.<br /> <br /> And Kyelse.<br /> <br /> In reality, the attack which Kyelse gave to Achendia in the beginning, had left a critical damage to Achendia even till now.<br /> <br /> Ren noticed that since Achendia had been putting her hand over her stomach, she had been using resurrection spells on herself.<br /> <br /> ''……This would be the only time for me to damage her.''<br /> <br /> ''……But what should I do? How would I be able to win against this enemy who is too powerful?''<br /> <br /> The only weapon he had with him was his broken sword.<br /> <br /> The decisive method to attack Achendia which would be the most crucial point still hadn’t been found——<br /> <br /> That moment.<br /> <br /> What passed through Ren’s mind was a “certain thing” Kyelse had said to him.<br /> <br /> ''............There is a way.''<br /> <br /> '''''……There’s still one way left.'''''<br /> <br /> There was still one possibility left to defeat Achendia even under this hopeless situation.<br /> <br /> “————”<br /> <br /> Ren gripped his bladeless sword and sprinted as he gazed at the Demon General of Blaze.<br /> <br /> However.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry. It doesn’t necessary mean that the attacks would only come from the sky.”<br /> <br /> “……G-Guh!?”<br /> <br /> The flash of intense high heat burnt Ren’s back from right behind him. The lights which came from the sky moved in a complex angle; therefore: Ren couldn’t notice the attack coming from behind him as that was his blind spot.<br /> <br /> “The spirits are indeed powerful, but they won’t take any action if the summoner doesn’t give them orders. So it means the spirit can only block the lights you are personally aware of.”<br /> <br /> “No……since that’s good enough for me!”<br /> <br /> Ren still didn’t stop running even though his body was covered in cuts and burns.<br /> <br /> “What’s this? That face. You still haven’t given up? But it all ends here. I had more fun than I expected but I still have three individual I need to be more cautious about.”<br /> <br /> The Five Great Disaster raised her hand high.<br /> <br /> “The red star, fall.”<br /> <br /> Meteor. The whole crimson miasma which had dyed the sky red turned into a burning star and came falling in a direction to crush Ren.<br /> <br /> “You were entertaining for a human.”<br /> <br /> Was the smile the Demon General of Blaze gave for pity or for praise?<br /> <br /> Rumble!<br /> <br /> The red, scorching, burning star was falling towards the boy. A huge crater was formed on the earth and there were powerful, red molten lava bursting up high from the crater.<br /> <br /> ——But Ren wasn’t located below the falling burning star.<br /> <br /> “Falling for the same trap. That isn’t like you.”<br /> <br /> The atmosphere distorted and the boy suddenly appeared.<br /> <br /> Ren who held his sword had already gotten close to Achendia.<br /> <br /> “……It’s the mirage from before!?”<br /> <br /> “There’s only one reason why you lost. I wasn’t even a threat in your eyes. You reserved your strength while fighting me and had only been thinking about the fight against Kyelse, Fear-senpai, and Elise.”<br /> <br /> The boy swung his sword.<br /> <br /> But the Five Great Disaster didn’t lose her smile even though she saw that.<br /> <br /> “And? What will you do with that broken sword? Do you think you can break through my miasma with that sword——”<br /> <br /> “No.”<br /> <br /> The sword fell to the ground while it made a sound.<br /> <br /> “!? You discarded your own sword!?”<br /> <br /> “You are hundreds of times stronger than me. Then it’s obvious how I must win against you.”<br /> <br /> The golden jewel which he held in his left hand.<br /> <br /> The former Demon Lord’s jewel. It was the divine tool to activate the ancient summoning and the effect was to summon physical objects. To summon what you were imagining into the designated location.<br /> <br /> “'''I need to borrow the strength of the one stronger than you. That’s simply it.'''”<br /> <br /> The activation substance was glowing. Immediately after that——<br /> <br /> What Ren held in his hand was a single sword glowing in transparent blue color.<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“That’s the sword used to take down the Archangel who was acting tough at the Heaven, and the Demon Lord who was acting like a boss at the Underworld.”''<br /> <br /> <br /> ——'''Spirit Sword Vierge.'''<br /> [[Image:Sekai_no_Owari_no_Encore_V1_Non-colour_008.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> Achendia opened her eyes wide. There was no way that a Five Great Disaster such as her didn’t know. This sword which was used by the Brave Hero was the one used three-hundred years ago to——<br /> <br /> “They say that Elline fought Elise using this sword. If it was a sword which worked against the Demon Lord of back then, then it’s natural for it to work against you who was her henchman.”<br /> <br /> ''……Please Elline.''<br /> <br /> ''……This one instant will be enough so please lend me your strength!''<br /> <br /> He wished and made a prayer.<br /> <br /> The boy who was called the fake Brave Hero swung the sword of the Brave Hero that he held in his hand.<br /> <br /> And then——<br /> <br /> ===5===<br /> <br /> The Great Volcano of Galia, the middle point.<br /> <br /> There wasn’t any sight of Demons, Achendia’s henchmen, nor the parties. Simply the remains of the heatwaves, created from the red scorching flames, filled the place and the atmosphere was awkwardly quiet.<br /> <br /> “Ren! Ren, where are you!? Dammit……Achendia, come out!”<br /> <br /> She yelled so loud that she started breathing heavily. Kyelse forgot to wipe her sweat caused by the fatigue of breaking through the barrier and simply kept on running.<br /> <br /> ''……I can feel the remains of Achendia’s spells. She must be nearby.''<br /> <br /> The scars left by the battle between Ren and the Demon General of Blaze.<br /> <br /> Kyelse became frustrated as there were scars of great destruction spread in front of her.<br /> <br /> She continued to run through the surface of the ground which continued to glow red even now.<br /> <br /> “Kyelse!”<br /> <br /> “Fear!? And Elise!?”<br /> <br /> The ones who caught up to her from behind was the two other girls that went through the separate routes.<br /> <br /> The Archangel and the former Demon Lord.<br /> <br /> All of them had close to no wounds. But the expression on each of their faces was filled with tension.<br /> <br /> “My apologies. My body was duller than I expected…… You would need to think carefully about staying in a human’s academy for a long period. I had a hard time remembering my battle instincts. And Elise, was it me or did I feel a nostalgic miasma coming from you before?”<br /> <br /> “I ended up using an incomplete forbidden technique.”<br /> <br /> The dark skinned girl continued to run with a bit of fatigue on her face.<br /> <br /> “I only had half of the power of my prime even though I used that much spell-power. So my battle lasted longer since I tried to reserve my power. By the way Kyelse, where is Ren!?”<br /> <br /> “Ren is…………”<br /> <br /> He’s fighting because he defended me. Kyelse stopped herself from saying that and continued to run through the roadless volcano mountain. Fear and Elise followed right behind her.<br /> <br /> Just how long had she been running while having the wind blow her hair?<br /> <br /> What awaited her when she continued to run without a word was——<br /> <br /> “Ren!?”<br /> <br /> Right after that.<br /> <br /> Kyelse, the Archangel, and the Demon Lord witnessed the moment which they would never forget for the rest of their lives.<br /> <br /> That was——<br /> <br /> <br /> “It’s my win, Achendia.”<br /> <br /> <br /> The boy who had swung the shining Spirit Sword.<br /> <br /> The moment when the boy cut through the ominous miasma and defeated the Demon General of Blaze.<br /> <br /> “T-That sword!”<br /> <br /> “The Spirit Sword Vierge!? Did he summon Elline’s sword!?”<br /> <br /> Elise and Fear who screamed in shock.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> Kyelse had forgotten about the two girls and simply walked silently towards the boy as it became dawn right behind him.<br /> <br /> Far behind him was the great crimson Demon, who was on her knees in silence, without even moving an inch.<br /> <br /> “……Ren?”<br /> <br /> The faint morning sunlight appeared from the other side of the horizon.<br /> <br /> And the boy who had his back towards the sunlight.<br /> <br /> The Demon Lord of Blaze who would be a powerful enemy with absolute strength. She had witnessed the moment when the boy who was called the fake Brave Hero defeated her.<br /> <br /> ''……Words won’t come out from my mouth.''<br /> <br /> ''……I……Are you telling me I was……fascinated by Ren right now?''<br /> <br /> “Huh? Ah, that’s good. Kyelse, Fear-senpai, Elise, you are all fine.”<br /> <br /> The boy turned around slowly.<br /> <br /> “……Ren. Achendia, you actually……”<br /> <br /> Won against her?<br /> <br /> Kyelse was about to say that but she couldn’t speak out as her lips were shivering. She couldn’t even come up with what to say to him, so staring at the boy was the best she could do.<br /> <br /> “Well, it worked more than I imagined. Make sure you give me a bit of a praise, okay?”<br /> <br /> The Brave Hero’s sword was returning to the triumphal town.<br /> <br /> The boy who was known as the fake Brave Hero gave a big smile to Kyelse, while he gazed at the disappearing sword.<br /> <br /> ——His body was all covered with wounds and burns.<br /> <br /> Kyelse also didn’t know what was in her mind, when she saw the boy smile firmly, even though he was in such a state.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> Kyelse however, had put her hand slowly onto her chest.<br /> <br /> Her heartbeat started beating fast without realising it.<br /> <br /> ——It was the first time she felt like this.<br /> <br /> The strongest force was led by the Sword Emperor Elline. It was impossible to lose in battle three-hundred years ago.<br /> <br /> But it was different now.<br /> <br /> It was different to the sense of security she had, when she watched over Elline’s promised victory with composure.<br /> <br /> The weak retaliated desperately against the overwhelmingly strong foe while being covered in wounds. To have your chest fill with heat by seeing such individual attain victory at dawn.<br /> <br /> It was a feeling Kyelse had experienced for the first time.<br /> [[Image:Sekai_no_Owari_no_Encore_V1_Non-colour_009.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> “Kyelse?”<br /> <br /> “………………'''Idiot.'''”<br /> <br /> She approached the front of the boy while walking dizzily.<br /> <br /> And then, Kyelse gently embraced the wounded boy, and placed his head on her chest.<br /> <br /> “I was worried. Don’t you ever act on your own again.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “This is a promise. Got it?”<br /> <br /> The boy nodded silently.<br /> <br /> Seeing his response, Kyelse embraced the boy again without saying a word.<br /> <br /> ===6===<br /> <br /> The Great Volcano of Galia, the middle point——<br /> <br /> “Oh well, it can’t be helped. I can’t be motivated to obey the current Demon Lord-sama but I just have to return to Underworld for now, right? I was beaten by Ren-chan after all.”<br /> <br /> The Demon General of Blaze scratched the back of her head with an awkward look.<br /> <br /> There wasn’t a single wound on her body which was covered with a crimson dress. The wound she received from the sword wielded by Ren was a small bruise which had already been healed.<br /> <br /> ——Even so, the Five Great Disaster declared her defeat on her own.<br /> <br /> “So we are going back to the Underworld? So troublesome. Right, Nesica?”<br /> <br /> “I sure wanted to enjoy a bit more of earth which I haven’t visited in a while. Right, Mii?”<br /> <br /> “Know your place, Nesica, Mii.”<br /> <br /> The Three Followers stood behind Achendia.<br /> <br /> All three of them were high-level Demons that stood in the ways of Fear, Elise, and Elmekia Dusk. The wound they received on those battle still remained strongly. And further behind them were dozens of Demons on standby, who are also Achendia’s henchmen, and were waiting for her orders.<br /> <br /> “I guess I’ll be returning then.”<br /> <br /> “Achendia.”<br /> <br /> The crimson Demon who turned her back.<br /> <br /> The one who called out to her was the dark-skinned girl who was known as the former Demon Lord.<br /> <br /> “Are you still bothered about three-hundred years ago?”<br /> <br /> “……Yes. It’s hard to understand it. The End War from back then. '''Why did you, who was the Demon Lord, sacrificed yourself for me, who was merely your henchman?''' You lost your position as a Demon Lord because of it and ended up reincarnating into such a young body. I didn’t want to see it. That weakened state of yours.”<br /> <br /> Achendia answered her while she sighed.<br /> <br /> “Remember this, okay? I won’t acknowledge anyone but you as the Demon Lord who would rule the Underworld. So go and find the spell to return into your original body. I would rather be dead than to serve that weak Demon Lord.”<br /> <br /> “……Yeah yeah. I never thought I would have my former henchman worry about me.”<br /> <br /> Elise made a bitter smile while she put on an awkward expression.<br /> <br /> The response the crimson Demon gave to the former Demon Lord, who acted in such a way, was a silent smile. That smile wasn’t her fearless smile she had till now but a smile which was pure and beautiful——<br /> <br /> <br /> ''……Was the real reason why Achendia came to earth was perhaps——''<br /> <br /> ''……Not to rebel against the current Demon Lord but to send that message to her?''<br /> <br /> <br /> “Goodbye Ren-chan. Take care of Elise-sama, okay?”<br /> <br /> The moment Ren thought such. The Demons including the Five Great Disaster disappeared as if they blended with the morning sunlight.<br /> <br /> {{SimpleNav<br /> |b=Record.4|bn=Record.4<br /> |f=Interval|fn=Interval<br /> }}</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sekai_no_Owari_no_Encore:Volume_1_Record.4&diff=443530 Sekai no Owari no Encore:Volume 1 Record.4 2015-05-19T00:26:09Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Record.4: Elmekia Dusk==<br /> <br /> ===1===<br /> <br /> The heat and the temperature which felt like it could choke you.<br /> <br /> Simply breathing in the air would burn your lungs. A place where the atmosphere was filled with such high heat which made you feel as such.<br /> <br /> The town of the blazing cliff, Jio.<br /> <br /> “It’s hot! So this isn’t a heat coming from the people but the steam which is coming from the mountain right?”<br /> <br /> “This is a town which lies before the Great Volcano of Galia after all. Over there, you can already see it.”<br /> <br /> Ranges of mountain where the summit of the mountain were tainted red.<br /> <br /> Fear pointed at the top of a mountain, an active volcano where the magma spurred, with her finger.<br /> <br /> ——The location where one of the Five Great Disasters, Demon General of Blaze Achendia, awaits them.<br /> <br /> “Huh? Are you a bit nervous, Ren?”<br /> <br /> “There’s no way I won’t be. I’ve been like this before we even entered this town.”<br /> <br /> Even though the surface of his body was hot, the part of his body deep within was icy cold.<br /> <br /> The tension and the fear. Even for Elise whose current body was that of after reincarnating herself, their opponent would be someone who a former Demon Lord such as herself cannot face alone to the extent that she sought for help.<br /> <br /> “Anyways, am I the only one nervous?”<br /> <br /> “Are you implying I am?”<br /> <br /> “You are like usual, Kyelse. I’m talking about the parties scattered all over the places.”<br /> <br /> The people that passed through the main street.<br /> <br /> About half of them weren’t the residents of this town but the members of powerful parties. There were obviously {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}} that were forging that swords and also what appeared to be parties exchanging information.<br /> <br /> “Oh my. Achendia sure is popular.”<br /> <br /> Elise made a bitter smile while she looked at the presence of dozens of parties.<br /> <br /> “They will all be slayed, I guess? I doubt they won’t be able to defeat not only Achendia but even her henchmen.”<br /> <br /> “……Don’t say such scary thing naturally like that.”<br /> <br /> “I’m dead serious. That’s because there aren’t any impressive bunch here.”<br /> <br /> The parties gathered at this town must mostly be newly formed parties. They must have gathered here to get their fame by defeating the Demon General of Blaze.<br /> <br /> “Huh? Aren’t you Ren?”<br /> <br /> That was the time when a young man’s voice came from behind them.<br /> <br /> “Oi, it really is. The so called fake Brave Hero.”<br /> <br /> “That one, right? The one who failed last year’s promotion exam and is repeating his second year.”<br /> <br /> “……Senpai?”<br /> <br /> The two {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}} that were wearing top grade armaments with carved seals engraved in them.<br /> <br /> They graduated Holy Fiora Journey Academy last year and formed a party among their five friends. For someone like Ren who had repeated a year, they were three grades his senior. That made them a grade above Fear.<br /> <br /> ''——I wouldn’t forget.''<br /> <br /> ''——That’s because they were seniors that always tried to pick a fight with me ever since I enrolled.''<br /> <br /> “Hey, what’s going on here? Skipping classes, are we? You aren’t telling me you formed a party? You are still a middle-rank student and haven’t even graduated yet. You are still III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} aren’t you?”<br /> <br /> “Or did you withdraw from the Academy? Hey. Who are those young girls? Huh…..aren’t you——”<br /> <br /> “It’s been a while.”<br /> <br /> The party of five members that graduated from Holy Fiora Journey Academy. The one who the female {{Furigana|Barrierer|ENCHANTER}} among them looked at was Fear who was famous for being considered as the first prodigy ever since the establishment of the academy.<br /> <br /> “I think your name was……Fear. The one who was being favoured by the instructors.”<br /> <br /> “That would be an exaggeration for someone like me.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel responded with a smile.<br /> <br /> “So, how come all of you are here?”<br /> <br /> “Hunting down the Demon General of Blaze. Having a hotshot like that showing up on earth rarely happens after all.”<br /> <br /> The one who answered was the {{Furigana|Caster|ARIA}} who was wearing a robe.<br /> <br /> He was one of the top students who was ranked among the top ten of the graduates. Not only did he receive lessons from the instructors of the academy, but he was also famous for receiving special lessons from his teacher who was a professional {{Furigana|Caster|ARIA}}.<br /> <br /> “Fear, why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to graduate this year? And what about your party?”<br /> <br /> “I already formed one. I decided to go on a journey together with Ren.”<br /> <br /> “H-Hey, Senpai!?”<br /> <br /> Fear wrapped her arms around Ren and hugged him gently.<br /> <br /> “Eh……that was unexpected. What happened with your graduation exam?”<br /> <br /> “I decided to graduate from the academy earlier on my own.”<br /> <br /> “Huh! These guys sure are naïve minded. Even though you were the instructors favourite, you are playing party-game with this fake Brave Hero……”<br /> <br /> The I-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} spoke in a scornful tone while he sighed.<br /> <br /> “A student {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} who repeated a year and only looks like a Brave Hero while trying to act——”<br /> <br /> “Shut up.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse’s voice which was filled with anger cut of the young {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}’s words.<br /> <br /> “Keep your mouth shut, human. Someone of your calibre is a thousand years too early to insult Ren who is my comrade.”<br /> <br /> “Huh? What’s with this girl?”<br /> <br /> “——Fool, if you really want to be crushed, then——”<br /> <br /> “Alright, that’s it, Kyelse.”<br /> <br /> Ren rested his hand on Kyelse’s shoulder who was shivering with anger while he smiled at her.<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. What he’s saying is true.”<br /> <br /> “Ren?”<br /> <br /> “It can’t be helped. It can’t be helped if I get such comments.”<br /> <br /> If it frustrated you, then you shouldn’t use words but make achievements with simple determination.<br /> <br /> That was the reality in both the inside and the outside of the academy.<br /> <br /> “Mmm……”<br /> <br /> “Well, I was happy you became angry for me. Thank you.”<br /> <br /> He smiled at Kyelse who was making a face due to her dissatisfaction.<br /> <br /> ''——She became angry as if she was the one insulted.''<br /> <br /> That was the reason why Ren was able to keep his calm instead.<br /> <br /> “So will all of you be hunting the Demon General of Blaze? The enemy is the great Demon. It would be too risky to challenge it when you just formed your party last year.”<br /> <br /> “That’s why this is the situation we couldn’t ask even more for.”<br /> <br /> The I-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} declared boldly.<br /> <br /> “Look around you. Dozens of these parties are our allies. Most of the parties made an alliance and are preparing for a strategy to defeat the Demon General of Blaze. With these numbers, no one can stand in our way no matter who the enemy is. Obviously the reward and the fame will be shared among the parties. But even with that, what we will get is more than what we can ask for since our enemy will be a hotshot like one of the Five Great Disasters.”<br /> <br /> They were currently coming up with a strategy.<br /> <br /> Even though parties which would normally be rivals were everywhere, the reason why they were on standby without rushing was due to majority of these parties having made a temporally alliance.<br /> <br /> “Bad news for you, Ren, since this has nothing to do with you. Do you think there will be a party which would form an alliance with you, an III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, and three girls?”<br /> <br /> “Wrong. We don’t plan on—”<br /> <br /> Just before he was about to say that they would challenge the Demon General of Blaze with the four of them.<br /> <br /> The noises around them quieted down.<br /> <br /> The sounds of hard footsteps could be heard from behind them. It wasn’t a sound of just several people. It was more than that. The footsteps which was timed perfectly with the sound of other footsteps. And the pace of their footsteps which had no flaws to each other——<br /> <br /> “Hey, isn’t that……”<br /> <br /> “Elmekia Dusk!? Why is the highest-level party with the most man-power in the world here? Does that mean a request of reinforcement was given to the supreme metropolitan of Elmekia!?”<br /> <br /> Shocked voices which sounded like screams spread through the scene rhythmically.<br /> <br /> <br /> {{Furigana| Royal 72 Order of the Special Knight Squad|ELMEKIA DUSK}}—— the highest rank party led by the Knight King Zellbright.<br /> <br /> <br /> Twelve people that appeared in the town of the blazing cliff.<br /> <br /> They wore their symbolic black battle-wear and progressed through the main street without even being concerned about the parties around them. Maybe they were overwhelmed by their silent pressure. It was clear that the groups of party members and pedestrians on the streets gave path to the members of Elmekia Dusk which was like a path was made in the sea.<br /> <br /> ''——They are clearly different.''<br /> <br /> ''——The pressure given out from their body was very different from the other party members gathered in this town.''<br /> <br /> “What’s with those snobbish guys?”<br /> <br /> “Elmekia Dusk. It’s the biggest party in the world. Not only in terms of numbers, but they are one of the strongest party in the world for having groups of the strongest {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}} among the elites as their core members.”<br /> <br /> The one who answered smoothly to Kyelse who looked at the party without moving her head was Fear.<br /> <br /> “Among the seven-hundred and twenty {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}} they have hired, only seventy-two of them can become the official party members. There’s nothing to criticise about their achievements and strength. But since there is a clear ranks in terms of strength, there are rumours that there is an intense battle happening to take higher ranks within the party at all times.”<br /> <br /> “Looks like you are awfully well-informed.”<br /> <br /> “I sure am. I haven’t been attending the party raising institute for four years for nothing.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel responded with a smile.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Ren?”<br /> <br /> “Hmm……ah, yeah. There were certainly many seniors back in the academy who wanted to join the Elmekia Dusk.”<br /> <br /> But the competition was very intense. Potential {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}} and {{Furigana|Casters|ARIAS}} throughout the world gathered at the supreme metropolitan of Elmekia but only very few of them would be selected every year.<br /> <br /> “I think the 1st rank was the Knight King Zellbright. I don’t see other high rank upper echelons among them either so I’m assuming that group is made up of lower ranks of the {{Furigana| Royal 72 Order of the Special Knight Squad|ELMEKIA DUSK}}. Even still, just as you see……you can tell they are clearly different from others from the atmosphere they are giving out.”<br /> <br /> The noises finally returned to the main street. But the discussions were all about the Elmekia Dusk which had just walked past the street.<br /> <br /> “……Geez. A troublesome bunch sure did come.”<br /> <br /> “We really didn’t expect this.”<br /> <br /> The ones who distorted their face with hatred was the party of the Holy Fiora graduates.<br /> <br /> “Looks like we don’t have a time to waste anymore. ……See ya then, Ren. I will give you a good news before we go. There were rumours going around about you, though not much as Elmekia Dusk. The reason we found you is because we heard your rumours and thought that it may be you.”<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> “Congrats, fake Brave Hero. '''You have already joined the celebrities even outside the academy'''.”<br /> <br /> “……Ah, so that’s how it is.”<br /> <br /> The rumour about a young boy who had a mirror image of the Brave Hero Elline.<br /> <br /> It must mean that the rumour had spread fast even in this town of the blazing cliff. By the time Ren realised his senior was being sarcastic, the party of the five young members had already disappeared into the crowd.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> At the large auditorium of the town of the blazing cliff.<br /> <br /> A meaningful crimson carpet was laid on the passage. The windows for lightening the passage was set on both side of the wall where all of them had stained glass on them. So it gave a dazzling, yet sacred light.<br /> <br /> “Wow, is the whole passage like this? It’s insanely gorgeous that I haven’t seen a beautiful building like this in Mstier. ……The world outside sure is amazing after all.”<br /> <br /> Ren made a sigh of admiration after witnessing a scenery which was spacious as a castle.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Kyelse. Don’t you think it’s amazing?”<br /> <br /> “I don’t mind it, except why do we have to line up here for almost one hour?”<br /> <br /> There are dozens of people behind them and also dozens of people front of them where all of them were people from different parties.<br /> <br /> The Dragon Princess looked fed up by being surrounded by many humans.<br /> <br /> “It’s for the party registration.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel who hadn’t lost her usual smile.<br /> <br /> “For requests such as that from towns, a set amount of money is prepared beforehand and is given to the parties where the reward would be determined by their achievements. You won’t receive a reward if you don’t register your party. And even if you did defeat one of the Five Great Disasters, you wouldn’t know which party had defeated it.”<br /> <br /> “So it’s to distribute the reward and fame, huh. It sure is a cunning method a human would come up with.”<br /> <br /> “You know, Kyelse, we wouldn’t be able to buy the sweets you are really fond of if we don’t have the money.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? That sure is a serious matter. We need to secure our reward then.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse started to nod reluctantly.<br /> <br /> “Oh well. You don’t need to worry since the only ones who is capable of defeating Achendia would be us so there’s no need to rush things~. Ren, you also need to give your all and survive, okay?”<br /> <br /> “……Don’t say such ominous thing.”<br /> <br /> Ren shrugged his shoulder after the previous Demon Lord slapped his back.<br /> <br /> “But what about those guys? Maybe the Elmekia Dusk would be able to defeat Achendia……”<br /> <br /> “Ren. Aren’t you taking the Five Great Disasters lightly?”<br /> <br /> She lifted her eyes like a cat.<br /> <br /> Elise made a fearless smile which could be considered disrespectful and looked up at Ren.<br /> <br /> “You know they were Demons that were the candidates to become a Demon Lord three-hundred years ago? Ren, you said it yourself before but aren’t the members dispatched by the Elmekia Dusk lower rank members? Don’t you reckon they won’t be able to do anything?”<br /> <br /> “I……Is that how it is?”<br /> <br /> “Well, I would be grateful if they could stall one or two of Achendia’s henchmen at most. Majority of the Five Great Disasters are lone wolves but Achendia would be quite troublesome since she had many faithful subordinates under her. So having many parties come with us would be an advantage for us. We will have them deal with Achendia’s henchmen so we can concentrate solely on Achendia, you know?”<br /> <br /> “They are that powerful huh. ……You’re right, they were strong enough to be the candidates of becoming a Demon Lord.”<br /> <br /> The species known as Demons naturally had strength that were in different leagues to humans. For that reason they were called the superior beings and continued to rule the underground world known as the Underworld.<br /> <br /> “————.”<br /> <br /> “By the way, Kyelse, why have you been looking around yourself since a while ago?”<br /> <br /> “It’s not me. Instead, we are the ones being looked at.”<br /> <br /> The parties that bypassed them.<br /> <br /> It wasn’t just them. Even before they entered the auditorium, merchants and salesboy of the street stall had been glaring at them with curious eyes and had been whispering at each other.<br /> <br /> “They are saying, “So that’s the rumoured party a lookalike of the Brave Hero belongs to……”.”<br /> <br /> “Eh? You can even hear them whispering even far from here?”<br /> <br /> “You shouldn’t take lightly of a Dragon’s senses. Your appearance resembles Elline to begin with. And now the three of us is here with you as well.”<br /> <br /> The Elline Sword Emperor Brigade which ended the End War with the only four of them. Everyone knew the legend of Elline and the Three Great Princesses which represented the three world.<br /> <br /> And now there was Ren, a lookalike of the Brave Hero, and the three girls that were with him.<br /> <br /> ——Such party appeared for the hunt of the Five Great Disaster.<br /> <br /> ——A mere coincidence? Or do they have some connection with the famous Elline Sword Emperor Brigade?<br /> <br /> There was no way the other parties and the town’s resident wouldn’t become curious.<br /> <br /> “Oh well. The three individuals among us four is the real thing. Hey, do you think they will get shocked if we tell them?”<br /> <br /> “……Don’t. It will cause a stir.”<br /> <br /> Ren calmed Elise whose tone sounded like she was having fun.<br /> <br /> “But the thing is, you will have to become one too, okay?”<br /> <br /> “Me?”<br /> <br /> “Don’t remain being called a fake Brave Hero and start working hard to become someone who would get called a Brave Hero since you are with us.”<br /> <br /> “It’s too early.”<br /> <br /> The one who said that was Kyelse who had candy inside her mouth.<br /> <br /> “There’s no need for you to rush it. Ren, you need to aim from something easy first. It’s to become a Sword Saint.”<br /> <br /> “……Both of them would be hard to accomplish.”<br /> <br /> Fear rested her hand on Ren’s shoulder who had just said that.<br /> <br /> “Ren. It’s our turn to register.”<br /> <br /> It was one of the four counters.<br /> <br /> The girl who appeared to be a receptionist looked towards them and started to explain in a nervous manner.<br /> <br /> “You must be here for the special-code 09 “Five Great Disaster Hunt”. Please register your party’s name.”<br /> <br /> “……Party name?”<br /> <br /> The supreme metropolitan of Elmekia’s “Elmekia Dusk”, the holy-land of Canaan’s “Canaan Pilgrim, the Boat of the Sacred Teaching”, and also “Elline Sword Emperor Brigade” from three-hundred years ago had a party name taken from their territory or the name of their representative and such.<br /> <br /> “Oh, crap. We haven’t decided yet. Any good name any of you can come up with?”<br /> <br /> The three girls behind him showed a sign of thinking up a name for a moment.<br /> <br /> “I do! Adorable Elise-chan and her happy-going subordinates!”<br /> <br /> “The party led by the noble, the strongest, the beautiful Silver Dragon Princess who had woken from her long seal—”<br /> <br /> “Why don’t we just stay anonymous?”<br /> <br /> “……Fear-senpai’s suggestion it is. Please register as anonymous.”<br /> <br /> Both Kyelse and Elise that were behind Ren started making a sound of displeasure but he acted as if he didn’t hear them.<br /> <br /> “Registration is completed. For this quest we have requested the aid of Elmekia Dusk for the hunt of one of the Five Great Disasters. They would be heading out tomorrow morning.”<br /> <br /> “So you are saying other parties should match them?”<br /> <br /> “To have everyone cooperate, that is what we are asking for.”<br /> <br /> The receptionist girl said that with a begging eyes.<br /> <br /> “The subordinates of one of the Five Great Disasters are gathered at the summit. If we don’t suppress them before their forces increases more than this, there is a risk that this town would be destroyed……so I beg you.”<br /> <br /> “It will be alright~.”<br /> <br /> The one who waved her hand with easygoing tone was Elise.<br /> <br /> “Rather, if Achendia felt like it she could have destroyed this town on her own. Since that hasn’t happened, it means she has no intention to destroy this town. She’s a moody individual. If she is in a good mood she wouldn’t do anything unless we take action so relax.”<br /> <br /> “It doesn’t sound relaxing at all you know!? What would happen if her mood changes for the worst!?”<br /> <br /> “That’s why we will take her down before that happens.”<br /> <br /> The previous Demon Lord smiled.<br /> <br /> “That’s why we should head to the inn. I have been sweating so I want to take a bath. You too, Kyelse.”<br /> <br /> “The party’s name……the special party name I have been coming up with since yesterday……”<br /> <br /> “That was the name you came up with after seriously thinking about it!? Oh well, anyways, let’s get going.”<br /> <br /> Ren took Kyelse’s hand who was putting on a sulking face and left the auditorium quickly.<br /> <br /> And then——the moment they came out. ''Noises''. The parties and the residents that seemed to be waiting for them outside the auditorium all looked at them.<br /> <br /> “Woah?”<br /> <br /> “They were the parties that were looking at us before. I guess rumours brought more rumours and ended up gathering all these people.”<br /> <br /> It was exactly like the situation when the Elmekia Dusk showed up before. They didn’t come to talk to them directly. But they were whispering to each other quietly.<br /> <br /> “Ren. Let’s go. We need to book an inn first and have you concentrate on your training like usual.”<br /> <br /> “…...Alright. The inn it is. Umm, I’m sure there was one this way.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who was following right behind him.<br /> <br /> Ren walked through the main street while taking her small hand.<br /> <br /> “By training, do you mean you will teach me about sword again?”<br /> <br /> “At noon, yes. I will look after you in terms of swords. But at night it will be Fear and Elise. The ancient summoning, the one we had you train every day. It seems like you can’t hear the voices of the spirits yet. But we will have you continue it until we can.”<br /> <br /> “……Roger that. Though I am trying.”<br /> <br /> “It’s natural that you can’t perform it yet. It wouldn’t be called {{Furigana|“the lost spells”|ANCIENTS}} if it was that easy to acquire.”<br /> <br /> The public road filled with people.<br /> <br /> The silver haired girl then plainly said it while looking ahead.<br /> <br /> “Even so, our battle against Achendia would be tomorrow. We don’t have time but we will have you train much as time would allow it. Both sword and ancient summoning.”<br /> <br /> ===2===<br /> <br /> <br /> The town of the blazing cliff where there was still heat and commotion.<br /> <br /> The hot wind which came from the active volcano where one of the Five Great Disasters awaits them. Even late at night, where jet-black curtain has covered the sky, the hot air was still present which made you sweat slowly.<br /> <br /> “Thank you for waiting, Ren. You seemed to be quite tired now.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, Fear-senpai…… Yeah, I’ve been sword training with Kyelse till just now. But seriously, no wonder this place is called the town of the blazing cliff. I never thought it would be this hot even at night so I was cooling off while taking a break.”<br /> <br /> Ren turned around with a smile to the blonde girl who appeared on his way to the inn. Though his smile turned into an expression filled with fatigue immediately—— <br /> <br /> “……Except, I couldn’t calm myself down even though I took a break.”<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?”<br /> <br /> “I think I’m……nervous. The Demon General of Blaze would be a great Demon who I would never have imagined to face. Even though I was training with Kyelse, I kept on realising that I’m still inexperience.”<br /> <br /> “That’s how it should be.”<br /> <br /> The respond the Archangel gave was a peaceful nod.<br /> <br /> “Instead I would have been troubled if you said you were confident in yourself. That attitude is much better than those people from the other parties around here who are trying to face one of the Five Great Disasters without having the proper strength to face her and simply rushing for glory.”<br /> <br /> “That may be true……”<br /> <br /> “Knowing your weakness is the key to your growth. Ren, that modesty of yours is your strong point. Though talking about it in the middle of the street is strange. Let’s head to my room.”<br /> <br /> The room Fear pointed at was right beside the room where Ren was staying at.<br /> <br /> They booked two rooms.<br /> <br /> The other rooms were already fully booked by the other parties, but luckily there were two rooms left.<br /> <br /> It was good that they were able to divide the room among Ren and the three girls. Though the room would be too small for three people to stay in so they had no choice but to share each room among two people. So the room was shared between Ren &amp; Kyelse for one room and Elise &amp; Fear for the other room.<br /> <br /> “Please come in. Elise went to take a night walk but she should be returning soon. Till then, there’s something I need to tell you.”<br /> <br /> “About the ancient summoning?”<br /> <br /> “Yes. We would be facing Achendia tomorrow so I’ll tell you a bit about it.”<br /> <br /> ''——You don’t need to feel so reserved.''<br /> <br /> Fear entered her room gallantly as if she wanted to say that.<br /> <br /> “T-Then excuse me————!”<br /> <br /> Exactly when he entered the room.<br /> <br /> The explosion of light. Ren took several steps back in reflex and had his eyes blinded by the light which was so strong that it could lighten the sky of the night.<br /> <br /> “Oh my, pardon me. Was it too bright?”<br /> <br /> “Senpai, those wings are……?”<br /> <br /> The Archangel Fear who was the strongest in Heaven.<br /> <br /> Fear who had pure-white wings growing out from her back was smiling normally inside her room.<br /> <br /> “But first, there is something I must give you.”<br /> <br /> The Angel who touched her own wing. What she pinched using her fingers was a single feather, a beautiful feather which was glowing, from her wing which just appeared.<br /> <br /> “Here, please take this.”<br /> <br /> “Eh? Isn’t this——”<br /> <br /> “This is my present for you. Ren, this will be a ritual item for activating your ancient summoning.”<br /> <br /> The Angel continued with a casual tone.<br /> <br /> “We had you train by trying to have you communicate with the small spirit which is attached to you till we reached this town of the blazing cliff.”<br /> <br /> “……Yeah. I was actually giving my all for the training.”<br /> <br /> For the past three days, the small spirit of fire certainly appeared in front of Ren when they were camping outside.<br /> <br /> It was certain that it was attached to Ren.<br /> <br /> But no matter how much Ren tried to concentrate in trying to hear its voice, the spirit didn’t say anything to him after all. It was floating in the air optimistically and disappeared when it felt like it.<br /> <br /> “So then, what do you mean when your feather would be a ritual item to activating the spell?”<br /> <br /> “There are two factors you need in order to use ancient summoning. One is the power to hear the voices of the spirits. And the second is the activation substance for the spell. We are talking about a powerful spell to summon the spirits here, so you would need a suitable activation substance for it.”<br /> <br /> “And this is……”<br /> <br /> Ren stared at the Angel’s feather held in his hand.<br /> <br /> The sacred ritual item which was giving out a shallow light.<br /> <br /> “I certainly was taught that using the leaves of an ancient trees or items which is possessed by spiritual power would enhance the power of normal spells. Would it be safe to assume that the same logic would apply here?”<br /> <br /> “Exactly. Though a normal activation substance wouldn’t be able to activate the ancient summoning. The “divine item” which is much superior than a mere ritual item——please excuse myself but I am an Archangel who has the second highest rank in Heaven after the Goddess Resflaze-sama. With a powerful activation substance such as this, even for you who doesn’t know much about ancient summoning yet would perhaps be able to succeed in activating simple spells.”<br /> <br /> “Even for me right now?”<br /> <br /> “Yes. Though I may be repeating myself but the most crucial factor in this is for you to be able to communicate with the spirits. I was originally planning to hand this to you once you were able to do that.”<br /> <br /> “Is it alright for me to receive this now?”<br /> <br /> “You can say it’s a replacement for a lucky charm. And also as a reward for you as you were working hard for the past three days.”<br /> <br /> The blonde Archangel answered with a graceful smile.<br /> <br /> Right after that.<br /> <br /> “I’m back! Oh, Ren’s here!”<br /> <br /> The door opened and a dark skinned girl rushed into the room.<br /> <br /> “Did you receive Fear’s feather already? Then I should give you one as well.”<br /> <br /> “You will give me something too, Elise?”<br /> <br /> “Yup. I’ll give you this.”<br /> <br /> A gold-like jewel which was glowing in yellow-brown colour.<br /> <br /> Amber——a fossilisation of a large tree’s resin over a long period.<br /> <br /> “Remember what Fear said? About how ancient summoning is a high-level spell which involves the manipulation of space. Spirits aren’t the only things you can summon. It should be even possible to summon simple objects.”<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?”<br /> <br /> “Assume that the Angel’s feather is the activation substance for the ancient summoning. And the one I handed to you will be to summon physical objects. In other words, you would need different ritual item for different types of summoning.”<br /> <br /> “So even a jewel like this can become an activation substance?”<br /> <br /> An Archangel’s feather which looked powerful no matter how you saw it.<br /> <br /> On the other hand a jewel given to Ren from Elise looked like a simple jewel at first glance.<br /> <br /> “Well, it’s natural for you to feel that way. But it isn’t a normal amber. It’s a jewel condensed from the resin belonging to a one-thousand years old tree which was present in the Underworld. Also, can you see a black line inside the amber?”<br /> <br /> “……Umm, oh this.”<br /> <br /> A narrow line which Ren originally thought was a crack.<br /> <br /> There was something, something narrow like a string inside the amber.<br /> <br /> “It’s my hair. I used this as a medium to seal my, a Demon Lord’s, power. It was a jewel I had prepared three-hundred years ago but it wasn’t enough to make my reincarnated body mature. I’ll give it to you since I won’t be using it.”<br /> <br /> “Is it really okay?”<br /> <br /> “Yup. You’ve been training to summon that spirit till yesterday, right? Even though it may be the same ancient summoning, summoning a physical object might be easier. Rather than summoning a special being like spirits, you would be summoning something you are familiar with. To explain it in details, you can for example summon a book you left at the academy.”<br /> <br /> “……Isn’t that also amazing enough!?”<br /> <br /> “Right? But this will be hard in terms of when to use it.”<br /> <br /> Elise answered with a meaningful smile.<br /> <br /> “Anyway, the effect of the ancient summoning apparently had to do with the spellcaster’s skills and the power possessed inside the divine item. Ren, you haven’t actually started training spells yet. But what you have are the divine items which came from me, the previous Demon Lord, and Fear, an Archangel. So you will be compensating your skills with a powerful activation substance.”<br /> <br /> The Angel’s feather would be for the spirit summoning purpose.<br /> <br /> The Demon’s jewel would be for the physical object summoning purpose.<br /> <br /> Ren nodded his head while holding onto both of those activation substances.<br /> <br /> “So I’ll be able to summon everything besides the spirits with this amber of yours then, right?”<br /> <br /> “That’s how it is said. Even though I said physical object, it’s for non-living objects so you should give it a try. Ren, try to summon one of the education books you left in your so-called academy.”<br /> <br /> “……By the way, how should I do it?”<br /> <br /> “I don’t know. Ancient summoning was a spell which belonged to the humans. It’s said that spirit summoning is to summon the spirits through communication with them. But there is lack of information in regards to summoning physical objects.”<br /> <br /> The previous Demon Lord shook her head immediately.<br /> <br /> “Though if it’s a space-manipulation spell like the ancient summoning, then there is a spell created by the Demons which resembles it. The trick I used back then was, let me see……you make your mind go blank, then imagine you are manipulating space quietly, and then bang, you activated it. Easy right?”<br /> <br /> “Pardon me?”<br /> <br /> “That’s why I’m saying that you make your mind go blank, then imagine you are manipulating space, and then bang!”<br /> <br /> “……Hold on a sec. My brain is about to explode.”<br /> <br /> Ren stopped Elise and put this hand on his forehead.<br /> <br /> In terms of the way how Kyelse taught Ren sword techniques, the training would involve Ren watching Kyelse wield the sword and learn it. According to Kyelse “explaining it in words is hard” for her so Ren would have a hard time acquiring it since there wasn’t any explanation given to him in words. Though Elise’s explanation was hard to comprehend in a different way.<br /> <br /> ''——I need to imagine my education book to appear strongly.''<br /> <br /> He could guess that was what she wanted to say. But he never anticipated that a Demon’s logic behind spells would be a vague sense of feeling as this.<br /> <br /> “Well then, start already! I’m also looking forward to your summoning, Ren!”<br /> <br /> “I’ll give it a shot but don’t hold too much hope. I still can’t do the spirit summoning either……”<br /> <br /> The Demon Lord’s jewel which was glowing in his left hand.<br /> <br /> What Ren imagined in his head was his education book he left in the academy while he gripped the Demon Lord’s jewel for a long time.<br /> <br /> His education book which he read through it so many times that the pages were torn. Ren still remembered the sensation and the weight of his book within his hands——<br /> <br /> That instant.<br /> <br /> The Demon Lord’s jewel was enveloped by a strong golden light.<br /> <br /> “……What!?”<br /> <br /> Ren was about to drop the jewel due to the sudden activation but he managed to stop himself from dropping it.<br /> <br /> After the light settled.<br /> <br /> A familiar old education book dropped on the floor close to Ren’s foot.<br /> <br /> “……Eh? Does this mean I succeeded?”<br /> <br /> He still couldn’t believe it even though he activated it himself.<br /> <br /> But the book which was on the ground in front of him was certainly the education book he imagined inside his head.<br /> <br /> “Hmm, nice job Ren. I was actually surprised for real this time.”<br /> <br /> Elise who picked the education book from the ground.<br /> <br /> The innocent looking eyes which belonged to a young girl rises up happily. But her eyes becomes so sharp and gets filled with devilishness that even Ren felt chills on his back.<br /> <br /> ''——The smile she is making while she showed a slight expression of when she was a Demon Lord.''<br /> <br /> ''——Therefore the praise she just gave must have come from the bottom of her heart.''<br /> <br /> “Even so, I only succeeded in summoning a single book as this……”<br /> <br /> “Ren, you are saying that because you don’t realise how hard space manipulation spells are. You do know that the spell you just showed would be a level where the instructors from the Holy Fiora Journey Academy would faint due to the shock if they saw that?”<br /> <br /> The one who answered with a bittersweet smile was Fear.<br /> <br /> The Archangel who took the book Elise had just picked up and started observing it.<br /> <br /> “I see. It certainly is Ren’s book. It’s certain that this is a book which was summoned from the Holy Fiora Journey Academy which is located very far from here. Though you would require more training for spirit summoning, it seems like you would improve this summoning more than I thought.”<br /> <br /> “……Y-You think?”<br /> <br /> “That’s why '''your aim would be to maintain this book at this spot for more than an hour'''.”<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> Ren couldn’t understand Fear’s word immediately.<br /> <br /> The exact moment when Ren was about to ask her——<br /> <br /> “This is what I mean.”<br /> <br /> The education book Fear was holding onto disappeared after being engulfed by golden sparkles.<br /> <br /> “!? It disappeared!?”<br /> <br /> “It returned to its original location. “Karma” and “time” are the two important requirements for ancient summoning.”<br /> <br /> Elise gave a steady answer.<br /> <br /> With an unhesitant tone as if she already predicted that Ren would get shocked.<br /> <br /> “Though it’s also the weakness of ancient summoning since you can’t keep what you have summoned within your reach for unlimited time. It is said that you would be given the “time” restraint. By the way, I was actually counting in secret just now and that book returned exactly after twenty seconds.”<br /> <br /> “For such short time…… Oh, so this is what you meant when you said it will be hard to find the situation to use it.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly. That’s why the main target of summoning for ancient summoning would be the spirits after all. The spirits would respond to your voice and stay in that location. But lifeless objects which doesn’t have consciousness has a trait to return to its original location immediately. Right, Fear?”<br /> <br /> “That’s correct. Except, the factor which would connect the summoned object and Ren would be the “karma” shared between them. For that reason you were able to summon it on your first try, Ren. For example, even if it was another education book which was located in the library, the chances you would be able to summon the said-book would be very low due to the weak karma between you and that book. Even if you were able to summon it——”<br /> <br /> “So rather than twenty seconds, it would return in few seconds?”<br /> <br /> “Yes.”<br /> <br /> “……I see. But I think I got the gist of it.”<br /> <br /> Ren wouldn’t be able to summon an object which has a weak karma with him. Even if he did, it would disappear instantly. It meant the ancient summoning wasn’t perfect even if it was is considered as {{Furigana|“the lost spells”|ANCIENTS}}.<br /> <br /> “If that’s the case I might as well try again since I did succeed in——”<br /> <br /> “Ren.”<br /> <br /> Ren wanted to practise it once more.<br /> <br /> But the one who spoke over Ren’s words was Kyelse who had entered the room all of a sudden.<br /> <br /> “Huh, Kyelse? Since when were you there?”<br /> <br /> “I was here since before. You didn’t notice me since you were all ears to Elise’s explanation.”<br /> <br /> After having said that, Kyelse held Ren’s hand tightly.<br /> <br /> “This is enough for today so you should take a rest already. You should be tired because of the sword training you had with me as well.”<br /> <br /> “At least let me try once more——”<br /> <br /> “Tomorrow will be the battle against one of the Five Great Disasters. We would be troubled if you go down at a crucial moment due to lack of rest.”<br /> <br /> She didn’t even allow him to argue back.<br /> <br /> Kyelse’s words was so appropriate that Ren was about to laugh without thinking.<br /> <br /> “Let’s go.”<br /> <br /> “……Fine. Anyways, Fear-senpai, Elise, thanks.”<br /> <br /> Ren returned to the room next door while being dragged by Kyelse.<br /> <br /> Soon as they went to their room——<br /> <br /> “Seriously, you get caught up with training easily. You were tired a moment ago due to the training with me.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse sighed while sitting on the bed.<br /> <br /> “Let me confirm but did you receive the activation substances?”<br /> <br /> “I got one each from Fear-senpai and Elise. I may ask you a weird question but these are valuable items which would hold high values if I sold them, right?”<br /> <br /> The divine items which had the power of the Archangel and the Demon Lord respectively.<br /> <br /> “If I put it into the human’s value, then just selling one will allow you to buy a whole town.”<br /> <br /> “That much!?”<br /> <br /> “The ritual items, which has the power of either an Angels or Demons, would function as a defence barrier which has resistances against all sorts of spells. If it’s a divine item with the power of an Archangel, who is the second highest rank after the Goddess, or the Demon Lord, then it would normally become a “shield” which would be too powerful for a human to be in possession of.”<br /> <br /> Ren couldn’t actually understand it since he was given them so normally. But the Archangel’s feather and the Demon Lord’s jewel he was holding onto would indeed be the world treasures.<br /> <br /> “But think about it very hard. Why do you think Elise and Fear gave you such valuable divine item? Especially Fear’s feather. The reason why she gave you the activation substance even though you still can’t communicate with the spirits.”<br /> <br /> “……Because I’m inexperience?”<br /> <br /> You can make up for the spellcaster of ancient summoning’s skills by the use of powerful activation substance. That was what Ren was told.<br /> <br /> “Half right and half wrong. More than you being inexperience, it has more to do with the single enemy we are facing this time being powerful.”<br /> <br /> “The Five Great Disasters……”<br /> <br /> “Our current power is nowhere near our actual powers. On the other hand the strength of the Five Great Disasters surpasses that of current Demon Lord of the Underworld. Then what do you think will happen?”<br /> <br /> The Dragon Princess stared at the ceiling while she sat on the bed.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean by what will happen……”<br /> <br /> “It means that even I will have a really hard time fighting Achendia alone.”<br /> <br /> The silver haired girl said it plainly.<br /> <br /> “That’s why you need to protect yourself on your own. Think of the divine items that Fear and Elise gave you not as an activation substances for the ancient summoning but as a powerful defence barrier and keep it close to you all the time. You have to protect yourself. When we are fighting, just put your life as the priority.”<br /> <br /> “…..Yeah. You are right.”<br /> <br /> “Why don’t you sound convinced even though you said you do understand?”<br /> <br /> “No, it’s nothing.”<br /> <br /> Ren shook his head as if he was laughing at himself to Kyelse who was looking up at him.<br /> <br /> ''……I also want to become the manpower of the group.''<br /> <br /> ''……But right now, I’m not in a position where I can say that.''<br /> <br /> “I know I’m being hasty. But I was wondering if I can become a strength to this party one day.”<br /> <br /> “Don’t feel so down. I’ve been training you while having such intent from the start.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who had got up from the bed reached out her hand. What she grabbed with her hand was a single sword covered in brown colour sheath which was fading away.<br /> <br /> “My sword?”<br /> <br /> “In your case, not only your strength but you also need to do something with this sword or you can’t even start yet. I’m guessing you bought this in a minor weapon shop where you chose the cheapest second-hand one.”<br /> <br /> “Ugh!?”<br /> <br /> He couldn’t argue back. Ren bought the cheapest second hand sword from the town’s weapon shop when his enrolment to Holy Fiora Journey Academy was decided.<br /> <br /> “The length of the sword as well as the weight of it doesn’t match your height and strength. The grip is also in bad condition. Instead I’m amazed you were able to use this till now.”<br /> <br /> “……Are you praising me?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah. Though this will be a joke if you are going to fight a high level Angels, Demons, and Dragons.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who drew out the blade from the sheath smoothly and started staring at the blade.<br /> <br /> “The many layers of defence barrier the Archangels have around them. The Dragon’s scale which has stronger hardness than iron and steel. The miasma given out from high level Demons. All of them are a threat to humans. For example the Five Great Disaster we are facing this time. Let’s say you succeed in surprise attacking the Demon General of Blaze Achendia and cut her from behind——”<br /> <br /> “And then?”<br /> <br /> “The moment your blade touched Achendia’s miasma, the blade will corrode without any resistance and turn into dust.”<br /> <br /> “Just how useless can it be!?”<br /> <br /> “You would need a spirit armament which would be a sword with power of the spirit possessed in it at worst. The reason we chose the triumphal town as the meeting location with Elise was because I wanted to tell you that.”<br /> <br /> ——The Spirit-Sword Vierge.<br /> <br /> The spirit sword which was said to be wielded by Elline when he went to the Underworld and the Heaven a long time ago. Even though its sheath was destroyed over the three-hundred years, the blade was still filled with a sacred blue light.<br /> <br /> “Aren’t weapons like those……”<br /> <br /> “Hold on. There’s something wrong outside.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse suddenly said that with a strong tone.<br /> <br /> “Wrong?”<br /> <br /> “……There are several presence……howl and anger…………it’s getting closer……really closer……”<br /> <br /> The girl opened the window.<br /> <br /> At the jet-black night, what the Dragon Princess stared at was the summit of the giant volcano. And then——<br /> <br /> “'''It’s coming!'''”<br /> <br /> <br /> The exploding crimson flames lightened the town of the blazing cliff at night time.<br /> <br /> <br /> The dancing flames which blew many sparks.<br /> <br /> Right after that, a sound of crumbling which signified something huge had been destroyed from somewhere far echoed.<br /> <br /> “W-What was that sound?”<br /> <br /> “The town wall which was surrounding the town must have been destroyed. And that wasn’t just one location since I heard a sound of multiple locations being destroyed. A charge of an enormous monster or an attack spell by a Demon.”<br /> <br /> The sky which turned red.<br /> <br /> The Dragon Princess muttered while she stared at the rooftop of the building which was being stirred up by the sparks.<br /> <br /> “A conceited human must have acted rashly by angering the Five Great Disaster.”<br /> <br /> “What do you mean!? It was supposed to be tomorrow——”<br /> <br /> “One of the party who became blinded from making achievement must have made an assault to the Great Volcano of Galia at night. As a result, they counterattacked by the Five Great Disaster after angering her.”<br /> <br /> The entrance to the room.<br /> <br /> The one standing there calmly was a blonde Archangel in white robe.<br /> <br /> “So then, what shall we do now, Elise?”<br /> <br /> “Hmm……I really can’t imagine for the moody Achendia to become angry by simply receiving a surprise attack by a mere party. To begin with, she doesn’t even consider humans as a threat. I’m guessing her henchmen became angry on their own. So maybe she’s watching it from the summit?”<br /> <br /> The previous Demon Lord who answered with her usual easy going tone.<br /> <br /> “Oh well, should we be quick? Even though it’s a counterattack by her henchmen, there seems to be many of them. Though taking down Achendia would be the quickest way to stop their counterattack.”<br /> <br /> ===3===<br /> <br /> <br /> The residents’ houses which were burning.<br /> <br /> The sky during night was tainted in red by having the sparks rise up by the wind.<br /> <br /> “The fire already spread this much!?”<br /> <br /> “Of course since they are the henchmen of the Demon General of Blaze. Of course it would be spells they would be proficient at. ——Even so, let’s get rid of them right away.”<br /> <br /> Elise who raised her hand.<br /> <br /> The spell’s design glowed in blue colour. The moment the glowing ice particles which was created in empty space, the flames which was burning in fast pace gets frozen in no time and disappeared by turning into many fragments.<br /> <br /> “......That’s Elise for you”<br /> <br /> “Geez. Humans does turn into daredevils. Didn’t your academy tell you not to act so reckless, Ren?”<br /> <br /> “Huh? What do you——”<br /> <br /> “The ones who stimulated all these Demons and monsters that are rampaging first was most likely five member party’s made up of the so-called Ren’s seniors we met at noon.”<br /> <br /> “It can’t be!?”<br /> <br /> “I’m dead serious.”<br /> <br /> The former Demon Lord who easily jumped onto a building’s rooftop to get a full view of the town.<br /> <br /> “Hmm, I see. Approximately two hundred enemies. There are less than ten Demons that is acting as the main force. Majority of the remaining one-hundred ninety enemies are monsters tamed by the Demons.”<br /> <br /> “Elise, is what you just said true? About the seniors from the academy!”<br /> <br /> “More like I was there when it happened. They were heading towards the volcano. You know when I left at night? I bypassed them by a chance.”<br /> <br /> “You didn’t stop them?”<br /> <br /> “I did. But I’m in this state now. Not only didn’t they hear me out, they just ignored me. Or should I have injured them till they couldn’t move?”<br /> <br /> “…………No.”<br /> <br /> Ren shook his head while biting his teeth hard at the master of the Underworld’s question.<br /> <br /> “You warned them right, Elise? Then the ones at fault are my seniors who ignored your warning and the ones who started this first was the humans.”<br /> <br /> “I like the sound of that. So you can make proper judgment without treating them special for being the same human as you huh.”<br /> <br /> The former Demon Lord nodded with a smile cheerfully.<br /> <br /> “Anyway we need to go and stop them. Even if they joined forces they wouldn’t be able to win against Achendia. Then there will only be casualties if we don’t stop them.”<br /> <br /> Ren could guess why they headed towards the mountain in a rush.<br /> <br /> The Elmekia Dusk’s participation. Since they didn’t see any chances of winning the competition against a large world-level party heads on, so they must have thought they needed to make the first move.<br /> <br /> “Kyelse, Fear, Elise——”<br /> <br /> To the volcano’s summit.<br /> <br /> The moment Ren was about to shout that out, “something” large jumped out from the resident’s house right behind them.”<br /> <br /> “A monster!?”<br /> <br /> A crimson colour large snake broke through the house’s wall and jumped at them.<br /> <br /> ——The sword flashed.<br /> <br /> The snake powerfully and quickly leaped to the rear due to a sharp strike grazing its face. But it wasn’t Ren who swung the sword.<br /> <br /> “High-level Demons and their tamed monsters huh.”<br /> <br /> The {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} who was wearing a black steel battle-wear. His brute strength which allowed him not to twitch his eyes even in front of a giant monster. And his behaviour which came from his confidence.<br /> <br /> “Elmekia Dusk?”<br /> <br /> “If you are a civilian then evacuate to the auditorium. If you belong to a party then head to the mountain.”<br /> <br /> “W-What about you guys!?”<br /> <br /> “We split into two troops. The first troop has already headed to hunt the Five Great Disaster. And the remaining troop would concentrate on guarding the town.”<br /> <br /> “……Can we leave the guarding of this town to you guys? Didn’t you also come to hunt the Five Great Disaster?”<br /> <br /> “Protecting the town was also included in the request.”<br /> <br /> The one that gave the answer just now was an {{Furigana|Caster|ARIA}} who was also wearing the same black battle-wear.<br /> <br /> “Majority of this assault is caused by the monsters. High-level Demons are a threat but their numbers are low. So we will oppress them.”<br /> <br /> “Having the Elmekia Dusk taking the defence sure is reassuring.”<br /> <br /> Fear who smashed a strange bird that came to assault them to the ground with just her fist.<br /> <br /> “Though it seems like you have other motives, right? Rather than getting uncertain fame where you might let the Five Great Disaster escape after cornering them, taking the certain fame as a priority which is to protect the town may be better. ……Would that be me thinking too much?”<br /> <br /> “……I suggest you move your legs than your brain.”<br /> <br /> The {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} responded with a fearless smile to Fear who was putting on a meaningful smile.<br /> <br /> “Many of the parties had already headed to the summit of the volcano. You don’t intend to waste time here after coming this far to the town of the blazing cliff, right?”<br /> <br /> “Well, we can’t argue about that. We should get going as well.”<br /> <br /> The dark skinned girl made her body float in the air without waiting for others response after she said that. She jumped from rooftop to rooftop of the houses and headed directly towards the trailhead of the volcano.<br /> <br /> “Hurry, you too, Ren. We can stop the invasion unless we defeat Achendia.”<br /> <br /> “I know. But you are going too fast!”<br /> <br /> Ren chased after the three girls who were going ahead very fast while he breathed heavily.<br /> <br /> The trailhead of the volcano. The moment he was about to go through the door which had been destroyed by the monsters.<br /> <br /> “—! Actually, go without me. I need to go somewhere!”<br /> <br /> “Ren!?”<br /> <br /> Without even responding back to Kyelse’s shout, Ren turned around on the spot.<br /> <br /> ——The mansion on fire.<br /> <br /> He could hear a weak scream from there.<br /> <br /> “Dammit, did someone get left behind!? The place is about to burn down any minute!”<br /> <br /> Ren forcefully kicked the burning door.<br /> <br /> Ren entered the building while he had the sparks that was flying around burn his skin.<br /> <br /> “Where are you!? Hey, you are there, aren’t you!?”<br /> <br /> His sight was covered in crimson colour. There wasn’t much time left till the building gets completely burnt.<br /> <br /> ''……Calm down.''<br /> <br /> ''……Being able to hear the scream means that person isn’t deep inside the building.''<br /> <br /> The flames that was burning as if it was dancing. Behind those flames.<br /> <br /> “H……elp me……some……one……”<br /> <br /> The black haired girl who was on the ground.<br /> <br /> Ren saw a girl who was surrounded by flames and smokes who barely had any consciousness left who could just emit a low voice.<br /> <br /> “Over there! ……Alright, it’s okay now. You are the only one left behind, right?”<br /> <br /> Ren carried the small built girl on his back and tried to go back to the exit of the building.<br /> <br /> “The mansion!?”<br /> <br /> The burning ceiling crashed down. The path Ren was about to go through just now gets blocked by a wall of giant bricks and flames.<br /> <br /> “At a time like this……dammit!”<br /> <br /> The path which was blocked by the burning flames. From behind him. And from the surrounding walls, Ren was being cornered by the heat.<br /> <br /> Flames in all direction. The escape route got blocked just now.<br /> <br /> ''——There’s no way to escape to.''<br /> <br /> ''——At this rate we would burn along with the building.''<br /> <br /> The chilling image which passed through his head for a moment.<br /> <br /> But at the same time a passionate heat which would erase his chills ran through his whole body.<br /> <br /> “……'''Like hell I’ll give up!'''”<br /> <br /> He who was despised as a fake Brave Hero.<br /> <br /> He was different from the Brave Hero Elline. A III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} who was far from being that legendary swordsman. Even so, all three of Kyelse the Dragon Princess, Fear the Archangel, and Elise the former Demon Lord invited him to their party despite knowing that.<br /> <br /> He wanted live up to their expectations with everything he had——<br /> <br /> That instant.<br /> <br /> Something triggered inside Ren. And then.<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“Can you……hear my voice?”''<br /> <br /> <br /> A voice.<br /> <br /> Like a sound of a bell that echoed from far away——<br /> <br /> It wasn’t his ears. It was then when a faint voice echoed inside Ren.<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“I was waiting……all this time. My voice. Now, it should reach you……”''<br /> <br /> <br /> “!? You are——!?”<br /> <br /> A voice he heard for the first time.<br /> <br /> But this voice sounded which made him feel nostalgic.<br /> <br /> ''……I.''<br /> <br /> ''......I know who this voice……belongs to since a long time ago?''<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“Summon language. My aria……”''<br /> <br /> ''“You words. Now, it can reach me……”''<br /> <br /> <br /> “……'''Yeah. I can hear you. This time for sure'''.”<br /> <br /> What Ren gripped tightly was the Archangel’s feather as if he was guided by a faint voice.<br /> <br /> The white divine tool which glowed brightly.<br /> <br /> “That’s why——”<br /> <br /> Ancient summoning.<br /> <br /> It was said that by hearing the spirit’s voice and responding them, the spirits would also respond back to the spellcaster.<br /> <br /> “I can’t end in a place like this.”<br /> <br /> <br /> —— 『''{{Furigana|Rh/s|express}} {{Furigana|hec ele Selah|the door of the world}}''』——<br /> <br /> <br /> The sea of flames that was blocking his path gets split in half.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}}.<br /> <br /> The spirit which had been besides Ren as a small spirit of fire descended now in its true form as a crimson lizard with wings.<br /> <br /> “I get it now…… You’ve been trying to talk to me from a long time ago.”<br /> <br /> Now he could hear it.<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“Call me, again. I would be, waiting.”''<br /> <br /> <br /> Ren ran through the path of the flames. And it happened at the same time.<br /> <br /> The same time as Ren exited the mansion, the mansion collapsed while making a sound.<br /> <br /> “Ren!? Good, you are safe.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who found Ren and came running to him.<br /> <br /> “Sorry, I took a detour. ——Oh, there he is. Hey, take care of this girl!”<br /> <br /> Ren carried the girl he had saved and left her in the care of the {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} of the Elmekia Dusk.<br /> <br /> “Y……You are……?”<br /> <br /> “I’m glad you are okay. See you then, I’m also in a rush!”<br /> <br /> Ren waved his hand to the girl who had her eyes open a bit as he ran.<br /> <br /> “Where are Fear and Elise?”<br /> <br /> “They are heading to the summit already. Also, I saw several more parties climbing the mountain while you were acting on your own. We are most likely the last ones. Looks like we are late.”<br /> <br /> “I said I’m sorry.”<br /> <br /> “I didn’t say you were bad.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse’s smile who was running elegantly.<br /> <br /> “If you didn’t do that, then there would have been a life no once could have saved. Also, we can climb faster for the lost time. With the two of us. Follow me!”<br /> <br /> “Alright.”<br /> <br /> Ren gripped on his old sword. Ren ran through the path which was leading to the volcano.<br /> <br /> The Five Great Disaster. The “Demon General of Blaze” Achendia. They simply ran towards her——<br /> <br /> {{SimpleNav<br /> |b=Record.3|bn=Record.3<br /> |f=Record.5|fn=Record.5<br /> }}</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sekai_no_Owari_no_Encore:Volume_1_Record.4&diff=443516 Sekai no Owari no Encore:Volume 1 Record.4 2015-05-19T00:14:44Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Record.4: Elmekia Dusk==<br /> <br /> ===1===<br /> <br /> The heat and the temperature which felt like it could choke you.<br /> <br /> Simply breathing in the air would burn your lungs. A place where the atmosphere was filled with such high heat which made you feel as such.<br /> <br /> The town of the blazing cliff, Jio.<br /> <br /> “It’s hot! So this isn’t a heat coming from the people but the steam which is coming from the mountain right?”<br /> <br /> “This is a town which lies before the Great Volcano of Galia after all. Over there, you can already see it.”<br /> <br /> Ranges of mountain where the summit of the mountain were tainted red.<br /> <br /> Fear pointed at the top of a mountain, an active volcano where the magma spurred, with her finger.<br /> <br /> ——The location where one of the Five Great Disasters, Demon General of Blaze Achendia, awaits them.<br /> <br /> “Huh? Are you a bit nervous, Ren?”<br /> <br /> “There’s no way I won’t be. I’ve been like this before we even entered this town.”<br /> <br /> Even though the surface of his body was hot, the part of his body deep within was icy cold.<br /> <br /> The tension and the fear. Even for Elise whose current body was that of after reincarnating herself, their opponent would be someone who a former Demon Lord such as herself cannot face alone to the extent that she sought for help.<br /> <br /> “Anyways, am I the only one nervous?”<br /> <br /> “Are you implying I am?”<br /> <br /> “You are like usual, Kyelse. I’m talking about the parties scattered all over the places.”<br /> <br /> The people that passed through the main street.<br /> <br /> About half of them weren’t the residents of this town but the members of powerful parties. There were obviously {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}} that were forging that swords and also what appeared to be parties exchanging information.<br /> <br /> “Oh my. Achendia sure is popular.”<br /> <br /> Elise made a bitter smile while she looked at the presence of dozens of parties.<br /> <br /> “They will all be slayed, I guess? I doubt they won’t be able to defeat not only Achendia but even her henchmen.”<br /> <br /> “……Don’t say such scary thing naturally like that.”<br /> <br /> “I’m dead serious. That’s because there aren’t any impressive bunch here.”<br /> <br /> The parties gathered at this town must mostly be newly formed parties. They must have gathered here to get their fame by defeating the Demon General of Blaze.<br /> <br /> “Huh? Aren’t you Ren?”<br /> <br /> That was the time when a young man’s voice came from behind them.<br /> <br /> “Oi, it really is. The so called fake Brave Hero.”<br /> <br /> “That one, right? The one who failed last year’s promotion exam and is repeating his second year.”<br /> <br /> “……Senpai?”<br /> <br /> The two {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}} that were wearing top grade armaments with carved seals engraved in them.<br /> <br /> They graduated Holy Fiora Journey Academy last year and formed a party among their five friends. For someone like Ren who had repeated a year, they were three grades his senior. That made them a grade above Fear.<br /> <br /> ''——I wouldn’t forget.''<br /> <br /> ''——That’s because they were seniors that always tried to pick a fight with me ever since I enrolled.''<br /> <br /> “Hey, what’s going on here? Skipping classes, are we? You aren’t telling me you formed a party? You are still a middle-rank student and haven’t even graduated yet. You are still III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} aren’t you?”<br /> <br /> “Or did you withdraw from the Academy? Hey. Who are those young girls? Huh…..aren’t you——”<br /> <br /> “It’s been a while.”<br /> <br /> The party of five members that graduated from Holy Fiora Journey Academy. The one who the female {{Furigana|Barrierer|ENCHANTER}} among them looked at was Fear who was famous for being considered as the first prodigy ever since the establishment of the academy.<br /> <br /> “I think your name was……Fear. The one who was being favoured by the instructors.”<br /> <br /> “That would be an exaggeration for someone like me.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel responded with a smile.<br /> <br /> “So, how come all of you are here?”<br /> <br /> “Hunting down the Demon General of Blaze. Having a hotshot like that showing up on earth rarely happens after all.”<br /> <br /> The one who answered was the {{Furigana|Caster|ARIA}} who was wearing a robe.<br /> <br /> He was one of the top students who was ranked among the top ten of the graduates. Not only did he receive lessons from the instructors of the academy, but he was also famous for receiving special lessons from his teacher who was a professional {{Furigana|Caster|ARIA}}.<br /> <br /> “Fear, why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to graduate this year? And what about your party?”<br /> <br /> “I already formed one. I decided to go on a journey together with Ren.”<br /> <br /> “H-Hey, Senpai!?”<br /> <br /> Fear wrapped her arms around Ren and hugged him gently.<br /> <br /> “Eh……that was unexpected. What happened with your graduation exam?”<br /> <br /> “I decided to graduate from the academy earlier on my own.”<br /> <br /> “Huh! These guys sure are naïve minded. Even though you were the instructors favourite, you are playing party-game with this fake Brave Hero……”<br /> <br /> The I-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} spoke in a scornful tone while he sighed.<br /> <br /> “A student {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} who repeated a year and only looks like a Brave Hero while trying to act——”<br /> <br /> “Shut up.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse’s voice which was filled with anger cut of the young {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}’s words.<br /> <br /> “Keep your mouth shut, human. Someone of your calibre is a thousand years too early to insult Ren who is my comrade.”<br /> <br /> “Huh? What’s with this girl?”<br /> <br /> “——Fool, if you really want to be crushed, then——”<br /> <br /> “Alright, that’s it, Kyelse.”<br /> <br /> Ren rested his hand on Kyelse’s shoulder who was shivering with anger while he smiled at her.<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. What he’s saying is true.”<br /> <br /> “Ren?”<br /> <br /> “It can’t be helped. It can’t be helped if I get such comments.”<br /> <br /> If it frustrated you, then you shouldn’t use words but make achievements with simple determination.<br /> <br /> That was the reality in both the inside and the outside of the academy.<br /> <br /> “Mmm……”<br /> <br /> “Well, I was happy you became angry for me. Thank you.”<br /> <br /> He smiled at Kyelse who was making a face due to her dissatisfaction.<br /> <br /> ''——She became angry as if she was the one insulted.''<br /> <br /> That was the reason why Ren was able to keep his calm instead.<br /> <br /> “So will all of you be hunting the Demon General of Blaze? The enemy is the great Demon. It would be too risky to challenge it when you just formed your party last year.”<br /> <br /> “That’s why this is the situation we couldn’t ask even more for.”<br /> <br /> The I-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} declared boldly.<br /> <br /> “Look around you. Dozens of these parties are our allies. Most of the parties made an alliance and are preparing for a strategy to defeat the Demon General of Blaze. With these numbers, no one can stand in our way no matter who the enemy is. Obviously the reward and the fame will be shared among the parties. But even with that, what we will get is more than what we can ask for since our enemy will be a hotshot like one of the Five Great Disasters.”<br /> <br /> They were currently coming up with a strategy.<br /> <br /> Even though parties which would normally be rivals were everywhere, the reason why they were on standby without rushing was due to the majority of these parties having made a temporary alliance.<br /> <br /> “Bad news for you, Ren, since this has nothing to do with you. Do you think there will be a party which would form an alliance with you, an III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, and three girls?”<br /> <br /> “Wrong. We don’t plan on—”<br /> <br /> Just before he was about to say that they would challenge the Demon General of Blaze with the four of them.<br /> <br /> The noises around them quieted down.<br /> <br /> The sounds of hard footsteps could be heard from behind them. It wasn’t a sound of just several people. It was more than that. The footsteps which was timed perfectly with the sound of other footsteps. And the pace of their footsteps which had no flaws to each other——<br /> <br /> “Hey, isn’t that……”<br /> <br /> “Elmekia Dusk!? Why is the highest-level party with the most man-power in the world here? Does that mean a request of reinforcement was given to the supreme metropolitan of Elmekia!?”<br /> <br /> Shocked voices which sounded like screams spread through the scene rhythmically.<br /> <br /> <br /> {{Furigana| Royal 72 Order of the Special Knight Squad|ELMEKIA DUSK}}—— the highest rank party led by the Knight King Zellbright.<br /> <br /> <br /> Twelve people that appeared in the town of the blazing cliff.<br /> <br /> They wore their symbolic black battle-wear and progressed through the main street without even being concerned about the parties around them. Maybe they were overwhelmed by their silent pressure. It was clear that the groups of party members and pedestrians on the streets gave path to the members of Elmekia Dusk which was like a path was made in the sea.<br /> <br /> ''——They are clearly different.''<br /> <br /> ''——The pressure given out from their body was very different from the other party members gathered in this town.''<br /> <br /> “What’s with those snobbish guys?”<br /> <br /> “Elmekia Dusk. It’s the biggest party in the world. Not only in terms of numbers, but they are one of the strongest party in the world for having groups of the strongest {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}} among the elites as their core members.”<br /> <br /> The one who answered smoothly to Kyelse who looked at the party without moving her head was Fear.<br /> <br /> “Among the seven-hundred and twenty {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}} they have hired, only seventy-two of them can become the official party members. There’s nothing to criticise about their achievements and strength. But since there is a clear ranks in terms of strength, there are rumours that there is an intense battle happening to take higher ranks within the party at all times.”<br /> <br /> “Looks like you are awfully well-informed.”<br /> <br /> “I sure am. I haven’t been attending the party raising institute for four years for nothing.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel responded with a smile.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Ren?”<br /> <br /> “Hmm……ah, yeah. There were certainly many seniors back in the academy who wanted to join the Elmekia Dusk.”<br /> <br /> But the competition was very intense. Potential {{Furigana|Knights|MASTERS}} and {{Furigana|Casters|ARIAS}} throughout the world gathered at the supreme metropolitan of Elmekia but only very few of them would be selected every year.<br /> <br /> “I think the 1st rank was the Knight King Zellbright. I don’t see other high rank upper echelons among them either so I’m assuming that group is made up of lower ranks of the {{Furigana| Royal 72 Order of the Special Knight Squad|ELMEKIA DUSK}}. Even still, just as you see……you can tell they are clearly different from others from the atmosphere they are giving out.”<br /> <br /> The noises finally returned to the main street. But the discussions were all about the Elmekia Dusk which had just walked past the street.<br /> <br /> “……Geez. A troublesome bunch sure did come.”<br /> <br /> “We really didn’t expect this.”<br /> <br /> The ones who distorted their face with hatred was the party of the Holy Fiora graduates.<br /> <br /> “Looks like we don’t have a time to waste anymore. ……See ya then, Ren. I will give you a good news before we go. There were rumours going around about you, though not much as Elmekia Dusk. The reason we found you is because we heard your rumours and thought that it may be you.”<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> “Congrats, fake Brave Hero. '''You have already joined the celebrities even outside the academy'''.”<br /> <br /> “……Ah, so that’s how it is.”<br /> <br /> The rumour about a young boy who had a mirror image of the Brave Hero Elline.<br /> <br /> It must mean that the rumour had spread fast even in this town of the blazing cliff. By the time Ren realised his senior was being sarcastic, the party of the five young members had already disappeared into the crowd.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> At the large auditorium of the town of the blazing cliff.<br /> <br /> A meaningful crimson carpet was laid on the passage. The windows for lighting the passage was set on both sides of the wall where all of them had stained glass on them. So it gave a dazzling, yet sacred light.<br /> <br /> “Wow, is the whole passage like this? It’s insanely gorgeous that I haven’t seen a beautiful building like this in Mstier. ……The world outside sure is amazing after all.”<br /> <br /> Ren made a sigh of admiration after witnessing a scenery as spacious as a castle.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Kyelse. Don’t you think it’s amazing?”<br /> <br /> “I don’t mind it, except why do we have to line up here for almost one hour?”<br /> <br /> There are dozens of people behind them and also dozens of people front of them where all of them were people from different parties.<br /> <br /> The Dragon Princess looked fed up by being surrounded by many humans.<br /> <br /> “It’s for the party registration.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel who hadn’t lost her usual smile.<br /> <br /> “For requests such as that from towns, a set amount of money is prepared beforehand and is given to the parties where the reward would be determined by their achievements. You won’t receive a reward if you don’t register your party. And even if you did defeat one of the Five Great Disasters, you wouldn’t know which party had defeated it.”<br /> <br /> “So it’s to distribute the reward and fame, huh. It sure is a cunning method a human would come up with.”<br /> <br /> “You know, Kyelse, we wouldn’t be able to buy the sweets you are really fond of if we don’t have the money.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? That sure is a serious matter. We need to secure our reward then.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse started to nod reluctantly.<br /> <br /> “Oh well. You don’t need to worry since the only ones who is capable of defeating Achendia would be us so there’s no need to rush things~. Ren, you also need to give your all and survive, okay?”<br /> <br /> “……Don’t say such ominous thing.”<br /> <br /> Ren shrugged his shoulder after the previous Demon Lord slapped his back.<br /> <br /> “But what about those guys? Maybe the Elmekia Dusk would be able to defeat Achendia……”<br /> <br /> “Ren. Aren’t you taking the Five Great Disasters lightly?”<br /> <br /> She lifted her eyes like a cat.<br /> <br /> Elise made a fearless smile which could be considered disrespectful and looked up at Ren.<br /> <br /> “You know they were Demons that were the candidates to become a Demon Lord three-hundred years ago? Ren, you said it yourself before but aren’t the members dispatched by the Elmekia Dusk lower rank members? Don’t you reckon they won’t be able to do anything?”<br /> <br /> “I……Is that how it is?”<br /> <br /> “Well, I would be grateful if they could stall one or two of Achendia’s henchmen at most. Majority of the Five Great Disasters are lone wolves but Achendia would be quite troublesome since she had many faithful subordinates under her. So having many parties come with us would be an advantage for us. We will have them deal with Achendia’s henchmen so we can concentrate solely on Achendia, you know?”<br /> <br /> “They are that powerful huh. ……You’re right, they were strong enough to be the candidates of becoming a Demon Lord.”<br /> <br /> The species known as Demons naturally had strength that were in different leagues to humans. For that reason they were called the superior beings and continued to rule the underground world known as the Underworld.<br /> <br /> “————.”<br /> <br /> “By the way, Kyelse, why have you been looking around yourself since a while ago?”<br /> <br /> “It’s not me. Instead, we are the ones being looked at.”<br /> <br /> The parties that bypassed them.<br /> <br /> It wasn’t just them. Even before they entered the auditorium, merchants and salesboy of the street stall had been glaring at them with curious eyes and had been whispering at each other.<br /> <br /> “They are saying, “So that’s the rumoured party a lookalike of the Brave Hero belongs to……”.”<br /> <br /> “Eh? You can even hear them whispering even far from here?”<br /> <br /> “You shouldn’t take lightly of a Dragon’s senses. Your appearance resembles Elline to begin with. And now the three of us is here with you as well.”<br /> <br /> The Elline Sword Emperor Brigade which ended the End War with the only four of them. Everyone knew the legend of Elline and the Three Great Princesses which represented the three world.<br /> <br /> And now there was Ren, a lookalike of the Brave Hero, and the three girls that were with him.<br /> <br /> ——Such party appeared for the hunt of the Five Great Disaster.<br /> <br /> ——A mere coincidence? Or do they have some connection with the famous Elline Sword Emperor Brigade?<br /> <br /> There was no way the other parties and the town’s resident wouldn’t become curious.<br /> <br /> “Oh well. The three individuals among us four is the real thing. Hey, do you think they will get shocked if we tell them?”<br /> <br /> “……Don’t. It will cause a stir.”<br /> <br /> Ren calmed Elise whose tone sounded like she was having fun.<br /> <br /> “But the thing is, you will have to become one too, okay?”<br /> <br /> “Me?”<br /> <br /> “Don’t remain being called a fake Brave Hero and start working hard to become someone who would get called a Brave Hero since you are with us.”<br /> <br /> “It’s too early.”<br /> <br /> The one who said that was Kyelse who had candy inside her mouth.<br /> <br /> “There’s no need for you to rush it. Ren, you need to aim from something easy first. It’s to become a Sword Saint.”<br /> <br /> “……Both of them would be hard to accomplish.”<br /> <br /> Fear rested her hand on Ren’s shoulder who had just said that.<br /> <br /> “Ren. It’s our turn to register.”<br /> <br /> It was one of the four counters.<br /> <br /> The girl who appeared to be a receptionist looked towards them and started to explain in a nervous manner.<br /> <br /> “You must be here for the special-code 09 “Five Great Disaster Hunt”. Please register your party’s name.”<br /> <br /> “……Party name?”<br /> <br /> The supreme metropolitan of Elmekia’s “Elmekia Dusk”, the holy-land of Canaan’s “Canaan Pilgrim, the Boat of the Sacred Teaching”, and also “Elline Sword Emperor Brigade” from three-hundred years ago had a party name taken from their territory or the name of their representative and such.<br /> <br /> “Oh, crap. We haven’t decided yet. Any good name any of you can come up with?”<br /> <br /> The three girls behind him showed a sign of thinking up a name for a moment.<br /> <br /> “I do! Adorable Elise-chan and her happy-going subordinates!”<br /> <br /> “The party led by the noble, the strongest, the beautiful Silver Dragon Princess who had woken from her long seal—”<br /> <br /> “Why don’t we just stay anonymous?”<br /> <br /> “……Fear-senpai’s suggestion it is. Please register as anonymous.”<br /> <br /> Both Kyelse and Elise that were behind Ren started making a sound of displeasure but he acted as if he didn’t hear them.<br /> <br /> “Registration is completed. For this quest we have requested the aid of Elmekia Dusk for the hunt of one of the Five Great Disasters. They would be heading out tomorrow morning.”<br /> <br /> “So you are saying other parties should match them?”<br /> <br /> “To have everyone cooperate, that is what we are asking for.”<br /> <br /> The receptionist girl said that with a begging eyes.<br /> <br /> “The subordinates of one of the Five Great Disasters are gathered at the summit. If we don’t suppress them before their forces increases more than this, there is a risk that this town would be destroyed……so I beg you.”<br /> <br /> “It will be alright~.”<br /> <br /> The one who waved her hand with easygoing tone was Elise.<br /> <br /> “Rather, if Achendia felt like it she could have destroyed this town on her own. Since that hasn’t happened, it means she has no intention to destroy this town. She’s a moody individual. If she is in a good mood she wouldn’t do anything unless we take action so relax.”<br /> <br /> “It doesn’t sound relaxing at all you know!? What would happen if her mood changes for the worst!?”<br /> <br /> “That’s why we will take her down before that happens.”<br /> <br /> The previous Demon Lord smiled.<br /> <br /> “That’s why we should head to the inn. I have been sweating so I want to take a bath. You too, Kyelse.”<br /> <br /> “The party’s name……the special party name I have been coming up with since yesterday……”<br /> <br /> “That was the name you came up with after seriously thinking about it!? Oh well, anyways, let’s get going.”<br /> <br /> Ren took Kyelse’s hand who was putting on a sulking face and left the auditorium quickly.<br /> <br /> And then——the moment they came out. ''Noises''. The parties and the residents that seemed to be waiting for them outside the auditorium all looked at them.<br /> <br /> “Woah?”<br /> <br /> “They were the parties that were looking at us before. I guess rumours brought more rumours and ended up gathering all these people.”<br /> <br /> It was exactly like the situation when the Elmekia Dusk showed up before. They didn’t come to talk to them directly. But they were whispering to each other quietly.<br /> <br /> “Ren. Let’s go. We need to book an inn first and have you concentrate on your training like usual.”<br /> <br /> “…...Alright. The inn it is. Umm, I’m sure there was one this way.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who was following right behind him.<br /> <br /> Ren walked through the main street while taking her small hand.<br /> <br /> “By training, do you mean you will teach me about sword again?”<br /> <br /> “At noon, yes. I will look after you in terms of swords. But at night it will be Fear and Elise. The ancient summoning, the one we had you train every day. It seems like you can’t hear the voices of the spirits yet. But we will have you continue it until we can.”<br /> <br /> “……Roger that. Though I am trying.”<br /> <br /> “It’s natural that you can’t perform it yet. It wouldn’t be called {{Furigana|“the lost spells”|ANCIENTS}} if it was that easy to acquire.”<br /> <br /> The public road filled with people.<br /> <br /> The silver haired girl then plainly said it while looking ahead.<br /> <br /> “Even so, our battle against Achendia would be tomorrow. We don’t have time but we will have you train much as time would allow it. Both sword and ancient summoning.”<br /> <br /> ===2===<br /> <br /> <br /> The town of the blazing cliff where there was still heat and commotion.<br /> <br /> The hot wind which came from the active volcano where one of the Five Great Disasters awaits them. Even late at night, where jet-black curtain has covered the sky, the hot air was still present which made you sweat slowly.<br /> <br /> “Thank you for waiting, Ren. You seemed to be quite tired now.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, Fear-senpai…… Yeah, I’ve been sword training with Kyelse till just now. But seriously, no wonder this place is called the town of the blazing cliff. I never thought it would be this hot even at night so I was cooling off while taking a break.”<br /> <br /> Ren turned around with a smile to the blonde girl who appeared on his way to the inn. Though his smile turned into an expression filled with fatigue immediately—— <br /> <br /> “……Except, I couldn’t calm myself down even though I took a break.”<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?”<br /> <br /> “I think I’m……nervous. The Demon General of Blaze would be a great Demon who I would never have imagined to face. Even though I was training with Kyelse, I kept on realising that I’m still inexperienced.”<br /> <br /> “That’s how it should be.”<br /> <br /> The response the Archangel gave was a peaceful nod.<br /> <br /> “Instead I would have been troubled if you said you were confident in yourself. That attitude is much better than those people from the other parties around here who are trying to face one of the Five Great Disasters without having the proper strength to face her and simply rushing for glory.”<br /> <br /> “That may be true……”<br /> <br /> “Knowing your weakness is the key to your growth. Ren, that modesty of yours is your strong point. Though talking about it in the middle of the street is strange. Let’s head to my room.”<br /> <br /> The room Fear pointed at was right beside the room where Ren was staying at.<br /> <br /> They booked two rooms.<br /> <br /> The other rooms were already fully booked by the other parties, but luckily there were two rooms left.<br /> <br /> It was good that they were able to divide the room among Ren and the three girls. Though the room would be too small for three people to stay in so they had no choice but to share each room among two people. So the room was shared between Ren &amp; Kyelse for one room and Elise &amp; Fear for the other room.<br /> <br /> “Please come in. Elise went to take a night walk but she should be returning soon. Till then, there’s something I need to tell you.”<br /> <br /> “About the ancient summoning?”<br /> <br /> “Yes. We would be facing Achendia tomorrow so I’ll tell you a bit about it.”<br /> <br /> ''——You don’t need to feel so reserved.''<br /> <br /> Fear entered her room gallantly as if she wanted to say that.<br /> <br /> “T-Then excuse me————!”<br /> <br /> Exactly when he entered the room.<br /> <br /> The explosion of light. Ren took several steps back in reflex and had his eyes blinded by the light which was so strong that it could lighten the sky of the night.<br /> <br /> “Oh my, pardon me. Was it too bright?”<br /> <br /> “Senpai, those wings are……?”<br /> <br /> The Archangel Fear who was the strongest in Heaven.<br /> <br /> Fear who had pure-white wings growing out from her back was smiling normally inside her room.<br /> <br /> “But first, there is something I must give you.”<br /> <br /> The Angel who touched her own wing. What she pinched using her fingers was a single feather, a beautiful feather which was glowing, from her wing which just appeared.<br /> <br /> “Here, please take this.”<br /> <br /> “Eh? Isn’t this——”<br /> <br /> “This is my present for you. Ren, this will be a ritual item for activating your ancient summoning.”<br /> <br /> The Angel continued with a casual tone.<br /> <br /> “We had you train by trying to have you communicate with the small spirit which is attached to you till we reached this town of the blazing cliff.”<br /> <br /> “……Yeah. I was actually giving my all for the training.”<br /> <br /> For the past three days, the small spirit of fire certainly appeared in front of Ren when they were camping outside.<br /> <br /> It was certain that it was attached to Ren.<br /> <br /> But no matter how much Ren tried to concentrate in trying to hear its voice, the spirit didn’t say anything to him after all. It was floating in the air optimistically and disappeared when it felt like it.<br /> <br /> “So then, what do you mean when your feather would be a ritual item to activating the spell?”<br /> <br /> “There are two factors you need in order to use ancient summoning. One is the power to hear the voices of the spirits. And the second is the activation substance for the spell. We are talking about a powerful spell to summon the spirits here, so you would need a suitable activation substance for it.”<br /> <br /> “And this is……”<br /> <br /> Ren stared at the Angel’s feather held in his hand.<br /> <br /> The sacred ritual item which was giving out a shallow light.<br /> <br /> “I certainly was taught that using the leaves of an ancient trees or items which is possessed by spiritual power would enhance the power of normal spells. Would it be safe to assume that the same logic would apply here?”<br /> <br /> “Exactly. Though a normal activation substance wouldn’t be able to activate the ancient summoning. The “divine item” which is much superior than a mere ritual item——please excuse myself but I am an Archangel who has the second highest rank in Heaven after the Goddess Resflaze-sama. With a powerful activation substance such as this, even for you who doesn’t know much about ancient summoning yet would perhaps be able to succeed in activating simple spells.”<br /> <br /> “Even for me right now?”<br /> <br /> “Yes. Though I may be repeating myself but the most crucial factor in this is for you to be able to communicate with the spirits. I was originally planning to hand this to you once you were able to do that.”<br /> <br /> “Is it alright for me to receive this now?”<br /> <br /> “You can say it’s a replacement for a lucky charm. And also as a reward for you as you were working hard for the past three days.”<br /> <br /> The blonde Archangel answered with a graceful smile.<br /> <br /> Right after that.<br /> <br /> “I’m back! Oh, Ren’s here!”<br /> <br /> The door opened and a dark skinned girl rushed into the room.<br /> <br /> “Did you receive Fear’s feather already? Then I should give you one as well.”<br /> <br /> “You will give me something too, Elise?”<br /> <br /> “Yup. I’ll give you this.”<br /> <br /> A gold-like jewel which was glowing in yellow-brown colour.<br /> <br /> Amber——a fossilisation of a large tree’s resin over a long period.<br /> <br /> “Remember what Fear said? About how ancient summoning is a high-level spell which involves the manipulation of space. Spirits aren’t the only things you can summon. It should be even possible to summon simple objects.”<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?”<br /> <br /> “Assume that the Angel’s feather is the activation substance for the ancient summoning. And the one I handed to you will be to summon physical objects. In other words, you would need different ritual item for different types of summoning.”<br /> <br /> “So even a jewel like this can become an activation substance?”<br /> <br /> An Archangel’s feather which looked powerful no matter how you saw it.<br /> <br /> On the other hand a jewel given to Ren from Elise looked like a simple jewel at first glance.<br /> <br /> “Well, it’s natural for you to feel that way. But it isn’t a normal amber. It’s a jewel condensed from the resin belonging to a one-thousand years old tree which was present in the Underworld. Also, can you see a black line inside the amber?”<br /> <br /> “……Umm, oh this.”<br /> <br /> A narrow line which Ren originally thought was a crack.<br /> <br /> There was something, something narrow like a string inside the amber.<br /> <br /> “It’s my hair. I used this as a medium to seal my, a Demon Lord’s, power. It was a jewel I had prepared three-hundred years ago but it wasn’t enough to make my reincarnated body mature. I’ll give it to you since I won’t be using it.”<br /> <br /> “Is it really okay?”<br /> <br /> “Yup. You’ve been training to summon that spirit till yesterday, right? Even though it may be the same ancient summoning, summoning a physical object might be easier. Rather than summoning a special being like spirits, you would be summoning something you are familiar with. To explain it in details, you can for example summon a book you left at the academy.”<br /> <br /> “……Isn’t that also amazing enough!?”<br /> <br /> “Right? But this will be hard in terms of when to use it.”<br /> <br /> Elise answered with a meaningful smile.<br /> <br /> “Anyway, the effect of the ancient summoning apparently had to do with the spellcaster’s skills and the power possessed inside the divine item. Ren, you haven’t actually started training spells yet. But what you have are the divine items which came from me, the previous Demon Lord, and Fear, an Archangel. So you will be compensating your skills with a powerful activation substance.”<br /> <br /> The Angel’s feather would be for the spirit summoning purpose.<br /> <br /> The Demon’s jewel would be for the physical object summoning purpose.<br /> <br /> Ren nodded his head while holding onto both of those activation substances.<br /> <br /> “So I’ll be able to summon everything besides the spirits with this amber of yours then, right?”<br /> <br /> “That’s how it is said. Even though I said physical object, it’s for non-living objects so you should give it a try. Ren, try to summon one of the education books you left in your so-called academy.”<br /> <br /> “……By the way, how should I do it?”<br /> <br /> “I don’t know. Ancient summoning was a spell which belonged to the humans. It’s said that spirit summoning is to summon the spirits through communication with them. But there is lack of information in regards to summoning physical objects.”<br /> <br /> The previous Demon Lord shook her head immediately.<br /> <br /> “Though if it’s a space-manipulation spell like the ancient summoning, then there is a spell created by the Demons which resembles it. The trick I used back then was, let me see……you make your mind go blank, then imagine you are manipulating space quietly, and then bang, you activated it. Easy right?”<br /> <br /> “Pardon me?”<br /> <br /> “That’s why I’m saying that you make your mind go blank, then imagine you are manipulating space, and then bang!”<br /> <br /> “……Hold on a sec. My brain is about to explode.”<br /> <br /> Ren stopped Elise and put this hand on his forehead.<br /> <br /> In terms of the way how Kyelse taught Ren sword techniques, the training would involve Ren watching Kyelse wield the sword and learn it. According to Kyelse “explaining it in words is hard” for her so Ren would have a hard time acquiring it since there wasn’t any explanation given to him in words. Though Elise’s explanation was hard to comprehend in a different way.<br /> <br /> ''——I need to imagine my education book to appear strongly.''<br /> <br /> He could guess that was what she wanted to say. But he never anticipated that a Demon’s logic behind spells would be a vague sense of feeling as this.<br /> <br /> “Well then, start already! I’m also looking forward to your summoning, Ren!”<br /> <br /> “I’ll give it a shot but don’t hold too much hope. I still can’t do the spirit summoning either……”<br /> <br /> The Demon Lord’s jewel which was glowing in his left hand.<br /> <br /> What Ren imagined in his head was his education book he left in the academy while he gripped the Demon Lord’s jewel for a long time.<br /> <br /> His education book which he read through it so many times that the pages were torn. Ren still remembered the sensation and the weight of his book within his hands——<br /> <br /> That instant.<br /> <br /> The Demon Lord’s jewel was enveloped by a strong golden light.<br /> <br /> “……What!?”<br /> <br /> Ren was about to drop the jewel due to the sudden activation but he managed to stop himself from dropping it.<br /> <br /> After the light settled.<br /> <br /> A familiar old education book dropped on the floor close to Ren’s foot.<br /> <br /> “……Eh? Does this mean I succeeded?”<br /> <br /> He still couldn’t believe it even though he activated it himself.<br /> <br /> But the book which was on the ground in front of him was certainly the education book he imagined inside his head.<br /> <br /> “Hmm, nice job Ren. I was actually surprised for real this time.”<br /> <br /> Elise who picked the education book from the ground.<br /> <br /> The innocent looking eyes which belonged to a young girl rises up happily. But her eyes becomes so sharp and gets filled with devilishness that even Ren felt chills on his back.<br /> <br /> ''——The smile she is making while she showed a slight expression of when she was a Demon Lord.''<br /> <br /> ''——Therefore the praise she just gave must have come from the bottom of her heart.''<br /> <br /> “Even so, I only succeeded in summoning a single book as this……”<br /> <br /> “Ren, you are saying that because you don’t realise how hard space manipulation spells are. You do know that the spell you just showed would be a level where the instructors from the Holy Fiora Journey Academy would faint due to the shock if they saw that?”<br /> <br /> The one who answered with a bittersweet smile was Fear.<br /> <br /> The Archangel who took the book Elise had just picked up and started observing it.<br /> <br /> “I see. It certainly is Ren’s book. It’s certain that this is a book which was summoned from the Holy Fiora Journey Academy which is located very far from here. Though you would require more training for spirit summoning, it seems like you would improve this summoning more than I thought.”<br /> <br /> “……Y-You think?”<br /> <br /> “That’s why '''your aim would be to maintain this book at this spot for more than an hour'''.”<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> Ren couldn’t understand Fear’s word immediately.<br /> <br /> The exact moment when Ren was about to ask her——<br /> <br /> “This is what I mean.”<br /> <br /> The education book Fear was holding onto disappeared after being engulfed by golden sparkles.<br /> <br /> “!? It disappeared!?”<br /> <br /> “It returned to its original location. “Karma” and “time” are the two important requirements for ancient summoning.”<br /> <br /> Elise gave a steady answer.<br /> <br /> With an unhesitant tone as if she already predicted that Ren would get shocked.<br /> <br /> “Though it’s also the weakness of ancient summoning since you can’t keep what you have summoned within your reach for unlimited time. It is said that you would be given the “time” restraint. By the way, I was actually counting in secret just now and that book returned exactly after twenty seconds.”<br /> <br /> “For such short time…… Oh, so this is what you meant when you said it will be hard to find the situation to use it.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly. That’s why the main target of summoning for ancient summoning would be the spirits after all. The spirits would respond to your voice and stay in that location. But lifeless objects which doesn’t have consciousness has a trait to return to its original location immediately. Right, Fear?”<br /> <br /> “That’s correct. Except, the factor which would connect the summoned object and Ren would be the “karma” shared between them. For that reason you were able to summon it on your first try, Ren. For example, even if it was another education book which was located in the library, the chances you would be able to summon the said-book would be very low due to the weak karma between you and that book. Even if you were able to summon it——”<br /> <br /> “So rather than twenty seconds, it would return in few seconds?”<br /> <br /> “Yes.”<br /> <br /> “……I see. But I think I got the gist of it.”<br /> <br /> Ren wouldn’t be able to summon an object which has a weak karma with him. Even if he did, it would disappear instantly. It meant the ancient summoning wasn’t perfect even if it was is considered as {{Furigana|“the lost spells”|ANCIENTS}}.<br /> <br /> “If that’s the case I might as well try again since I did succeed in——”<br /> <br /> “Ren.”<br /> <br /> Ren wanted to practise it once more.<br /> <br /> But the one who spoke over Ren’s words was Kyelse who had entered the room all of a sudden.<br /> <br /> “Huh, Kyelse? Since when were you there?”<br /> <br /> “I was here since before. You didn’t notice me since you were all ears to Elise’s explanation.”<br /> <br /> After having said that, Kyelse held Ren’s hand tightly.<br /> <br /> “This is enough for today so you should take a rest already. You should be tired because of the sword training you had with me as well.”<br /> <br /> “At least let me try once more——”<br /> <br /> “Tomorrow will be the battle against one of the Five Great Disasters. We would be troubled if you go down at a crucial moment due to lack of rest.”<br /> <br /> She didn’t even allow him to argue back.<br /> <br /> Kyelse’s words was so appropriate that Ren was about to laugh without thinking.<br /> <br /> “Let’s go.”<br /> <br /> “……Fine. Anyways, Fear-senpai, Elise, thanks.”<br /> <br /> Ren returned to the room next door while being dragged by Kyelse.<br /> <br /> Soon as they went to their room——<br /> <br /> “Seriously, you get caught up with training easily. You were tired a moment ago due to the training with me.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse sighed while sitting on the bed.<br /> <br /> “Let me confirm but did you receive the activation substances?”<br /> <br /> “I got one each from Fear-senpai and Elise. I may ask you a weird question but these are valuable items which would hold high values if I sold them, right?”<br /> <br /> The divine items which had the power of the Archangel and the Demon Lord respectively.<br /> <br /> “If I put it into the human’s value, then just selling one will allow you to buy a whole town.”<br /> <br /> “That much!?”<br /> <br /> “The ritual items, which has the power of either an Angels or Demons, would function as a defence barrier which has resistances against all sorts of spells. If it’s a divine item with the power of an Archangel, who is the second highest rank after the Goddess, or the Demon Lord, then it would normally become a “shield” which would be too powerful for a human to be in possession of.”<br /> <br /> Ren couldn’t actually understand it since he was given them so normally. But the Archangel’s feather and the Demon Lord’s jewel he was holding onto would indeed be the world treasures.<br /> <br /> “But think about it very hard. Why do you think Elise and Fear gave you such valuable divine item? Especially Fear’s feather. The reason why she gave you the activation substance even though you still can’t communicate with the spirits.”<br /> <br /> “……Because I’m inexperienced?”<br /> <br /> You can make up for the spellcaster of ancient summoning’s skills by the use of powerful activation substance. That was what Ren was told.<br /> <br /> “Half right and half wrong. More than you being inexperienced, it has more to do with the single enemy we are facing this time being powerful.”<br /> <br /> “The Five Great Disasters……”<br /> <br /> “Our current power is nowhere near our actual powers. On the other hand the strength of the Five Great Disasters surpasses that of current Demon Lord of the Underworld. Then what do you think will happen?”<br /> <br /> The Dragon Princess stared at the ceiling while she sat on the bed.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean by what will happen……”<br /> <br /> “It means that even I will have a really hard time fighting Achendia alone.”<br /> <br /> The silver haired girl said it plainly.<br /> <br /> “That’s why you need to protect yourself on your own. Think of the divine items that Fear and Elise gave you not as an activation substances for the ancient summoning but as a powerful defence barrier and keep it close to you all the time. You have to protect yourself. When we are fighting, just put your life as the priority.”<br /> <br /> “…..Yeah. You are right.”<br /> <br /> “Why don’t you sound convinced even though you said you do understand?”<br /> <br /> “No, it’s nothing.”<br /> <br /> Ren shook his head as if he was laughing at himself to Kyelse who was looking up at him.<br /> <br /> ''……I also want to become the manpower of the group.''<br /> <br /> ''……But right now, I’m not in a position where I can say that.''<br /> <br /> “I know I’m being hasty. But I was wondering if I can become a strength to this party one day.”<br /> <br /> “Don’t feel so down. I’ve been training you while having such intent from the start.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who had got up from the bed reached out her hand. What she grabbed with her hand was a single sword covered in brown colour sheath which was fading away.<br /> <br /> “My sword?”<br /> <br /> “In your case, not only your strength but you also need to do something with this sword or you can’t even start yet. I’m guessing you bought this in a minor weapon shop where you chose the cheapest second-hand one.”<br /> <br /> “Ugh!?”<br /> <br /> He couldn’t argue back. Ren bought the cheapest second hand sword from the town’s weapon shop when his enrolment to Holy Fiora Journey Academy was decided.<br /> <br /> “The length of the sword as well as the weight of it doesn’t match your height and strength. The grip is also in bad condition. Instead I’m amazed you were able to use this till now.”<br /> <br /> “……Are you praising me?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah. Though this will be a joke if you are going to fight a high level Angels, Demons, and Dragons.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who drew out the blade from the sheath smoothly and started staring at the blade.<br /> <br /> “The many layers of defence barrier the Archangels have around them. The Dragon’s scale which has stronger hardness than iron and steel. The miasma given out from high level Demons. All of them are a threat to humans. For example the Five Great Disaster we are facing this time. Let’s say you succeed in surprise attacking the Demon General of Blaze Achendia and cut her from behind——”<br /> <br /> “And then?”<br /> <br /> “The moment your blade touched Achendia’s miasma, the blade will corrode without any resistance and turn into dust.”<br /> <br /> “Just how useless can it be!?”<br /> <br /> “You would need a spirit armament which would be a sword with power of the spirit possessed in it at worst. The reason we chose the triumphal town as the meeting location with Elise was because I wanted to tell you that.”<br /> <br /> ——The Spirit-Sword Vierge.<br /> <br /> The spirit sword which was said to be wielded by Elline when he went to the Underworld and the Heaven a long time ago. Even though its sheath was destroyed over the three-hundred years, the blade was still filled with a sacred blue light.<br /> <br /> “Aren’t weapons like those……”<br /> <br /> “Hold on. There’s something wrong outside.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse suddenly said that with a strong tone.<br /> <br /> “Wrong?”<br /> <br /> “……There are several presence……howl and anger…………it’s getting closer……really closer……”<br /> <br /> The girl opened the window.<br /> <br /> At the jet-black night, what the Dragon Princess stared at was the summit of the giant volcano. And then——<br /> <br /> “'''It’s coming!'''”<br /> <br /> <br /> The exploding crimson flames lightened the town of the blazing cliff at night time.<br /> <br /> <br /> The dancing flames which blew many sparks.<br /> <br /> Right after that, a sound of crumbling which signified something huge had been destroyed from somewhere far echoed.<br /> <br /> “W-What was that sound?”<br /> <br /> “The town wall which was surrounding the town must have been destroyed. And that wasn’t just one location since I heard a sound of multiple locations being destroyed. A charge of an enormous monster or an attack spell by a Demon.”<br /> <br /> The sky which turned red.<br /> <br /> The Dragon Princess muttered while she stared at the rooftop of the building which was being stirred up by the sparks.<br /> <br /> “A conceited human must have acted rashly by angering the Five Great Disaster.”<br /> <br /> “What do you mean!? It was supposed to be tomorrow——”<br /> <br /> “One of the parties who became blinded by making achievement must have made an assault to the Great Volcano of Galia at night. As a result, they counterattacked by the Five Great Disaster after angering her.”<br /> <br /> The entrance to the room.<br /> <br /> The one standing there calmly was a blonde Archangel in white robe.<br /> <br /> “So then, what shall we do now, Elise?”<br /> <br /> “Hmm……I really can’t imagine for the moody Achendia to become angry by simply receiving a surprise attack by a mere party. To begin with, she doesn’t even consider humans as a threat. I’m guessing her henchmen became angry on their own. So maybe she’s watching it from the summit?”<br /> <br /> The previous Demon Lord who answered with her usual easy going tone.<br /> <br /> “Oh well, should we be quick? Even though it’s a counterattack by her henchmen, there seems to be many of them. Though taking down Achendia would be the quickest way to stop their counterattack.”<br /> <br /> ===3===<br /> <br /> <br /> The residents’ houses which were burning.<br /> <br /> The sky during night was tainted in red by having the sparks rise up by the wind.<br /> <br /> “The fire already spread this much!?”<br /> <br /> “Of course since they are the henchmen of the Demon General of Blaze. Of course it would be spells they would be proficient at. ——Even so, let’s get rid of them right away.”<br /> <br /> Elise who raised her hand.<br /> <br /> The spell’s design glowed in blue colour. The moment the glowing ice particles which was created in empty space, the flames which was burning in fast pace gets frozen in no time and disappeared by turning into many fragments.<br /> <br /> “......That’s Elise for you”<br /> <br /> “Geez. Humans do turn into daredevils. Didn’t your academy tell you not to act so reckless, Ren?”<br /> <br /> “Huh? What do you——”<br /> <br /> “The ones who stimulated all these Demons and monsters that are rampaging first was most likely the five member party made up of the so-called Ren’s seniors we met at noon.”<br /> <br /> “It can’t be!?”<br /> <br /> “I’m dead serious.”<br /> <br /> The former Demon Lord who easily jumped onto a building’s rooftop to get a full view of the town.<br /> <br /> “Hmm, I see. Approximately two hundred enemies. There are less than ten Demons that is acting as the main force. Majority of the remaining one-hundred ninety enemies are monsters tamed by the Demons.”<br /> <br /> “Elise, is what you just said true? About the seniors from the academy!”<br /> <br /> “More like I was there when it happened. They were heading towards the volcano. You know when I left at night? I bypassed them by a chance.”<br /> <br /> “You didn’t stop them?”<br /> <br /> “I did. But I’m in this state now. Not only didn’t they hear me out, they just ignored me. Or should I have injured them till they couldn’t move?”<br /> <br /> “…………No.”<br /> <br /> Ren shook his head while biting his teeth hard at the master of the Underworld’s question.<br /> <br /> “You warned them right, Elise? Then the ones at fault are my seniors who ignored your warning and the ones who started this first was the humans.”<br /> <br /> “I like the sound of that. So you can make proper judgment without treating them special for being the same human as you huh.”<br /> <br /> The former Demon Lord nodded with a smile cheerfully.<br /> <br /> “Anyway we need to go and stop them. Even if they joined forces they wouldn’t be able to win against Achendia. Then there will only be casualties if we don’t stop them.”<br /> <br /> Ren could guess why they headed towards the mountain in a rush.<br /> <br /> The Elmekia Dusk’s participation. Since they didn’t see any chances of winning the competition against a large world-level party heads on, so they must have thought they needed to make the first move.<br /> <br /> “Kyelse, Fear, Elise——”<br /> <br /> To the volcano’s summit.<br /> <br /> The moment Ren was about to shout that out, “something” large jumped out from the resident’s house right behind them.”<br /> <br /> “A monster!?”<br /> <br /> A crimson coloured large snake broke through the house’s wall and jumped at them.<br /> <br /> ——The sword flashed.<br /> <br /> The snake powerfully and quickly leaped to the rear due to a sharp strike grazing its face. But it wasn’t Ren who swung the sword.<br /> <br /> “High-level Demons and their tamed monsters huh.”<br /> <br /> The {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} who was wearing a black steel battle-wear. His brute strength which allowed him not to twitch his eyes even in front of a giant monster. And his behaviour which came from his confidence.<br /> <br /> “Elmekia Dusk?”<br /> <br /> “If you are a civilian then evacuate to the auditorium. If you belong to a party then head to the mountain.”<br /> <br /> “W-What about you guys!?”<br /> <br /> “We split into two troops. The first troop has already headed to hunt the Five Great Disaster. And the remaining troop would concentrate on guarding the town.”<br /> <br /> “……Can we leave the guarding of this town to you guys? Didn’t you also come to hunt the Five Great Disaster?”<br /> <br /> “Protecting the town was also included in the request.”<br /> <br /> The one that gave the answer just now was an {{Furigana|Caster|ARIA}} who was also wearing the same black battle-wear.<br /> <br /> “Majority of this assault is caused by the monsters. High-level Demons are a threat but their numbers are low. So we will oppress them.”<br /> <br /> “Having the Elmekia Dusk taking the defence sure is reassuring.”<br /> <br /> Fear who smashed a strange bird that came to assault them to the ground with just her fist.<br /> <br /> “Though it seems like you have other motives, right? Rather than getting uncertain fame where you might let the Five Great Disaster escape after cornering them, taking the certain fame as a priority which is to protect the town may be better. ……Would that be me thinking too much?”<br /> <br /> “……I suggest you move your legs than your brain.”<br /> <br /> The {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} responded with a fearless smile to Fear who was putting on a meaningful smile.<br /> <br /> “Many of the parties had already headed to the summit of the volcano. You don’t intend to waste time here after coming this far to the town of the blazing cliff, right?”<br /> <br /> “Well, we can’t argue about that. We should get going as well.”<br /> <br /> The dark skinned girl made her body float in the air without waiting for others response after she said that. She jumped from rooftop to rooftop of the houses and headed directly towards the trailhead of the volcano.<br /> <br /> “Hurry, you too, Ren. We can stop the invasion unless we defeat Achendia.”<br /> <br /> “I know. But you are going too fast!”<br /> <br /> Ren chased after the three girls who were going ahead very fast while he breathed heavily.<br /> <br /> The trailhead of the volcano. The moment he was about to go through the door which had been destroyed by the monsters.<br /> <br /> “—! Actually, go without me. I need to go somewhere!”<br /> <br /> “Ren!?”<br /> <br /> Without even responding back to Kyelse’s shout, Ren turned around on the spot.<br /> <br /> ——The mansion on fire.<br /> <br /> He could hear a weak scream from there.<br /> <br /> “Dammit, did someone get left behind!? The place is about to burn down any minute!”<br /> <br /> Ren forcefully kicked the burning door.<br /> <br /> Ren entered the building while he had the sparks that was flying around burn his skin.<br /> <br /> “Where are you!? Hey, you are there, aren’t you!?”<br /> <br /> His sight was covered in crimson colour. There wasn’t much time left till the building gets completely burnt.<br /> <br /> ''……Calm down.''<br /> <br /> ''……Being able to hear the scream means that person isn’t deep inside the building.''<br /> <br /> The flames that was burning as if it was dancing. Behind those flames.<br /> <br /> “H……elp me……some……one……”<br /> <br /> The black haired girl who was on the ground.<br /> <br /> Ren saw a girl who was surrounded by flames and smokes who barely had any consciousness left who could just emit a low voice.<br /> <br /> “Over there! ……Alright, it’s okay now. You are the only one left behind, right?”<br /> <br /> Ren carried the small built girl on his back and tried to go back to the exit of the building.<br /> <br /> “The mansion!?”<br /> <br /> The burning ceiling crashed down. The path Ren was about to go through just now gets blocked by a wall of giant bricks and flames.<br /> <br /> “At a time like this……dammit!”<br /> <br /> The path which was blocked by the burning flames. From behind him. And from the surrounding walls, Ren was being cornered by the heat.<br /> <br /> Flames in all direction. The escape route got blocked just now.<br /> <br /> ''——There’s no way to escape to.''<br /> <br /> ''——At this rate we would burn along with the building.''<br /> <br /> The chilling image which passed through his head for a moment.<br /> <br /> But at the same time a passionate heat which would erase his chills ran through his whole body.<br /> <br /> “……'''Like hell I’ll give up!'''”<br /> <br /> He who was despised as a fake Brave Hero.<br /> <br /> He was different from the Brave Hero Elline. A III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} who was far from being that legendary swordsman. Even so, all three of Kyelse the Dragon Princess, Fear the Archangel, and Elise the former Demon Lord invited him to their party despite knowing that.<br /> <br /> He wanted live up to their expectations with everything he had——<br /> <br /> That instant.<br /> <br /> Something triggered inside Ren. And then.<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“Can you……hear my voice?”''<br /> <br /> <br /> A voice.<br /> <br /> Like a sound of a bell that echoed from far away——<br /> <br /> It wasn’t his ears. It was then when a faint voice echoed inside Ren.<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“I was waiting……all this time. My voice. Now, it should reach you……”''<br /> <br /> <br /> “!? You are——!?”<br /> <br /> A voice he heard for the first time.<br /> <br /> But this voice sounded which made him feel nostalgic.<br /> <br /> ''……I.''<br /> <br /> ''......I know who this voice……belongs to since a long time ago?''<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“Summon language. My aria……”''<br /> <br /> ''“Your words. Now, it can reach me……”''<br /> <br /> <br /> “……'''Yeah. I can hear you. This time for sure'''.”<br /> <br /> What Ren gripped tightly was the Archangel’s feather as if he was guided by a faint voice.<br /> <br /> The white divine tool which glowed brightly.<br /> <br /> “That’s why——”<br /> <br /> Ancient summoning.<br /> <br /> It was said that by hearing the spirit’s voice and responding them, the spirits would also respond back to the spellcaster.<br /> <br /> “I can’t end in a place like this.”<br /> <br /> <br /> —— 『''{{Furigana|Rh/s|express}} {{Furigana|hec ele Selah|the door of the world}}''』——<br /> <br /> <br /> The sea of flames that was blocking his path gets split in half.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Ancestral spirit of fire|SALAMANDER}}.<br /> <br /> The spirit which had been besides Ren as a small spirit of fire descended now in its true form as a crimson lizard with wings.<br /> <br /> “I get it now…… You’ve been trying to talk to me from a long time ago.”<br /> <br /> Now he could hear it.<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“Call me, again. I would be, waiting.”''<br /> <br /> <br /> Ren ran through the path of the flames. And it happened at the same time.<br /> <br /> The same time as Ren exited the mansion, the mansion collapsed while making a sound.<br /> <br /> “Ren!? Good, you are safe.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who found Ren and came running to him.<br /> <br /> “Sorry, I took a detour. ——Oh, there he is. Hey, take care of this girl!”<br /> <br /> Ren carried the girl he had saved and left her in the care of the {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} of the Elmekia Dusk.<br /> <br /> “Y……You are……?”<br /> <br /> “I’m glad you are okay. See you then, I’m also in a rush!”<br /> <br /> Ren waved his hand to the girl who had her eyes open a bit as he ran.<br /> <br /> “Where are Fear and Elise?”<br /> <br /> “They are heading to the summit already. Also, I saw several more parties climbing the mountain while you were acting on your own. We are most likely the last ones. Looks like we are late.”<br /> <br /> “I said I’m sorry.”<br /> <br /> “I didn’t say you were bad.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse’s smile who was running elegantly.<br /> <br /> “If you didn’t do that, then there would have been a life no one could have saved. Also, we can climb faster for the lost time. With the two of us. Follow me!”<br /> <br /> “Alright.”<br /> <br /> Ren gripped on his old sword. Ren ran through the path which was leading to the volcano.<br /> <br /> The Five Great Disaster. The “Demon General of Blaze” Achendia. They simply ran towards her——<br /> <br /> {{SimpleNav<br /> |b=Record.3|bn=Record.3<br /> |f=Record.5|fn=Record.5<br /> }}</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Owari_no_Chronicle&diff=395021 Owari no Chronicle 2014-10-09T14:32:30Z <p>Acolyte: /* Owari no Chronicle 4-B (Full Text */</p> <hr /> <div>{{Status|Active}}<br /> <br /> [[Image:OnC_v01_cover.jpg|thumb|x400px|right|]]<br /> Owari no Chronicle (終わりのクロニクル) is a light novel series written by Kawakami Minoru (川上 稔) and illustrated by Satoyasu (さとやす). It had 14 volumes published from 2003-2005 by Dengeki Bunko. It takes place in the past of [[Kyoukai_Senjou_no_Horizon|Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon]], another of Kawakami's light novel series.<br /> <br /> ==Story Synopsis==<br /> <br /> The world was once at war with 10 alternate worlds. This was known as the Concept War and our world won 60 years ago. All of this was concealed so no normal people are aware of this fact in the current time.<br /> <br /> After the death of his grandfather, the high school student Sayama Mikoto is suddenly summoned by the giant corporation IAI. He learns this world is headed for destruction due to the acceleration of the Minus Concepts. To prevent this, negotiations must be undertaken with the survivors of the other parallel worlds so their 10 concepts can be released.<br /> <br /> And so Sayama is caught up in the final battle to clean up after the Concept War which left behind so much enmity.<br /> <br /> == Awards ==<br /> '''Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! 2005'''<br /> * 3th Place in Best Male Character, Sayama Mikoto<br /> <br /> '''Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! 2006'''<br /> * 2nd Place in Best Male Character, Sayama Mikoto<br /> * 5th Place in Best Novel Series, Kawakami Minoru<br /> * Most Heart Trembling Line to &quot;Eroundic&quot;<br /> <br /> '''Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! 2007'''<br /> * 1st Place in Best Male Character, Sayama Mikoto<br /> * 7th Place in Best Novel Series, Kawakami Minoru<br /> <br /> == Translation ==<br /> <br /> === [[Owari no Chronicle:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br /> <br /> '''Translators are asked to [[Owari no Chronicle:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they are working on''' <br /> <br /> ===Format Standards===<br /> '''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''<br /> *[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br /> *[[Owari no Chronicle:Guidelines|Project-Specific Guidelines: Format, Names, and Terminology]]<br /> <br /> === Feedback ===<br /> '''If you enjoyed the series, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&amp;t=5892 Feedback Thread]'''<br /> <br /> ==Updates==<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle: Updates||}}<br /> Older updates can be found [[Owari_no_Chronicle: Updates|here]].<br /> <br /> ==The ''AHEAD series - Owari no Chronicle'' by Kawakami Minoru==<br /> <br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 1-A ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/6s1ii96xad2fg9z/Owari_no_Chronicle_1-A.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/0n8e64wu8v2y7mh/OnC_1-A.epub ePUB])===<br /> [[File:OnC v01 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue: Saint’s Song]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_1|Chapter 1: Sayama’s Beginning]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_2|Chapter 2: The Two Meet]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_3|Chapter 3: Her Song]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_4|Chapter 4: A Mysterious Abyss]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_5|Chapter 5: Notification of Ignorance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_6|Chapter 6: Their Impressions]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_7|Chapter 7: A Peaceful Morning]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_8|Chapter 8: Chasing the Past]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_9|Chapter 9: The Circumstances of Justice]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_10|Chapter 10: Development of Will]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_11|Chapter 11: Her Fingers]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_12|Chapter 12: A Reunion with Someone New]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_13|Chapter 13: Location of the Heavens]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 1-B ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/cpvcnar1rjqg9s0/Owari_no_Chronicle_1-B.pdf PDF] - [http://www.sendspace.com/file/i3gg6r ePUB])=== <br /> [[File:OnC v02 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_14|Chapter 14: Proof of Determination]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_15|Chapter 15: Multiple Sounds of Wind]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_16|Chapter 16: The Conditions of Good Will]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_17|Chapter 17: Tranquil Flowers]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_18|Chapter 18: Broken Horizon]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_19|Chapter 19: Prematurity of Thoughts]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_20|Chapter 20: Heart of Realization]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_21|Chapter 21: The Path to Relief]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_22|Chapter 22: Unforgettable Secrets]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_23|Chapter 23: Windy, Moon-Filled Sky]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_24|Chapter 24: Entrance to the Dance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_25|Chapter 25: The Path to Overcome Suspicion]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_26|Chapter 26: Recommendation to Lie Prone]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_27|Chapter 27: Longing for Right and Wrong]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_28|Chapter 28: Their Confirmation]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_29|Chapter 29: The Dragon’s Contract]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_30|Chapter 30: Inheritance of the Dragon’s Will]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_31|Final Chapter: Lineage of Pride]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 2-A ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/y3le33m6blesllb/Owari%20no%20Chronicle%202-A.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/5y618a1c7v3wcez/OnC_2-A.epub ePUB])===<br /> [[File:OnC v03 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Preface|Preface]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue: The Beginning of False Testimony]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_1|Chapter 1: The Two in the Flames]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_2|Chapter 2: Lesson from the Past]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_3|Chapter 3: Progress of Oversight]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_4|Chapter 4: Constant Questions]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_5|Chapter 5: A Mutual Introduction]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_6|Chapter 6: Former Admiration]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_7|Chapter 7: Lying Neighbor]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_8|Chapter 8: The Beginning of an Answer]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_9|Chapter 9: Blocked Perception]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_10|Chapter 10: A Call for False Testimony]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_11|Chapter 11: Falling Sounds of Rain]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_12|Chapter 12: Morning Plan]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_13|Chapter 13: Blooming World]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt; <br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 2-B ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/tr35y30fym4tfee/Owari_no_Chronicle_2-B.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/5mql3oa509vddfx/OnC_2-B.epub ePUB])===<br /> [[File:OnC v04 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Preface|Preface]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_14|Chapter 14: Location of the Answer]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_15|Chapter 15: Point of Acquisition]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_16|Chapter 16: Unmoving Predecessor]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_17|Chapter 17: A Scream in the Rain]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_18|Chapter 18: Demand for Pain]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_19|Chapter 19: Night of Compensation]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_20|Chapter 20: Intent to Escape]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_21|Chapter 21: Honest Intentions]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_22|Chapter 22: Impetus to Stand Up]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_23|Chapter 23: Chooser of Power]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_24|Chapter 24: Murmur of Tradition]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_25|Chapter 25: False Name]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_26|Chapter 26: Beginning of the Confrontation]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_27|Chapter 27: Your Name]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_28|Chapter 28: Song of Battle]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_29|Chapter 29: Seeing Through the Lies]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_30|Chapter 30: Place of Yearning]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_31|Chapter 31: Will of the Dragon of Water Droplets]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_32|Final Chapter: That Which the Wind Conveys]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 3-A ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/llr6313j4crlo95/OnC_3-A.epub ePUB])===<br /> [[File:OnC v05 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Preface|Preface]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue: On a Trip of Self-Questioning]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_1|Chapter 1: A Morning Change]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_2|Chapter 2: Meeting of Steel]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_3|Chapter 3: Scent of Light]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_4|Chapter 4: Greeting at the Entrance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_5|Chapter 5: Machine Footsteps]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_6|Chapter 6: Driving Questions]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_7|Chapter 7: Painful Guard]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_8|Chapter 8: Nighttime Visitor]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_9|Chapter 9: That Which a God Desires]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_10|Chapter 10: A Chance Meeting of Questions]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_11|Chapter 11: Running Metal]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 3-B ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/t4mmdl7frza3kdw/OnC_3-B.epub ePUB])===<br /> [[File:OnC v06 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Preface|Preface]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_12|Chapter 12: One Side of Their Feelings]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_13|Chapter 13: Round Dance of Expectation]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_14|Chapter 14: Choices from a Cry of Suffering]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_15|Chapter 15: Illusion of a Feeling]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_16|Chapter 16: Flowers on the Board]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_17|Chapter 17: Afternoon Space]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_18|Chapter 18: Future Circumstances]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_19|Chapter 19: Pursuit into the Depths]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_20|Chapter 20: Noisy Challenge]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_21|Chapter 21: Silently Read Memories]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_22|Chapter 22: Pulse of Ascertainment]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_23|Chapter 23: Accusing Attacker]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_24|Chapter 24: Signs of an Approaching Enemy]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 3-C ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/l519sqe8bwj18xj/OnC_3-C.epub ePUB])===<br /> [[File:OnC v07 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Preface|Preface]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_25|Chapter 25: Afternoon of Misunderstanding]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_26|Chapter 26: Jab of Guidance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_27|Chapter 27: First Time Behavior]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_28|Chapter 28: Confrontation of Discovery]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_29|Chapter 29: Ready for a Reunion]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_30|Chapter 30: Clash of Divulgence]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_31|Chapter 31: Cleansing Transition]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_32|Chapter 32: Compensation for a Lie]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_33|Chapter 33: Growing Closer on the Board]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_34|Chapter 34: Battlefield of Farewells]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_35|Chapter 35: Spirit of Gathering]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_36|Chapter 36: Hope for the Next Generation]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_37|Chapter 37: The King’s City]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_38|Chapter 38: Shadow of Light]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_39|Chapter 39: Light of Shadow]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_40|Chapter 40: Words of the Night Sky]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_41|Final Chapter: Praise of the Great Heaven]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 4-A ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/x708zec084688me/OnC_4-A.epub ePUB])===<br /> [[File:OnC v08 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Preface|Preface]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Prologue|Prologue: Blue Guidance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_1|Chapter 1: Descent of Darkness]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_2|Chapter 2: The Pair’s Pace]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_3|Chapter 3: Clash of a Greeting]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_4|Chapter 4: Morning of Conversation]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_5|Chapter 5: The Depths of Memory]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_6|Chapter 6: Door of Misapprehension]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_7|Chapter 7: Departing Pace]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_8|Chapter 8: Confirmation of a Word]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_9|Chapter 9: Approach of Intention]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_10|Chapter 10: One who Commands Great Power]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_11|Chapter 11: Complicated Power]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_12|Chapter 12: Guidance of Thought]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_13|Chapter 13: Mutual Words]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_14|Chapter 14: Shadow of Fate]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_15|Chapter 15: Morning Commotion]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_16|Chapter 16: The True Contents of One’s Heart]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_17|Chapter 17: Meeting of Conflict]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 4-B ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9|Full Text]]) ===<br /> [[File:OnC v09 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Preface|Preface]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_18|Chapter 18: Place of Continuation]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_19|Chapter 19: An Invisible Known]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_20|Chapter 20: Sky of Reunion]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_21|Chapter 21: Voice of Concern]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_22|Chapter 22: Dead End Escape Path]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_23|Chapter 23: Developing Assignment]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_24|Chapter 24: Heart of Identity]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_25|Chapter 25: Desired Sky]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_26|Chapter 26: Running Destination]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_27|Chapter 27: Beyond the Forefront]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_28|Chapter 28: Her Guidance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_29|Chapter 29: The Wind’s Guidance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_30|Chapter 30: Preemptive Truth]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_31|Chapter 31: The Human Dragon’s Will]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_32|Chapter 32: The Sky’s Guidance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_33|Chapter 33: Announcement of Acceleration]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_34|Chapter 34: White Guidance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_35|Chapter 35: Black Guidance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_36|Final Chapter: Where the Wind Reaches]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 5-A===<br /> [[File:OnC v10 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> *[[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume10_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> *Preface<br /> *Prologue<br /> *Chapter 1<br /> *Chapter 2<br /> *Chapter 3<br /> *Chapter 4<br /> *Chapter 5<br /> *Chapter 6<br /> *Chapter 7<br /> *Chapter 8<br /> *Chapter 9<br /> *Chapter 10<br /> *Chapter 11<br /> *Chapter 12<br /> *Chapter 13<br /> *Chapter 14<br /> *Chapter 15<br /> *Chapter 16<br /> *Chapter 17<br /> *Chapter 18<br /> *Chapter 19<br /> *Afterword<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 5-B===<br /> [[File:OnC v11 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> *[[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume11_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> *Preface<br /> *Chapter 20<br /> *Chapter 21<br /> *Chapter 22<br /> *Chapter 23<br /> *Chapter 24<br /> *Chapter 25<br /> *Chapter 26<br /> *Chapter 27<br /> *Chapter 28<br /> *Chapter 29<br /> *Chapter 30<br /> *Chapter 31<br /> *Chapter 32<br /> *Chapter 33<br /> *Chapter 34<br /> *Chapter 35<br /> *Chapter 36<br /> *Chapter 37<br /> *Chapter 38<br /> *Final Chapter<br /> *Afterword<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 6-A===<br /> [[File:OnC v12 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> *[[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume12_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 6-B===<br /> [[File:OnC v13 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> *[[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume13_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 7===<br /> [[File:OnC v14 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> *[[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume14_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle DC===<br /> [[File:DC_00a.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:DC_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> <br /> == Project Staff ==<br /> <br /> *Supervisor: <br /> *Project Manager: <br /> <br /> === Translators ===<br /> <br /> '''ACTIVE'''<br /> :*[[user:Js06|Js06]]<br /> <br /> === Editors ===<br /> <br /> '''ACTIVE'''<br /> :*[[user:Strike Forcer|Strike Forcer]]<br /> <br /> == Series Overview ==<br /> *終わりのクロニクル1&lt;上&gt; (10 June 2003, ISBN 4-8402-2389-0)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル1&lt;下&gt; (10 July 2003, ISBN 4-8402-2407-2)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル2&lt;上&gt; (10 October 2003, ISBN 4-8402-2493-5)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル2&lt;下&gt; (10 November 2003, ISBN 4-8402-2515-X)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル3&lt;上&gt; (10 April 2004, ISBN 4-8402-2654-7)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル3&lt;中&gt; (10 June 2004, ISBN 4-8402-2698-9)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル3&lt;下&gt; (10 July 2004, ISBN 4-8402-2731-4)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル4&lt;上&gt; (10 December 2004, ISBN 4-8402-2884-1)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル4&lt;下&gt; (10 January 2005, ISBN 4-8402-2913-9)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル5&lt;上&gt; (10 June 2005, ISBN 4-8402-3062-5)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル5&lt;下&gt; (10 July 2005, ISBN 4-8402-3081-1)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル6&lt;上&gt; (10 November 2005, ISBN 4-8402-3213-X)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル6&lt;下&gt; (10 November 2005, ISBN 4-8402-3214-8)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル7 (10 December 2005, ISBN 4-8402-3240-7)<br /> <br /> [[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br /> [[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br /> [[Category:Minoru Kawakami]]</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Owari_no_Chronicle&diff=395020 Owari no Chronicle 2014-10-09T14:32:11Z <p>Acolyte: /* Owari no Chronicle 4-B */</p> <hr /> <div>{{Status|Active}}<br /> <br /> [[Image:OnC_v01_cover.jpg|thumb|x400px|right|]]<br /> Owari no Chronicle (終わりのクロニクル) is a light novel series written by Kawakami Minoru (川上 稔) and illustrated by Satoyasu (さとやす). It had 14 volumes published from 2003-2005 by Dengeki Bunko. It takes place in the past of [[Kyoukai_Senjou_no_Horizon|Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon]], another of Kawakami's light novel series.<br /> <br /> ==Story Synopsis==<br /> <br /> The world was once at war with 10 alternate worlds. This was known as the Concept War and our world won 60 years ago. All of this was concealed so no normal people are aware of this fact in the current time.<br /> <br /> After the death of his grandfather, the high school student Sayama Mikoto is suddenly summoned by the giant corporation IAI. He learns this world is headed for destruction due to the acceleration of the Minus Concepts. To prevent this, negotiations must be undertaken with the survivors of the other parallel worlds so their 10 concepts can be released.<br /> <br /> And so Sayama is caught up in the final battle to clean up after the Concept War which left behind so much enmity.<br /> <br /> == Awards ==<br /> '''Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! 2005'''<br /> * 3th Place in Best Male Character, Sayama Mikoto<br /> <br /> '''Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! 2006'''<br /> * 2nd Place in Best Male Character, Sayama Mikoto<br /> * 5th Place in Best Novel Series, Kawakami Minoru<br /> * Most Heart Trembling Line to &quot;Eroundic&quot;<br /> <br /> '''Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! 2007'''<br /> * 1st Place in Best Male Character, Sayama Mikoto<br /> * 7th Place in Best Novel Series, Kawakami Minoru<br /> <br /> == Translation ==<br /> <br /> === [[Owari no Chronicle:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br /> <br /> '''Translators are asked to [[Owari no Chronicle:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they are working on''' <br /> <br /> ===Format Standards===<br /> '''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''<br /> *[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br /> *[[Owari no Chronicle:Guidelines|Project-Specific Guidelines: Format, Names, and Terminology]]<br /> <br /> === Feedback ===<br /> '''If you enjoyed the series, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&amp;t=5892 Feedback Thread]'''<br /> <br /> ==Updates==<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle: Updates||}}<br /> Older updates can be found [[Owari_no_Chronicle: Updates|here]].<br /> <br /> ==The ''AHEAD series - Owari no Chronicle'' by Kawakami Minoru==<br /> <br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 1-A ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/6s1ii96xad2fg9z/Owari_no_Chronicle_1-A.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/0n8e64wu8v2y7mh/OnC_1-A.epub ePUB])===<br /> [[File:OnC v01 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue: Saint’s Song]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_1|Chapter 1: Sayama’s Beginning]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_2|Chapter 2: The Two Meet]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_3|Chapter 3: Her Song]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_4|Chapter 4: A Mysterious Abyss]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_5|Chapter 5: Notification of Ignorance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_6|Chapter 6: Their Impressions]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_7|Chapter 7: A Peaceful Morning]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_8|Chapter 8: Chasing the Past]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_9|Chapter 9: The Circumstances of Justice]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_10|Chapter 10: Development of Will]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_11|Chapter 11: Her Fingers]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_12|Chapter 12: A Reunion with Someone New]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Chapter_13|Chapter 13: Location of the Heavens]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume1_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 1-B ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/cpvcnar1rjqg9s0/Owari_no_Chronicle_1-B.pdf PDF] - [http://www.sendspace.com/file/i3gg6r ePUB])=== <br /> [[File:OnC v02 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_14|Chapter 14: Proof of Determination]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_15|Chapter 15: Multiple Sounds of Wind]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_16|Chapter 16: The Conditions of Good Will]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_17|Chapter 17: Tranquil Flowers]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_18|Chapter 18: Broken Horizon]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_19|Chapter 19: Prematurity of Thoughts]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_20|Chapter 20: Heart of Realization]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_21|Chapter 21: The Path to Relief]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_22|Chapter 22: Unforgettable Secrets]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_23|Chapter 23: Windy, Moon-Filled Sky]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_24|Chapter 24: Entrance to the Dance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_25|Chapter 25: The Path to Overcome Suspicion]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_26|Chapter 26: Recommendation to Lie Prone]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_27|Chapter 27: Longing for Right and Wrong]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_28|Chapter 28: Their Confirmation]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_29|Chapter 29: The Dragon’s Contract]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_30|Chapter 30: Inheritance of the Dragon’s Will]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Chapter_31|Final Chapter: Lineage of Pride]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume2_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 2-A ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/y3le33m6blesllb/Owari%20no%20Chronicle%202-A.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/5y618a1c7v3wcez/OnC_2-A.epub ePUB])===<br /> [[File:OnC v03 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Preface|Preface]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue: The Beginning of False Testimony]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_1|Chapter 1: The Two in the Flames]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_2|Chapter 2: Lesson from the Past]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_3|Chapter 3: Progress of Oversight]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_4|Chapter 4: Constant Questions]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_5|Chapter 5: A Mutual Introduction]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_6|Chapter 6: Former Admiration]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_7|Chapter 7: Lying Neighbor]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_8|Chapter 8: The Beginning of an Answer]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_9|Chapter 9: Blocked Perception]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_10|Chapter 10: A Call for False Testimony]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_11|Chapter 11: Falling Sounds of Rain]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_12|Chapter 12: Morning Plan]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Chapter_13|Chapter 13: Blooming World]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume3_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt; <br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 2-B ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/view/tr35y30fym4tfee/Owari_no_Chronicle_2-B.pdf PDF] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/5mql3oa509vddfx/OnC_2-B.epub ePUB])===<br /> [[File:OnC v04 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Preface|Preface]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_14|Chapter 14: Location of the Answer]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_15|Chapter 15: Point of Acquisition]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_16|Chapter 16: Unmoving Predecessor]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_17|Chapter 17: A Scream in the Rain]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_18|Chapter 18: Demand for Pain]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_19|Chapter 19: Night of Compensation]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_20|Chapter 20: Intent to Escape]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_21|Chapter 21: Honest Intentions]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_22|Chapter 22: Impetus to Stand Up]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_23|Chapter 23: Chooser of Power]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_24|Chapter 24: Murmur of Tradition]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_25|Chapter 25: False Name]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_26|Chapter 26: Beginning of the Confrontation]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_27|Chapter 27: Your Name]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_28|Chapter 28: Song of Battle]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_29|Chapter 29: Seeing Through the Lies]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_30|Chapter 30: Place of Yearning]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_31|Chapter 31: Will of the Dragon of Water Droplets]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Chapter_32|Final Chapter: That Which the Wind Conveys]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume4_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 3-A ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/llr6313j4crlo95/OnC_3-A.epub ePUB])===<br /> [[File:OnC v05 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Preface|Preface]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue: On a Trip of Self-Questioning]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_1|Chapter 1: A Morning Change]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_2|Chapter 2: Meeting of Steel]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_3|Chapter 3: Scent of Light]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_4|Chapter 4: Greeting at the Entrance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_5|Chapter 5: Machine Footsteps]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_6|Chapter 6: Driving Questions]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_7|Chapter 7: Painful Guard]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_8|Chapter 8: Nighttime Visitor]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_9|Chapter 9: That Which a God Desires]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_10|Chapter 10: A Chance Meeting of Questions]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Chapter_11|Chapter 11: Running Metal]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume5_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 3-B ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/t4mmdl7frza3kdw/OnC_3-B.epub ePUB])===<br /> [[File:OnC v06 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Preface|Preface]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_12|Chapter 12: One Side of Their Feelings]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_13|Chapter 13: Round Dance of Expectation]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_14|Chapter 14: Choices from a Cry of Suffering]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_15|Chapter 15: Illusion of a Feeling]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_16|Chapter 16: Flowers on the Board]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_17|Chapter 17: Afternoon Space]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_18|Chapter 18: Future Circumstances]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_19|Chapter 19: Pursuit into the Depths]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_20|Chapter 20: Noisy Challenge]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_21|Chapter 21: Silently Read Memories]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_22|Chapter 22: Pulse of Ascertainment]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_23|Chapter 23: Accusing Attacker]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Chapter_24|Chapter 24: Signs of an Approaching Enemy]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume6_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 3-C ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/l519sqe8bwj18xj/OnC_3-C.epub ePUB])===<br /> [[File:OnC v07 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Preface|Preface]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_25|Chapter 25: Afternoon of Misunderstanding]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_26|Chapter 26: Jab of Guidance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_27|Chapter 27: First Time Behavior]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_28|Chapter 28: Confrontation of Discovery]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_29|Chapter 29: Ready for a Reunion]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_30|Chapter 30: Clash of Divulgence]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_31|Chapter 31: Cleansing Transition]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_32|Chapter 32: Compensation for a Lie]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_33|Chapter 33: Growing Closer on the Board]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_34|Chapter 34: Battlefield of Farewells]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_35|Chapter 35: Spirit of Gathering]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_36|Chapter 36: Hope for the Next Generation]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_37|Chapter 37: The King’s City]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_38|Chapter 38: Shadow of Light]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_39|Chapter 39: Light of Shadow]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_40|Chapter 40: Words of the Night Sky]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Chapter_41|Final Chapter: Praise of the Great Heaven]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume7_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 4-A ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/x708zec084688me/OnC_4-A.epub ePUB])===<br /> [[File:OnC v08 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Preface|Preface]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Prologue|Prologue: Blue Guidance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_1|Chapter 1: Descent of Darkness]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_2|Chapter 2: The Pair’s Pace]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_3|Chapter 3: Clash of a Greeting]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_4|Chapter 4: Morning of Conversation]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_5|Chapter 5: The Depths of Memory]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_6|Chapter 6: Door of Misapprehension]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_7|Chapter 7: Departing Pace]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_8|Chapter 8: Confirmation of a Word]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_9|Chapter 9: Approach of Intention]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_10|Chapter 10: One who Commands Great Power]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_11|Chapter 11: Complicated Power]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_12|Chapter 12: Guidance of Thought]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_13|Chapter 13: Mutual Words]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_14|Chapter 14: Shadow of Fate]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_15|Chapter 15: Morning Commotion]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_16|Chapter 16: The True Contents of One’s Heart]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Chapter_17|Chapter 17: Meeting of Conflict]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume8_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 4-B ([[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9|Full Text]] ===<br /> [[File:OnC v09 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Preface|Preface]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_18|Chapter 18: Place of Continuation]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_19|Chapter 19: An Invisible Known]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_20|Chapter 20: Sky of Reunion]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_21|Chapter 21: Voice of Concern]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_22|Chapter 22: Dead End Escape Path]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_23|Chapter 23: Developing Assignment]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_24|Chapter 24: Heart of Identity]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_25|Chapter 25: Desired Sky]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_26|Chapter 26: Running Destination]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_27|Chapter 27: Beyond the Forefront]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_28|Chapter 28: Her Guidance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_29|Chapter 29: The Wind’s Guidance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_30|Chapter 30: Preemptive Truth]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_31|Chapter 31: The Human Dragon’s Will]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_32|Chapter 32: The Sky’s Guidance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_33|Chapter 33: Announcement of Acceleration]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_34|Chapter 34: White Guidance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_35|Chapter 35: Black Guidance]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_36|Final Chapter: Where the Wind Reaches]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 5-A===<br /> [[File:OnC v10 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> *[[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume10_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> *Preface<br /> *Prologue<br /> *Chapter 1<br /> *Chapter 2<br /> *Chapter 3<br /> *Chapter 4<br /> *Chapter 5<br /> *Chapter 6<br /> *Chapter 7<br /> *Chapter 8<br /> *Chapter 9<br /> *Chapter 10<br /> *Chapter 11<br /> *Chapter 12<br /> *Chapter 13<br /> *Chapter 14<br /> *Chapter 15<br /> *Chapter 16<br /> *Chapter 17<br /> *Chapter 18<br /> *Chapter 19<br /> *Afterword<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 5-B===<br /> [[File:OnC v11 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> *[[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume11_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> *Preface<br /> *Chapter 20<br /> *Chapter 21<br /> *Chapter 22<br /> *Chapter 23<br /> *Chapter 24<br /> *Chapter 25<br /> *Chapter 26<br /> *Chapter 27<br /> *Chapter 28<br /> *Chapter 29<br /> *Chapter 30<br /> *Chapter 31<br /> *Chapter 32<br /> *Chapter 33<br /> *Chapter 34<br /> *Chapter 35<br /> *Chapter 36<br /> *Chapter 37<br /> *Chapter 38<br /> *Final Chapter<br /> *Afterword<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 6-A===<br /> [[File:OnC v12 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> *[[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume12_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 6-B===<br /> [[File:OnC v13 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> *[[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume13_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle 7===<br /> [[File:OnC v14 0000 cover.jpg|thumb]]<br /> *[[Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume14_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> ===Owari no Chronicle DC===<br /> [[File:DC_00a.jpg|thumb]]<br /> * [[Owari_no_Chronicle:DC_Illustrations|Illustrations]]<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear:both&quot;/&gt;<br /> <br /> == Project Staff ==<br /> <br /> *Supervisor: <br /> *Project Manager: <br /> <br /> === Translators ===<br /> <br /> '''ACTIVE'''<br /> :*[[user:Js06|Js06]]<br /> <br /> === Editors ===<br /> <br /> '''ACTIVE'''<br /> :*[[user:Strike Forcer|Strike Forcer]]<br /> <br /> == Series Overview ==<br /> *終わりのクロニクル1&lt;上&gt; (10 June 2003, ISBN 4-8402-2389-0)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル1&lt;下&gt; (10 July 2003, ISBN 4-8402-2407-2)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル2&lt;上&gt; (10 October 2003, ISBN 4-8402-2493-5)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル2&lt;下&gt; (10 November 2003, ISBN 4-8402-2515-X)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル3&lt;上&gt; (10 April 2004, ISBN 4-8402-2654-7)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル3&lt;中&gt; (10 June 2004, ISBN 4-8402-2698-9)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル3&lt;下&gt; (10 July 2004, ISBN 4-8402-2731-4)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル4&lt;上&gt; (10 December 2004, ISBN 4-8402-2884-1)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル4&lt;下&gt; (10 January 2005, ISBN 4-8402-2913-9)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル5&lt;上&gt; (10 June 2005, ISBN 4-8402-3062-5)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル5&lt;下&gt; (10 July 2005, ISBN 4-8402-3081-1)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル6&lt;上&gt; (10 November 2005, ISBN 4-8402-3213-X)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル6&lt;下&gt; (10 November 2005, ISBN 4-8402-3214-8)<br /> *終わりのクロニクル7 (10 December 2005, ISBN 4-8402-3240-7)<br /> <br /> [[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br /> [[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br /> [[Category:Minoru Kawakami]]</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9&diff=395019 Owari no Chronicle:Volume9 2014-10-09T14:31:45Z <p>Acolyte: Created page with &quot;{{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Illustrations|Illustrations}} {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Preface|Preface}} {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_18|Chapter 18: Place of Conti...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Illustrations|Illustrations}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Preface|Preface}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_18|Chapter 18: Place of Continuation}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_19|Chapter 19: An Invisible Known}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_20|Chapter 20: Sky of Reunion}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_21|Chapter 21: Voice of Concern}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_22|Chapter 22: Dead End Escape Path}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_23|Chapter 23: Developing Assignment}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_24|Chapter 24: Heart of Identity}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_25|Chapter 25: Desired Sky}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_26|Chapter 26: Running Destination}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_27|Chapter 27: Beyond the Forefront}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_28|Chapter 28: Her Guidance}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_29|Chapter 29: The Wind’s Guidance}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_30|Chapter 30: Preemptive Truth}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_31|Chapter 31: The Human Dragon’s Will}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_32|Chapter 32: The Sky’s Guidance}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_33|Chapter 33: Announcement of Acceleration}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_34|Chapter 34: White Guidance}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_35|Chapter 35: Black Guidance}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Chapter_36|Final Chapter: Where the Wind Reaches}}<br /> {{:Owari_no_Chronicle:Volume9_Afterword|Afterword}}<br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> ==Notes==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> <br /> {| border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;5&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; style=&quot;margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;&quot;<br /> |-<br /> | Return to [[Owari no Chronicle|Main Page]]<br /> {{#ifexist:Owari no Chronicle:Volume10 | {{!}} Forward to [[Owari no Chronicle:Volume10|Volume 10]] }}<br /> |-<br /> |}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Mushoku_Tensei&diff=394566 Mushoku Tensei 2014-10-07T00:06:43Z <p>Acolyte: /* Editors */ Been busy with RL</p> <hr /> <div>{{Status|Active}}<br /> <br /> [[File: Mushoku Tensei .jpg|300px|thumb]]<br /> <br /> &quot;Mushoku Tensei -Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu-&quot; (無職転生 ~異世界行ったら本気だす~) is a Light novel written by Rifujin na Magonote and illustrated by Shirotaka. Currently ongoing, there are 20 volumes written by the author in his website and 4 volumes (published) printed out by KADOKAWA / Media Factory. A manga based from the novel is serialized in Monthly Comic Flapper. <br /> <br /> == Story Synopsis ==<br /> A 34-year-old NEET otaku was chased out from his house by his family. This virgin, plump, unattractive, and penniless nice guy found that his life was heading towards a dead end. He recalled that his life could actually become much better if he can get over the dark history of his life.<br /> <br /> Just when he was at the point of regret, he saw a truck moving at a high speed with 3 high school students in its path. Mustering all his strength, he saves them but ended up getting run over by the truck, which kills him.<br /> <br /> The next time he opens his eyes, he had reincarnated to a world of swords and magic, as Rudeus Greyrat. Born to a new world and a new life, Rudeus declared, &quot;This time, I'll really live my life to the fullest with no regrets!&quot; Thus begins the journey of a newly made man. (Original from animesuki.com)<br /> <br /> ==Character Introductions==<br /> {| class=&quot;collapsible collapsed&quot; style=&quot;text-align:left; margin:5px 20px clear:both; font-size:100%; background:transparent; width:100%;&quot;<br /> ! style=&quot;background:#66CCFF;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;| '''Warning: May contain spoilers!!!'''<br /> |-<br /> |<br /> <br /> ''I'll keep the spoilers to a minimum as I can:''<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;''NOTE: Due to katakana translation with unconfirmed English equivalent, the list here may differ from [[Mushoku Tensei Names and Terminology]] and from chapter-to-chapter as for a number of names the translators and editors have not come to a conclusion on which English name to use''&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width: 200px; margin: 5px 20px;&quot;&gt;<br /> '''Rudeus Greyrat'''<br /> [[Image:Rudeus_001_icon.jpg‎|200px|center|link=]]<br /> or Rudy, as his given nickname, is the main character, who is the reincarnated NEET loser who died, the twist is that his memories of his past life remained. His current body possesses high affinity for magic, even as a child (baby).<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width: 200px; margin: 5px 20px;&quot;&gt;<br /> '''Paul Greyrat'''<br /> [[Image:Paul_001_icon.jpg‎|200px|center|link=]]<br /> Rudy's father, an accomplished swordsman. Currently works as swordsman who protects their village. He teaches Rudy swordsmanship. <br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width: 200px; margin: 5px 20px;&quot;&gt;<br /> '''Zenith Greyrat'''<br /> [[Image:Zenith.jpg|200px|center|link=]]<br /> Rudy's mother, she's a mage who seems to know healing magic. <br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width: 200px; margin: 5px 20px;&quot;&gt;<br /> '''Lilia'''<br /> [[Image:Lilia_001_icon.jpg|200px|center|link=]]<br /> Greyrat's family maid. she's a former palace maid bodyguard. Her family's sword school was where Rudy's father studied at.<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width: 200px; margin: 5px 20px;&quot;&gt;<br /> '''Roxy Migurudia'''<br /> [[Image:Roxy_001_icon.jpg|200px|center|link=]]<br /> She is Rudy's magic tutor (during his 3-5 years of age), a talented mage from a demon race.<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width: 200px; margin: 5px 20px;&quot;&gt;<br /> '''Sylphiette'''<br /> [[Image:Sylphy_001_icon.jpg|200px|center|link=]]<br /> Rudy's first friend of the same age (5 years old), whom Rudy saved from bullies. The reason was Sylphy's a mix of elf, human and beast. <br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width: 200px; margin: 5px 20px;&quot;&gt;<br /> '''Eris Boreas Greyrat'''<br /> [[Image:Eris_001_icon.jpg|200px|center|link=]]<br /> She is Rudy's older cousin, she's also his student, (at this time, when he's around age 7) he's supposed to teach her magic among other things such as math, reading, etc.<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> |}<br /> <br /> == Translation ==<br /> <br /> === [[Mushoku Tensei:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br /> <br /> Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br /> <br /> '''Translators are asked to [[Mushoku Tensei:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on.'''<br /> <br /> === Format Standards ===<br /> *[[Format_guideline | General Format/Style Guideline]]<br /> *[[Mushoku Tensei Names and Terminology| Mushoku Tensei Names and Terminology]]<br /> <br /> === Feedback / Discussions ===<br /> '''If you enjoyed the read, why don't you tell us in the forum [http://www.baka-tsuki.org:8080/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&amp;t=10574 Feedback thread]'''&lt;br/&gt;<br /> '''You can find the EPUB version of the Volumes in the forums [http://ln.m-chan.org/v3/series.php?SID=126 here]'''<br /> <br /> == Updates ==<br /> {{:Mushoku_Tensei:Updates}}<br /> <br /> Older updates can be found [[Mushoku_Tensei:Updates|here]].<br /> <br /> == Mushoku Tensei by Rifujin na Magonote ==<br /> <br /> ===Volume 1 - Infancy Period ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_01|Full Text]])===<br /> [[File:Mushoku1_01.jpg|frameless|right|x250px]]<br /> <br /> ::*[[Mushoku Tensei:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_01_Prologue|Prologue]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_01_Chapter_01|Chapter 1: Could This Be Another World?]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_01_Chapter_02|Chapter 2: Expressionless Maid]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_01_Chapter_03|Chapter 3: Magic Textbook]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_01_Chapter_04|Chapter 4: Teacher]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_01_Chapter_05|Chapter 5: Magic and Swordsmanship]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_01_Chapter_06|Chapter 6: Reason for Respect]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_01_Chapter_07|Chapter 7: Friends]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_01_Chapter_08|Chapter 8: Insensitive]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_01_Chapter_09|Chapter 9: Emergency Family Meeting]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_01_Chapter_10|Chapter 10: Bottleneck]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_01_Chapter_11|Chapter 11: Separation]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_01_Special_Chapter|Special Chapter]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 2 - Juvenile Period - Home Teacher Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_02|Full Text]])===<br /> [[File:Mushoku2_01.jpg|frameless|right|x250px]]<br /> <br /> ::*[[Mushoku Tensei:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_02_Prologue|Prologue]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 12|[Web Novel 12] Chapter 1: Young Lady's Violence]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 13|[Web Novel 13] Chapter 2: Self Directed Role]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 13.5|Side Story: Aftermath of the Event &amp; Boreas Style Greeting]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 14|[Web Novel 14] Chapter 3: Brutality Has Yet to End]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 15|[Web Novel 15] Chapter 4: Staff Meeting &amp; Sunday]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 16|[Web Novel 16] Chapter 5: Young Lady Is 10 Years Old]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 17|[Web Novel 17] Chapter 6: Studying Languages]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 18|[Web Novel 18] Chapter 7: Definite Promise]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 19|[Web Novel 19] Chapter 8: Turning Point]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 19.5|Side Story: Half a Year After Fedoa Region Vanishes]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 3 - Juvenile Period - Adventurer Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_03|Full Text]])===<br /> [[File:mushoku3_01.jpg|frameless|right|x250px]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku Tensei:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 20|[Web Novel 20] Chapter 1: Swindler Calling Himself God]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 21|[Web Novel 21] Chapter 2: Supard Race]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 22|[Web Novel 22] Chapter 3: Teacher's Secret]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 23|[Web Novel 23] Chapter 4: Reason for Trust]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 24|[Web Novel 24] Chapter 5: Three Days to the Nearest Town]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 25|[Web Novel 25] Chapter 6: Disguise &amp; Infiltration]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 26|[Web Novel 26] Chapter 7: Adventurer's Guild]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 27|[Web Novel 27] Chapter 8: Adventurer's Inn]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 28|[Web Novel 28] Chapter 9: First Job &amp; Sanctity of Life]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 29|[Web Novel 29] Chapter 10: First Job Completed]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 30|[Web Novel 30] Chapter 11: Good Start]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 31|[Web Novel 31] Chapter 12: Warrior &amp; Children]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 32|[Web Novel 32] Chapter 13: Mistake, Disorder &amp; Determination]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 33|[Web Novel 33] Chapter 14: Start of the Journey]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter World Map|Special Chapter: World Map]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 4 - Juvenile Period - Voyage Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_04|Full Text]])===<br /> [[File:mushoku4_01.jpg|frameless|right|x250px]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku Tensei:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 34|[Web Novel 34] Chapter 1: Wind Port]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 35|[Web Novel 35] Chapter 2: Crossing Paths - First Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 36|[Web Novel 36] Chapter 3: Crossing Paths - Second Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 36.5|Side Story - Crossing Paths - Extra Chapter]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 37|[Web Novel 37] Chapter 4: Sage within the Ship]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 38|[Web Novel 38] Chapter 5: Demon in the Storehouse]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 39|[Web Novel 39] Chapter 6: Children of the Beast Race]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 40|[Web Novel 40] Chapter 7: No Cost Apartment]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 41|[Web Novel 41] Chapter 8: Slow Life of Dorudia Village - First Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 42|[Web Novel 42] Chapter 9: Slow Life of Dorudia Village - Second Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 43|[Web Novel 43] Chapter 10: Holy Sword Highway]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 5 - Juvenile Period - Reunion Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_05|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 44|[Web Novel 44] Chapter 1: Holy Milis Kingdom]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 45|[Web Novel 45] Chapter 2: Paul 1.5 Years Later]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 46|[Web Novel 46] Chapter 3: Parent &amp; Child Fight ]] <br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 47|[Web Novel 47] Chapter 4: Reunion with Paul]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 48|[Web Novel 48] Chapter 5: Reconfirmation of Objectives]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 49|[Web Novel 49] Chapter 6: One Week in Milishion]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 49.5|Side Story - Eris' Goblin Subjugation]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 50|[Web Novel 50] Chapter 7: To the Central Continent]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 50.5|Side Story - Return of Roxy]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 6 - Juvenile Period - Homecoming Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_06|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 51|[Web Novel 51] Chapter 1: Route Options]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 52|[Web Novel 52] Chapter 2: Rice]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 53|[Web Novel 53] Chapter 3: Shirone Kingdom]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 54|[Web Novel 54] Chapter 4: Absence of God]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 55|[Web Novel 55] Chapter 5: Third Prince]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 56|[Web Novel 56] Chapter 6: Speed Resolution]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 57|[Web Novel 57] Chapter 7: The Day the Little Sister Maid Was Born]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 58|[Web Novel 58] Chapter 8: Becoming an Adult]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 59|[Web Novel 59] Chapter 9: Turning Point 2]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 60|[Web Novel 60] Chapter 10: Gaping Hole Opened in the Chest]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 61|[Web Novel 61] Chapter 11: End of the Journey]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 62|[Web Novel 62] Chapter 12: Reality of the Disaster]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 63|[Web Novel 63] Chapter 13: Young Lady's Decision]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 63.5|Side Story - The Two Who Met]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter World Map 2|Special Chapter: World Map 2]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 7 - Youth Period - School Entry Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_07|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 64|[Web Novel 64] Chapter 1: Quagmire The Adventurer]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 65|[Web Novel 65] Chapter 2: Recommendation Letter]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 66|[Web Novel 66] Chapter 3: Entrance Examination]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 67|[Web Novel 67] Chapter 4: First Day of School - First Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 68|[Web Novel 68] Chapter 5: First Day of School - Second Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 69|[Web Novel 69] Chapter 6: Fitts Senpai]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 8 - Youth Period - Special Student Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_08|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 70|[Web Novel 70] Chapter 1: An Unreachable Power - First Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 71|[Web Novel 71] Chapter 2: An Unreachable Power - Second Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 72|[Web Novel 72] Chapter 3: Daughters of the Beast Race Kidnapping and Confinement Incident - First Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 73|[Web Novel 73] Chapter 4: Daughters of the Beast Race Kidnapping and Confinement Incident - Second Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 74|[Web Novel 74] Chapter 5: The Genius Youth's Secret - First Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 75|[Web Novel 75] Chapter 6: The Genius Youth's Secret - Second Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 76|[Web Novel 76] Chapter 7: Precipice of Engagement - First Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 77|[Web Novel 77] Chapter 8: Precipice of Engagement - Second Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 78|[Web Novel 78] Chapter 9: White Mask - First Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 79|[Web Novel 79] Chapter 10: White Mask - Second Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 80|[Web Novel 80] Chapter 11: Daily Life at the Magic University]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 80.5|Side Story - Enter the Mad Dog]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 9 - Youth Period - Sylphiette Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_09|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 81|[Web Novel 81] Chapter 1: Sylphy's Past]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 82|[Web Novel 82] Chapter 2: Guardian Magician Introduction - Fitts]] <br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 83|[Web Novel 83] Chapter 3: Princess, Knight, &amp; Magician]] <br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 84|[Web Novel 84] Chapter 4: First Day of School - Extra Chapter]] <br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 85|[Web Novel 85] Chapter 5: Sharp and Dull]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 85_Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 86|[Web Novel 86] Chapter 6: Over Thinking]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 86_Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 87|[Web Novel 87] Chapter 7: The Protected Secret]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 87_Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 88|[Web Novel 88] Chapter 8: Rain of the Forest - First Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 89|[Web Novel 89] Chapter 9: Rain of the Forest - Second Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 90|[Web Novel 90] Chapter 10: The Final Push]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 91|[Web Novel 91] Chapter 11: Backing]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 10 - Youth Period - Newlyweds Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_10|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 92|[Web Novel 92] Chapter 1: Things to Prepare Before Marriage - First Part]] <br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 93|[Web Novel 93] Chapter 2: Things to Prepare Before Marriage - Second Part]] <br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 94|[Web Novel 94] Chapter 3: Dramatic]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 95|[Web Novel 95] Chapter 4: Wedding Reception - Preparation]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 96|[Web Novel 96] Chapter 5: Wedding Reception - Holding]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 97|[Web Novel 97] Chapter 6: Wedding Reception - Finished]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 98|[Web Novel 98] Chapter 7: Lifestyle in the House]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 11 - Youth Period - Younger Sisters Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_11|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 99|[Web Novel 99] Chapter 1: Letter]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 100|[Web Novel 100] Chapter 2: Breakdown]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 101|[Web Novel 101] Chapter 3: Transcendental Wisdom]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 102|[Web Novel 102] Chapter 4: Nostalgia and Impatience]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 103|[Web Novel 103] Chapter 5: Treatment of the Sisters]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 103_Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 104|[Web Novel 104] Chapter 6: Maid and Boarding Student]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 104.5|Side Story - Doll Research &amp; Master-Servant Relationship]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 105|[Web Novel 105] Chapter 7: Delinquent Leader &amp; His Allies]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 106|[Web Novel 106] Chapter 8: Elder Brother's Feelings]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 107|[Web Novel 107] Chapter 9: Norn Greyrat]] <br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 108|[Web Novel 108] Chapter 10: Lifestyle with the Younger Sisters]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 109|[Web Novel 109] Chapter 11: Turning Point 3 ]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 109.5|Side Story - Sharpening Fangs]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 12 - Youth Period - Begaritto Continent Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_12|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 110|[Web Novel 110] Chapter 1: Saying Farewell]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 111|[Web Novel 111] Chapter 2: Towards Begaritto Continent]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 112|[Web Novel 112] Chapter 3: Natural Enemy Encounter ]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 113|[Web Novel 113] Chapter 4: Desert Ecology]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 114|[Web Novel 114] Chapter 5: Desert Journey]] <br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 115|[Web Novel 115] Chapter 6: Bazaar]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 116|[Web Novel 116] Chapter 7: The Desert Warriors]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 117|[Web Novel 117] Chapter 8: Arrival]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 13 - Youth Period - Labyrinth Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_13|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 118|[Web Novel 118] Chapter 1: Confirmation of the Situation]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 119|[Web Novel 119] Chapter 2: Enter the Labyrinth]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 120|[Web Novel 120] Chapter 3: Her Feelings at that Time]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 121|[Web Novel 121] Chapter 4: Magician of Persistence]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 122|[Web Novel 122] Chapter 5: Without a Hitch]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 123|[Web Novel 123] Chapter 6: Magic Circle on the Sixth Level]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 124|[Web Novel 124] Chapter 7: Teleport Labyrinth's Guardian ]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 125|[Web Novel 125] Chapter 8: Mortal Combat]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 126|[Web Novel 126] Chapter 9: Parent]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 127|[Web Novel 127] Chapter 10: Face Forward]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 128|[Web Novel 128] Chapter 11: Return Home ]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 129|[Web Novel 129] Chapter 12: Return]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 130|[Web Novel 130] Chapter 13: Report]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 131|[Web Novel 131] Chapter 14: Hell]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 132|[Web Novel 132] Chapter 15: In Front of the Gravestone]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 132.5|Side Story - Is the Mad Dog's Sword Heavy, or Sharp?]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 14 - Young Man Period - Everyday Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_14|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 133|[Web Novel 133] Chapter 1: Roxy Becomes a Teacher]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 134|[Web Novel 134] Chapter 2: Third Year Student]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 135|[Web Novel 135] Chapter 3: Training with Norn]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 136|[Web Novel 136] Chapter 4: I'll Raise It]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 137|[Web Novel 137] Chapter 5: A Father of Dignity]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 138|[Web Novel 138] Chapter 6: Water King Class]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 139|[Web Novel 139] Chapter 7: Marriage Ceremony]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 140|[Web Novel 140] Chapter 8: Flowers in Both Hands]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 141|[Web Novel 141] Chapter 9: Birthday Party]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 142|[Web Novel 142] Chapter 10: Graduation Ceremony]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 143|[Web Novel 143] Chapter 11: Fourth Phase]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 143.5|Side Story - Birth of a New Sword King]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 15 - Young Man Period - Summoning Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_15|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 144|[Web Novel 144] Chapter 1: Floating Citadel]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 145|[Web Novel 145] Chapter 2: Audience with Perugius]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 146|[Web Novel 146] Chapter 3: Past, Curse, Summons, and Jealousy]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 147|[Web Novel 147] Chapter 4: Lamentation]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 148|[Web Novel 148] Chapter 5: Towards Demon Continent Once Again]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 149|[Web Novel 149] Chapter 6: Search for Kishirika]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 150|[Web Novel 150] Chapter 7: Audience with the Immortal Demon Lord]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 151|[Web Novel 151] Chapter 8: Duel with the Immortal Demon Lord]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 152|[Web Novel 152] Chapter 9: Everyday Life in the Floating Citadel]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 153|[Web Novel 153] Chapter 10: Turning Point 4]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 154|[Web Novel 154] Chapter 11: End and Beginning]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 16 - Young Man Period - Human God Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_16|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 155|[Web Novel 155] Chapter 1: Diary - First Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 156|[Web Novel 156] Chapter 2: Diary - Second Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 157|[Web Novel 157] Chapter 3: Resolve]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 158|[Web Novel 158] Chapter 4: Nanahoshi's Hypothesis]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 159|[Web Novel 159] Chapter 5: Letter Arrives]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 160|[Web Novel 160] Chapter 6: Preparation]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 161|[Web Novel 161] Chapter 7: Preparation Complete]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 162|[Web Novel 162] Chapter 8: Quagmire vs Dragon God]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 163|[Web Novel 163] Chapter 9: Mad Dog King vs Dragon God]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 164|[Web Novel 164] Chapter 10: Eris Greyrat - First Part]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 165|[Web Novel 165] Chapter 11: Eris Greyrat - Second Part]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 17 - Young Man Period - Kingdom Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_17|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 166|[Web Novel 166] Chapter 1: Summon]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 167|[Web Novel 167] Chapter 2: Explanation]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 168|[Web Novel 168] Chapter 3: Towards the First Mission]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 169|[Web Novel 169] Chapter 4: Magical Beast Guardian ]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 170|[Web Novel 170] Chapter 5: Men's Meeting]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 170.5|Side Story - Women's Meeting]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 171|[Web Novel 171] Chapter 6: Luke]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 172|[Web Novel 172] Chapter 7: Make Your Decision]] <br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 173|[Web Novel 173] Chapter 8: Organization of Cooperation]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 174|[Web Novel 174] Chapter 9: Armored Dragon King and Second Princess]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 175|[Web Novel 175] Chapter 10: Before Leaving for Asura Kingdom]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 175.5|Side Story - Black Wolf Sword King]] <br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter World Map 3|Special Chapter: World Map 3]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 18 - Young Man Period - Asura Kingdom Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_18|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 176|[Web Novel 176] Chapter 1: Departure Towards Asura Kingdom]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 176 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 177|[Web Novel 177] Chapter 2: Red Dragon's Upper Jaw]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 177 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 178|[Web Novel 178] Chapter 3: Conjecture]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 178 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 179|[Web Novel 179] Chapter 4: Ariel's Choice]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 179 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 180|[Web Novel 180] Chapter 5: Tristina]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 180 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 181|[Web Novel 181] Chapter 6: Along the Way]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 181 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 182|[Web Novel 182] Chapter 7: Imperial City Ars]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 182 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 183|[Web Novel 183] Chapter 8: Mortal Combat at Dusk]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 183 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 184|[Web Novel 184] Chapter 9: Ariel's Battleground]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 184 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 185|[Web Novel 185] Chapter 10: Rudeus's Battleground]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 185 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 186|[Web Novel 186] Chapter 11: Luke's Recklessness]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 186 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 187|[Web Novel 187] Chapter 12: Truth of Orsted and Ten Days in the Capital]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 187 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 188|[Web Novel 188] Chapter 13: Farewells and Sylphy's Change]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 188 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 189|[Web Novel 189] Chapter 14: Return and Determination]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 189 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 19 - Young Man Period - Subordinates Chapter ([[Mushoku_Tensei:Volume_19|Full Text]])===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 190|[Web Novel 190] Chapter 1: Present Situation]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 190 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 190.5|Side Story - One Example of Work]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 190.5 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 191|[Web Novel 191] Chapter 2: The Borrowed Cat]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 191 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 192|[Web Novel 192] Chapter 3: Entrance Ceremony &amp; Student Council President]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 192 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 193|[Web Novel 193] Chapter 4: Research Progress]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 193 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 194|[Web Novel 194] Chapter 5: Signs of Household Collapse]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 194 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 195|[Web Novel 195] Chapter 6: Business Start-Up]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 195 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 196|[Web Novel 196] Chapter 7: Company Venture]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 196 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 197|[Web Novel 197] Chapter 8: Dorudia Village Once More]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 197 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 198|[Web Novel 198] Chapter 9: Dried Meat Murder Incident]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 198 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 199|[Web Novel 199] Chapter 10: Next Battle]] - [[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 199 Preview|PREVIEW]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 20 - Young Man Period - Zanoba Chapter===<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 200|[Web Novel 200] Chapter 1: Zanoba's Resolve]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 201|[Web Novel 201] Chapter 2: Foreboding]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 202|[Web Novel 202] Chapter 3: To Shirone Again]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 203|[Web Novel 203] Chapter 4: King Pax]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 204|[Web Novel 204] Chapter 5: Karon Fort]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 205|[Web Novel 205] Chapter 6: Preparing for War]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 206|[Web Novel 206] Chapter 7: War]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 207|[Web Novel 207] Chapter 8: Emergency Situation, Zanoba True Motive]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 208|[Web Novel 208] Chapter 9: To Pax's side]] <br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 209|[Web Novel 209] Chapter 10: Everything was for Naught]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 210|[Web Novel 210] Chapter 11: Post War]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 211|[Web Novel 211] Chapter 12: Zanoba's chosen path]]<br /> ::*[[Mushoku_Tensei:Web Chapter 212|[Web Novel 212] Chapter 13: It`s okay to rejoice]]<br /> <br /> ===Volume 21 - Young Man Period - Cliff Chapter===<br /> <br /> ==Original Web Novel==<br /> [http://ncode.syosetu.com/n9669bk/ Web Novel' homepage] (WARNING: The web version shows some differences with the published one)<br /> <br /> ==Project Staff==<br /> <br /> *Supervisor: [[user:Teh Ping|Teh Ping]]<br /> *Project Manager:<br /> <br /> ===Translators===<br /> <br /> '''ACTIVE'''<br /> :* [[User:Dark Kaito|Dark Kaito]]<br /> :* [[User:zmunjali|zmunjali]] (Learner)<br /> :* [[User:Tensaizz|Tensaizz]]<br /> :* [[User:Skuizaan|Skuizaan]]<br /> :* [[user:Ren|Ren]] (Learner)<br /> :* [[user:Kazeboy|Kazeboy]] (Learner)<br /> :* [[user:COTHER|cother]] (Learner)<br /> :* [[user:Giorgio wu|Giorgio wu]] (CHI -&gt; ENG)<br /> :* [[User:Banisher|Banisher]] (CHI -&gt; ENG)<br /> :* [[User:Awrya|Awrya]]<br /> :* [[User:Fighter747|Fighter747]]<br /> :* [[user:Phiseca|Phiseca]]<br /> :* [[user:Onii Sama| Onii Sama]] (CHI -&gt; ENG)<br /> :* [[user:Johnemis123| Johnemis123]] (learner)<br /> <br /> <br /> '''INACTIVE'''<br /> :*[[user:Superduperelectromagnetictops|Superduperelectromagnetictops]] (worst-case-scenario backup translator, I have yet to finish PuiPui )<br /> :* [[User:SallissLights|SallissLights]]<br /> :* [http://silentwolfie.deviantart.com SilentWolfie] Translator outside BT<br /> :* [http://pastebin.com/u/loliDrag0n LoliDrag0n] editor for [http://silentwolfie.deviantart.com SilentWolfie]<br /> :* [[User:Kanant Vaito|Kanant Vaito®]]<br /> :* [[user:Team Tensai|Team Tensai®]]<br /> :* [[User:Vanant|Vanant]]<br /> <br /> ===Editors===<br /> :* [[user:C0debreaker6|C0debreaker6]]<br /> :* [[user:Striderman34|Striderman34]]<br /> :* [[user:DaiZzed|DaiZzed]]<br /> :* [[user:Trejon|Trejon]]<br /> :* [[user:John Woodward|John Woodward]]<br /> :* [[user:Trev lite|Trev lite]]<br /> :* [[user:Doomr|Doomr]]<br /> :*[[User:Tasear|&lt;span style=&quot;color:green;font:normal 10pt Papyrus, fantasy&quot;&gt;Tasear&lt;/span&gt;]]<br /> :*[[user:Sarnik|Sarnik]]<br /> :*[[user:Laclongquan|Laclongquan]]<br /> :*[[user:Deadgye|Deadgye]]<br /> :*[[user:Trarc|Trarc]]<br /> :*[[user:Sniper0432|Sniper0432]]<br /> <br /> == Series Overview ==<br /> *無職転生 ~異世界行ったら本気だす~ 1 ''312 pages'', (January 23, 2014) ISBN 978-4040662206<br /> *無職転生 ~異世界行ったら本気だす~ 2 ''320 pages'', (March 22, 2014) ISBN 978-4040663937<br /> *無職転生 ~異世界行ったら本気だす~ 3 ''323 pages'', (May 23, 2014) ISBN 978-4040667553<br /> *無職転生 ~異世界行ったら本気だす~ 4 ''318 pages'', (August 25, 2014) ISBN 978-4040669618<br /> <br /> [[Category:Kadokawa Shoten]]<br /> [[Category:MF Bunko J]]<br /> [[Category:Genre - Harem]]<br /> [[Category:Genre - Action]]<br /> [[Category:Light novel (English)]]</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sekai_no_Owari_no_Encore:Volume_1_Record.3&diff=389151 Sekai no Owari no Encore:Volume 1 Record.3 2014-09-07T20:47:44Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Record.3: The Condition of the Previous Demon-Lord==<br /> <br /> ===1===<br /> <br /> Student’s town, Mstier.<br /> <br /> What awaited them once they took a step outside the town was green plain that spread before their vision. The footpath made from pebbles continued straight ahead where it would eventually connect to a large town far away.<br /> <br /> At the peaceful path as such,<br /> <br /> “……It felt like an instant.”<br /> <br /> Ren turned around to look at the path he walked from as the morning sunlight lit over him.<br /> <br /> ''—Looks like I’m going to be away from Holy Fiora Journey Academy for a while.''<br /> <br /> ''—I should have at least written a letter to my family back at home. I haven’t even seen my little sister lately.''<br /> <br /> When he saw the student town as he turned around, it was already so small that it looked like a small dot. He was attached to it since he had been living there for three years. So there was a side of him where he was feeling lonely.<br /> <br /> Except, more than that, he was so nervous that his heart started beating faster as he walked.<br /> <br /> He felt as if he didn’t have time to feel sad about it due his nervousness.<br /> <br /> After all—<br /> <br /> “Hmm? What’s wrong?”<br /> <br /> The silver hair girl looked up towards him as she licked the candy.<br /> <br /> The Dragon-Princess Kyelse. She was the strongest monster in history that the Heaven and the Underworld couldn’t even touch, but not until the Sword Emperor Elline appeared three-hundred years ago. She also happened to be a Princess of the “Heavenly Silver Dragon” which was the oldest Dragon-specie.<br /> <br /> Someone like her was holding onto his right hand, and also—<br /> <br /> “I’m sure you have some regrets at leaving the Academy. Though that’s how a journey is supposed to be. There is also a new meeting after a parting.”<br /> <br /> The one who was walking on the left-hand side of Ren was a tall, beautiful girl with bright blonde hair.<br /> <br /> Archangel Phia.<br /> <br /> She on the other hand was an Angel, the supreme rulers of Heaven, of the highest status.<br /> <br /> Elline Sword Emperor Brigade from three-hundred years ago. Two of the girls that were known as the Three Great Princesses were walking beside Ren while leaning against him.<br /> <br /> “Even so, there is nothing to worry about. Right, Ren?”<br /> <br /> Phia who was holding tightly onto Ren’s left arm.<br /> <br /> “I will teach you all the necessary knowledge. To the extent that I will teach you the lesson at night gently.”<br /> <br /> “Well, Phia-senpai......the thing is.”<br /> <br /> “Eh? What is it?”<br /> <br /> The Archangel replied with a naughty smile.<br /> <br /> <br /> As she held Ren’s arm, she naturally pressed it between her bosoms which was incredibly developed. It was on purpose. It definitely was.<br /> <br /> “……Senpai, I guess this is how you behave in Earth, right?”<br /> <br /> “It’s because I’m an Angel. Having a passionate body contact like this is the proof of our affection towards human—”<br /> <br /> “You don’t have to listen to what this foolish erotic Angel has to say, Ren. It’s her bad habit where she lures human by seducing them in order to have fun by watching them panicking about it. Even the Goddess is fed up with her.”<br /> <br /> The Dragon-Princess gets fed up with the Archangel and glared at her.<br /> <br /> “More importantly Phia, let go of him. Ren is getting troubled by it.”<br /> <br /> “The one who put her arm around Ren first was me.”<br /> <br /> “……And I’m asking both of you to let go of me. I already have a hard time since this luggage is heavy.”<br /> <br /> Ren became tired since he had both of his arms being pulled by them.<br /> <br /> The enormous luggage Ren was carrying on his back. If you didn’t include the basic travelling gears that were taken from Ren’s room, what occupied most of the luggage was Phia’s clothing and Kyelse’s snacks.<br /> <br /> “Putting her clothes aside, do we really need those snacks?”<br /> <br /> “Of course. It becomes handy, just like this.”<br /> <br /> The silver hair girl who chucked a fraction of chocolate in her mouth. She said it in her usual laid back manner, except, she had a satisfied smile on her face.<br /> <br /> “It’s delicious.”<br /> <br /> “……What are you, a kid?”<br /> <br /> “Isn’t sixteen still considered as a child even for a human?”<br /> <br /> “Even if you were sixteen, it’s about time you grew out of snacks……huh, you’re sixteen? That’s of course in Dragon’s age, right?”<br /> <br /> If you were to use the average life span as the standard, then the three great species consisted of the Dragons, the Angels, and the Demons were said to have long lifespans in exchange of their low population. Ren thought the same would apply for Kyelse, and hence presumed she had lived long, but—<br /> <br /> “I’m sixteen years old in human age. Also, I love snacks. It’s definitely the masterpiece among what the humans have created.”<br /> <br /> “But the battle from three-hundred years ago was……”<br /> <br /> “She was in a state where she was sealed for three-hundred years right after the battle.”<br /> <br /> Phia answered as her blonder hair blew due to the gentle breeze.<br /> <br /> “Ever since the last battle, Kyelse had been separated from this world due to the special seal she was in. The isolated space where there wasn’t time, light, and even sound. Though her time had been stopped, she still had her consciousness so she had been finding the chance to break the seal this whole time.”<br /> <br /> “That happened about a month ago.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who had finished her chocolate nodded.<br /> <br /> “Eh? Then what about your rumours when you fought Elline? How old were you then?”<br /> <br /> “I was fourteen. But still, I was already more powerful than all kinds of Dragons ever since I was born. Though I never imagined that I would lose against a human.”<br /> <br /> “……So you really are younger than me?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah. So it wouldn’t be weird if I take a bite or two of snacks.”<br /> <br /> The legendary Dragon-Princess fast walked and took out her second candy.<br /> <br /> “Delicious.”<br /> <br /> “You seem to be having fun……oh well.”<br /> <br /> The silver hair girl put on a satisfied smile.<br /> <br /> She simply looked like a lovely girl who was like a fairy when you saw her, but it was also true that Ren witnessed how she defeated a wyvern without even touching it.<br /> <br /> “On the other hand, I’m nervous as heck. Hey, look ahead.”<br /> <br /> Ren used his chin to point forward to alert Kyelse who was holding onto his left arm.<br /> <br /> —The armed parties that were walking through the main road.<br /> <br /> There were many groups of parties walking in front of them and also behind them.<br /> <br /> If there were small parties consisted of five members, there were also big parties that consisted of more than ten members. The organisation of the parties were very different from each other. There were common types such as the {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}s and the {{Furigana|Spellcaster|ARIA}}s, but even {{Furigana|Spiriter|SPIRIT}}s that were equipped with special spirit armaments and also {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}s that weren’t equipped with even a single armaments.<br /> <br /> “See? Everyone looks strong. They really are different from the students at the Academy.”<br /> <br /> The atmosphere they carried were different.<br /> <br /> Their trained body which was solid like steel, and their eyes that were sharp as a blade. Their appearance and their presence were fitting enough to be called brave warriors. If they weren’t, then they wouldn’t be able to investigate the ruins scattered through the world nor could they fight against the monsters. But—<br /> <br /> “……Hmm, is that how it is?”<br /> <br /> From the Dragon-Princess’s eyes, even the strong warriors from those parties didn’t catch her interest.<br /> <br /> “Phia, are those also considered a party like ours? I think there’s too much members in each of those parties. I’m sure there were fewer members in the parties three-hundred years ago.”<br /> <br /> “This is the choice this era chose.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel who gave her beautiful smile to the parties that walked past them.<br /> <br /> “Within these three-hundred years, the member types that constructs the parties itself went through some changes. {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} and {{Furigana|Spellcaster|ARIA}} were the only types back then, but now it’s separated into eight types.”<br /> <br /> “Eight types, huh. I know Ren is {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, so what are the other seven?”<br /> <br /> Kyelse stared at Ren.<br /> <br /> Ren pointed towards the parties walking ahead of them to answer the girl’s question.<br /> <br /> “{{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, {{Furigana|Spellcaster|ARIA}}, {{Furigana|Spiriter|SPIRIT}}, {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}, <br /> {{Furigana|Barrierer|ENCHANTER}}, {{Furigana|Curer|HEALER}}, <br /> {{Furigana|Predator|HUNTER}}, and {{Furigana|Searcher|THIEF}}. I guess these are the current eight types. Even back at the academy, the lessons were separated into the type you were majoring in.”<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} —They used weapon such as sword and axe. They had high risks since they would need to do perform close-combat at all times as well as making cool judgements and having excellent performance. They were considered as a “master”, the main force during battles.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Spellcaster|ARIA}} —They would perform complex rituals so even the humans could use the magic and offensive-spells of the Devils. <br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Spiriter|SPIRIT}} —They used spells which relied on spirit-armaments which possessed the power of spirits.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}} —The combatant which specialised in close-combat and would combine the defensive-spells and their active body’s to eliminate the enemies simply with their body and fighting techniques. In exchange of having the strength to not rely on weapons and armours, they would need great amount of talent and training hence why they were called the “full type”.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Barrierer|ENCHANTER}} — They use spell specialised by the Angels such as concealing, sealing, interception, and divine protection.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Curer|HEALER}} — Other than spells that would alter the body activity and regeneration, they were type that was sought to have knowledge about pharmaceutics and medicine.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Predator|HUNTER}} — The combatant that would use their knowledge about harmful animals to hunt. They specialise in shooting from long-range in order to support the party from the rear during battles.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Searcher|THIEF}} — The brain of the party and in terms of field, they were more of an archaeologist.<br /> <br /> “And there are also ranks where it’s structured in a way where your ranks would increase.”<br /> <br /> “Ranks?”<br /> <br /> “The eight types and their titles respectively. If you were a {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} like myself for example, then you would start from the III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the II-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the I-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the Official {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the Honourable {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the Sword King, and then the highest rank……the Sword Saint, I think.”<br /> <br /> By the way, Elline’s title of the “Sword Emperor” was the name he had before people started calling him the Brave Hero.<br /> <br /> Sword Saint would be the highest rank of the {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} and it was a title which was rarely given. It was required for you to pass the tests in several cities around the world.<br /> <br /> “Basically each and one of the classes were said to be necessary in a party. Since there are eight types, the majority of the parties are made up of eight members.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? Then what about those group of five walking over there?”<br /> <br /> “I guess they are looking for members they lack in. There are also gifted people who can take the roles of two types alone.”<br /> <br /> Phia would be the easiest example of such people around Ren. Even though she was majoring in {{Furigana|Curer|HEALER}}, she overwhelmed the male {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} students with her swordsmanship and also made the students jaws dropped with her spells.<br /> <br /> “Though it feels like Phia-senpai can take the roles of three types by herself.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. I sure can take most of those roles—”<br /> <br /> She finally let go of Ren’s arm. She became silent for a moment while she looked up to the sky.<br /> <br /> “If you ask me what I expertise in, then it would be {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}. {{Furigana|Curer|HEALER}} would come next.”<br /> <br /> “{{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}!? Phia-senpai is!?”<br /> <br /> “I’m good in martial arts despite my appearance. I could have majored in {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}} degree back at the Academy, but a tragedy may have occurred if I couldn’t hold back my power properly against the students for the mock-battle. Well, I have the confidence to heal and regenerate them if they receive damages to a certain degree, but I guess I need to restrain myself.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel spoke a scary thing with a smile.<br /> <br /> “Phia-senpai, you are a {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}? ……But I can’t imagine you hitting anyone.”<br /> <br /> “Ren, don’t let her appearance fool you. This violent woman is the biggest battle maniac in the Heaven who can even make the Goddess Lesfrese become silent with a single punch if she became serious.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse said it in a manner as if she told the truth.<br /> <br /> “Isn’t that right?”<br /> <br /> “Oh my, that isn’t true at all. There’s no way I can do that to the Goddess.”<br /> <br /> The blonde Angel on the other hand shook her head while putting on a smile.<br /> <br /> “By the way Ren, your rank right now is a III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, correct?”<br /> <br /> “……Me? Do I have to say it? In a place like this?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, I sure am curious about it. We certainly need to know the current strength of this party.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse looked up towards Ren with her emerald-green eyes filled with her keenness to hear his answer.<br /> <br /> “Since you are a III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, does that make you roughly a Honourable {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}? Or is it a rank above the Sword King?”<br /> <br /> “No way. I mentioned it before but it’s the lowest rank. The only thing above the Sword King is a Sword Saint, and there are only few people in this world with that rank.”<br /> <br /> “I see. Well, I will be the one training you, Ren. How about your first aim is to become a Sword Saint?”<br /> <br /> “……It’s too early to have that goal. Besides, I reckon we need more members for our party if we are going to find the Encore. Though it would be weird for me to say that. Take a look at them.”<br /> <br /> The parties that walked passed them.<br /> <br /> For example, if the parties walking ahead of them walked past each other, you would observe how they would stop and place their hand on their chest to salute each other.<br /> <br /> “That’s the traditional custom done between the parties. It’s a form of greetings which has the meaning for the good battle and safety for each other.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly. Though we hadn’t received such greetings even once yet.”<br /> <br /> They only saw them as civilian.<br /> <br /> After all, their party was made up of one boy and two girls. Ren had a sword, but both Kyelse and Phia weren’t equipped with even a single armament. Obviously the Dragon-Princess Kyelse and Archangel Phia didn’t need any armaments. But from the perspective of a third party who didn’t know their identity, there was no way that they would realise that they were a party since they weren’t armed. There was no mistake that they were seen as a three strange fellows that were travelling.<br /> <br /> “It’s decided that a party requires at least four members, so first of all we need to find the fourth member before anything else—”<br /> <br /> “Then please be rest assured. I do have a person in mind who would become our fourth comrade. The triumphal town Enge. It’s planned for us to meet her there. She’s an expert who can use all types of spells.”<br /> <br /> Phia answered with a smile as if she was waiting for to be asked about it.<br /> <br /> “The spell expert? Don’t tell me it’s a famous person again?”<br /> <br /> “If you ask me whether she is famous or not, then she sure is. Ren, you would reach the answer if you think a bit. Isn’t there another person we are currently lacking in for this party?”<br /> <br /> Ren looked up the sky for a while after hearing the answer the Archangel gave with a teasing voice.<br /> <br /> “'''It can’t be!?'''”<br /> <br /> He certainly had someone in mind. Other than Kyelse and Phia who was the part of the legendary Elline Sword Emperor Brigade, there was one more “Princess” remaining.<br /> <br /> “It sure can be.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who had finished her candy nodded with a satisfied tone.<br /> <br /> “The previous Demon-Lord Elise. The woman who was the master of the Underworld in the past.”<br /> <br /> ===2===<br /> Gust of the night wind.<br /> <br /> The whirlwind that stroke Ren’s neck was so cold that Ren couldn’t resist the urge to shiver his body. If he breathed out, the air breathed out turned white.<br /> <br /> “It’s freezing! It sure is cold if you leave the window open. This place is open to the weather after all.”<br /> <br /> The wooden cottage.<br /> <br /> It was one of the many base camps built on the roads between city to city, and town to town. Obviously the travellers and the parties, but even the tourists who would head to the cities for sightseeing used this accommodation.<br /> <br /> ''……I wonder how many years it has been since I stayed in a cottage.''<br /> <br /> ''……I guess the last time I did was three years ago when I went to Holy Fiora Journey Academy to take the test.''<br /> <br /> They would be heading to triumphal town Enge tomorrow.<br /> <br /> It was the city which was the closest to the student town. And the Demon-Lord Elise would be waiting for them there.<br /> <br /> “More importantly, I wonder how the previous Demon-Lord would look like. This is the Demon-Lord we are talking about, so maybe she has horns growing out from her head as well as having fangs and claws while her massive body would reach the height of ten metres—”<br /> <br /> “It will cause a stir if a monster like that was roaming in the city of the humans.”<br /> <br /> The sound of the lock of the door being destroyed echoed throughout the surrounding.<br /> <br /> The one who showed her face from the open door with a poker face was Kyelse.<br /> <br /> “…..I beg you to knock on the door normally. We would end up paying up for the broken lock if we get caught.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? It was locked?”<br /> <br /> Apparently the Dragon-Princess didn’t even notice that she broke the lock.<br /> <br /> “Putting that aside, it’s time for your training. We are going outside once you leave your luggage here.”<br /> <br /> “……Eh?”<br /> <br /> “I told you before, haven’t I? About teaching you Elline’s sword techniques. We need to build your fundamental basics first. Move your butt by grabbing your sword this instant and follow me.”<br /> <br /> After Kyelse said that, she headed out to the passage without waiting for Ren’s reply.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The breezing cold wind.<br /> <br /> It was so cold that it felt like you had chilling water splashed above your head which took away your warmth from simply coming outside.<br /> <br /> “It’s a good wind. It makes you become motivated.”<br /> <br /> “It’s too cold, isn’t it!? It’s so cold that I’m about to lose consciousness rather than falling sick!”<br /> <br /> “I have my scarf.”<br /> <br /> “And I don’t!”<br /> <br /> “—Let’s end the joke here and start the training. Ren, hand me your sword.”<br /> <br /> As soon as Kyelse took the sword along with its sheath from him, she drew the sword out from its sheath as if she was used to it.<br /> <br /> How it was drawn out beautifully.<br /> <br /> Ren honestly became entranced at how skilfully Kyelse was handling the sword that was drawn from its sheath with ease by using just one hand.<br /> <br /> “……You’re amazing. So you can use a human’s sword even though you are a Dragon?”<br /> <br /> “It isn’t anything hard if you can control your body. —Like this, for example.”<br /> <br /> The sword flashed.<br /> <br /> That instant, her right hand moved while leaving her afterimage.<br /> <br /> By the time Ren noticed it, the tip of the sword she was holding onto pierced through the centre point of the three leaves that were floating in the air due to the wind.<br /> <br /> “W-What was that……!?”<br /> <br /> “I pierced it when the three leaves overlapped each other in the air. I also would like to add that I pierced it while aiming to hit the veins of the leaves.”<br /> <br /> “The veins!? You aimed for such tiny parts!?”<br /> <br /> Kyelse handed the sword back to Ren, so he took of the leaves that were on the tip of the sword.<br /> <br /> The leaf veins could be considered as the blood vessels of the humans. The plant types could be separated into parallel-veined and reticulated-vein. But the main concern was that they were thin as a human’s hair.<br /> <br /> —She completely caught the trail of the leaves floating under this stormy weather.<br /> <br /> —She pierced all three leaves at once at the moment they overlapped each other.<br /> <br /> —And she wasn’t aiming for the leaves itself but their veins.<br /> <br /> The Dragon-Princess pulled this stunt off while she was talking to Ren.<br /> <br /> She wasn’t exactly concentrated in doing it nor did she wield her sword with everything she had. Yet she demonstrated such absolute technique. It was questionable whether an experienced swordsman who had been training for dozen of years could pull this off.<br /> <br /> “Alright, do you know what to do now?”<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t have a hard time if I knew how to do that with what you just showed me! Can you at least tell me a trick or something I should pay attention to!?”<br /> <br /> “There’s nothing like a trick. Weren’t you doing the same thing as me?”<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?”<br /> <br /> “That night when it was raining. It was during that time when you were wielding the sword by yourself. You weren’t just randomly wielding your sword. You were aiming for the falling raindrops.”<br /> <br /> “……You even saw that?”<br /> <br /> “It’s because you reminded me of Elline. Putting your strength aside, that is.”<br /> <br /> The silver hair girl made a fearless smile.<br /> <br /> “There’s nothing wrong with your training and your hard work. You weren’t blessed with an ideal physical structure and you are not the kind of person who would take down the enemies with a huge sword. You are more of a technician who would find your opponent's weaknesses and hit them with a single strike using their weakness.”<br /> <br /> “Seize the drop of water and a fraction of fire, and strike it down with a single slash instantly.”<br /> <br /> “It feels like you are asking me to pull off an ultimate technique from the start……”<br /> <br /> “This is the basic among basics. Elline’s swordsmanship lies even further past that league.”<br /> <br /> “—Fine.”<br /> <br /> Ren nodded his head with a bitter smile to Kyelse’s words as if she said something obvious to him.<br /> <br /> “I’ll start doing it then. I’ll work hard till I can do the same thing as you just did.”<br /> <br /> “'''Two will be fine.'''”<br /> <br /> Kyelse crossed her arm and lifted up two of her fingers.<br /> <br /> “Come back to me while bringing that sword where it had pierced two leaves. I won’t tell you to aim for the leaf veins either.”<br /> <br /> “......Two leaves? That’s it?”<br /> <br /> He couldn’t resist to ask her. He thought he would be told to pierce three leaves just like Kyelse did. He was also prepared to be told to continue till he could pierce four leaves.<br /> <br /> “For today, that is. I’ll return to my room, so come back once you accomplish it.”<br /> <br /> “Okay.”<br /> <br /> He nodded to the girl who turned around. Ren then moved his gaze to the leaves floating in the air.<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;==========&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> Inside the cottage.<br /> <br /> “Seriously, Kyelse, you are sneaky.”<br /> <br /> When Kyelse returned to her room, a blonde girl who was wearing negligee and was half-naked was in there. She was sitting on the bed as if it was her room.<br /> <br /> “Sneaky?”<br /> <br /> “The training with Ren. You taught him so attentively. I also wanted to blend it.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel bent her body seductively.<br /> <br /> Her negligee which had her chest part open even showed her cleavage which was faintly red. Along with Phia’s natural bewitching smile, her charming figure would knock out cold boys of certain ages immediately.<br /> <br /> “I don’t recall teaching attentively.”<br /> <br /> “I mean that it looked like you were enjoying yourself.”<br /> <br /> Phia smiled as she placed her hand on her lips.<br /> <br /> “You were so focused in teaching him that you didn’t realise I was standing at the entrance of the cottage.”<br /> <br /> “……You were watching?”<br /> <br /> “I feel a bit relieved. It seems like you are cheerful again. It was the same three-hundred years ago, but having a journey in a large group sure is fun. Ren is an honest boy so it’s worth training him and its fun having him around, right?”<br /> <br /> “I was cheerful from the start.”<br /> <br /> She removed the scarf around her neck and hanged it on the coat hanger located beside the door.<br /> <br /> —A small quantity of her sweat on her hand.<br /> <br /> —Without realising it, there was some heat on Kyelse’s hand.<br /> <br /> Her body that had become hot. But Kyelse felt embarrassed to admit Phia’s words so she looked away.<br /> <br /> “Geez, you really aren’t honest with yourself……even though the temperature of your body increased.”<br /> <br /> “S-Shut up! Don’t touch me! Don’t press that uselessly huge breasts against me!”<br /> <br /> She brushed away the Archangel who hugged her from behind.<br /> <br /> This was Phia’s preference rather than an Angel’s. She couldn’t help but use her body to interact with those she had a liking to which was her habit. What was a nuisance was that she had a power to read what was going through the minds of those she was touching.<br /> <br /> “Hmm, I understand. So that’s '''how you feel right now'''.”<br /> <br /> “……What did you understand, foolish erotic Angel.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, Kyelse, do you think Ren would also become stronger for our sake as well?”<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?”<br /> <br /> “Both you and I don’t have a power which is even near of that from three-hundred years ago, correct? My old wounds hadn’t healed and the Dragon Factor which is the source of your power hadn’t awakened ever since you woke up from your seal. Certainly we can deal with majority of the opponents, but the situation right now is that we only have half the power we had back then.”<br /> <br /> They were in a level where there wasn’t pretty much any enemy in this world that would be a threat to them even in their current condition. But it didn’t mean there was zero enemy who would be a threat. What could be listed among them were the highest-level monsters and also—<br /> <br /> “Did you hear about the “Five Great Disasters”?”<br /> <br /> “Just the rumours I heard at the Dragon’s valley. I heard till the part where they rebelled against the current Demon-Lord.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. For the worst scenario, we should anticipate a decisive battle against them. I thought that the reason why you were working hard in training Ren had to do with it.”<br /> <br /> “You think too far ahead.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse shook her head reluctantly.<br /> <br /> “I simply taught Ren what I remember about Elline’s training. That’s simply it.”<br /> <br /> “I see. Then Ren might be facing a bit of difficulties then.”<br /> <br /> Phia looked out the window. You couldn’t see Ren from this part of the room, but for an Archangel like herself, she was able to “see” him.<br /> <br /> The appearance of a boy who was breathing heavily while he was shedding sweats due to the weariness.<br /> <br /> “The task you assigned him to. That’s actually harder than it seems—”<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;==========&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “……This is ridiculously hard.”<br /> <br /> Ren’s shoulder moved violently.<br /> <br /> Ren wiped his sweats that were falling like a waterfall from the tip of his chin with the back side of his hand.<br /> <br /> “What the heck……”<br /> <br /> The leaves were floating in the air due to the sudden gusts that were blowing at him. Ren stopped his eyes from closing and he even stopped breathing so he could concentrate on the movements of the leaves. He caught the sight of the trails of the leaves that were floating in the air in random directions, and then—<br /> <br /> “Ha!”<br /> <br /> Along with his loud voice filled with his spirit, Ren thrust his sword forward.<br /> <br /> A single flash. The tip of his sword grazed the leaf by its edge.<br /> <br /> ''……That was it.''<br /> <br /> He barely grazed the leaf by its edge. There was a saying which goes “To dance like a butterfly”, and this was indeed such thing. He couldn’t pierce the leaf by its core and the most he could do was to graze it by its side. <br /> <br /> The leaves flickered and danced in the air due to the wind.<br /> <br /> The same applied when the sword was thrust forward, the leaves also shook when it received the small amount of air current created by the sword. Just how hard it was to aim for the leaves.<br /> <br /> ''……No, that isn’t it. The real problem isn’t that.''<br /> <br /> Once every two tries, the tip of the sword touched the leaves. If you repeated this procedure, there would be a chance that it would hit its core even if it was by luck. But the real issue here was—<br /> <br /> “This again!?”<br /> <br /> The leaves that received a direct hit from the sword get cut in half then dropped on the ground.<br /> <br /> Yes. Even if the sword hits the core, the leaves get sliced in half without the sword being able to pierce through it.<br /> <br /> ''—I wouldn’t be able to touch the leaves up in the air if I don’t thrust it with all my strength.''<br /> <br /> ''—But if I thrust it without holding back, the leaves get sliced into pieces if it hits.''<br /> <br /> “Oh……I get it now!”<br /> <br /> The Dragon-Princess did it with ease, but Ren finally realised just how skilled she was and the whole aspect of it.<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“Seize the drop of water and a fraction of fire, and strike it down with a single slash instantly.”''<br /> <br /> <br /> Ren slashed with his sword. He thrust with it. He swung it. The air current created by each of his forms were different, and the strength of the air current would change depending on the force applied to it. You wouldn’t be able to grasp the core of the leaves unless you fully understood that.<br /> <br /> Right after that.<br /> <br /> Exactly at the time when his sword was about to touch the leaf, he weakened his strength.<br /> <br /> To master the sword without using your full strength, but with your minimum strength.<br /> <br /> “……And she’s asking me to get two of them at once. Isn’t she asking a bit too much from me?”<br /> <br /> Ren wiped the sweat that was on his sword’s handle. Ren then smiled.<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“Do you want to come with me?”''<br /> <br /> <br /> ''—I was simply happy.''<br /> <br /> ''Kyelse’s words when she said she would train me. I didn’t know what she meant at first. I simply thought she was giving me an advice where she was telling me to simply work hard and do my best.''<br /> <br /> ''But she’s training me with so much passion. She even demonstrated for me.''<br /> <br /> ''……More importantly.''<br /> <br /> ''……She even invited me to the party when she knew I was different to the Brave Hero.''<br /> <br /> ''I want to live up to her expectations.''<br /> <br /> ''I can journey to the world and she acknowledges me as her fellow comrade. Being able to achieve the dream I had since I was a child is making my heart beat faster and is giving me such passion.''<br /> <br /> “It would be a waste if I just give up here!”<br /> <br /> Ren put strength into his hand which was icy cold due to being exposed to the cold wind in order to make a stance with his sword.<br /> <br /> “I have to do it, even if I can only get one of them!”<br /> <br /> The tip of the sword which was giving sparks succeeds in piercing through two leaves.<br /> <br /> The core of the leaves. To be precise, it didn’t get sliced in half nor did it get shredded into pieces. Both of the leaves had been beautifully pierced through by the tip of the sword.<br /> <br /> “........................Huh?”<br /> <br /> The one who couldn’t believe his eyes was Ren himself.<br /> <br /> “I……did it? It felt like I did it by chance.”<br /> <br /> He stood there while holding onto the sword. And then.<br /> <br /> “Yeah! Awesome, even I can do it if I try!”<br /> <br /> He sprinted towards the cottage and headed towards her room directly.<br /> <br /> “Kyelse! Hey, check this out! I did it, I really did it!”<br /> <br /> “!? W-Wait, Ren! You can’t enter right now—”<br /> <br /> The door was opened violently. And the one inside was.<br /> <br /> “……You’ve got some nerve. Peeping on my body, are you?”<br /> <br /> A beautiful girl who wore nothing.<br /> <br /> She had stripped off her lovely travelling clothes. Kyelse was holding onto her negligee which had cute looking frills on them. She looked towards Ren with a red face that was due to the mix of her fury and her embarrassment.<br /> <br /> “Ah, no, it’s not what you think……I didn’t do it……on purpose……”<br /> <br /> Even though he said that, he found himself fascinated with her body.<br /> <br /> She simply looked purely lovely.<br /> <br /> Her body that had curves fitting for girls her age and her white skin which was as white as porcelain. Kyelse had an appearance which was charming enough as a human and made Ren forget she was a Dragon. Especially her body since you wouldn’t have realised she had a mature body which you couldn’t tell from over her travelling clothes—<br /> <br /> “Let me ask you just in case. Is there anything you want to say?”<br /> <br /> “……Well……umm, I think you’re cute.”<br /> <br /> “Fly.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse said with her power of language with a red face. By the time Ren who had himself blown away to the wall of the pathway regained his consciousness, Kyelse had already changed into her negligee.<br /> <br /> <br /> “Anyway, let me applaud you for accomplishing the task. To be honest, I thought it would take you at least a week.”<br /> <br /> Inside Ren’s room.<br /> <br /> The one who was sitting on the bed as if it belonged to her was Kyelse. Ren on the other hand was sitting on the carpet even though he was totally exhausted.<br /> <br /> “At this rate you would be able to pierce three leaves tomorrow and four leaves the day after tomorrow. And next—”<br /> <br /> “Next, what?”<br /> <br /> “Try to do it while shutting your eyes close.”<br /> <br /> “That’s a really hard hurdle!”<br /> <br /> “Elline’s sword-techniques lay beyond that. Anyway, I acknowledge your hard work. You should rest for today.”<br /> <br /> She said it while sitting on the bed.<br /> <br /> ''……Even though she’s telling me to rest.''<br /> <br /> Kyelse who had said that was still occupying the bed. Ren wouldn’t be able to sleep even if he wanted to since she was still here. But it was also hard for him to tell her to move.<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you going to sleep, Kyelse?”<br /> <br /> “I’m sleeping together with you.”<br /> <br /> He couldn’t comprehend her words.<br /> <br /> Ren looked up for a while and then opened his jaws wide.<br /> <br /> “……Pardon me?”<br /> <br /> “I said I’m going to sleep on the same bed as you.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse laid on the bed and put the blanket over her head without making a shy face.<br /> <br /> “You should also come inside right away.”<br /> <br /> “Umm……sorry. I don’t understand what’s happening right now.”<br /> <br /> ''I’m a human. Kyelse is a Dragon on the other hand.''<br /> <br /> ''Apparently it’s a morphing which was a mix of high-level spells and space distortion to change her physical appearance into that of a human girl. So I can’t help but think there would be a problem sleeping with her.''<br /> <br /> “Can you tell me your reasons just in case? Wasn’t there also a bed in your room as well?”<br /> <br /> “It’s part of my trait. It makes me feel calm this way.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse wiped her sleepy eyes while wrapping herself with the blanket.<br /> <br /> “Many of my kin were present at the Valley of my hometown. I often slept in a herd as well. I would be able to sleep easier if I sleep in a group with those I trust.”<br /> <br /> “……The Dragon’s trait.”<br /> <br /> Even though he was half astonished by this, he wanted to keep it as a secret that he was happy when she naturally said someone she can “trust.”<br /> <br /> “By the way, what did you do three-hundred years ago?”<br /> <br /> “Elline declined. He had been practising his sword even at night.”<br /> <br /> “……The Sword Emperor did?”<br /> <br /> “Unexpected? There isn’t a human which is strong from the start was that man’s words. Leaving aside his crazy guts and stubbornness, his strength as a swordsman wasn’t something he was born with. The reason why he was called the Sword Emperor was merely a title he obtained by working harder than anyone.”<br /> <br /> Maybe Kyelse found Ren’s shocked reaction amusing, so Kyelse softened her expression.<br /> <br /> “I’m sure that was the first time I heard that……”<br /> <br /> The legend of the Sword Emperor that Ren knows of was that he was born as a genius. Unlike himself who had poor talent, Ren assumed he was born to this world with the talent he was given.<br /> <br /> “I want to hear more about that story.”<br /> <br /> “I will, but I’ll end it here for today. Hey, let’s go to sleep quickly. We are waking up early tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “H-Hey!?”<br /> <br /> He had himself hugged by Kyelse who got up from the bed and then had himself thrown onto the bed. Kyelse was already inside the blanket by the time he found out she put the blanket above his head.<br /> <br /> “H-Hey, can’t Phia-senpai be the one who sleeps with you!?”<br /> <br /> “She’s no good. She’s annoying since she tries to hug you whenever she finds the chance.”<br /> <br /> The Dragon-Princess came close to him where they could feel each other’s warmth inside the small bed.<br /> <br /> “Yeah, I sure do feel calm.”<br /> <br /> “……No, I’m—”<br /> <br /> “What is it?”<br /> <br /> “……It’s nothing.”<br /> <br /> The silver hair girl looked towards him.<br /> <br /> Her peaceful smile was so gentle that he couldn’t say more.<br /> <br /> The tyrant who had been feared as the strongest monster on Earth and who had been refused by the Heaven, the Underworld, and also her fellow Dragons till Elline showed up. But the girl who was sleeping with her eyes closed right beside him was simply a lonely girl who was completely different from the rumours he had heard. In fact she was—<br /> <br /> Maybe the one who was in front of him was the true Kyelse. That was what Ren thought.<br /> <br /> “But my main problem is……”<br /> <br /> He rarely saw the faces of the opposite sex of his age while they were sleeping. And she was sleeping with him where she was so close to him that he could feel her breath. There was no way he couldn’t be bothered by it.<br /> <br /> “……There’s no way I can sleep like this.”<br /> <br /> Even though Ren knew he was turning red, Ren simply kept repeating those words for the whole night.<br /> <br /> Then the next morning.<br /> <br /> “? Ren, didn’t you have enough sleep? Your eyes are red.”<br /> <br /> “Whose fault do you think it is?”<br /> <br /> Ren replied tirelessly to Kyelse who had woken up from her deep sleep.<br /> <br /> [[Image:Sekai_no_Owari_no_Encore_V1_Non-colour_005.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> ===3===<br /> The triumphal town Enge.<br /> <br /> It was a town located closest to the student town Mstier and it was surrounded by a giant walls to prevent the invasion of the monsters.<br /> <br /> “I believe it was the town Elline returned to after he finished his journey to both the Heaven and the Underworld.”<br /> <br /> The Heaven and the Underworld.<br /> <br /> The town Elline returned to after he suppressed the two forces that were at each other’s throat and also stopped the battles between the two forces.<br /> <br /> For that reason, this town still had strong connections to Elline even till this day.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Kyelse, let’s get going! You too, Phia-senpai!”<br /> <br /> “Calm down. There’s no point getting hyped over it.”<br /> <br /> “……Geez, Ren. You are acting like a child.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who was partially astonished at him and Phia who was putting on a bitter smile.<br /> <br /> “It won’t leave my head at all. Even I want to have a look at the real thing once!”<br /> <br /> Ren walked through the road that were crowded with people walking by as he left the two of them behind.<br /> <br /> Compared to Mistier, this town was the largest within the nearby towns so the number of people as well as the number of buildings were significant. <br /> <br /> The public roads that were connected to the main road had booths on both sides. The people that walked by also included those who were walking with their families to even merchants, tourists, and even armed travellers that appeared to be a party.<br /> <br /> Ren ran past the front of the chapel which was so large that he had to look up——<br /> <br /> “There it is!”<br /> <br /> Ren couldn’t help but gasp at what he saw within his site.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''The Sword-Emperor’s sword. '''<br /> <br /> <br /> The memorial area which was built as a plaza.<br /> <br /> As the water fountain was set behind it, there was a single sword impaled into a stone where it was heavily guarded.<br /> <br /> ——The Spirit-Sword Vierge. <br /> <br /> Even though the handle of the sword lost its colour and looked old, only the blade of the sword still had a transparent shine like that of a surface of the clear water to it.<br /> <br /> The most valuable treasure of the triumphal town of Enge. No, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to be called the most valuable treasure for all of the swordsmen within the world. It is one of Elline’s sword which was one of his legacy scattered throughout the world. <br /> <br /> “H-Hey. Is it really true that Elline was using that? I think it was called the Spirit-Sword Vierge.”<br /> <br /> “It’s indeed the truth.”<br /> <br /> The highest part of the step-cased plaza.<br /> <br /> Kyelse nodded as she looked down the memorial area filled with hundreds of tourists.<br /> <br /> “That sword itself as a Spirit-armament which is possessed with strong power of a Spirit. That’s the sword which was used to take down the Archangel who was acting tough at the Heaven and the Demon-Lord who was acting like a boss at the Underworld.”<br /> <br /> “……The sword Elline used when he fought the Archangel and the Demon-Lord huh.”<br /> <br /> Ren gulped as he stared at its blade which was giving out a beautiful glow.<br /> <br /> “Even so, that was the sword Elline used when he was still a novice.”<br /> <br /> “When he was a novice!?”<br /> <br /> Ren couldn’t help but ask Kyelse again with a loud voice at the unexpected answer he heard from her.<br /> <br /> “Just now you said that he used that sword to defeat the Archangel and the Demon-Lord.”<br /> <br /> “It was during the time when he was an unrecognised swordsman and the only appropriate equipment he had back then was that sword. I think it was during the time when he entered the second year of his journey, was it? Apparently it was a sword he found in a ruin by luck.”<br /> <br /> “Well, putting the sword aside, the main concern is how he picked a fight against a Demon-Lord and an Archangel when he was a novice swordsman. And how on earth did he manage to win against them?”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? Well, that is—”<br /> <br /> The Dragon-Princess put on a meaningful smirk.<br /> <br /> “Ask the great Archangel over there. Three-hundred years ago, she was trying to teach a lesson to a cocky swordsman only to get her butt kicked and she happens to be standing right there.”<br /> <br /> “Eh? Don’t tell me that was Phia-senpai—”<br /> <br /> Ren who was about to ask restrained from saying any further than that. ''Which remind me, she had been awfully quiet since we arrived here.''<br /> <br /> “Ah……now that you mention it, something like that certainly did happen…………fu, fufu…………”<br /> <br /> The blonde Angel who smiled.<br /> <br /> However, her expression was forced and even Ren could clearly tell that her crunched fist was shaking.<br /> <br /> “The urge in my fist won’t stop when I remember about it.”<br /> <br /> “……Ah, I s-see. So you are saying that you still hold a grudge about your defeat itself?”<br /> <br /> “No. Let me be clear that I don’t hold a grudge.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel made that part very clear.<br /> <br /> “Except, I just remembered about how my fame as being the strongest in Heaven was tainted.”<br /> <br /> “……I-It was?”<br /> <br /> “That accursed sword, I shall make sure I break it this time.”<br /> <br /> “You have a dreadful grudge against it after all!? H-Hold on Phia-senpai!”<br /> <br /> Ren tried to stop the blonde girl desperately who had walked ahead with a crunched fist.<br /> <br /> “T-The thing is. You remember about the former Demon-Lord……”<br /> <br /> “Oh yes. We were meeting up with Elise.”<br /> <br /> Phia returned to usual self.<br /> <br /> “Then let’s get going, Ren. This place is dreadful.”<br /> <br /> “Rather than being dreadful, isn’t it simply you who hates that sword——ah, h-hold on!”<br /> <br /> He had his hand pulled by Phia without any warning.<br /> <br /> They walked past the main road which was filled with lively people. They turned right at the crossroad and entered the back-alley. Unlike the main road which was filled with lively people, this back-alley was mysteriously quiet.<br /> <br /> “Phia-senpai, is this really the place?”<br /> <br /> “There’s a store which is known very well to small portion of people. It had been a place where the parties would gather to have a private conversation since ancient time and it could be considered as a store used by parties. Wouldn’t that be convenient for us as well?”<br /> <br /> Ren simply followed the Archangel who was walking ahead and was leading them.<br /> <br /> After they turned into the back-alley which had split into complicated paths—<br /> <br /> “!? W-Was there a fight? ……Hey, are you okay!?”<br /> <br /> The words that came out of his throat was loud.<br /> <br /> After they turned into one of the path, there were sturdy men that belonged to a party all battered to the floor.<br /> <br /> There were five of them in total. Each one of them were large men that were a head taller than Ren and they all had well-trained bodies. Even the armaments they wore were first-class products that were engraved with powerful resistance against spells.<br /> <br /> ''……Are these burn marks? And is this a frostbites?''<br /> <br /> ''……None of them came from swords nor sharp weapons.''<br /> <br /> Spell that was so powerful that it could break the resistance of these battle clothes which would nullify average spells.<br /> <br /> “Hey, are you okay!? Looks like they are. Phia-senpai, can you heal these guys—”<br /> <br /> <br /> “It would be fine even if you leave them alone, Onii-chan.”<br /> <br /> <br /> It wasn’t neither Phia nor Kyelse who was behind him who said that.<br /> <br /> The one who said that was—<br /> <br /> “These guys made fun of me because I’m just a kid. It seemed like they didn’t know who they were picking a fight with, so I guess you can call this as their punishment? Oh well, you don’t need to worry about them since they would treat their own wounds or even head to the hospital once they wake up.”<br /> <br /> A tan girl.<br /> <br /> She had twin-tails which could appear as black or even brown depending on the sunlight. Her eyes were filled with curiosity.<br /> <br /> She seemed like she had reached the age of ten or so.<br /> [[Image:Sekai_no_Owari_no_Encore_V1_Non-colour_006.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> “Ren was your name, right? I certainly did hear about you, but you really do resemble Elline, don’t you?”<br /> <br /> “……Eh?”<br /> <br /> “Why do I know you? Obviously because I was waiting for you, Ren. Oh, yeah, and also those two behind you as well. I spoke to Phia sometime ago but it had been a long time since I met with Kyelse. Is it exactly three-hundred years? How were you doing?”<br /> <br /> The young girl waved her hand towards the Archangel and the Dragon-Princess in a laid-back manner.<br /> <br /> “Rather, haven’t you completely broken out from the seal yet, Kyelse? Hasn’t your power decreased rapidly?”<br /> <br /> “Likewise to you. I never expected that you would have to start from that appearance by reincarnating yourself.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse answered grumpily as she crossed her arm.<br /> <br /> Ren nudged Kyelse by her elbow and asked with a low voice.<br /> <br /> “Hey? This is my guess but is this small girl perhaps ''her''……?”<br /> <br /> “She indeed is. She was finally able to succeed in reincarnating herself ten years ago. Her physical body as well as her spells returned back to even before that of her prime. I suppose you’re exactly in the state when you were ten years old?”<br /> <br /> “Pretty much. Though being in this appearance is also fun. Humans that doesn’t even know who I am act kind to me when I fawn on them. Even though they ran away as soon as they saw me, during my time as a Demon-Lord.”<br /> <br /> The tan small girl started to chuckle.<br /> <br /> While there was “something” that lured behind her innocent eyes that even made you shiver—<br /> <br /> “Then you must be……”<br /> <br /> “Yup. The previous Demon-Lord Elise. Let’s get along, Ren.”<br /> <br /> The previous Demon-Lord pointed at cafeterras right behind her.<br /> <br /> “Anyway, let’s get inside the caféterras and talk. I’ve become thirsty.”<br /> <br /> <br /> Caféterras “Albireo”.<br /> <br /> Behind the door with such sign, it was filled with lively people which wouldn’t even compare against those that were at the main road.<br /> <br /> “Wow. I’ll be darned……so all of these guys are members of parties, right?”<br /> <br /> The interior of the caféterras was so large that you couldn’t tell from the outside.<br /> <br /> The counters had twelve seats and there were roughly the same number of tables meant for four people. So in total there were seats for exactly a hundred people. And that much amount of space were taken by the parties. There were those that were having a discussion while standing up. So you couldn’t tell exactly how many people were in here.<br /> <br /> “Here! Over here, Ren. This is the last table so be quick!”<br /> <br /> Elise waved her hand at them after she secured the table next to the wall.<br /> <br /> She was clearly the only young girl here where it was a gathering of experienced parties. But the girl herself didn’t care about how she was standing out.<br /> <br /> “Looks like there was one empty table left. Excellent. This place is usually full.”<br /> <br /> “It seems like they have a variety of alcohols here, but do they have any juices here?”<br /> <br /> Kyelse sat right next to Ren.<br /> <br /> Elise and Phia sat opposite them.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “What’s wrong? Ren, the menu-list is over here.”<br /> <br /> “Ah……yeah. I know, but—”<br /> <br /> Ren replied vaguely.<br /> <br /> The strongest Dragon-Princess on Earth was sitting next to him while the Archangel from the Heaven and the previous Demon-Lord who was the former master of the Underworld sat opposite him in a friendly manner. They were all present on a single table.<br /> <br /> “……I feel left out.”<br /> <br /> “You don’t need to be so concerned. Anyway, let’s decide on the drinks.”<br /> <br /> Elise said that as she held the menu-list in her hand.<br /> <br /> “Ah, waitress, over here! I’ll have a hot milk. What will you three drink?”<br /> <br /> “I’ll have an apple juice.”<br /> <br /> “Then I’ll have club soda. This one which isn’t sweet. What will you have, Phia-senpai?”<br /> <br /> “Then I’ll have a champagne.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, Senpai!? A minor shouldn’t drink alcohol. Senpai, you’re still eighteen—”<br /> <br /> “Rather than being a minor, Angels lives so long that you can’t compare them to humans.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse’s calm judgement.<br /> <br /> “……Oh, yeah.”<br /> <br /> Because he had been with her for so long at the academy, Ren couldn’t help but make judgment while thinking that Phia was his senior at the academy. The age of her being eighteen years old was simply the age she used when she was acting as a human.<br /> <br /> “Hmm, so I’m seventeen years old and Kyelse is sixteen years old. Elise is—”<br /> <br /> “I’ve just reincarnated so I’m exactly ten years old. That’s why I ordered hot milk. See? It’s suitable for my age, isn’t it? Kyelse also ordered a juice as well.”<br /> <br /> Elise took the hot milk with both her hand that had been brought to them.<br /> <br /> If she puts it that way, then they certainly ordered drinks suitable for their age which was agreeable since Ren ordered a club soda and Kyelse ordered an apple juice since they were minors.<br /> <br /> “I see. Then Phia-senpai is the only one who in human years is—”<br /> <br /> “I’m eighteen years old.”<br /> <br /> The blonde Archangel answered with a smile.<br /> <br /> “Just your appearance. Haven’t you been living the longest right after the Goddess of Heaven? Then that means, let me calculate—. Oh, then you are exactly…………ouch!? It hurts, Phia! That was my fault so stop pinching my buttocks from below the table!”<br /> <br /> “It’s a taboo to talk about ages to a girl. Isn’t that right, Ren?”<br /> <br /> “Y-Yeah……”<br /> <br /> The blonde Angel took the champagne glass elegantly.<br /> <br /> Ren couldn’t help but shake his head hard due to the pressure he received from her dangerous smile.<br /> <br /> “Then cheers! Ren, let’s get along as well, okay?”<br /> <br /> Elise drank the hot milk deliciously while she held the cup using both her hands. She looked too young to be a previous Demon-Lord and she looked adorable in the way she acted.<br /> <br /> “Ms Waitress, I’ll have this white wine next. Please bring me a bottle.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, you drink so fast Phia-senpai! ......Are you a heavy drinker?”<br /> <br /> “The species known as Angels loved alcohols from the beginning. Though I endured it when I was at the Academy.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel didn’t change her expression even after she drank a glass of champagne in one go.<br /> <br /> “Now then, Elise, it’s regarding the matter I have discussed with you for some time now.”<br /> <br /> “The talk about finding the Encore together, right? I was obviously interested in it since I reincarnated myself ten years ago. It’s basically the last message that Elline left behind.”<br /> <br /> <br /> The previous Demon-Lord who was taking small sips from her hot milk.<br /> <br /> “Well, the truth is, I was initially wondering what I should do. In my case, I was looking for a way to return my body back to the way it was. So I was thinking of taking my time finding the Encore.”<br /> <br /> “And if the humans found them while you were doing that?”<br /> <br /> “We should just steal it from them. That will be much easier.”<br /> <br /> The previous Demon-Lord said a dangerous thing naturally.<br /> <br /> “Except, I myself know that the humans throughout the world are looking for the Encore. Just by looking around this caféterras, I can understand how there are so many parties. But the whereabouts of the Encore is still a mystery. So it made me think that Elline hid the Encore in a special place. For his comrades’ back then……in other words he left it in a place where only we can find it.”<br /> <br /> “I thought the same.”<br /> <br /> Phia nodded while holding the wine glass with one hand.<br /> <br /> “For that reason, I thought we would need you after all if we were to search for the Encore. Depending on the circumstances, it might be necessary for us to enter the Underworld.”<br /> <br /> “I don’t mind, but there’s a tiny little problem……”<br /> <br /> The young girl suddenly sighed.<br /> <br /> “Let me ask a question to Ren who is a human. Do you know any rumours about how there’s some mess going on in the Underworld right now? The rumour about one of the Five Great Disasters going nuts on Earth.”<br /> <br /> “Ah. Are you perhaps referring to the Great Demon who is causing a rampage at the “Great Volcano of Galia”?”<br /> <br /> It happened several days ago.<br /> <br /> Ren remembered how the instructors warned the highest-grade students that went out of the Academy.<br /> <br /> “The rumour that the highest-grade Demon appeared and resided on Earth……”<br /> <br /> “Yup. She belonged to my personal guard group called the Five Great Disasters. Since I retired as a Demon-Lord after turning into this state, she stopped listening to the orders of the current Demon-Lord who I passed on my authority to and left the Underworld.”<br /> <br /> Elise shrug her head as if she was troubled by it.<br /> <br /> “By the way, why did she do something like rebelling against the current Demon-Lord? She was your subordinate when you were the Demon-Lord, right?”<br /> <br /> “That’s because she’s stronger than the current Demon-Lord.”<br /> <br /> “You must be joking!”<br /> <br /> “It’s true. In terms of strength, myself when I was the Demon-Lord would be the strongest. But the Five Great Disasters were the second strongest after me. They were originally a candidate to become the Demon-Lord. But I turned them into my subordinates when I won the election to become the Demon-Lord. But because I had to retire my position as a Demon-Lord all of a sudden, I ended up choosing my little brother in hurry to take my position when a problem arose about who would become the next Demon-Lord. But my brother was so weak……ah, don’t get me wrong since he would have the strength of the previous generations of Demon-Lords, okay? But the Five Great Disasters were just as strong as the other historical Demon-Lords.”<br /> <br /> The Underworld which is ruled by the current Demon-Lord who happened to be weaker than the Five Great Disasters. Due to such bizarre relation within the supremacy, there might be parts which wasn’t easy to accept for the Five Great Disasters that were the candidates of becoming the Demon-Lord.<br /> <br /> “More importantly, Elise, your brother is the current Demon-Lord? So your little brother means that ehmm……”<br /> <br /> “It’s okay to assume it as the similar logic of human siblings. Though their appearance differs greatly.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel placed her empty wineglass on the table.<br /> <br /> “The Angels, the Dragons, the Demons, and the humans. The species with the most population among these four are the humans. But the one with the most diversities are the Demons. Not just their appearance, but even their strength has a huge gap in ranges. The current Demon-Lord would exactly have the appearance of what you imagined, Ren.”<br /> <br /> “By that, you mean……”<br /> <br /> “Only his appearance looks vicious. He’s too big as well as having fangs and claws. He would most likely be treated as a monster if he was to show up on Earth. He’s butt-ugly despite being my brother. Though he does carry an impact.”<br /> <br /> Elise said it in a happily manner.<br /> <br /> “And one of the Five Great Disasters that rebelled is—”<br /> <br /> “The Demon-General of Blaze.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse said it plainly.<br /> <br /> “Ren, even you should have heard of the name Achendia.”<br /> <br /> “She’s the Great Demon since ancient time!”<br /> <br /> —Achendia the “Demon-General of Blaze”.<br /> <br /> The legendary level highest rank Demon who was even called the embodiment of hell fire that even appeared in fairy tales.<br /> <br /> “That’s why I’m having a hard time.”<br /> <br /> Elise sighed with an unpleasant tone.<br /> <br /> “She was my former subordinate so I thought I should do something about it. But it would be impossible to stop her in this weakened form, you know? So I was troubled to whether I should focus on returning my body back to its original form and put the search for the Encore on-hold. So, this is my suggestion—”<br /> <br /> “You’ll help in finding the Encore but you want us to help you in stopping Achendia. Right?”<br /> <br /> “Just to be expected from Phia, you get to the point quickly.”<br /> <br /> “I did predict what was going on behind the scene due to the Five Great Disasters appearing on Earth.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel nodded with a bitter smile.<br /> <br /> “How about it, Kyelse?”<br /> <br /> “I don’t mind. Both Phia and I are far from our primes, but there’s no way we will be beaten if all three of us are present. Also, I want Ren to know it right away.”<br /> <br /> “……Know what?”<br /> <br /> “'''The meaning to form a party with the three of us''', that is.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse’s tone that sounded peaceful at first—<br /> <br /> It carried so much pressure that made Ren shiver.<br /> <br /> “Even though the action to find the Encore is the same, our party is different to other parties. This is a good opportunity to have you understand that.”<br /> <br /> His comrades’ strength was immeasurable, but likewise, the strength of their enemy were also in a different league.<br /> <br /> The ones that would stand in front of them would be a legendary-level monsters. The enemies he would meet would be all superior to him. The journey where point between life and death would await him right after he survives through a situation where he may die.<br /> <br /> “What do you think?”<br /> <br /> “……Bring it on.”<br /> <br /> Ren held the glass of club soda with his shaking hand.<br /> <br /> “Nothing would change from the time back when I was at the Academy if I get scared here. I also don’t mind who our enemies are. I simply have to go forward until I find the Encore!”<br /> <br /> He declared it with all his might. He then drank the glass of club soda in one-go.<br /> <br /> That instant.<br /> <br /> “Gua!? C-Cough……i-it got caught inside my throat……”<br /> <br /> “I-Idiot! That’s disgusting and don’t throw it up on me! What fool would drink a carbohydrate drink in one-go!?”<br /> <br /> “……Looks like the road ahead doesn’t seem promising.”<br /> <br /> “……Ren, that’s disgusting.”<br /> <br /> Ren who had just threw up the club soda he had just drunk, and Kyelse who got wet by him due to sitting right beside him.<br /> <br /> Seeing those two—<br /> <br /> The Archangel and the previous Demon-Lord sighed at the same time.<br /> <br /> ===4===<br /> <br /> The party departed the triumphal town—<br /> <br /> They walked across the grass covered in rich green towards the west where there wasn’t any road.<br /> <br /> “Unlike the previous road, there sure aren’t many people around here this time. Why can’t I see any parties anywhere?”<br /> <br /> “That’s because this isn’t the normal path.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse had her shining silver hair blown by the blowing wind. As Ren walked next to her, he pointed towards the horizon on his left.<br /> <br /> “The constructed road would be located far over there.”<br /> <br /> “I prefer this grassland. This sense of feeling walking on the grass sure is nice. I even want to walk barefoot.”<br /> <br /> “It’s not like I don’t like this either……”<br /> <br /> The grasslands covered the sight of every direction he looked towards.<br /> <br /> The path they were walking on wasn’t a regular road towards other towns. Instead, they walked off from the regular road since this was the shortcut. It was a grassland where there wasn’t any guidepost anywhere. The advantage of this path was that the distance they need to walk had decreased a lot.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Elise? Achendia of the Five Great Disasters hadn’t moved from the Great Volcano of Galia, right?”<br /> <br /> “She hasn’t. She’s the Demon-General of Blaze so she loves hot places. So she prefers places like active volcano where it has magma bursting. I guess she made that location as her base while acting as she likes.”<br /> <br /> The young tan girl who answered while skipping.<br /> <br /> “Like I mentioned before, I doubt Achendia has any motive like conquering the Earth. The Dragon-species are also present on Earth after all. Though it would become problematic if we don’t stop her quickly. Since a big shot like one of the Five Great Disasters appeared, there are rumours that parties from all over the world are coming to hunt Achendia down. She would be the best target for parties who wants to become famous.”<br /> <br /> “……So that means they will get slaughtered instead, huh.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly. Humans loves to replace the word reckless with the word challenge. The highest-level Demons such as the Five Great Disasters. There are only few parties that can put on a fight against them.”<br /> <br /> That was the reason why they took the shortcut.<br /> <br /> The parties whose aim was to hunt down one of the Five Great Disasters. So in order to keep those parties from challenging Achendia and getting killed instead, it was necessary for them to head to Great Volcano of Galia quickly as possible.<br /> <br /> “Well, there’s another reason why I chose this road.”<br /> <br /> Elise chuckled and put on a teasing smile.<br /> <br /> “I acknowledge Kyelse and Phia’s strength. But I don’t know about Ren really well yet.”<br /> <br /> “……?”<br /> <br /> “So do your best.”<br /> <br /> The previous Demon-Lord winked at him and made a distance with him by stepping back.<br /> <br /> When Ren realised it, both Kyelse and Phia had also stopped. They were staring to the right—<br /> <br /> “……Is there something wrong with that forest?”<br /> <br /> The large and rich forest that was present alongside the grassland.<br /> <br /> At times, the cries of unknown birds can be heard along with the wind. Its voice—<br /> <br /> <br /> It quieted down all of a sudden which made it creepy.<br /> <br /> <br /> “!”<br /> <br /> Ren discarded the luggage he was carrying and drew out his sword from the holder equipped on his hips with his reflex.<br /> <br /> The reason why Ren drew out his sword wasn’t due to his instructor’s teaching but more of an animal-like instinct.<br /> <br /> The forest then shook.<br /> <br /> It scattered many leaves and what appeared from there was a single giant snake.<br /> <br /> “A {{Furigana|Quetzalcoatl|twin-headed snake}}!?”<br /> <br /> A snake covered in an ochre colour.<br /> <br /> A monster which lived in the forest widely throughout the world. It becomes so large and cunning where it could live for dozen of years long. The announcement to hunt it down were given to the parties immediately if it was spotted near towns. It must had come out after it was stimulated by the presence of Ren and others who were walking through the grassland.<br /> <br /> “Ah, I get it now!”<br /> <br /> The Quetzalcoatl was after Ren who was standing closest to it.<br /> <br /> It was a monster which comes charging ahead by crawling on the ground where it has a speed as if it was skating on an ice. Even though it was a medium-size among its species, its total length had already surpassed that of an adult Quetzalcoatl. It was impossible to escape from its grip once caught even for a lion. Even so, all of its movement seemed slow from Ren’s eyes.<br /> <br /> “It’s slower than the wyvern.”<br /> <br /> He simply said that.<br /> <br /> He jumped exactly to the side of the monster which had raised its head. Ren turned around, and the large snake’s tail came striking down at him so he used the ridge of his sword to block it. He made the impact of the shock slide towards the back.<br /> <br /> ''—Guarding won’t be good.''<br /> <br /> ''—The sword would break if it gets hit by it directly. Even if it didn’t, my hand which is holding onto the sword would go numb due to the impact.''<br /> <br /> The three years he spent at the Academy. It was something he learned so many times during the unofficial match he had against student {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}s. You shouldn’t guard against an attack with your sword.<br /> <br /> What conquers an attack wasn’t guarding but evading.<br /> <br /> The moment Ren’s sword clashed against the enemy’s sword (its tail), Ren let the impact slid away to the back as if it was washed away.<br /> <br /> “Impressive……”<br /> <br /> “That’s it. I would give a passing mark for that move.”<br /> <br /> Elise who had a meaningful smile and Kyelse who nodded her head in satisfaction.<br /> <br /> However, the reaction of those two who were behind Ren didn’t reach him.<br /> <br /> —A do-or-die situation.<br /> <br /> Losing even a single sight of the enemy’s move would lead to your defeat.<br /> <br /> “Ha.”<br /> <br /> Ren thrusts his sword forward after he took a quick breath.<br /> <br /> An instant moment where the Quetzalcoatl shrunk its body and halted its movement in order to focus its target on Ren. The tip of Ren’s sword missed by an inch and cracked the twin-headed snake’s fangs.<br /> <br /> [Hsssssss!?]<br /> <br /> The monster whose body was shaking.<br /> <br /> But that only happened for a moment. It then carried the emotion of rage within the red eyes of its two head—<br /> <br /> “Yup, that’s good enough. Bye-bye.”<br /> <br /> The young tan girl waved her hand light-heartedly.<br /> <br /> Immediately after that. On the ground which was directly under the Quetzalcoatl who was about to attack Ren starts to build up and then exploded. It blew away the monster’s large body to the opposite direction far away.<br /> <br /> Curse-explosive.<br /> <br /> What was left was a huge crater and a spell’s circular-symbol which was giving a bright blow.<br /> <br /> “H-Huh?”<br /> <br /> The opponent who had himself blown away in an instance.<br /> <br /> Seeing such thing, Ren blinked in an astonishment as he held his sword.<br /> <br /> “What was all that struggle for……”<br /> <br /> “It’s okay. The fight you just put up was enough to show me how much effort you put in that fight, Ren. Wouldn’t it simply make you exhausted if you continued to fight any further? Our journey has only started.”<br /> <br /> Elise whose tone was high due to the excitement started skipping again and approached Ren.<br /> <br /> “Way to go, Ren. To be honest, I was wondering how weak you were since I heard that you were still a student {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} and tested you. But you were able to put on a fight nicely.”<br /> <br /> She approached so close to him that their body would touch each other. She looked up while her eyes carried a sense of curiosity.<br /> <br /> “Hey, have you ever fought a Quetzalcoatl before?”<br /> <br /> “No way. A monster like that would never show up at in the student town. Rather, that was my first time fighting a monster……ah, though there was an exception like that wyvern.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? Then you were able to fight that much in your first try?”<br /> <br /> “W-What?”<br /> <br /> “Nothing really. I just thought you were more capable than I thought. Right, Kyelse?”<br /> <br /> “It would be a problem if he wasn’t.”<br /> <br /> The silver girl, who was the only one eating a chocolate quietly, nodded her head.<br /> <br /> “Either way, let’s move on. Keep on walking, Ren. It’s still far away from our destination, the Great Volcano.”<br /> <br /> “……I know.”<br /> <br /> Ren carried the heavy luggage on his back once again and started walking to the West once again.<br /> <br /> The one behind him were the members of the legendary party, the Three Great Princesses. While he sensed their gaze on his back, Ren started walking across the grassland which had no road.<br /> <br /> ===5===<br /> <br /> <br /> {{SimpleNav<br /> |b=Record.2|bn=Record.2<br /> |f=Record.4|fn=Record.4<br /> }}</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=User:Acolyte/Books/Mushoku_Tensei_Volume_09&diff=388038 User:Acolyte/Books/Mushoku Tensei Volume 09 2014-09-02T23:58:10Z <p>Acolyte: [accidental]</p> <hr /> <div></div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=User:Acolyte/Books/Mushoku_Tensei_Volume_09&diff=388037 User:Acolyte/Books/Mushoku Tensei Volume 09 2014-09-02T23:56:49Z <p>Acolyte: Created page with &quot;{{saved_book}} == Mushoku Tensei Volume 09 == :Mushoku Tensei:Volume 09 Mushoku Tensei Volume 09&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{saved_book}}<br /> <br /> == Mushoku Tensei Volume 09 ==<br /> :[[Mushoku Tensei:Volume 09]]<br /> <br /> [[Category:Books|Mushoku Tensei Volume 09]]</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Silver_Cross_and_Draculea:Volume05_Final_Chapter&diff=386459 Silver Cross and Draculea:Volume05 Final Chapter 2014-08-28T23:18:51Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Final Chapter - White Ending==<br /> <br /> It was snowing.<br /> <br /> Christmas Eve was welcomed by snow, dying the streets white.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wow, snow is really pretty!&quot;<br /> <br /> Rushella was apparently seeing snow for the first time. On the way home from shopping, she exclaimed happily.<br /> <br /> A Christmas party was to be held at Hisui's home today--All members of the Supernatural Investigations Club were planning to attend.<br /> <br /> Going out with his friends to shop, Hisui was then going home together as a group.<br /> <br /> All the others were immersed in the holiday atmosphere, chatting happily, but only Hisui did not seem quite happy.<br /> <br /> Miraluka's passing was only a few days ago so he could hardly be blamed.<br /> <br /> &quot;What is the matter?&quot;<br /> <br /> Eruru asked with care.<br /> <br /> This was her being caring. Hisui could tell from her face.<br /> <br /> &quot;Nothing... I was wondering whether this was her gift. A gift she deliberately sent in advance for Christmas.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;A vampire giving a Christmas gift? What a lame joke.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;In the past, I really needed her... I've always imagined, wondering if she might return one day. And that she was surely in the surroundings. So... seeing me troubled over this for so long, she appeared.&quot;<br /> <br /> Hisui touched his left chest.<br /> <br /> Indeed.<br /> <br /> She had always been there.<br /> <br /> However, did she reappear in her former appearance because of his wish?<br /> <br /> &quot;But... perhaps because I didn't choose her, I was unable to choose her between the two, she vanished.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I believe not. She surely passed on, smiling.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Eh?&quot;<br /> <br /> Without looking at Hisui, Eruru continued calmly.<br /> <br /> &quot;A vampire seeks blood in an attempt to fill the void of the life they had lost. To replenish the warmth they have lost from their hearts--That is what I have heard. But she already had no regrets. Because even in her absence, you are able to live on well. So... She is satisfied and chose to disappear, finally returning to inside your body. That is all.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;In the end, I'm still relying on her. That's so lame of me.&quot;<br /> <br /> Hisui shook his head with a wry smile. Then Mei embraced his arm.<br /> <br /> &quot;What are you chatting so happily about? Hi-kun, tonight is the great Christmas Eve, let's... with me tonight...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Umm sorry, I absolutely won't let you stay over.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Then Kujou-kun, with me... My parents won't be home tomorrow, come to my house...&quot;<br /> <br /> Before he knew it, Kirika had hugged his other arm.<br /> <br /> A lady on each arm. One was an artificial human while the other was a witch.<br /> <br /> No matter which side he refused, his life was in danger.<br /> <br /> &quot;Well...&quot;<br /> <br /> Just as he was caught in a dilemma, Rushella attacked from the front.<br /> <br /> &quot;Hey, what are you doing!? You are my servant!&quot;<br /> <br /> Saying that, she bared her fangs and bit.<br /> <br /> Although the frequency was decreasing, she still thirsted for fresh blood.<br /> <br /> &quot;Hey stop it, this is outside!&quot;<br /> <br /> Rushella's lips approached.<br /> <br /> But she did not use her teeth.<br /> <br /> Sucking deeply on Hisui's neck, she only released him after she had sucked enough.<br /> <br /> The mark of a vampire's kiss was not left on his neck... It was just the mark of an ordinary kiss.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah, what are you doing? Now how am I supposed to show myself out in public?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Shut up, I should have done it a long time ago! Now everyone will know you belong to me!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Crap... How do I erase this?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh my oh my, Hi-kun, why don't I cover it up for you?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Or allow me...&quot;<br /> <br /> Lips approached again.<br /> <br /> The sound of scolding came as a result.<br /> <br /> &quot;You are better off dead.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Are you for real this time...?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What are you dallying for? Hurry, time to buy the cake next!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Okay okay.&quot;<br /> <br /> The Supernatural Investigations Club members walked under the persisting snowfall.<br /> <br /> The lively and unusual days had become the norm.<br /> <br /> Kujou Hisui's life of hardship would continue here on.<br /> <br /> Probably, it was going to continue forever.<br /> <br /> [[image:Draculea V05 - BW10.jpg|thumb]]<br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> {| border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;5&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; style=&quot;margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;&quot;<br /> |-<br /> | Back to [[Silver Cross and Draculea:Volume05 Chapter6|Chapter 6]]<br /> | Return to [[Silver Cross and Draculea|Main Page]]<br /> | Forward to [[Silver Cross and Draculea:Volume05 Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> |-<br /> |}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Silver_Cross_and_Draculea:Volume05_Chapter6&diff=386458 Silver Cross and Draculea:Volume05 Chapter6 2014-08-28T23:18:11Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Chapter 6 - Blood's Truth==<br /> <br /> &quot;This is a safe place, right?&quot;<br /> <br /> Seeing her environment, Rushella laughed in self-mockery.<br /> <br /> Indeed, it was safe, very safe.<br /> <br /> This kind of place, not even sunlight could enter. It was also protected heavily by alloyed armor.<br /> <br /> Alarms will be triggered in the event of an invasion. The security guards were also experienced experts in dealing with the supernatural. Naturally, that included vampires.<br /> <br /> Indeed, this was underground of the MPD at Kasumigaseki--The Supernatural Investigations Section headquarters.<br /> <br /> Futhermore, Rushella was currently at the deepest part of the headquarters, the prison where Fergus used to be incarcerated.<br /> <br /> Although she was not handcuffed and she had come here voluntarily, it still felt no different from being an inmate.<br /> <br /> &quot;Don't complain. Your coffin has been transported here from that church so get some proper rest.&quot;<br /> <br /> Standing behind her, Rangetsu said reluctantly.<br /> <br /> Last night, she had gone to pick up Rushella.<br /> <br /> In any case, Rushella was first brought to the relevant part of the MPD to undergo questioning like &quot;have you drunk human blood during the time you were missing&quot; as a matter of formality.<br /> <br /> Then under Rangetsu's supervision, she was treated to a meal and a bath--At least she was treated with courtesy.<br /> <br /> In the end, after all sorts of procedures and the underground facility was prepared properly, the day had gone by and it was daytime during the following day.<br /> <br /> &quot;This place is so dark, there's no concept of time. What time is it now?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What are you complaining about dark as a vampire? Okay, just keep still and don't make a fuss. If you don't behave, you'll have to stay here forever, you know?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Hmph, this place has been broken into before, is it really safe? I can see repairs in process all over the place.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Now that is a hard one to refute... However, this is at least the safest place in Japan. Just stay here obediently, for Kujou-kun's sake as well.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I know.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;We can still provide blood. Tell us immediately if you feel thirsty.&quot;<br /> <br /> Saying that, Rangetsu left. Rushella did not respond to this final word of advice.<br /> <br /> Naturally, she could not forget the taste of blood.<br /> <br /> Hisui's sweet, very sweet blood.<br /> <br /> With just one sip, whether the dryness in her throat or the thirst in her heart, everything was satisfied.<br /> <br /> However, she had refused resolutely.<br /> <br /> With a grim face, Rushella was crouching in a corner of the square cell.<br /> <br /> There was no lighting in the room. Total darkness.<br /> <br /> A human would surely be plunged into fear of the dark and try desperately to escape. But Rushella felt calm instead.<br /> <br /> No, the place where her heart felt truly calm and at ease was the home where she had lived together with Hisui.<br /> <br /> However, that place was no longer her home.<br /> <br /> It was not where she belonged to in the first place, just temporary shelter.<br /> <br /> Perhaps... Staying here would be more comfortable.<br /> <br /> Wiping the tears from the corner of her eye, Rushella looked around the room.<br /> <br /> This place had no view and was undecorated.<br /> <br /> Even in the darkness, Rushella's vision functioned as normal. Her eyes soon captured the entire room's environment--Then she was shocked.<br /> <br /> &quot;...Who is it!?&quot;<br /> <br /> Someone was here.<br /> <br /> Opposite her gaze, in the other corner, someone was sitting in a chair.<br /> <br /> &quot;A shared room? Why wasn't I told about it?&quot;<br /> <br /> The other party did not answer.<br /> <br /> The sound of a match being struck. A moment later, faint light appeared.<br /> <br /> An old-fashioned candlestick was placed at the person's foot. The candlelight illuminated the entire room.<br /> <br /> It was apparently a scented candle, filling the room with a sweet fragrance of imaginative fantasy.<br /> <br /> &quot;It's you...!&quot;<br /> <br /> Rushella was rendered speechless.<br /> <br /> Impossible.<br /> <br /> How could she possibly come here?<br /> <br /> Rushella could not believe her own eyes--Miraluka was sitting right before her.<br /> <br /> But it was reality.<br /> <br /> Miraluka was sitting elegantly with legs crossed, having changed out of her inverness dress, leaning back on the chair in leisure.<br /> <br /> &quot;How are you here!?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I was here from the start.&quot;<br /> <br /> She replied nonchalantly.<br /> <br /> Rushella was rooted to the spot in shock while Miraluka talked nonstop.<br /> <br /> &quot;I guess that you might be brought here to be isolated. Running away from my grasp is impossible, but to achieve a certain measure of defense, this place is the best choice. Hence, after that brief fight, I came here first to wait for you.&quot;<br /> <br /> Clearly it was not as simple as her coming here first.<br /> <br /> This woman was fundamentally different from the vampires or other supernatural entities Rushella had faced off against in the past.<br /> <br /> &quot;This police security of the Supernatural Investigations Section is really full of holes... I can't believe they let you invade this place.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;You're blaming the wrong people if you blame them. Although they are currently shorthanded, invisibility is the expertise of vampires, let alone a True Ancestor like me. Infiltrating this place is no difficult task if I'm serious. By the way, one of the True Ancestors was even more talented at invisibility than me, but she's no longer around.&quot;<br /> <br /> Sadness filled Miraluka's eyes when she brought up her peer's death.<br /> <br /> But Rushella could not empathize.<br /> <br /> She could only respond with genuine feelings.<br /> <br /> &quot;You came to kill me...?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Half correct, half wrong. I am not interested in your life or death, but it's just incidental to what will happen.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Incomprehensible... If you find me an eyesore, say it clearly! Because... I find you very much of an eyesore too.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Hmph, is that so?&quot;<br /> <br /> Miraluka nodded with deep feeling.<br /> <br /> Seeing her so arrogant, Rushella could not help but spit out all the thoughts she had kept hidden in her heart.<br /> <br /> &quot;It's you every time...! When I'm together with Hisui, you always appear! If only you didn't exist... If only you didn't exist...!!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;If I didn't exist, then Hisui would not have lived to this day.&quot;<br /> <br /> Miraluka answered indifferently. Rushella could not talk back.<br /> <br /> Victory was decided from the start.<br /> <br /> Denying her meant denying Hisui.<br /> <br /> &quot;A young little life that almost died from inane reasons. I used to believe, for a very long time, that humans were foolish creatures. Taking in a human on a whim to raise, I never knew it would be so interesting. I now understand a little how my perished peers felt.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;You said it was on a whim...? Hisui, he... has always felt... towards you...!&quot;<br /> <br /> Rushella clenched her fists and glared viciously at Miraluka.<br /> <br /> A million thoughts converged, forming invisible pressure imposed upon Miraluka.<br /> <br /> The negative emotions in the underground prison finally turned into killing intent, coalescing in Rushella's hands.<br /> <br /> Holding her usual dagger in a reverse grip, she closed in on the enemy.<br /> <br /> &quot;Is that so...? He loved me, I see.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What...!?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;In that case, my return was worth it. Now there is meaning for me to kill you.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What are you talking about!?&quot;<br /> <br /> Rushella had already rushed up to her but Miraluka remained unfazed. Instead, she pointed at the door.<br /> <br /> &quot;Would you like a change of location? This place really kills the mood.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;You mean changing to a location more suitable to killing me?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;That I won't deny. But I could at least offer you a gift to take with you to hell, how's that? About your origins.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...!? You know about it?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Merely indirect hearsay, but I have investigated your identity. Follow me if you wish to know.&quot;<br /> <br /> Miraluka walked out the door.<br /> <br /> After some hesitation, Rushella followed.<br /> <br /> Even though this was path to hell, her intense desire to figure out her past still prevailed over all else.<br /> <br /> This time, the prison break was calm and elegant, unlike the two previous incidents with severe casualties.<br /> <br /> Zero casualties, no loss or damage.<br /> <br /> The number of people who discovered the escapees were also zero.<br /> <br /> Minutes later, when the setting sun's lingering glow was dyeing the sky, the two vampires arrived at the ground's surface in each other's company.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &quot;Kujou-kun... Did something happen today?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Nothing.&quot;<br /> <br /> After school, Hisui was packing his things when his neighbor, Reina, asked with worry..<br /> <br /> After all, Hisui only came to school in the afternoon, so it was natural for her to worry.<br /> <br /> No, even if that was not the case, she would still worry for Hisui.<br /> <br /> Ever since Rushella left, that was how she had been acting.<br /> <br /> &quot;I didn't feel well earlier and visited the hospital. The doctor said I'm just tired so there's nothing major.&quot;<br /> <br /> This did not count as a lie.<br /> <br /> He had gone to the hospital and there was nothing unusual with his health.<br /> <br /> &quot;Really...? I'm glad to hear that.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh right, I forgot to tell you. Rushella came back.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Eh, really?&quot;<br /> <br /> Reina instantly smiled radiantly.<br /> <br /> Hisui also found her smile contagious.<br /> <br /> &quot;Should we celebrate? After all, it's almost Christmas!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Christmas huh...&quot;<br /> <br /> Only after saying that word did Hisui realize how incompatible it was with vampires. He could not help but smile wryly.<br /> <br /> In terms of average Japanese people's faith, there should not be any detrimental effect on Rushella. But considering Reina's family situation, she might even invite them to attend mass at a church.<br /> <br /> Spending Christmas at a church was probably hell for a vampire... No, calling it heaven might be more apt?<br /> <br /> &quot;It's okay, you don't have to. If we organize some kind of event, she might regret coming back.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Okay, I guess you have a point... Christmas should be spent with family after all. Are you going to spend it with that lady who visited last time?&quot;<br /> <br /> These words caused Hisui's chest to tighten.<br /> <br /> Indeed, he had spent Christmas every year with her in the past.<br /> <br /> Hisui already knew a long time ago that Santa Claus did not exist, but there was Miraluka.<br /> <br /> Every year, he would receive a present, eat turkey and cake.<br /> <br /> A Christmas spent with a vampire--This kind of exotic event had stopped since last year.<br /> <br /> The winter of his third year in middle school, he had spent a lonely Christmas, a silent night without Miraluka.<br /> <br /> So, what about this year?<br /> <br /> &quot;Who are you going to spend Christmas with?&quot;<br /> <br /> Reina asked again without any ill intent.<br /> <br /> I'm fine with spending it alone if there's no one--Perhaps Hisui could say that.<br /> <br /> &quot;...I dunno.&quot;<br /> <br /> But he evaded the question and chose escapism.<br /> <br /> Reina wanted to say more but Hisui left her behind and got out of the classroom.<br /> <br /> Mei watched him leave.<br /> <br /> Then as though thinking of something, she walked over to Eruru who was packing her schoolbag.<br /> <br /> &quot;Umm... Could you stay a while? I'm guessing Senpai has things to ask you.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Got it. Then the usual place...? Never mind, how about the student council office?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;No problem. Let's go.&quot;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> It was currently dusk.<br /> <br /> The red evening glow covered the entire sky. Shortly after, it was going to be devoured by the dark canopy of night.<br /> <br /> Who knew how much time had passed. Miraluka and Rushella had arrived at the park near Hisui's house.<br /> <br /> There were few pedestrians here. Plus the thick foliage blocked the street lights, this place was particularly dark even in the daytime, let alone night.<br /> <br /> &quot;I used to take Hisui here often. There are no kids in the area and other parks are packed with people, so I could only bring him here. What a shame that we couldn't experience what people call family outings.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Hmph, showing off much? Let me tell you, I have memories too, right here in this park! After all, over there is the place Hisui and I met!&quot;<br /> <br /> Rushella puffed out her chest proudly and pointed at the alley where she had met Hisui for the first time.<br /> <br /> Indeed, that night, she had encountered Hisui here--then sucked his blood.<br /> <br /> Everything started here.<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh my, how unfortunate for that brat.&quot;<br /> <br /> Hisui would probably agree if he heard that.<br /> <br /> Miraluka walked over to the pavilion in the center of the park. Rushella followed with a scowl.<br /> <br /> The two of them sat down on the wooden bench and looked at each other.<br /> <br /> Miraluka took out two wine glasses and placed them on a small table. She had picked them up from home on the way. Then she took out a bottle of vintage fine wine and poured into the glasses.<br /> <br /> &quot;I don't drink.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I didn't poison it. Poisoning would be meaningless for both of us. Don't you like this color and fragrance? We cannot resist. This is a taste shared by all vampires.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...Hisui will get mad. He sad that minors cannot drink this. He is clearly a minor himself.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh really? By the way, in my collection is a bottle of wine whose vintage is the year Hisui was born. Do you know where it went?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...No idea.&quot;<br /> <br /> She did not admit she was the one who broke it.<br /> <br /> This incident still pained Rushella in her heart.<br /> <br /> She really hated this woman.<br /> <br /> &quot;Okay... About me, if you know something then answer me quickly! I don't have the mood to drink and chat with you!&quot;<br /> <br /> Rushella asked fiercely while Miraluka picked up a glass of wine elegantly.<br /> <br /> Savoring the fragrant and complicated wine, she looked at Rushella.<br /> <br /> &quot;There are a total of twelve True Ancestors and you are not one of them.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;So what? Then who am I!?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Twelve women... Some of them have barely spoken to me while others have never liked me. But we would all gather once a year to meet up. A kind of year end report, I suppose. Drinking red wine, eating bread, chatting casually. It was very lively.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;A 'reunion' for True Ancestors huh? That's so human of you and them. When did you gather every year?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Christmas.&quot;<br /> <br /> Miraluka answered with full seriousness but Rushella could not help but suspect her of joking.<br /> <br /> Impossible.<br /> <br /> This was absolutely absolutely absolutely impossible.<br /> <br /> &quot;Are you really a vampire!?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What's wrong with celebrating ''his'' birthday? Everything of ours started with him, from the very day when we embraced his remains and drank his blood.&quot;<br /> <br /> Rushella hid her laughter after hearing that. She gradually understood that what was up next was related to her true identity.<br /> <br /> &quot;We would gather every year, but starting at some point, someone became absent. Although those of us attending did not decrease every year, it was at least decreasing every century. Some were destroyed by humans, other sought destruction on their own, others had accidents. By the time we were down to half, someone spoke up. She said that things would be bad at this rate and vampires will go extinct one day, so something must be done.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Why did they think that? As long as we want, we can create servants easily...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;When a True Ancestor perishes, so does all her servants.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Then have offspring and descendants...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;A vampire's reproductive ability is much lower than a human's. Even with an immortal body, one cannot bear too many children in the end. And among them are some who are like me, childless our entire lives with no intention of procreating. Then what? To sustain the prosperity of the race, ultimately, the base number of True Ancestors needs to be expanded.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Expanded...!? Is that possible?<br /> <br /> Rushella smacked the table and stood up.<br /> <br /> As planned by that Fergus, as long as the direct bloodline of a True Ancestor was maintained, the existence of pureblooded vampires infinitely close to True Ancestors could be maintained.<br /> <br /> But how could a True Ancestor herself be recreated?<br /> <br /> Staring into the wine in her glass, Miraluka continued nonstop. Recalling back then, this was the liquid that man had called &quot;my blood.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;The blood of God that we drank no longer exists. According to legend, there are a few holy relics that were stained with that blood, but the veracity is difficult to determine for all of them. Even if they were real, freshness has been lost. So another method must be found in search of substitutes.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Substitutes...?&quot;<br /> <br /> This word made Rushella go pale.<br /> <br /> She could already guess.<br /> <br /> But she dared not speak out.<br /> <br /> &quot;Indeed. The closest substitute to God... That is rather taboo to say. Rather, the substitute with the most concentrated curse in the blood, punished by God, namely, the blood of the True Ancestors.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Giving a vampire's blood to another vampire has no effect. But giving it to a human is different. Whether ingested orally or injected directly into a blood vessel, it always result in irregular vampirization, giving birth to a vicious monster. The same goes for a True Ancestor's blood, of course. However, there were exceptions among them.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Exceptions...?&quot;<br /> <br /> Rushella's face turned more and more pale.<br /> <br /> Stop talking.<br /> <br /> Don't say anymore.<br /> <br /> A voice was screaming that in her mind.<br /> <br /> &quot;I don't know the precise details either. They asked me, so I provided my blood but I was not interested in how it was going to be used. Neither did I know who it was used on. However, at the very least, you were born. I have heard of rare cases of success. Fakes who had drunk the blood of True Ancestors. Former humans. During childhood or puberty, perhaps even in the womb--A certain True Ancestor conferred her blood to you. This resulted in turning you into a vampire infinitely close to a True Ancestor. If you're asking what is your identity, you are one of our subspecies, what one might call a Pseudo True Ancestor, perhaps?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Pseudo True Ancestor...&quot;<br /> <br /> Rushella understood this term.<br /> <br /> In other words, a so-called imposter.<br /> <br /> An artificial creation created by the True Ancestors' need.<br /> <br /> She was a fake existence from the start.<br /> <br /> Rushella slid down from the bench and fell on the ground.<br /> <br /> Shaken regarding her own origin, she was unable to support her body.<br /> <br /> &quot;Who... am I...?&quot;<br /> <br /> Looking at Miraluka, she searched for answers.<br /> <br /> But Miraluka did not care about her at all, all she saw was wine.<br /> <br /> &quot;How would I know? Perhaps an ordinary character you could find anywhere, but I suspect you have undergone modification. You have no memories probably because you never experienced life in human society to begin with. Just find a suitable garden, implant a bit of basic knowledge, then you were born. Since you woke up as though you had hibernated, your actual age is probably similar to your appearance. But your heart is like a newborn baby's, a pure and untainted True Ancestor. The reason you love Hisui is merely an imprinting process similar to a hatchling's. That being said, his special constitution, allowing you to drink from him as you wish in a semi-perpetual manner, is probably one of the reasons.&quot;<br /> <br /> Rushella remained collapsed, sitting on the ground.<br /> <br /> Everything was futile.<br /> <br /> The past she hoped to find did not exist in the first palce.<br /> <br /> She regretted searching for her roots.<br /> <br /> Her only measure of identity--a True Ancestor vampire--also collapsed totally.<br /> <br /> &quot;They placed you in a coffin after birth, preserved appropriately then kept securely in different locations--That's all I heard. I never expected to find one of them sleeping in my surroundings.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Why put me on that kind of mountain...? The True Ancestors created me then abandoned me...?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;You'll have to ask the True Ancestor who created you. That said, she no longer exists. She created you and others just in case, but she perished first. On the other hand, someone like me who cared nothing for the proliferation of the race ended up surviving. What a twist of fate.&quot;<br /> <br /> Miraluka downed her glass of wine, stood up and walked over to Rushella.<br /> <br /> Supporting herself with her arms, Rushella kept backing away.<br /> <br /> &quot;...I understand about me now. But why do you have to kill me... Is it just because the sight of me offends you...? In your eyes, I am an imposter, so you cannot bear the sight...!?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;No, I feel grateful to you instead. Your existence is truly excellent insurance.&quot;<br /> <br /> The sun was about to set.<br /> <br /> The crimson gaze pierced Rushella.<br /> <br /> Normally speaking, the mystic eyes had no effect on vampires themselves.<br /> <br /> But the light from Miraluka's eyes was immeasurably commanding. Rushella could not help but sprawl on the ground.<br /> <br /> &quot;What is your goal...!?&quot;<br /> <br /> Miraluka smiled mercilessly and pointed at the left of Rushella's chest.<br /> <br /> That was where she had targeted yesterday.<br /> <br /> This was her ultimate goal all along.<br /> <br /> &quot;I want your heart.&quot;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &quot;Is there anything you've figured out? Not just Hi-kun, even Eruru-chan is making such a solemn look?&quot;<br /> <br /> The group was gathered around the long table in the student council office. Mei was the first to speak.<br /> <br /> Right now, the only people present were her and Eruru, as well as Kirika who had provided the student council office.<br /> <br /> The president and the other student council members were not around, making this the perfect spot for a confidential conversation.<br /> <br /> &quot;Kujou-san had a thorough checkup this morning.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh my, you two have progressed to that point already? Should I cook red beans and rice to celebrate?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...Sudou-san.&quot;<br /> <br /> Kirika scolded Mei for her messing around and urged Eruru to continue with her gaze.<br /> <br /> &quot;The object of the tests was about Kujou-san's constitution.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh you've checked it before, right? But nothing came out in the end, didn't it?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Indeed. No particular conclusion was reached this time either. However, more time was spent on the physiological analysis, hence some of that Miraluka vampire's intent could be deduced as a result.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What's going on? Why does she want to kill Rushella?&quot;<br /> <br /> Eruru did not answer Kirika. Instead, she asked her and Mei another question.<br /> <br /> &quot;Let me ask you two. How would you destroy a vampire?&quot;<br /> <br /> Why ask this now? Mei and Kirika exchanged glances in puzzlement.<br /> <br /> &quot;Hmm, expose them to sunlight... Stake them through the heart?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Decapitation then crush the head... Although it's so bloody that I don't really want to actually do it.&quot;<br /> <br /> Eruru nodded quietly, seemingly satisfied with these cliched answers.<br /> <br /> &quot;Correct indeed. Conversely, attacks to the head and heart will cause fatal injuries to vampires. These locations cannot regenerate.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I know that kind of stuff but what does it have to do with the current incident?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Are you implying that Miraluka is actually a fake... The real one is already dead?&quot;<br /> <br /> Eruru shook her head and refuted Kirika's question.<br /> <br /> &quot;No, she is most likely the real one, which is why Kujou-san feels so troubled. Just as he told us, Miraluka possesses the greatest powers of regeneration among all vampires. Surviving on willpower alone was most likely true. But she is currently very weak. She has no more time.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Incomplete regeneration? I don't think I saw her in pain or discomfort?&quot;<br /> <br /> Mei tried hard to recall what had happened but could not identify anything unusual.<br /> <br /> Since she had lost that badly in a contest of strength, she ought to conclude that Miraluka was very strong, not weak.<br /> <br /> &quot;She is flawed but not in pain. That is why our attacks failed. I found it strange at the time and Kujou-san probably noticed it. He probably did not tell us because he refused to admit it. This time, the wool was pulled over his eyes as well.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What do you mean? She looks very normal in appearance, right? What is she lacking?&quot;<br /> <br /> Seeing Kirika baffled, Eruru pointed at the left of her own chest.<br /> <br /> &quot;She is lacking a heart.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot; &quot;HUH!?&quot; &quot;<br /> <br /> Mei and Kirika were stunned speechless while Eruru continued:<br /> <br /> &quot;Yesterday, my silver bullet shot through her heart. The bullet definitely pierced the chest. Supposing the bullet was blocked by a rib, or stayed in the heart, she should have suffered severe injury, but she still managed to live. But the bullet definitely pierced her body with the same effect as a wooden stake piercing the heart, yet she did not perish. Why?&quot;<br /> <br /> Incomprehensible.<br /> <br /> How would one know?<br /> <br /> Mei and Kirika could only shake their heads with pale faces.<br /> <br /> &quot;The answer is simple. She has no heart to begin with. Since it is not there, it cannot be destroyed. Hence the bullet shot through easily because there was no obstacle, because there was no heart there at all.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Umm... Hold on, hold on right there, how does she live without a heart!?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Was her heart damaged and did not regenerate for some reason!? But if that's the case, she should be destroyed, right?&quot;<br /> <br /> Neither of them could accept it. Eruru indifferently explained the results of Hisui's tests.<br /> <br /> &quot;Her heart still exists. Even right now, it is currently beating. However, it is outside her body.&quot;<br /> <br /> Mei and Kirika looked at each other.<br /> <br /> Judging from the earlier conversation, the answer was right in front of them.<br /> <br /> &quot;Could it be... her heart...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Inside Kujou-kun's body...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Indeed. Her heart has been transplanted into Kujou-san. Kujou-san suffered a heavy injury overseas with severe damage to his heart. There was no other way to save him. The operation was probably performed without even using anesthetics but at the time, Kujou-san was in no condition to care what exactly she was doing to him. However, he seems to remember hazily. The scar left on his chest, the special constitution rendering vampirization ineffective, as well as his memories of her performing chest compressions desperately. Judging from the surgical scars and the ECG, he definitely went through an operation. Unlike dhampirs like me, he is a human with vampire powers residing in his body.&quot;<br /> <br /> This explanation brought upon a long silence.<br /> <br /> Miraluka barely managed to survive with her heart beating outside her body.<br /> <br /> This miraculous sustenance of life was only made possible by an immortal vampire.<br /> <br /> However, this could not possibly be sustained indefinitely.<br /> <br /> &quot;Right now, her body is an empty shell without a core. Precisely because she is a True Ancestor, she is barely hanging on to life. Even with her heart outside her body, as long as the heart remains fine, she remains immortal--That is precisely a vampire.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;How long can she last like this?&quot;<br /> <br /> Mei asked seriously.<br /> <br /> Whether or not her heart was inside her body, it was fine as long as she lived.<br /> <br /> At least Hisui would be satisfied.<br /> <br /> But if her resurrection was only temporary, if she was no longer eternal... She must definitely be planning something as a result.<br /> <br /> &quot;Since her heart is absent from her body, she might perish any time. At least, she is currently so weak that she cannot even heal the injury from blocking a bullet with her hand. She probably cannot last much longer. The reason she gathered huge quantities of blood was most likely to find a solution. But she discovered that it was futile whether she sought quality or quantity. Hence, she now regards Rushella as her last resort for salvation.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Using her... as a backup heart?&quot;<br /> <br /> Kirika concluded.<br /> <br /> Her original heart was sustaining Hisui's life and could not be taken out, of course.<br /> <br /> Hence, she could only search for a substitute.<br /> <br /> Using a vampire's regenerative abilities, transplanting another person's organs or limbs were not a problem at all.<br /> <br /> &quot;Indeed. But this is a heart after all, so it cannot be replaced so easily. A human heart is definitely not going to work while ordinary vampires will not necessarily satisfy her. Hence, she chose the heart closest to her own, one closest to a True Ancestor's heart. The answer is... Rushella.&quot;<br /> <br /> Eruru concluded.<br /> <br /> After a moment's silence, Mei said:<br /> <br /> &quot;Will this... succeed? It's a heart after all? If taking it out and installing it would work, she wouldn't have to go through so much trouble.&quot;<br /> <br /> Kirika also agreed. This action could lead to futility.<br /> <br /> &quot;Even if the transplant succeeds, there is no guarantee how long she will live. Then wouldn't Rushella-san have died for nothing? If her heart is taken out of her body, Rushella-san would surely perish instantly.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Indeed, perhaps you two are right. Miraluka surviving is a miracle. Kujou-san sustaining the heart is also a miracle. The two of them meeting again is yet another miracle. However, she is still gambling everything on this. Most likely, she must have tried all sorts of solutions after returning but none worked. Still, she clings to life, refusing to give up.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;It must be for Hi-kun.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Women are the weaker sex, yet they are powerful as mothers... No, rather, it is a woman's dedication.&quot;<br /> <br /> The girls smiled wryly.<br /> <br /> We really can't win against her--Their smiles carried such a realization.<br /> <br /> The True Ancestor who had chosen destruction for the sake of a boy. Now, she was seeking life for the same boy.<br /> <br /> The trio fell silent. Eruru looked at her cellphone.<br /> <br /> A text from Rangetsu.<br /> <br /> &quot;She says Rushella-san has gone missing. Presumably, she would not leave on her own... Miraluka probably visited.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh my, what a pain! Vampires really can't give us a break!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;No helping it... She is doing it for Kujou-kun after all.&quot;<br /> <br /> Mei and Kirika stood up and left the student council office.<br /> <br /> Eruru was about to follow them when they asked her at the same time.<br /> <br /> &quot;You're not going to tell Hi-kun?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Keeping him out... Isn't that not good?&quot;<br /> <br /> Eruru was struggling internally too.<br /> <br /> Not wanting to get him involved, these was Eruru's benevolent intent--As long as the few of them could handle this matter, it would be for the best.<br /> <br /> However, Eruru chose something else.<br /> <br /> &quot;Please go ahead first, you two. Oogami-san already memorized her smell so it should be easy to track her. You two meet up with Oogami-san first.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Okay, I'm leaving Hi-kun to you❤&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;We will be waiting for you.&quot;<br /> <br /> Eruru saw them off then ran through the corridor to that empty classroom.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &quot;Hisui-kun, you look like it's the end of the world.&quot;<br /> <br /> Hisui was sprawled over a desk. Touko was hovering leisurely by his side.<br /> <br /> She was actually quite annoying but today, Hisui found her presence calming.<br /> <br /> Seeing things getting complicated, perhaps she was the only one who could remain uninvolved.<br /> <br /> &quot;Touko-san, you're in such good spirits even though you're dead.&quot;<br /> <br /> After saying that, he realized he was being way too sarcastic.<br /> <br /> But Touko did not mind. Raising her arms, she curled her forearms and made an energetic pose.<br /> <br /> &quot;Yes❤ You've gotta enjoy life to the max!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Well, your life has already ended, Touko-san...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Of course not. Earth-bound spirits still need love!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;You'd better pray for love in your next life. By the way, don't you want to move on to the afterlife?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Feelings are very important for things like that. When the time comes, I might disappear without even the chance to finish saying 'I am so happy...'&quot;<br /> <br /> Touko laughed sadly.<br /> <br /> On further thought, Hisui realized her presence was the weakest. After all, the vast majority of people could not sense her existence.<br /> <br /> By the time people were able to see her, they were perhaps already dead.<br /> <br /> &quot;...Touko-san, what about your family? Whether or not you want to move on, since you never got the chance to say goodbye to them, how about find them... and meet them or something?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Hmm, my family situation wasn't too good. I think they've moved away already so I don't have to visit on purpose. Getting too attached to things from my life won't help. I have to live by looking to the future!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Yeah, well, you're already dead...&quot;<br /> <br /> It was no joking matter for a dead person to be advising a living person on how to live.<br /> <br /> &quot;By the way... What's troubling you, Hisui-kun? Is it that pretty lady?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Yeah, pretty much. She's currently alive probably because of me. It feels like she crawled out of the grave because she was too worried about me. Clearly it's something to be happy about but I can't feel happy, so lame of me. I don't wish for her to be better off dead, but...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;But?&quot;<br /> <br /> --Could he stand aside and ignore Rushella's death?<br /> <br /> Indeed, he had been asking himself.<br /> <br /> He ought to talk to her and ask if there existed some other solution.<br /> <br /> However, Miraluka must have thought over this type of question already.<br /> <br /> Before revealing herself, she must have tried many solutions.<br /> <br /> However, finding nothing, her limit was approaching.<br /> <br /> Hence--<br /> <br /> &quot;Actually, don't make things out to be too complicated, okay?&quot;<br /> <br /> Touko the optimist spoke while going in a circle in the air.<br /> <br /> Seeing her so optimistic, Hisui could not help but retort harshly.<br /> <br /> &quot;What do you mean? I'm facing a war between the mother-in-law and the bride. How do you expect me to get out of this kind of hopeless situation?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Hmm, choosing between the two of them, who is the most important, but do you really need to agonize over this kind of thing?&quot;<br /> <br /> Touko was still drifting back and forth on the side.<br /> <br /> Looking detached from the mundane world, she was simply speaking as an observer and elder.<br /> <br /> &quot;Because you're all alive. Unlike me, you're all living. Important people, important things, these will all increase as time goes by. If you have to rank everything and pick out what's the most important, doesn't that mean giving up on so many things?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Isn't it better to live life more greedily, embracing everyone in your bosom?&quot;<br /> <br /> Touko smiled tenderly.<br /> <br /> Hisui could not help but smile too.<br /> <br /> Oh I see now.<br /> <br /> Actually, he already knew a long time ago.<br /> <br /> &quot;Elders are different after all.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Despite how I look, I am like an older sister! Do you know why I am so great?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Now I know. But don't move on until I leave this school, okay?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Yes, I will stay here for ten more years!&quot;<br /> <br /> That's way too long--Hisui could not help but remark in his heart.<br /> <br /> Then he left the empty classroom and ended up running into Eruru in the hallway.<br /> <br /> &quot;Kariya...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Rushella-san has gone missing. She is most likely with your foster mother. Are you coming?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Yeah.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Perhaps one of them might end up dead. Rather, I might be firing my gun.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;No problem. I will try my best to stop them.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What a fool. Why don't you stop interfering in conflicts between vampires?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Don't say that. If you get into a fight with someone, I will try to stop it too.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...&quot;<br /> <br /> Eruru went silent.<br /> <br /> Gazing at Hisui, her expression was inscrutable.<br /> <br /> &quot;...What? Shouldn't we hurry?&quot;<br /> <br /> Hisui urged.<br /> <br /> Hence, Eruru finally resolved herself to speak.<br /> <br /> &quot;I have something I wanted to say to you. Starting a long time ago, I have wanted to tell you this.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I... I...&quot;<br /> <br /> Taking a deep breath, she stared into Hisui's eyes and said, one word at a time:<br /> <br /> &quot;I ABSOLUTELY HATE YOU!!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Huh?&quot;<br /> <br /> Hisui was baffled.<br /> <br /> He completely failed to understand.<br /> <br /> &quot;Uh, I never got the feeling you liked me... But I never expected to hear something so harsh from you directly.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I have always wanted to tell you those words.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Hmm, fine, can't be helped... On the other hand, I like you quite a lot.&quot;<br /> <br /> Instantly, Eruru's entire face went bright red.<br /> <br /> Hisui did not notice and continued.<br /> <br /> &quot;You're a person with a heart, you helped me so much... Anyway, thank you.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;So... Let's continue to get along.&quot;<br /> <br /> As soon as he said that, Hisui felt himself getting kicked in the shin. That force felt like it was enough to break a wooden bat.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ouch, what the heck!?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Shut up, that is what I hate about you! How can you be considerate for others all the time, how can you be so handsome and gallant, how can you be born with such smarts, everything about you pisses me off!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Y-You don't have to go so far...&quot;<br /> <br /> Rejected by her totally, Hisui could not help feeling a little sad.<br /> <br /> Seeing Hisui make that kind of face, Eruru seemed to get angry. As for why she was angry, Hisui totally could not understand.<br /> <br /> &quot;In any case, keep yourself the same, the way I hate you! Don't carelessly change yourself, that will be even more annoying! So... So.. Stay the same as always!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...Hmm, okay... I will.&quot;<br /> <br /> Hisui answered and got kicked again.<br /> <br /> Just as he was about to protest, Eruru grabbed his hand.<br /> <br /> &quot;Okay, hurry!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I know! Sigh, what pissed you off so much...&quot;<br /> <br /> While running through the corridor, Hisui muttered in puzzlement.<br /> <br /> Behind them, Touko was happily watching them leave.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &quot;My heart...?&quot;<br /> <br /> Rushella covered her left breast.<br /> <br /> Indeed, that was where Miraluka aimed last time.<br /> <br /> But why?<br /> <br /> &quot;Are you saying you want to destroy me completely because I am in your way..!?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;If I wanted to destroy you, I would have done it a long time ago. I simply want your heart, that is all.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I am asking you your goal...!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Have you heard of heart transplants? Because... I don't have one...&quot;<br /> <br /> Miraluka took off her inverness dress then unclasped a strap to reveal her left breast.<br /> <br /> On the white and pale breast, surpassing Rushella's in volume, a clear bullet hole was visible.<br /> <br /> It was an empty hole left on the chest after being pierced by a bullet.<br /> [[image:Draculea V05 - BW09.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> &quot;You...!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Who knows when this wound will heal up. But rather, whether I can survive until the day it heals is also unknown. Right now, I don't even have half the power from my prime.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Why...? Unlike me, you are a real True Ancestor, right!?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Indeed, precisely because of that, I managed to survive, barely. But I already gave my heart to Hisui. I lived because my heart is still beating, but this is the limit. Like a wound clock that will stop turning eventually. So... I can only get a new replacement, a substitute infinitely close to me. Even if the result is a gamble... I can only take the gamble.&quot;<br /> <br /> Rushella finally understood Miraluka's intent.<br /> <br /> She wanted her body, her heart.<br /> <br /> This body, created as a True Ancestor's backup, was now carrying out its duty, how ironic.<br /> <br /> &quot;You chose death once... to save Hisui. Now, you have returned for Hisui and you will live on for him. Is that what's going on?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...Living on is precisely my lot in life as a vampire. I will do so even at the cost of destroying you.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Is that so...? Very well, take it. I don't care.&quot;<br /> <br /> Like Miraluka, Rushella exposed her left breast.<br /> <br /> After sunset, the evening wind blew across her white chest.<br /> <br /> &quot;May I? I am rather special, while you will immediately perish once your heart is gouged out?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Sure. This is the only thing I can do... for that guy.&quot;<br /> <br /> Miraluka's face went dark.<br /> <br /> Her beautiful face had been as serene as a lake until now. Faint signs of laughter were surfacing.<br /> <br /> But she still stepped forward.<br /> <br /> Reaching out, her right hand turned into a killing weapon.<br /> <br /> Rushella closed her eyes tightly in resignation, puffing out her chest, offering everything.<br /> <br /> At the last moment, footsteps were heard from behind.<br /> <br /> Miraluka looked back. The arrivals were related to Hisui.<br /> <br /> They were Mei, Kirika and Rangetsu.<br /> <br /> &quot;Trying to stop me?&quot;<br /> <br /> The trio nodded at the same time.<br /> <br /> &quot;Why? She is the rival of you three. And it's a conflict between vampires. Why interfere?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;To earn affection points!&quot;<br /> <br /> Mei replied instantly.<br /> <br /> &quot;That's right, if anything happened to this child, if we watched without doing anything, he will surely hate us. I don't want that.&quot;<br /> <br /> Kirika smiled sadly.<br /> <br /> &quot;Also, if you were to succeed... I will be excluded by them even more. I don't have much presence already.&quot;<br /> <br /> Rangetsu declared with an elder's dignity.<br /> <br /> Everyone was in agreement.<br /> <br /> &quot;When did he learn to capture women's hearts so well? I don't know if I should be happy or sad about that.&quot;<br /> <br /> Miraluka sighed in exasperation and smiled.<br /> <br /> At this time, new intruders arrived, deepening Miraluka's smile.<br /> <br /> Hisui and Eruru arrived one after another.<br /> <br /> Hisui was carrying the sacred cross sword from home, the Tzara Blade.<br /> <br /> On the sword's blade, gemstones were giving off crimson light dyeing the surroundings red.<br /> <br /> &quot;You brought the talisman I left you? What are you intending? To destroy me with it?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...No.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Fighting using your constitution? Your body carries the potential for a human to oppose vampires. If humans could stand on equal ground with vampires, then there will no longer be conflict between them. Perhaps coexistence could be actualized. Are you thinking of using this power to fight me?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;No.&quot;<br /> <br /> Then what are you going to do?&quot;<br /> <br /> Hisui pointed the Tzara Blade at himself.<br /> <br /> &quot;This heart, I'm returning it to you.&quot;<br /> <br /> Closing his eyes, Hisui pierced his own chest with the blade.<br /> <br /> Blood splashed everywhere.<br /> <br /> Kirika screamed while Mei and Rangetsu were stunned.<br /> <br /> Eruru had apparently predicted this scene. Turning her face away, she endured the smell of blood, desperately trying to maintain her sanity.<br /> <br /> &quot;What are you doing...!?&quot;<br /> <br /> Miraluka finally showed surprise on her face.<br /> <br /> She had not given Hisui this sword for this kind of task.<br /> <br /> &quot;Are you trying to waste everything I've done!?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...You're the one who's wasting everything. I don't want to lose you again. Neither do I want to lose Rushella!&quot;<br /> <br /> Hisui pressed against his left chest that was bleeding like a spring.<br /> <br /> The bleeding was making his originally pale skin even more pallid. The crest of thorns appeared on his neck.<br /> <br /> Anti-Drac mode.<br /> <br /> But this transformation was just a necessary result. It was not his goal.<br /> <br /> &quot;This was originally yours... I'm returning it to you now. This is enough. Don't do anything to Rushella.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What about me? Aren't there artificial hearts? There are many solutions so I'll live, somehow... Otherwise, use your vampire powers to make me hibernate or seal me away, whatever you want. I'll wait for you, whether it takes a decade or a century, to make me live on. So stop, it's already enough...&quot;<br /> <br /> Hisui desperately used the sacred cross sword to support his collapsing body.<br /> <br /> Rushella ran over to hug him.<br /> <br /> &quot;Hang in there, don't die!!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Don't write me off as dead so easily. You said it before, right...? So don't die either. Also, you too.&quot;<br /> <br /> The last three words were directed at Miraluka.<br /> <br /> He was not mature enough to send everyone he cherished to a perfect ending. <br /> <br /> He was not cool enough to abandon everything for one cherished person.<br /> <br /> So he had no choice.<br /> <br /> And Miraluka--She smiled, smiling faintly with a satisfaction.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wonderful.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Huh...?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Looks like you don't need me anymore. This time will be true farewell.&quot;<br /> <br /> Everyone present tensed up.<br /> <br /> Rather than destroying her, they only wanted to protect him.<br /> <br /> The girls were trying to save Hisui's life.<br /> <br /> And Hisui, to avoid losing her again...<br /> <br /> But time was merciless.<br /> <br /> The outline of Miraluka's face was collapsing bit by bit.<br /> <br /> Starting from the edges, her body was gradually turning into ash.<br /> <br /> &quot;Why...!? Hey!&quot;<br /> <br /> Hisui ran over.<br /> <br /> He wanted to hug Miraluka, but the collapsing limbs were scattered in the wind, leaving only her torso in his arms.<br /> <br /> &quot;Why... Why!? Why do this...!? Hey, hurry and drink blood, as much as you need, drink my blood! If you die a second time, I absolutely won't forgive you!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I am already dead to begin with. Also, I don't need your blood. Who do you take me for?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;No time for jokes... Hey!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Your blood... Save it for her.&quot;<br /> <br /> Miraluka's eyes met with Hisui's gaze.<br /> <br /> Staying where she was, the last True Ancestor smiled tenderly.<br /> <br /> Like a mother handing over her son, like sister handing over her younger brother, like a woman handing over her lover...<br /> <br /> She said to Rushella:<br /> <br /> &quot;Continue to drink Hisui's blood. The true value of Anti-Drac mode is in his blood--The weakening of a vampire. His blood tastes excellent and is addictive. Then the vampire becomes progressively weak. One day, you will become completely human.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;You...&quot;<br /> <br /> Rushella wanted to step foward but she halted.<br /> <br /> This final instant, this farewell moment, should be left for those two alone.<br /> <br /> &quot;Farewell forever.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Hey, hold on, I still haven't--&quot;<br /> <br /> Before he could say anything.<br /> <br /> Thank you, goodbye, I love you.<br /> <br /> None of this could be said to her.<br /> <br /> Still the same, nothing changed.<br /> <br /> He could only watch helplessly, exactly the same as that day in the past.<br /> <br /> Hence, he could only kiss the air. It was the only thing he could do.<br /> <br /> Only the mark of her lips remained in the present world, not disappearing for a very long time.<br /> <br /> But while their lips separated, the beauty in his arms had already vanished.<br /> <br /> The exquisite remains of ash retained the smiling face of Miraluka's final moments, finally scattering in the night, disappearing into the wind.<br /> <br /> Hisui embraced the ashes tightly in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.<br /> <br /> Ever since Miraluka died, this was his first time crying.<br /> <br /> His cries echoed between heaven and earth, persisting for a long time.<br /> <br /> Staying by Hisui's side, Rushella accompanied him. Even when the others had left, she still remained. Forever and ever...<br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> {| border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;5&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; style=&quot;margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;&quot;<br /> |-<br /> | Back to [[Silver Cross and Draculea:Volume05 Chapter5|Chapter 5]]<br /> | Return to [[Silver Cross and Draculea|Main Page]]<br /> | Forward to [[Silver Cross and Draculea:Volume05 Final Chapter|Final Chapter]]<br /> |-<br /> |}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Hyouketsu_Kyoukai_no_Eden:Volume_6_Chapter3&diff=386457 Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Chapter3 2014-08-28T23:13:28Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Chapter 3 – Hard to Control==<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 1===<br /> <br /> “Eh-he-heh─, now then, Sheltis-kun, which one is it? Isn’t it time for a decision?”<br /> <br /> Eyriey held out two cards with a smile full across her face.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, Sheltis, the left one is definitely ‘''{{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}}''‘. I recommend that you pick the right card.''“<br /> <br /> “But you know, Ilis? The left card has been {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}} eleven times in a row so I think this time the right one is {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}}. Having {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}} on the left twelve times in a row is……”<br /> <br /> “''You’ve said almost the same thing ever since ‘''Having the {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}} on the left two times in a row is……''‘.''“<br /> <br /> “Shel-nii, do your best!”<br /> <br /> While Yuto and {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} were holding their breaths.<br /> <br /> “The left side is definitely correct this time. This one!”<br /> <br /> He pulled the left side card of the two Eyriey was holding out with all the fighting spirit in his body. He timidly turned over the card and……<br /> <br /> “……Geh. Instructor Yumelda.”<br /> <br /> “''See, see, that’s why I said so.''“<br /> <br /> It was a card game that had secretly spread amongst the Cadet Guards. Throwing out the {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}} card which had the whip-wielding Instructor Yumelda on it, Sheltis sighed for the twelfth time.<br /> <br /> “……I lost again.”<br /> <br /> “Yippie─. This is Sheltis’ twelfth time being last. Okay, just gotta update the records!”<br /> <br /> Eyriey wrote the records of battle in a massive memo book.<br /> <br /> “Shel-nii, you lost again?”<br /> <br /> “That’s right─. On the other hand, Yuto’s strong─; you’ve been in first twelve times in a row now.”<br /> <br /> “Ehehe, Yuto’s strong? Strong?”<br /> <br /> Yuto rubbed her eyes from drowsiness with a smile across her face.<br /> <br /> “''Ah, it’s almost dawn.''“<br /> <br /> “……Oh crap.”<br /> <br /> Narrowing his eyes at the clock’s digital display, Sheltis let out a little exclamation.<br /> <br /> They had started this card game with the three of them at dusk. It was already around ten hours ago that the game had started with Eyriey adding the condition of “We’ll end it if you manage to win?”. He’d lost twelve times in a row already since that……so when he realized it, it was already the next morning.<br /> <br /> “Eyri-nee, Yuto’s tired.”<br /> <br /> “Right─. Then I guess it’s about time we head back since I have to work at the shop in the morning too.”<br /> <br /> Eyriey packed away the cards they’d used for the game, half-eaten candy, and some strange invention-like thing into her bag.<br /> <br /> “Well then, that’s that.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, Eyriey, hold on. Are you okay returning with just the two of you? If needed, I’ll take you there.”<br /> <br /> He had asked Eyriey who was shouldering her bag to wait. Public order around {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} was guaranteed but there were hardly any people in the early morning so caution was required.<br /> <br /> “See, there might be somebody like that purse snatcher you saw before.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine─ it’s fine─. I’ve already made defense goods so if anything happens, we’ll fight them off with the powerful flamethrower or one hundred million volts stun gun meant for repelling perverts, okay?”<br /> <br /> “……Try not to get caught red-handed for possession of dangerous articles.”<br /> <br /> “Got it, got it. Well then, we’ll come tomorrow or some other time to play again. Shasa-chan said to come play after all.”<br /> <br /> “Tomorrow? To the tower?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, that’s right, is there something about that?”<br /> <br /> “Well look, today is……”<br /> <br /> He pointed at the calendar on the table when Eyriey tilted her head.<br /> <br /> “''It’s the day of the barrier transfer ceremony. The day when the Queen relinquishes control over Hyouketsu Kyoukai to a Priestess. I think it’s Syun-rei’s turn this time.''“<br /> <br /> “At the previous barrier transfer……you remember, the barrier was broken. Ever since then, even within the tower, security is strengthened during the barrier transfer. It seems that the Regular Guards take shifts patrolling the tower so even entering is difficult.”<br /> <br /> “Hohoh, is that so?”<br /> <br /> But Eyriey still looked unconcerned and seemed to take something from his doubts.<br /> <br /> “But Shasa-chan said it’d be fine if I showed them this card.”<br /> <br /> “Card? Ahh, this is a badge. It’s the same as the mine…………”<br /> <br /> The plate was shining silver. While looking at the contents carved on its surface, Sheltis stood stock still, even forgetting to breathe.<br /> <br /> “……Eyriey.”<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> “Where did you get this?”<br /> <br /> “Ehehe, it’s amazing, right? Shasa-chan secretly gave me it.”<br /> <br /> “……Amazing……this is beyond that level.”<br /> <br /> The floor access carved into the badge was ‘''290''‘.<br /> <br /> Of the 291 aboveground floors that {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} had, every floor except the highest one, ‘''Paradise''‘ ── the display meant that she could freely come and go to even floor 290 which belonged to the Queen.<br /> <br /> ……Even Elite Guards shouldn’t be able to enter the Queen’s floor.<br /> <br /> ……This card is above that?<br /> <br /> To access the Queen’s floor, the sole method should be the elevator inoperable to anyone other than those with the authority of a Priestess or Sennenshi. Even Cadres Guard Ishtar can’t enter the Queen’s floor alone. Yet why does Eyriey, a civilian, have such an authoritative badge?<br /> <br /> “Eyriey, have you used this?”<br /> <br /> “Not yet, why?”<br /> <br /> “Nah……I’d like you to tell me if you can use this card. I’m a little interested in that Shasa person.”<br /> <br /> A clerk of the tower?<br /> <br /> Could a simple clerk prepare this badge so easily?<br /> <br /> “Ah─ it’s fine, it’s fine! I wanted to introduce you to Shasa-chan anyway. She’s really cute and nice so look forward to it! Then, see ya!”<br /> <br /> “Ahh, wait, Eyriey ──……sheesh, she’s really fast at these times.”<br /> <br /> He had no opportunity to call out to her. Looking at Eyriey who had grabbed Yuto’s hand and was running like the wind, Sheltis relaxed his shoulders and folded his arms.<br /> <br /> “……Shasa, huh. Was there somebody by that name amongst the tower’s clerks?”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 2===<br /> <br /> The cold passageway returned to silence.<br /> <br /> Ymy walked alone on the dim floor which was lit only by a faint night-light within the frozen air.<br /> <br /> Floor 22 of the tower.<br /> <br /> She did nothing but continue deeper into that floor which was a gigantic general medical facility.<br /> <br /> Past the giant lobby was A ward which was for emergency outpatients.<br /> <br /> Continuing further past that was B ward which was for treating heavily injured patients that had to be admitted.<br /> <br /> Further past that was C ward was for treating those with serious, life-threatening conditions.<br /> <br /> “…………Okay.”<br /> <br /> In front of the steel doors that filled her vision, Ymy nodded largely with the intention of spurring herself on.<br /> <br /> There was something carved on the door which shined dark grey ── a formal carved seal that gave off bluish white light. The last ward, D ward, which was isolated by shinryoku-infused doors lay beyond here.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> She placed her hand to the sensor at the side of the door.<br /> <br /> It happened soon after the faint shinryoku wavelength from her fingertips was read by a specialized device.<br /> <br /> “''Confirmation……regular link with the Shinryoku Theory Bureau……comparing……shinryoku waveform match…………confirming……identified as the fifth Priestess, Ymy Ele Soufflenictole.''“<br /> <br /> The doors opened in both directions with a stately sound.<br /> <br /> …………<br /> <br /> …………This is that kind of place.<br /> <br /> Ceiling, floor, corridor.<br /> <br /> There were formal carved seals applied to all of those. In the past, all the apprentice Priestesses had finished these by carving their shinryoku into the surfaces.<br /> <br /> If not for that, it would be impossible to shelter patients contaminated with mateki. At any rate, if a normal person were to touch a patient contaminated with mateki, they would be infected with the same mateki at that moment.<br /> <br /> “……Umm.”<br /> <br /> She had last come here over half a year ago. Ever since she’d tasted her first setback as the Baptism Priestess, it had become a place she did not wish to visit on her own accord.<br /> <br /> “D09, this is it.”<br /> <br /> She confirmed the room’s name many times and timidly opened the door.<br /> <br /> A pure white room ── the room’s ceiling, floor and walls were painted completely in white. A single boy continued to sleep there while attached to an artificial breathing apparatus. It was a small boy who was not even ten yet.<br /> <br /> “Good……morning.”<br /> <br /> There was no way a response would come. This boy had not opened his eyes even once since he was trapped in an eternal coma due to powerful mateki.<br /> <br /> “……Sorry……the truth is, I wanted to come earlier.”<br /> <br /> She might have been able to visit during the breaks between Priestess training. But she couldn’t. It would be miserable……she knew that her heart would only sink if she were to visit when she couldn’t cure him of his mateki.<br /> <br /> “? Huh, the vase……”<br /> <br /> A vase of azure glass sat by the window side which had its white curtains fluttering. In it was a single flower.<br /> <br /> ……There was nothing like this the last time I visited.<br /> <br /> Civilians were strictly forbidden from entering D ward. Even family were rarely allowed to meet the patient face-to-face. Then who exactly put this flower──<br /> <br /> “Does it not suit me?”<br /> <br /> “!”<br /> <br /> She turned around in a panic at the voice of the person who dropped by without a hint that she was there.<br /> <br /> “……Horn-san.”<br /> <br /> “I was wondering who would visit other than me.”<br /> <br /> The blinder-wearing Sennenshi leaned against the wall with her arms folded.<br /> <br /> “What is this? Are you trying to atone?”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “If you have no business, then leave. You probably haven’t come to say anything to Tessha.”<br /> <br /> …………<br /> <br /> …………That’s right, that might be true right now.<br /> <br /> Holding her breath, she forced her words of rebuttal back down.<br /> <br /> “You look like you want to say something.”<br /> <br /> “I won’t speak it.”<br /> <br /> Turning her back on Horn, she faced the door.<br /> <br /> There’s no meaning in telling her that I know that. That wouldn’t be enough to regain her lost confidence in me, nor would it cause this child to awaken.<br /> <br /> “I will convey it to this child with my shinryoku……it will definitely be conveyed.”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> In that room after the fifth Priestess left.<br /> <br /> “…………What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Biting down on the corner of her lip, Horn muttered that with disdain.<br /> <br /> “……A dream……hope is not something you should put into words so lightly.”<br /> <br /> As great as the sadness when hope is crushed and as deep as the despair when a dream is lost. In truth, not a single Priestess had been able to purify the mateki of this boy who continued to sleep.<br /> <br /> ……That’s right: they can’t.<br /> <br /> It was mateki that had beaten her sister Viola and even the first Priestess, Elmeetia.<br /> <br /> “──Tessha.”<br /> <br /> She placed a hand to the forehead of the boy who continued to have his eyelids shut. She would not be able to touch him either if not for her Guard formal wear.<br /> <br /> “Wait for me, I will definitely save you.”<br /> <br /> She would find the Yuugenshu that commanded this mateki and subjugate it. She would find it even if it took months or years, and even if she had to traverse from one end of {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} to the other.<br /> <br /> “…………It’s time.”<br /> <br /> She glanced at the clock on the wall near the ceiling.<br /> <br /> “Well then, Tessha, I’ll be going to the orphanage. I’ll make sure to greet everyone on your behalf as well.”<br /> <br /> Horn gently held the boy’s hand then left the room.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 3===<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, are you awake? Will you answer me, Sheltis?''“<br /> <br /> His comrade’s voice suddenly came from the communications device attached to the ceiling.<br /> <br /> “……Fue? Kagura?”<br /> <br /> He poked just his head out of the sheets from atop his bed. He shook his sleepy brain and looked at the clock even while rubbing his vacant eyes.<br /> <br /> “Please at least let me sleep until it’s time for training. ……Eyriey and Yuto were here not too long ago.”<br /> <br /> “''Don’t talk in your sleep and get up. I’ll be coming to your room in five minutes so wash your face and get changed before then please.''“<br /> <br /> “Eh, wai……wait, Kagura, at least fifteen minutes ── h-huh? Kagura? Kagura?”<br /> <br /> “''…………''“<br /> <br /> The communications device clicked and went silent.<br /> <br /> “……What was that?”<br /> <br /> Raising his upper body off the body, Sheltis supported his head.<br /> <br /> “Good morning, and what a nice morning it is.”<br /> <br /> “Morning. ……Though it’s still really early.”<br /> <br /> 3:27. Not even ten minutes had passed since Eyriey and Yuto had left. Thanks to that, even his plan of sleeping right up until it was time to train at four was coming to nothing.<br /> <br /> “At any rate, it’s something requiring immediate attention.”<br /> <br /> Kagura with the machine helmet worn low over her eyes was as usual, without a hint of sleepiness.<br /> <br /> “……Kagura, weren’t you not a morning person?”<br /> <br /> “That’s right. But I became wide awake after seeing that.”<br /> <br /> “That?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, and I’ll be borrowing your work desk for a bit.”<br /> <br /> Without waiting for an answer, she took up a position at his desk. Just when he wondered what she was doing, she reached out to the monitor and computer and started typing something quickly.<br /> <br /> “That?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, the famous agency terminal that’s useless to us Guards.”<br /> <br /> Kagura typed in her own login ID and opened window after window. Even as he looked on from behind, he had no idea what was coming because he didn’t recognize any of the windows.<br /> <br /> “Sheltis, what I’m about to show you is an anonymous message left on the General Affairs Bureau and Tower Management Bureau’s digital bulletin boards.<br /> <br /> “What about it?”<br /> <br /> Her fingers that were typing at a high speed stopped for an instant.<br /> <br /> “I’ll say this ahead of time……please be prepared.”<br /> <br /> Clack.<br /> <br /> The instant she pushed the last key, all of the windows on the monitor vanished. In it’s place appeared a single article upon a blue background.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''To all of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}──''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “……It’s addressed to everybody in {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}?”<br /> <br /> He looked down lower with disinterest.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''To all of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}──''<br /> <br /> ''I shall teach you a valuable secret.''<br /> <br /> ''A Yuugenshu has changed its form to that of a person and disguised itself as one of your Guards. In order to draw it out, I recommend exposing all the tower’s Guards to the Priestesses’ baptism spells.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> An absurd amount of time was required for him to process what the message meant.<br /> <br /> ……It can’t be that the Guard this message is indicating.<br /> <br /> He could tell that his fingertips were shaking.<br /> <br /> “…………What……this kind of tasteless message.”<br /> <br /> Straining his voice, that was all he could say.<br /> <br /> ……Is this about me?<br /> <br /> ……Just who did this……who’s trying to agitate the tower’s unease?<br /> <br /> “That’s why I told you to prepare yourself.”<br /> <br /> Kagura nodded while lounging back on the chair.<br /> <br /> “It was sent simultaneously to every one of these agency terminals. Right about now, the executives of the tower should be thinking it’s a prank but they might change their minds.”<br /> <br /> “''Hmm, can I ask something? I should have realized it as well if they sent it to the agency terminals. Especially if it’s related to the Guards, I regularly perform keyword checks.''“<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} blinked while not able to understand that one thing.<br /> <br /> That was a given as {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}}’ sensors spread out to cover the entire electrical system. It would be strange for {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} not to notice something that Kagura did.<br /> <br /> “By the way, it seems the Guard Regulations Institute……in other words, the Guard Control Bureau received this message late. If we consider that the Environmental Bureau and the Mechanical Bureau and the others received it at the same time, the chance that sending it to the Guard Control Bureau was delayed is high.”<br /> <br /> “''……I get it. My searches prioritize the Guard Regulations Institute first of all so I was late in discovering it because of that.''”<br /> <br /> “Yes. In my case, I also hold the title of a computer researcher of the Tower Management Bureau. Thanks to logging in with my ID from there, I managed to be one of the first to read this message.”<br /> <br /> Kagura sighed after removing her machine helmet.<br /> <br /> “I don’t think there’s any need to explain who this is talking about.”<br /> <br /> “…………Yeah.”<br /> <br /> He didn’t know who was behind it, but it was a sly tactic.<br /> <br /> While asserting that it had changed forms to that of a Guard, it agitated their unease without revealing the Guard’s name. Saying that they should expose everybody to the Priestesses’ baptism spells was also of the same type of method. This was basically saying to expose who this was in front of the surrounding Guards and Instructors.<br /> <br /> “I’d just like to ask but what will happen if this actually gets implemented?”<br /> <br /> “……It’s not something I’d like to think much about.”<br /> <br /> Shinryoku was like deadly poison to his body which was afflicted with mateki.<br /> <br /> If it was a Priestess-level baptism spell, even if Elbert Resonance did not occur, light wounds similar to burns would be received.<br /> <br /> “As a silver lining, the tower’s executives are also pretty much disregarding this message. There have been numerous messages received in the past that aimed to fan up the unease of the tower.”<br /> <br /> “……Is it okay if I have faith in that?”<br /> <br /> “The basis for that is in who this message was addressed to.”<br /> <br /> Kagura nodded. She temporarily removed the window being displayed and continued on to open several windows at the same time.<br /> <br /> “See, even if I search for it, it’s only spits out red errors. Nobody within the tower or the Living Districts sent this.”<br /> <br /> “''It came from outside {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}; in other words, it’s was sent remotely from somewhere in the {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}}.''“<br /> <br /> “That’s what it means. It would still carry credibility if it were from someone within the tower. However, how would somebody from outside {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} know information like there being a Yuugenshu who changed forms into a Guard when nobody within the tower knows? ── The executives are also thinking that; well, it is the appropriate conclusion.”<br /> <br /> “……From outside {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}, huh.”<br /> <br /> That would have to be how it is. There should be no way somebody from the <br /> {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}} which lay outside of {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} would know that secret which only a handful of people knew. Anybody would think that way.<br /> <br /> ……Then that’s even more reason.<br /> <br /> ……Who is it that knows my secret despite not being on {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}?<br /> <br /> “Kagura and Ilis, do either of you know where in the {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}} this was sent from?”<br /> <br /> “''……I’m trying my best but narrowing the scope to a certain extent is the utmost I can manage.''“<br /> <br /> “Same here. It looks like it will be a harsh challenge. Of course the sender’s name was also blank; basically, they’re anonymous.”<br /> <br /> If that was what these two said, then he wouldn’t receive a favorable response no matter who he asked.<br /> <br /> “……Thank you, Kagura, it really helped me that you told me about this.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. But what will you do from now on? We have early morning training scheduled for today but will you fabricate some excuse and investigate?”<br /> <br /> “No.”<br /> <br /> He shook his head at Kagura’s idea and stood from his chair.<br /> <br /> “It would like asking people to doubt me if I took a break immediately after this. I’ll train normally and think about this after that’s over.”<br /> <br /> “''That would be the most natural. I will be keeping track of all the executives’ movements so I’ll inform you if something happens.''“<br /> <br /> “I see. Understood……however, one thing.”<br /> <br /> He could feel Kagura’s gaze through the eyeshade of her machine helmet.<br /> <br /> “What is it?”<br /> <br /> “You can ignore this case. I have a feeling that Monica will come to suspect your mateki someday. I believe it would be best if you think about what you will say to her at that time.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> He averted his eyes from the steady gaze of the Nell girl.<br /> <br /> “……I’ll think about that at a different time. I have to focus on training and this case for now.”<br /> <br /> It took his utmost to say just that.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 4===<br /> <br /> A rocky area with boulders large enough that one had to look up at them obstructed the way.<br /> <br /> It was a high-difficult field that necessitated Running between the rocks on a path that wasn’t a path and occasionally jumping from boulder to boulder.<br /> <br /> “─is, ─ltis.”<br /> <br /> Sweat trickled down his brow as he jumped from a large boulder to the next.<br /> <br /> It had been dark when their early morning training started but now the sunlight coming from overhead was steadily raising the temperature.<br /> <br /> “Sheltis, are you listening!?”<br /> <br /> “……! Wawaa, wh-what? What is it?”<br /> <br /> Sheltis finally came back to his senses after having his name called right next to his ear.<br /> <br /> “It looks like you didn’t hear me.”<br /> <br /> “……Sorry.”<br /> <br /> Sheesh ── Monica had a wry smile on as she ran beside him.<br /> <br /> “It was about our next mission. I was asking if there was anything you wanted.”<br /> <br /> “……Then,”<br /> <br /> While jumping down to the slanted boulder ahead.<br /> <br /> “I’ve said it before but I’d like for us to gain experience in policing the Nature District and escorting VIPs. Since there are many missions like that after becoming Regular Guards.”<br /> <br /> “That’s what I thought as well so I looked into it but both of those kinds of missions are out of stock.”<br /> <br /> “Darn, really?”<br /> <br /> “I meant to talk about that earlier but I guess you weren’t listening then either.”<br /> <br /> Monica went from having a bitter smile on her face to slightly narrowing her eyes.<br /> <br /> “It’s strange for you to be inattentive during training; did something happen?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, no……I think I’m fine.”<br /> <br /> He couldn’t say that he was helplessly interested in the anonymous message the tower had received.<br /> <br /> ……I don’t like the feeling of it.<br /> <br /> ……This might be the first time I’ve been unable to concentrate on training this badly.<br /> <br /> “About the missions, if those are the circumstances, then I’m fine with other missions. Those two are the important ones but it would be imbalanced if we didn’t take any other missions at all……the Governmental Sector one was a little stressing so maybe we should take a more comfortable one next.”<br /> <br /> “''Ah, then maybe you should go for the night patrol shift?''“<br /> <br /> The mission of taking shifts to patrol {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s grounds ── when Cadet Guards were about to take on an important mission, that was one of the types of missions used to warm up. Even if it was night, it was within {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s territory so there was hardly any danger and even if there was, Instructors and Regular Guards could rush over immediately.<br /> <br /> “Yeah, it seems like we could start patrolling the tower even starting today.”<br /> <br /> “That’s right but I’ve been hearing that there have been a lot of troublesome things even in patrolling the tower lately, you know? Criminals looking for a reaction……there’s a troublesome bunch looking to slip past the security and infiltrate the grounds. Did you see that tasteless message this morning?”<br /> <br /> “When you say message……”<br /> <br /> “The one about there being a Yuugenshu mixed in amongst the Guards, or did you not see it?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, well…………”<br /> <br /> Having the question asked so forthrightly, he unintentionally was strained for words.<br /> <br /> “……I saw it. Yeah.”<br /> <br /> “Right? Jeez, trying to make the Guards waver with that, there’s a limit to how much they can try to make a fool of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}.”<br /> <br /> While jumping from rock to rock, the indignant Monica raised a brow.<br /> <br /> “……Monica, would you find it unpleasant if there really was someone like that?”<br /> <br /> “Hm?”<br /> <br /> “Um, well, how to say this, it’s a little different from a Yuugenshu but…………if there was someone amongst the Guards carrying mateki.”<br /> <br /> “? I don’t really get it but nothing other than the Yuugenshu carry mateki, right? That shouldn’t happen, but wouldn’t it be dangerous if there was one in the tower?”<br /> <br /> She had a confused expression.<br /> <br /> Only Yuugenshu carried mateki. If the former apprentice Priestess were to say, her definition of a Yuugenshu would probably be “whether it possesses mateki or not”.<br /> <br /> In other words, he would also count as a Yuugenshu by her definition because he was endowed with mateki.<br /> <br /> ……That’s right.<br /> <br /> ……Monica’s reaction is definitely normal.<br /> <br /> “Sheltis, were you perhaps seriously thinking about that message?”<br /> <br /> “N-Nothing of the sort? But you know, I kinda wonder where that message was sent from.”<br /> <br /> “It seems like an investigation would happen should it pass a certain threshold, but I doubt it will happen for this. It’s obvious to anyone at first glance that it’s a nasty joke, after all. It’s best to ignore those.”<br /> <br /> “……Yeah.”<br /> <br /> He relaxed his fist that he’d unconsciously clenched and took a deep breath. Renewing the stagnated air within his lungs, Sheltis jumped down from the final boulder.<br /> <br /> “Whew, we’re finally done.”<br /> <br /> Monica wiped off the large beads of sweat flowing endlessly off her and looked up at the sky.<br /> <br /> “It will be noon soon so we’ll end the morning part here. From 3 PM, we have a lecture at the meeting room so we’ll gather there.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? What about Kagura and Vaiel?”<br /> <br /> “Over there.”<br /> <br /> The direction Monica pointed to ── the two of them were being chased around by the whip-wielding Instructor Yumelda.<br /> <br /> “It looks like the Instructor is personally coaching them because they’re normally absent from training. They said they’d be doing it until just before the unit battles so I don’t think it will end for a little while yet.”<br /> <br /> “……I see.”<br /> <br /> “I was planning on heading to the cafeteria so would you like to join me for lunch?”<br /> <br /> “Umm.”<br /> <br /> He nodded reflexively but swallowed his words in a hurry.<br /> <br /> “Sorry……I have something to do. I apologize but I need to head back to my room once.”<br /> <br /> “Is that so?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, but I’ll make sure to be at the meeting room. ──See you!”<br /> <br /> Making a small wave with his hand, Sheltis ran straight along the paved road to {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}.<br /> <br /> ===Part 5===<br /> <br /> The impressive stained glass colorfully refracted the sun’s rays shining down brilliantly.<br /> <br /> The light and sound and, needless to say, the air of that place were serene ── a single female Guard trudged along in that floor serene with holiness.<br /> <br /> “……Hr─m, this might be a probleeem.”&lt;ref&gt;[T/N: I've decided now that any time somebody stretches out a word, I'm gonna triple one of the letters.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> The second and third Priestesses. This floor was prepared for them as well as the Sennenshi guarding them and was reversed as holy ground by all the Guards and apprentice Priestesses.<br /> <br /> To one day become the owner of this floor ── it was an place aspired towards for those aiming to become a Priestess or Sennenshi.<br /> <br /> “Hr─m, hr─m, I wonder what was wrooong.”<br /> <br /> Nevertheless, there was not a trace of nervousness about the woman shouldering a large metal spear.<br /> <br /> She spoke to herself with her arms folded and a frown on her face.<br /> <br /> On this floor where other Guards would become unable to walk straight due to nerves, she continued as if she’d just been invited over to a dear friend’s house.<br /> <br /> “So the cause really is a dislike of vegetables? No, no, it might be the arrangement. ……Hr─m.”<br /> <br /> “You seem to be enjoying yourself, Ishtar-san.”<br /> <br /> A voice called out and stopped her.<br /> <br /> She had flaxen hair and light brown eyes and wore a vestment crafted from a single cloth.<br /> <br /> “Ah─, it’s Viola-sama; we haven’t contacted each other at allll.”<br /> <br /> “It has been a while. You seem as energetic as ever. I was wondering if you would be a Sennenshi the next time I returned to the tower.”<br /> <br /> “Ehehe, Ishtar is still inexperienced.”<br /> <br /> “Is that so? See, I heard that Ymy is still undecided on a Sennenshi.”<br /> <br /> “……Ahh, that’s right.”<br /> <br /> A small laugh leaked out from the Guard’s lips.<br /> <br /> “Well, that’s Ymy-sama’s decision─. Her destiny, so to speak.”<br /> <br /> “That’s true. By the way, are you dealing with a difficult issue? It’s rare for you to make a troubled face so I ended up calling out to you.”<br /> <br /> “……Uu. That’s actually riiight. I’m troubled about my little sister, I’sa-chan. Would you care to listen?”<br /> <br /> The Cadres Guard drooped her shoulders with a heavy and dark expression.<br /> <br /> “Yes. As a fellow older sister.”<br /> <br /> “Well then! I made omurice for my super precious I’sa-chan a little while ago for her lunch, okaaay.”<br /> <br /> “How wonderful. Ishtar-san, you truly care for your little sister.”<br /> <br /> “That’s right─. But listen to this: I’sa-chan was happy up until I said I’d make her omurice……but she was suddenly in a bad mood when the time to eat came around and finally ended up bursting into tears.”<br /> <br /> “Oh my, my. Pardon my asking but how did it taste?”<br /> <br /> Faced with Viola who was tilting her head, Ishtar shook her head largely from side to side.<br /> <br /> “It was perfect─. At any rate, we’ve been together for over ten years. I have a clear understanding of what I’sa-chan prefers for taste and presentation.”<br /> <br /> “Oh dear, then it really is a difficult problem. I wonder if anything happened to worsen your little sister’s mood.”<br /> <br /> “……Hr─m, I don’t have any ideaaa.”<br /> <br /> Ishtar looked troubled to the core.<br /> <br /> “Rather, to make her happy, I tried to feed her while saying, ‘''Here you go─, I’sa-chan. It’s luuunch, it’s deliciousss.''‘ Then I’sa-chan suddenly stood up and yelled ‘''Onee-sama, you idiooot──''‘ and ran away crying while still holding her spoon.”<br /> <br /> “…………Well, that.”<br /> <br /> “Right? It’s strange, right?”<br /> <br /> “…………I think it’s because your sister is at the age of independence. You could say she’s really sensitive.”<br /> <br /> “Is that sooo?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, I as well……it’s not something unrelated to me.”<br /> <br /> A shadow clouded the Priestess’ eyes and she smiled a little bitterly.<br /> <br /> “That’s riiight, we’re both troubled by our little sisters. But Horn-chan is strong, so I think she’ll be fine no matter what happens, you knooow? I’sa-chan still can’t fight a Yuugenshu alooone.”<br /> <br /> “Strength isn’t limited to excellence.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Ishtar is also of that opinion.”<br /> <br /> Her expression suddenly brightened and then.<br /> <br /> “─Well then, '''shall we switch topics to that'''? '''About Horn-chan'''.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> With those few words.<br /> <br /> That wide floor returned to silence as if frozen.<br /> <br /> “I knew it.”<br /> <br /> Her lips shaking with a giggle, the third Priestess didn’t attempt to hide her smile.<br /> <br /> “Ishtar-san really is Ishtar-san. There’s no way you as the Cadres Guard came here for no reason. You had business with me from the start, didn’t you?”<br /> <br /> “Of course─. If not, I wouldn’t be on this flooor; I’d be chasing I’sa-chan who ran off.”<br /> <br /> “……Ah, so the omurice story was true.”<br /> <br /> “……Though it’s regrettable, it’s true.”<br /> <br /> Bursting into laughter once when she saw the Cadres Guard sighing once more, Viola pointed in the direction of her room.<br /> <br /> “Shall we speak in my room?”<br /> <br /> “No, no, don’t worry. I’m fine if we continue to stand while talking. The story about I’sa-chan was the longer one.”<br /> <br /> “It’s scary if it’s too short as well. Well then, let’s continue.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. Come to think of it, a long time ago, Horn-chan wanted to search for some Yuugenshu. What was the individual name for that?”<br /> <br /> “‘''S vector, eight class''‘. The only witnesses were……children from the orphanage that went on a picnic. I’m told that it looked like a small black kitten when they first found it and enlarged when the children neared it, then attacked them. We’ve also received information that when the Regular Guards that went to combat it thought they had defeated it, it would immediately regenerate.”<br /> <br /> “Hohhh hohhh, so if that was found, Horn-chan would fly out of the tower, ignoring orders from anybody.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “At that time, will Viola-sama be able to stop Horn-chan’s rampage?”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 6===<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 11, Cadet Guard residences.<br /> <br /> “……It’s scary seeing this.”<br /> <br /> Returning to his room, Sheltis booted up the agency terminal at his work desk.<br /> <br /> He entered in his member ID that was carved into his badge and windows popped up rapidly on the monitor. Finally, his fingers that were operating the keys came to a stop at the screen showing the mail.<br /> <br /> Received mail ‘''1''‘<br /> <br /> Sender ‘ ‘<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''To all of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}──''<br /> <br /> ''I shall teach you a valuable secret.''<br /> <br /> ''A Yuugenshu has changed its form to that of a person and disguised itself as one of your Guards. In order to draw it out, I recommend exposing all the tower’s Guards to the Priestesses’ baptism spells.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “One message received and the sender is unknown……this is it.”<br /> <br /> “''Yes, it’s the same as the message Kagura showed you. It really did arrive later than hers. Though the motive for that in unknown.''“<br /> <br /> “……No developments; that’s a relief.”<br /> <br /> He breathed a sigh of relief as he relaxed.<br /> <br /> If a second message had been sent while he was training and the name of the corresponding Guard were written ── he had only avoided that worst-case scenario.<br /> <br /> “''Even putting the Priestesses’ baptism spells aside, starting with Ymy, Meimel and Syun-rei are also aware of you. If it comes to it, you should be able to deceive the others with their assistance.''“<br /> <br /> “……But we can’t solve the root of the problem like that.”<br /> <br /> The sender was somebody outside of {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}, meaning they were somewhere on the distant {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}}. But that sender’s name was blank. It was the same as having nary a clue.<br /> <br /> ……Somebody outside of {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} who knows of me?<br /> <br /> ……The Governmental Sector? No, even within the Governmental Sector, there shouldn’t be anybody this well-informed.<br /> <br /> “I wonder if my weakness has been grasped.”<br /> <br /> “''As long as your opponent’s identity remains unspecified, this will be a one-sided defensive battle.''“<br /> <br /> With his weakness in hand, the other party might come to him with negotiations. It was like grabbing at clouds but he also required information on the opponent.<br /> <br /> “''I’ll do my best and it seems like Kagura will also render assistance.''“<br /> <br /> “Thanks. I’d also like to think of somebody likely but the message is written like this and the name is also a blank space………………blank, ……blank……space?”<br /> <br /> …………Blank?<br /> <br /> What is this……nagging feeling?<br /> <br /> Something……maybe I……am overlooking something really important?<br /> <br /> “''What’s wro──''“<br /> <br /> “Wait!……I need to concentrate.”<br /> <br /> He even stopped breathing as he focused on thinking.<br /> <br /> There was no name attached to the mail. It was a blank field without a single character written in it. But what if the fact that there is no name is the most important part of this message?<br /> <br /> ……Blank……blank……empty…………that basically means bla…………bla……nk.”&lt;ref&gt;[T/N: This is really hard to put into English because the furigana says &quot;blank&quot; when there's more variation. The first part is 空欄 (blank space). The second one is ブランク which is the wasei-eigo (Japanese-style English) form of the word blank, pronounced buranku. Third part is 空っぽ which means &quot;empty&quot; like an empty room. The last little bit is 空白 which is the kanji for Igun-I's name.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> …………'''There is someone'''.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Hey, Sheltis, I’ve been awaiting the time we would meet in this world.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> There was just one person. A person who identified themselves as ‘''{{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}}''‘.<br /> <br /> The assassin from the unnamed third organization that attacked the Governmental Sector together with {{furigana|Golden|Maha}}. He had confronted him at the floor where Mikuva’s Crimson Eye shone, that pitch black──<br /> <br /> “……Igun-I.”<br /> <br /> “''Eh?''“<br /> <br /> “Ilis, you should remember as well, about that creepy guy we met at the Governmental Sector. He was looking down at us from atop the ‘''Crimson Eye''‘ and, in the end, said he had been waiting for me and wanted to meet me.”<br /> <br /> “''He called himself {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}}……ahh, I get it. It’s the type of joke that I’m not good with. ……But I wonder if it’s really that person. Is there some kind of proof to confirm this?''“<br /> <br /> “There’s no proof; it’s really just intuition.”<br /> <br /> But he could feel it.<br /> <br /> This commotion within him like shivers was telling him that his intuition was correct.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Chase me if you want to know the truth. Now, Sheltis, please chase after me. That will be the beginning of everything.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ……The beginning of everything.<br /> <br /> ……What awaits me after I chase him?<br /> <br /> “Is this to lure me out?”<br /> <br /> “''It’s a problem that we can’t say you’re over-thinking things. Truthfully, I also have my doubts about that person. I’m curious as to who he is.''“<br /> <br /> “You’re also interested?”<br /> <br /> “''Yes. The truth is, that person, that was my──''“<br /> <br /> Immediately after.<br /> <br /> The crystal portion that was shining brilliantly in blue lost its light and changed to a dark grey.<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> “……No, I won’t say. It’s too much to say for a guess. At any rate, pinning down the enemy’s objective is a silver lining. We may be able to figure out a countermeasure so it’s most important.”<br /> <br /> He clenched his fist atop his lap.<br /> <br /> And──<br /> <br /> “Oh?”<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} who had lowered the intensity of her light flashed once again.<br /> <br /> “Hey, hey, Sheltis, an urgent mission is being announced by the Guard Regulations Institute. The location is the Biotope’s S vector section……on the bank of a large salt lake. The nearest patrolling unit of Regular Guards is performing an emergency response so they wish for the Cadet Guards to also participate as a supporting unit.”<br /> <br /> “It’s by the Instructor’s recommendation so there’s a chance we might be called.”<br /> <br /> It was the same as the time the Regular Guard unit was wiped out by Golden Maha. The primary force would be Elite Guards and Regular Guards and Cadet Guards recommended by the Instructor would act as support for them.<br /> <br /> “What are the mission details?”<br /> <br /> “''It’s the subjugation of a Yuugenshu. It broke through the encirclement……no……but this is…………?''“<br /> <br /> Separating from her momentary silence, {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} continued.<br /> <br /> “''There was a previous report about this Yuugenshu being sighted. Please wait a moment, I will retrieve the information from {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s Yuugenshu list.''“<br /> <br /> “……It’s a strong one.”<br /> <br /> It was no coincidence that it had escaped once in the past and broken through the encirclement this time.<br /> <br /> There was a high chance that it possessed a special type of mateki or exceedingly powerful mateki. To kill it for certain, two or three Regular Guard units would be required for a medium-sized one and three for a large-sized one.<br /> <br /> “──”<br /> <br /> He held fast to his card-shaped badge that shined silver. An order to gather from the Instructor might be sent to this badge at any time.<br /> <br /> ……If it’s a strong Yuugenshu, two or three Cadet Guard units might be necessary.<br /> <br /> ……Maybe Monica’s badge has already been contacted at this time?<br /> <br /> “Ilis, how is the retrieval?”<br /> <br /> “''I just finished the comparison of the entire list, or in other words, the verification checks. The result of a comparison with {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s list yielded one full match. ……But this is troublesome.''“<br /> <br /> “The Yuugenshu?”<br /> <br /> “''Yes. You remember the area I said that the Yuugenshu was found in?''“<br /> <br /> “A large salt lake. You said it was in the Biotope’s S vector section──”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''We Priestesses call that ‘''delayed sin type''‘ mateki. ‘''S vector, eighth class''‘……that’s the common name of the Yuugenshu that Horn-san is chasing after.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ……The Yuugenshu Ymy had told him about that time.<br /> <br /> “It can’t be.”<br /> <br /> The reason {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} said it was troublesome.<br /> <br /> ……The one {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} is chasing after now is the one Horn is chasing after?<br /> <br /> ……In that case, this is bad.<br /> <br /> “If somebody is afflicted with that one’s mateki──”<br /> <br /> “''Yes. It is mateki that cannot be purified even with the power of the Priestesses. Before victims appear amongst the Guards, swift subjugation of the Yuugenshu is necessary. In the worst case scenario, we will need to tell Ymy.''“<br /> <br /> The problem was Horn Nova.<br /> <br /> She should have also received this information. She should be desiring a one-on-one conclusive battle with that Yuugenshu. But even for a Sennenshi like her, fighting a Yuugenshu whose mateki even a Priestess couldn’t purify while not in a calm state was too dangerous.<br /> <br /> “……Ilis. Tell Monica to get ready to head out at once.”<br /> <br /> He stood up without turning off the terminal.<br /> <br /> He once again put on the jacket he had taken off and fastened the holders at his belt.<br /> <br /> ……I’ll leave the thing with Igun-I until later.<br /> <br /> ……This takes priority.<br /> <br /> “''Are you heading out?''“<br /> <br /> “I’ll head to floor 288 first; we need to stop Horn if she’s planning on running off ahead alone.”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 7===<br /> <br /> The third Living District.<br /> <br /> On {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}, it was the section that boasted the largest area of those which were inhabitable. The first Living District had {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} at its center so the primary residents were Guards of the tower or clerks that worked there. The second Living District was a commercial area with many varieties of shops lined up. Compared with those, this was more of a quiet area with houses.<br /> <br /> “It’s been a while since I walked down this road.”<br /> <br /> The intersection was dyed with the brilliant yellow colors of autumn.<br /> <br /> Laying here and there along the road were flower beds made with brick and even now, kindergarten children were enthusiastically tending to them.<br /> <br /> “……Time flows differently here compared to the tower.”<br /> <br /> The fragrance of the flowers made him want to stop without thinking. In that place.<br /> <br /> Pressing down on her chest at the nostalgic scene that hadn’t changed one bit since she had been raised here, Horn smiled without realizing it.<br /> <br /> “……I wonder if everyone’s doing well.”<br /> <br /> In the third Living District, there was an orphanage near Minamitoori Park.<br /> <br /> Children without relatives, children who had been entrusted to them by busy parents, children who could not open their hearts to the those around them in kindergarten or elementary school ── they were everywhere but this was a facility that gathered up those children who needed a helping hand. It was a place akin to her family’s residence.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> In response to her high spirits, her steps quickened.<br /> <br /> Advancing straight through the intersection filled with summer breezes and immediately after cutting left at the corner with conspicuous giant fir trees lined up, a building whose special trait was its fully white triangular roof leapt into her line of sight.<br /> <br /> “──That’s right. They’ll be frightened if I wear this.”<br /> <br /> She put her hands behind her head and unfastened the tightly bound knot.<br /> <br /> The blinder fell with a swishing sound.<br /> <br /> “……On the other hand, it’s hard on me without this.”<br /> <br /> She looked down at the blindfold that had fallen onto her palm and smiled wryly.<br /> <br /> A blurred world.<br /> <br /> The blinder, her palm, the surrounding trees, the building; everything had two images.<br /> <br /> The territorial type shinryoku spell that the sisters, Horn and Viola, possessed inherently ── it was a side effect of the power called ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘.<br /> <br /> That was the power to see just slightly into the future.<br /> <br /> It made shooting after reading where the opponent would dodge to possible and could be called a Heavenly blessing for a gunner. However, at the same time, the fact that she couldn’t control it herself was a weakness. Because the world of the present she saw with her own eyes and the world of the future shown by ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘ would overlap and blur, if she continued to view both, her brain would be unable to keep up and she would experience dizziness.<br /> <br /> ……Since I was born.<br /> <br /> ……Because I’m different from nee-san.<br /> <br /> Her older sister Viola had acquired the technique for controlling ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘ as she piled on training as an apprentice Priestess. For she who could not do that, she was still using this blinder. By blocking off the world seen by her eyes and viewing only the world of the future from ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘, she was somehow able to keep her brain’s fatigue to a minimum.<br /> <br /> “Well, it can’t be helped.”<br /> <br /> She could feel some dizziness from just removing the blinder but she was meeting with the children again for the first time in a while.<br /> <br /> Still holding onto the blindfold, she walked closer to the orphanage’s gate──<br /> <br /> “Ah, nee-chan!”<br /> <br /> “Ain’t this Horn-nee-chan, hasn’t it been so long!?”<br /> <br /> The kids who were in front of the orphanage’s fence opened the gate in high spirits and ran over.<br /> <br /> “Hey, hey, where did you go this time? Did you fight with a dragon again?”<br /> <br /> “The same place as always. I didn’t fight with an earth dragon but I did find a wyvern nest. See, I came here with pictures of it.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, hey, Horn-nee-chan! I baked cookies yesterday. I’ll share some with you.”<br /> <br /> “Thank you, Nachez, but you worked hard to make these cookies so you should share them with everyone.”<br /> <br /> Even in the time was petting the girl’s head, kids appeared one after the other.<br /> <br /> Children that tugged on her clothes and children that hopped up on her back. There were likely more than thirty of them altogether and each of them was running over with a full smile.<br /> <br /> “Oh my, I was wondering who it was with all these joyful shouts.”<br /> <br /> Following the multitude of children, an elderly woman walked over slowly from inside the building.<br /> <br /> “It has been a while since we last talked, Matron. You seem well.”<br /> <br /> Standing up, she bowed.<br /> <br /> ──If somebody from {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} saw this, they’d doubt their eyes.<br /> <br /> A Sennenshi who held a top position in the tower and moreover, that Horn Nova, taking such a low profile and even coming into contact with somebody with a smile was a scene that not a single one had seen.<br /> <br /> “To be honest, I was worried. I heard that the Yuugenshu invasion had also reached here. Was there any damage done?”<br /> <br /> The day all those living upon {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} feared.<br /> <br /> The day Hyouketsu Kyoukai was broken and an unprecedented large-scale invasion was carried out by the Yuugenshu. She had heard that this orphanage had also been attacked and corroded by mateki.<br /> <br /> “Of course we are all fine; we all evacuated to the shelters.”<br /> <br /> “What about the mateki? Was the decaying okay?”<br /> <br /> “……The decaying was horrible. The gate was broken and the interior was corroded by mateki to tatters. ……Just for that moment, I wondered if it was the end for this place.”<br /> <br /> Perhaps she was remembering that time because the Matron’s expression turned rigid.<br /> <br /> “……My apologies. {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s power was not enough.”<br /> <br /> “It’s not your fault. And besides, now it’s back to as it was before. Hasn’t even the mateki been cleanly purified?”<br /> <br /> The Matron of the orphanage’s reaction was slackened as she pointed with a cheerful gaze.<br /> <br /> “Yes. It has been wonderfully purified.”<br /> <br /> There would be traces leftover even after purification when corrosion occurred through powerful mateki. But no such traces were here in this park. The fence, gate and ground’s curses had been completely purified. The one who had performed the purification had done a good job.<br /> <br /> “A good apprentice Priestess came here.”<br /> <br /> “It was a Priestess.”&lt;ref&gt;[T/N: I'm dropping adding -sama to English words unless it's a name. I feel like it sounds retarded...]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> “A Priestess spent the entire night going around this area and purifying it. Even though she was so young, she passed the night without taking a break. She even talked to each of the children.”<br /> <br /> “……Who was this?”<br /> <br /> “It was Ymy-sama. I hear that she’s known as the Baptism Priestess and she certainly lived up to it.”<br /> <br /> “…………Is that so.”<br /> <br /> A bitter taste was mixed into her mouth.<br /> <br /> “Oh my, what’s wrong?”<br /> <br /> “…………It’s nothing; I was just thinking that I’m glad you’re all safe.”<br /> <br /> “Of course, and that’s all thanks to you sisters as well.”<br /> <br /> The Matron hugged the children clinging to her.<br /> <br /> “This orphanage……we might not have been able to rebuild it without your assistance. I truly am thankful.”<br /> <br /> “I am glad if we could repay even a single portion of our gratitude for your raising us. Nee-san and I are both pupils of this orphanage, after all.”<br /> <br /> “Amazing─! Horn-nee-chan’s like a man!? Nee-chan, aren’t you actually a guy!?”<br /> <br /> “……Do you want to get dropped from there, Ragna-kun?”<br /> <br /> “Uwaa, i-it was just a little joke, nee-chan. Hey, hey, if I enter ‘''Sophia''‘ like nee-chan and work hard, can I become strong?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, definitely───”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Do you corner somebody dear to you with that tone too?''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> An instant.<br /> <br /> The words of the Cadet Guard that had criticized her at {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} ran through the back of her mind.<br /> <br /> …………<br /> <br /> ……What was that? Why would I remember that at this time?<br /> <br /> Even though normally she wouldn’t remember the words of a riffraff Cadet Guard like that, much less react to it.<br /> <br /> “''Err……umm, I was fascinated by how amazing Captain Horn is.''“<br /> <br /> “''I……If I practice, will I be able to become like the Captain──''“<br /> <br /> ……I see, that time.<br /> <br /> It may have been because she had a similar conversation before that Cadet Guard said that to her. The conversation she had exchanged with the maintenance officer boy when she had entrusted him with the guns’ maintenance.<br /> <br /> ……What was my reply to Catria at that time?<br /> <br /> “''Discard pointless thoughts.''“<br /> <br /> “''I don’t need unskilled people in my unit. If you’re going to subject yourself to techniques unsuited for your height, leave my unit before the end of today.''“<br /> <br /> “───”<br /> <br /> “? Nee-chan, what’s wrong?”<br /> <br /> “……No, I’m fine. Rather than that, you shouldn’t join {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} like me──”<br /> <br /> “Ohh, that’s it! I also want to enter that biiig tower. Think I can do it? Can I also beat dragons and Yuugenshu going bang bang?”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> She couldn’t find words for the boy whose eyes were filled with hope as he asked.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Do you corner somebody dear to you with that tone too?''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ……That’s different; this is……something like a child’s simplistic dream.<br /> <br /> It’s different from awakening somebody who was already a member of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}to the truth. This and yesterday are completely different matters.<br /> <br /> “Nee-chan?”<br /> <br /> “……You can. If it’s you, then definitely, Ragna.”<br /> <br /> The words she spoke were quiet and clumsy to the point of being hoarse.<br /> <br /> …………How annoying, really annoying.<br /> <br /> …………Why am I being disturbed by that Cadet Guards few words like this?<br /> <br /> Was it because it hit the mark? No, like I……can accept that. {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s bunch are all useless. They always can’t do anything without grouping up with somebody.<br /> <br /> I am……nee-san and I are different.<br /> <br /> Her family and comrades were only the children born and raised in this orphanage. Believing that, she had lived without relying on anybody from {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}.<br /> <br /> “……Horn?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, no, it’s nothing, Matron. ──That’s right, I brought souvenirs. In the second Living District, a former colleague is running an open-air cafe. It seems like the cakes there are somewhat famous. Over there.”<br /> <br /> She pointed towards a large box sitting on the bench behind her.<br /> <br /> “Oh my, I’m happy; we’ll eat it during snack time.”<br /> <br /> “Okay. By the way……”<br /> <br /> Just before she spoke, the transmissions device hidden at her chest vibrated. Mail? If it was a call, it’s set to vibrate more. If it’s this faint, then it’s probably mail.<br /> <br /> “Excuse me, I think it’s probably from nee-sama.”<br /> <br /> On the screen of the transmissions device was the brief label ‘''Tower''‘.<br /> <br /> ──A simultaneous transmission from the Guard Regulation Institute?……It can’t be an emergency response at this time.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Subjugation list match, in combat with the individual ‘''S Vector, Eighth Class''‘.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> When she first saw that name written there, she didn’t believe it.<br /> <br /> Her sworn enemy she had spent many years searching for. It was the name of the one who had sent a child of the orphanage to the hospital. That it would appear with this timing of all times.<br /> <br /> “……The Biotope’s S Vector?”<br /> <br /> It couldn’t be called anything but ironic.<br /> <br /> That was where that Yuugenshu had first been witnessed.<br /> <br /> ……It appeared just after I returned to the tower.<br /> <br /> ……Does it intend to ridicule me?<br /> <br /> “Matron, my apologies but urgent business has come up so I will be excusing myself.”<br /> <br /> “Is that so? It must be hard on you; you always patrol a troublesome place, don’t you?”<br /> <br /> “For next time, let’s see. I’ll come to play when I find enough time to leisurely eat candy with everyone.”<br /> <br /> Then Horn turned her back on her large family. She once again covered her vision with the blinder that had been hidden and looked only at the future world bestowed by ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘.<br /> <br /> “──Together with Tessha.”<br /> <br /> Towards the tower that stood out high in the sky.<br /> <br /> Without turning back, the Sennenshi walked off in the direction of the tower.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> ==Translator's Notes and References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> {{SimpleNav|f=Intermission}}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Hyouketsu_Kyoukai_no_Eden:Volume_6_Intermission&diff=386166 Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Intermission 2014-08-27T19:43:13Z <p>Acolyte: Undo revision 383936 by Acolyte (talk) (Killed my previous edits as usual)</p> <hr /> <div>==Intermission – The Lords of Unusual Books==<br /> <br /> <br /> ……<br /> <br /> …………Heh heh.<br /> <br /> ……Haha, ahaha…………fufuu.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The overlapping laughter of children.<br /> <br /> “''Hey, hey, Igun-I, is this okay? Mission complete.''”<br /> <br /> “''Yeah, mission complete.''”<br /> <br /> The small room had a sweet fragrance floating within it.<br /> <br /> In the small room devoid of light bulbs, the only thing that could be called illumination was the moonlight coming through the window.<br /> <br /> “Neue and Neosis, good work. I’m bad with machines so you really helped me out.”<br /> <br /> “''It’s simple, you just have to memorize it.''”<br /> <br /> “''Yup, just memorize it.''”<br /> <br /> Two child’s voices echoed in the room. But the owners of those voices were nowhere to be seen in the room. Only the voices were resounding as if emerging.<br /> <br /> “Unfortunately, people have things they’re good at and things they’re not, you know?”<br /> <br /> A tall, lean young man with a brimmed hat worn as far as his eyes answered with a smile.<br /> <br /> He wore a black hat, black suit and black shoes. Amidst the clothes which were a uniform jet black, pale blond which peeked through black hair was fluttering in the wind.<br /> <br /> “''Igun-I is terrible with machines to a surprising degree.''”<br /> <br /> “''Yeah, he even does the laundry by hand instead of using a machine.''”<br /> <br /> “But you know, you two, it’s kinder on your laundry to do it by hand.”<br /> [[image:Eden06_175.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> The laughter resounded once again.<br /> <br /> “''You should share that kindness with the person from Tenketsu Palace.''”<br /> <br /> “''Yeah, you should share it.''”<br /> <br /> “''Yeah, it’s pitiful being teased by Igun-I. Around now, he should be fearful.''”<br /> <br /> “It’s precisely because I like him very much.”<br /> <br /> Grabbing a very bright red strawberry, the man known as Igun-I deepened his smile.<br /> <br /> “I’d be happy if he realized who it was. I can’t help enjoying wondering if he’ll come to meet me quickly.”<br /> <br /> “''Fu─n. That’s right, you’re kind to us.''”<br /> <br /> “''Yeah, you’re kind. Because you’re kind, the promised──''”<br /> <br /> “Worry not. It’ll be done once I decorate it with strawberries like this. ……There’s just one thing. The truth is there were many times more strawberries than this but they were eaten by Natraja-san.”<br /> <br /> The Lord of Unusual Books drooped his shoulders as if there was no greater disappointment than this.<br /> <br /> “''Eh─, agaaain?''”<br /> <br /> “''You know, Noesis, that’s called ‘''food snitching''‘. It’s the natural enemy of girls so if you do it too much, you become fat.''”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “Oh my, who will grow fat?”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> In an instant, the dim room was dyed bright red.<br /> <br /> It was a ‘''brilliant red''‘ more red than the ripened strawberries. The lights that painted everything red lit up in the air one after the other with a fwoom sound.<br /> <br /> “If it isn’t Natraja-san, have you finished your job at the Governmental Sector?”<br /> <br /> “Being a secretary is a monotonous job. Communications investigations and communications investigations. And today was the day I accompany a member of the parliament for sake……which I ignored and came back here instead. When I was asked for a reason, it felt like I would say ‘''It’s because I’m a spy so sorry ♪''‘.”<br /> <br /> A woman appeared in the room without a sound.<br /> <br /> “But Natraja-san, don’t you like sake? I think you would have been fine accompanying that person for sake.”<br /> <br /> “Drinking sake is highly situational. I like drinking with just two in a quiet place. I hate looking at groups that just drink sloppily.”<br /> <br /> The woman called Natraja raised an empty glass with her snow-white fingers.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Igun-I, is the cake still not done? I want to eat it as well.”<br /> <br /> “Then Natraja-san, would you also help with the decorating?”<br /> <br /> “Oh my, didn’t I help with baking it? Though I got the heat a little wrong and scorched it a bit.”<br /> <br /> The woman smiled with her glossy lips touching the empty glass. Still in that posture, she reached one hand out to Igun-I’s black hat──<br /> <br /> “Goodness. If that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have had to redo this.”<br /> <br /> Just before that hand touched the hat, Igun-I pressed down firmly on it.<br /> <br /> “By the way, about what you were talking about, did you ask the twins to do something?”<br /> <br /> “''He did, he did; we sent a message to the floating continent‘s Tenketsu Palace''.”<br /> <br /> “''Yeah, he requested it. We sent a message.''”<br /> <br /> Right─, agreed the two voices in sync.<br /> <br /> “It was a minor matter. I wanted to trouble my beloved person. But if it wasn’t done well, the message would have a record left, right? That’s why I asked the twins. It would be nice if he were to realize it was me.”<br /> <br /> “You have quite the hobby there. While I was working seriously, you were playing innocent.”<br /> <br /> The woman returned the glass to the table and sighed.<br /> <br /> “This place has been discovered by the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> “Oh dear.”<br /> <br /> There was not a hint of wavering from Igun-I who continued to decorate the cake with strawberries.<br /> <br /> “The Ninth of the aforementioned ‘''Heaven’s Wheel''‘──”<br /> <br /> “So it seems. It looks like this place was located with that ‘''Crimson Eye''‘ before you and Maha gained control of Mikuva’s Crimson Eye. As expected, there are people that can use their heads well.”<br /> <br /> “Fumu, and what is our response? What did the First say?”<br /> <br /> “Nothing.”<br /> <br /> Her response was simple.<br /> <br /> “He was in the middle of training as always so he didn’t say anything. From the air about him, I would guess ‘''How about you face them appropriately and turn the tables on them?''‘”<br /> <br /> “I haven’t seen the First -san do anything other than train.”<br /> <br /> “Right─……even though it’d be okay to accompany me for sake sometimes.”<br /> <br /> She gazed seemingly reproachfully at the transparent glass.<br /> <br /> “Come now, how about you invite the Third sometimes?”<br /> <br /> “No. What would I talk about with just the two of us? It’s the same as having an ornament for my partner. ──Well, the organization is on their way so I’ll have fun with them. I’d be happy if a wonderful gentleman were to come.”<br /> <br /> She carefully picked out a strawberry decorating the cake and popped it into her mouth.<br /> <br /> “A wonderful gentleman like who?”<br /> <br /> “Look, isn’t there a Sennenshi that wields a great sword? Umm……I think it was Leon. He’s supposed to look exactly like that person. Igun-I, you saw him at the floating archipelago , right?”<br /> <br /> “Yes. They really are spitting images of each other. It’s an exact resemblance. They both wield great swords and the way he holds the great sword is also the exact same as the First -san.”<br /> <br /> “I’m looking forward to it even more. Ahh, I’m looking forward to it; I’ll need to service him magnificently.”<br /> <br /> Her bewitching lips curved up and she sighed charmingly.<br /> <br /> “Fifth , Sixth , stop your training and group up as well.” &lt;ref&gt;[T/N: I looked over this and it was ノイエ previously. Here it's ノエル. Which is the correct one? I have no idea.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> “O─kay. Isn’t that great, Noel, that we get to skip training?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, that’s great, Noesis.”<br /> <br /> “I’m looking forward to it…………I wonder if Sheltis will come.”<br /> <br /> “Mm? Did you say something?”<br /> <br /> In response to the woman with good hearing.<br /> <br /> “No. No─t a thing.”<br /> <br /> Answering with a pure smile, Igun-I once again closed his mouth.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> ==Translator's Notes and References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> {{SimpleNav<br /> |b=Chapter3|bn=Chapter 3<br /> |f=Chapter4|fn=Chapter 4}}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Hyouketsu_Kyoukai_no_Eden:Volume_6_Intermission&diff=383936 Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Intermission 2014-08-20T18:24:50Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Intermission – The Lords of Unusual Books==<br /> <br /> <br /> ……<br /> <br /> …………Heh heh.<br /> <br /> ……Haha, ahaha…………fufuu.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The overlapping laughter of children.<br /> <br /> “Hey, hey, Igun-I, is this okay? Mission complete.”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, mission complete.”<br /> <br /> The small room had a sweet fragrance floating within it.<br /> <br /> In the small room devoid of light bulbs, the only thing that could be called illumination was the moonlight coming through the window.<br /> <br /> “Neue and Neosis, good work. I’m bad with machines so you really helped me out.”<br /> <br /> “It’s simple, you just have to memorize it.”<br /> <br /> “Yup, just memorize it.”<br /> <br /> Two child’s voices echoed in the room. But the owners of those voices were nowhere to be seen in the room. Only the voices were resounding as if emerging.<br /> <br /> “Unfortunately, people have things they’re good at and things they’re not, you know?”<br /> <br /> A tall, lean young man with a brimmed hat worn as far as his eyes answered with a smile.<br /> <br /> He wore a black hat, black suit and black shoes. Amidst the clothes which were a uniform jet black, pale blond which peeked through black hair was fluttering in the wind.<br /> <br /> “Igun-I is terrible with machines to a surprising degree.”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, he even does the laundry by hand instead of using a machine.”<br /> <br /> “But you know, you two, it’s kinder on your laundry to do it by hand.”<br /> [[image:Eden06_175.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> The laughter resounded once again.<br /> <br /> “You should share that kindness with the person from Tenketsu Palace .”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, you should share it.”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, it’s pitiful being teased by Igun-I. Around now, he should be fearful.”<br /> <br /> “It’s precisely because I like him very much.”<br /> <br /> Grabbing a very bright red strawberry, the man known as Igun-I deepened his smile.<br /> <br /> “I’d be happy if he realized who it was. I can’t help enjoying wondering if he’ll come to meet me quickly.”<br /> <br /> “Fu─n. That’s right, you’re kind to us.”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, you’re kind. Because you’re kind, the promised──”<br /> <br /> “Worry not. It’ll be done once I decorate it with strawberries like this. ……There’s just one thing. The truth is there were many times more strawberries than this but they were eaten by Natraja-san.”<br /> <br /> The Lord of Unusual Books drooped his shoulders as if there was no greater disappointment than this.<br /> <br /> “Eh─, agaaain?”<br /> <br /> “You know, Noesis, that’s called ‘food snitching‘. It’s the natural enemy of girls so if you do it too much, you become fat.”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “Oh my, who will grow fat?”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> In an instant, the dim room was dyed bright red.<br /> <br /> It was a ‘brilliant red‘ more red than the ripened strawberries. The lights that painted everything red lit up in the air one after the other with a fwoom sound.<br /> <br /> “If it isn’t Natraja-san, have you finished your job at the Governmental Sector?”<br /> <br /> “Being a secretary is a monotonous job. Communications investigations and communications investigations. And today was the day I accompany a member of the parliament for sake……which I ignored and came back here instead. When I was asked for a reason, it felt like I would say ‘It’s because I’m a spy so sorry ♪‘.”<br /> <br /> A woman appeared in the room without a sound.<br /> <br /> “But Natraja-san, don’t you like sake? I think you would have been fine accompanying that person for sake.”<br /> <br /> “Drinking sake is highly situational. I like drinking with just two in a quiet place. I hate looking at groups that just drink sloppily.”<br /> <br /> The woman called Natraja raised an empty glass with her snow-white fingers.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Igun-I, is the cake still not done? I want to eat it as well.”<br /> <br /> “Then Natraja-san, would you also help with the decorating?”<br /> <br /> “Oh my, didn’t I help with baking it? Though I got the heat a little wrong and scorched it a bit.”<br /> <br /> The woman smiled with her glossy lips touching the empty glass. Still in that posture, she reached one hand out to Igun-I’s black hat──<br /> <br /> “Goodness. If that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have had to redo this.”<br /> <br /> Just before that hand touched the hat, Igun-I pressed down firmly on it.<br /> <br /> “By the way, about what you were talking about, did you ask the twins to do something?”<br /> <br /> “He did, he did; we sent a message to the floating continent ‘s Tenketsu Palace .”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, he requested it. We sent a message.”<br /> <br /> Right─, agreed the two voices in sync.<br /> <br /> “It was a minor matter. I wanted to trouble my beloved person. But if it wasn’t done well, the message would have a record left, right? That’s why I asked the twins. It would be nice if he were to realize it was me.”<br /> <br /> “You have quite the hobby there. While I was working seriously, you were playing innocent.”<br /> <br /> The woman returned the glass to the table and sighed.<br /> <br /> “This place has been discovered by the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> “Oh dear.”<br /> <br /> There was not a hint of wavering from Igun-I who continued to decorate the cake with strawberries.<br /> <br /> “The Ninth of the aforementioned ‘Heaven’s Wheel‘──”<br /> <br /> “So it seems. It looks like this place was located with that ‘Crimson Eye‘ before you and Maha gained control of Mikuva’s Crimson Eye. As expected, there are people that can use their heads well.”<br /> <br /> “Fumu, and what is our response? What did the First say?”<br /> <br /> “Nothing.”<br /> <br /> Her response was simple.<br /> <br /> “He was in the middle of training as always so he didn’t say anything. From the air about him, I would guess ‘How about you face them appropriately and turn the tables on them?‘”<br /> <br /> “I haven’t seen the First -san do anything other than train.”<br /> <br /> “Right─……even though it’d be okay to accompany me for sake sometimes.”<br /> <br /> She gazed seemingly reproachfully at the transparent glass.<br /> <br /> “Come now, how about you invite the Third sometimes?”<br /> <br /> “No. What would I talk about with just the two of us? It’s the same as having an ornament for my partner. ──Well, the organization is on their way so I’ll have fun with them. I’d be happy if a wonderful gentleman were to come.”<br /> <br /> She carefully picked out a strawberry decorating the cake and popped it into her mouth.<br /> <br /> “A wonderful gentleman like who?”<br /> <br /> “Look, isn’t there a Sennenshi that wields a great sword? Umm……I think it was Leon. He’s supposed to look exactly like that person. Igun-I, you saw him at the floating archipelago , right?”<br /> <br /> “Yes. They really are spitting images of each other. It’s an exact resemblance. They both wield great swords and the way he holds the great sword is also the exact same as the First -san.”<br /> <br /> “I’m looking forward to it even more. Ahh, I’m looking forward to it; I’ll need to service him magnificently.”<br /> <br /> Her bewitching lips curved up and she sighed charmingly.<br /> <br /> “Fifth , Sixth , stop your training and group up as well.” [T/N: I looked over this and it was ノイエ previously. Here it's ノエル. Which is the correct one? I have no idea.]<br /> <br /> “O─kay. Isn’t that great, Noel, that we get to skip training?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, that’s great, Noesis.”<br /> <br /> “I’m looking forward to it…………I wonder if Sheltis will come.”<br /> <br /> “Mm? Did you say something?”<br /> <br /> In response to the woman with good hearing.<br /> <br /> “No. No─t a thing.”<br /> <br /> Answering with a pure smile, Igun-I once again closed his mouth.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> ==Translator's Notes and References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> {{SimpleNav<br /> |b=Chapter3|bn=Chapter 3<br /> |f=Chapter4|fn=Chapter 4}}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Hyouketsu_Kyoukai_no_Eden:Volume_6_Chapter3&diff=383935 Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Chapter3 2014-08-20T18:24:37Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Chapter 3 – Hard to Control==<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 1===<br /> <br /> “Eh-he-heh─, now then, Sheltis-kun, which one is it? Isn’t it time for a decision?”<br /> <br /> Eyriey held out two cards with a smile full across her face.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, Sheltis, the left one is definitely ‘''{{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}}''‘. I recommend that you pick the right card.''“<br /> <br /> “But you know, Ilis? The left card has been {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}} eleven times in a row so I think this time the right one is {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}}. Having {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}} on the left twelve times in a row is……”<br /> <br /> “''You’ve said almost the same thing ever since ‘''Having The {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}} on the left two times in a row is……''‘.''“<br /> <br /> “Shel-nii, do your best!”<br /> <br /> While Yuto and {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}}<br /> were holding their breathes.<br /> <br /> “The left side is definitely correct this time. This one!”<br /> <br /> He pulled the left side card of the two Eyriey was holding out with all the fighting spirit in his body. He timidly turned over the card and……<br /> <br /> “……Geh. Instructor Yumelda.”<br /> <br /> “''See, see, that’s why I said so.''“<br /> <br /> It was a card game that had secretly spread amongst the Cadet Guards. Throwing out the {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}} card which had the whip-wielding Instructor Yumelda on it, Sheltis sighed for the twelfth time.<br /> <br /> “……I lost again.”<br /> <br /> “Yippie─. This is Sheltis’ twelfth time being last. Okay, just gotta update the records!”<br /> <br /> Eyriey wrote the records of battle in a massive memo book.<br /> <br /> “Shel-nii, you lost again?”<br /> <br /> “That’s right─. On the other hand, Yuto’s strong─; you’ve been in first twelve times in a row now.”<br /> <br /> “Ehehe, Yuto’s strong? Strong?”<br /> <br /> Yuto rubbed her eyes from drowsiness with a smile across her face.<br /> <br /> “''Ah, it’s almost dawn.''“<br /> <br /> “……Oh crap.”<br /> <br /> Narrowing his eyes at the clock’s digital display, Sheltis let out a little exclamation.<br /> <br /> They had started this card game with the three of them at dusk. It was already around ten hours ago that the game had started with Eyriey adding the condition of “We’ll end it if you manage to win?”. He’d lost twelve times in a row already since that……so when he realized it, it was already the next morning.<br /> <br /> “Eyri-nee, Yuto’s tired.”<br /> <br /> “Right─. Then I guess it’s about time we head back since I have to work at the shop in the morning too.”<br /> <br /> Eyriey packed away the cards they’d used for the game, half-eaten candy, and some strange invention-like thing into her bag.<br /> <br /> “Well then, that’s that.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, Eyriey, hold on. Are you okay returning just the two of you? If needed, I’ll take you there.”<br /> <br /> He had asked Eyriey who was shouldering her bag to wait. Public order around {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} was guaranteed but there were hardly any people in the early morning so caution was required.<br /> <br /> “See, there might be somebody like that purse snatcher you saw before.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine─ it’s fine─. I’ve already made defense goods so if anything happens, we’ll fight them off with the powerful flamethrower or one hundred million volts stun gun meant for repelling perverts, okay?”<br /> <br /> “……Try not to get caught red-handed for possession of dangerous articles.”<br /> <br /> “Got it, got it. Well then, we’ll come tomorrow or some other time to play again. Shasa-chan said to come play after all.”<br /> <br /> “Tomorrow? To the tower?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, that’s right, is there something about that?”<br /> <br /> “Well look, today is……”<br /> <br /> He pointed at the calendar on the table when Eyriey tilted her head.<br /> <br /> “''It’s the day of the barrier transfer ceremony. The day when the Queen relinquishes control over Hyouketsu Kyoukai to a Priestess. I think it’s Syun-rei’s turn this time.''“<br /> <br /> “At the previous barrier transfer……you remember, the barrier was broken. Ever since then, even within the tower, security is strengthened during the barrier transfer. It seems that the Regular Guards take shifts patrolling the tower so even entering is difficult.”<br /> <br /> “Hohoh, is that so?”<br /> <br /> But Eyriey still looked unconcerned and seemed to take something from his doubts.<br /> <br /> “But Shasa-chan said it’d be fine if I showed them this card.”<br /> <br /> “Card? Ahh, this is a badge. It’s the same as the mine…………”<br /> <br /> The plate was shining silver. While looking at the contents carved on its surface, Sheltis stood stock still, even forgetting to breathe.<br /> <br /> “……Eyriey.”<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> “Where did you get this?”<br /> <br /> “Ehehe, it’s amazing, right? Shasa-chan secretly gave me it.”<br /> <br /> “……Amazing……this is beyond that level.”<br /> <br /> The floor access carved into the badge was ‘''290''‘.<br /> <br /> Of the 291 aboveground floors that {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} had, every floor except the highest one, ‘''Paradise''‘ ── the display meant that she could freely come and go to even floor 290 which belonged to the Queen.<br /> <br /> ……Even Elite Guards shouldn’t be able to enter the Queen’s floor.<br /> <br /> ……This card is above that?<br /> <br /> To access the Queen’s floor, the sole method should be the elevator inoperable to anyone other than those with the authority of a Priestess or Sennenshi. Even Cadres Guard Ishtar can’t enter the Queen’s floor alone. Yet why does Eyriey, a civilian, have such an authoritative badge?<br /> <br /> “Eyriey, have you used this?”<br /> <br /> “Not yet, why?”<br /> <br /> “Nah……I’d like you to tell me if you can use this card. I’m a little interested in that Shasa person.”<br /> <br /> A clerk of the tower?<br /> <br /> Could a simple clerk prepare this badge so easily?<br /> <br /> “Ah─ it’s fine, it’s fine! I wanted to introduce you to Shasa-chan anyway. She’s really cute and nice so look forward to it! Then, see ya!”<br /> <br /> “Ahh, wait, Eyriey ──……sheesh, she’s really fast at these times.”<br /> <br /> He had no opportunity to call out to her. Looking at Eyriey who had grabbed Yuto’s hand and was running like the wind, Sheltis relaxed his shoulders and folded his arms.<br /> <br /> “……Shasa, huh. Was there somebody by that name amongst the tower’s clerks?”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 2===<br /> <br /> The cold passageway returned to silence.<br /> <br /> Ymy walked alone on the dim floor which was lit only by a faint night-light within the frozen air.<br /> <br /> Floor 22 of the tower.<br /> <br /> She did nothing but continue deeper into that floor which was a gigantic general medical facility.<br /> <br /> Past the giant lobby was A ward which was for emergency outpatients.<br /> <br /> Continuing further past that was B ward which was for treating heavily injured patients that had to be admitted.<br /> <br /> Further past that was C ward was for treating those with serious, life-threatening conditions.<br /> <br /> “…………Okay.”<br /> <br /> In front of the steel doors that filled her vision, Ymy nodded largely with the intention of spurring herself on.<br /> <br /> There was something carved on the door which shined dark grey ── a formal carved seal that gave off bluish white light. The last ward, D ward, which was isolated by shinryoku-infused doors lay beyond here.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> She placed her hand to the sensor at the side of the door.<br /> <br /> It happened soon after the faint shinryoku wavelength from her fingertips was read by a specialized device.<br /> <br /> “''Confirmation……regular link with the Shinryoku Theory Bureau……comparing……shinryoku waveform match…………confirming……identified as the fifth Priestess, Ymy Ele Soufflenictole.''“<br /> <br /> The doors opened in both directions with a stately sound.<br /> <br /> …………<br /> <br /> …………This is that kind of place.<br /> <br /> Ceiling, floor, corridor.<br /> <br /> There were formal carved seals applied to all of those. In the past, all the apprentice Priestesses had finished these by carving their shinryoku into the surfaces.<br /> <br /> If not for that, it would be impossible to shelter patients contaminated with mateki. At any rate, if a normal person were to touch a patient contaminated with mateki, they would be infected with the same mateki at that moment.<br /> <br /> “……Umm.”<br /> <br /> She had last come here over half a year ago. Ever since she’d tasted her first setback as the Baptism Priestess, it had become a place she did not wish to visit on her own accord.<br /> <br /> “D09, this is it.”<br /> <br /> She confirmed the room’s name many times and timidly opened the door.<br /> <br /> A pure white room ── the room’s ceiling, floor and walls were painted completely in white. A single boy continued to sleep there while attached to an artificial breathing apparatus. It was a small boy who was not even ten yet.<br /> <br /> “Good……morning.”<br /> <br /> There was no way a response would come. This boy had not opened his eyes even once since he was trapped in an eternal coma due to powerful mateki.<br /> <br /> “……Sorry……the truth is, I wanted to come earlier.”<br /> <br /> She might have been able to visit during the breaks between Priestess training. But she couldn’t. It would be miserable……she knew that her heart would only sink if she were to visit when she couldn’t cure him of his mateki.<br /> <br /> “? Huh, the vase……”<br /> <br /> A vase of azure glass sat by the window side which had its white curtains fluttering. In it was a single flower.<br /> <br /> ……There was nothing like this the last time I visited.<br /> <br /> Civilians were strictly forbidden from entering D ward. Even family were rarely allowed to meet the patient face-to-face. Then who exactly put this flower──<br /> <br /> “Does it not suit me?”<br /> <br /> “!”<br /> <br /> She turned around in a panic at the voice of the person who dropped by without a hint that she was there.<br /> <br /> “……Horn-san.”<br /> <br /> “I was wondering who would visit other than me.”<br /> <br /> The blinder-wearing Sennenshi leaned against the wall with her arms folded.<br /> <br /> “What is this? Are you trying to atone?”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “If you have no business, then leave. You probably haven’t come to say anything to Tessha.”<br /> <br /> …………<br /> <br /> …………That’s right, that might be true right now.<br /> <br /> Holding her breath, she forced her words of rebuttal back down.<br /> <br /> “You look like you want to say something.”<br /> <br /> “I won’t speak it.”<br /> <br /> Turning her back on Horn, she faced the door.<br /> <br /> There’s no meaning in telling her that I know that. That wouldn’t be enough to regain her lost confidence in me, nor would it cause this child to awaken.<br /> <br /> “I will convey it to this child with my shinryoku……it will definitely be conveyed.”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> In that room after the fifth Priestess left.<br /> <br /> “…………What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Biting down on the corner of her lip, Horn muttered that with disdain.<br /> <br /> “……A dream……hope is not something you should put into words so lightly.”<br /> <br /> As great as the sadness when hope is crushed and as deep as the despair when a dream is lost. In truth, not a single Priestess had been able to purify the mateki of this boy who continued to sleep.<br /> <br /> ……That’s right: they can’t.<br /> <br /> It was mateki that had beaten her sister Viola and even the first Priestess, Elmeetia.<br /> <br /> “──Tessha.”<br /> <br /> She placed a hand to the forehead of the boy who continued to have his eyelids shut. She would not be able to touch him either if not for her Guard formal wear.<br /> <br /> “Wait for me, I will definitely save you.”<br /> <br /> She would find the Yuugenshu that commanded this mateki and subjugate it. She would find it even if it took months or years, and even if she had to traverse from one end of {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} to the other.<br /> <br /> “…………It’s time.”<br /> <br /> She glanced at the clock on the wall near the ceiling.<br /> <br /> “Well then, Tessha, I’ll be going to the orphanage. I’ll make sure to greet everyone on your behalf as well.”<br /> <br /> Horn gently held the boy’s hand then left the room.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 3===<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, are you awake? Will you answer me, Sheltis?''“<br /> <br /> His comrade’s voice suddenly came from the communications device attached to the ceiling.<br /> <br /> “……Fue? Kagura?”<br /> <br /> He poked just his head out of the sheets from atop his bed. He shook his sleepy brain and looked at the clock even while rubbing his vacant eyes.<br /> <br /> “Please at least let me sleep until it’s time for training. ……Eyriey and Yuto were here not too long ago.”<br /> <br /> “''Don’t talk in your sleep and get up. I’ll be coming to your room in five minutes so wash your face and get changed before then please.''“<br /> <br /> “Eh, wai……wait, Kagura, at least fifteen minutes ── h-huh? Kagura? Kagura?”<br /> <br /> “''…………''“<br /> <br /> The communications device clicked and went silent.<br /> <br /> “……What was that?”<br /> <br /> Raising his upper body off the body, Sheltis supported his head.<br /> <br /> “Good morning, and what a nice morning it is.”<br /> <br /> “Morning. ……Though it’s still really early.”<br /> <br /> 3:27. Not even ten minutes had passed since Eyriey and Yuto had left. Thanks to that, even his plan of sleeping right up until it was time to train at four was coming to nothing.<br /> <br /> “At any rate, it’s something requiring immediate attention.”<br /> <br /> Kagura with the machine helmet worn low over her eyes was as usual, without a hint of sleepiness.<br /> <br /> “……Kagura, weren’t you not a morning person?”<br /> <br /> “That’s right. But I became wide awake after seeing that.”<br /> <br /> “That?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, and I’ll be borrowing your work desk for a bit.”<br /> <br /> Without waiting for an answer, she took up a position at his desk. Just when he wondered what she was doing, she reached out to the monitor and computer and started typing something quickly.<br /> <br /> “That?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, the famous agency terminal that’s useless to us Guards.”<br /> <br /> Kagura typed in her own login ID and opened window after window. Even as he looked on from behind, he had no idea what was coming because he didn’t recognize any of the windows.<br /> <br /> “Sheltis, what I’m about to show you is an anonymous message left on the General Affairs Bureau and Tower Management Bureau’s digital bulletin boards.<br /> <br /> “What about it?”<br /> <br /> Her fingers that were typing at a high speed stopped for an instant.<br /> <br /> “I’ll say this ahead of time……please be prepared.”<br /> <br /> Clack.<br /> <br /> The instant she pushed the last key, all of the windows on the monitor vanished. In it’s place appeared a single article upon a blue background.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''To all of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}──''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “……It’s addressed to everybody in {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}?”<br /> <br /> He looked down lower with disinterest.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''To all of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}──''<br /> <br /> ''I shall teach you a valuable secret.''<br /> <br /> ''A Yuugenshu has changed its form to that of a person and disguised itself as one of your Guards. In order to draw it out, I recommend exposing all the tower’s Guards to the Priestesses’ baptism spells.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> An absurd amount of time was required for him to process what the message meant.<br /> <br /> ……It can’t be that the Guard this message is indicating.<br /> <br /> He could tell that his fingertips were shaking.<br /> <br /> “…………What……this kind of tasteless message.”<br /> <br /> Straining his voice, that was all he could say.<br /> <br /> ……Is this about me?<br /> <br /> ……Just who did this……who’s trying to agitate the tower’s unease?<br /> <br /> “That’s why I told you to prepare yourself.”<br /> <br /> Kagura nodded while lounging back on the chair.<br /> <br /> “It was sent simultaneously to every one of these agency terminals. Right about now, the executives of the tower should be thinking it’s a prank but they might change their minds.”<br /> <br /> “''Hmm, can I ask something? I should have realized it as well if they sent it to the agency terminals. Especially if it’s related to the Guards, I regularly perform keyword checks.''“<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} blinked while not able to understand that one thing.<br /> <br /> That was a given as {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}}’ sensors spread out to cover the entire electrical system. It would be strange for {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} not to notice something that Kagura did.<br /> <br /> “By the way, it seems the Guard Regulations Institute……in other words, the Guard Control Bureau received this message late. If we consider that the Environmental Bureau and the Mechanical Bureau and the others received it at the same time, the chance that sending it to the Guard Control Bureau was delayed is high.”<br /> <br /> “……I get it. My searches prioritize the Guard Regulations Institute first of all so I was late in discovering it because of that.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. In my case, I also hold the title of a computer researcher of the Tower Management Bureau. Thanks to logging in with my ID from there, I managed to be one of the first to read this message.”<br /> <br /> Kagura sighed after removing her machine helmet.<br /> <br /> “I don’t think there’s any need to explain who this is talking about.”<br /> <br /> “…………Yeah.”<br /> <br /> He didn’t know who was behind it, but it was a sly tactic.<br /> <br /> While asserting that it had changed forms to that of a Guard, it agitated their unease without revealing the Guard’s name. Saying that they should expose everybody to the Priestesses’ baptism spells was also of the same type of method. This was basically saying to expose who this was in front of the surrounding Guards and Instructors.<br /> <br /> “I’d just like to ask but what will happen if this actually gets implemented?”<br /> <br /> “……It’s not something I’d like to think much about.”<br /> <br /> Shinryoku was like deadly poison to his body which was afflicted with mateki.<br /> <br /> If it was a Priestess-level baptism spell, even if Elbert Resonance did not occur, light wounds similar to burns would be received.<br /> <br /> “As a silver lining, the tower’s executives are also pretty much disregarding this message. There have been numerous messages received in the past that aimed to fan up the unease of the tower.”<br /> <br /> “……Is it okay if I have faith in that?”<br /> <br /> “The basis for that is in who this message was addressed to.”<br /> <br /> Kagura nodded. She temporarily removed the window being displayed and continued on to open several windows at the same time.<br /> <br /> “See, even if I search for it, it’s only spits out red errors. Nobody within the tower or the Living Districts sent this.”<br /> <br /> “''It came from outside {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}; in other words, it’s was sent remotely from somewhere in the {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}}.''“<br /> <br /> “That’s what it means. It would still carry credibility if it were from someone within the tower. However, how would somebody from outside {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} know information like there being a Yuugenshu who changed forms into a Guard when nobody within the tower knows? ── The executives are also thinking that; well, it is the appropriate conclusion.”<br /> <br /> “……From outside {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}, huh.”<br /> <br /> That would have to be how it is. There should be no way somebody from the <br /> {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}} which lay outside of {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} would know that secret which only a handful of people knew. Anybody would think that way.<br /> <br /> ……Then that’s even more reason.<br /> <br /> ……Who is it that knows my secret despite not being on {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}?<br /> <br /> “Kagura and Ilis, do either of you know where in the {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}} this was sent from?”<br /> <br /> “''……I’m trying my best but narrowing the scope to a certain extent is the utmost I can manage.''“<br /> <br /> “Same here. It looks like it will be a harsh challenge. Of course the sender’s name was also blank; basically, they’re anonymous.”<br /> <br /> If that was what these two said, then he wouldn’t receive a favorable response no matter who he asked.<br /> <br /> “……Thank you, Kagura, it really helped me that you told me about this.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. But what will you do from now on? We have early morning training scheduled for today but will you fabricate some excuse and investigate?”<br /> <br /> “No.”<br /> <br /> He shook his head at Kagura’s idea and stood from his chair.<br /> <br /> “It would like asking people to doubt me if I took a break immediately after this. I’ll train normally and think about this after that’s over.”<br /> <br /> “''That would be the most natural. I will be keeping track of all the executives’ movements so I’ll inform you if something happens.''“<br /> <br /> “I see. Understood……however, one thing.”<br /> <br /> He could feel Kagura’s gaze through the eyeshade of her machine helmet.<br /> <br /> “What is it?”<br /> <br /> “You can ignore this case. I have a feeling that Monica will come to suspect your mateki someday. I believe it would be best if you think about what you will say to her at that time.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> He averted his eyes from the steady gaze of the Nell girl.<br /> <br /> “……I’ll think about that at a different time. I have to focus on training and this case for now.”<br /> <br /> It took his utmost to say just that.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 4===<br /> <br /> A rocky area with boulders large enough that one had to look up at them obstructed the way.<br /> <br /> It was a high-difficult field that necessitated Running between the rocks on a path that wasn’t a path and occasionally jumping from boulder to boulder.<br /> <br /> “─is, ─ltis.”<br /> <br /> Sweat trickled down his brow as he jumped from a large boulder to the next.<br /> <br /> It had been dark when their early morning training started but now the sunlight coming from overhead was steadily raising the temperature.<br /> <br /> “Sheltis, are you listening!?”<br /> <br /> “……! Wawaa, wh-what? What is it?”<br /> <br /> Sheltis finally came back to his senses after having his name called right next to his ear.<br /> <br /> “It looks like you didn’t hear me.”<br /> <br /> “……Sorry.”<br /> <br /> Sheesh ── Monica had a wry smile on as she ran beside him.<br /> <br /> “It was about our next mission. I was asking if there was anything you wanted.”<br /> <br /> “……Then,”<br /> <br /> While jumping down to the slanted boulder ahead.<br /> <br /> “I’ve said it before but I’d like for us to gain experience in policing the Nature District and escorting VIPs. Since there are many missions like that after becoming Regular Guards.”<br /> <br /> “That’s what I thought as well so I looked into it but both of those kinds of missions are out of stock.”<br /> <br /> “Darn, really?”<br /> <br /> “I meant to talk about that earlier but I guess you weren’t listening then either.”<br /> <br /> Monica went from having a bitter smile on her face to slightly narrowing her eyes.<br /> <br /> “It’s strange for you to be inattentive during training; did something happen?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, no……I think I’m fine.”<br /> <br /> He couldn’t say that he was helplessly interested in the anonymous message the tower had received.<br /> <br /> ……I don’t like the feeling of it.<br /> <br /> ……This might be the first time I’ve been unable to concentrate on training this badly.<br /> <br /> “About the missions, if those are the circumstances, then I’m fine with other missions. Those two are the important ones but it would be imbalanced if we didn’t take any other missions at all……the Governmental Sector one was a little stressing so maybe we should take a more comfortable one next.”<br /> <br /> “''Ah, then maybe you should go for the night patrol shift?''“<br /> <br /> The mission of taking shifts to patrol {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s grounds ── when Cadet Guards were about to take on an important mission, that was one of the types of missions used to warm up. Even if it was night, it was within {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s territory so there was hardly any danger and even if there was, Instructors and Regular Guards could rush over immediately.<br /> <br /> “Yeah, it seems like we could start patrolling the tower even starting today.”<br /> <br /> “That’s right but I’ve been hearing that there have been a lot of troublesome things even in patrolling the tower lately, you know? Criminals looking for a reaction……there’s a troublesome bunch looking to slip past the security and infiltrate the grounds. Did you see that tasteless message this morning?”<br /> <br /> “When you say message……”<br /> <br /> “The one about there being a Yuugenshu mixed in amongst the Guards, or did you not see it?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, well…………”<br /> <br /> Having the question asked so forthrightly, he unintentionally was strained for words.<br /> <br /> “……I saw it. Yeah.”<br /> <br /> “Right? Jeez, trying to make the Guards waver with that, there’s a limit to how much they can try to make a fool of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}.”<br /> <br /> While jumping from rock to rock, the indignant Monica raised a brow.<br /> <br /> “……Monica, would you find it unpleasant if there really was someone like that?”<br /> <br /> “Hm?”<br /> <br /> “Um, well, how to say this, it’s a little different from a Yuugenshu but…………if there was someone amongst the Guards carrying mateki.”<br /> <br /> “? I don’t really get it but nothing other than the Yuugenshu carry mateki, right? That shouldn’t happen, but wouldn’t it be dangerous if there was one in the tower?”<br /> <br /> She had a confused expression.<br /> <br /> Only Yuugenshu carried mateki. If the former apprentice Priestess were to say, her definition of a Yuugenshu would probably be “whether it possesses mateki or not”.<br /> <br /> In other words, he would also count as a Yuugenshu by her definition because he was endowed with mateki.<br /> <br /> ……That’s right.<br /> <br /> ……Monica’s reaction is definitely normal.<br /> <br /> “Sheltis, were you perhaps seriously thinking about that message?”<br /> <br /> “N-Nothing of the sort? But you know, I kinda wonder where that message was sent from.”<br /> <br /> “It seems like an investigation would happen should it pass a certain threshold, but I doubt it will happen for this. It’s obvious to anyone at first glance that it’s a nasty joke, after all. It’s best to ignore those.”<br /> <br /> “……Yeah.”<br /> <br /> He relaxed his fist that he’d unconsciously clenched and took a deep breath. Renewing the stagnated air within his lungs, Sheltis jumped down from the final boulder.<br /> <br /> “Whew, we’re finally done.”<br /> <br /> Monica wiped off the large beads of sweat flowing endlessly off her and looked up at the sky.<br /> <br /> “It will be noon soon so we’ll end the morning part here. From 3 PM, we have a lecture at the meeting room so we’ll gather there.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? What about Kagura and Vaiel?”<br /> <br /> “Over there.”<br /> <br /> The direction Monica pointed to ── the two of them were being chased around by the whip-wielding Instructor Yumelda.<br /> <br /> “It looks like the Instructor is personally coaching them because they’re normally absent from training. They said they’d be doing it until just before the unit battles so I don’t think it will end for a little while yet.”<br /> <br /> “……I see.”<br /> <br /> “I was planning on heading to the cafeteria so would you like to join me for lunch?”<br /> <br /> “Umm.”<br /> <br /> He nodded reflexively but swallowed his words in a hurry.<br /> <br /> “Sorry……I have something to do. I apologize but I need to head back to my room once.”<br /> <br /> “Is that so?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, but I’ll make sure to be at the meeting room. ──See you!”<br /> <br /> Making a small wave with his hand, Sheltis ran straight along the paved road to {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}.<br /> <br /> ===Part 5===<br /> <br /> The impressive stained glass colorfully refracted the sun’s rays shining down brilliantly.<br /> <br /> The light and sound and, needless to say, the air of that place were serene ── a single female Guard trudged along in that floor serene with holiness.<br /> <br /> “……Hr─m, this might be a probleeem.”&lt;ref&gt;[T/N: I've decided now that any time somebody stretches out a word, I'm gonna triple one of the letters.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> The second and third Priestesses. This floor was prepared for them as well as the Sennenshi guarding them and was reversed as holy ground by all the Guards and apprentice Priestesses.<br /> <br /> To one day become the owner of this floor ── it was an place aspired towards for those aiming to become a Priestess or Sennenshi.<br /> <br /> “Hr─m, hr─m, I wonder what was wrooong.”<br /> <br /> Nevertheless, there was not a trace of nervousness about the woman shouldering a large metal spear.<br /> <br /> She spoke to herself with her arms folded and a frown on her face.<br /> <br /> On this floor where other Guards would become unable to walk straight due to nerves, she continued as if she’d just been invited over to a dear friend’s house.<br /> <br /> “So the cause really is a dislike of vegetables? No, no, it might be the arrangement. ……Hr─m.”<br /> <br /> “You seem to be enjoying yourself, Ishtar-san.”<br /> <br /> A voice called out and stopped her.<br /> <br /> She had flaxen hair and light brown eyes and wore a vestment crafted from a single cloth.<br /> <br /> “Ah─, it’s Viola-sama; we haven’t contacted each other at allll.”<br /> <br /> “It has been a while. You seem as energetic as ever. I was wondering if you would be a Sennenshi the next time I returned to the tower.”<br /> <br /> “Ehehe, Ishtar is still inexperienced.”<br /> <br /> “Is that so? See, I heard that Ymy is still undecided on a Sennenshi.”<br /> <br /> “……Ahh, that’s right.”<br /> <br /> A small laugh leaked out from the Guard’s lips.<br /> <br /> “Well, that’s Ymy-sama’s decision─. Her destiny, so to speak.”<br /> <br /> “That’s true. By the way, are you dealing with a difficult issue? It’s rare for you to make a troubled face so I ended up calling out to you.”<br /> <br /> “……Uu. That’s actually riiight. I’m troubled about my little sister, I’sa-chan. Would you care to listen?”<br /> <br /> The Cadres Guard drooped her shoulders with a heavy and dark expression.<br /> <br /> “Yes. As a fellow older sister.”<br /> <br /> “Well then! I made omurice for my super precious I’sa-chan a little while ago for her lunch, okaaay.”<br /> <br /> “How wonderful. Ishtar-san, you truly care for your little sister.”<br /> <br /> “That’s right─. But listen to this: I’sa-chan was happy up until I said I’d make her omurice……but she was suddenly in a bad mood when the time to eat came around and finally ended up bursting into tears.”<br /> <br /> “Oh my, my. Pardon my asking but how did it taste?”<br /> <br /> Faced with Viola who was tilting her head, Ishtar shook her head largely from side to side.<br /> <br /> “It was perfect─. At any rate, we’ve been together for over ten years. I have a clear understanding of what I’sa-chan prefers for taste and presentation.”<br /> <br /> “Oh dear, then it really is a difficult problem. I wonder if anything happened to worsen your little sister’s mood.”<br /> <br /> “……Hr─m, I don’t have any ideaaa.”<br /> <br /> Ishtar looked troubled to the core.<br /> <br /> “Rather, to make her happy, I tried to feed her while saying, ‘''Here you go─, I’sa-chan. It’s luuunch, it’s deliciousss.''‘ Then I’sa-chan suddenly stood up and yelled ‘''Onee-sama, you idiooot──''‘ and ran away crying while still holding her spoon.”<br /> <br /> “…………Well, that.”<br /> <br /> “Right? It’s strange, right?”<br /> <br /> “…………I think it’s because your sister is at the age of independence. You could say she’s really sensitive.”<br /> <br /> “Is that sooo?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, I as well……it’s not something unrelated to me.”<br /> <br /> A shadow clouded the Priestess’ eyes and she smiled a little bitterly.<br /> <br /> “That’s riiight, we’re both troubled by our little sisters. But Horn-chan is strong, so I think she’ll be fine no matter what happens, you knooow? I’sa-chan still can’t fight a Yuugenshu alooone.”<br /> <br /> “Strength isn’t limited to excellence.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Ishtar is also of that opinion.”<br /> <br /> Her expression suddenly brightened and then.<br /> <br /> “─Well then, '''shall we switch topics to that'''? '''About Horn-chan'''.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> With those few words.<br /> <br /> That wide floor returned to silence as if frozen.<br /> <br /> “I knew it.”<br /> <br /> Her lips shaking with a giggle, the third Priestess didn’t attempt to hide her smile.<br /> <br /> “Ishtar-san really is Ishtar-san. There’s no way you as the Cadres Guard came here for no reason. You had business with me from the start, didn’t you?”<br /> <br /> “Of course─. If not, I wouldn’t be on this flooor; I’d be chasing I’sa-chan who ran off.”<br /> <br /> “……Ah, so the omurice story was true.”<br /> <br /> “……Though it’s regrettable, it’s true.”<br /> <br /> Bursting into laughter once when she saw the Cadres Guard sighing once more, Viola pointed in the direction of her room.<br /> <br /> “Shall we speak in my room?”<br /> <br /> “No, no, don’t worry. I’m fine if we continue to stand while talking. The story about I’sa-chan was the longer one.”<br /> <br /> “It’s scary if it’s too short as well. Well then, let’s continue.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. Come to think of it, a long time ago, Horn-chan wanted to search for some Yuugenshu. What was the individual name for that?”<br /> <br /> “‘''S vector, eight class''‘. The only witnesses were……children from the orphanage that went on a picnic. I’m told that it looked like a small black kitten when they first found it and enlarged when the children neared it, then attacked them. We’ve also received information that when the Regular Guards that went to combat it thought they had defeated it, it would immediately regenerate.”<br /> <br /> “Hohhh hohhh, so if that was found, Horn-chan would fly out of the tower, ignoring orders from anybody.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “At that time, will Viola-sama be able to stop Horn-chan’s rampage?”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 6===<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 11, Cadet Guard residences.<br /> <br /> “……It’s scary seeing this.”<br /> <br /> Returning to his room, Sheltis booted up the agency terminal at his work desk.<br /> <br /> He entered in his member ID that was carved into his badge and windows popped up rapidly on the monitor. Finally, his fingers that were operating the keys came to a stop at the screen showing the mail.<br /> <br /> Received mail ‘''1''‘<br /> <br /> Sender ‘ ‘<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''To all of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}──''<br /> <br /> ''I shall teach you a valuable secret.''<br /> <br /> ''A Yuugenshu has changed its form to that of a person and disguised itself as one of your Guards. In order to draw it out, I recommend exposing all the tower’s Guards to the Priestesses’ baptism spells.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “One message received and the sender is unknown……this is it.”<br /> <br /> “''Yes, it’s the same as the message Kagura showed you. It really did arrive later than hers. Though the motive for that in unknown.''“<br /> <br /> “……No developments; that’s a relief.”<br /> <br /> He breathed a sigh of relief as he relaxed.<br /> <br /> If a second message had been sent while he was training and the name of the corresponding Guard were written ── he had only avoided that worst-case scenario.<br /> <br /> “''Even putting the Priestesses’ baptism spells aside, starting with Ymy, Meimel and Syun-rei are also aware of you. If it comes to it, you should be able to deceive the others with their assistance.''“<br /> <br /> “……But we can’t solve the root of the problem like that.”<br /> <br /> The sender was somebody outside of {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}, meaning they were somewhere on the distant {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}}. But that sender’s name was blank. It was the same as having nary a clue.<br /> <br /> ……Somebody outside of {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} who knows of me?<br /> <br /> ……The Governmental Sector? No, even within the Governmental Sector, there shouldn’t be anybody this well-informed.<br /> <br /> “I wonder if my weakness has been grasped.”<br /> <br /> “''As long as your opponent’s identity remains unspecified, this will be a one-sided defensive battle.''“<br /> <br /> With his weakness in hand, the other party might come to him with negotiations. It was like grabbing at clouds but he also required information on the opponent.<br /> <br /> “''I’ll do my best and it seems like Kagura will also render assistance.''“<br /> <br /> “Thanks. I’d also like to think of somebody likely but the message is written like this and the name is also a blank space………………blank, ……blank……space?”<br /> <br /> …………Blank?<br /> <br /> What is this……nagging feeling?<br /> <br /> Something……maybe I……am overlooking something really important?<br /> <br /> “''What’s wro──''“<br /> <br /> “Wait!……I need to concentrate.”<br /> <br /> He even stopped breathing as he focused on thinking.<br /> <br /> There was no name attached to the mail. It was a blank field without a single character written in it. But what if the fact that there is no name is the most important part of this message?<br /> <br /> ……Blank……blank……empty…………that basically means bla…………bla……nk.”&lt;ref&gt;[T/N: This is really hard to put into English because the furigana says &quot;blank&quot; when there's more variation. The first part is 空欄 (blank space). The second one is ブランク which is the wasei-eigo (Japanese-style English) form of the word blank, pronounced buranku. Third part is 空っぽ which means &quot;empty&quot; like an empty room. The last little bit is 空白 which is the kanji for Igun-I's name.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> …………'''There is someone'''.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Hey, Sheltis, I’ve been awaiting the time we would meet in this world.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> There was just one person. A person who identified themselves as ‘''{{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}}''‘.<br /> <br /> The assassin from the unnamed third organization that attacked the Governmental Sector together with {{furigana|Golden|Maha}}. He had confronted him at the floor where Mikuva’s Crimson Eye shone, that pitch black──<br /> <br /> “……Igun-I.”<br /> <br /> “''Eh?''“<br /> <br /> “Ilis, you should remember as well, about that creepy guy we met at the Governmental Sector. He was looking down at us from atop the ‘''Crimson Eye''‘ and, in the end, said he had been waiting for me and wanted to meet me.”<br /> <br /> “''He called himself {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}}……ahh, I get it. It’s the type of joke that I’m not good with. ……But I wonder if it’s really that person. Is there some kind of proof to confirm this?''“<br /> <br /> “There’s no proof; it’s really just intuition.”<br /> <br /> But he could feel it.<br /> <br /> This commotion within him like shivers was telling him that his intuition was correct.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Chase me if you want to know the truth. Now, Sheltis, please chase after me. That will be the beginning of everything.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ……The beginning of everything.<br /> <br /> ……What awaits me after I chase him?<br /> <br /> “Is this to lure me out?”<br /> <br /> “''It’s a problem that we can’t say you’re over-thinking things. Truthfully, I also have my doubts about that person. I’m curious as to who he is.''“<br /> <br /> “You’re also interested?”<br /> <br /> “''Yes. The truth is, that person, that was my──''“<br /> <br /> Immediately after.<br /> <br /> The crystal portion that was shining brilliantly in blue lost its light and changed to a dark grey.<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> “……No, I won’t say. It’s too much to say for a guess. At any rate, pinning down the enemy’s objective is a silver lining. We may be able to figure out a countermeasure so it’s most important.”<br /> <br /> He clenched his fist atop his lap.<br /> <br /> And──<br /> <br /> “Oh?”<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} who had lowered the intensity of her light flashed once again.<br /> <br /> “Hey, hey, Sheltis, an urgent mission is being announced by the Guard Regulations Institute. The location is the Biotope’s S vector section……on the bank of a large salt lake. The nearest patrolling unit of Regular Guards is performing an emergency response so they wish for the Cadet Guards to also participate as a supporting unit.”<br /> <br /> “It’s by the Instructor’s recommendation so there’s a chance we might be called.”<br /> <br /> It was the same as the time the Regular Guard unit was wiped out by Golden Maha. The primary force would be Elite Guards and Regular Guards and Cadet Guards recommended by the Instructor would act as support for them.<br /> <br /> “What are the mission details?”<br /> <br /> “''It’s the subjugation of a Yuugenshu. It broke through the encirclement……no……but this is…………?''“<br /> <br /> Separating from her momentary silence, {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} continued.<br /> <br /> “''There was a previous report about this Yuugenshu being sighted. Please wait a moment, I will retrieve the information from {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s Yuugenshu list.''“<br /> <br /> “……It’s a strong one.”<br /> <br /> It was no coincidence that it had escaped once in the past and broken through the encirclement this time.<br /> <br /> There was a high chance that it possessed a special type of mateki or exceedingly powerful mateki. To kill it for certain, two or three Regular Guard units would be required for a medium-sized one and three for a large-sized one.<br /> <br /> “──”<br /> <br /> He held fast to his card-shaped badge that shined silver. An order to gather from the Instructor might be sent to this badge at any time.<br /> <br /> ……If it’s a strong Yuugenshu, two or three Cadet Guard units might be necessary.<br /> <br /> ……Maybe Monica’s badge has already been contacted at this time?<br /> <br /> “Ilis, how is the retrieval?”<br /> <br /> “''I just finished the comparison of the entire list, or in other words, the verification checks. The result of a comparison with {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s list yielded one full match. ……But this is troublesome.''“<br /> <br /> “The Yuugenshu?”<br /> <br /> “''Yes. You remember the area I said that the Yuugenshu was found in?''“<br /> <br /> “A large salt lake. You said it was in the Biotope’s S vector section──”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''We Priestesses call that ‘''delayed sin type''‘ mateki. ‘''S vector, eighth class''‘……that’s the common name of the Yuugenshu that Horn-san is chasing after.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ……The Yuugenshu Ymy had told him about that time.<br /> <br /> “It can’t be.”<br /> <br /> The reason {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} said it was troublesome.<br /> <br /> ……The one {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} is chasing after now is the one Horn is chasing after?<br /> <br /> ……In that case, this is bad.<br /> <br /> “If somebody is afflicted with that one’s mateki──”<br /> <br /> “''Yes. It is mateki that cannot be purified even with the power of the Priestesses. Before victims appear amongst the Guards, swift subjugation of the Yuugenshu is necessary. In the worst case scenario, we will need to tell Ymy.''“<br /> <br /> The problem was Horn Nova.<br /> <br /> She should have also received this information. She should be desiring a one-on-one conclusive battle with that Yuugenshu. But even for a Sennenshi like her, fighting a Yuugenshu whose mateki even a Priestess couldn’t purify while not in a calm state was too dangerous.<br /> <br /> “……Ilis. Tell Monica to get ready to head out at once.”<br /> <br /> He stood up without turning off the terminal.<br /> <br /> He once again put on the jacket he had taken off and fastened the holders at his belt.<br /> <br /> ……I’ll leave the thing with Igun-I until later.<br /> <br /> ……This takes priority.<br /> <br /> “''Are you heading out?''“<br /> <br /> “I’ll head to floor 288 first; we need to stop Horn if she’s planning on running off ahead alone.”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 7===<br /> <br /> The third Living District.<br /> <br /> On {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}, it was the section that boasted the largest area of those which were inhabitable. The first Living District had {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} at its center so the primary residents were Guards of the tower or clerks that worked there. The second Living District was a commercial area with many varieties of shops lined up. Compared with those, this was more of a quiet area with houses.<br /> <br /> “It’s been a while since I walked down this road.”<br /> <br /> The intersection was dyed with the brilliant yellow colors of autumn.<br /> <br /> Laying here and there along the road were flower beds made with brick and even now, kindergarten children were enthusiastically tending to them.<br /> <br /> “……Time flows differently here compared to the tower.”<br /> <br /> The fragrance of the flowers made him want to stop without thinking. In that place.<br /> <br /> Pressing down on her chest at the nostalgic scene that hadn’t changed one bit since she had been raised here, Horn smiled without realizing it.<br /> <br /> “……I wonder if everyone’s doing well.”<br /> <br /> In the third Living District, there was an orphanage near Minamitoori Park.<br /> <br /> Children without relatives, children who had been entrusted to them by busy parents, children who could not open their hearts to the those around them in kindergarten or elementary school ── they were everywhere but this was a facility that gathered up those children who needed a helping hand. It was a place akin to her family’s residence.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> In response to her high spirits, her steps quickened.<br /> <br /> Advancing straight through the intersection filled with summer breezes and immediately after cutting left at the corner with conspicuous giant fir trees lined up, a building whose special trait was its fully white triangular roof leapt into her line of sight.<br /> <br /> “──That’s right. They’ll be frightened if I wear this.”<br /> <br /> She put her hands behind her head and unfastened the tightly bound knot.<br /> <br /> The blinder fell with a swishing sound.<br /> <br /> “……On the other hand, it’s hard on me without this.”<br /> <br /> She looked down at the blindfold that had fallen onto her palm and smiled wryly.<br /> <br /> A blurred world.<br /> <br /> The blinder, her palm, the surrounding trees, the building; everything had two images.<br /> <br /> The territorial type shinryoku spell that the sisters, Horn and Viola, possessed inherently ── it was a side effect of the power called ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘.<br /> <br /> That was the power to see just slightly into the future.<br /> <br /> It made shooting after reading where the opponent would dodge to possible and could be called a Heavenly blessing for a gunner. However, at the same time, the fact that she couldn’t control it herself was a weakness. Because the world of the present she saw with her own eyes and the world of the future shown by ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘ would overlap and blur, if she continued to view both, her brain would be unable to keep up and she would experience dizziness.<br /> <br /> ……Since I was born.<br /> <br /> ……Because I’m different from nee-san.<br /> <br /> Her older sister Viola had acquired the technique for controlling ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘ as she piled on training as an apprentice Priestess. For she who could not do that, she was still using this blinder. By blocking off the world seen by her eyes and viewing only the world of the future from ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘, she was somehow able to keep her brain’s fatigue to a minimum.<br /> <br /> “Well, it can’t be helped.”<br /> <br /> She could feel some dizziness from just removing the blinder but she was meeting with the children again for the first time in a while.<br /> <br /> Still holding onto the blindfold, she walked closer to the orphanage’s gate──<br /> <br /> “Ah, nee-chan!”<br /> <br /> “Ain’t this Horn-nee-chan, hasn’t it been so long!?”<br /> <br /> The kids who were in front of the orphanage’s fence opened the gate in high spirits and ran over.<br /> <br /> “Hey, hey, where did you go this time? Did you fight with a dragon again?”<br /> <br /> “The same place as always. I didn’t fight with an earth dragon but I did find a wyvern nest. See, I came here with pictures of it.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, hey, Horn-nee-chan! I baked cookies yesterday. I’ll share some with you.”<br /> <br /> “Thank you, Nachez, but you worked hard to make these cookies so you should share them with everyone.”<br /> <br /> Even in the time was petting the girl’s head, kids appeared one after the other.<br /> <br /> Children that tugged on her clothes and children that hopped up on her back. There were likely more than thirty of them altogether and each of them was running over with a full smile.<br /> <br /> “Oh my, I was wondering who it was with all these joyful shouts.”<br /> <br /> Following the multitude of children, an elderly woman walked over slowly from inside the building.<br /> <br /> “It has been a while since we last talked, Matron. You seem well.”<br /> <br /> Standing up, she bowed.<br /> <br /> ──If somebody from {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} saw this, they’d doubt their eyes.<br /> <br /> A Sennenshi who held a top position in the tower and moreover, that Horn Nova, taking such a low profile and even coming into contact with somebody with a smile was a scene that not a single one had seen.<br /> <br /> “To be honest, I was worried. I heard that the Yuugenshu invasion had also reached here. Was there any damage done?”<br /> <br /> The day all those living upon {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} feared.<br /> <br /> The day Hyouketsu Kyoukai was broken and an unprecedented large-scale invasion was carried out by the Yuugenshu. She had heard that this orphanage had also been attacked and corroded by mateki.<br /> <br /> “Of course we are all fine; we all evacuated to the shelters.”<br /> <br /> “What about the mateki? Was the decaying okay?”<br /> <br /> “……The decaying was horrible. The gate was broken and the interior was corroded by mateki to tatters. ……Just for that moment, I wondered if it was the end for this place.”<br /> <br /> Perhaps she was remembering that time because the Matron’s expression turned rigid.<br /> <br /> “……My apologies. {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s power was not enough.”<br /> <br /> “It’s not your fault. And besides, now it’s back to as it was before. Hasn’t even the mateki been cleanly purified?”<br /> <br /> The Matron of the orphanage’s reaction was slackened as she pointed with a cheerful gaze.<br /> <br /> “Yes. It has been wonderfully purified.”<br /> <br /> There would be traces leftover even after purification when corrosion occurred through powerful mateki. But no such traces were here in this park. The fence, gate and ground’s curses had been completely purified. The one who had performed the purification had done a good job.<br /> <br /> “A good apprentice Priestess came here.”<br /> <br /> “It was a Priestess.”&lt;ref&gt;[T/N: I'm dropping adding -sama to English words unless it's a name. I feel like it sounds retarded...]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> “A Priestess spent the entire night going around this area and purifying it. Even though she was so young, she passed the night without taking a break. She even talked to each of the children.”<br /> <br /> “……Who was this?”<br /> <br /> “It was Ymy-sama. I hear that she’s known as the Baptism Priestess and she certainly lived up to it.”<br /> <br /> “…………Is that so.”<br /> <br /> A bitter taste was mixed into her mouth.<br /> <br /> “Oh my, what’s wrong?”<br /> <br /> “…………It’s nothing; I was just thinking that I’m glad you’re all safe.”<br /> <br /> “Of course, and that’s all thanks to you sisters as well.”<br /> <br /> The Matron hugged the children clinging to her.<br /> <br /> “This orphanage……we might not have been able to rebuild it without your assistance. I truly am thankful.”<br /> <br /> “I am glad if we could repay even a single portion of our gratitude for your raising us. Nee-san and I are both pupils of this orphanage, after all.”<br /> <br /> “Amazing─! Horn-nee-chan’s like a man!? Nee-chan, aren’t you actually a guy!?”<br /> <br /> “……Do you want to get dropped from there, Ragna-kun?”<br /> <br /> “Uwaa, i-it was just a little joke, nee-chan. Hey, hey, if I enter ‘''Sophia''‘ like nee-chan and work hard, can I become strong?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, definitely───”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Do you corner somebody dear to you with that tone too?''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> An instant.<br /> <br /> The words of the Cadet Guard that had criticized her at {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} ran through the back of her mind.<br /> <br /> …………<br /> <br /> ……What was that? Why would I remember that at this time?<br /> <br /> Even though normally she wouldn’t remember the words of a riffraff Cadet Guard like that, much less react to it.<br /> <br /> “''Err……umm, I was fascinated by how amazing Captain Horn is.''“<br /> <br /> “''I……If I practice, will I be able to become like the Captain──''“<br /> <br /> ……I see, that time.<br /> <br /> It may have been because she had a similar conversation before that Cadet Guard said that to her. The conversation she had exchanged with the maintenance officer boy when she had entrusted him with the guns’ maintenance.<br /> <br /> ……What was my reply to Catria at that time?<br /> <br /> “''Discard pointless thoughts.''“<br /> <br /> “''I don’t need unskilled people in my unit. If you’re going to subject yourself to techniques unsuited for your height, leave my unit before the end of today.''“<br /> <br /> “───”<br /> <br /> “? Nee-chan, what’s wrong?”<br /> <br /> “……No, I’m fine. Rather than that, you shouldn’t join {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} like me──”<br /> <br /> “Ohh, that’s it! I also want to enter that biiig tower. Think I can do it? Can I also beat dragons and Yuugenshu going bang bang?”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> She couldn’t find words for the boy whose eyes were filled with hope as he asked.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Do you corner somebody dear to you with that tone too?''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ……That’s different; this is……something like a child’s simplistic dream.<br /> <br /> It’s different from awakening somebody who was already a member of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}to the truth. This and yesterday are completely different matters.<br /> <br /> “Nee-chan?”<br /> <br /> “……You can. If it’s you, then definitely, Ragna.”<br /> <br /> The words she spoke were quiet and clumsy to the point of being hoarse.<br /> <br /> …………How annoying, really annoying.<br /> <br /> …………Why am I being disturbed by that Cadet Guards few words like this?<br /> <br /> Was it because it hit the mark? No, like I……can accept that. {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s bunch are all useless. They always can’t do anything without grouping up with somebody.<br /> <br /> I am……nee-san and I are different.<br /> <br /> Her family and comrades were only the children born and raised in this orphanage. Believing that, she had lived without relying on anybody from {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}.<br /> <br /> “……Horn?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, no, it’s nothing, Matron. ──That’s right, I brought souvenirs. In the second Living District, a former colleague is running an open-air cafe. It seems like the cakes there are somewhat famous. Over there.”<br /> <br /> She pointed towards a large box sitting on the bench behind her.<br /> <br /> “Oh my, I’m happy; we’ll eat it during snack time.”<br /> <br /> “Okay. By the way……”<br /> <br /> Just before she spoke, the transmissions device hidden at her chest vibrated. Mail? If it was a call, it’s set to vibrate more. If it’s this faint, then it’s probably mail.<br /> <br /> “Excuse me, I think it’s probably from nee-sama.”<br /> <br /> On the screen of the transmissions device was the brief label ‘''Tower''‘.<br /> <br /> ──A simultaneous transmission from the Guard Regulation Institute?……It can’t be an emergency response at this time.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Subjugation list match, in combat with the individual ‘''S Vector, Eighth Class''‘.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> When she first saw that name written there, she didn’t believe it.<br /> <br /> Her sworn enemy she had spent many years searching for. It was the name of the one who had sent a child of the orphanage to the hospital. That it would appear with this timing of all times.<br /> <br /> “……The Biotope’s S Vector?”<br /> <br /> It couldn’t be called anything but ironic.<br /> <br /> That was where that Yuugenshu had first been witnessed.<br /> <br /> ……It appeared just after I returned to the tower.<br /> <br /> ……Does it intend to ridicule me?<br /> <br /> “Matron, my apologies but urgent business has come up so I will be excusing myself.”<br /> <br /> “Is that so? It must be hard on you; you always patrol a troublesome place, don’t you?”<br /> <br /> “For next time, let’s see. I’ll come to play when I find enough time to leisurely eat candy with everyone.”<br /> <br /> Then Horn turned her back on her large family. She once again covered her vision with the blinder that had been hidden and looked only at the future world bestowed by ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘.<br /> <br /> “──Together with Tessha.”<br /> <br /> Towards the tower that stood out high in the sky.<br /> <br /> Without turning back, the Sennenshi walked off in the direction of the tower.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> ==Translator's Notes and References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> {{SimpleNav|f=Intermission}}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Hyouketsu_Kyoukai_no_Eden:Volume_6_Intermission&diff=383934 Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Intermission 2014-08-20T18:23:18Z <p>Acolyte: Bold &amp; Italicize</p> <hr /> <div>==Intermission – The Lords of Unusual Books==<br /> <br /> <br /> ……<br /> <br /> …………Heh heh.<br /> <br /> ……Haha, ahaha…………fufuu.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The overlapping laughter of children.<br /> <br /> “''Hey, hey, Igun-I, is this okay? Mission complete.''”<br /> <br /> “''Yeah, mission complete.''”<br /> <br /> The small room had a sweet fragrance floating within it.<br /> <br /> In the small room devoid of light bulbs, the only thing that could be called illumination was the moonlight coming through the window.<br /> <br /> “Neue and Neosis, good work. I’m bad with machines so you really helped me out.”<br /> <br /> “''It’s simple, you just have to memorize it.''”<br /> <br /> “''Yup, just memorize it.''”<br /> <br /> Two child’s voices echoed in the room. But the owners of those voices were nowhere to be seen in the room. Only the voices were resounding as if emerging.<br /> <br /> “Unfortunately, people have things they’re good at and things they’re not, you know?”<br /> <br /> A tall, lean young man with a brimmed hat worn as far as his eyes answered with a smile.<br /> <br /> He wore a black hat, black suit and black shoes. Amidst the clothes which were a uniform jet black, pale blond which peeked through black hair was fluttering in the wind.<br /> <br /> “''Igun-I is terrible with machines to a surprising degree.''”<br /> <br /> “''Yeah, he even does the laundry by hand instead of using a machine.''”<br /> <br /> “But you know, you two, it’s kinder on your laundry to do it by hand.”<br /> [[image:Eden06_175.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> The laughter resounded once again.<br /> <br /> “''You should share that kindness with the person from Tenketsu Palace.''”<br /> <br /> “''Yeah, you should share it.''”<br /> <br /> “''Yeah, it’s pitiful being teased by Igun-I. Around now, he should be fearful.''”<br /> <br /> “It’s precisely because I like him very much.”<br /> <br /> Grabbing a very bright red strawberry, the man known as Igun-I deepened his smile.<br /> <br /> “I’d be happy if he realized who it was. I can’t help enjoying wondering if he’ll come to meet me quickly.”<br /> <br /> “''Fu─n. That’s right, you’re kind to us.''”<br /> <br /> “''Yeah, you’re kind. Because you’re kind, the promised──''”<br /> <br /> “Worry not. It’ll be done once I decorate it with strawberries like this. ……There’s just one thing. The truth is there were many times more strawberries than this but they were eaten by Natraja-san.”<br /> <br /> The Lord of Unusual Books drooped his shoulders as if there was no greater disappointment than this.<br /> <br /> “''Eh─, agaaain?''”<br /> <br /> “''You know, Noesis, that’s called ‘''food snitching''‘. It’s the natural enemy of girls so if you do it too much, you become fat.''”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “Oh my, who will grow fat?”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> In an instant, the dim room was dyed bright red.<br /> <br /> It was a ‘''brilliant red''‘ more red than the ripened strawberries. The lights that painted everything red lit up in the air one after the other with a fwoom sound.<br /> <br /> “If it isn’t Natraja-san, have you finished your job at the Governmental Sector?”<br /> <br /> “Being a secretary is a monotonous job. Communications investigations and communications investigations. And today was the day I accompany a member of the parliament for sake……which I ignored and came back here instead. When I was asked for a reason, it felt like I would say ‘''It’s because I’m a spy so sorry ♪''‘.”<br /> <br /> A woman appeared in the room without a sound.<br /> <br /> “But Natraja-san, don’t you like sake? I think you would have been fine accompanying that person for sake.”<br /> <br /> “Drinking sake is highly situational. I like drinking with just two in a quiet place. I hate looking at groups that just drink sloppily.”<br /> <br /> The woman called Natraja raised an empty glass with her snow-white fingers.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Igun-I, is the cake still not done? I want to eat it as well.”<br /> <br /> “Then Natraja-san, would you also help with the decorating?”<br /> <br /> “Oh my, didn’t I help with baking it? Though I got the heat a little wrong and scorched it a bit.”<br /> <br /> The woman smiled with her glossy lips touching the empty glass. Still in that posture, she reached one hand out to Igun-I’s black hat──<br /> <br /> “Goodness. If that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have had to redo this.”<br /> <br /> Just before that hand touched the hat, Igun-I pressed down firmly on it.<br /> <br /> “By the way, about what you were talking about, did you ask the twins to do something?”<br /> <br /> “''He did, he did; we sent a message to the floating continent‘s Tenketsu Palace''.”<br /> <br /> “''Yeah, he requested it. We sent a message.''”<br /> <br /> Right─, agreed the two voices in sync.<br /> <br /> “It was a minor matter. I wanted to trouble my beloved person. But if it wasn’t done well, the message would have a record left, right? That’s why I asked the twins. It would be nice if he were to realize it was me.”<br /> <br /> “You have quite the hobby there. While I was working seriously, you were playing innocent.”<br /> <br /> The woman returned the glass to the table and sighed.<br /> <br /> “This place has been discovered by the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> “Oh dear.”<br /> <br /> There was not a hint of wavering from Igun-I who continued to decorate the cake with strawberries.<br /> <br /> “The Ninth of the aforementioned ‘''Heaven’s Wheel''‘──”<br /> <br /> “So it seems. It looks like this place was located with that ‘''Crimson Eye''‘ before you and Maha gained control of Mikuva’s Crimson Eye. As expected, there are people that can use their heads well.”<br /> <br /> “Fumu, and what is our response? What did the First say?”<br /> <br /> “Nothing.”<br /> <br /> Her response was simple.<br /> <br /> “He was in the middle of training as always so he didn’t say anything. From the air about him, I would guess ‘''How about you face them appropriately and turn the tables on them?''‘”<br /> <br /> “I haven’t seen the First -san do anything other than train.”<br /> <br /> “Right─……even though it’d be okay to accompany me for sake sometimes.”<br /> <br /> She gazed seemingly reproachfully at the transparent glass.<br /> <br /> “Come now, how about you invite the Third sometimes?”<br /> <br /> “No. What would I talk about with just the two of us? It’s the same as having an ornament for my partner. ──Well, the organization is on their way so I’ll have fun with them. I’d be happy if a wonderful gentleman were to come.”<br /> <br /> She carefully picked out a strawberry decorating the cake and popped it into her mouth.<br /> <br /> “A wonderful gentleman like who?”<br /> <br /> “Look, isn’t there a Sennenshi that wields a great sword? Umm……I think it was Leon. He’s supposed to look exactly like that person. Igun-I, you saw him at the floating archipelago , right?”<br /> <br /> “Yes. They really are spitting images of each other. It’s an exact resemblance. They both wield great swords and the way he holds the great sword is also the exact same as the First -san.”<br /> <br /> “I’m looking forward to it even more. Ahh, I’m looking forward to it; I’ll need to service him magnificently.”<br /> <br /> Her bewitching lips curved up and she sighed charmingly.<br /> <br /> “Fifth , Sixth , stop your training and group up as well.” &lt;ref&gt;[T/N: I looked over this and it was ノイエ previously. Here it's ノエル. Which is the correct one? I have no idea.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> “O─kay. Isn’t that great, Noel, that we get to skip training?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, that’s great, Noesis.”<br /> <br /> “I’m looking forward to it…………I wonder if Sheltis will come.”<br /> <br /> “Mm? Did you say something?”<br /> <br /> In response to the woman with good hearing.<br /> <br /> “No. No─t a thing.”<br /> <br /> Answering with a pure smile, Igun-I once again closed his mouth.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> ==Translator's Notes and References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> {{SimpleNav}}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Hyouketsu_Kyoukai_no_Eden:Volume_6_Chapter3&diff=383157 Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Chapter3 2014-08-18T14:21:23Z <p>Acolyte: Bold &amp; Italicize</p> <hr /> <div>==Chapter 3 – Hard to Control==<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 1===<br /> <br /> “Eh-he-heh─, now then, Sheltis-kun, which one is it? Isn’t it time for a decision?”<br /> <br /> Eyriey held out two cards with a smile full across her face.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, Sheltis, the left one is definitely ‘''{{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}}''‘. I recommend that you pick the right card.''“<br /> <br /> “But you know, Ilis? The left card has been {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}} eleven times in a row so I think this time the right one is {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}}. Having {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}} on the left twelve times in a row is……”<br /> <br /> “''You’ve said almost the same thing ever since ‘''Having The {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}} on the left two times in a row is……''‘.''“<br /> <br /> “Shel-nii, do your best!”<br /> <br /> While Yuto and {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}}<br /> were holding their breathes.<br /> <br /> “The left side is definitely correct this time. This one!”<br /> <br /> He pulled the left side card of the two Eyriey was holding out with all the fighting spirit in his body. He timidly turned over the card and……<br /> <br /> “……Geh. Instructor Yumelda.”<br /> <br /> “''See, see, that’s why I said so.''“<br /> <br /> It was a card game that had secretly spread amongst the Cadet Guards. Throwing out the {{furigana|The Demon Instructor|Wrong}} card which had the whip-wielding Instructor Yumelda on it, Sheltis sighed for the twelfth time.<br /> <br /> “……I lost again.”<br /> <br /> “Yippie─. This is Sheltis’ twelfth time being last. Okay, just gotta update the records!”<br /> <br /> Eyriey wrote the records of battle in a massive memo book.<br /> <br /> “Shel-nii, you lost again?”<br /> <br /> “That’s right─. On the other hand, Yuto’s strong─; you’ve been in first twelve times in a row now.”<br /> <br /> “Ehehe, Yuto’s strong? Strong?”<br /> <br /> Yuto rubbed her eyes from drowsiness with a smile across her face.<br /> <br /> “''Ah, it’s almost dawn.''“<br /> <br /> “……Oh crap.”<br /> <br /> Narrowing his eyes at the clock’s digital display, Sheltis let out a little exclamation.<br /> <br /> They had started this card game with the three of them at dusk. It was already around ten hours ago that the game had started with Eyriey adding the condition of “We’ll end it if you manage to win?”. He’d lost twelve times in a row already since that……so when he realized it, it was already the next morning.<br /> <br /> “Eyri-nee, Yuto’s tired.”<br /> <br /> “Right─. Then I guess it’s about time we head back since I have to work at the shop in the morning too.”<br /> <br /> Eyriey packed away the cards they’d used for the game, half-eaten candy, and some strange invention-like thing into her bag.<br /> <br /> “Well then, that’s that.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, Eyriey, hold on. Are you okay returning just the two of you? If needed, I’ll take you there.”<br /> <br /> He had asked Eyriey who was shouldering her bag to wait. Public order around {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} was guaranteed but there were hardly any people in the early morning so caution was required.<br /> <br /> “See, there might be somebody like that purse snatcher you saw before.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine─ it’s fine─. I’ve already made defense goods so if anything happens, we’ll fight them off with the powerful flamethrower or one hundred million volts stun gun meant for repelling perverts, okay?”<br /> <br /> “……Try not to get caught red-handed for possession of dangerous articles.”<br /> <br /> “Got it, got it. Well then, we’ll come tomorrow or some other time to play again. Shasa-chan said to come play after all.”<br /> <br /> “Tomorrow? To the tower?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, that’s right, is there something about that?”<br /> <br /> “Well look, today is……”<br /> <br /> He pointed at the calendar on the table when Eyriey tilted her head.<br /> <br /> “''It’s the day of the barrier transfer ceremony. The day when the Queen relinquishes control over Hyouketsu Kyoukai to a Priestess. I think it’s Syun-rei’s turn this time.''“<br /> <br /> “At the previous barrier transfer……you remember, the barrier was broken. Ever since then, even within the tower, security is strengthened during the barrier transfer. It seems that the Regular Guards take shifts patrolling the tower so even entering is difficult.”<br /> <br /> “Hohoh, is that so?”<br /> <br /> But Eyriey still looked unconcerned and seemed to take something from his doubts.<br /> <br /> “But Shasa-chan said it’d be fine if I showed them this card.”<br /> <br /> “Card? Ahh, this is a badge. It’s the same as the mine…………”<br /> <br /> The plate was shining silver. While looking at the contents carved on its surface, Sheltis stood stock still, even forgetting to breathe.<br /> <br /> “……Eyriey.”<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> “Where did you get this?”<br /> <br /> “Ehehe, it’s amazing, right? Shasa-chan secretly gave me it.”<br /> <br /> “……Amazing……this is beyond that level.”<br /> <br /> The floor access carved into the badge was ‘''290''‘.<br /> <br /> Of the 291 aboveground floors that {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} had, every floor except the highest one, ‘''Paradise''‘ ── the display meant that she could freely come and go to even floor 290 which belonged to the Queen.<br /> <br /> ……Even Elite Guards shouldn’t be able to enter the Queen’s floor.<br /> <br /> ……This card is above that?<br /> <br /> To access the Queen’s floor, the sole method should be the elevator inoperable to anyone other than those with the authority of a Priestess or Sennenshi. Even Cadres Guard Ishtar can’t enter the Queen’s floor alone. Yet why does Eyriey, a civilian, have such an authoritative badge?<br /> <br /> “Eyriey, have you used this?”<br /> <br /> “Not yet, why?”<br /> <br /> “Nah……I’d like you to tell me if you can use this card. I’m a little interested in that Shasa person.”<br /> <br /> A clerk of the tower?<br /> <br /> Could a simple clerk prepare this badge so easily?<br /> <br /> “Ah─ it’s fine, it’s fine! I wanted to introduce you to Shasa-chan anyway. She’s really cute and nice so look forward to it! Then, see ya!”<br /> <br /> “Ahh, wait, Eyriey ──……sheesh, she’s really fast at these times.”<br /> <br /> He had no opportunity to call out to her. Looking at Eyriey who had grabbed Yuto’s hand and was running like the wind, Sheltis relaxed his shoulders and folded his arms.<br /> <br /> “……Shasa, huh. Was there somebody by that name amongst the tower’s clerks?”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 2===<br /> <br /> The cold passageway returned to silence.<br /> <br /> Ymy walked alone on the dim floor which was lit only by a faint night-light within the frozen air.<br /> <br /> Floor 22 of the tower.<br /> <br /> She did nothing but continue deeper into that floor which was a gigantic general medical facility.<br /> <br /> Past the giant lobby was A ward which was for emergency outpatients.<br /> <br /> Continuing further past that was B ward which was for treating heavily injured patients that had to be admitted.<br /> <br /> Further past that was C ward was for treating those with serious, life-threatening conditions.<br /> <br /> “…………Okay.”<br /> <br /> In front of the steel doors that filled her vision, Ymy nodded largely with the intention of spurring herself on.<br /> <br /> There was something carved on the door which shined dark grey ── a formal carved seal that gave off bluish white light. The last ward, D ward, which was isolated by shinryoku-infused doors lay beyond here.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> She placed her hand to the sensor at the side of the door.<br /> <br /> It happened soon after the faint shinryoku wavelength from her fingertips was read by a specialized device.<br /> <br /> “''Confirmation……regular link with the Shinryoku Theory Bureau……comparing……shinryoku waveform match…………confirming……identified as the fifth Priestess, Ymy Ele Soufflenictole.''“<br /> <br /> The doors opened in both directions with a stately sound.<br /> <br /> …………<br /> <br /> …………This is that kind of place.<br /> <br /> Ceiling, floor, corridor.<br /> <br /> There were formal carved seals applied to all of those. In the past, all the apprentice Priestesses had finished these by carving their shinryoku into the surfaces.<br /> <br /> If not for that, it would be impossible to shelter patients contaminated with mateki. At any rate, if a normal person were to touch a patient contaminated with mateki, they would be infected with the same mateki at that moment.<br /> <br /> “……Umm.”<br /> <br /> She had last come here over half a year ago. Ever since she’d tasted her first setback as the Baptism Priestess, it had become a place she did not wish to visit on her own accord.<br /> <br /> “D09, this is it.”<br /> <br /> She confirmed the room’s name many times and timidly opened the door.<br /> <br /> A pure white room ── the room’s ceiling, floor and walls were painted completely in white. A single boy continued to sleep there while attached to an artificial breathing apparatus. It was a small boy who was not even ten yet.<br /> <br /> “Good……morning.”<br /> <br /> There was no way a response would come. This boy had not opened his eyes even once since he was trapped in an eternal coma due to powerful mateki.<br /> <br /> “……Sorry……the truth is, I wanted to come earlier.”<br /> <br /> She might have been able to visit during the breaks between Priestess training. But she couldn’t. It would be miserable……she knew that her heart would only sink if she were to visit when she couldn’t cure him of his mateki.<br /> <br /> “? Huh, the vase……”<br /> <br /> A vase of azure glass sat by the window side which had its white curtains fluttering. In it was a single flower.<br /> <br /> ……There was nothing like this the last time I visited.<br /> <br /> Civilians were strictly forbidden from entering D ward. Even family were rarely allowed to meet the patient face-to-face. Then who exactly put this flower──<br /> <br /> “Does it not suit me?”<br /> <br /> “!”<br /> <br /> She turned around in a panic at the voice of the person who dropped by without a hint that she was there.<br /> <br /> “……Horn-san.”<br /> <br /> “I was wondering who would visit other than me.”<br /> <br /> The blinder-wearing Sennenshi leaned against the wall with her arms folded.<br /> <br /> “What is this? Are you trying to atone?”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “If you have no business, then leave. You probably haven’t come to say anything to Tessha.”<br /> <br /> …………<br /> <br /> …………That’s right, that might be true right now.<br /> <br /> Holding her breath, she forced her words of rebuttal back down.<br /> <br /> “You look like you want to say something.”<br /> <br /> “I won’t speak it.”<br /> <br /> Turning her back on Horn, she faced the door.<br /> <br /> There’s no meaning in telling her that I know that. That wouldn’t be enough to regain her lost confidence in me, nor would it cause this child to awaken.<br /> <br /> “I will convey it to this child with my shinryoku……it will definitely be conveyed.”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> In that room after the fifth Priestess left.<br /> <br /> “…………What a joke.”<br /> <br /> Biting down on the corner of her lip, Horn muttered that with disdain.<br /> <br /> “……A dream……hope is not something you should put into words so lightly.”<br /> <br /> As great as the sadness when hope is crushed and as deep as the despair when a dream is lost. In truth, not a single Priestess had been able to purify the mateki of this boy who continued to sleep.<br /> <br /> ……That’s right: they can’t.<br /> <br /> It was mateki that had beaten her sister Viola and even the first Priestess, Elmeetia.<br /> <br /> “──Tessha.”<br /> <br /> She placed a hand to the forehead of the boy who continued to have his eyelids shut. She would not be able to touch him either if not for her Guard formal wear.<br /> <br /> “Wait for me, I will definitely save you.”<br /> <br /> She would find the Yuugenshu that commanded this mateki and subjugate it. She would find it even if it took months or years, and even if she had to traverse from one end of {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} to the other.<br /> <br /> “…………It’s time.”<br /> <br /> She glanced at the clock on the wall near the ceiling.<br /> <br /> “Well then, Tessha, I’ll be going to the orphanage. I’ll make sure to greet everyone on your behalf as well.”<br /> <br /> Horn gently held the boy’s hand then left the room.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 3===<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, are you awake? Will you answer me, Sheltis?''“<br /> <br /> His comrade’s voice suddenly came from the communications device attached to the ceiling.<br /> <br /> “……Fue? Kagura?”<br /> <br /> He poked just his head out of the sheets from atop his bed. He shook his sleepy brain and looked at the clock even while rubbing his vacant eyes.<br /> <br /> “Please at least let me sleep until it’s time for training. ……Eyriey and Yuto were here not too long ago.”<br /> <br /> “''Don’t talk in your sleep and get up. I’ll be coming to your room in five minutes so wash your face and get changed before then please.''“<br /> <br /> “Eh, wai……wait, Kagura, at least fifteen minutes ── h-huh? Kagura? Kagura?”<br /> <br /> “''…………''“<br /> <br /> The communications device clicked and went silent.<br /> <br /> “……What was that?”<br /> <br /> Raising his upper body off the body, Sheltis supported his head.<br /> <br /> “Good morning, and what a nice morning it is.”<br /> <br /> “Morning. ……Though it’s still really early.”<br /> <br /> 3:27. Not even ten minutes had passed since Eyriey and Yuto had left. Thanks to that, even his plan of sleeping right up until it was time to train at four was coming to nothing.<br /> <br /> “At any rate, it’s something requiring immediate attention.”<br /> <br /> Kagura with the machine helmet worn low over her eyes was as usual, without a hint of sleepiness.<br /> <br /> “……Kagura, weren’t you not a morning person?”<br /> <br /> “That’s right. But I became wide awake after seeing that.”<br /> <br /> “That?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, and I’ll be borrowing your work desk for a bit.”<br /> <br /> Without waiting for an answer, she took up a position at his desk. Just when he wondered what she was doing, she reached out to the monitor and computer and started typing something quickly.<br /> <br /> “That?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, the famous agency terminal that’s useless to us Guards.”<br /> <br /> Kagura typed in her own login ID and opened window after window. Even as he looked on from behind, he had no idea what was coming because he didn’t recognize any of the windows.<br /> <br /> “Sheltis, what I’m about to show you is an anonymous message left on the General Affairs Bureau and Tower Management Bureau’s digital bulletin boards.<br /> <br /> “What about it?”<br /> <br /> Her fingers that were typing at a high speed stopped for an instant.<br /> <br /> “I’ll say this ahead of time……please be prepared.”<br /> <br /> Clack.<br /> <br /> The instant she pushed the last key, all of the windows on the monitor vanished. In it’s place appeared a single article upon a blue background.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''To all of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}──''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “……It’s addressed to everybody in {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}?”<br /> <br /> He looked down lower with disinterest.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''To all of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}──''<br /> <br /> ''I shall teach you a valuable secret.''<br /> <br /> ''A Yuugenshu has changed its form to that of a person and disguised itself as one of your Guards. In order to draw it out, I recommend exposing all the tower’s Guards to the Priestesses’ baptism spells.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> An absurd amount of time was required for him to process what the message meant.<br /> <br /> ……It can’t be that the Guard this message is indicating.<br /> <br /> He could tell that his fingertips were shaking.<br /> <br /> “…………What……this kind of tasteless message.”<br /> <br /> Straining his voice, that was all he could say.<br /> <br /> ……Is this about me?<br /> <br /> ……Just who did this……who’s trying to agitate the tower’s unease?<br /> <br /> “That’s why I told you to prepare yourself.”<br /> <br /> Kagura nodded while lounging back on the chair.<br /> <br /> “It was sent simultaneously to every one of these agency terminals. Right about now, the executives of the tower should be thinking it’s a prank but they might change their minds.”<br /> <br /> “''Hmm, can I ask something? I should have realized it as well if they sent it to the agency terminals. Especially if it’s related to the Guards, I regularly perform keyword checks.''“<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} blinked while not able to understand that one thing.<br /> <br /> That was a given as {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}}’ sensors spread out to cover the entire electrical system. It would be strange for {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} not to notice something that Kagura did.<br /> <br /> “By the way, it seems the Guard Regulations Institute……in other words, the Guard Control Bureau received this message late. If we consider that the Environmental Bureau and the Mechanical Bureau and the others received it at the same time, the chance that sending it to the Guard Control Bureau was delayed is high.”<br /> <br /> “……I get it. My searches prioritize the Guard Regulations Institute first of all so I was late in discovering it because of that.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. In my case, I also hold the title of a computer researcher of the Tower Management Bureau. Thanks to logging in with my ID from there, I managed to be one of the first to read this message.”<br /> <br /> Kagura sighed after removing her machine helmet.<br /> <br /> “I don’t think there’s any need to explain who this is talking about.”<br /> <br /> “…………Yeah.”<br /> <br /> He didn’t know who was behind it, but it was a sly tactic.<br /> <br /> While asserting that it had changed forms to that of a Guard, it agitated their unease without revealing the Guard’s name. Saying that they should expose everybody to the Priestesses’ baptism spells was also of the same type of method. This was basically saying to expose who this was in front of the surrounding Guards and Instructors.<br /> <br /> “I’d just like to ask but what will happen if this actually gets implemented?”<br /> <br /> “……It’s not something I’d like to think much about.”<br /> <br /> Shinryoku was like deadly poison to his body which was afflicted with mateki.<br /> <br /> If it was a Priestess-level baptism spell, even if Elbert Resonance did not occur, light wounds similar to burns would be received.<br /> <br /> “As a silver lining, the tower’s executives are also pretty much disregarding this message. There have been numerous messages received in the past that aimed to fan up the unease of the tower.”<br /> <br /> “……Is it okay if I have faith in that?”<br /> <br /> “The basis for that is in who this message was addressed to.”<br /> <br /> Kagura nodded. She temporarily removed the window being displayed and continued on to open several windows at the same time.<br /> <br /> “See, even if I search for it, it’s only spits out red errors. Nobody within the tower or the Living Districts sent this.”<br /> <br /> “''It came from outside {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}; in other words, it’s was sent remotely from somewhere in the {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}}.''“<br /> <br /> “That’s what it means. It would still carry credibility if it were from someone within the tower. However, how would somebody from outside {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} know information like there being a Yuugenshu who changed forms into a Guard when nobody within the tower knows? ── The executives are also thinking that; well, it is the appropriate conclusion.”<br /> <br /> “……From outside {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}, huh.”<br /> <br /> That would have to be how it is. There should be no way somebody from the <br /> {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}} which lay outside of {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} would know that secret which only a handful of people knew. Anybody would think that way.<br /> <br /> ……Then that’s even more reason.<br /> <br /> ……Who is it that knows my secret despite not being on {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}?<br /> <br /> “Kagura and Ilis, do either of you know where in the {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}} this was sent from?”<br /> <br /> “''……I’m trying my best but narrowing the scope to a certain extent is the utmost I can manage.''“<br /> <br /> “Same here. It looks like it will be a harsh challenge. Of course the sender’s name was also blank; basically, they’re anonymous.”<br /> <br /> If that was what these two said, then he wouldn’t receive a favorable response no matter who he asked.<br /> <br /> “……Thank you, Kagura, it really helped me that you told me about this.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. But what will you do from now on? We have early morning training scheduled for today but will you fabricate some excuse and investigate?”<br /> <br /> “No.”<br /> <br /> He shook his head at Kagura’s idea and stood from his chair.<br /> <br /> “It would like asking people to doubt me if I took a break immediately after this. I’ll train normally and think about this after that’s over.”<br /> <br /> “''That would be the most natural. I will be keeping track of all the executives’ movements so I’ll inform you if something happens.''“<br /> <br /> “I see. Understood……however, one thing.”<br /> <br /> He could feel Kagura’s gaze through the eyeshade of her machine helmet.<br /> <br /> “What is it?”<br /> <br /> “You can ignore this case. I have a feeling that Monica will come to suspect your mateki someday. I believe it would be best if you think about what you will say to her at that time.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> He averted his eyes from the steady gaze of the Nell girl.<br /> <br /> “……I’ll think about that at a different time. I have to focus on training and this case for now.”<br /> <br /> It took his utmost to say just that.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 4===<br /> <br /> A rocky area with boulders large enough that one had to look up at them obstructed the way.<br /> <br /> It was a high-difficult field that necessitated Running between the rocks on a path that wasn’t a path and occasionally jumping from boulder to boulder.<br /> <br /> “─is, ─ltis.”<br /> <br /> Sweat trickled down his brow as he jumped from a large boulder to the next.<br /> <br /> It had been dark when their early morning training started but now the sunlight coming from overhead was steadily raising the temperature.<br /> <br /> “Sheltis, are you listening!?”<br /> <br /> “……! Wawaa, wh-what? What is it?”<br /> <br /> Sheltis finally came back to his senses after having his name called right next to his ear.<br /> <br /> “It looks like you didn’t hear me.”<br /> <br /> “……Sorry.”<br /> <br /> Sheesh ── Monica had a wry smile on as she ran beside him.<br /> <br /> “It was about our next mission. I was asking if there was anything you wanted.”<br /> <br /> “……Then,”<br /> <br /> While jumping down to the slanted boulder ahead.<br /> <br /> “I’ve said it before but I’d like for us to gain experience in policing the Nature District and escorting VIPs. Since there are many missions like that after becoming Regular Guards.”<br /> <br /> “That’s what I thought as well so I looked into it but both of those kinds of missions are out of stock.”<br /> <br /> “Darn, really?”<br /> <br /> “I meant to talk about that earlier but I guess you weren’t listening then either.”<br /> <br /> Monica went from having a bitter smile on her face to slightly narrowing her eyes.<br /> <br /> “It’s strange for you to be inattentive during training; did something happen?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, no……I think I’m fine.”<br /> <br /> He couldn’t say that he was helplessly interested in the anonymous message the tower had received.<br /> <br /> ……I don’t like the feeling of it.<br /> <br /> ……This might be the first time I’ve been unable to concentrate on training this badly.<br /> <br /> “About the missions, if those are the circumstances, then I’m fine with other missions. Those two are the important ones but it would be imbalanced if we didn’t take any other missions at all……the Governmental Sector one was a little stressing so maybe we should take a more comfortable one next.”<br /> <br /> “''Ah, then maybe you should go for the night patrol shift?''“<br /> <br /> The mission of taking shifts to patrol {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s grounds ── when Cadet Guards were about to take on an important mission, that was one of the types of missions used to warm up. Even if it was night, it was within {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s territory so there was hardly any danger and even if there was, Instructors and Regular Guards could rush over immediately.<br /> <br /> “Yeah, it seems like we could start patrolling the tower even starting today.”<br /> <br /> “That’s right but I’ve been hearing that there have been a lot of troublesome things even in patrolling the tower lately, you know? Criminals looking for a reaction……there’s a troublesome bunch looking to slip past the security and infiltrate the grounds. Did you see that tasteless message this morning?”<br /> <br /> “When you say message……”<br /> <br /> “The one about there being a Yuugenshu mixed in amongst the Guards, or did you not see it?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, well…………”<br /> <br /> Having the question asked so forthrightly, he unintentionally was strained for words.<br /> <br /> “……I saw it. Yeah.”<br /> <br /> “Right? Jeez, trying to make the Guards waver with that, there’s a limit to how much they can try to make a fool of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}.”<br /> <br /> While jumping from rock to rock, the indignant Monica raised a brow.<br /> <br /> “……Monica, would you find it unpleasant if there really was someone like that?”<br /> <br /> “Hm?”<br /> <br /> “Um, well, how to say this, it’s a little different from a Yuugenshu but…………if there was someone amongst the Guards carrying mateki.”<br /> <br /> “? I don’t really get it but nothing other than the Yuugenshu carry mateki, right? That shouldn’t happen, but wouldn’t it be dangerous if there was one in the tower?”<br /> <br /> She had a confused expression.<br /> <br /> Only Yuugenshu carried mateki. If the former apprentice Priestess were to say, her definition of a Yuugenshu would probably be “whether it possesses mateki or not”.<br /> <br /> In other words, he would also count as a Yuugenshu by her definition because he was endowed with mateki.<br /> <br /> ……That’s right.<br /> <br /> ……Monica’s reaction is definitely normal.<br /> <br /> “Sheltis, were you perhaps seriously thinking about that message?”<br /> <br /> “N-Nothing of the sort? But you know, I kinda wonder where that message was sent from.”<br /> <br /> “It seems like an investigation would happen should it pass a certain threshold, but I doubt it will happen for this. It’s obvious to anyone at first glance that it’s a nasty joke, after all. It’s best to ignore those.”<br /> <br /> “……Yeah.”<br /> <br /> He relaxed his fist that he’d unconsciously clenched and took a deep breath. Renewing the stagnated air within his lungs, Sheltis jumped down from the final boulder.<br /> <br /> “Whew, we’re finally done.”<br /> <br /> Monica wiped off the large beads of sweat flowing endlessly off her and looked up at the sky.<br /> <br /> “It will be noon soon so we’ll end the morning part here. From 3 PM, we have a lecture at the meeting room so we’ll gather there.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? What about Kagura and Vaiel?”<br /> <br /> “Over there.”<br /> <br /> The direction Monica pointed to ── the two of them were being chased around by the whip-wielding Instructor Yumelda.<br /> <br /> “It looks like the Instructor is personally coaching them because they’re normally absent from training. They said they’d be doing it until just before the unit battles so I don’t think it will end for a little while yet.”<br /> <br /> “……I see.”<br /> <br /> “I was planning on heading to the cafeteria so would you like to join me for lunch?”<br /> <br /> “Umm.”<br /> <br /> He nodded reflexively but swallowed his words in a hurry.<br /> <br /> “Sorry……I have something to do. I apologize but I need to head back to my room once.”<br /> <br /> “Is that so?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, but I’ll make sure to be at the meeting room. ──See you!”<br /> <br /> Making a small wave with his hand, Sheltis ran straight along the paved road to {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}.<br /> <br /> ===Part 5===<br /> <br /> The impressive stained glass colorfully refracted the sun’s rays shining down brilliantly.<br /> <br /> The light and sound and, needless to say, the air of that place were serene ── a single female Guard trudged along in that floor serene with holiness.<br /> <br /> “……Hr─m, this might be a probleeem.”&lt;ref&gt;[T/N: I've decided now that any time somebody stretches out a word, I'm gonna triple one of the letters.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> The second and third Priestesses. This floor was prepared for them as well as the Sennenshi guarding them and was reversed as holy ground by all the Guards and apprentice Priestesses.<br /> <br /> To one day become the owner of this floor ── it was an place aspired towards for those aiming to become a Priestess or Sennenshi.<br /> <br /> “Hr─m, hr─m, I wonder what was wrooong.”<br /> <br /> Nevertheless, there was not a trace of nervousness about the woman shouldering a large metal spear.<br /> <br /> She spoke to herself with her arms folded and a frown on her face.<br /> <br /> On this floor where other Guards would become unable to walk straight due to nerves, she continued as if she’d just been invited over to a dear friend’s house.<br /> <br /> “So the cause really is a dislike of vegetables? No, no, it might be the arrangement. ……Hr─m.”<br /> <br /> “You seem to be enjoying yourself, Ishtar-san.”<br /> <br /> A voice called out and stopped her.<br /> <br /> She had flaxen hair and light brown eyes and wore a vestment crafted from a single cloth.<br /> <br /> “Ah─, it’s Viola-sama; we haven’t contacted each other at allll.”<br /> <br /> “It has been a while. You seem as energetic as ever. I was wondering if you would be a Sennenshi the next time I returned to the tower.”<br /> <br /> “Ehehe, Ishtar is still inexperienced.”<br /> <br /> “Is that so? See, I heard that Ymy is still undecided on a Sennenshi.”<br /> <br /> “……Ahh, that’s right.”<br /> <br /> A small laugh leaked out from the Guard’s lips.<br /> <br /> “Well, that’s Ymy-sama’s decision─. Her destiny, so to speak.”<br /> <br /> “That’s true. By the way, are you dealing with a difficult issue? It’s rare for you to make a troubled face so I ended up calling out to you.”<br /> <br /> “……Uu. That’s actually riiight. I’m troubled about my little sister, I’sa-chan. Would you care to listen?”<br /> <br /> The Cadres Guard drooped her shoulders with a heavy and dark expression.<br /> <br /> “Yes. As a fellow older sister.”<br /> <br /> “Well then! I made omurice for my super precious I’sa-chan a little while ago for her lunch, okaaay.”<br /> <br /> “How wonderful. Ishtar-san, you truly care for your little sister.”<br /> <br /> “That’s right─. But listen to this: I’sa-chan was happy up until I said I’d make her omurice……but she was suddenly in a bad mood when the time to eat came around and finally ended up bursting into tears.”<br /> <br /> “Oh my, my. Pardon my asking but how did it taste?”<br /> <br /> Faced with Viola who was tilting her head, Ishtar shook her head largely from side to side.<br /> <br /> “It was perfect─. At any rate, we’ve been together for over ten years. I have a clear understanding of what I’sa-chan prefers for taste and presentation.”<br /> <br /> “Oh dear, then it really is a difficult problem. I wonder if anything happened to worsen your little sister’s mood.”<br /> <br /> “……Hr─m, I don’t have any ideaaa.”<br /> <br /> Ishtar looked troubled to the core.<br /> <br /> “Rather, to make her happy, I tried to feed her while saying, ‘''Here you go─, I’sa-chan. It’s luuunch, it’s deliciousss.''‘ Then I’sa-chan suddenly stood up and yelled ‘''Onee-sama, you idiooot──''‘ and ran away crying while still holding her spoon.”<br /> <br /> “…………Well, that.”<br /> <br /> “Right? It’s strange, right?”<br /> <br /> “…………I think it’s because your sister is at the age of independence. You could say she’s really sensitive.”<br /> <br /> “Is that sooo?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, I as well……it’s not something unrelated to me.”<br /> <br /> A shadow clouded the Priestess’ eyes and she smiled a little bitterly.<br /> <br /> “That’s riiight, we’re both troubled by our little sisters. But Horn-chan is strong, so I think she’ll be fine no matter what happens, you knooow? I’sa-chan still can’t fight a Yuugenshu alooone.”<br /> <br /> “Strength isn’t limited to excellence.”<br /> <br /> “Yes, Ishtar is also of that opinion.”<br /> <br /> Her expression suddenly brightened and then.<br /> <br /> “─Well then, '''shall we switch topics to that'''? '''About Horn-chan'''.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> With those few words.<br /> <br /> That wide floor returned to silence as if frozen.<br /> <br /> “I knew it.”<br /> <br /> Her lips shaking with a giggle, the third Priestess didn’t attempt to hide her smile.<br /> <br /> “Ishtar-san really is Ishtar-san. There’s no way you as the Cadres Guard came here for no reason. You had business with me from the start, didn’t you?”<br /> <br /> “Of course─. If not, I wouldn’t be on this flooor; I’d be chasing I’sa-chan who ran off.”<br /> <br /> “……Ah, so the omurice story was true.”<br /> <br /> “……Though it’s regrettable, it’s true.”<br /> <br /> Bursting into laughter once when she saw the Cadres Guard sighing once more, Viola pointed in the direction of her room.<br /> <br /> “Shall we speak in my room?”<br /> <br /> “No, no, don’t worry. I’m fine if we continue to stand while talking. The story about I’sa-chan was the longer one.”<br /> <br /> “It’s scary if it’s too short as well. Well then, let’s continue.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. Come to think of it, a long time ago, Horn-chan wanted to search for some Yuugenshu. What was the individual name for that?”<br /> <br /> “‘''S vector, eight class''‘. The only witnesses were……children from the orphanage that went on a picnic. I’m told that it looked like a small black kitten when they first found it and enlarged when the children neared it, then attacked them. We’ve also received information that when the Regular Guards that went to combat it thought they had defeated it, it would immediately regenerate.”<br /> <br /> “Hohhh hohhh, so if that was found, Horn-chan would fly out of the tower, ignoring orders from anybody.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “At that time, will Viola-sama be able to stop Horn-chan’s rampage?”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 6===<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 11, Cadet Guard residences.<br /> <br /> “……It’s scary seeing this.”<br /> <br /> Returning to his room, Sheltis booted up the agency terminal at his work desk.<br /> <br /> He entered in his member ID that was carved into his badge and windows popped up rapidly on the monitor. Finally, his fingers that were operating the keys came to a stop at the screen showing the mail.<br /> <br /> Received mail ‘''1''‘<br /> <br /> Sender ‘ ‘<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''To all of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}──''<br /> <br /> ''I shall teach you a valuable secret.''<br /> <br /> ''A Yuugenshu has changed its form to that of a person and disguised itself as one of your Guards. In order to draw it out, I recommend exposing all the tower’s Guards to the Priestesses’ baptism spells.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “One message received and the sender is unknown……this is it.”<br /> <br /> “''Yes, it’s the same as the message Kagura showed you. It really did arrive later than hers. Though the motive for that in unknown.''“<br /> <br /> “……No developments; that’s a relief.”<br /> <br /> He breathed a sigh of relief as he relaxed.<br /> <br /> If a second message had been sent while he was training and the name of the corresponding Guard were written ── he had only avoided that worst-case scenario.<br /> <br /> “''Even putting the Priestesses’ baptism spells aside, starting with Ymy, Meimel and Syun-rei are also aware of you. If it comes to it, you should be able to deceive the others with their assistance.''“<br /> <br /> “……But we can’t solve the root of the problem like that.”<br /> <br /> The sender was somebody outside of {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}, meaning they were somewhere on the distant {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}}. But that sender’s name was blank. It was the same as having nary a clue.<br /> <br /> ……Somebody outside of {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} who knows of me?<br /> <br /> ……The Governmental Sector? No, even within the Governmental Sector, there shouldn’t be anybody this well-informed.<br /> <br /> “I wonder if my weakness has been grasped.”<br /> <br /> “''As long as your opponent’s identity remains unspecified, this will be a one-sided defensive battle.''“<br /> <br /> With his weakness in hand, the other party might come to him with negotiations. It was like grabbing at clouds but he also required information on the opponent.<br /> <br /> “''I’ll do my best and it seems like Kagura will also render assistance.''“<br /> <br /> “Thanks. I’d also like to think of somebody likely but the message is written like this and the name is also a blank space………………blank, ……blank……space?”<br /> <br /> …………Blank?<br /> <br /> What is this……nagging feeling?<br /> <br /> Something……maybe I……am overlooking something really important?<br /> <br /> “''What’s wro──''“<br /> <br /> “Wait!……I need to concentrate.”<br /> <br /> He even stopped breathing as he focused on thinking.<br /> <br /> There was no name attached to the mail. It was a blank field without a single character written in it. But what if the fact that there is no name is the most important part of this message?<br /> <br /> ……Blank……blank……empty…………that basically means bla…………bla……nk.”&lt;ref&gt;[T/N: This is really hard to put into English because the furigana says &quot;blank&quot; when there's more variation. The first part is 空欄 (blank space). The second one is ブランク which is the wasei-eigo (Japanese-style English) form of the word blank, pronounced buranku. Third part is 空っぽ which means &quot;empty&quot; like an empty room. The last little bit is 空白 which is the kanji for Igun-I's name.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> …………'''There is someone'''.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Hey, Sheltis, I’ve been awaiting the time we would meet in this world.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> There was just one person. A person who identified themselves as ‘''{{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}}''‘.<br /> <br /> The assassin from the unnamed third organization that attacked the Governmental Sector together with {{furigana|Golden|Maha}}. He had confronted him at the floor where Mikuva’s Crimson Eye shone, that pitch black──<br /> <br /> “……Igun-I.”<br /> <br /> “''Eh?''“<br /> <br /> “Ilis, you should remember as well, about that creepy guy we met at the Governmental Sector. He was looking down at us from atop the ‘''Crimson Eye''‘ and, in the end, said he had been waiting for me and wanted to meet me.”<br /> <br /> “''He called himself {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}}……ahh, I get it. It’s the type of joke that I’m not good with. ……But I wonder if it’s really that person. Is there some kind of proof to confirm this?''“<br /> <br /> “There’s no proof; it’s really just intuition.”<br /> <br /> But he could feel it.<br /> <br /> This commotion within him like shivers was telling him that his intuition was correct.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Chase me if you want to know the truth. Now, Sheltis, please chase after me. That will be the beginning of everything.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ……The beginning of everything.<br /> <br /> ……What awaits me after I chase him?<br /> <br /> “Is this to lure me out?”<br /> <br /> “''It’s a problem that we can’t say you’re over-thinking things. Truthfully, I also have my doubts about that person. I’m curious as to who he is.''“<br /> <br /> “You’re also interested?”<br /> <br /> “''Yes. The truth is, that person, that was my──''“<br /> <br /> Immediately after.<br /> <br /> The crystal portion that was shining brilliantly in blue lost its light and changed to a dark grey.<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> “……No, I won’t say. It’s too much to say for a guess. At any rate, pinning down the enemy’s objective is a silver lining. We may be able to figure out a countermeasure so it’s most important.”<br /> <br /> He clenched his fist atop his lap.<br /> <br /> And──<br /> <br /> “Oh?”<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} who had lowered the intensity of her light flashed once again.<br /> <br /> “Hey, hey, Sheltis, an urgent mission is being announced by the Guard Regulations Institute. The location is the Biotope’s S vector section……on the bank of a large salt lake. The nearest patrolling unit of Regular Guards is performing an emergency response so they wish for the Cadet Guards to also participate as a supporting unit.”<br /> <br /> “It’s by the Instructor’s recommendation so there’s a chance we might be called.”<br /> <br /> It was the same as the time the Regular Guard unit was wiped out by Golden Maha. The primary force would be Elite Guards and Regular Guards and Cadet Guards recommended by the Instructor would act as support for them.<br /> <br /> “What are the mission details?”<br /> <br /> “''It’s the subjugation of a Yuugenshu. It broke through the encirclement……no……but this is…………?''“<br /> <br /> Separating from her momentary silence, {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} continued.<br /> <br /> “''There was a previous report about this Yuugenshu being sighted. Please wait a moment, I will retrieve the information from {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s Yuugenshu list.''“<br /> <br /> “……It’s a strong one.”<br /> <br /> It was no coincidence that it had escaped once in the past and broken through the encirclement this time.<br /> <br /> There was a high chance that it possessed a special type of mateki or exceedingly powerful mateki. To kill it for certain, two or three Regular Guard units would be required for a medium-sized one and three for a large-sized one.<br /> <br /> “──”<br /> <br /> He held fast to his card-shaped badge that shined silver. An order to gather from the Instructor might be sent to this badge at any time.<br /> <br /> ……If it’s a strong Yuugenshu, two or three Cadet Guard units might be necessary.<br /> <br /> ……Maybe Monica’s badge has already been contacted at this time?<br /> <br /> “Ilis, how is the retrieval?”<br /> <br /> “''I just finished the comparison of the entire list, or in other words, the verification checks. The result of a comparison with {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s list yielded one full match. ……But this is troublesome.''“<br /> <br /> “The Yuugenshu?”<br /> <br /> “''Yes. You remember the area I said that the Yuugenshu was found in?''“<br /> <br /> “A large salt lake. You said it was in the Biotope’s S vector section──”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''We Priestesses call that ‘''delayed sin type''‘ mateki. ‘''S vector, eighth class''‘……that’s the common name of the Yuugenshu that Horn-san is chasing after.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ……The Yuugenshu Ymy had told him about that time.<br /> <br /> “It can’t be.”<br /> <br /> The reason {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} said it was troublesome.<br /> <br /> ……The one {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} is chasing after now is the one Horn is chasing after?<br /> <br /> ……In that case, this is bad.<br /> <br /> “If somebody is afflicted with that one’s mateki──”<br /> <br /> “''Yes. It is mateki that cannot be purified even with the power of the Priestesses. Before victims appear amongst the Guards, swift subjugation of the Yuugenshu is necessary. In the worst case scenario, we will need to tell Ymy.''“<br /> <br /> The problem was Horn Nova.<br /> <br /> She should have also received this information. She should be desiring a one-on-one conclusive battle with that Yuugenshu. But even for a Sennenshi like her, fighting a Yuugenshu whose mateki even a Priestess couldn’t purify while not in a calm state was too dangerous.<br /> <br /> “……Ilis. Tell Monica to get ready to head out at once.”<br /> <br /> He stood up without turning off the terminal.<br /> <br /> He once again put on the jacket he had taken off and fastened the holders at his belt.<br /> <br /> ……I’ll leave the thing with Igun-I until later.<br /> <br /> ……This takes priority.<br /> <br /> “''Are you heading out?''“<br /> <br /> “I’ll head to floor 288 first; we need to stop Horn if she’s planning on running off ahead alone.”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 7===<br /> <br /> The third Living District.<br /> <br /> On {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}, it was the section that boasted the largest area of those which were inhabitable. The first Living District had {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} at its center so the primary residents were Guards of the tower or clerks that worked there. The second Living District was a commercial area with many varieties of shops lined up. Compared with those, this was more of a quiet area with houses.<br /> <br /> “It’s been a while since I walked down this road.”<br /> <br /> The intersection was dyed with the brilliant yellow colors of autumn.<br /> <br /> Laying here and there along the road were flower beds made with brick and even now, kindergarten children were enthusiastically tending to them.<br /> <br /> “……Time flows differently here compared to the tower.”<br /> <br /> The fragrance of the flowers made him want to stop without thinking. In that place.<br /> <br /> Pressing down on her chest at the nostalgic scene that hadn’t changed one bit since she had been raised here, Horn smiled without realizing it.<br /> <br /> “……I wonder if everyone’s doing well.”<br /> <br /> In the third Living District, there was an orphanage near Minamitoori Park.<br /> <br /> Children without relatives, children who had been entrusted to them by busy parents, children who could not open their hearts to the those around them in kindergarten or elementary school ── they were everywhere but this was a facility that gathered up those children who needed a helping hand. It was a place akin to her family’s residence.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> In response to her high spirits, her steps quickened.<br /> <br /> Advancing straight through the intersection filled with summer breezes and immediately after cutting left at the corner with conspicuous giant fir trees lined up, a building whose special trait was its fully white triangular roof leapt into her line of sight.<br /> <br /> “──That’s right. They’ll be frightened if I wear this.”<br /> <br /> She put her hands behind her head and unfastened the tightly bound knot.<br /> <br /> The blinder fell with a swishing sound.<br /> <br /> “……On the other hand, it’s hard on me without this.”<br /> <br /> She looked down at the blindfold that had fallen onto her palm and smiled wryly.<br /> <br /> A blurred world.<br /> <br /> The blinder, her palm, the surrounding trees, the building; everything had two images.<br /> <br /> The territorial type shinryoku spell that the sisters, Horn and Viola, possessed inherently ── it was a side effect of the power called ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘.<br /> <br /> That was the power to see just slightly into the future.<br /> <br /> It made shooting after reading where the opponent would dodge to possible and could be called a Heavenly blessing for a gunner. However, at the same time, the fact that she couldn’t control it herself was a weakness. Because the world of the present she saw with her own eyes and the world of the future shown by ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘ would overlap and blur, if she continued to view both, her brain would be unable to keep up and she would experience dizziness.<br /> <br /> ……Since I was born.<br /> <br /> ……Because I’m different from nee-san.<br /> <br /> Her older sister Viola had acquired the technique for controlling ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘ as she piled on training as an apprentice Priestess. For she who could not do that, she was still using this blinder. By blocking off the world seen by her eyes and viewing only the world of the future from ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘, she was somehow able to keep her brain’s fatigue to a minimum.<br /> <br /> “Well, it can’t be helped.”<br /> <br /> She could feel some dizziness from just removing the blinder but she was meeting with the children again for the first time in a while.<br /> <br /> Still holding onto the blindfold, she walked closer to the orphanage’s gate──<br /> <br /> “Ah, nee-chan!”<br /> <br /> “Ain’t this Horn-nee-chan, hasn’t it been so long!?”<br /> <br /> The kids who were in front of the orphanage’s fence opened the gate in high spirits and ran over.<br /> <br /> “Hey, hey, where did you go this time? Did you fight with a dragon again?”<br /> <br /> “The same place as always. I didn’t fight with an earth dragon but I did find a wyvern nest. See, I came here with pictures of it.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, hey, Horn-nee-chan! I baked cookies yesterday. I’ll share some with you.”<br /> <br /> “Thank you, Nachez, but you worked hard to make these cookies so you should share them with everyone.”<br /> <br /> Even in the time was petting the girl’s head, kids appeared one after the other.<br /> <br /> Children that tugged on her clothes and children that hopped up on her back. There were likely more than thirty of them altogether and each of them was running over with a full smile.<br /> <br /> “Oh my, I was wondering who it was with all these joyful shouts.”<br /> <br /> Following the multitude of children, an elderly woman walked over slowly from inside the building.<br /> <br /> “It has been a while since we last talked, Matron. You seem well.”<br /> <br /> Standing up, she bowed.<br /> <br /> ──If somebody from {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} saw this, they’d doubt their eyes.<br /> <br /> A Sennenshi who held a top position in the tower and moreover, that Horn Nova, taking such a low profile and even coming into contact with somebody with a smile was a scene that not a single one had seen.<br /> <br /> “To be honest, I was worried. I heard that the Yuugenshu invasion had also reached here. Was there any damage done?”<br /> <br /> The day all those living upon {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} feared.<br /> <br /> The day Hyouketsu Kyoukai was broken and an unprecedented large-scale invasion was carried out by the Yuugenshu. She had heard that this orphanage had also been attacked and corroded by mateki.<br /> <br /> “Of course we are all fine; we all evacuated to the shelters.”<br /> <br /> “What about the mateki? Was the decaying okay?”<br /> <br /> “……The decaying was horrible. The gate was broken and the interior was corroded by mateki to tatters. ……Just for that moment, I wondered if it was the end for this place.”<br /> <br /> Perhaps she was remembering that time because the Matron’s expression turned rigid.<br /> <br /> “……My apologies. {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s power was not enough.”<br /> <br /> “It’s not your fault. And besides, now it’s back to as it was before. Hasn’t even the mateki been cleanly purified?”<br /> <br /> The Matron of the orphanage’s reaction was slackened as she pointed with a cheerful gaze.<br /> <br /> “Yes. It has been wonderfully purified.”<br /> <br /> There would be traces leftover even after purification when corrosion occurred through powerful mateki. But no such traces were here in this park. The fence, gate and ground’s curses had been completely purified. The one who had performed the purification had done a good job.<br /> <br /> “A good apprentice Priestess came here.”<br /> <br /> “It was a Priestess.”&lt;ref&gt;[T/N: I'm dropping adding -sama to English words unless it's a name. I feel like it sounds retarded...]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> “A Priestess spent the entire night going around this area and purifying it. Even though she was so young, she passed the night without taking a break. She even talked to each of the children.”<br /> <br /> “……Who was this?”<br /> <br /> “It was Ymy-sama. I hear that she’s known as the Baptism Priestess and she certainly lived up to it.”<br /> <br /> “…………Is that so.”<br /> <br /> A bitter taste was mixed into her mouth.<br /> <br /> “Oh my, what’s wrong?”<br /> <br /> “…………It’s nothing; I was just thinking that I’m glad you’re all safe.”<br /> <br /> “Of course, and that’s all thanks to you sisters as well.”<br /> <br /> The Matron hugged the children clinging to her.<br /> <br /> “This orphanage……we might not have been able to rebuild it without your assistance. I truly am thankful.”<br /> <br /> “I am glad if we could repay even a single portion of our gratitude for your raising us. Nee-san and I are both pupils of this orphanage, after all.”<br /> <br /> “Amazing─! Horn-nee-chan’s like a man!? Nee-chan, aren’t you actually a guy!?”<br /> <br /> “……Do you want to get dropped from there, Ragna-kun?”<br /> <br /> “Uwaa, i-it was just a little joke, nee-chan. Hey, hey, if I enter ‘''Sophia''‘ like nee-chan and work hard, can I become strong?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, definitely───”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Do you corner somebody dear to you with that tone too?''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> An instant.<br /> <br /> The words of the Cadet Guard that had criticized her at {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} ran through the back of her mind.<br /> <br /> …………<br /> <br /> ……What was that? Why would I remember that at this time?<br /> <br /> Even though normally she wouldn’t remember the words of a riffraff Cadet Guard like that, much less react to it.<br /> <br /> “''Err……umm, I was fascinated by how amazing Captain Horn is.''“<br /> <br /> “''I……If I practice, will I be able to become like the Captain──''“<br /> <br /> ……I see, that time.<br /> <br /> It may have been because she had a similar conversation before that Cadet Guard said that to her. The conversation she had exchanged with the maintenance officer boy when she had entrusted him with the guns’ maintenance.<br /> <br /> ……What was my reply to Catria at that time?<br /> <br /> “''Discard pointless thoughts.''“<br /> <br /> “''I don’t need unskilled people in my unit. If you’re going to subject yourself to techniques unsuited for your height, leave my unit before the end of today.''“<br /> <br /> “───”<br /> <br /> “? Nee-chan, what’s wrong?”<br /> <br /> “……No, I’m fine. Rather than that, you shouldn’t join {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} like me──”<br /> <br /> “Ohh, that’s it! I also want to enter that biiig tower. Think I can do it? Can I also beat dragons and Yuugenshu going bang bang?”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> She couldn’t find words for the boy whose eyes were filled with hope as he asked.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Do you corner somebody dear to you with that tone too?''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ……That’s different; this is……something like a child’s simplistic dream.<br /> <br /> It’s different from awakening somebody who was already a member of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}to the truth. This and yesterday are completely different matters.<br /> <br /> “Nee-chan?”<br /> <br /> “……You can. If it’s you, then definitely, Ragna.”<br /> <br /> The words she spoke were quiet and clumsy to the point of being hoarse.<br /> <br /> …………How annoying, really annoying.<br /> <br /> …………Why am I being disturbed by that Cadet Guards few words like this?<br /> <br /> Was it because it hit the mark? No, like I……can accept that. {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s bunch are all useless. They always can’t do anything without grouping up with somebody.<br /> <br /> I am……nee-san and I are different.<br /> <br /> Her family and comrades were only the children born and raised in this orphanage. Believing that, she had lived without relying on anybody from {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}.<br /> <br /> “……Horn?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, no, it’s nothing, Matron. ──That’s right, I brought souvenirs. In the second Living District, a former colleague is running an open-air cafe. It seems like the cakes there are somewhat famous. Over there.”<br /> <br /> She pointed towards a large box sitting on the bench behind her.<br /> <br /> “Oh my, I’m happy; we’ll eat it during snack time.”<br /> <br /> “Okay. By the way……”<br /> <br /> Just before she spoke, the transmissions device hidden at her chest vibrated. Mail? If it was a call, it’s set to vibrate more. If it’s this faint, then it’s probably mail.<br /> <br /> “Excuse me, I think it’s probably from nee-sama.”<br /> <br /> On the screen of the transmissions device was the brief label ‘''Tower''‘.<br /> <br /> ──A simultaneous transmission from the Guard Regulation Institute?……It can’t be an emergency response at this time.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Subjugation list match, in combat with the individual ‘''S Vector, Eighth Class''‘.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> When she first saw that name written there, she didn’t believe it.<br /> <br /> Her sworn enemy she had spent many years searching for. It was the name of the one who had sent a child of the orphanage to the hospital. That it would appear with this timing of all times.<br /> <br /> “……The Biotope’s S Vector?”<br /> <br /> It couldn’t be called anything but ironic.<br /> <br /> That was where that Yuugenshu had first been witnessed.<br /> <br /> ……It appeared just after I returned to the tower.<br /> <br /> ……Does it intend to ridicule me?<br /> <br /> “Matron, my apologies but urgent business has come up so I will be excusing myself.”<br /> <br /> “Is that so? It must be hard on you; you always patrol a troublesome place, don’t you?”<br /> <br /> “For next time, let’s see. I’ll come to play when I find enough time to leisurely eat candy with everyone.”<br /> <br /> Then Horn turned her back on her large family. She once again covered her vision with the blinder that had been hidden and looked only at the future world bestowed by ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘.<br /> <br /> “──Together with Tessha.”<br /> <br /> Towards the tower that stood out high in the sky.<br /> <br /> Without turning back, the Sennenshi walked off in the direction of the tower.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> ==Translator's Notes and References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> {{SimpleNav}}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sekai_no_Owari_no_Encore:Volume_1_Record.3&diff=381251 Sekai no Owari no Encore:Volume 1 Record.3 2014-08-13T15:06:26Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Record.3: The Condition of the Previous Demon-Lord==<br /> <br /> ===1===<br /> <br /> Student’s town, Mstier.<br /> <br /> What awaited them once they took a step outside the town was green plain that spread before their vision. The footpath made from pebbles continued straight ahead where it would eventually connect to a large town far away.<br /> <br /> At the peaceful path as such,<br /> <br /> “……It felt like an instant.”<br /> <br /> Ren turned around to look at the path he walked from as the morning sunlight lit over him.<br /> <br /> ''—Looks like I’m going to be away from Holy Fiora Journey Academy for a while.''<br /> <br /> ''—I should have at least written a letter to my family back at home. I haven’t even seen my little sister lately.''<br /> <br /> When he saw the student town as he turned around, it was already so small that it looked like a small dot. He was attached to it since he had been living there for three years. So there was a side of him where he was feeling lonely.<br /> <br /> Except, more than that, he was so nervous that his heart started beating faster as he walked.<br /> <br /> He felt as if he didn’t have time to feel sad about it due his nervousness.<br /> <br /> After all—<br /> <br /> “Hmm? What’s wrong?”<br /> <br /> The silver hair girl looked up towards him as she licked the candy.<br /> <br /> The Dragon-Princess Kyelse. She was the strongest monster in history that the Heaven and the Underworld couldn’t even touch, but not until the Sword Emperor Elline appeared three-hundred years ago. She also happened to be a Princess of the “Heavenly Silver Dragon” which was the oldest Dragon-specie.<br /> <br /> Someone like her was holding onto his right hand, and also—<br /> <br /> “I’m sure you have some regrets at leaving the Academy. Though that’s how a journey is supposed to be. There is also a new meeting after a parting.”<br /> <br /> The one who was walking on the left-hand side of Ren was a tall, beautiful girl with bright blonde hair.<br /> <br /> Archangel Phia.<br /> <br /> She was also the highest rank Angel, a being that was the ruler of the Heaven.<br /> <br /> Elline Sword Emperor Brigade from three-hundred years ago. Two of the girls that were known as the Three Great Princesses were walking beside Ren while leaning against him.<br /> <br /> “Even so, there is nothing to worry about. Right, Ren?”<br /> <br /> Phia who was holding tightly onto Ren’s left arm.<br /> <br /> “I will teach you all the necessary knowledge. To the extent that I will teach you the lesson at night gently.”<br /> <br /> “Well, Phia-senpai......the thing is.”<br /> <br /> “Eh? What is it?”<br /> <br /> The Archangel replied with a naughty smile.<br /> <br /> <br /> As she held Ren’s arm, she naturally pressed it between her bosoms which was incredibly developed. It was on purpose. It definitely was.<br /> <br /> “……Senpai, I guess this is how you behave in Earth, right?”<br /> <br /> “It’s because I’m an Angel. Having a passionate body contact like this is the proof of our affection towards human—”<br /> <br /> “You don’t have to listen to what this foolish erotic Angel has to say, Ren. It’s her bad habit where she lures human by seducing them in order to have fun by watching them panicking about it. Even the Goddess is fed up with her.”<br /> <br /> The Dragon-Princess gets fed up with the Archangel and glared at her.<br /> <br /> “More importantly Phia, let go of him. Ren is getting troubled by it.”<br /> <br /> “The one who put her arm around Ren first was me.”<br /> <br /> “……And I’m asking both of you to let go of me. I already have a hard time since this luggage is heavy.”<br /> <br /> Ren became tired since he had both of his arms being pulled by them.<br /> <br /> The enormous luggage Ren was carrying on his back. If you didn’t include the basic travelling gears that were taken from Ren’s room, what occupied most of the luggage was Phia’s clothing and Kyelse’s snacks.<br /> <br /> “Putting her clothes aside, do we really need those snacks?”<br /> <br /> “Of course. It becomes handy, just like this.”<br /> <br /> The silver hair girl who chucked a fraction of chocolate in her mouth. She said it in her usual laid back manner, except, she had a satisfied smile on her face.<br /> <br /> “It’s delicious.”<br /> <br /> “……What are you, a kid?”<br /> <br /> “Isn’t sixteen still considered as a child even for a human?”<br /> <br /> “Even if you were sixteen, it’s about time you grew out of snacks……huh, you’re sixteen? That’s of course in Dragon’s age, right?”<br /> <br /> If you were to use the average life span as the standard, then the three great species consisted of the Dragons, the Angels, and the Demons were said to have long lifespans in exchange of their low population. Ren thought the same would apply for Kyelse, and hence presumed she had lived long, but—<br /> <br /> “I’m sixteen years old in human age. Also, I love snacks. It’s definitely the masterpiece among what the humans have created.”<br /> <br /> “But the battle from three-hundred years ago was……”<br /> <br /> “She was in a state where she was sealed for three-hundred years right after the battle.”<br /> <br /> Phia answered as her blonder hair blew due to the gentle breeze.<br /> <br /> “Ever since the last battle, Kyelse had been separated from this world due to the special seal she was in. The isolated space where there wasn’t time, light, and even sound. Though her time had been stopped, she still had her consciousness so she had been finding the chance to break the seal this whole time.”<br /> <br /> “That happened about a month ago.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who had finished her chocolate nodded.<br /> <br /> “Eh? Then what about your rumours when you fought Elline? How old were you then?”<br /> <br /> “I was fourteen. But still, I was already more powerful than all kinds of Dragons ever since I was born. Though I never imagined that I would lose against a human.”<br /> <br /> “……So you really are younger than me?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah. So it wouldn’t be weird if I take a bite or two of snacks.”<br /> <br /> The legendary Dragon-Princess fast walked and took out her second candy.<br /> <br /> “Delicious.”<br /> <br /> “You seem to be having fun……oh well.”<br /> <br /> The silver hair girl put on a satisfied smile.<br /> <br /> She simply looked like a lovely girl who was like a fairy when you saw her, but it was also true that Ren witnessed how she defeated a wyvern without even touching it.<br /> <br /> “On the other hand, I’m nervous as heck. Hey, look ahead.”<br /> <br /> Ren used his chin to point forward to alert Kyelse who was holding onto his left arm.<br /> <br /> —The armed parties that were walking through the main road.<br /> <br /> There were many groups of parties walking in front of them and also behind them.<br /> <br /> If there were small parties consisted of five members, there were also big parties that consisted of more than ten members. The organisation of the parties were very different from each other. There were common types such as the {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}s and the {{Furigana|Spellcaster|ARIA}}s, but even {{Furigana|Spiriter|SPIRIT}}s that were equipped with special spirit armaments and also {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}s that weren’t equipped with even a single armaments.<br /> <br /> “See? Everyone looks strong. They really are different from the students at the Academy.”<br /> <br /> The atmosphere they carried were different.<br /> <br /> Their trained body which was solid like steel, and their eyes that were sharp as a blade. Their appearance and their presence were fitting enough to be called brave warriors. If they weren’t, then they wouldn’t be able to investigate the ruins scattered through the world nor could they fight against the monsters. But—<br /> <br /> “……Hmm, is that how it is?”<br /> <br /> From the Dragon-Princess’s eyes, even the strong warriors from those parties didn’t catch her interest.<br /> <br /> “Phia, are those also considered a party like ours? I think there’s too much members in each of those parties. I’m sure there were fewer members in the parties three-hundred years ago.”<br /> <br /> “This is the choice this era chose.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel who gave her beautiful smile to the parties that walked past them.<br /> <br /> “Within these three-hundred years, the member types that constructs the parties itself went through some changes. {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} and {{Furigana|Spellcaster|ARIA}} were the only types back then, but now it’s separated into eight types.”<br /> <br /> “Eight types, huh. I know Ren is {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, so what are the other seven?”<br /> <br /> Kyelse stared at Ren.<br /> <br /> Ren pointed towards the parties walking ahead of them to answer the girl’s question.<br /> <br /> “{{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, {{Furigana|Spellcaster|ARIA}}, {{Furigana|Spiriter|SPIRIT}}, {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}, <br /> {{Furigana|Barrierer|ENCHANTER}}, {{Furigana|Curer|HEALER}}, <br /> {{Furigana|Predator|HUNTER}}, and {{Furigana|Searcher|THIEF}}. I guess these are the current eight types. Even back at the academy, the lessons were separated into the type you were majoring in.”<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} —They used weapon such as sword and axe. They had high risks since they would need to do perform close-combat at all times as well as making cool judgements and having excellent performance. They were considered as a “master”, the main force during battles.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Spellcaster|ARIA}} —They would perform complex rituals so even the humans could use the magic and offensive-spells of the Devils. <br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Spiriter|SPIRIT}} —They used spells which relied on spirit-armaments which possessed the power of spirits.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}} —The combatant which specialised in close-combat and would combine the defensive-spells and their active body’s to eliminate the enemies simply with their body and fighting techniques. In exchange of having the strength to not rely on weapons and armours, they would need great amount of talent and training hence why they were called the “full type”.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Barrierer|ENCHANTER}} — They use spell specialised by the Angels such as concealing, sealing, interception, and divine protection.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Curer|HEALER}} — Other than spells that would alter the body activity and regeneration, they were type that was sought to have knowledge about pharmaceutics and medicine.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Predator|HUNTER}} — The combatant that would use their knowledge about harmful animals to hunt. They specialise in shooting from long-range in order to support the party from the rear during battles.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Searcher|THIEF}} — The brain of the party and in terms of field, they were more of an archaeologist.<br /> <br /> “And there are also ranks where it’s structured in a way where your ranks would increase.”<br /> <br /> “Ranks?”<br /> <br /> “The eight types and their titles respectively. If you were a {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} like myself for example, then you would start from the III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the II-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the I-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the Official {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the Honourable {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the Sword King, and then the highest rank……the Sword Saint, I think.”<br /> <br /> By the way, Elline’s title of the “Sword Emperor” was the name he had before people started calling him the Brave Hero.<br /> <br /> Sword Saint would be the highest rank of the {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} and it was a title which was rarely given. It was required for you to pass the tests in several cities around the world.<br /> <br /> “Basically each and one of the classes were said to be necessary in a party. Since there are eight types, the majority of the parties are made up of eight members.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? Then what about those group of five walking over there?”<br /> <br /> “I guess they are looking for members they lack in. There are also gifted people who can take the roles of two types alone.”<br /> <br /> Phia would be the easiest example of such people around Ren. Even though she was majoring in {{Furigana|Curer|HEALER}}, she overwhelmed the male {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} students with her swordsmanship and also made the students jaws dropped with her spells.<br /> <br /> “Though it feels like Phia-senpai can take the roles of three types by herself.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. I sure can take most of those roles—”<br /> <br /> She finally let go of Ren’s arm. She became silent for a moment while she looked up to the sky.<br /> <br /> “If you ask me what I expertise in, then it would be {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}. {{Furigana|Curer|HEALER}} would come next.”<br /> <br /> “{{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}!? Phia-senpai is!?”<br /> <br /> “I’m good in martial arts despite my appearance. I could have majored in {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}} degree back at the Academy, but a tragedy may have occurred if I couldn’t hold back my power properly against the students for the mock-battle. Well, I have the confidence to heal and regenerate them if they receive damages to a certain degree, but I guess I need to restrain myself.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel spoke a scary thing with a smile.<br /> <br /> “Phia-senpai, you are a {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}? ……But I can’t imagine you hitting anyone.”<br /> <br /> “Ren, don’t let her appearance fool you. This violent woman is the biggest battle maniac in the Heaven who can even make the Goddess Lesfrese become silent with a single punch if she became serious.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse said it in a manner as if she told the truth.<br /> <br /> “Isn’t that right?”<br /> <br /> “Oh my, that isn’t true at all. There’s no way I can do that to the Goddess.”<br /> <br /> The blonde Angel on the other hand shook her head while putting on a smile.<br /> <br /> “By the way Ren, your rank right now is a III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, correct?”<br /> <br /> “……Me? Do I have to say it? In a place like this?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, I sure am curious about it. We certainly need to know the current strength of this party.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse looked up towards Ren with her emerald-green eyes filled with her keenness to hear his answer.<br /> <br /> “Since you are a III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, does that make you roughly a Honourable {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}? Or is it a rank above the Sword King?”<br /> <br /> “No way. I mentioned it before but it’s the lowest rank. The only thing above the Sword King is a Sword Saint, and there are only few people in this world with that rank.”<br /> <br /> “I see. Well, I will be the one training you, Ren. How about your first aim is to become a Sword Saint?”<br /> <br /> “……It’s too early to have that goal. Besides, I reckon we need more members for our party if we are going to find the Encore. Though it would be weird for me to say that. Take a look at them.”<br /> <br /> The parties that walked passed them.<br /> <br /> For example, if the parties walking ahead of them walked past each other, you would observe how they would stop and place their hand on their chest to salute each other.<br /> <br /> “That’s the traditional custom done between the parties. It’s a form of greetings which has the meaning for the good battle and safety for each other.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly. Though we hadn’t received such greetings even once yet.”<br /> <br /> They only saw them as civilian.<br /> <br /> After all, their party was made up of one boy and two girls. Ren had a sword, but both Kyelse and Phia weren’t equipped with even a single armament. Obviously the Dragon-Princess Kyelse and Archangel Phia didn’t need any armaments. But from the perspective of a third party who didn’t know their identity, there was no way that they would realise that they were a party since they weren’t armed. There was no mistake that they were seen as a three strange fellows that were travelling.<br /> <br /> “It’s decided that a party requires at least four members, so first of all we need to find the fourth member before anything else—”<br /> <br /> “Then please be rest assured. I do have a person in mind who would become our fourth comrade. The triumphal town Enge. It’s planned for us to meet her there. She’s an expert who can use all types of spells.”<br /> <br /> Phia answered with a smile as if she was waiting for to be asked about it.<br /> <br /> “The spell expert? Don’t tell me it’s a famous person again?”<br /> <br /> “If you ask me whether she is famous or not, then she sure is. Ren, you would reach the answer if you think a bit. Isn’t there another person we are currently lacking in for this party?”<br /> <br /> Ren looked up the sky for a while after hearing the answer the Archangel gave with a teasing voice.<br /> <br /> “'''It can’t be!?'''”<br /> <br /> He certainly had someone in mind. Other than Kyelse and Phia who was the part of the legendary Elline Sword Emperor Brigade, there was one more “Princess” remaining.<br /> <br /> “It sure can be.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who had finished her candy nodded with a satisfied tone.<br /> <br /> “The previous Demon-Lord Elise. The woman who was the master of the Underworld in the past.”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===2===<br /> Gust of the night wind.<br /> <br /> The whirlwind that stroke Ren’s neck was so cold that Ren couldn’t resist the urge to shiver his body. If he breathed out, the air breathed out turned white.<br /> <br /> “It’s freezing! It sure is cold if you leave the window open. This place is open to the weather after all.”<br /> <br /> The wooden cottage.<br /> <br /> It was one of the many base camps built on the roads between city to city, and town to town. Obviously the travellers and the parties, but even the tourists who would head to the cities for sightseeing used this accommodation.<br /> <br /> ''……I wonder how many years it has been since I stayed in a cottage.''<br /> <br /> ''……I guess the last time I did was three years ago when I went to Holy Fiora Journey Academy to take the test.''<br /> <br /> They would be heading to triumphal town Enge tomorrow.<br /> <br /> It was the city which was the closest to the student town. And the Demon-Lord Elise would be waiting for them there.<br /> <br /> “More importantly, I wonder how the previous Demon-Lord would look like. This is the Demon-Lord we are talking about, so maybe she has horns growing out from her head as well as having fangs and claws while her massive body would reach the height of ten metres—”<br /> <br /> “It will cause a stir if a monster like that was roaming in the city of the humans.”<br /> <br /> The sound of the lock of the door being destroyed echoed throughout the surrounding.<br /> <br /> The one who showed her face from the open door with a poker face was Kyelse.<br /> <br /> “…..I beg you to knock on the door normally. We would end up paying up for the broken lock if we get caught.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? It was locked?”<br /> <br /> Apparently the Dragon-Princess didn’t even notice that she broke the lock.<br /> <br /> “Putting that aside, it’s time for your training. We are going outside once you leave your luggage here.”<br /> <br /> “……Eh?”<br /> <br /> “I told you before, haven’t I? About teaching you Elline’s sword techniques. We need to build your fundamental basics first. Move your butt by grabbing your sword this instant and follow me.”<br /> <br /> After Kyelse said that, she headed out to the passage without waiting for Ren’s reply.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The breezing cold wind.<br /> <br /> It was so cold that it felt like you had chilling water splashed above your head which took away your warmth from simply coming outside.<br /> <br /> “It’s a good wind. It makes you become motivated.”<br /> <br /> “It’s too cold, isn’t it!? It’s so cold that I’m about to lose consciousness rather than falling sick!”<br /> <br /> “I have my scarf.”<br /> <br /> “And I don’t!”<br /> <br /> “—Let’s end the joke here and start the training. Ren, hand me your sword.”<br /> <br /> As soon as Kyelse took the sword along with its sheath from him, she drew the sword out from its sheath as if she was used to it.<br /> <br /> How it was drawn out beautifully.<br /> <br /> Ren honestly became entranced at how skilfully Kyelse was handling the sword that was drawn from its sheath with ease by using just one hand.<br /> <br /> “……You’re amazing. So you can use a human’s sword even though you are a Dragon?”<br /> <br /> “It isn’t anything hard if you can control your body. —Like this, for example.”<br /> <br /> The sword flashed.<br /> <br /> That instant, her right hand moved while leaving her afterimage.<br /> <br /> By the time Ren noticed it, the tip of the sword she was holding onto pierced through the centre point of the three leaves that were floating in the air due to the wind.<br /> <br /> “W-What was that……!?”<br /> <br /> “I pierced it when the three leaves overlapped each other in the air. I also would like to add that I pierced it while aiming to hit the veins of the leaves.”<br /> <br /> “The veins!? You aimed for such tiny parts!?”<br /> <br /> Kyelse handed the sword back to Ren, so he took of the leaves that were on the tip of the sword.<br /> <br /> The leaf veins could be considered as the blood vessels of the humans. The plant types could be separated into parallel-veined and reticulated-vein. But the main concern was that they were thin as a human’s hair.<br /> <br /> —She completely caught the trail of the leaves floating under this stormy weather.<br /> <br /> —She pierced all three leaves at once at the moment they overlapped each other.<br /> <br /> —And she wasn’t aiming for the leaves itself but their veins.<br /> <br /> The Dragon-Princess pulled this stunt off while she was talking to Ren.<br /> <br /> She wasn’t exactly concentrated in doing it nor did she wield her sword with everything she had. Yet she demonstrated such absolute technique. It was questionable whether an experienced swordsman who had been training for dozen of years could pull this off.<br /> <br /> “Alright, do you know what to do now?”<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t have a hard time if I knew how to do that with what you just showed me! Can you at least tell me a trick or something I should pay attention to!?”<br /> <br /> “There’s nothing like a trick. Weren’t you doing the same thing as me?”<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?”<br /> <br /> “That night when it was raining. It was during that time when you were wielding the sword by yourself. You weren’t just randomly wielding your sword. You were aiming for the falling raindrops.”<br /> <br /> “……You even saw that?”<br /> <br /> “It’s because you reminded me of Elline. Putting your strength aside, that is.”<br /> <br /> The silver hair girl made a fearless smile.<br /> <br /> “There’s nothing wrong with your training and your hard work. You weren’t blessed with an ideal physical structure and you are not the kind of person who would take down the enemies with a huge sword. You are more of a technician who would find your opponent's weaknesses and hit them with a single strike using their weakness.”<br /> <br /> “Seize the drop of water and a fraction of fire, and strike it down with a single slash instantly.”<br /> <br /> “It feels like you are asking me to pull off an ultimate technique from the start……”<br /> <br /> “This is the basic among basics. Elline’s swordsmanship lies even further past that league.”<br /> <br /> “—Fine.”<br /> <br /> Ren nodded his head with a bitter smile to Kyelse’s words as if she said something obvious to him.<br /> <br /> “I’ll start doing it then. I’ll work hard till I can do the same thing as you just did.”<br /> <br /> “'''Two will be fine.'''”<br /> <br /> Kyelse crossed her arm and lifted up two of her fingers.<br /> <br /> “Come back to me while bringing that sword where it had pierced two leaves. I won’t tell you to aim for the leaf veins either.”<br /> <br /> “......Two leaves? That’s it?”<br /> <br /> He couldn’t resist to ask her. He thought he would be told to pierce three leaves just like Kyelse did. He was also prepared to be told to continue till he could pierce four leaves.<br /> <br /> “For today, that is. I’ll return to my room, so come back once you accomplish it.”<br /> <br /> “Okay.”<br /> <br /> He nodded to the girl who turned around. Ren then moved his gaze to the leaves floating in the air.<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;==========&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> Inside the cottage.<br /> <br /> “Seriously, Kyelse, you are sneaky.”<br /> <br /> When Kyelse returned to her room, a blonde girl who was wearing negligee and was half-naked was in there. She was sitting on the bed as if it was her room.<br /> <br /> “Sneaky?”<br /> <br /> “The training with Ren. You taught him so attentively. I also wanted to blend it.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel bent her body seductively.<br /> <br /> Her negligee which had her chest part open even showed her cleavage which was faintly red. Along with Phia’s natural bewitching smile, her charming figure would knock out cold boys of certain ages immediately.<br /> <br /> “I don’t recall teaching attentively.”<br /> <br /> “I mean that it looked like you were enjoying yourself.”<br /> <br /> Phia smiled as she placed her hand on her lips.<br /> <br /> “You were so focused in teaching him that you didn’t realise I was standing at the entrance of the cottage.”<br /> <br /> “……You were watching?”<br /> <br /> “I feel a bit relieved. It seems like you are cheerful again. It was the same three-hundred years ago, but having a journey in a large group sure is fun. Ren is an honest boy so it’s worth training him and its fun having him around, right?”<br /> <br /> “I was cheerful from the start.”<br /> <br /> She removed the scarf around her neck and hanged it on the coat hanger located beside the door.<br /> <br /> —A small quantity of her sweat on her hand.<br /> <br /> —Without realising it, there was some heat on Kyelse’s hand.<br /> <br /> Her body that had become hot. But Kyelse felt embarrassed to admit Phia’s words so she looked away.<br /> <br /> “Geez, you really aren’t honest with yourself……even though the temperature of your body increased.”<br /> <br /> “S-Shut up! Don’t touch me! Don’t press that uselessly huge breasts against me!”<br /> <br /> She brushed away the Archangel who hugged her from behind.<br /> <br /> This was Phia’s preference rather than an Angel’s. She couldn’t help but use her body to interact with those she had a liking to which was her habit. What was a nuisance was that she had a power to read what was going through the minds of those she was touching.<br /> <br /> “Hmm, I understand. So that’s '''how you feel right now'''.”<br /> <br /> “……What did you understand, foolish erotic Angel.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, Kyelse, do you think Ren would also become stronger for our sake as well?”<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?”<br /> <br /> “Both you and I don’t have a power which is even near of that from three-hundred years ago, correct? My old wounds hadn’t healed and the Dragon Factor which is the source of your power hadn’t awakened ever since you woke up from your seal. Certainly we can deal with majority of the opponents, but the situation right now is that we only have half the power we had back then.”<br /> <br /> They were in a level where there wasn’t pretty much any enemy in this world that would be a threat to them even in their current condition. But it didn’t mean there was zero enemy who would be a threat. What could be listed among them were the highest-level monsters and also—<br /> <br /> “Did you hear about the “Five Great Disasters”?”<br /> <br /> “Just the rumours I heard at the Dragon’s valley. I heard till the part where they rebelled against the current Demon-Lord.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. For the worst scenario, we should anticipate a decisive battle against them. I thought that the reason why you were working hard in training Ren had to do with it.”<br /> <br /> “You think too far ahead.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse shook her head reluctantly.<br /> <br /> “I simply taught Ren what I remember about Elline’s training. That’s simply it.”<br /> <br /> “I see. Then Ren might be facing a bit of difficulties then.”<br /> <br /> Phia looked out the window. You couldn’t see Ren from this part of the room, but for an Archangel like herself, she was able to “see” him.<br /> <br /> The appearance of a boy who was breathing heavily while he was shedding sweats due to the weariness.<br /> <br /> “The task you assigned him to. That’s actually harder than it seems—”<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;==========&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “……This is ridiculously hard.”<br /> <br /> Ren’s shoulder moved violently.<br /> <br /> Ren wiped his sweats that were falling like a waterfall from the tip of his chin with the back side of his hand.<br /> <br /> “What the heck……”<br /> <br /> The leaves were floating in the air due to the sudden gusts that were blowing at him. Ren stopped his eyes from closing and he even stopped breathing so he could concentrate on the movements of the leaves. He caught the sight of the trails of the leaves that were floating in the air in random directions, and then—<br /> <br /> “Ha!”<br /> <br /> Along with his loud voice filled with his spirit, Ren thrust his sword forward.<br /> <br /> A single flash. The tip of his sword grazed the leaf by its edge.<br /> <br /> ''……That was it.''<br /> <br /> He barely grazed the leaf by its edge. There was a saying which goes “To dance like a butterfly”, and this was indeed such thing. He couldn’t pierce the leaf by its core and the most he could do was to graze it by its side. <br /> <br /> The leaves flickered and danced in the air due to the wind.<br /> <br /> The same applied when the sword was thrust forward, the leaves also shook when it received the small amount of air current created by the sword. Just how hard it was to aim for the leaves.<br /> <br /> ''……No, that isn’t it. The real problem isn’t that.''<br /> <br /> Once every two tries, the tip of the sword touched the leaves. If you repeated this procedure, there would be a chance that it would hit its core even if it was by luck. But the real issue here was—<br /> <br /> “This again!?”<br /> <br /> The leaves that received a direct hit from the sword get cut in half then dropped on the ground.<br /> <br /> Yes. Even if the sword hits the core, the leaves get sliced in half without the sword being able to pierce through it.<br /> <br /> ''—I wouldn’t be able to touch the leaves up in the air if I don’t thrust it with all my strength.''<br /> <br /> ''—But if I thrust it without holding back, the leaves get sliced into pieces if it hits.''<br /> <br /> “Oh……I get it now!”<br /> <br /> The Dragon-Princess did it with ease, but Ren finally realised just how skilled she was and the whole aspect of it.<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“Seize the drop of water and a fraction of fire, and strike it down with a single slash instantly.”''<br /> <br /> <br /> Ren slashed with his sword. He thrust with it. He swung it. The air current created by each of his forms were different, and the strength of the air current would change depending on the force applied to it. You wouldn’t be able to grasp the core of the leaves unless you fully understood that.<br /> <br /> Right after that.<br /> <br /> Exactly at the time when his sword was about to touch the leaf, he weakened his strength.<br /> <br /> To master the sword without using your full strength, but with your minimum strength.<br /> <br /> “……And she’s asking me to get two of them at once. Isn’t she asking a bit too much from me?”<br /> <br /> Ren wiped the sweat that was on his sword’s handle. Ren then smiled.<br /> <br /> <br /> ''“Do you want to come with me?”''<br /> <br /> <br /> ''—I was simply happy.''<br /> <br /> ''Kyelse’s words when she said she would train me. I didn’t know what she meant at first. I simply thought she was giving me an advice where she was telling me to simply work hard and do my best.''<br /> <br /> ''But she’s training me with so much passion. She even demonstrated for me.''<br /> <br /> ''……More importantly.''<br /> <br /> ''……She even invited me to the party when she knew I was different to the Brave Hero.''<br /> <br /> ''I want to live up to her expectations.''<br /> <br /> ''I can journey to the world and she acknowledges me as her fellow comrade. Being able to achieve the dream I had since I was a child is making my heart beat faster and is giving me such passion.''<br /> <br /> “It would be a waste if I just give up here!”<br /> <br /> Ren put strength into his hand which was icy cold due to being exposed to the cold wind in order to make a stance with his sword.<br /> <br /> “I have to do it, even if I can only get one of them!”<br /> <br /> The tip of the sword which was giving sparks succeeds in piercing through two leaves.<br /> <br /> The core of the leaves. To be precise, it didn’t get sliced in half nor did it get shredded into pieces. Both of the leaves had been beautifully pierced through by the tip of the sword.<br /> <br /> “........................Huh?”<br /> <br /> The one who couldn’t believe his eyes was Ren himself.<br /> <br /> “I……did it? It felt like I did it by chance.”<br /> <br /> He stood there while holding onto the sword. And then.<br /> <br /> “Yeah! Awesome, even I can do it if I try!”<br /> <br /> He sprinted towards the cottage and headed towards her room directly.<br /> <br /> “Kyelse! Hey, check this out! I did it, I really did it!”<br /> <br /> “!? W-Wait, Ren! You can’t enter right now—”<br /> <br /> The door was opened violently. And the one inside was.<br /> <br /> “……You’ve got some nerve. Peeping on my body, are you?”<br /> <br /> A beautiful girl who wore nothing.<br /> <br /> She had stripped off her lovely travelling clothes. Kyelse was holding onto her negligee which had cute looking frills on them. She looked towards Ren with a red face that was due to the mix of her fury and her embarrassment.<br /> <br /> “Ah, no, it’s not what you think……I didn’t do it……on purpose……”<br /> <br /> Even though he said that, he found himself fascinated with her body.<br /> <br /> She simply looked purely lovely.<br /> <br /> Her body that had curves fitting for girls her age and her white skin which was as white as porcelain. Kyelse had an appearance which was charming enough as a human and made Ren forget she was a Dragon. Especially her body since you wouldn’t have realised she had a mature body which you couldn’t tell from over her travelling clothes—<br /> <br /> “Let me ask you just in case. Is there anything you want to say?”<br /> <br /> “……Well……umm, I think you’re cute.”<br /> <br /> “Fly.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse said with her power of language with a red face. By the time Ren who had himself blown away to the wall of the pathway regained his consciousness, Kyelse had already changed into her negligee.<br /> <br /> <br /> “Anyway, let me applaud you for accomplishing the task. To be honest, I thought it would take you at least a week.”<br /> <br /> Inside Ren’s room.<br /> <br /> The one who was sitting on the bed as if it belonged to her was Kyelse. Ren on the other hand was sitting on the carpet even though he was totally exhausted.<br /> <br /> “At this rate you would be able to pierce three leaves tomorrow and four leaves the day after tomorrow. And next—”<br /> <br /> “Next, what?”<br /> <br /> “Try to do it while shutting your eyes close.”<br /> <br /> “That’s a really hard hurdle!”<br /> <br /> “Elline’s sword-techniques lay beyond that. Anyway, I acknowledge your hard work. You should rest for today.”<br /> <br /> She said it while sitting on the bed.<br /> <br /> ''……Even though she’s telling me to rest.''<br /> <br /> Kyelse who had said that was still occupying the bed. Ren wouldn’t be able to sleep even if he wanted to since she was still here. But it was also hard for him to tell her to move.<br /> <br /> “Aren’t you going to sleep, Kyelse?”<br /> <br /> “I’m sleeping together with you.”<br /> <br /> He couldn’t comprehend her words.<br /> <br /> Ren looked up for a while and then opened his jaws wide.<br /> <br /> “……Pardon me?”<br /> <br /> “I said I’m going to sleep on the same bed as you.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse laid on the bed and put the blanket over her head without making a shy face.<br /> <br /> “You should also come inside right away.”<br /> <br /> “Umm……sorry. I don’t understand what’s happening right now.”<br /> <br /> ''I’m a human. Kyelse is a Dragon on the other hand.''<br /> <br /> ''Apparently it’s a morphing which was a mix of high-level spells and space distortion to change her physical appearance into that of a human girl. So I can’t help but think there would be a problem sleeping with her.''<br /> <br /> “Can you tell me your reasons just in case? Wasn’t there also a bed in your room as well?”<br /> <br /> “It’s part of my trait. It makes me feel calm this way.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse wiped her sleepy eyes while wrapping herself with the blanket.<br /> <br /> “Many of my kin were present at the Valley of my hometown. I often slept in a herd as well. I would be able to sleep easier if I sleep in a group with those I trust.”<br /> <br /> “……The Dragon’s trait.”<br /> <br /> Even though he was half astonished by this, he wanted to keep it as a secret that he was happy when she naturally said someone she can “trust.”<br /> <br /> “By the way, what did you do three-hundred years ago?”<br /> <br /> “Elline declined. He had been practising his sword even at night.”<br /> <br /> “……The Sword Emperor did?”<br /> <br /> “Unexpected? There isn’t a human which is strong from the start was that man’s words. Leaving aside his crazy guts and stubbornness, his strength as a swordsman wasn’t something he was born with. The reason why he was called the Sword Emperor was merely a title he obtained by working harder than anyone.”<br /> <br /> Maybe Kyelse found Ren’s shocked reaction amusing, so Kyelse softened her expression.<br /> <br /> “I’m sure that was the first time I heard that……”<br /> <br /> The legend of the Sword Emperor that Ren knows of was that he was born as a genius. Unlike himself who had poor talent, Ren assumed he was born to this world with the talent he was given.<br /> <br /> “I want to hear more about that story.”<br /> <br /> “I will, but I’ll end it here for today. Hey, let’s go to sleep quickly. We are waking up early tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “H-Hey!?”<br /> <br /> He had himself hugged by Kyelse who got up from the bed and then had himself thrown onto the bed. Kyelse was already inside the blanket by the time he found out she put the blanket above his head.<br /> <br /> “H-Hey, can’t Phia-senpai be the one who sleeps with you!?”<br /> <br /> “She’s no good. She’s annoying since she tries to hug you whenever she finds the chance.”<br /> <br /> The Dragon-Princess came close to him where they could feel each other’s warmth inside the small bed.<br /> <br /> “Yeah, I sure do feel calm.”<br /> <br /> “……No, I’m—”<br /> <br /> “What is it?”<br /> <br /> “……It’s nothing.”<br /> <br /> The silver hair girl looked towards him.<br /> <br /> Her peaceful smile was so gentle that he couldn’t say more.<br /> <br /> The tyrant who had been feared as the strongest monster on Earth and who had been refused by the Heaven, the Underworld, and also her fellow Dragons till Elline showed up. But the girl who was sleeping with her eyes closed right beside him was simply a lonely girl who was completely different from the rumours he had heard. In fact she was—<br /> <br /> Maybe the one who was in front of him was the true Kyelse. That was what Ren thought.<br /> <br /> “But my main problem is……”<br /> <br /> He rarely saw the faces of the opposite sex of his age while they were sleeping. And she was sleeping with him where she was so close to him that he could feel her breath. There was no way he couldn’t be bothered by it.<br /> <br /> “……There’s no way I can sleep like this.”<br /> <br /> Even though Ren knew he was turning red, Ren simply kept repeating those words for the whole night.<br /> <br /> Then the next morning.<br /> <br /> “? Ren, didn’t you have enough sleep? Your eyes are red.”<br /> <br /> “Whose fault do you think it is?”<br /> <br /> Ren replied tirelessly to Kyelse who had woken up from her deep sleep.<br /> <br /> ===3===<br /> <br /> <br /> ===4===<br /> <br /> <br /> ===5===<br /> <br /> <br /> {{SimpleNav<br /> |b=Record.2|bn=Record.2<br /> |f=Record.4|fn=Record.4<br /> }}</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Sekai_no_Owari_no_Encore:Volume_1_Record.3&diff=380657 Sekai no Owari no Encore:Volume 1 Record.3 2014-08-11T22:25:55Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Record.3: The Condition of the Previous Demon-Lord==<br /> <br /> ===1===<br /> <br /> Student’s town, Mstier.<br /> <br /> What awaited them once they took a step outside the town was green plain that spread before their vision. The footpath made from pebbles continued straight ahead where it would eventually connect to a large town far away.<br /> <br /> At the peaceful path as such,<br /> <br /> “……It felt like an instant.”<br /> <br /> Ren turned around to look at the path he walked from as the morning sunlight lit over him.<br /> <br /> ''—Looks like I’m going to be away from Holy Fiora Journey Academy for a while.''<br /> <br /> ''—I should have at least written a letter to my family back at home. I haven’t even seen my little sister lately.''<br /> <br /> When he saw the student town as he turned around, it was already so small that it looked like a small dot. He was attached to it since he had been living there for three years. So there was a side of him where he was feeling lonely.<br /> <br /> Except, more than that, he was so nervous that his heart started beating faster as he walked.<br /> <br /> He felt as if he didn’t have time to feel sad about it due his nervousness.<br /> <br /> After all—<br /> <br /> “Hmm? What’s wrong?”<br /> <br /> The silver hair girl looked up towards him as she licked the candy.<br /> <br /> The Dragon-Princess Kyelse. She was the strongest monster in history that the Heaven and the Underworld couldn’t even touch, but not until the Sword Emperor Elline appeared three-hundred years ago. She also happened to be a Princess of the “Heavenly Silver Dragon” which was the oldest Dragon-specie.<br /> <br /> Someone like her was holding onto his right hand, and also—<br /> <br /> “I’m sure you have some regrets at leaving the Academy. Though that’s how a journey is supposed to be. There is also a new meeting after a parting.”<br /> <br /> The one who was walking on the left-hand side of Ren was a tall, beautiful girl with bright blonde hair.<br /> <br /> Archangel Phia.<br /> <br /> She was also the highest rank Angel, a being that was the ruler of the Heaven.<br /> <br /> Elline Sword Emperor Brigade from three-hundred years ago. Two of the girls that were known as the Three Great Princesses were walking beside Ren while leaning against him.<br /> <br /> “Even so, there is nothing to worry about. Right, Ren?”<br /> <br /> Phia who was holding tightly onto Ren’s left arm.<br /> <br /> “I will teach you all the necessary knowledge. To the extent that I will teach you the lesson at night gently.”<br /> <br /> “Well, Phia-senpai......the thing is.”<br /> <br /> “Eh? What is it?”<br /> <br /> The Archangel replied with a naughty smile.<br /> <br /> <br /> As she held Ren’s arm, she naturally pressed it between her bosoms which was incredibly developed. It was on purpose. It definitely was.<br /> <br /> “……Senpai, I guess this is how you behave in Earth, right?”<br /> <br /> “It’s because I’m an Angel. Having a passionate body contact like this is the proof of our affection towards human—”<br /> <br /> “You don’t have to listen to what this foolish erotic Angel has to say, Ren. It’s her bad habit where she lures human by seducing them in order to have fun by watching them panicking about it. Even the Goddess is fed up with her.”<br /> <br /> The Dragon-Princess gets fed up with the Archangel and glared at her.<br /> <br /> “More importantly Phia, let go of him. Ren is getting troubled by it.”<br /> <br /> “The one who put her arm around Ren first was me.”<br /> <br /> “……And I’m asking both of you to let go of me. I already have a hard time since this luggage is heavy.”<br /> <br /> Ren became tired since he had both of his arms being pulled by them.<br /> <br /> The enormous luggage Ren was carrying on his back. If you didn’t include the basic travelling gears that were taken from Ren’s room, what occupied most of the luggage was Phia’s clothing and Kyelse’s snacks.<br /> <br /> “Putting her clothes aside, do we really need those snacks?”<br /> <br /> “Of course. It becomes handy, just like this.”<br /> <br /> The silver hair girl who chucked a fraction of chocolate in her mouth. She said it in her usual laid back manner, except, she had a satisfied smile on her face.<br /> <br /> “It’s delicious.”<br /> <br /> “……What are you, a kid?”<br /> <br /> “Isn’t sixteen still considered as a child even for a human?”<br /> <br /> “Even if you were sixteen, it’s about time you grew out of snacks……huh, you’re sixteen? That’s of course in Dragon’s age, right?”<br /> <br /> If you were to use the average life span as the standard, then the three great species consisted of the Dragons, the Angels, and the Demons were said to have long lifespans in exchange of their low population. Ren thought the same would apply for Kyelse, and hence presumed she had lived long, but—<br /> <br /> “I’m sixteen years old in human age. Also, I love snacks. It’s definitely the masterpiece among what the humans have created.”<br /> <br /> “But the battle from three-hundred years ago was……”<br /> <br /> “She was in a state where she was sealed for three-hundred years right after the battle.”<br /> <br /> Phia answered as her blonder hair blew due to the gentle breeze.<br /> <br /> “Ever since the last battle, Kyelse had been separated from this world due to the special seal she was in. The isolated space where there wasn’t time, light, and even sound. Though her time had been stopped, she still had her consciousness so she had been finding the chance to break the seal this whole time.”<br /> <br /> “That happened about a month ago.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who had finished her chocolate nodded.<br /> <br /> “Eh? Then what about your rumours when you fought Elline? How old were you then?”<br /> <br /> “I was fourteen. But still, I was already more powerful than all kinds of Dragons ever since I was born. Though I never imagined that I would lose against a human.”<br /> <br /> “……So you really are younger than me?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah. So it wouldn’t be weird if I take a bite or two of snacks.”<br /> <br /> The legendary Dragon-Princess fast walked and took out her second candy.<br /> <br /> “Delicious.”<br /> <br /> “You seem to be having fun……oh well.”<br /> <br /> The silver hair girl put on a satisfied smile.<br /> <br /> She simply looked like a lovely girl who was like a fairy when you saw her, but it was also true that Ren witnessed how she defeated a wyvern without even touching it.<br /> <br /> “On the other hand, I’m nervous as heck. Hey, look ahead.”<br /> <br /> Ren used his chin to point forward to alert Kyelse who was holding onto his left arm.<br /> <br /> —The armed parties that were walking through the main road.<br /> <br /> There were many groups of parties walking in front of them and also behind them.<br /> <br /> If there were small parties consisted of five members, there were also big parties that consisted of more than ten members. The organisation of the parties were very different from each other. There were common types such as the {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}s and the {{Furigana|Spellcaster|ARIA}}s, but even {{Furigana|Spiriter|SPIRIT}}s that were equipped with special spirit armaments and also {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}s that weren’t equipped with even a single armaments.<br /> <br /> “See? Everyone looks strong. They really are different from the students at the Academy.”<br /> <br /> The atmosphere they carried were different.<br /> <br /> Their trained body which was solid like steel, and their eyes that were sharp as a blade. Their appearance and their presence were fitting enough to be called brave warriors. If they weren’t, then they wouldn’t be able to investigate the ruins scattered through the world nor could they fight against the monsters. But—<br /> <br /> “……Hmm, is that how it is?”<br /> <br /> From the Dragon-Princess’s eyes, even the strong warriors from those parties didn’t catch her interest.<br /> <br /> “Phia, are those also considered a party like ours? I think there’s too much members in each of those parties. I’m sure there were fewer members in the parties three-hundred years ago.”<br /> <br /> “This is the choice this era chose.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel who gave her beautiful smile to the parties that walked past them.<br /> <br /> “Within these three-hundred years, the member types that constructs the parties itself went through some changes. {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} and {{Furigana|Spellcaster|ARIA}} were the only types back then, but now it’s separated into eight types.”<br /> <br /> “Eight types, huh. I know Ren is {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, so what are the other seven?”<br /> <br /> Kyelse stared at Ren.<br /> <br /> Ren pointed towards the parties walking ahead of them to answer the girl’s question.<br /> <br /> “{{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, {{Furigana|Spellcaster|ARIA}}, {{Furigana|Spiriter|SPIRIT}}, {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}, <br /> {{Furigana|Barrierer|ENCHANTER}}, {{Furigana|Curer|HEALER}}, <br /> {{Furigana|Predator|HUNTER}}, and {{Furigana|Searcher|THIEF}}. I guess these are the current eight types. Even back at the academy, the lessons were separated into the type you were majoring in.”<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} —They used weapon such as sword and axe. They had high risks since they would need to do perform close-combat at all times as well as making cool judgements and having excellent performance. They were considered as a “master”, the main force during battles.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Spellcaster|ARIA}} —They would perform complex rituals so even the humans could use the magic and offensive-spells of the Devils. <br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Spiriter|SPIRIT}} —They used spells which relied on spirit-armaments which possessed the power of spirits.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}} —The combatant which specialised in close-combat and would combine the defensive-spells and their active body’s to eliminate the enemies simply with their body and fighting techniques. In exchange of having the strength to not rely on weapons and armours, they would need great amount of talent and training hence why they were called the “full type”.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Barrierer|ENCHANTER}} — They use spell specialised by the Angels such as concealing, sealing, interception, and divine protection.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Curer|HEALER}} — Other than spells that would alter the body activity and regeneration, they were type that was sought to have knowledge about pharmaceutics and medicine.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Predator|HUNTER}} — The combatant that would use their knowledge about harmful animals to hunt. They specialise in shooting from long-range in order to support the party from the rear during battles.<br /> <br /> {{Furigana|Searcher|THIEF}} — The brain of the party and in terms of field, they were more of an archaeologist.<br /> <br /> “And there are also ranks where it’s structured in a way where your ranks would increase.”<br /> <br /> “Ranks?”<br /> <br /> “The eight types and their titles respectively. If you were a {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} like myself for example, then you would start from the III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the II-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the I-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the Official {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the Honourable {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, then the Sword King, and then the highest rank……the Sword Saint, I think.”<br /> <br /> By the way, Elline’s title of the “Sword Emperor” was the name he had before people started calling him the Brave Hero.<br /> <br /> Sword Saint would be the highest rank of the {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} and it was a title which was rarely given. It was required for you to pass the tests in several cities around the world.<br /> <br /> “Basically each and one of the classes were said to be necessary in a party. Since there are eight types, the majority of the parties are made up of eight members.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? Then what about those group of five walking over there?”<br /> <br /> “I guess they are looking for members they lack in. There are also gifted people who can take the roles of two types alone.”<br /> <br /> Phia would be the easiest example of such people around Ren. Even though she was majoring in {{Furigana|Curer|HEALER}}, she overwhelmed the male {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}} students with her swordsmanship and also made the students jaws dropped with her spells.<br /> <br /> “Though it feels like Phia-senpai can take the roles of three types by herself.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. I sure can take most of those roles—”<br /> <br /> She finally let go of Ren’s arm. She became silent for a moment while she looked up to the sky.<br /> <br /> “If you ask me what I expertise in, then it would be {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}. {{Furigana|Curer|HEALER}} would come next.”<br /> <br /> “{{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}!? Phia-senpai is!?”<br /> <br /> “I’m good in martial arts despite my appearance. I could have majored in {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}} degree back at the Academy, but a tragedy may have occurred if I couldn’t hold back my power properly against the students for the mock-battle. Well, I have the confidence to heal and regenerate them if they receive damages to a certain degree, but I guess I need to restrain myself.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel spoke a scary thing with a smile.<br /> <br /> “Phia-senpai, you are a {{Furigana|Fighter|FULLTYPE}}? ……But I can’t imagine you hitting anyone.”<br /> <br /> “Ren, don’t let her appearance fool you. This violent woman is the biggest battle maniac in the Heaven who can even make the Goddess Lesfrese become silent with a single punch if she became serious.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse said it in a manner as if she told the truth.<br /> <br /> “Isn’t that right?”<br /> <br /> “Oh my, that isn’t true at all. There’s no way I can do that to the Goddess.”<br /> <br /> The blonde Angel on the other hand shook her head while putting on a smile.<br /> <br /> “By the way Ren, your rank right now is a III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, correct?”<br /> <br /> “……Me? Do I have to say it? In a place like this?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, I sure am curious about it. We certainly need to know the current strength of this party.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse looked up towards Ren with her emerald-green eyes filled with her keenness to hear his answer.<br /> <br /> “Since you are a III-Grade {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}, does that make you roughly a Honourable {{Furigana|Knight|MASTER}}? Or is it a rank above the Sword King?”<br /> <br /> “No way. I mentioned it before but it’s the lowest rank. The only thing above the Sword King is a Sword Saint, and there are only few people in this world with that rank.”<br /> <br /> “I see. Well, I will be the one training you, Ren. How about your first aim is to become a Sword Saint?”<br /> <br /> “……It’s too early to have that goal. Besides, I reckon we need more members for our party if we are going to find the Encore. Though it would be weird for me to say that. Take a look at them.”<br /> <br /> The parties that walked passed them.<br /> <br /> For example, if the parties walking ahead of them walked past each other, you would observe how they would stop and place their hand on their chest to salute each other.<br /> <br /> “That’s the traditional custom done between the parties. It’s a form of greetings which has the meaning for the good battle and safety for each other.”<br /> <br /> “Exactly. Though we hadn’t received such greetings even once yet.”<br /> <br /> They only saw them as civilian.<br /> <br /> After all, their party was made up of one boy and two girls. Ren had a sword, but both Kyelse and Phia weren’t equipped with even a single armament. Obviously the Dragon-Princess Kyelse and Archangel Phia didn’t need any armaments. But from the perspective of a third party who didn’t know their identity, there was no way that they would realise that they were a party since they weren’t armed. There was no mistake that they were seen as a three strange fellows that were travelling.<br /> <br /> “It’s decided that a party requires at least four members, so first of all we need to find the fourth member before anything else—”<br /> <br /> “Then please be rest assured. I do have a person in mind who would become our fourth comrade. The triumphal town Enge. It’s planned for us to meet her there. She’s an expert who can use all types of spells.”<br /> <br /> Phia answered with a smile as if she was waiting for to be asked about it.<br /> <br /> “The spell expert? Don’t tell me it’s a famous person again?”<br /> <br /> “If you ask me whether she is famous or not, then she sure is. Ren, you would reach the answer if you think a bit. Isn’t there another person we are currently lacking in for this party?”<br /> <br /> Ren looked up the sky for a while after hearing the answer the Archangel gave with a teasing voice.<br /> <br /> “'''It can’t be!?'''”<br /> <br /> He certainly had someone in mind. Other than Kyelse and Phia who was the part of the legendary Elline Sword Emperor Brigade, there was one more “Princess” remaining.<br /> <br /> “It sure can be.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse who had finished her candy nodded with a satisfied tone.<br /> <br /> “The previous Demon-Lord Elise. The woman who was the master of the Underworld in the past.”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===2===<br /> Gust of the night wind.<br /> <br /> The whirlwind that stroke Ren’s neck was so cold that Ren couldn’t resist the urge to shiver his body. If he breathed out, the air breathed out turned white.<br /> <br /> “It’s freezing! It sure is cold if you leave the window open. This place is open to the weather after all.”<br /> <br /> The wooden cottage.<br /> <br /> It was one of the many base camps built on the roads between city to city, and town to town. Obviously the travellers and the parties, but even the tourists who would head to the cities for sightseeing used this accommodation.<br /> <br /> ''……I wonder how many years it has been since I stayed in a cottage.''<br /> <br /> ''……I guess the last time I did was three years ago when I went to Holy Fiora Journey Academy to take the test.''<br /> <br /> They would be heading to triumphal town Enge tomorrow.<br /> <br /> It was the city which was the closest to the student town. And the Demon-Lord Elise would be waiting for them there.<br /> <br /> “More importantly, I wonder how the previous Demon-Lord would look like. This is the Demon-Lord we are talking about, so maybe she has horns growing out from her head as well as having fangs and claws while her massive body would reach the height of ten metres—”<br /> <br /> “It will cause a stir if a monster like that was roaming in the city of the humans.”<br /> <br /> The sound of the lock of the door being destroyed echoed throughout the surrounding.<br /> <br /> The one who showed her face from the open door with a poker face was Kyelse.<br /> <br /> “…..I beg you to knock on the door normally. We would end up paying up for the broken lock if we get caught.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? It was locked?”<br /> <br /> Apparently the Dragon-Princess didn’t even notice that she broke the lock.<br /> <br /> “Putting that aside, it’s time for your training. We are going outside once you leave your luggage here.”<br /> <br /> “……Eh?”<br /> <br /> “I told you before, haven’t I? About teaching you Elline’s sword techniques. We need to build your fundamental basics first. Move your butt by grabbing your sword this instant and follow me.”<br /> <br /> After Kyelse said that, she headed out to the passage without waiting for Ren’s reply.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The breezing cold wind.<br /> <br /> It was so cold that it felt like you had chilling water splashed above your head which took away your warmth from simply coming outside.<br /> <br /> “It’s a good wind. It makes<br /> <br /> “It’s too cold, isn’t it!? It’s so cold that I’m about to lose consciousness rather than falling sick!”<br /> <br /> “I have my scarf.”<br /> <br /> “And I don’t!”<br /> <br /> “—Let’s end the joke here and start the training. Ren, hand me your sword.”<br /> <br /> As soon as Kyelse took the sword along with its sheath from him, she drew the sword out from its sheath as if she was used to it.<br /> <br /> How it was drawn out beautifully.<br /> <br /> Ren honestly became entranced at how skilfully Kyelse was handling the sword that was drawn from its sheath with ease by using just one hand.<br /> <br /> “……You’re amazing. So you can use a human’s sword even though you are a Dragon?”<br /> <br /> “It isn’t anything hard if you can control your body. —Like this, for example.”<br /> <br /> The sword flashed.<br /> <br /> That instant, her right hand moved while leaving her afterimage.<br /> <br /> By the time Ren noticed it, the tip of the sword she was holding onto pierced through the centre point of the three leaves that were floating in the air due to the wind.<br /> <br /> “W-What was that……!?”<br /> <br /> “I pierced it when the three leaves overlapped each other in the air. I also would like to add that I pierced it while aiming to hit the veins of the leaves.”<br /> <br /> “The veins!? You aimed for such tiny parts!?”<br /> <br /> Kyelse handed the sword back to Ren, so he took of the leaves that were on the tip of the sword.<br /> <br /> The leaf veins could be considered as the blood vessels of the humans. The plant types could be separated into parallel-veined and reticulated-vein. But the main concern was that they were thin as a human’s hair.<br /> <br /> —She completely caught the trail of the leaves floating under this stormy weather.<br /> <br /> —She pierced all three leaves at once at the moment they overlapped each other.<br /> <br /> —And she wasn’t aiming for the leaves itself but their veins.<br /> <br /> The Dragon-Princess pulled this stunt off while she was talking to Ren.<br /> <br /> She wasn’t exactly concentrated in doing it neither did she wield her sword with everything she had. Yet she demonstrated such absolute technique. It was questionable whether an experienced swordsman who had been training for dozen of years could pull this off.<br /> <br /> “Alright, do you know what to do now?”<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t have a hard time if I knew how to do that with what you just showed me! Can you at least tell me a trick or something I should pay attention to!?”<br /> <br /> “There’s nothing like a trick. Weren’t you doing the same thing as me?”<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?”<br /> <br /> “That night when it was raining. It was during that time when you were wielding the sword by yourself. You weren’t just randomly wielding your sword. You were aiming for the falling raindrops.”<br /> <br /> “……You even saw that?”<br /> <br /> “It’s because you reminded me of Elline. Putting your strength aside, that is.”<br /> <br /> The silver hair girl made a fearless smile.<br /> <br /> “There’s nothing wrong with your training and your hard work. You weren’t blessed with an ideal physical structure and you are not the kind of person who would take down the enemies with a huge sword. You are more of a technician who would find your opponent's weaknesses and hit them with a single strike using their weakness.”<br /> <br /> “Seize the drop of water and a fraction of fire, and strike it down with a single slash instantly.”<br /> <br /> “It feels like you are asking me to pull off an ultimate technique from the start……”<br /> <br /> “This is the basic among basics. Elline’s swordsmanship lies even further past that league.”<br /> <br /> “—Fine.”<br /> <br /> Ren nodded his head with a bitter smile to Kyelse’s words as if she said something obvious to him.<br /> <br /> “I’ll start doing it then. I’ll work hard till I can do the same thing as you just did.”<br /> <br /> “'''Two will be fine.'''”<br /> <br /> Kyelse crossed her arm and lifted up two of her fingers.<br /> <br /> “Come back to me while bringing that sword where it had pierced two leaves. I won’t tell you to aim for the leaf veins either.”<br /> <br /> “......Two leaves? That’s it?”<br /> <br /> He couldn’t resist to ask her. He thought he would be told to pierce three leaves just like Kyelse did. He was also prepared to be told to continue till he could pierce four leaves.<br /> <br /> “For today, that is. I’ll return to my room, so come back once you accomplish it.”<br /> <br /> “Okay.”<br /> <br /> He nodded to the girl who turned around. Ren then moved his gaze to the leaves floating in the air.<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;==========&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> Inside the cottage.<br /> <br /> “Seriously, Kyelse, you are sneaky.”<br /> <br /> When Kyelse returned to her room, a blonde girl who was wearing negligee and was half-naked was in there. She was sitting on the bed as if it was her room.<br /> <br /> “Sneaky?”<br /> <br /> “The training with Ren. You taught him so attentively. I also wanted to blend it.”<br /> <br /> The Archangel bent her body seductively.<br /> <br /> Her negligee which had her chest part open even showed her cleavage which was faintly red. Along with Phia’s natural bewitching smile, her charming figure would knock out cold boys of certain ages immediately.<br /> <br /> “I don’t recall teaching attentively.”<br /> <br /> “I mean that it looked like you were enjoying yourself.”<br /> <br /> Phia smiled as she placed her hand on her lips.<br /> <br /> “You were so focused in teaching him that you didn’t realise I was standing at the entrance of the cottage.”<br /> <br /> “……You were watching?”<br /> <br /> “I feel a bit relieved. It seems like you are cheerful again. It was the same three-hundred years ago, but having a journey in a large group sure is fun. Ren is an honest boy so it’s worth training him and its fun having him around, right?”<br /> <br /> “I was cheerful from the start.”<br /> <br /> She removed the scarf around her neck and hanged it on the coat hanger located beside the door.<br /> <br /> —A small quantity of her sweat on her hand.<br /> <br /> —Without realising it, there was some heat on Kyelse’s hand.<br /> <br /> Her body that had become hot. But Kyelse felt embarrassed to admit Phia’s words so she looked away.<br /> <br /> “Geez, you really aren’t honest with yourself……even though the temperature of your body increased.”<br /> <br /> “S-Shut up! Don’t touch me! Don’t press that uselessly huge breasts against me!”<br /> <br /> She brushed away the Archangel who hugged her from behind.<br /> <br /> This was Phia’s preference rather than an Angel’s. She couldn’t help but use her body to interact with those she had a liking to which was her habit. What was a nuisance was that she had a power to read what was going through the minds of those she was touching.<br /> <br /> “Hmm, I understand. So that’s '''how you feel right now'''.”<br /> <br /> “……What did you understand, foolish erotic Angel.”<br /> <br /> “Hey, Kyelse, do you think Ren would also become stronger for our sake as well?”<br /> <br /> “What do you mean?”<br /> <br /> “Both you and I don’t have a power which is even near of that from three-hundred years ago, correct? My old wounds hadn’t healed and the Dragon Factor which is the source of your power hadn’t awakened ever since you woke up from your seal. Certainly we can deal with majority of the opponents, but the situation right now is that we only have half the power we had back then.”<br /> <br /> They were in a level where there wasn’t pretty much any enemy in this world that would be a threat to them even in their current condition. But it didn’t mean there was zero enemy who would be a threat. What could be listed among them were the highest-level monsters and also—<br /> <br /> “Did you hear about the “Five Great Disasters”?”<br /> <br /> “Just the rumours I heard at the Dragon’s valley. I heard till the part where they rebelled against the current Demon-Lord.”<br /> <br /> “Yes. For the worst scenario, we should anticipate a decisive battle against them. I thought that the reason why you were working hard in training Ren had to do with it.”<br /> <br /> “You think too far ahead.”<br /> <br /> Kyelse shook her head reluctantly.<br /> <br /> “I simply taught Ren what I remember about Elline’s training. That’s simply it.”<br /> <br /> “I see. Then Ren might be facing a bit of difficulties then.”<br /> <br /> Phia looked out the window. You couldn’t see Ren from this part of the room, but for an Archangel like herself, she was able to “see” him.<br /> <br /> The appearance of a boy who was breathing heavily while he was shedding sweats due to the weariness.<br /> <br /> “The task you assigned him to. That’s actually harder than it seems—”<br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;center&gt;==========&lt;/center&gt;<br /> <br /> ===3===<br /> <br /> <br /> ===4===<br /> <br /> <br /> ===5===<br /> <br /> <br /> {{SimpleNav<br /> |b=Record.2|bn=Record.2<br /> |f=Record.4|fn=Record.4<br /> }}</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Talk:Sekai_no_Owari_no_Encore:Volume_1_Record.3&diff=380656 Talk:Sekai no Owari no Encore:Volume 1 Record.3 2014-08-11T22:18:35Z <p>Acolyte: Created page with &quot;== TLC Request == * “It’s a good wind. It makes ** Missing something&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>== TLC Request ==<br /> * “It’s a good wind. It makes<br /> ** Missing something</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=ELYSION_virtual_region:Registration_Page&diff=380542 ELYSION virtual region:Registration Page 2014-08-11T16:04:10Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>To re-iterate the registration procedure:<br /> <br /> *You are required to register which chapters you wish to work on. One portion of text per translator, please.<br /> <br /> *Registration is on a &quot;First Come, First Served&quot; basis. Please register your intended chapters on the project's registration page.<br /> <br /> *Maximum number of translators per volume is two, unless the volume is a collection of smaller stories. Another way to interpret this is no more than two translators should be working on the same &quot;story arc&quot;.<br /> <br /> *Translators may only register for portions of one volume at a time within each project. This is to prevent &quot;biting off more than you can chew&quot;.<br /> <br /> *The Registration page is not a binding contract, and translators are encouraged to negotiate between themselves which portions to register for.<br /> <br /> *Anonymous Translated Contributions are required to inform [[User:Thelastguardian|thelastguardian]] and the designated Project Supervisor of the intend Chapters as shown on the corresponding Registration page before any major contribution.<br /> <br /> *Portions that are not updated for a significant time may be taken over by another translator after getting permission from the Project Supervisor. The new translator is encouraged to start over to maintain consistency, but the old translation will not be deleted at least until the new translation is finished (and probably not for some time after that). More information is available [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1433 here].<br /> <br /> <br /> ==''ELYSION virtual region'' Main Series ==<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Volume 001_Synchro Infinity===<br /> <br /> ::*Prologue - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 1 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 2 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 3 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 4 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 5 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Epilogue - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Afterword - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> <br /> ===Volume 002_Hydrangea Garden===<br /> <br /> ::*Prologue - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 1 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 2 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 3 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 4 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 5 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Epilogue - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Afterword - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> <br /> ===Volume 003_Cerulean Requiem===<br /> <br /> ::*Prologue - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 1 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 2 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 3 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 4 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Chapter 5 - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Epilogue - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> ::*Afterword - [[User:krytyk|krytyk]] ''' - Complete'''<br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> {| border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;5&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; style=&quot;margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;&quot;<br /> |-<br /> | Return to [[ELYSION_virtual_region|Main Page]]<br /> |-<br /> |}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Registration Page]]</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=ELYSION_virtual_region:Volume_2&diff=380534 ELYSION virtual region:Volume 2 2014-08-11T15:24:45Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>== Illustrations ==<br /> &lt;div class=&quot;mw-customtoggle-SpoilerIntro mw-customtoggle-35thClose mw-customtoggle-SpoilerOpen&quot; style=&quot;background:#95baff; cursor:pointer;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;'''&lt;big&gt;Warning Spoilers!!&lt;/big&gt;'''&lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div class=&quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed&quot; id=&quot;mw-customcollapsible-SpoilerIntro&quot;&gt;<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations}}<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 2 Prologue|Prologue}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 2 Epilogue|Epilogue}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 2 Afterword|Afterword}}<br /> <br /> ==Translator's Notes and References==<br /> '''Chapter 1'''<br /> &lt;references group=&quot;1A&quot; /&gt;<br /> '''Chapter 2'''<br /> &lt;references group=&quot;2A&quot; /&gt;<br /> '''Chapter 3'''<br /> &lt;references group=&quot;3A&quot;/&gt;<br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> {| border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;5&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; style=&quot;margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;&quot;<br /> | Back to [[ELYSION virtual region:Volume 1|Volume 1]]<br /> | Return to [[ELYSION virtual region|Main Page]]<br /> | Forward to [[ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3|Volume 3]]<br /> |-<br /> |}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=ELYSION_virtual_region:Volume_3&diff=380533 ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 2014-08-11T15:24:35Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>== Illustrations ==<br /> &lt;div class=&quot;mw-customtoggle-SpoilerIntro mw-customtoggle-35thClose mw-customtoggle-SpoilerOpen&quot; style=&quot;background:#95baff; cursor:pointer;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;'''&lt;big&gt;Warning Spoilers!!&lt;/big&gt;'''&lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div class=&quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed&quot; id=&quot;mw-customcollapsible-SpoilerIntro&quot;&gt;<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations}}<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Prologue}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Chapter 1}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Chapter 2}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Chapter 3}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Chapter 4}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Chapter 5}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Epilogue|}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Afterword}}<br /> <br /> ==Translator's Notes and References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> {| border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;5&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; style=&quot;margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;&quot;<br /> | Back to [[ELYSION virtual region:Volume 2|Volume 2]]<br /> | Return to [[ELYSION virtual region|Main Page]]<br /> {{#ifexist: ELYSION virtual region:Volume 4| {{!}} Forward to [[ELYSION virtual region:Volume 4|Volume 4]] }}<br /> |-<br /> |}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=ELYSION_virtual_region:Volume_3&diff=380532 ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 2014-08-11T15:23:12Z <p>Acolyte: Created page with &quot;== Illustrations == &lt;div class=&quot;mw-customtoggle-SpoilerIntro mw-customtoggle-35thClose mw-customtoggle-SpoilerOpen&quot; style=&quot;background:#95baff; cursor:pointer;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>== Illustrations ==<br /> &lt;div class=&quot;mw-customtoggle-SpoilerIntro mw-customtoggle-35thClose mw-customtoggle-SpoilerOpen&quot; style=&quot;background:#95baff; cursor:pointer;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;'''&lt;big&gt;Warning Spoilers!!&lt;/big&gt;'''&lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div class=&quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed&quot; id=&quot;mw-customcollapsible-SpoilerIntro&quot;&gt;<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations}}<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Prologue}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Chapter 1}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Chapter 2}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Chapter 3}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Chapter 4}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Chapter 5}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Epilogue|}}<br /> {{:ELYSION virtual region:Volume 3 Afterword}}<br /> <br /> ==Translator's Notes and References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> {| border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;5&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; style=&quot;margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;&quot;<br /> |- Back to [[ELYSION virtual region:Volume 2|Volume 2]]<br /> | Return to [[ELYSION virtual region|Main Page]]<br /> {{#ifexist: ELYSION virtual region:Volume 4| {{!}} Forward to [[ELYSION virtual region:Volume 4|Volume 4]] }}<br /> |-<br /> |}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=User:Acolyte&diff=380528 User:Acolyte 2014-08-11T15:15:29Z <p>Acolyte: Not editing Mushoku Tensei as much anymore due to enough editors there~</p> <hr /> <div>I'm just another LN reader that likes to help out editing minor typos and such. I started watching anime and reading manga when I was a kid, stopped when I went abroad for high school and continued again when I was in college. When I started to work, anime and manga tires me eyes out due to looking at LCD too much. Then I got a Kindle and started stuffing LNs into it, especially from Baka-Tsuki.<br /> However, for now I don't have much time to learn Japanese. I wish I could read all the untranslated stuff out there. Some day maybe when I can force myself to learn the kanji..<br /> Please recommend me any additional LN that I might like too!<br /> <br /> I am an Indonesian currently living in United States. I have a good understanding of English and Indonesian but I'm not confident enough to help out the Indonesian translators here unfortunately.<br /> <br /> I usually edit stuff that I happen to read for typos. If you don't like my edits please undo them because I don't dare to register myself as an editor due to my limited English compared to the other editors here :)<br /> <br /> For now, while I'm not busy at work, I decided to focus on editing these series as much as I can mainly while still editing whatever I happen to read out of my reading list:<br /> * [[Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden]]<br /> * [[Sekai no Owari no Encore]]<br /> Especially considering the first two is on high translation speed right now and I get to chat often with the translators for the three of them.<br /> <br /> Reading LN from BT (pretty much my BakaReader EX watch list)<br /> # [[A Simple Survey]]<br /> # [[Absolute Duo]]<br /> # [[Accel World]]<br /> # [[Antimagic Academy 35th Test Platoon]]<br /> # [[Baccano]]<br /> # [[Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu]]<br /> # [[Biblia Koshodou no Jiken Techou]]<br /> # [[Black Bullet]]<br /> # [[Campione!]]<br /> # [[Chrome Shelled Regios]]<br /> # [[CubexCursedxCurious]]<br /> # [[Date A Live]]<br /> # [[Densetsu no Yūsha no Densetsu]]<br /> # [[ELYSION virtual region]]<br /> # [[Ero Manga Sensei]]<br /> # [[Fuyuu Gakuen no Alice and Shirley]]<br /> # [[Gakusen Toshi Asterisk]]<br /> # [[Gekka no Utahime to Magi no Ou]] (external hosting)<br /> # [[Golden Time]]<br /> # [[HEAVY OBJECT]]<br /> # [[Haken no Kouki Altina]]<br /> # [[High School DxD]]<br /> # [[Hikaru ga Chikyuu ni Itakoro]]<br /> # [[Hyouka]]<br /> # [[Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden]]<br /> # [[Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou]]<br /> # [[Infinite Stratos]]<br /> # [[Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi]]<br /> # [[Kagerou Days]]<br /> # [[Kamisama no Memochou]]<br /> # [[Kaze no Stigma]]<br /> # [[Kenshin no Keishousha]]<br /> # [[Kikou Shoujo wa Kizutsukanai]]<br /> # [[Log Horizon]]<br /> # [[Madan no Ou to Vanadis]]<br /> # [[Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei]]<br /> # [[Maou na Ore to Fushihime no Yubiwa]]<br /> # [[Maoyuu Maou Yuusha]]<br /> # [[Mokushiroku Arisu]]<br /> # [[Mondaiji-tachi ga isekai kara kuru soudesu yo]]<br /> # [[Monogatari Series]]<br /> # [[Mushoku Tensei]]<br /> # [[My Maid is a Formless Entity]]<br /> # [[No Game No Life]]<br /> # [[Oda Nobuna no Yabou]]<br /> # [[Omae wo Onii-chan ni Shite Yarouka!?]]<br /> # [[Owari no Chronicle]]<br /> # [[Papa no Iu Koto o Kikinasai!]]<br /> # [[Psycho Love Comedy]]<br /> # [[Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan]]<br /> # [[Rakuin no Monshou]]<br /> # [[Rinkan no Madoushi]]<br /> # [[Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut]]<br /> # [[Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo]]<br /> # [[Samayou Shinki no Duelist]]<br /> # [[Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance]]<br /> # [[Sekai no Owari no Encore]]<br /> # [[Shakugan no Shana]]<br /> # [[Shiinamachi-senpai's Safe Day]]<br /> # [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha]]<br /> # [[Shinonome Yuuko wa Tanpen Shousetsu o Aishite Iru]]<br /> # [[Silver Cross and Draculea]]<br /> # [[Sword Art Online]]<br /> # [[Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai]]<br /> # [[The Circumstances Leading to Waltraute's Marriage]]<br /> # [[The Zashiki Warashi of Intellectual Village]]<br /> # [[Toaru Majutsu no Index]]<br /> # [[Tsurugi no Joou to Rakuin no Ko]]<br /> # [[Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria]]<br /> # [[Zero no Tsukaima]]<br /> <br /> Reading LN outside BT<br /> # [http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html Mushi-uta]<br /> # [http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html Sayonara Piano Sonata]<br /> # [http://japtem.com/projects/moonlight-sculptor-toc/ The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor]<br /> # [http://japtem.com/projects/kill-no-more-toc/ Kill No More]<br /> # [http://japtem.com/projects/ark-toc/ Ark]<br /> # [http://hereticlnt.blogspot.com/p/clockwork-planet.html Clockwork Planet]<br /> # [http://aquascans.wordpress.com/novels/sugar-apple-fairy-tale-novel/ Sugar Apple Fairy Tale]<br /> # [http://guhehe.net/cautrs/ Ore Dorei]<br /> # [http://guhehe.net/hundred/ Hundred]<br /> # [http://toshosen-tsl.livejournal.com/ Library Wars]<br /> # Juuni Kokuki (spread all over..)<br /> # [http://unlimitednovelfailures.mangamatters.com/tsukitsuki Tsuki Tsuki]<br /> # [http://guhehe.net/oniai/ Onii Ai]<br /> # [http://guhehe.net/cautrs/ Netgame]<br /> # [http://solitarytranslation.wordpress.com/category/danmachi/ DanMachi] (Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka)<br /> # [http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=124566 Arifureta]<br /> and more?<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Right now the top of my wishlist to be translated (i.e. one day if I can read Japanese I want to read them first) is Sazane Kei's series (Fukanzen Iris, Hyouketsu Kyoukai, and Tasogare-iro) - also S.I.R.E.N and Sekai no Owari no Encore as I have found out recently'''</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=File:-eden06_-00de.jpg&diff=380253 File:-eden06 -00de.jpg 2014-08-10T21:19:46Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>“The Priestess named Ymy is……amazingly strong. She holds stronger feelings than me, you or anybody else.”<br /> <br /> “A weak Priestess and an impossible dream……don’t voice hopes so frivolously.”<br /> <br /> “I’ll convey it with my shinryoku……I’ll definitely convey it.”</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=File:-eden06_-00de.jpg&diff=380252 File:-eden06 -00de.jpg 2014-08-10T21:19:32Z <p>Acolyte: Acolyte uploaded a new version of &amp;quot;File:-eden06 -00de.jpg&amp;quot;</p> <hr /> <div></div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=File:-eden06_-00de.jpg&diff=380250 File:-eden06 -00de.jpg 2014-08-10T21:15:07Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div></div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Hyouketsu_Kyoukai_no_Eden:Volume_6_Illustrations&diff=380249 Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Illustrations 2014-08-10T21:14:30Z <p>Acolyte: Adding stitched image</p> <hr /> <div>Illustrations in Volume 6:<br /> <br /> &lt;gallery&gt;<br /> File:-eden06_-00b.jpg|'''Cover and color illustrations'''&lt;br&gt;<br /> File:Hkne_cv6.jpg<br /> File:-eden06_-00c.jpg<br /> File:-eden06_-00d.jpg<br /> File:-eden06_-00e.jpg<br /> File:-eden06_-00de.jpg<br /> File:-eden06_-00f.jpg<br /> File:-eden06_-00g.jpg<br /> File:Eden06_003.jpg|'''Page 003'''&lt;br&gt;<br /> File:Eden06_004.jpg|'''Page 004'''&lt;br&gt;<br /> File:Eden06_005.jpg|'''Page 005'''&lt;br&gt;<br /> File:Eden06_011.jpg|'''Page 011'''&lt;br&gt;<br /> File:Eden06_089.jpg|'''Page 089'''&lt;br&gt;<br /> File:Eden06_175.jpg|'''Page 175'''&lt;br&gt;<br /> File:Eden06_209.jpg|'''Page 209'''&lt;br&gt;<br /> File:Eden06_247.jpg|'''Page 247'''&lt;br&gt;<br /> File:Eden06_265.jpg|'''Page 265'''&lt;br&gt;<br /> File:Eden06_304.jpg|'''Page 304'''&lt;br&gt;<br /> File:Eden06_310.jpg|'''Page 310'''&lt;br&gt;<br /> File:Eden06_317.jpg|'''Page 317'''&lt;br&gt;<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> {| border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;5&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; style=&quot;margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;&quot;<br /> |-<br /> | Return to [[Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden|Main Page]]<br /> | Next to [[Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Prologue|Prologue]]<br /> |-<br /> |}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Hyouketsu_Kyoukai_no_Eden:Volume_6_Chapter2&diff=380192 Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Chapter2 2014-08-10T15:30:34Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Chapter 2 – The Resounding Horn’s Dissonance==<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 1===<br /> <br /> Sunlight that made one think of the height of summer shined down brilliantly upon the outdoor training grounds.<br /> <br /> In a corner of the grounds which had a desert that spread as far as the horizon, rocky terrain, a marsh and large roaring waterfall──<br /> <br /> “Ohh……ohhh! Ohhhhhhh!”<br /> <br /> Gripping her shining silver badge, Kagura held it high up.<br /> <br /> “A-Amazing! L-look, look. On the display in the corner, in the ‘''merit points''‘ field, there are 75 points. The points from the Governmental Sector expedition have been added!”<br /> <br /> “So noisy. Everybody got them so they know without you ranting about it.”<br /> <br /> He glanced at his own badge and tucked it away at his chest with disinterest.<br /> <br /> “You brat.”<br /> <br /> “I-It’s fine, isn’t it! One should be honestly happy in times like this. Come on, don’t put yours away and show it to me!”<br /> <br /> She held out her hands.<br /> <br /> “Haa? It’s not interesting looking at other people’s badges.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. Come on, quickly……mm? H-huh? Why are your points higher than mine? What’s the meaning of these 102 points? Did you go out on a mission without us knowing?”<br /> <br /> “Like I’d do such annoying stuff.”<br /> <br /> Vaiel snatched his badge from Kagura who was repeatedly tilting her head.<br /> <br /> “Ah, wait!”<br /> <br /> “Before we went to the Governmental Sector, the theme for final selection of the unit was patrolling the Nature District. Somebody got exhausted by a Yuugenshu and caused me great pains, or did you forget?”<br /> <br /> “Ah……”<br /> <br /> The redness of Kagura’s cheeks shot up under the machine helmet.<br /> <br /> It had been Vaiel who saved her at the last moment when she’d been attacked by a Yuugenshu and he had repelled it while covered completely in wounds. It was necessary to earn ‘''merit points''‘ to be promoted in {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} and other than missions, there were other ways to gain points like defeating Yuugenshu.<br /> <br /> “''Ahh, now that you mention it, the points for defeating a Yuugenshu are also included. The difference in your merit points is 27, so it’s being classified as a small Yuugenshu. You would’ve earned twice as much if it were a little larger.''“<br /> <br /> “Like I can fight something that big.”<br /> <br /> Vaiel folded his arms in response to the murmuring from {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}}.<br /> <br /> “……Come to think of it, how many points are necessary for the all-important promotion to Regular Guard?”<br /> <br /> “Think of it as being around 300.”<br /> <br /> Monica, who was cooling off in a tree’s shade, replied immediately.<br /> <br /> “You can register for the Regular Guard exam when you save up 300 points. Even if you don’t pass within a year, you can continue to take on missions and you should be exempted from the written exam at 450 points.”<br /> <br /> “If you think of it like that……I have pretty much half.”<br /> <br /> Sitting on the bench in the tree’s shade, Sheltis also took out his badge.<br /> <br /> 179 merit points. This was the sum of the Governmental Sector mission as well as the investigation mission to the {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}} with Leon. He’d also repelled at Yuugenshu that time so that was added as well.<br /> <br /> Two missions and two cases of repelling Yuugenshu. With that, his merit points had passed over the halfway point.<br /> <br /> “How about Monica?”<br /> <br /> “I have 231 points……since I was part of different units to fill the number requirements before creating this one. I have a little from that time.”<br /> <br /> “''Ohh. But that’s impressive; you’ll have 300 points with just a little more like that.''“<br /> <br /> “Th-that is……I’ve been a Cadet Guard for some years now. It normally takes just over a year to accumulate them……I’m more of a failure of a Cadet Guard.”<br /> <br /> Monica looked down with her face a little red.<br /> <br /> “Well, that’s true, it should take around a year if you seriously gather them at a steady pace. If you think of it like that, you could say the expedition to the Governmental Sector this time is receiving special treatment. For other missions, the usual is 10 or 20 points.”<br /> <br /> It looked like it really was hot standing out in direct sunlight as Kagura took off her machine helmet and wiped the sweat from her brow.<br /> <br /> “Also, by standard, even if you complete a mission unharmed, you can’t apply consecutively. You’re free to take on missions but it seems you won’t receive merit points.”<br /> <br /> “Was there such a rule?”<br /> <br /> “It’s just that you don’t know, Vaiel. This is an something from when there was no merit points system but it seems like there was a two-person group of absurdly strong Cadet Guards.”<br /> <br /> It looked like she was still hot because Kagura started fanning herself with her hand.<br /> <br /> “It was even said that there was no mission those two couldn’t complete together and they would complete a mission every week systematically, advancing to Regular Guards just like that. It should have repainted the fastest recorded promotion at the time. This became a problem further in the future.”<br /> <br /> “Mm, hey, wait. What’s the problem with that? It’s not bad, is it?”<br /> <br /> “There were no issues with those two themselves. The problem was the flood of Cadet Guards that took their success as an example and continuously submitted applications for missions.”<br /> <br /> The girl indicated the training grounds with her eyes.<br /> <br /> Amongst those several instructors were watching over were those repeating mock battles, Cadet Guards running through the hot sand with weights all over and those silently focused on muscle training.<br /> <br /> “There are many Cadet Guards with superficial experience and who are unskilled, right? Those Cadet Guards can’t succeed if they challenge a mission without minding the difficulty……as a result, there were successive cases where they failed or were wounded and hospitalized.”<br /> <br /> “So it’s about knowing your limits. Sheesh, there are morons no matter the age.”<br /> <br /> Vaiel returned to reclining on the bench.<br /> <br /> “Well, the moronic group is at fault, but the audacious group of two shares the same fault. Because of them, now it’s become a pain in the ass to take on a mission.”<br /> <br /> “……Could I say it’s the fault of youth?”<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> “Ahh, n-no, no, nothing at all!?”<br /> <br /> With the quick-eared young man’s question, Sheltis frantically waved his hands.<br /> <br /> ……I can’t say it.<br /> <br /> ……That it was Leon and I.<br /> <br /> They would take two missions in a day, return to {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} just after an all-nighter and then leave on another mission an hour later. Now that he thought of it, even he thought it was reckless.<br /> <br /> “It’s true that there are some inconveniences, but I think the current system is good.”<br /> <br /> Putting down the machine helmet at her feet, Kagura did some flexibility stretches before training.<br /> <br /> “Leaving aside that I’m busy with research work, I think that going out on a mission every week is dangerous. Fatigue would build up without your notice and it would be the worst if you became too used to missions and went lax resulting in an incident. Rather than that, it’s better to properly undergo moderate training──”<br /> <br /> “Hohoh, that’s admirable, Kagura.”<br /> <br /> “Wh-wha!?”<br /> <br /> Kagura’s pointed ears stood up at the sudden appearance of somebody behind her. She turned towards the owner of the voice with trepidation and a pale expression…………<br /> <br /> “I-Instructor Yumelda?”<br /> <br /> “It’s truly admirable, Kagura; I didn’t expect you to be so admirably dedicated.”<br /> <br /> A tall woman wearing a dark blue suit that had not a wrinkle upon it. She held her preferred black whip with both hands and she was smoking a cigarette as thin as string.<br /> <br /> “You’ve been skipping my training lately with being busy with research as the stated reason. Just when I thought your research had finally calmed down, you were absent from my training because of the expedition to the Governmental Sector. For this last month, I think you’ve been absent from training more than you’ve attended. Now then, is my memory mistaken?”<br /> <br /> “Ah……n-no……that’s, well……”<br /> <br /> Her pointed ears drooped and sweat ran from her brow like a waterfall.<br /> <br /> Opposite that, the instructor looked down at her with an intrepid smile.<br /> <br /> “With all that, I didn’t think you would have such ambition to train. I’m not a demon: I’ll accept absences with valid reasons and I also very rarely hold back on the training. ──But if you want to train that badly, then it can’t be helped. It’s also hard on me to train Cadet Guards until they’re ragged but it’s different if they desire that themselves.”<br /> <br /> “Even though you look so ridiculously happyyyyy──────!?”<br /> <br /> “You talk too much; let’s go.”<br /> <br /> “N-Nooooooo!”<br /> <br /> Kagura was grabbed by the nape and started to get dragged away. She screamed like prey that had been caught by a carnivorous predator.<br /> <br /> “H-Help me! M-Monica? A member of your unit is in fatal danger! Sheltis and Vaiel too──”<br /> <br /> With that scene before them, the decisions of the remaining members were swift and correct.<br /> <br /> “……Come to think of it, I made an appointment to check up on the wound I received from {{furigana|Golden|Maha}}<br /> at the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, I-I also feel like I did that. If you’re going to the one on floor 22, let’s go together.”<br /> <br /> “……The deadline for the manuscript of my ‘''Wild Grasses Encyclopedia''‘ is coming up soon too.”<br /> <br /> Turning their backs, Sheltis and the others all sprinted away simultaneously at full speed.<br /> <br /> It felt like Kagura shouted out something behind them but the fault lay with she who had summoned the demon instructor.<br /> <br /> “Well then, Kagura, take your time with the instructor.”<br /> <br /> “So heartless──────!?”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 2===<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 21.<br /> <br /> “Uu……it was cruel.”<br /> <br /> Covered in sand and dust, her formal wear was completely worn out. Kagura returned like that with tottering steps late in the evening.<br /> <br /> “If it’s something like being trained ragged by the instructor, then going on a mission and not receiving merit points is better. Monica, please find our next mission as soon as possible.”<br /> <br /> “G-Got it.”<br /> <br /> She looked pretty tired. Slumped over the {{furigana|machine pearl|Machina}}, Kagura made no move to descend to the ground.<br /> <br /> “By the way……what is this meeting room?”<br /> <br /> Despite being dead tired, it seemed that only her curiosity was full of vigor as she looked around restlessly.<br /> <br /> It was an all-around white room.<br /> <br /> There was no table and thus no meeting-use whiteboard. There were just barely enough folding chairs for them piled up in a corner of the room.<br /> <br /> “It’s our unit’s private base. I received a message that our unit has finally received official approval and the administrative officer’s electronic registration is complete.”<br /> <br /> Monica pointed at the folding chairs.<br /> <br /> “This is our private meeting area from today onwards. The use differs from unit to unit so these are the only furnishings. They said that if we require a table or whiteboard, then we can apply for them and they will allocate them to us.”<br /> <br /> “So we’ve got a private space; it’s starting to get more like a unit.”<br /> <br /> “Vaiel, I’ll just put this out there, but don’t use this place for your naps. It looks like if it’s used for reasons outside of our goals, it’ll get confiscated.”<br /> <br /> “……Damn it.”<br /> <br /> She seemed to have hit the bullseye since Vaiel crossed his legs with the same sour face.<br /> <br /> “But you know, wouldn’t it be hard for them to find out? If it’s our private space, doesn’t that mean that only our badges’ identification numbers can unlock it?”<br /> <br /> There was no way for other people to suspect him of sleeping in this room. Only the four here could unlock the room.<br /> <br /> “That’s right, or so I’d like to say.”<br /> <br /> “''Ah, I can open this room. Rather, the only ones who can’t open this room are other Cadet Guards and Regular Guards; Elite Guards that hold the rank of Captain or higher can unlock it just like that.''“<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} smoothly continued Monica’s words.<br /> <br /> But upon hearing that, Vaiel’s smile became even more relaxed.<br /> <br /> “Then there’s no problem. Is some great and mighty Elite Guard or above gonna even come to this lower floor? If there’s any chance, it’ll be the instructor but the instructor usually instructs Cadet Guards at the training grounds.”<br /> <br /> “''……That’s true.''“<br /> <br /> “Now that you mention it, that might be the case.”<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} blinked and Sheltis ended up agreeing without thinking.<br /> <br /> “But you know, Vaiel. If by chance a superior──”<br /> <br /> “Ahh? Just where would you find great and mighty people with such idle curiosity──”<br /> <br /> It came before Vaiel finished speaking.<br /> <br /> ──’''Unlocked''‘──<br /> <br /> With an electronic sound, the electronic doors slid to the sides slowly.<br /> <br /> “Hah?”<br /> <br /> Vaiel fell silent with his mouth half-open.<br /> <br /> There was no way someone above Elite Guard level would come to this low a floor and there was no way they would visit them. Why is it opening even though the meeting room’s door shouldn’t open?<br /> <br /> “Ah, umm……I heard that you’d be here when I asked Instructor Yumelda.”<br /> <br /> In front of the fully opened doors, a girl in pure white vestments bowed her head.<br /> <br /> “Ymy…………?”<br /> <br /> “……Why is a Priestess here?”<br /> <br /> Monica’s and Kagura’s eyes were spinning.<br /> <br /> “''Oh my, Ymy, welcome. We don’t have anything other than folding chairs but will you take a seat?''“<br /> <br /> “No, I just came to apologize.”<br /> <br /> Remaining diffidently near the wall, Ymy once again bowed her head deeply.<br /> <br /> “Well, I’m sorry! I didn’t participate in the meeting today and caused you problems……I heard the major points from Ishtar-san!”<br /> <br /> ……Mm?<br /> <br /> Looking closely at the expression of his childhood friend whose off-gold hair was fluttering ── Sheltis raised his brows at some thoughts that didn’t appear on his face.<br /> <br /> ……Ymy’s eyes are swollen.<br /> <br /> The area around her eyelids was slightly red and looked like she’d cried her eyes out. It was pretty much fully concealed behind her bangs so it was almost a coincidence that Sheltis had noticed. The other three hadn’t noticed.<br /> <br /> “Ymy……sama, we were told that you were in training until just prior.”<br /> <br /> “Y-yes. That’s right, and a little…………well……I was a little willful.”<br /> <br /> “Willful? With training?”<br /> <br /> Monica’s gaze narrowed. For she who had been Ymy’s senpai when she was an apprentice Priestess, she was still concerned with her kouhai’s condition even now.<br /> <br /> “N-No, it’s just a minor……thing.”<br /> <br /> Averting her eyes from Monica’s line of sight, Ymy turned around as if running away.<br /> <br /> “Well then, I’m sorry. I’ll be going now!”<br /> <br /> “Ah, wait a second! Ymy!”<br /> <br /> Monica’s outstretched hand stopped just before touching the Priestess’ vestment.<br /> <br /> “……It can’t be helped; it must be major if she’s unwilling to talk about it.”<br /> <br /> Monica shook her head weakly.<br /> <br /> “So what do we do, unit leader? I’d really like to head back and sleep right now.”<br /> <br /> “I know. We’ll disperse for today and take a day off for tomorrow. We’ll continue as usual from early morning training the day after. ……Since we haven’t had sufficient rest since returning from the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> She took a deep breath while rubbing her eyes that were heavy with fatigue.<br /> <br /> “''Waa, it’s an entire day off, Sheltis! I want to go on a picnic in the Nature District tomorrow. The weather’s supposed to be good and it’s the best time to see the mountain cherries.''” &lt;ref&gt;[T/N: You can think of these as mountainous versions of sakura trees. I didn't wanna mix two languages for it and call it mountain sakura. The tree is called Prunus donarium by genus and species.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> “That’s a pity since I was gonna to leisurely relax tomorrow too.”<br /> <br /> “''Ehhhhh!? No, no, no, let’s go somewheeere?''“<br /> <br /> Putting aside {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} who was blinking in protest.<br /> <br /> ……I’m also interested in Ymy.<br /> <br /> ……It would be nice if I could secretly check on how she is tomorrow.<br /> <br /> “Then we’ll separate here. Don’t forget that we’re meeting up in front of the training grounds’ gate at four in the morning the day after tomorrow!”<br /> <br /> Monica clapped her hands.<br /> <br /> “Fi─nally over. I’m gonna go back and sleep; see ya.”<br /> <br /> “Then so will I……”<br /> <br /> Vaiel left the meeting room quickly. Just before Sheltis followed after him, {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} flashed as if remembering something.<br /> <br /> “''Come to think of it, Sheltis, there was something this morning.''“<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> “''Come on, didn’t you make a promise with Eyriey? Eyriey said she wanted to come play and you said you’d be able to meet with her after the meeting ended, didn’t you?''“<br /> <br /> “Ah, ahhhhh! Crap!”<br /> <br /> The meeting with Ishtar present had ended and he’d completely forgotten about it until now.<br /> <br /> “''She might still be waiting in your room.''“<br /> <br /> “Uu……for the time being, let’s rush back. W-Well then, Monica, I’ll also be going now!”<br /> <br /> Spinning around in a big rush, he left the meeting room and flew out into the floor’s corridor.<br /> <br /> Beyond the windows on one side of the corridor was a surface of black. The setting sun was already hidden behind the horizon and it was too late of a time to play.<br /> <br /> “……I wonder if I’ve been keeping Eyriey waiting.”<br /> <br /> He jogged down the hallway straight towards the elevator. He pushed the panel for “Floor 11″ which contained the Cadet Guard residences and sighed a little.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 3===<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 11.<br /> <br /> Just as he took one step into his room that was pretty much right at the back of the Cadet Guard residences,<br /> <br /> “So slo─w! Where were you loitering around, Sheltis!”<br /> <br /> “Shel-nii, you’re late.”<br /> <br /> Eyriey glared at him with raised eyes and Yuto was sitting properly on the bed.<br /> <br /> …………<br /> <br /> …………Well, that’s what I expected.<br /> <br /> “''Oh, this is unexpected: nobody’s here.''“<br /> <br /> “……It looks like they were waiting here before though.”<br /> <br /> The bed was ruffled and there were candy wrappers in the garbage can.<br /> <br /> Eyriey had eaten the candy she brought along and Yuto had played around on the bed. He could easily imagine those two.<br /> <br /> “It looks like they got tired of waiting and went home.”<br /> <br /> “''But it looks like they left a message.''“<br /> <br /> What {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} was talking about was an audio recording device left casually atop the desk. The small pencil-shaped device had a sound collection apparatus attached to the end. He hadn’t seen a device like it anywhere else in the tower so it was most likely an invention of Eyriey’s.<br /> <br /> “''That flashing part is probably the replay button.''“<br /> <br /> “This?”<br /> <br /> There was a replay button on one end of the pencil-shaped device. He timidly pushed it,<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Eyri-nee, this button?''“<br /> <br /> “''Yup, yup. It’ll record if you talk while pressing that. Yuto, try saying something.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> It was those two’s voices as expected.<br /> <br /> “''Mm〰……What should Yuto say?''“<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, you’re so slo─w. We’ll come back tomorrow so make sure to keep some time open! ──I said it. So, Yuto, just say what you want to.''“<br /> <br /> “''O─kay! Um, umm, Shel-nii, I’ll come again tomorrow─''“<br /> <br /> “──So they say.”<br /> <br /> “''Isn’t that fine since you’re already on break tomorrow anyway? Rather than that……''“<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}}’ voice that had a suppressed laugh mixed into it quieted down a notch.<br /> <br /> “''It looks like there’s one other message from someone.''“<br /> <br /> Occupying about half of the work desk was a giant monitor and computer.<br /> <br /> The terminal which was normally in power saving mode had its electric lamp flashing blue, showing that a message had arrived.<br /> <br /> “……So this time’s by mail though I haven’t really used this terminal at all.”<br /> <br /> “''They don’t really come to this terminal; that’s rare.''“<br /> <br /> If it was for sending and receiving simple messages, their card-shaped badges had that function. It was the norm for Monica, the instructor, Leon and others to use the badge to contact him.<br /> <br /> “I wonder who it is.”<br /> <br /> “''I think it should be an administrative officer since they mailed you on this terminal. A Guard would probably use the badge to mail you.''“<br /> <br /> “Well, yeah.”<br /> <br /> Starting up the monitor, the message inbox was shown.<br /> <br /> “……Huh? The sender’s information isn’t showing up. It can’t be viewed.”<br /> <br /> “It’s not that it’s not being shown; it has an upper authority’s secret encryption applied. If it was a regular mail, then it could be inspected by the one in charge of computer processing at the General Affairs Bureau but this can’t be viewed by anybody except the recipient.”<br /> <br /> It used an uncommon frequency. Putting aside administrative staff and Elite Guard-level Guards, it was something that a Cadet Guard would rarely ever have the chance to use.<br /> <br /> “''Ohh, that’s interesting. Come on, open it quickly─''“<br /> <br /> “I got it, okay, so wait a second.”<br /> <br /> Calming down {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} who was hurrying him on, he inserted his ID into the encrypted document.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''To Sheltis,''<br /> <br /> ''Good work today. Sorry I couldn’t attend the meeting. I also said a little about it when I interrupted your meeting earlier…………I’ve been thinking about Priestess training.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “……Ymy?”<br /> <br /> “''She’s forgotten to put her name at either end of the mail but that’s who it would appear to be from the contents.''“<br /> <br /> “''O-On top of that!''<br /> <br /> ''It’s about that which is residing in your body but……since then, I wonder if I’ve done my best in piling on training. If you have time tomorrow, could you come to floor 276 past noon?''<br /> <br /> ''Sorry for being so sudden.''<br /> <br /> ''I wanted to tell you in person but it looks like you were together with Monica-senpai for the entire day today.''<br /> <br /> ''……I want to try purifying that.''<br /> <br /> ''U-Um, just so you know. It’s okay if you can’t come!''<br /> <br /> ''It’s not like it absolutely has to be tomorrow……it’s just, the truth is……I can’t say that I have great confidence. It’s fine if you have something else to do and prioritize that.''<br /> <br /> ''But.''<br /> <br /> ''If you don’t have anything tomorrow………… “''<br /> <br /> The mail ended there.<br /> <br /> There was no name for the sender……but there was no need to think about who it was now.<br /> <br /> “She said floor 276.”<br /> <br /> “''It’s Ymy’s private training floor. There are almost ten rooms matched to Ymy’s spells and a number of those can be used to purify mateki.''“<br /> <br /> “……I see.”<br /> <br /> The mail referring to mateki as ‘''that''‘ may have been for the one in ten thousand chance that somebody saw the contents.<br /> <br /> ……The mateki that came to reside in my body when I fell to the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}.<br /> <br /> ……If this mateki is purified, I wonder if my shinryoku will return.<br /> <br /> “''Aren’t you making quite the complicated expression? Aren’t you happy about getting your mateki purified?''“<br /> <br /> “I shouldn’t be unhappy.”<br /> <br /> Whispering that as if talking to himself, Sheltis sat down on a corner of the bed. He laid down, stared up at the illuminated ceiling and took a deep breath.<br /> <br /> “But if my mateki is purified and my shinryoku returns just like that, it feels like it’ll end with a ‘''That’s great, that’s great''‘.”<br /> <br /> It was miraculous that he had returned from the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}} alive and even had mateki reside within him.<br /> <br /> He had a feeling the passion for investigating the cause for that had finally died down and changed into “Well, you made it out so it’s all good”.<br /> <br /> ……But was that really okay?<br /> <br /> If the mateki residing within him was the key to approaching the secret of the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}, wouldn’t the chance to come close to that secret be lost along with the disappearance of his mateki?<br /> <br /> “……When we went to the Governmental Sector, that’s the feeling I had.”<br /> <br /> The Yuugenshu being bred within a water tank. They had thought it was the work of the Governmental Sector, but it was then determined to be the work of a third organization that {{furigana|Golden|Maha}} and {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}} belonged to.<br /> <br /> ……Moreover, there’s the Forbidden Crystal.<br /> <br /> ……The Governmental Sector’s treasure, Mikuva’s Crimson Eye, was also like that.<br /> <br /> The Yuugenshu, the third organization and the Forbidden Crystal as well. ……And me. Everything is connected. Everything should have the ‘''{{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}''‘ as a common point.<br /> <br /> “I feel like I’ve caught onto something. What is it……I can’t say it well but it feels like I’ve touched something extremely important. In regards to the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}’s secret.”<br /> <br /> More than any Guard and more than any Priestess.<br /> <br /> He was closing in on the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}’s secret: that’s what he felt.<br /> <br /> “If I can investigate the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}’s secret like this, we might find a more effective method of combatting the Yuugenshu and mateki.”<br /> <br /> It might also lessen the burden on Ymy as a Priestess. He might be able to become a source of strength for her in other areas as he aimed to become her guard.<br /> <br /> “''…………''“<br /> <br /> “Is it strange?”<br /> <br /> “''……I just thought about how you can think like that.''“<br /> <br /> There was a ten minute pause between her words ── {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} continued speaking with a tone like she was gazing into the distance.<br /> <br /> “Aiming to become a Sennenshi is something you have a promise with Ymy for but there’s no difference in the goal between you and other Guards in the end……but what you just said might truly be something that only you can achieve.”<br /> <br /> Being her guard was a given, but he’d found another way to become Ymy’s strength. But that was because he had mateki residing within him. If that was purified, he’d likely lose the opportunity to near the secret of the <br /> {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}.<br /> <br /> “''It’s a new complication. But you’ll accept Ymy’s invitation for tomorrow, right?''“<br /> <br /> “Yeah……I want to hear Ymy’s opinion as well.”<br /> <br /> He couldn’t become a Sennenshi with mateki residing within his body. That was also part of the reason Ymy was so concerned about him.<br /> <br /> ……But she’s gonna attempt to purify it so suddenly tomorrow.<br /> <br /> He was also thankful that it was early. However, he felt that the summons were rushed and suddenly having it tomorrow was also out of the blue.<br /> <br /> “I wonder if something happened with Ymy.”<br /> <br /> The hope that the mateki within his body could be purified had faded and become a form of worry for Ymy at some point.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 4===<br /> <br /> Floors 276 to 280 were the five Priestesses’ respective personal training floors and floors 271 to 275 beneath that were the Sennenshis’ respective training floors. &lt;ref&gt;[T/N: I guess this has to be clarified now. 修道 is used for the Priestesses and it's the religious type of practice (or for arts) and the Sennenshi have 訓練 which is the more militaristic training.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> And floor 273.<br /> <br /> One step off the elevator and there was a dense forest which faithfully modeled the Biotope.<br /> <br /> Underfoot were very moist mud and puddles as well as fallen leaves. Overhead, countless vines hanging from the trees crisscrossed like a spiderweb.<br /> <br /> In this forest where a real bird was flying around chirping──<br /> <br /> A gunshot.<br /> <br /> The repeated ear-splitting gunfire noise shook the large trees.<br /> <br /> “──Rejected. Next?”<br /> <br /> “Y-Yes. From the Shinryoku Theory Bureau Chief, this is about the deployment of apprentice Priestesses. There are fifty apprentice Priestesses this year that passed the first training period. How many people would the third unit like……”<br /> <br /> The small boy holding a report read it aloud.<br /> <br /> “That’s based on skill; apprentice Priestesses that can’t be used are unnecessary.”<br /> <br /> The woman with a pitch black blinder spat out her answer.<br /> <br /> Her body which was as tall as an adult man was covered in a camouflaged suit and she wore a longcoat that reached to below her knees.<br /> <br /> She had a machine pistol in each hand.<br /> <br /> It was a gun that had its firepower and consecutive firing speed raised to the limits to compensate for its low accuracy. She held those casually in both hands and casually pulled the triggers.<br /> <br /> “Only choose the outstanding apprentice Priestesses.”<br /> <br /> “B-But the struggle with other units is harsh.”<br /> <br /> “It’s your job to deal with that.”<br /> <br /> With the resounding of gunfire, small target machines fell down one after another.<br /> <br /> She was shooting down the small target machines that were flying at super-high speeds in the gaps between the trees whose leaves crowded those spaces, and she was doing it without a single miss.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “Is that all?”<br /> <br /> “……Ah, n-no! S-Sorry!”<br /> <br /> With the woman’s disinterested question, the boy frantically shook his head.<br /> <br /> “Err……umm, I was fascinated by how amazing Captain Horn is.”<br /> <br /> “How so?”<br /> <br /> She asked again in a tone that had not a shred of sociability.<br /> <br /> Horn Nova ── the younger sister of the third Priestess, Viola Nova; she was also the third Sennenshi who was tasked with guarding her.<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> “I was asking what you thought was amazing.”<br /> <br /> “E-Everything……is what……”<br /> <br /> Physical strength that was trained to the point that she could handle those massive machine pistols with one hand easily. Then there were her elbows and shoulders which were pliable to handle the strong recoil from repetitive firings of those guns.<br /> <br /> Above all, there was her supernatural firing accuracy which never let her miss her target even with both eyes covered.<br /> <br /> A blinder over her eyes. In other words, Horn didn’t see the target. Without regard for that, the bullets she fired seemed to be sucked towards the center of the target machines. It was a scene that would cause normal people to doubt their eyes.<br /> <br /> “I……If I practice, will I be able to become like the Captain──”<br /> <br /> “Discard pointless thoughts.”<br /> <br /> The odd jobs boy spoke some words and Horn fired off words of rejection.<br /> <br /> “Whether it’s talent, environment, effort, time, personality or body, nothing fits. The {{furigana|mechanically armored soldiers|Ex Machina}} that you’re talking about are generalists that can handle any heavy firepower gun to suit the circumstances. What can you do when you don’t have any of the required factors?”<br /> <br /> “…………Ah……ahh……”<br /> <br /> Horn’s gunfire didn’t stop even as the boy was at a loss for words and downcast.<br /> <br /> “Is that all?”<br /> <br /> “───Yes.”<br /> <br /> The boy turned his back to her while still downcast after putting the report under his arm. He walked towards the elevator wordlessly like that.<br /> <br /> “Catria.”<br /> <br /> Without having walked several steps, Horn’s voice called the boy’s name.<br /> <br /> Silence.<br /> <br /> The two machine pistols that were still letting off white smoke from their barrels were thrown high up into the air.<br /> <br /> “Take these with you.”<br /> <br /> “Waa, wawa!”<br /> <br /> “Do the regular maintenance. I’ll come to collect it thirty eight hours later.”<br /> <br /> The boy threw aside the report and caught the machine pistols. With her back still turned to him, Horn drew out a revolving pistol from the holder at her waist.<br /> <br /> “I don’t need unskilled people in my unit. If you’re going to subject yourself to techniques unsuited for your height, leave my unit before the end of today.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> ──Bang!<br /> <br /> The gunfire in front of the silent boy shot down two target machines.<br /> <br /> They were randomly flying targets. One aside, aiming for two at the same time wasn’t possible. That’s right, it was a technique impossible unless one could see the future.<br /> <br /> “But I acknowledge your skill in maintenance.”<br /> <br /> “……I see.”<br /> <br /> “I’ll say it again: thirty eight hours later. Finish the maintenance within that time.”<br /> <br /> The boy nodded wordlessly.<br /> <br /> This time he headed to the elevator without turning around and went straight down to the ground floor.<br /> <br /> ──Ding.<br /> <br /> Passing by the elevator headed for the ground floor, another elevator stopped at this floor.<br /> <br /> “Yoo─, Horn, you here─”<br /> <br /> A boyish girl with her skin tanned brown. With light formal wear consisting of a short-sleeved shirt and short pants, shinryoku formal carved seals could be seen on her exposed limbs.<br /> <br /> “Ran.”<br /> <br /> “Ohh, you’re here. If you’re coming back, say so─. By the way”<br /> <br /> “I refuse.”<br /> <br /> “……I haven’t said anything yet.”<br /> <br /> “I can see the future.”<br /> <br /> “Liar.”<br /> <br /> Ran raised one eyebrow meaningfully.<br /> <br /> “'''You can only see future images''' but can’t hear future sounds; you said that yourself.”<br /> <br /> Celestial map drawing.<br /> <br /> It was a territorial type shinryoku spell that Horn Nova carried from birth like her older sister, Priestess Viola Nova. With this power that allowed one to view the future an instant prior, it was possible to tell where a target would move to and pull the trigger.<br /> <br /> “Then I’ll just ask for your business. What is it?”<br /> <br /> Storing the gun in her holder, Horn sighed.<br /> <br /> “All right, then let’s have a match now. It’s been a whi──”<br /> <br /> “I refuse.”<br /> <br /> “…………Eh─, what’s with that. Did Leon make a reservation first? If so, I’m fine with going after Leon.”<br /> <br /> She pulled on the edges of her coat with a childish expression.<br /> <br /> “Time is precious and I have some business after this.”<br /> <br /> “Is that soo? But sparring with me will definitely be fun and come in handy? It’s a complete loss if the Sennenshi skip out on training. Right?”<br /> <br /> “Unfortunately, business that takes precedence over everything else is awaiting me.”<br /> <br /> Glancing at Ran who was puffing her cheeks with a mu─, Horn turned towards the elevator used for the upper floors.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 5===<br /> <br /> The floor was filled to the brim with noon sunlight.<br /> <br /> In this place that was close to two thousand metres off the ground, the sunlight passing through the window’s glass could be seen without obstruction.<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 276. It was a floor made to allow a Priestess to devote herself to training.<br /> <br /> “……The floor is shining blue?”<br /> <br /> Standing in the floor Ymy was waiting at, Sheltis stared down at the view under him.<br /> <br /> A pattern spread far out on the floor’s surface. The blue pattern’s contrast with the white floor was beautiful but it was also a little eerie because he didn’t know what it was for.<br /> <br /> “''All of this is a formal carved seal.''“<br /> <br /> “……That’s amazing.”<br /> <br /> He had heard it was a facility that could also purify people corrupted with mateki. It meant that a person suffering from mateki would also directly enter and exit so measures to prevent the spread of mateki within the tower were necessary.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, are you okay?''“<br /> <br /> “I have my boots in-between.”<br /> <br /> The rejection between the mateki residing within him and the shinryoku-affixed floor. There was a numbing feeling at his toes but it wasn’t unbearable.<br /> <br /> “Come to think of it, she didn’t specify as far as the place.”<br /> <br /> “''That’s right. I wonder which room it is.''“<br /> <br /> The far end of the passage was blurry. At any rate, it had the expansiveness of an entire floor of the tower so even if Ymy had arrived, he had no idea where she was.<br /> <br /> “Over here.”<br /> <br /> To his right, a room’s mechanical door slowly opened.<br /> <br /> “……I’m glad. You came.”<br /> <br /> Her off-gold hair swayed with relief. Her expression looked more relieved than happy.<br /> <br /> “I thought it wouldn’t be possible because it was such a sudden request. ……Did you skip training to come here?”<br /> <br /> “Nope, today’s a full day of rest. Training starts tomorrow.”<br /> [[image:Eden06_089.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> Ah, so that’s it. My plans for today start in the evening so now that you mention it, that should be how it is. The Governmental Sector mission exhausted everyone ── well, let’s put that aside. Come over here and enter the room.”<br /> <br /> ……This is a Priestess’ training room?<br /> <br /> ……Well, this is.<br /> <br /> It was covered from the floor to the ceiling in pure white tiles and a formal carved seal was carved in atop that as expected. It was just the floor for the corridor but this room was covered on the walls and ceiling thoroughly, in every nook and cranny.<br /> <br /> “It’s a room specially for me. But this isn’t a training room, you know?”<br /> <br /> Ymy turned towards him at the center of the room and pointed at the formal carved seal overhead.<br /> <br /> A shadow fell over her eyes.<br /> <br /> She had remembered a painful past event ── it was that kind of expression.<br /> <br /> “It’s not for training but for actual use. ……It’s a place for Priestesses to heal those with heavy corruption that apprentice Priestesses can’t purify.”<br /> <br /> “……Ymy, do you not like this place?”<br /> <br /> “I like it.”<br /> <br /> Just that answer was clear and without doubt.<br /> <br /> “In the little under a year since I became a Priestess, there have been four. Four times that a person has been carried to this room. Those people who had a request made because there were none amongst the apprentice Priestesses who could handle it. It’s a room to save those suffering from mateki…………so I couldn’t hate it.”<br /> <br /> She bit down on her lip.<br /> <br /> The Priestess, his childhood friend, continued staring up at the ceiling.<br /> <br /> “But……it was harsh. We would forcefully lie the person afflicted with mateki mind control over on that bed and purify them. It was a procedure we would perform while watching them writhe in agony despite that. That dark red stain is from a person whose body underwent necrosis and tore from the decaying effect of mateki……the green stain on the other side is also someone’s blood. The iron within their body was morphed and their blood turned green.”<br /> <br /> “…………So what happened to those people?”<br /> <br /> “They were cured. All of those I mentioned were cured and are rehabilitating. There are also those that have been discharged so I’m really happy. ……But healing them isn’t ideal. To begin with, it’d be better if there was nobody who needed to be healed. It’d be the best if we could live in a world where we didn’t have to fear the Yuugenshu……”<br /> <br /> The mere fact that somebody would be carried to this room is something that shouldn’t happen.<br /> <br /> If the Priestesses’ Hyouketsu Kyoukai completely froze the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}, Yuugenshu wouldn’t be able to come up to {{furigana|floating continent|Orbie Clar}}. People afflicted with the Yuugenshu’s mateki would also cease to exist.<br /> <br /> A perfect barrier.<br /> <br /> A perfect Hyouketsu Kyoukai.<br /> <br /> It was the ideal that the Priestesses had as their goal.<br /> <br /> “So! That’s not good, that’s not good. I went off on a tangent again.”<br /> <br /> Ymy slapped her cheeks with an adorable sound. She shook her head two, three times side to side and took a deep breath.<br /> <br /> “All right! Then I’ll do my best, so I look forward to working with you!”<br /> <br /> “E-Err……?”<br /> <br /> “I said it yesterday, didn’t I? You also came because you heard, right?”<br /> <br /> His childhood friend beckoned him over from the center of the room.<br /> <br /> “……About my mateki?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, I don’t have any confidence yet that it can be cured but I want to try it. ──Come on, come over to this bed.”<br /> <br /> A large bed was situated just in front of where Ymy was standing.<br /> <br /> The bed with white sheets spread over it was not a rectangular shape, but the shape of the 十 character. The patient would lie with their arms spread out and there were black belts for restraining a rampaging patient.<br /> <br /> “''Hey, hey, Ymy, let’s bind Sheltis〰?''“<br /> <br /> “It’s a pity but I won’t rampage.”<br /> <br /> He took off the pendant that {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} was attached to and placed it on the tray beside the bed. He looked down at the bed once more.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “What’s wrong?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, nothing. ……I’m kinda nervous. I feel like I really shouldn’t be lying on this bed.”<br /> <br /> It was also his first time receiving the mateki purification technique and it was a request to his childhood friend, which made him even more nervous. Lying down on the bed was like getting an examination at a hospital so he couldn’t settle down.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis has been bad with hospitals since a long time ago after all. Ymy, what will you do?''“<br /> <br /> “Eh……h-hr─m, what to do. After all, those carried to this room couldn’t stand on their own. I was never asked a question like that.”<br /> <br /> Ymy let her gaze wander through the air while silently thinking.<br /> <br /> “……I think it’ll be fine if you just sit on the bed.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, that’s a relief. That should be pretty easy.”<br /> <br /> He sat down lightly on the bed.<br /> <br /> “Then please.”<br /> <br /> “R-Right! I’ll do my best!”<br /> <br /> Ymy nodded, then──<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The air shook.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> A complete one-eighty from the gentleness that even seemed to exude a smile, it changed to a tension that seemed like it even stung the skin.<br /> <br /> …………This.<br /> <br /> ……might be…………the first time I’ve seen this.<br /> <br /> The childhood friend before his eyes ── no, with the form of the “Priestess” before him, Sheltis gulped.<br /> <br /> Priestess Ymy Ele Soufflenictole.<br /> <br /> Her jade green eyes stared unblinking at him. Crimson particles of light suddenly rose up from her entire body.<br /> <br /> …………Three years ago……the time when I returned to the {{furigana|floating continent|Orbie Clar}}……Ymy wasn’t a Priestess yet.<br /> <br /> Ymy who had been an apprentice Priestess at the time had tried time after time to purify his mateki……and had cried herself dry when it ended in failure.<br /> <br /> And now.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Ymy was facing the purification of his mateki as a Priestess.<br /> <br /> “──I’m starting.”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [Unto me, all the wishes that of which I am able......]<br /> <br /> [ele So Phi-a-s Arma-Riris]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> A release precedent meaning the invocation of power was sung from the Priestess’ lips. Immediately afterwards, the overflowing crimson particles wrapped around her body.<br /> <br /> ……My throat’s dry.<br /> <br /> His lips, tongue and throat had dried up from nervousness and he couldn’t speak.<br /> <br /> “Don’t move.”<br /> <br /> Ymy’s fingertip that was held straight out neared the center of his chest.<br /> <br /> ……Can she actually purify it?<br /> <br /> ……Maybe it’s possible for even my mateki if it’s Ymy’s spell.<br /> <br /> The mateki of the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}. Would the cursed power that no Priestess could purify three years ago become undone?<br /> <br /> The fingertip neared his chest.<br /> <br /> The tip of the nail touched the center of his chest and touched his skin through the clothes──<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ──Bzz……zzt!……──<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “……!”<br /> <br /> “Ow…………uu!”<br /> <br /> Sparks like lightning instantly expanded into something like an aurora and seemed to be rejecting the touch of Ymy’s fingertips.<br /> <br /> Elbert Resonance.<br /> <br /> ……No……way!<br /> <br /> It used to be just sparks. That grew into this aurora-like barrier!?<br /> <br /> “''The Elbert Resonance is manifesting even more strongly than before!? Ymy, this isn’t good, you must stop the ritual──''“<br /> <br /> “Kuu……uuu……!”<br /> <br /> But Ymy didn’t stop the ritual. The shockwaves given off by the Elbert Resonance barrier stopped her breathes but she stood her ground and reached her fingers out even further──<br /> <br /> Deja vu.<br /> <br /> In that instant, the future image of Ymy collapsing with bright red blood spurting from her entire right arm surfaced clearly within the back of his mind.<br /> <br /> “Get back!”<br /> <br /> “!?”<br /> <br /> Her shoulders contracted at the sudden shout and Ymy pulled back reflexively. At the same time, the mist cleared up and the Elbert Resonance sparks also disappeared.<br /> <br /> “……Ah………………haa……a……”<br /> <br /> Ymy shoulders moved up and down and she couldn’t hide her ragged breathing. Her fingertips were dyed with a crimson different from that of the baptism type arts.<br /> <br /> “Ymy──”<br /> <br /> He jumped off the bed.<br /> <br /> He tried to run over to his childhood friend who was crouching and hugging her legs.<br /> <br /> “Don’t!”<br /> <br /> It was at the same time.<br /> <br /> When Sheltis took one step, Ymy’s shout echoed throughout the room.<br /> <br /> ……Don’t?<br /> <br /> What am I not supposed to do in this situation?<br /> <br /> “……Shel, ti…………s……you……sit there!”<br /> <br /> The girl spoke with her head still down, in a voice like a sob.<br /> <br /> “……Once……mo……re……”<br /> <br /> Once more.<br /> <br /> Sheltis doubted his ears when he heard what was conveyed to him from Ymy’s lips.<br /> <br /> ……Once more?<br /> <br /> ……It can’t be that having seen that Elbert Resonance just now, she wants to try once more?<br /> <br /> “Ha, ah……hahaa. …………Sorry, I failed. Next…………”<br /> <br /> The Preistess of Baptism stood up unsteadily.<br /> <br /> She was trying hard to hide the intense pain with a pale face.<br /> <br /> “For the next one……I’ll do my best……”<br /> <br /> “Ymy!”<br /> <br /> In order to stop the girl who was wobbly drawing nearer, he stood before her with arms held out to the sides.<br /> <br /> “I’m really……happy that you feel that way. But let’s stop here for today.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “Anybody would understand that you’re doing your absolute best from seeing what happened just now. Even I understood at a glance. That’s why I have faith that you will be able to purify my mateki in the near future.”<br /> <br /> ……Really?<br /> <br /> His own words sounded like exactly like somebody else’s sophistry.<br /> <br /> ……If Ymy trains beyond this, will she really be able to purify my mateki?<br /> <br /> Ymy’s maturing shinryoku spells.<br /> <br /> But as those spells grew in strength, Elbert Resonance would also grow stronger. To get rid of that repulsion, Ymy would try even harder but the Elbert Resonance barrier will get even stronger?<br /> <br /> An endless vicious cycle. It would undoubtedly turn into that prediction.<br /> <br /> “Th-That’s why……for today…………”<br /> <br /> It was clear when he saw Ymy’s eyes just before. She hadn’t been holding back and used all her power. With the result being the Elbert Resonance just now, it would be difficult for her to purify his mateki in her current state.<br /> <br /> “……………………”<br /> <br /> Ymy didn’t speak as she drew deep breaths.<br /> <br /> “……You’re right.”<br /> <br /> A dry smile.<br /> <br /> Different from the long silence just now, she spoke intermittently.<br /> <br /> “So it wasn’t possible again. ……How bad it is, even though I’m supposed to be the Baptism Priestess. I’ll be scolded by Horn-san like this too.”<br /> <br /> “Horn?”<br /> <br /> There was only one Guard in {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} who identified with that name.<br /> <br /> The third Sennenshi, Horn Nova. Born with a unique shinryoku spell, she was the Ex Machina who was versed in every kind of gun.<br /> <br /> “That Sennenshi? Did something happen?”<br /> <br /> “……Just a little something.”<br /> <br /> Ymy rubbed her eyes to dispel her faintly self-deprecating smile and moved her hand away from the bed.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Sheltis, I want to get some outside air so shall we go to the floor above?”<br /> <br /> Come with me.<br /> <br /> With her delicate back telling him that, Ymy’s vestments fluttered.<br /> <br /> “……I’ll remember more than necessary if we talk in this room, after all.”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 6===<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 22, the hospital in the tower.<br /> <br /> “Okay, that’s enough.”<br /> <br /> “Thank you very much.”<br /> <br /> ──Fuu.<br /> <br /> Taking a quiet deep breath, Monica let down the edge of her shirt that she’d been holding up.<br /> <br /> “The swelling from the internal bleeding is also receding.”<br /> <br /> “It looks like the hot compress I received from you worked out well.”<br /> <br /> In front of the doctor who was scribbling away at her chart, she held her flank.<br /> <br /> The battle at the Governmental Sector.<br /> <br /> The wound she had sustained when fighting the clones that {{furigana|Golden|Maha}} had summoned. When she received the blow, it had been enough to stop her breathing and even knock her unconscious, but it looked like the first-aid she’d received at the Governmental Sector had been good.<br /> <br /> “……At first, I was wondering how many ribs had broken.”<br /> <br /> “That’s because the muscle density around the ribs is thin. There’s nothing to protect the bone so there are times when the pain is intense despite nothing having broken.”<br /> <br /> The old bespectacled doctor shrugged.<br /> <br /> “So, how is it? Do you still feel pain?”<br /> <br /> “……We took a break for the entirety of last evening so it’s pretty much gone.”<br /> <br /> “That is great news. Then you wish to participate in training immediately starting from tomorrow?”<br /> <br /> That’s right. It had been three days since returning from the Governmental Sector. Commuting to the hospital like this every day was all for the sake of returning to training tomorrow.<br /> <br /> “Hr─m, I recommend that you only do something like light running for the first day.”<br /> <br /> “What about practicing with a weapon?”<br /> <br /> “I’ll permit it if there’s no opponent. It gets much harsher when facing somebody else. Well, I can tell that you will exercise discretion.”<br /> <br /> The old doctor smiled wryly with a steaming cup in hand.<br /> <br /> “I’ll say this again, but only practice swings, okay?”<br /> <br /> “……Understood.”<br /> <br /> She was relieved. Practice swings and running……she originally wanted to move more for the sake of rehabilitation as well but having resolved first that training was out of the question, she couldn’t voice such luxuries.<br /> <br /> “Thank you very much.”<br /> <br /> Leaving that place, she continued down the hallway towards the elevator.<br /> <br /> “……What should I do?”<br /> <br /> Waiting for the elevator to arrive, Monica gazed absentmindedly at the corridor’s window.<br /> <br /> The weather was good so she’d finished off the laundry before coming. Cleaning her room……to begin with, her room was exceedingly empty so there was no need to clean it.<br /> <br /> Like this, there was nothing to do when she returned to the residences.<br /> <br /> It seemed that new Cadet Guards would often go on strolls in the tower. However, for she who had been living here since her time as an apprentice Priestess, going on a walk now was……<br /> <br /> “……No, isn’t that an excuse?”<br /> <br /> Walking through every floor of the tower. Let’s start from the bottom and go up in order. The goal will be the Priestesses’ floors. Entry is restricted from regular visitors but Guards who are affiliated with the tower can access the elevator leading to the Priestesses’ floors so there’s no problem.<br /> <br /> “I just thought of this while walking but that child also has faith.”<br /> <br /> It couldn’t be helped that she’d be interested in Ymy’s situation since yesterday. She hadn’t appeared when the time came to have the meeting with Cadres Guard Ishtar, and she didn’t appear when the meeting ended either.<br /> <br /> ……The reason for that is that her training ran late?<br /> <br /> ……Would she fail in training after going as far as becoming a Priestess?<br /> <br /> “Though really……it’s not something I should speak about.”<br /> <br /> I wonder if I can advise her? She’s my precious kouhai from when I was an apprentice Priestess. Ymy also cherishes me as her senpai even now.<br /> <br /> “That’s decided then.”<br /> <br /> Monica nodded persuasively and walked to the elevator.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 7===<br /> <br /> Floor 287 of the tower. Having followed Ymy, what awaited Sheltis outside the elevator was the Priestess floor belonging to Ymy.<br /> <br /> “Sheltis……since I became a Priestess, there were four people that required purification and were carried over. Do you remember that?”<br /> <br /> “Since I just heard it not too long ago.”<br /> <br /> It was something pertaining to others like him who were afflicted with mateki so there was no way he could forget.<br /> <br /> “Then do you also remember their symptoms?”<br /> <br /> “Eh? Ahh, umm, they were people that were under mind control and unconscious, and”<br /> <br /> There was a patient that had necrosis occur due to the decaying effect of mateki. There was also a patient who had his or her blood color change because of the deadly poisonous effects of mateki. Both had left behind a bloodstain in the purification room.<br /> <br /> “Ah, but……that doesn’t match the number.”<br /> <br /> There were four altogether that had been brought before Ymy. One of them had mind control, one had necrosis and one had deadly poison. That was a total of three people. Then what about the last one?<br /> <br /> “There’s still one more person……there’s a child whose mateki I couldn’t purify.”<br /> <br /> At the windowsill of the giant stained glass.<br /> <br /> Placing her delicate hand upon the silver window frame, the Priestess turned towards him.<br /> <br /> “He is in a coma. There is no pain or bleeding. That child who won’t wake no matter what anybody does is sleeping in the hospital within this tower. My shinryoku is probably……no, it should definitely be strong. However, that mateki’s propagation speed is fast……for example, even if an entire division is purified, the remaining parts will replace it in that time.”<br /> <br /> “''Think of it as an extremely hardy weed. Even if you cut the leafy part, as long as the roots remain underground, it’ll grow again, right? It’s the same as that.''“<br /> <br /> “……That kind of mateki.”<br /> <br /> He had faced countless Yuugenshu during his time as an Elite Guard but he had never seen mateki like that.<br /> <br /> “Then that’s even more reason. Even if you say you failed the purification, it’s the first time I’ve heard of mateki like that too so even for Priestesses, there’s no way they would be able to immediately respond to it.”<br /> <br /> “But Sheltis, it’s because they understand that that there are people who can’t forgive Ymy. For example, friends of the one in a coma because of that mateki.”<br /> <br /> “Friends?”<br /> <br /> “……Priestess Viola and her younger sister, Horn, were raised together with many children in an orphanage in the Third Living District.”<br /> <br /> Ymy was looking at something from beside the window.<br /> <br /> That was the direction of the Third Living District which was the furthest from the tower.<br /> <br /> “They left the orphanage and became a Priestess and Sennenshi and I’ve heard from Viola that they’d like to return the favor to the orphanage that raised them. They keep the bare minimum to live and give the entirety of their wages to the orphanage.”<br /> <br /> “……That Horn is?”<br /> <br /> When he was an Elite Guard and before that, Sheltis had never been in a unit with Horn.<br /> <br /> However he had heard about her outstanding ability and ruthless disposition that forsook others. To think, she could do that for somebody she didn’t know?<br /> <br /> “It seems that for Viola and Horn who were raised in an orphanage, those that receive the same treatment are the same as family to them. There’s no way they could stay calm when their family is afflicted by the Yuugenshu’s mateki……and the direction of that anger turned towards Ymy who couldn’t purify that mateki.”<br /> <br /> “Horn-san is already disgusted that it’s impossible for me though.”<br /> <br /> Ymy showed a dry self-deprecating smile.<br /> <br /> “‘''That’s enough, I’ll do it. I’ll find that Yuugenshu and defeat it. When it’s defeated, Tessha’s mateki should be dispelled and this will all be resolved.''‘ That’s why Horn-san goes out to patrol of her own accord……even though policing the Biotope is a job nobody really wants to do.”<br /> <br /> ───Ahh, I see.<br /> <br /> He finally understood why Ymy had wanted to try purifying his mateki.<br /> <br /> “It sounds like Horn has returned. Eyriey said she saw her at the Living Districts.”<br /> <br /> “……Yeah.”<br /> <br /> The child named Tessha who was stuck in an endless coma.<br /> <br /> She had been reminded of something because Horn, who was equivalent to family for that child, had returned to the tower. She had been reminded of the mateki of the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}} which resided within her childhood friend’s body and could not be purified by the Priestesses, just like that child.<br /> <br /> ……That child and I are overlapping within Ymy.<br /> <br /> ……So that’s why she couldn’t do nothing.<br /> <br /> There were people whose mateki hadn’t been purified. She felt only guilt because of that and thought that she must at least try purifying Sheltis’ mateki.<br /> <br /> “So the reason you were running late for the meeting yesterday really was Priestess training?”<br /> <br /> “I just had them extend it as long as possible. Yours is also dangerous, but that child’s mateki is really dangerous. Horn-san says……she’ll defeat the Yuugenshu that caused this but that’s worrisome. I think it’s for the best that a Priestess purify it.”<br /> <br /> “Mm? It’s not good to defeat it?”<br /> <br /> The child named Tessha had fallen into a comatose state after being afflicted with mateki. If the Priestesses couldn’t purify it, wouldn’t it be fine if the main body of the mateki was defeated?<br /> <br /> “''If the Yuugenshu is defeated, the mateki will disappear ── that is true in the majority of cases. But the death agony of a powerful Yuugenshu’s mateki is strong. There are types where if the main body is defeated, their mateki will run out of control.''“<br /> <br /> “We Priestesses call that ‘''delayed sin type''‘ mateki. ‘''S vector, eighth class''‘……that’s the common name of the Yuugenshu that Horn-san is chasing after but if it’s a delayed sin type, then far from being cured, she’ll get worse……we also have to consider the effects it’ll have on her life.”<br /> <br /> Delayed sin type mateki.<br /> <br /> It was a rare mateki that Sheltis had only heard once or twice. If he hadn’t heard the explanation from Ymy just now, he would’ve even forgotten it existed.<br /> <br /> “……So there is that. But shouldn’t Horn know about that?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah. But she thinks that’s the only option left.”<br /> <br /> Betting on the chance that it wasn’t a delayed sin type, she would search for the S vector, eighth class hiding somewhere on this gigantic {{furigana|floating continent|Orbie Clar}}. It was an outrageous mortification like trying to find grains of salt in a desert.<br /> <br /> “But if time passes, Ymy──”<br /> <br /> You should continue to grow as you accumulate more experience and training: just before he said that.<br /> <br /> Clack, ck……cla……<br /> <br /> Footsteps resounded from the elevator and the emergency stairs at the same time. The owners of the footsteps came across each other at the passage’s intersection and came to a stop.<br /> <br /> “A Cadet Guard?”<br /> <br /> “Ahh……g-good morning, Captain Horn!”<br /> <br /> In contrast to the stifled voice was a voice shaking with nervousness.<br /> <br /> ……This voice is Monica?<br /> <br /> ……And somebody else; could it be the person Monica’s talking to is her?<br /> <br /> “What business does a Cadet Guard have on a Priestess’ floor?”<br /> <br /> “R-Right. I have a report regarding the expedition to the Governmental Sector we traveled together on.”<br /> <br /> “……The Governmental Sector?”<br /> <br /> With those few words.<br /> <br /> Something sharp was mixed into her voice.<br /> <br /> “You just spoke of the Governmental Sector. The one who accompanied Ymy Ele Soufflenictole to the Governmental Sector was you?”<br /> <br /> “That ri…………!”<br /> <br /> Monica’s voice paused. At the same time, it felt like she gulped. At the same time came the sound of a horribly shaky breath taken with anguish.<br /> <br /> ──What happened?<br /> <br /> “Monica-senpai!?”<br /> <br /> She who probably had the same thoughts as Ymy, clothed in her vestments, ran towards the intersection.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis.''“<br /> <br /> “I know.”<br /> <br /> He ran down the corridor after Ymy and the two turned to the passage that continued on towards the intersection.<br /> <br /> What laid before them there was ── in the center of the intersection, Monica had the barrel of a revolving handgun pressed up against her brow. &lt;ref&gt;[T/N: I get the feeling this is called a revolver but whatever.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> “You can’t even react to something of this level. To think that a Cadet Guard of this caliber would be chosen as an escort to the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> “M-My apologies. It was……so sudden.”<br /> <br /> “Sudden? So you would say ‘''because it was sudden''‘ when attacked by a Yuugenshu.”<br /> <br /> “…………No.”<br /> <br /> “This is a level that can’t even be discussed. In the end, {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s Guards are just a gathering of riffraff.”<br /> <br /> Monica was downcast as she stayed silent. In contrast, Horn returned the handgun to the holder at her waist and sighed with disgust.<br /> <br /> “Horn-san!?……What……are you doing!”<br /> <br /> At the same time Ymy’s footsteps rang out as she approached, the blinder-wearing Sennenshi turned to her.<br /> <br /> “Ymy Ele Soufflenictole.”<br /> <br /> “You’re comrades of this tower, aren’t you!? Even so, you stuck a handgun up to her……what are you trying to do!”<br /> <br /> “Comrade?”<br /> <br /> The Sennenshi’s voice became even more of a sneer with Ymy closing in on her with an angry look.<br /> <br /> “It would fine if she was at least helpful in odd jobs, but this kind of hindrance isn’t fit to be called a comrade. The Sennenshi, a portion of the Elite Guards and about a third of the apprentice Priestesses are passable. They have their uses. It’s fine if the rest just maintain weapons in the corner at best.”<br /> <br /> “……Are you seriously saying that?”<br /> <br /> “Seriously? You want me to say that I’d entrust my back to useless Guards? Then first, shall we try having a Priestess pick a Cadet Guard that’s not her Sennenshi as a partner?”<br /> <br /> Facing Ymy who was standing there dumbfounded, the tall gunner drew one step closer.<br /> <br /> “Good timing; there’s something I wanted to say to you.”<br /> <br /> “……What is it?”<br /> <br /> The two were basically glaring at each other.<br /> <br /> “It looks like you went to the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> “……Is there something about that?”<br /> <br /> “Hah! Aren’t you being easygoing, going on a sightseeing trip without doing your Priestess training?”<br /> <br /> “We had a goal. It was not a trip.”<br /> <br /> “Then you have some definite achievements.”<br /> <br /> “That……was not what the meeting this time was about, it was about the aforementioned──”<br /> <br /> “The case with the attack by some third organization or something? I heard you let the ringleader boldly run away just before catching him.”<br /> <br /> Ymy bit her bottom lip.<br /> <br /> “In the first place, you──”<br /> <br /> “Hold it.”<br /> <br /> Interrupting Horn’s words, Sheltis stood between her and Ymy.<br /> <br /> “It’s not good for there to be discord between Priestesses and Sennenshi. I’ve been listening until now but only you have a provocative tone.”<br /> <br /> Their lines of sight were at about the same height.<br /> <br /> Looking on at her directly, the blinder-wearing woman wrinkled her brow.<br /> <br /> “I was wondering who it was, but another Cadet Guard? Small fry, who are you mouthing──”<br /> <br /> “Do you always speak like that?”<br /> <br /> “……Always?”<br /> <br /> “I can’t understand how you deal with the Priestesses who are your colleagues and that Cadet Guard you placed a gun to with that hostility when you’re all comrades of the same tower. Do you approach somebody dear to you with that tone too?”<br /> <br /> “──”<br /> <br /> With the same brazenly expressionless face, Horn’s mouth tightened into a line for just an instant.<br /> <br /> “What an audacious Cadet Guard. Protecting a Priestess, it’s almost like you’re under the delusion that you’re a Sennenshi?”<br /> <br /> “I simply stated what I thought. I wouldn’t like there to be discord between a Priestess and Sennenshi.”<br /> <br /> “……Discord? Who would be friendly with a Priestess that can’t even save a single child──”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “Horn? You should stop right around there.”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The elevator’s bell dinged at the same time a woman’s voice was heard.<br /> <br /> There stood a petite woman wearing a simple vestment consisting of a single piece of cloth.<br /> <br /> “……Elder sister.” &lt;ref&gt;[T/N: The variation of &quot;elder sister&quot; she uses here is &quot;ane-ue&quot;. If you'd like it in the original form from now on, comment below.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> The Sennenshi turned around nervously.<br /> <br /> “Horn, I heard that Ymy-san is tired from continuous training. I don’t know what you want to say but put an end to it already.”<br /> <br /> “……But elder sister!”<br /> <br /> “The barrier transfer ceremony is approaching. The Queen will be able to complete her mission with the barrier and take three days of rest while the Priestesses support the barrier in her stead, you know?”<br /> <br /> ──Everything was contrasting.<br /> <br /> Viola was not shaken no matter how much her younger sister strengthened her tone. Oh so quietly, her words permeated like waves upon water’s surface.<br /> <br /> “This time Syun-rei is in charge of it but even the Priestesses need to make preparations to make up for being shorthanded. Horn, do you intend to prevent Ymy-san from making those preparations?”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “Now, go back. We will not stay within the tower for long. We will be dropping by the orphanage as always tomorrow, right?”<br /> <br /> “…………Understood.”<br /> <br /> With a momentary sigh, Horn’s heel struck the floor. Without a word, she started to turn to leave──<br /> <br /> “Horn, what do you do when turning your back on someone?”<br /> <br /> “……I’ll be excusing myself.”<br /> <br /> The Sennenshi spat that out like a curse and left. Viola watched her disappear towards the elevator with a stern expression and then exhaled in an adorable manner.<br /> <br /> “Fuu. I’m sorry, Ymy-san. You two there as well, did Horn perhaps say something rude?”<br /> <br /> “Eh……n-no! I-I-I-I’m fine!”<br /> <br /> Monica denied it in a great fluster when the conversation suddenly turned to her.<br /> <br /> “Is that so? If she did, tell me and I’ll have a word with her. ……Well then, I’ll be excusing myself because I have training in the tower to undergo for the first time in a long while.”<br /> <br /> The third Priestess bowed deeply.<br /> <br /> Watching her as she left with small steps befitting her short stature, Sheltis muttered with a sigh.<br /> <br /> “They really are a contrasting pair of sisters.”<br /> <br /> The older sister would fix whatever was complicated by the younger sister who didn’t trust people. The younger sister understood that as well so her older sister was the only one that she couldn’t oppose.<br /> <br /> “……It’s been like that since long ago. Viola’s so wonderful and mature.”<br /> <br /> Maybe she’d been really nervous. Ymy drooped her stiffened shoulders, placed a hand to her chest and took repeated deep breaths.<br /> <br /> “Monica-senpai as well, are you okay? Suddenly having a gun pressed up to you.”<br /> <br /> “Ahh……that really did surprise me but it’s not like I was actually shot.”<br /> <br /> Rubbing her brow that had the gun pressed against it, Monica smiled wryly.<br /> <br /> “By the way, Sheltis, why are you on the Priestess’ floor?”<br /> <br /> “Ah……“<br /> <br /> “''Oh boy.''”<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} and Ymy both exclaimed at the same time.<br /> <br /> “Did something happen?”<br /> <br /> “N-No, see. U-U─mm……see, you said it as well. There was something to report about the Governmental Sector mission.”<br /> <br /> ……There’s no way I could talk about the real matter.<br /> <br /> He couldn’t say that he’d come to have his mateki purified. That he and Ymy were childhood friends……was a truth only known to a handful of people so it wasn’t something to be loose-lipped about.<br /> <br /> “You too, Monica, what’s up?”<br /> <br /> “Me? I……well, it’s about the same as yours.”<br /> <br /> Oh, that’s unexpected. Just when I thought she’d answer concisely, her answer’s lacking the usual clarity.<br /> <br /> “R-Rather than that, Ymy.”<br /> <br /> “Yes?”<br /> <br /> Ymy stared in wonder and inquired in response. Looking at her from the corner of her eyes, she who had been Ymy’s senpai when she was an apprentice Priestess cleared her throat for some reason.<br /> <br /> “W-Well……during the meeting, I heard from Cadres Guard Ishtar that your training was taking an unusually long time. Y-You know? I used to be an apprentice Priestess as well so it caught my interest.”<br /> <br /> “''Haha─n, I’ve figured it out.''“<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} sparkled.<br /> <br /> “''So the senpai who’s prone to worrying was worried about whether her cute kouhai was doing well and came to take a look.''“<br /> <br /> “Ohh, so that’s what it is, Monica. You’re good at looking after people as always.”<br /> <br /> “Wha……! Y-You’re wrong, Sheltis! What I had to say was just an extra in the end.”<br /> <br /> “''Again with that. Ah, your heart rate just shot up all at once?''“<br /> <br /> “Kuu!? But I──”<br /> <br /> “Monica-senpai!”<br /> <br /> Monica was trying to take a step backwards when she was caught by Ymy whose eyes were shining.<br /> <br /> “Senpai, is that true? You were worried about me?”<br /> <br /> “N-No……well……you know, it’s a given that a Guard worries about a Priestess.”<br /> <br /> The unit leader was mumbling her words.<br /> <br /> ……Well, it looks like this will end without me needing to think up a reason for why Ymy and I are together.<br /> <br /> Secretly relieved, Sheltis walked towards the elevator.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, Eyriey and Yuto might be coming to play around now.''“<br /> <br /> “Ah, that’s right, we have to hurry. Well then, Monica, see you tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, h-hey, Sheltis, wait! I’m not done talking───!”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 8===<br /> <br /> “……What’s this, it’s awfully noisy outside.”<br /> <br /> Leon closed the book he was reading and stood up when he heard several voices coming from the hall.<br /> <br /> This was floor 287 belonging to the Priestesses. A civilian wouldn’t be able to enter and it was unthinkable for a Guard to cause such a commotion on a Priestess’ floor.<br /> <br /> So it the one causing this commotion Meimel? Or maybe it’s Ran?<br /> <br /> After he contemplated for a little while at that spot.<br /> <br /> “……I’ll leave it alone.”<br /> <br /> Leon opened the book he was reading again and sat back down.<br /> <br /> It was a usual thing for Ran to shriek because of Meimel’s pranks so he wouldn’t want to add himself to the mix. And above all, there was somebody who would be anxious if he were to move from this spot right now.<br /> <br /> “───”<br /> <br /> He looked down wordlessly at the table and there was a silent black-haired girl with her eyes shut in front of it.<br /> <br /> ……It’s about time for the barrier transfer ceremony for Syun-rei.<br /> <br /> ……She’s sure to be uneasy so I have to be by her side until then.<br /> <br /> Normally, this would be the time when he would have a spar with somebody like Ran. Horn Nova had also returned to the tower after a long absence so he had wanted to spar with her but he had to hold back for a little while.<br /> <br /> “…………Leon.”<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> Silently gazing at her, the girl whose escort he worked as opened her eyes.<br /> <br /> “…………I’ll make some tea. What do you want?”<br /> <br /> In that case, I’ll do it ─── he had reflexively gone to say that but pushed it back down when he got to his throat.<br /> <br /> “Something a little more fragrant.”<br /> <br /> “…………Okay.”<br /> <br /> She quietly headed to the kitchen.<br /> <br /> ……That’s right.<br /> <br /> ……She’ll be anxious if she’s not doing anything. There would be no meaning to it if I did it in her stead.<br /> <br /> With a smile on his face that had hints of wryness in it, Leon watched the girl’s small back as she left.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> ==Translator's Notes and References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> {{SimpleNav}}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Hyouketsu_Kyoukai_no_Eden:Volume_6_Chapter1&diff=380191 Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Chapter1 2014-08-10T15:28:58Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Chapter 1:{{furigana|Brass Musical Instrument|Horn}} and {{furigana|Stringed Instrument|Viola}}==<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 1===<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> Mushrooms were piled up in a mountain on the cutting board.<br /> <br /> From pure white mushrooms as thin as string, to bright red mushrooms that looked as solid as stone, spotted poisonous mushrooms that were uncannily moving and mushrooms that were currently in a balloon state and spouting spores.<br /> <br /> “…………Muu.”<br /> <br /> Sheltis glared down at that ominous mountain of mushrooms.<br /> <br /> He had reddish brown frizzy hair, looks with some cherubic and impish qualities still present and a slimness that couldn’t quite be called slender.<br /> <br /> “Which ones are poisonous and which ones are edible……”<br /> <br /> He had taken off his favorite black jacket, and was wearing a striped apron over his shirt.<br /> <br /> As for why he was sporting such an appearance, it was because he was currently in the kitchen. But even if he was in the kitchen, it didn’t mean that he’d be left with cooking duties and what he’d been handed was a guidebook instead of a knife.<br /> <br /> “……I can’t see anything except poisonous mushrooms though.”<br /> <br /> With the book labeled ‘''Mushroom Encyclopedia''‘ on its spine in one hand, he compared the images on the pages to the mushrooms on the cutting board.<br /> <br /> For example, this spotted poisonous mushroom. The uncanny movement was a feature but this was written for it in the ‘''Mushroom Encyclopedia''‘.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ‘''Compound color spotted poisonous shimeji''<br /> <br /> ''The red and yellow flecks are its trait. It moves about once every three seconds and you can see that this is a reaction to releasing spores. Do you understand?''<br /> <br /> ''Anyway, don’t eat this unless you’re reckless; actually, don’t even touch it. It’s a potent poisonous mushroom that will keep you from leaving the toilet for a week with bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. If you’re unlucky, your kidneys and liver will fail and you’ll die.''‘<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “……For the time being, that means this one can’t be eaten.”<br /> <br /> It was written not to touch it so the poison might be transferred from the skin too. He timidly tried to move it off the cutting board with the edge of the knife──<br /> <br /> “''Ah, wait, Sheltis. I think it’s this one. The one on the left page.''“<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} which was at the end of the pendant hanging at his chest was blinking.<br /> <br /> “This?”<br /> <br /> “''Yes, if it’s that one, then it’s edible. Why not consider it?''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Compound color spotted pseudo-shimeji''<br /> <br /> ''The red and yellow flecks are its trait. For movements, it moves about once every four seconds and doesn’t have spores. (It’s a pain so look at the right page.)''<br /> <br /> ''Unlike the mushroom on the right page, this one is edible, so you can boil or fry it or whatever you like. The difference with the poisonous mushroom to the right is in the movements. That one moves once every three seconds and this one moves once every four seconds. Distinguish that. ……Well, sometimes that one takes four seconds and this one takes three seconds, so just think of it as having bad luck and give up if that happens. You’ll be fine if you’re normally a good person. Pray. I also ingested poison because of this once.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “How am I supposed to tell!?”<br /> <br /> “''No, look, it says if you’re normally a good person then you’ll be fine even if you eat it──''“<br /> <br /> “No, no, no! Isn’t this guidebook completely worthless!? Rather, isn’t this sentence here non-explanatory? ‘''Pray, I also ingested poison because of this once''‘, isn’t this irresponsible!? Who’s the author…………Va……iel?”<br /> <br /> He had to be seeing things. The name of the author on the guidebook was the same as the name of a man who belonged to the same unit.<br /> <br /> ……Come to think of it, Vaiel did seem to specialize in cooking.<br /> <br /> Putting aside the two women of marriageable age, Monica and Kagura, he was the only one who could cook actually cook in their unit.<br /> <br /> “Nah, it couldn’t be.”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Author introduction.<br /> <br /> He became a best seller when he published an explanatory book on “Men’s Cooking” borne of living alone most of the time. Though sharp-tongued, his thorough and heated explanations are supported by an wide variety of readers. ……Lately, he was scouted by a unit of three kids in his main occupation as a Guard. What a paiiin.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “It’s Vaiel!?”<br /> <br /> “''Isn’t that great; if it’s someone you know then we can trust what’s written. As expected of the unit’s head chef.''“<br /> <br /> “I wonder about that……”<br /> <br /> As I thought, let’s avoid dangerous things. From the pile of mushrooms, he took the thin white mushroom and looked at the guidebook again. And──<br /> <br /> “Hey, Sheltis, did you call me just now?”<br /> <br /> The woman chopping rhythmically in the center of the kitchen looked over.<br /> <br /> It was the store owner of the open-air cafe, ‘''Albireo''‘, located in the Second Living District. She was still young……most likely, she was in her early twenties yet managing this shop, and she was normal for her to be known as head chef in the store.<br /> <br /> “Nope, not you, head chef. A different person.”<br /> <br /> “Oh my, is that so? By the way, are you done with the preparations for the mushroom nabe I left you with?”<br /> <br /> “Mm─, I’m still selecting the mushrooms.”<br /> <br /> “My, my, it can’t be helped. Then I’ll handle this. You look after the nabe over there. Add some water if it looks like it’s about to boil over.”<br /> <br /> “Okay, okay. ……This is how it’s like when I come back after a while.”<br /> <br /> It’s almost been a full two months.<br /> <br /> Just when he thought he’d returned to the place he’d lived and worked at until he re-entered {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, she hadn’t said “welcome back” or “it’s been a while” and instead bluntly went “help with the cooking preparations”.<br /> <br /> “It’s exactly because it’s been a while.”<br /> <br /> She smiled spinning her knife skillfully.<br /> <br /> “But it was great timing. I went hunting for mushrooms on the last holiday but because I took anything I could find, it’s hard to tell which ones are poisonous. If you hadn’t come, it would’ve been too much work so I would’ve just boiled it all and served it to the customers.”<br /> <br /> “You’re brimming with the intent to kill with poison!?”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. I’d hire somebody to taste test for poison before that……about ten healthy ones.”<br /> <br /> “It’s not fine at all: it’d be terrible for those people!”<br /> <br /> ……Ahh, I’m glad it was stopped before victims appeared.<br /> <br /> ……Actually, I don’t think this is something that would normally be considered at an open-air cafe.<br /> <br /> “But there’s a ton. Did you gather these all by yourself?”<br /> <br /> “Of course I went with Eyriey. We rode on her three-wheeled vehicle to the Biotope.”<br /> <br /> “The Biotope? Eh, but that place”<br /> <br /> The {{furigana|floating continent|Orbie Clar}} could be largely split into three areas.<br /> <br /> First, in the middle were the Living Districts that people inhabited.<br /> <br /> On the outside of that was the Nature District. This area had nature preserved and was comparatively safe.<br /> <br /> Further beyond that lay the Biotope ── it was a savage land with vast nature that hadn’t been touched by humans and which extended to the edges of the {{furigana|floating continent|Orbie Clar}}. The chances of encountering wild dragons and large carnivores and, above all, Yuugenshu was high in this area.<br /> <br /> “There are swarms of wild carnivores……”<br /> <br /> “Yes, it’s been a long time since I enjoyed such a full-out thrill. An earth dragon, a fire-breathing bird and a ten metre-long super poisonous centipede. I recalled the past without trying to.”<br /> <br /> “Head chef, who are you?”<br /> <br /> “You sure say some strange things; aren’t I just the owner of an open-air cafe?”<br /> <br /> Chop, chop chop chop chop chop. She precisely sliced the vegetables thinly with the knife in a reversed grip.<br /> <br /> ……It’s strange when she holds the knife in reverse. It’s exactly like when I hold my dual blades.<br /> <br /> “Ah, and Sheltis. Was Meimel doing well?”<br /> <br /> “Meimel?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, there should be a Priestess in {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} by that name. You’re a Guard of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} so I was wondering if you already met her. Come now, it’s that Priestess that loves to tease. No matter how busy she is, she’ll drink a day’s worth of vegetable juice and won’t go without an hour of calisthenics.”<br /> <br /> “I’ve met her but……wait, wh-what’s with that suggestive information! Hey, why does an open-air cafe shopkeeper know about a Priestess’ private life!?”<br /> <br /> “Eh? This is obvious──”<br /> <br /> The head chef said up to there and then shut her mouth and crossed her arms in thought.<br /> <br /> “……Let’s talk about this some other day.”<br /> <br /> “Uwaa, suddenly acting like it’s none of my business!”<br /> <br /> The second Priestess, Meimel, and the head chef.<br /> <br /> ……I’m curious but also kind of scared to find out.<br /> <br /> He wanted to know but would avoid getting in deep. Somehow feeling something cold down his back, Sheltis gave up on pursuing the matter further.<br /> <br /> “By the way, where’s Eyriey who went to the Biotope with you?”<br /> <br /> “She’s shopping at a market on the outskirts. But she’s late. It’s been an hour since I asked her so it wouldn’t be strange for her to return any minute now.”<br /> <br /> The head chef frowned with a puzzled expression.<br /> <br /> “Maybe she’s loitering around again.”<br /> <br /> “No─pe, I wasn’t. There was just an unusual arrest so I went to take a look.”<br /> <br /> The shop’s back door opened slowly revealing a girl holding paper bags with both arms.<br /> <br /> “I’m back! Oh, Sheltis, you should’ve said you were coming back ahead of time. You were in the Governmental Sector until the day before yesterday, right?”<br /> <br /> Eyriey put the paper bags down on the kitchen counter.<br /> <br /> She had unkempt orange hair and not a shred of make-up. Her favorite clothes were oil-stained overalls which had none of the showiness of a sixteen year old.<br /> <br /> “Yeah, we put together the report after returning yesterday and finally got to take a break this morning. That’s why I wondered if I could go outside during that time. There’s another meeting in the evening though.”<br /> <br /> “Heh─, a meeting? Then maybe Yuto and I will come play too.”<br /> <br /> “……I wonder how the topic just now made you think of coming to play.”<br /> <br /> “We’ll wait patiently in your room while you’re at the meeting. Let’s play after the meeting ends? Okay? Yuto also said she wanted to visit Shel-nii.”<br /> <br /> “If I get the time then.”<br /> <br /> “‘Kay─! Then let’s finish today’s job in a flash. It’s just inspecting the errand bike’s engine so it should take just a few minutes──”<br /> <br /> “Would you wait, Eyriey?”<br /> <br /> The head chef quickly caught by the neck the girl who was about to run out the back door again.<br /> <br /> “It’s fine if you’re going to do your job but isn’t there something to report before that? It looks like your shopping took a while. What’s this you were saying about looking at something?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, I was interested in that too.”<br /> <br /> An unusual arrest she’d said, but what did that mean?<br /> <br /> “Right, right, I thought you’d say that.”<br /> <br /> Eyriey tapped her fist to her palm while still being held by the neck.<br /> <br /> “At the plaza a little while ago, I saw a purse snatching. The thief aimed for an elderly’s purse and ran away after snatching it.”<br /> <br /> “Oh my, that’s unusual. A thievery.”<br /> <br /> While looking sideways over at how the boiling nabe was doing, the head chef rolled her eyes in surprise.<br /> <br /> Although a light crime, it was rare for thievery like that to happen in the Living Districts where public order was good. There were reporting devices installed in places and everyone knew that the criminal’s face would show up plain as day on the observation cameras.<br /> <br /> “Since it was an arrest, of course it was a security officer who caught him.”<br /> <br /> “I saw a stranger scene than that, head chef!”<br /> <br /> Eyriey clenched her fist with an excited tone of voice.<br /> <br /> “The criminal who stole a purse at the plaza and ran away! Ahh, what is the fate of the obaa-san’s purse!? ── or so I thought, then an onee-san came from the intersection on the other side with a huge rifle and when I was wondering what she’d do, she pointed the gun at the criminal and ‘''bang!''‘.”<br /> <br /> “She shot?”<br /> <br /> “It was a rubber bullet for suppression though. Yeahhh, it was surprising. Since the security officers in town carry stun guns, right? She had such a heavy rifle! Her outfit wasn’t the blue one security officers wear either, but some kind of dark camouflage suit.”<br /> <br /> “''Eyriey, I have a feeling that wasn’t a security officer. According to my information, rifles aren’t on the list of large guns carried by security officers.''“<br /> <br /> “Ah, so it really isn’t? But it was amazing! That onee-san held that rifle in one hand and shot the criminal from within the midday crowd in the plaza. Even though she’d hit a civilian if she missed…………she really nailed him.”<br /> <br /> “Of course she would. I think she’d hit him even if she shot a hundred times.”<br /> <br /> “''She’d hit him.''“<br /> <br /> “Yeah? Sheltis and Ilis, what’s up, you know her?”<br /> <br /> “Eyriey, that was probably a Guard and not a security officer. And a ridiculously famous one.”<br /> <br /> Exceptional physical strength that made it possible to one-hand a two-handed rifle. That and the courage to shoot within a crowd without hesitation were the makings of a sniper.<br /> <br /> Above all else──<br /> <br /> “''Say, Eyriey, was that woman wearing a strange blindfold?''“<br /> <br /> “She was, she was! Shooting a rifle with both eyes covered, that’s so amazing!……so who is that person?”<br /> <br /> ……The sniper with a blinder.<br /> <br /> ……So she has returned to {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}.<br /> <br /> “I think even you’ve heard at least her name. Come on, think of who would be the most famous sisters on the {{furigana|floating continent|Orbie Clar}} ”<br /> <br /> “''Horn Nova ── she is the little sister of the third Priestess, Viola Nova, and holds the position of the third Sennenshi, Ex Machina. She is the representative master shooter of the {{furigana|floating continent|Orbie Clar}} and the user of the ‘''Magic Bullet''‘.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 2===<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} aboveground, the gate restricted to personnel.<br /> <br /> “It’s rare for somebody to go outside.”<br /> <br /> In the seat for security that would check badges should be sitting, a person he knew was sitting there for some reason.<br /> <br /> “……Kagura as well, what are you doing?”<br /> <br /> “Receptionist parttime work. Come on, show me your badge.”<br /> <br /> The girl with the machine helmet worn low over her eyes replied nonchalantly. She was a Cadet Guard in the same unit as Sheltis and computer specialist at the same time.<br /> <br /> “This parttime job fits my preferences; to be able to do my hobby and make money at the same time is a dream job.”<br /> <br /> “Umm, you mean observing people?”<br /> <br /> “That’s almost correct. I’m taking a sample of when people enter or exit the tower. It’s interesting obtaining the movement patterns of unexpected people.”<br /> <br /> Kagura was of the demi-human race, the ‘''Nell people''‘. Their special trait was the ears that poked out on the sides, they were inherently strong in the fields of mathematics and statistics and were also very wary. Kagura’s hobby of observing people was probably also derived from that.<br /> <br /> “By the way, did you go out to the {{furigana|Two Swans|Albireo}}?”<br /> <br /> “You know it?”<br /> <br /> “It’s where my rival works so it’s obviously within the realm of expectation.”<br /> <br /> She nodded smoothly.<br /> <br /> “But you came at a good time; the unit captain was looking for you. Even though there’s a meeting in the evening, you were nowhere to be found. Vaiel’s cooped up in his room so we were wondering just what the men in our group were doing──”<br /> <br /> “Vaiel’s in his room? That’s rare.”<br /> <br /> It was his daily routine to be hard at work having a nap on the bench at the training grounds.<br /> <br /> “Yes, he said he was busy writing something. ‘''After mushrooms……maybe wild grasses?''‘ he said, though I don’t know what it means.”<br /> <br /> “……It’s coming, the continuation of the ‘''Mushroom Encyclopedia''‘.”<br /> <br /> “Do you know something about it?”<br /> <br /> “Nope. Rather than that, the meeting’s pretty soon so aren’t you going to have a problem doing your parttime job here──”<br /> <br /> “No need to worry. ……4…………3…………2……1…………okay, now my parttime job is done.”<br /> <br /> Kagura jumped off the security chair.<br /> <br /> Looking sidelong at her standing beside him, Sheltis turned towards the tower gates.<br /> <br /> “I wonder if today’s meeting will take long.”<br /> <br /> “……The topic being what it is, I wonder.”<br /> <br /> Still facing straight forward, she shrugged a little.<br /> <br /> The Governmental Sector which was based in the {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}} which lay far from the floating continent, Orbie Clar.<br /> <br /> Having gone on an expeditionary mission there as an escort, they’d only returned to the {{furigana|floating continent|Orbie Clar}} the day before yesterday. They’d taken the entirety of yesterday to put together the report for that and today was the meeting about that report.<br /> <br /> “Apparently our personal reports will go first and Cadres Guard Ishtar will make a final summary report. That’s what today’s hearing is for. After that, they’ll confirm our information on ‘''them''‘ whom we confronted. It looks like Priestess Ymy will also be attending.”<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Golden|Maha}}.<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}}.<br /> <br /> The third organization that those two they’d met with belonged to.<br /> <br /> “It’s just that important of a matter.”<br /> <br /> It definitely wouldn’t be a short meeting.<br /> <br /> The meeting would……no, the response for beyond that would take long.<br /> <br /> “The meeting room is on floor 268. I think Cadres Guard Ishtar is waiting, so let’s go.”<br /> <br /> Whispering that like a monologue, the machine helmet-wearing girl tightened her lips.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 3===<br /> <br /> “Ummm, then I’ll continue Kagura-san’s report. I wonder if Kagura-san’s report is really basic? You might have written too much plain fact and lack your own considerations. The complete opposite of Vaiel-kun’s report─”<br /> <br /> At the seat of honor for the table in the meeting room, the golden-haired woman with a report in one hand shifted her knees.<br /> <br /> Cadres Guard Ishtar. She was a spear user who had went on the expedition to the Governmental Sector as the Priestess’ escort.<br /> <br /> “Now then, Monica-san’s is……yup, well written! It’s really fitting for the unit leader!”<br /> <br /> “I-I’m honored!”<br /> <br /> Sitting in the seat opposite Ishtar, Monica bowed many times in embarrassment.<br /> <br /> She was dazzling with her light sakura-colored long hair and looks. She had once studied shinryoku spells as an apprentice Priestess but she was now the wielder of the {{furigana|crossed rods|Rosario}} who led Sheltis’ unit.<br /> <br /> “Okay, then that’s the end of the mandatory hearing. Ah─ so tireeed. I wanna see I’sa-chan’s faceee. I haven’t seen her for five hours now.”<br /> <br /> Ishtar sighed after closing the file with the reports.<br /> <br /> “……Then shall we enter the topic that everybody’s been waiting for? That pair of two.”<br /> <br /> The meeting room became silent again.<br /> <br /> Monica and Kagura’s shoulders stiffened at the same time and even Vaiel who’d been resting his head on his hands looked up with a tiresome expression.<br /> <br /> “There was a pair of two that attacked the Governmental Sector’s office building head-on during the last day of the conference. It’s pretty much exactly how it was written in everybody’s reports. It actually became a big fight so that’s a given though.”<br /> <br /> That’s right.<br /> <br /> This was a report meeting in name but this was today’s true topic ── the summarizing of information related to the mysterious two who had attacked the Governmental Sector.<br /> <br /> “Just {{furigana|Golden|Maha}} and {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}}? The organization those two belong to is still unknown. It looks like the chances of there being a third organization unrelated to the Governmental Sector really is high……and what Ishtar wants to ask is this next part. Ishtar fought {{furigana|Golden|Maha}} and Monica-san’s group fought {{furigana|Golden|Maha}}’s clones. After that……”<br /> <br /> “Is it about me?”<br /> <br /> Being pierced with Ishtar’s deeply meaningful gaze, Sheltis corrected his posture.<br /> <br /> “Yup, yup. You chased after {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}}. It’s fine no matter how small the detail. Could you tell us any hint, conversation or some kind of proof that you saw or heard without leaving anything out?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, but…………”<br /> <br /> You first ── being looked at by Ishtar’s smiling face, Sheltis lowered his voice and muddled his words.<br /> <br /> “Mm? What’s up?”<br /> <br /> Head propped up on her hands, the Cadres Guard instead urged him for his response with an expression that said she was enjoying this.<br /> <br /> “An important person hasn’t come to the meeting room.”<br /> <br /> “Ymy-sama, you mean?”<br /> <br /> He wordlessly nodded at Ishtar’s reply.<br /> <br /> They would have the Priestess also join them and listen in on the matter concerning {{furigana|Golden|Maha}} and {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}} that would unfold starting now. Time-wise, it wouldn’t be strange for Ymy to have shown up, but she hadn’t yet.<br /> <br /> “Shall we wait?”<br /> <br /> “Mm─. No, we’ll receive contact from her when she’s coming. Ymy-sama had training until just before this meeting so once she’s done with that, she’ll meet up with us. Isn’t it just that her training’s running late?”<br /> <br /> The Cadres Guard had a carefree tone.<br /> <br /> But.<br /> <br /> “……That’s odd.”<br /> <br /> Monica, who’d been silent until then, spoke seriously.<br /> <br /> “I’m sure that Ishtar-sama is also aware but Priestess training is extremely harsh. Because it’s harsh, strict adherence to the time is basic.”<br /> <br /> If the training went longer, there was the possibility of causing grave damage to the Priestess’ mind and body. That was why there was always an exclusive doctor monitoring the Priestess’ condition.<br /> <br /> “Ohhh, is that so? Ishtar doesn’t really know about those things.”<br /> <br /> Ishtar raised a brow while still leaning on her hands.<br /> <br /> “But you know, Monica-san, if her training isn’t running late, then do you have any idea of what else is keeping her?”<br /> <br /> “……If you say that, I don’t really have any.”<br /> <br /> “Then it’s fine. It’s a waste of time so we’ll just continue on like this. Ishtar will inform Ymy-sama. It’s fine if she makes it before the meeting ends. Are you okay with that too?”<br /> <br /> Being looked at head-on, Sheltis was at a loss for words for a moment.<br /> <br /> ……I have no reason to refuse.<br /> <br /> The fifth Priestess, Ymy Ele Soufflenictole ── in reality, Sheltis and she were childhood friends before entering {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}. However, that was a private secret so he obviously had no intent of asserting it at a public meeting like this.<br /> <br /> “It’s fine.”<br /> <br /> “Good decision. Then the continuation ── wait, where’d we stop? I forgot so I’ll ask you again.”<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> “I mean, while Ishtar was fighting {{furigana|Golden|Maha}}, you chased after {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}}. Did you see or hear anything that would serve as a clue during that time?”<br /> <br /> “……Though you said that, that’s exactly where the conversation was.”<br /> <br /> Immediately after {{furigana|Golden|Maha}} and {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}} retreated, everybody including Ymy was diagnosed by a doctor starting with the heavily injured Monica. During that time, he’d talked with Ishtar for around an hour and covered all the major points.<br /> <br /> The joint struggle with Zeadoll of the Governmental Sector’s secret military unit ‘''Heaven’s Wheel''‘.<br /> <br /> About how the man named {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}} had a completely black appearance, and how he’d activated some kind of power of ‘''Mikuva’s Crimson Eye''‘ and summoned a Yuugenshu and mechanical weapon.<br /> <br /> And the most uncanny thing above all…………<br /> <br /> “Ahh, that’s right, was {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}} somebody you know?”<br /> <br /> With Ishtar’s words.<br /> <br /> He felt all the stares in the room pierce him.<br /> <br /> “Umm……I don’t know him; he just said that on his own. I feel like I said the same thing when I first reported this though.”<br /> <br /> “Is that so? Sorry─, Ishtar’s memory is bad.”<br /> <br /> Of course, she probably knew and did that on purpose. With a mocking smile upon her lips, the person herself had no sense of shyness, still propped up on her hands.<br /> <br /> “……Sheltis, about what the Cadres Guard said.”<br /> <br /> “That’s the truth. I’ll repeat myself: I don’t know {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}}; he just said that stuff on his own.”<br /> <br /> With Monica double-checking, he shook his head from side to side slowly to convey his answer.<br /> <br /> ……That’s right. I shouldn’t know him.<br /> <br /> I haven’t met him. That should be it but──<br /> <br /> “''You know me. Ahh, that’s great. I’m really happy.''“<br /> <br /> “''That’s fine. It’s fine if you don’t know. It’s fine if you feel it even if you don’t know. Hey, Sheltis, ‘''Nice to meet you.''‘ and ‘''It’s been a while.''‘. I’ve been eagerly waiting the time we would meet in this world.''“<br /> <br /> The throb I felt at that time……<br /> <br /> That ── which made the inside of my chest run wild ── what was that strange unease?<br /> <br /> “We can think of it as a diversion.”<br /> <br /> Kagura said that while holding the {{furigana|machine pearl|Machina}} .<br /> <br /> “In reality……that thing called the Governmental Sector’s treasure, I believe it was, after coming into contact with that, they escaped from the Governmental Sector’s territory, right? They might be experienced with those kinds of tactics.”<br /> <br /> “Moron.”<br /> <br /> The one who answered faster than anyone else was Vaiel who was suppressing a yawn.<br /> <br /> “At that time, that Zea-whatshisface hardened mercenary guy from the Governmental Sector was also there. In that case, there’s no point in just causing one side to waver. This is why you’re a brat.”<br /> <br /> “Wha, y-you don’t know that!? What made you think that ── hey, are you listening! Hey, listen!?”<br /> <br /> Kagura was talking on and on quickly and Vaiel was treating it as bothersome. ……Unexpectedly, Ishtar turned to him with a sigh while looking at those two from the corners of her eyes.<br /> <br /> “Well, whatever. Then that means you have no new information?”<br /> <br /> “……I’ll tell you if there’s anything.”<br /> <br /> “You do that. Then next is Monica-san beside you──”<br /> <br /> Ten minutes after that.<br /> <br /> With nobody producing any worthwhile information, the meeting came to an end.<br /> <br /> “Mm─……no worthwhile information. Well, it can’t be helped so let’s stop here.”<br /> <br /> Slipping the folder with the reports under her arm, Ishtar stood up first. Next was Vaiel, Kagura and Monica.<br /> <br /> “''Come on, Sheltis.''“<br /> <br /> “Ah, yeah.”<br /> <br /> Being urged by {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} , Sheltis also timidly left the room.<br /> <br /> “Ah, that’s right.”<br /> <br /> ──Tap.<br /> <br /> Ishtar tapped the handle of the long spear she was carrying against the floor while standing in front of the automated door.<br /> <br /> “The Lords of Unusual Books.”<br /> <br /> “……Eh?”<br /> <br /> “Ishtar will share one more piece of information with you. When she was fighting at the Governmental Sector, {{furigana|Golden|Maha}} declared that name. He said he was the third of the Lords of Unusual Books. That’s probably what they call themselves but what Ishtar wants to tell you is something different from that common name. Have any questions or do you understand?”<br /> <br /> If he was the third, then there were at least a second and first.<br /> <br /> And they had no idea how many more there were from fourth onwards.<br /> <br /> “We don’t know how many members there are to the Lords of Unusual Books and we don’t know where they’re hiding. The chance that they’re hiding somebody equal to or stronger than {{furigana|Golden|Maha}} here in {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} isn’t zero either. Taking a stroll around the tower in the middle of the night alone is like asking to be attacked.”<br /> <br /> Shiver.<br /> <br /> Maybe it was the heavy pressure of fear but something unseen filled the room.<br /> <br /> “You four have become involved with the Lords of Unusual Books and it’s a given to think that they’ve seen your faces. If they’re planning to eliminate the witnesses──”<br /> <br /> If somebody were being targeted ahead of anybody else in {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, then the target of the attack would naturally become one of them.<br /> <br /> “……Well, I think that possibility’s low though.”<br /> <br /> Ishtar smiled faintly after discerning his nervousness.<br /> <br /> “If they were the types to eliminate witnesses, they wouldn’t attack the Governmental Sector at high noon. There are like a hundred witnesses in the Governmental Sector too.”<br /> <br /> ……That’s true.<br /> <br /> At Ishtar’s warning, that was the foremost feeling that Sheltis had. But he didn’t go as far as to voice it. In any case, the goal and everything else of the Lords of Unusual Books was unknown. They should be more cautious just to be cautious.<br /> <br /> “It’s better to keep it in mind. You’ll become stronger if you don’t like being afraid. That’s what Ishtar wants to say. See ya〰”<br /> <br /> The Cadres Guard left with a wink.<br /> <br /> “Jeez, that’s not appealing at all.”<br /> <br /> “Agreed.”<br /> <br /> Vaiel let out a gloomy sigh and strangely, Monica was of the same opinion.<br /> <br /> “''It makes you wonder.''“<br /> <br /> “About {{furigana|Golden|Maha}}?”<br /> <br /> “''There’s that too but it’s something else. Something closer to you.''“<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} blinked and continued on in a suggestive tone.<br /> <br /> “''Ymy never did come in the end.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 4===<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, Floor 287.<br /> <br /> Continuing down the deserted corridor wrapped in gentle light, just as she was about to reach the intersection.<br /> <br /> “Oh my, how rare for you to come to the Priestess’ floor.”<br /> <br /> “Hello, Meimel-sama. I’m just looking for someone─”<br /> <br /> Being called to by a calm woman’s voice, Ishtar turned around.<br /> <br /> Meimel in Carnation ── the second Priestess who specialized in barrier spells. Amongst the women, Ishtar herself ranked in the tall category but the woman before her was also indomitably tall. She had beautiful eyes, dazzling, long jade hair and an impressive vestment like a dress.<br /> <br /> “Meimel-sama as well, isn’t your room one floor up?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, I had something to talk with Ymy about but, unfortunately, she hasn’t returned so I was just heading back.”<br /> <br /> ……Fuun.<br /> <br /> ……She hasn’t returned.<br /> <br /> “Why are you here? Or it looks like you were actually looking for Ymy too.”<br /> <br /> “That’s iiit. Ishtar actually had a date planned with Ymy but she was stood up at the last moment. She came to check if she was busy with something else.”<br /> <br /> “Oh my.”<br /> <br /> The Priestess folded her arms below her chest and a sigh leaked from her glossy lips.<br /> <br /> “What a troubling child. To have immersed herself in training to the point of forgetting the meeting.”<br /> <br /> “Fumu, fumu, so it really was training. It also became a topic at the meeting but are the Priestesses strict with time when training?”<br /> <br /> “Yes. But Ymy’s a little problematic. I was consulted by the medical specialist not too long ago. ‘Ymy-sama wishes to extend the training but I wonder if it’s alright.’”<br /> <br /> ……Ymy-sama does?<br /> <br /> ……Now then, I wonder what the circumstances are.<br /> <br /> “Has there been anything like this until now?”<br /> <br /> “Periodically. Truly a troubling child……even though raising the difficulty of the training will just burden her mind and body. It’s worrisome.”<br /> <br /> “Shall I go stop her training? You have a report for her as well.”<br /> <br /> “Thanks. But it’s fine because I already asked somebody else suited for the job. You’ll understand if I say it’s the third Priestess.”<br /> <br /> “Viola-sama, huh. I heard she returned with her little sister, Horn-chan. I think it’s been several months since those sisters have come back?”<br /> <br /> “Right. But that’s──”<br /> <br /> The third Priestess.<br /> <br /> The Priestess, who could be compared to the first who was on an expedition and the Queen who continued to pray for the barrier, had a rare shadow cloud her expression.<br /> <br /> “That really makes Ymy suffer, especially the existence of the Sennenshi, Horn Nova.”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 5===<br /> <br /> ……Drip.<br /> <br /> A very tiny splash plopped.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The deep blue block of ice that spread as far as the eye could see.<br /> <br /> Bluer than the emerald green of the sea at a shoal, more vivid and translucent than the ultramarine of the deep sea. The faint white mixed in was countless bubbles that had been sealed in the ice as they were.<br /> <br /> ……Drip.<br /> <br /> The room of ice that even stagnated the flow of time. Within the room that was so large that its far walls were blurry, the sound of ice water droplets hitting the icy surface echoed.<br /> <br /> A world of ice.<br /> <br /> Several dozens of degrees below zero, a temperature that would halt an organism’s time. No special devices were necessary as the temperature was supported solely by the azure ice filling this room.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Four hours have elapsed since the establishment of the barrier. Owing to this, the training will now end.''<br /> <br /> ''Priestess Ymy Ele Soufflenictole, thank you for your hard work.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The operator’s voice came from the broadcasting device attached to the ceiling. The clerk had the qualifications of a doctor and was also well-versed in the operation of the special device used in Priestess training.<br /> <br /> ……Crish……Pish…………Fsh……<br /> <br /> The azure ice filling the room cracked.<br /> <br /> What began as a crack line gradually grew and went from the surface of the ice to the center ── in an instant, the gigantic azure ice, which was how many thousands of metres across and had incomparable weight, broke apart and scattered.<br /> <br /> ──Drip.<br /> <br /> The puddle on the ground reflected the outline of the girl who was without a stitch of cloth.<br /> <br /> “…………Fuu.”<br /> <br /> She spread her hands and took a deep breath. No matter what, she’d just spent forty hours frozen in a state of apparent death. Because even her breathing was stopped while frozen, she had to consciously breathe at a fixed rhythm like this or she would end up asphyxiated or possibly breathe too much and hyperventilate.<br /> <br /> “So…………so………………so cooooooooooooold!!”<br /> <br /> Hugging her dripping wet shoulders, Ymy yelled out.<br /> <br /> “C-cold……actually, this hurts!……My body’s gonna burst!?”<br /> <br /> The barrier of ice constructed with shinryoku. It was fine because her senses were paralyzed while in her state of apparent death but when they returned, the cold would pass the point of being “cold” and attack her as intense pain.<br /> <br /> “Haa………………ouch!?……”<br /> <br /> She bit down on her purple lips over and over and over again.<br /> <br /> Her hands that were wrapped around her shoulders had their nails digging into the skin enough to draw blood. She was in a state where she had to do that to bear the agony and spend a little while just breathing.<br /> <br /> “''Ymy-sama.''“<br /> <br /> “…………I’m fine.”<br /> <br /> Crouched in the puddle of water on the floor, Ymy just barely managed to lift her head.<br /> <br /> “''Good work. The changing room out the door has been heated and there is hot water prepared in the pot on the table so please take it easy.''“<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “''……Ymy-sama?''“<br /> <br /> Trepidation entered the operator’s voice from the girl’s silence.<br /> <br /> “It’s already been eight hours.”<br /> <br /> “''Eh?''“<br /> <br /> “It’s already been eight hours……let me continue on like this.”<br /> <br /> The sound of the operator gasping was transmitted through the broadcast device.<br /> <br /> “''Th-that’s……are you insane!''“<br /> <br /> The operator’s reaction was correct. It wasn’t ‘''Are you serious?''‘. What Ymy wanted was something that would elicit doubt for her sanity from somebody who knew the harshness of Priestess training.<br /> <br /> “''You have already extended your training four hours past the regulation thirty six hours. It’s already been forty hours total. And you……want to add another eight hours to that!?''“<br /> <br /> “It’s not enough yet.”<br /> <br /> “''Not……not enough──!?''“<br /> <br /> Ymy stared at the ceiling and nodded in response to the shrill voice of the female operator.<br /> <br /> ……Yes, it’s not enough.<br /> <br /> ……More and more until my limit. I want to reach more and more into the beyond of the beyond.<br /> <br /> “''But if you go any further than this, your life or at least your mental health will be in danger.''“<br /> <br /> “That’s fine; I want to do the next one right up to the limit.”<br /> <br /> This time──<br /> <br /> Ymy’s answer rendered the operator speechless.<br /> <br /> “Please let me continue just a little longer.”<br /> <br /> ……It’s no good at the current pace.<br /> <br /> Nothing will change from what that person said if I keep going through the same training.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Only you haven’t changed one bit since three years ago.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Those words had been stabbed into her at the Grand Holy Hall by the woman who named herself as Tsali.<br /> <br /> Three years ago ── since the time Sheltis had fallen to the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}, no matter how hard she thought she had worked, she’d been told that nothing had changed about her.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''You’re doing your best as a Priestess? You’ve worked hard and grown? Those are illusions and that training that you throw your body into is also a phantom. A phantom with no corporeal body.''“<br /> <br /> “''Change. There is absolutely no opportunity to make your shinryoku bloom.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ……An opportunity.<br /> <br /> She didn’t know whether pushing herself to the limit in the Priestesses’ harsh training would become that opportunity. But she couldn’t do nothing. As long as she held the title of Priestess, she couldn’t allow herself to be overpowered by Yuugenshu.<br /> <br /> ……The world a thousand years ago and the Yuugenshu a thousand years ago.<br /> <br /> ……I was overpowered by the Yuugenshu’s mateki at that time.<br /> <br /> But my shinryoku shouldn’t lose. When I grasped shinryoku as a ‘''wavelength''‘, Meimel said that I wouldn’t lose to anyone with just the size of that wavelength.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Go─t it, Ymy? If you fail to purify mateki, keep in mind that it’s not that your power isn’t up to the task; it’s the opposite. Your shinryoku is too strong so you can’t fine control it, so you should be wary that you can’t release all your stored-up shinryoku.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ──If so.<br /> <br /> ──The reason I was oppressed by the Yuugenshu’s mateki is precisely because of that output efficiency.<br /> <br /> Suppose that the Yuugenshu she fought in the world of a thousand years ago possessed 10 mateki and she had 20 shinryoku within her. However, compared to the Yuugenshu who could manifest 100% of its mateki, she probably hadn’t even manifested half of hers.<br /> <br /> 10 mateki x an output efficiency of 100% = 10.<br /> <br /> 20 shinryoku x an output efficiency of 40% = 8.<br /> <br /> In other words, even if her shinryoku was above, it would lose out when put in the form of a spell.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''That’s why you’re not suited for fine control-type spells like those of the Territory type or Barrier type. It’s your natural disposition and not because you lack training. Can’t you just focus on improving your shinryoku output by even one percent in the Baptism type that best shows your strength?''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “Please, just a little more……at least just four hours──”<br /> <br /> Still hugging her shoulders that were shivering from the cold, Ymy looked up steadily at the broadcast device. My problem is my shinryoku output efficiency. In order to look for an opportunity to compensate for that, I need to devote my body to training even more dangerous than before.<br /> <br /> “''……But''“<br /> <br /> “Then two──”<br /> <br /> Two hours only then please; the moment she said these words.<br /> <br /> “''Ah……well, there’s a guest for you, Ymy-sama……they’re waiting in front of the floor’s elevator.''“<br /> <br /> “A guest? Who?”<br /> <br /> A Priestess’ training time is not to be infringed upon. It’s normal for the time to be changed no matter who it is so long as I’m secluded in training. It’s rare for somebody to boldly put that aside and visit. If there was anybody, it would have to be my Sennenshi……I don’t have one, so maybe it’s a fellow Priestess?<br /> <br /> “Is it Meimel or Syun-rei?”<br /> <br /> “''N-no……but you’re right that it’s a Priestess.''“<br /> <br /> “''It’s Viola Nova-sama. She says she wants to see Ymy-sama.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> She was standing in front of the elevator doors with a smile upon her lips.<br /> <br /> “It’s been a while, Ymy-san; you look well.”<br /> <br /> A woman dressed in a robe-like vestment made of a single cloth with just a hole for the head. Her slender body was not much different from Syun-rei in height and she looked like she might be mistaken for a child from afar.<br /> <br /> “W-we’ve really had no contact at all! It’s truly been a while……”<br /> <br /> Running right up to her, Ymy bowed deeply with ragged breathes.<br /> <br /> Viola Nova ── her senior Priestess who held the position of third Priestess. She had spent more than half a year patrolling the Biotope with her Sennenshi partner and competent Elite Guards.<br /> <br /> “Sorry……u-umm, I think it was four days ago. I knew you had returned to the tower but I was busy and couldn’t come greet you.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. I was also busy having just returned and you just returned from the Governmental Sector the day before last yourself, right?”<br /> <br /> She had a gentle gaze that would relax those who saw it.<br /> <br /> She was also petite like Syun-rei but the calm tone and gentleness of the Priestess in front of her was contrary to her physique and gave one a mature impression.<br /> <br /> “That’s right, I’ll give you your souvenir before I forget. Here you go.”<br /> <br /> “……What’s this?”<br /> <br /> She grabbed Ymy’s wrist and held it to chest-height, then wrapped her fingers around something.<br /> <br /> It was a polished black stone. The surface was smooth like it had been polished with something and the entire thing had a roundness to it.<br /> <br /> “It’s obsidian I picked up in the Biotope; isn’t it curious how it’s been polished so beautifully by nature?”<br /> <br /> “……Viola, I see you still have your hobby of collecting small stones.”<br /> <br /> Ymy smiled ironically in front of her senior Priestess. Her hobby of collecting small stones and adding “-san” when addressing other people irrespective of whether they were her kouhai hadn’t changed.<br /> <br /> “How was it outside the tower? You patrolled the Biotope the whole time this time too.”<br /> <br /> “It’s the same great bundle of nature as always. The large dangerous beasts are and even the climate is all jumbled. Just when you think it’s shining like in a desert, there’s a blizzard the next day and the day after that is a downpour. Having your tent blown away by a gale is also a commonplace event.”<br /> <br /> “……You sure made it though that all right.”<br /> <br /> “I got used to that bustle so it feels like something’s missing here with the tower being so calm.”<br /> <br /> She smiled as her flaxen hair fluttered.<br /> <br /> “By the way, Ymy-san, I’m sorry for being so sudden. I know you were in the middle of training.”<br /> <br /> “N-Not at all! The regulation time was over already!”<br /> <br /> That she had wanted to do a little more and been in the middle of negotiating it was a secret, of course.<br /> <br /> “That’s actually a lie.”<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> “I didn’t come knowing you were in the middle of training; I came because you were in the middle of training. I wanted to disrupt your training.”<br /> <br /> Viola looked fixedly up at her with her light brown eyes.<br /> <br /> “Ymy-san, don’t you know that excessive training will just burden your body?”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> ……I see, I thought it was strange.<br /> <br /> This was a woman who was overflowing with consideration. She wasn’t the type who would interrupt her training just to hand over a souvenir or because she wanted to see her.<br /> <br /> ……She’d intended to stop my excessive training from the start.<br /> <br /> “I heard about it from Meimel-san. That it’s been like this the whole time lately. But it looks like several days……from just before you left for the Governmental Sector and after returning have been especially terrible. I was a little worried after hearing that. As for why──”<br /> <br /> Viola spoke with a tone like she was scolding her own child.<br /> <br /> That’s definitely how it is. This person is……this ‘''older sister figure''‘ is always worrying about her junior Priestesses, Syun-rei and I, as if we were her children.<br /> <br /> “I was thinking one of the reasons you’re overdoing your training is related to my younger sister, Horn.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “So it really is?”<br /> <br /> “……I don’t know.”<br /> <br /> Viola looked directly up at her. She couldn’t avert her eyes and it took her utmost just to muddle her words.<br /> <br /> ……But it’s probably just as Viola says.<br /> <br /> Wanting to purify the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}’s mateki that resided within her childhood friend, Sheltis, was her thought as a childhood friend.<br /> <br /> On top of that ── as the Priestess of Baptism, she thought it wouldn’t do to remain this way, and that was probably because she was indebted to the Sennenshi, Horn Nova.<br /> <br /> “Your younger sister is……”<br /> <br /> “You’ll understand if I say she’s in Ward D of the hospital on floor 22, right?”<br /> <br /> The clinic within the tower was divided into four wards based on patient condition.<br /> <br /> Ward A handled emergency outpatients and the lightly wounded.<br /> <br /> Ward B handled inpatients with grave wounds requiring surgery.<br /> <br /> Ward C handled patients that were in serious life-threatening conditions.<br /> <br /> And then, separated from even those three wards by a large door was Ward D. All patients taken to this ward were those showered in mateki. The response team was not of doctors but of apprentice Priestesses and those that the apprentice Priestsses could not treat were directly purified by a Priestess.<br /> <br /> “……I see. That’s right.”<br /> <br /> Sennenshi Horn had returned to the tower for only one reason. It wasn’t to give a report but to visit a child who continued to sleep in one of the Ward D rooms.<br /> <br /> “……I’m sorry.”<br /> <br /> “It’s not something you need to apologize for. Meimel-san and I……even the first Priestess, Elmeetia-san, couldn’t purify that mateki so it’s not solely your responsibility.”<br /> <br /> “But!”<br /> <br /> Her words blamed herself. Exactly because she understood that, Ymy could not pretend to not have heard it.”<br /> <br /> “……But everybody else has different specialties in spells!……I can’t use anything other than Baptism-type spells well. I can’t become anything other than the Priestess of Baptism.”<br /> <br /> “You think it’s natural that you’d be the one to heal that child?”<br /> <br /> “…………Yes.”<br /> <br /> In reality, it was something Horn Nova had said to her.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Ymy Ele Soufflenictole……you couldn’t save Tessha!''“<br /> <br /> “''Who cares about being a Priestess. This……even though you can’t purify the mateki of a single child……even though you can’t save a single child, what about you makes you a Priestess of Baptism!''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> In a hospital ward with a cold wind blowing through it.<br /> <br /> Those words spoken in front of that child whose eyes would not open were directed at me alone.<br /> <br /> “……I thought you’d say that.”<br /> <br /> Viola slumped her delicate shoulders and sighed.<br /> <br /> “The truth is I didn’t really want to return. Because, Ymy-san, it’s a given that you’d go overboard in your training and ruin your body when Horn returned to the tower.”<br /> <br /> “……But I must.”<br /> <br /> “I understand that you feel responsible for not being able to purify mateki while known under the honorary title of Priestess of Baptism, but please don’t overdo it. The Priestesses’ primary duty isn’t to purify mateki. It’s to maintain the barrier that seals the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}.”<br /> <br /> It was something she’d been admonished for countless times since her time as an apprentice Priestess.<br /> <br /> A Priestess had to be ruthless. No matter who had to be sacrificed and even if she wanted to save someone near her, she had to focus her power solely on maintaining Hyouketsu Kyoukai.<br /> <br /> “That’s why it’s Horn’s fault for having excessive expectations of Priestesses.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “Please tell me if my little sister says anything to you. I’ll scold her as her older sister.”<br /> <br /> “……Okay.”<br /> <br /> Well then ── conveying that softly, the third Priestess turned around. She watched her as she used the elevator to head to her own floor.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> Letting out a truly deep sigh towards the ceiling, Ymy loosely stumbled to the wall. ……I can’t put any power into my limbs. When she noticed that, the strength left her knees and she collapsed.<br /> <br /> “Having excessive expectations of me……that just means she had that much expectation for me. ……She probably believed in and relied on me.”<br /> <br /> She couldn’t fulfill Horn’s expectations that day. Even though she was probably her last hope, as the one known as the Priestess of Baptism.<br /> <br /> “……Ah……ah……haha, it’s cold.”<br /> <br /> Maybe it was because of the training. It couldn’t be helped that her body was freezing so she curled up and crouched there.<br /> <br /> …………<br /> <br /> …………It’s been a while since I’ve been frustrated to the point of wanting to cry.<br /> <br /> “Why……is it……so cold, I wonder.”<br /> <br /> The girl’s hoarse laughter echoed.<br /> <br /> Before long, that laughter had changed to a faint sob at some point.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> ==Translator's Notes and References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> {{SimpleNav}}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=User_talk:Zerry&diff=380190 User talk:Zerry 2014-08-10T15:28:14Z <p>Acolyte: Created page with &quot;== Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden == Be careful when converting floating continent &lt;Orbie Clar&gt; and machine crystal &lt;Ilis&gt;. I noticed you converted 'floating continent &lt;Orbie Clar&gt;...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>== Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden ==<br /> Be careful when converting floating continent &lt;Orbie Clar&gt; and machine crystal &lt;Ilis&gt;. I noticed you converted 'floating continent &lt;Orbie Clar&gt;' to 'The floating continent &lt;Orbie Clar&gt;' and 'Machine crystal &lt;Ilis&gt;' to '\nmachine crystal &lt;Ilis&gt;', adding an extra line break and losing the capitalization.</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Hyouketsu_Kyoukai_no_Eden:Volume_6_Chapter2&diff=379831 Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Chapter2 2014-08-09T04:27:40Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Chapter 2 – The Resounding Horn’s Dissonance==<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 1===<br /> <br /> Sunlight that made one think of the height of summer shined down brilliantly upon the outdoor training grounds.<br /> <br /> In a corner of the grounds which had a desert that spread as far as the horizon, rocky terrain, a marsh and large roaring waterfall──<br /> <br /> “Ohh……ohhh! Ohhhhhhh!”<br /> <br /> Gripping her shining silver badge, Kagura held it high up.<br /> <br /> “A-Amazing! L-look, look. On the display in the corner, in the ‘''merit points''‘ field, there are 75 points. The points from the Governmental Sector expedition have been added!”<br /> <br /> “So noisy. Everybody got them so they know without you ranting about it.”<br /> <br /> He glanced at his own badge and tucked it away at his chest with disinterest.<br /> <br /> “You brat.”<br /> <br /> “I-It’s fine, isn’t it! One should be honestly happy in times like this. Come on, don’t put yours away and show it to me!”<br /> <br /> She held out her hands.<br /> <br /> “Haa? It’s not interesting looking at other people’s badges.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. Come on, quickly……mm? H-huh? Why are your points higher than mine? What’s the meaning of these 102 points? Did you go out on a mission without us knowing?”<br /> <br /> “Like I’d do such annoying stuff.”<br /> <br /> Vaiel snatched his badge from Kagura who was repeatedly tilting her head.<br /> <br /> “Ah, wait!”<br /> <br /> “Before we went to the Governmental Sector, the theme for final selection of the unit was patrolling the Nature District. Somebody got exhausted by a Yuugenshu and caused me great pains, or did you forget?”<br /> <br /> “Ah……”<br /> <br /> The redness of Kagura’s cheeks shot up under the machine helmet.<br /> <br /> It had been Vaiel who saved her at the last moment when she’d been attacked by a Yuugenshu and he had repelled it while covered completely in wounds. It was necessary to earn ‘''merit points''‘ to be promoted in {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} and other than missions, there were other ways to gain points like defeating Yuugenshu.<br /> <br /> “''Ahh, now that you mention it, the points for defeating a Yuugenshu are also included. The difference in your merit points is 27, so it’s being classified as a small Yuugenshu. You would’ve earned twice as much if it were a little larger.''“<br /> <br /> “Like I can fight something that big.”<br /> <br /> Vaiel folded his arms in response to the murmuring from {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}}.<br /> <br /> “……Come to think of it, how many points are necessary for the all-important promotion to Regular Guard?”<br /> <br /> “Think of it as being around 300.”<br /> <br /> Monica, who was cooling off in a tree’s shade, replied immediately.<br /> <br /> “You can register for the Regular Guard exam when you save up 300 points. Even if you don’t pass within a year, you can continue to take on missions and you should be exempted from the written exam at 450 points.”<br /> <br /> “If you think of it like that……I have pretty much half.”<br /> <br /> Sitting on the bench in the tree’s shade, Sheltis also took out his badge.<br /> <br /> 179 merit points. This was the sum of the Governmental Sector mission as well as the investigation mission to the {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}} with Leon. He’d also repelled at Yuugenshu that time so that was added as well.<br /> <br /> Two missions and two cases of repelling Yuugenshu. With that, his merit points had passed over the halfway point.<br /> <br /> “How about Monica?”<br /> <br /> “I have 231 points……since I was part of different units to fill the number requirements before creating this one. I have a little from that time.”<br /> <br /> “''Ohh. But that’s impressive; you’ll have 300 points with just a little more like that.''“<br /> <br /> “Th-that is……I’ve been a Cadet Guard for some years now. It normally takes just over a year to accumulate them……I’m more of a failure of a Cadet Guard.”<br /> <br /> Monica looked down with her face a little red.<br /> <br /> “Well, that’s true, it should take around a year if you seriously gather them at a steady pace. If you think of it like that, you could say the expedition to the Governmental Sector this time is receiving special treatment. For other missions, the usual is 10 or 20 points.”<br /> <br /> It looked like it really was hot standing out in direct sunlight as Kagura took off her machine helmet and wiped the sweat from her brow.<br /> <br /> “Also, by standard, even if you complete a mission unharmed, you can’t apply consecutively. You’re free to take on missions but it seems you won’t receive merit points.”<br /> <br /> “Was there such a rule?”<br /> <br /> “It’s just that you don’t know, Vaiel. This is an something from when there was no merit points system but it seems like there was a two-person group of absurdly strong Cadet Guards.”<br /> <br /> It looked like she was still hot because Kagura started fanning herself with her hand.<br /> <br /> “It was even said that there was no mission those two couldn’t complete together and they would complete a mission every week systematically, advancing to Regular Guards just like that. It should have repainted the fastest recorded promotion at the time. This became a problem further in the future.”<br /> <br /> “Mm, hey, wait. What’s the problem with that? It’s not bad, is it?”<br /> <br /> “There were no issues with those two themselves. The problem was the flood of Cadet Guards that took their success as an example and continuously submitted applications for missions.”<br /> <br /> The girl indicated the training grounds with her eyes.<br /> <br /> Amongst those several instructors were watching over were those repeating mock battles, Cadet Guards running through the hot sand with weights all over and those silently focused on muscle training.<br /> <br /> “There are many Cadet Guards with superficial experience and who are unskilled, right? Those Cadet Guards can’t succeed if they challenge a mission without minding the difficulty……as a result, there were successive cases where they failed or were wounded and hospitalized.”<br /> <br /> “So it’s about knowing your limits. Sheesh, there are morons no matter the age.”<br /> <br /> Vaiel returned to reclining on the bench.<br /> <br /> “Well, the moronic group is at fault, but the audacious group of two shares the same fault. Because of them, now it’s become a pain in the ass to take on a mission.”<br /> <br /> “……Could I say it’s the fault of youth?”<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> “Ahh, n-no, no, nothing at all!?”<br /> <br /> With the quick-eared young man’s question, Sheltis frantically waved his hands.<br /> <br /> ……I can’t say it.<br /> <br /> ……That it was Leon and I.<br /> <br /> They would take two missions in a day, return to {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} just after an all-nighter and then leave on another mission an hour later. Now that he thought of it, even he thought it was reckless.<br /> <br /> “It’s true that there are some inconveniences, but I think the current system is good.”<br /> <br /> Putting down the machine helmet at her feet, Kagura did some flexibility stretches before training.<br /> <br /> “Leaving aside that I’m busy with research work, I think that going out on a mission every week is dangerous. Fatigue would build up without your notice and it would be the worst if you became too used to missions and went lax resulting in an incident. Rather than that, it’s better to properly undergo moderate training──”<br /> <br /> “Hohoh, that’s admirable, Kagura.”<br /> <br /> “Wh-wha!?”<br /> <br /> Kagura’s pointed ears stood up at the sudden appearance of somebody behind her. She turned towards the owner of the voice with trepidation and a pale expression…………<br /> <br /> “I-Instructor Yumelda?”<br /> <br /> “It’s truly admirable, Kagura; I didn’t expect you to be so admirably dedicated.”<br /> <br /> A tall woman wearing a dark blue suit that had not a wrinkle upon it. She held her preferred black whip with both hands and she was smoking a cigarette as thin as string.<br /> <br /> “You’ve been skipping my training lately with being busy with research as the stated reason. Just when I thought your research had finally calmed down, you were absent from my training because of the expedition to the Governmental Sector. For this last month, I think you’ve been absent from training more than you’ve attended. Now then, is my memory mistaken?”<br /> <br /> “Ah……n-no……that’s, well……”<br /> <br /> Her pointed ears drooped and sweat ran from her brow like a waterfall.<br /> <br /> Opposite that, the instructor looked down at her with an intrepid smile.<br /> <br /> “With all that, I didn’t think you would have such ambition to train. I’m not a demon: I’ll accept absences with valid reasons and I also very rarely hold back on the training. ──But if you want to train that badly, then it can’t be helped. It’s also hard on me to train Cadet Guards until they’re ragged but it’s different if they desire that themselves.”<br /> <br /> “Even though you look so ridiculously happyyyyy──────!?”<br /> <br /> “You talk too much; let’s go.”<br /> <br /> “N-Nooooooo!”<br /> <br /> Kagura was grabbed by the nape and started to get dragged away. She screamed like prey that had been caught by a carnivorous predator.<br /> <br /> “H-Help me! M-Monica? A member of your unit is in fatal danger! Sheltis and Vaiel too──”<br /> <br /> With that scene before them, the decisions of the remaining members were swift and correct.<br /> <br /> “……Come to think of it, I made an appointment to check up on the wound I received from {{furigana|Golden|Maha}}<br /> at the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, I-I also feel like I did that. If you’re going to the one on floor 22, let’s go together.”<br /> <br /> “……The deadline for the manuscript of my ‘''Wild Grasses Encyclopedia''‘ is coming up soon too.”<br /> <br /> Turning their backs, Sheltis and the others all sprinted away simultaneously at full speed.<br /> <br /> It felt like Kagura shouted out something behind them but the fault lay with she who had summoned the demon instructor.<br /> <br /> “Well then, Kagura, take your time with the instructor.”<br /> <br /> “So heartless──────!?”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 2===<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 21.<br /> <br /> “Uu……it was cruel.”<br /> <br /> Covered in sand and dust, her formal wear was completely worn out. Kagura returned like that with tottering steps late in the evening.<br /> <br /> “If it’s something like being trained ragged by the instructor, then going on a mission and not receiving merit points is better. Monica, please find our next mission as soon as possible.”<br /> <br /> “G-Got it.”<br /> <br /> She looked pretty tired. Slumped over the {{furigana|machine pearl|Machina}}, Kagura made no move to descend to the ground.<br /> <br /> “By the way……what is this meeting room?”<br /> <br /> Despite being dead tired, it seemed that only her curiosity was full of vigor as she looked around restlessly.<br /> <br /> It was an all-around white room.<br /> <br /> There was no table and thus no meeting-use whiteboard. There were just barely enough folding chairs for them piled up in a corner of the room.<br /> <br /> “It’s our unit’s private base. I received a message that our unit has finally received official approval and the administrative officer’s electronic registration is complete.”<br /> <br /> Monica pointed at the folding chairs.<br /> <br /> “This is our private meeting area from today onwards. The use differs from unit to unit so these are the only furnishings. They said that if we require a table or whiteboard, then we can apply for them and they will allocate them to us.”<br /> <br /> “So we’ve got a private space; it’s starting to get more like a unit.”<br /> <br /> “Vaiel, I’ll just put this out there, but don’t use this place for your naps. It looks like if it’s used for reasons outside of our goals, it’ll get confiscated.”<br /> <br /> “……Damn it.”<br /> <br /> She seemed to have hit the bullseye since Vaiel crossed his legs with the same sour face.<br /> <br /> “But you know, wouldn’t it be hard for them to find out? If it’s our private space, doesn’t that mean that only our badges’ identification numbers can unlock it?”<br /> <br /> There was no way for other people to suspect him of sleeping in this room. Only the four here could unlock the room.<br /> <br /> “That’s right, or so I’d like to say.”<br /> <br /> “''Ah, I can open this room. Rather, the only ones who can’t open this room are other Cadet Guards and Regular Guards; Elite Guards that hold the rank of Captain or higher can unlock it just like that.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} smoothly continued Monica’s words.<br /> <br /> But upon hearing that, Vaiel’s smile became even more relaxed.<br /> <br /> “Then there’s no problem. Is some great and mighty Elite Guard or above gonna even come to this lower floor? If there’s any chance, it’ll be the instructor but the instructor usually instructs Cadet Guards at the training grounds.”<br /> <br /> “''……That’s true.''“<br /> <br /> “Now that you mention it, that might be the case.”<br /> <br /> <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} blinked and Sheltis ended up agreeing without thinking.<br /> <br /> “But you know, Vaiel. If by chance a superior──”<br /> <br /> “Ahh? Just where would you find great and mighty people with such idle curiosity──”<br /> <br /> It came before Vaiel finished speaking.<br /> <br /> ──’''Unlocked''‘──<br /> <br /> With an electronic sound, the electronic doors slid to the sides slowly.<br /> <br /> “Hah?”<br /> <br /> Vaiel fell silent with his mouth half-open.<br /> <br /> There was no way someone above Elite Guard level would come to this low a floor and there was no way they would visit them. Why is it opening even though the meeting room’s door shouldn’t open?<br /> <br /> “Ah, umm……I heard that you’d be here when I asked Instructor Yumelda.”<br /> <br /> In front of the fully opened doors, a girl in pure white vestments bowed her head.<br /> <br /> “Ymy…………?”<br /> <br /> “……Why is a Priestess here?”<br /> <br /> Monica’s and Kagura’s eyes were spinning.<br /> <br /> “''Oh my, Ymy, welcome. We don’t have anything other than folding chairs but will you take a seat?''“<br /> <br /> “No, I just came to apologize.”<br /> <br /> Remaining diffidently near the wall, Ymy once again bowed her head deeply.<br /> <br /> “Well, I’m sorry! I didn’t participate in the meeting today and caused you problems……I heard the major points from Ishtar-san!”<br /> <br /> ……Mm?<br /> <br /> Looking closely at the expression of his childhood friend whose off-gold hair was fluttering ── Sheltis raised his brows at some thoughts that didn’t appear on his face.<br /> <br /> ……Ymy’s eyes are swollen.<br /> <br /> The area around her eyelids was slightly red and looked like she’d cried her eyes out. It was pretty much fully concealed behind her bangs so it was almost a coincidence that Sheltis had noticed. The other three hadn’t noticed.<br /> <br /> “Ymy……sama, we were told that you were in training until just prior.”<br /> <br /> “Y-yes. That’s right, and a little…………well……I was a little willful.”<br /> <br /> “Willful? With training?”<br /> <br /> Monica’s gaze narrowed. For she who had been Ymy’s senpai when she was an apprentice Priestess, she was still concerned with her kouhai’s condition even now.<br /> <br /> “N-No, it’s just a minor……thing.”<br /> <br /> Averting her eyes from Monica’s line of sight, Ymy turned around as if running away.<br /> <br /> “Well then, I’m sorry. I’ll be going now!”<br /> <br /> “Ah, wait a second! Ymy!”<br /> <br /> Monica’s outstretched hand stopped just before touching the Priestess’ vestment.<br /> <br /> “……It can’t be helped; it must be major if she’s unwilling to talk about it.”<br /> <br /> Monica shook her head weakly.<br /> <br /> “So what do we do, unit leader? I’d really like to head back and sleep right now.”<br /> <br /> “I know. We’ll disperse for today and take a day off for tomorrow. We’ll continue as usual from early morning training the day after. ……Since we haven’t had sufficient rest since returning from the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> She took a deep breath while rubbing her eyes that were heavy with fatigue.<br /> <br /> “''Waa, it’s an entire day off, Sheltis! I want to go on a picnic in the Nature District tomorrow. The weather’s supposed to be good and it’s the best time to see the mountain cherries.''” &lt;ref&gt;[T/N: You can think of these as mountainous versions of sakura trees. I didn't wanna mix two languages for it and call it mountain sakura. The tree is called Prunus donarium by genus and species.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> “That’s a pity since I was gonna to leisurely relax tomorrow too.”<br /> <br /> “''Ehhhhh!? No, no, no, let’s go somewheeere?''“<br /> <br /> Putting aside <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} who was blinking in protest.<br /> <br /> ……I’m also interested in Ymy.<br /> <br /> ……It would be nice if I could secretly check on how she is tomorrow.<br /> <br /> “Then we’ll separate here. Don’t forget that we’re meeting up in front of the training grounds’ gate at four in the morning the day after tomorrow!”<br /> <br /> Monica clapped her hands.<br /> <br /> “Fi─nally over. I’m gonna go back and sleep; see ya.”<br /> <br /> “Then so will I……”<br /> <br /> Vaiel left the meeting room quickly. Just before Sheltis followed after him, <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} flashed as if remembering something.<br /> <br /> “''Come to think of it, Sheltis, there was something this morning.''“<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> “''Come on, didn’t you make a promise with Eyriey? Eyriey said she wanted to come play and you said you’d be able to meet with her after the meeting ended, didn’t you?''“<br /> <br /> “Ah, ahhhhh! Crap!”<br /> <br /> The meeting with Ishtar present had ended and he’d completely forgotten about it until now.<br /> <br /> “''She might still be waiting in your room.''“<br /> <br /> “Uu……for the time being, let’s rush back. W-Well then, Monica, I’ll also be going now!”<br /> <br /> Spinning around in a big rush, he left the meeting room and flew out into the floor’s corridor.<br /> <br /> Beyond the windows on one side of the corridor was a surface of black. The setting sun was already hidden behind the horizon and it was too late of a time to play.<br /> <br /> “……I wonder if I’ve been keeping Eyriey waiting.”<br /> <br /> He jogged down the hallway straight towards the elevator. He pushed the panel for “Floor 11″ which contained the Cadet Guard residences and sighed a little.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 3===<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 11.<br /> <br /> Just as he took one step into his room that was pretty much right at the back of the Cadet Guard residences,<br /> <br /> “So slo─w! Where were you loitering around, Sheltis!”<br /> <br /> “Shel-nii, you’re late.”<br /> <br /> Eyriey glared at him with raised eyes and Yuto was sitting properly on the bed.<br /> <br /> …………<br /> <br /> …………Well, that’s what I expected.<br /> <br /> “''Oh, this is unexpected: nobody’s here.''“<br /> <br /> “……It looks like they were waiting here before though.”<br /> <br /> The bed was ruffled and there were candy wrappers in the garbage can.<br /> <br /> Eyriey had eaten the candy she brought along and Yuto had played around on the bed. He could easily imagine those two.<br /> <br /> “It looks like they got tired of waiting and went home.”<br /> <br /> “''But it looks like they left a message.''“<br /> <br /> What {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} was talking about was an audio recording device left casually atop the desk. The small pencil-shaped device had a sound collection apparatus attached to the end. He hadn’t seen a device like it anywhere else in the tower so it was most likely an invention of Eyriey’s.<br /> <br /> “''That flashing part is probably the replay button.''“<br /> <br /> “This?”<br /> <br /> There was a replay button on one end of the pencil-shaped device. He timidly pushed it,<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Eyri-nee, this button?''“<br /> <br /> “''Yup, yup. It’ll record if you talk while pressing that. Yuto, try saying something.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> It was those two’s voices as expected.<br /> <br /> “''Mm〰……What should Yuto say?''“<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, you’re so slo─w. We’ll come back tomorrow so make sure to keep some time open! ──I said it. So, Yuto, just say what you want to.''“<br /> <br /> “''O─kay! Um, umm, Shel-nii, I’ll come again tomorrow─''“<br /> <br /> “──So they say.”<br /> <br /> “''Isn’t that fine since you’re already on break tomorrow anyway? Rather than that……''“<br /> <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}}’ voice that had a suppressed laugh mixed into it quieted down a notch.<br /> <br /> “''It looks like there’s one other message from someone.''“<br /> <br /> Occupying about half of the work desk was a giant monitor and computer.<br /> <br /> The terminal which was normally in power saving mode had its electric lamp flashing blue, showing that a message had arrived.<br /> <br /> “……So this time’s by mail though I haven’t really used this terminal at all.”<br /> <br /> “''They don’t really come to this terminal; that’s rare.''“<br /> <br /> If it was for sending and receiving simple messages, their card-shaped badges had that function. It was the norm for Monica, the instructor, Leon and others to use the badge to contact him.<br /> <br /> “I wonder who it is.”<br /> <br /> “''I think it should be an administrative officer since they mailed you on this terminal. A Guard would probably use the badge to mail you.''“<br /> <br /> “Well, yeah.”<br /> <br /> Starting up the monitor, the message inbox was shown.<br /> <br /> “……Huh? The sender’s information isn’t showing up. It can’t be viewed.”<br /> <br /> “It’s not that it’s not being shown; it has an upper authority’s secret encryption applied. If it was a regular mail, then it could be inspected by the one in charge of computer processing at the General Affairs Bureau but this can’t be viewed by anybody except the recipient.”<br /> <br /> It used an uncommon frequency. Putting aside administrative staff and Elite Guard-level Guards, it was something that a Cadet Guard would rarely ever have the chance to use.<br /> <br /> “''Ohh, that’s interesting. Come on, open it quickly─''“<br /> <br /> “I got it, okay, so wait a second.”<br /> <br /> Calming down {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} who was hurrying him on, he inserted his ID into the encrypted document.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''To Sheltis,''<br /> <br /> ''Good work today. Sorry I couldn’t attend the meeting. I also said a little about it when I interrupted your meeting earlier…………I’ve been thinking about Priestess training.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “……Ymy?”<br /> <br /> “''She’s forgotten to put her name at either end of the mail but that’s who it would appear to be from the contents.''“<br /> <br /> “''O-On top of that!''<br /> <br /> ''It’s about that which is residing in your body but……since then, I wonder if I’ve done my best in piling on training. If you have time tomorrow, could you come to floor 276 past noon?''<br /> <br /> ''Sorry for being so sudden.''<br /> <br /> ''I wanted to tell you in person but it looks like you were together with Monica-senpai for the entire day today.''<br /> <br /> ''……I want to try purifying that.''<br /> <br /> ''U-Um, just so you know. It’s okay if you can’t come!''<br /> <br /> ''It’s not like it absolutely has to be tomorrow……it’s just, the truth is……I can’t say that I have great confidence. It’s fine if you have something else to do and prioritize that.''<br /> <br /> ''But.''<br /> <br /> ''If you don’t have anything tomorrow………… “''<br /> <br /> The mail ended there.<br /> <br /> There was no name for the sender……but there was no need to think about who it was now.<br /> <br /> “She said floor 276.”<br /> <br /> “''It’s Ymy’s private training floor. There are almost ten rooms matched to Ymy’s spells and a number of those can be used to purify mateki.''“<br /> <br /> “……I see.”<br /> <br /> The mail referring to mateki as ‘''that''‘ may have been for the one in ten thousand chance that somebody saw the contents.<br /> <br /> ……The mateki that came to reside in my body when I fell to the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}.<br /> <br /> ……If this mateki is purified, I wonder if my shinryoku will return.<br /> <br /> “''Aren’t you making quite the complicated expression? Aren’t you happy about getting your mateki purified?''“<br /> <br /> “I shouldn’t be unhappy.”<br /> <br /> Whispering that as if talking to himself, Sheltis sat down on a corner of the bed. He laid down, stared up at the illuminated ceiling and took a deep breath.<br /> <br /> “But if my mateki is purified and my shinryoku returns just like that, it feels like it’ll end with a ‘''That’s great, that’s great''‘.”<br /> <br /> It was miraculous that he had returned from the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}} alive and even had mateki reside within him.<br /> <br /> He had a feeling the passion for investigating the cause for that had finally died down and changed into “Well, you made it out so it’s all good”.<br /> <br /> ……But was that really okay?<br /> <br /> If the mateki residing within him was the key to approaching the secret of the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}, wouldn’t the chance to come close to that secret be lost along with the disappearance of his mateki?<br /> <br /> “……When we went to the Governmental Sector, that’s the feeling I had.”<br /> <br /> The Yuugenshu being bred within a water tank. They had thought it was the work of the Governmental Sector, but it was then determined to be the work of a third organization that {{furigana|Golden|Maha}} and {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}} belonged to.<br /> <br /> ……Moreover, there’s the Forbidden Crystal.<br /> <br /> ……The Governmental Sector’s treasure, Mikuva’s Crimson Eye, was also like that.<br /> <br /> The Yuugenshu, the third organization and the Forbidden Crystal as well. ……And me. Everything is connected. Everything should have the ‘''{{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}''‘ as a common point.<br /> <br /> “I feel like I’ve caught onto something. What is it……I can’t say it well but it feels like I’ve touched something extremely important. In regards to the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}’s secret.”<br /> <br /> More than any Guard and more than any Priestess.<br /> <br /> He was closing in on the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}’s secret: that’s what he felt.<br /> <br /> “If I can investigate the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}’s secret like this, we might find a more effective method of combatting the Yuugenshu and mateki.”<br /> <br /> It might also lessen the burden on Ymy as a Priestess. He might be able to become a source of strength for her in other areas as he aimed to become her guard.<br /> <br /> “''…………''“<br /> <br /> “Is it strange?”<br /> <br /> “''……I just thought about how you can think like that.''“<br /> <br /> There was a ten minute pause between her words ── <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} continued speaking with a tone like she was gazing into the distance.<br /> <br /> “Aiming to become a Sennenshi is something you have a promise with Ymy for but there’s no difference in the goal between you and other Guards in the end……but what you just said might truly be something that only you can achieve.”<br /> <br /> Being her guard was a given, but he’d found another way to become Ymy’s strength. But that was because he had mateki residing within him. If that was purified, he’d likely lose the opportunity to near the secret of the <br /> {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}.<br /> <br /> “''It’s a new complication. But you’ll accept Ymy’s invitation for tomorrow, right?''“<br /> <br /> “Yeah……I want to hear Ymy’s opinion as well.”<br /> <br /> He couldn’t become a Sennenshi with mateki residing within his body. That was also part of the reason Ymy was so concerned about him.<br /> <br /> ……But she’s gonna attempt to purify it so suddenly tomorrow.<br /> <br /> He was also thankful that it was early. However, he felt that the summons were rushed and suddenly having it tomorrow was also out of the blue.<br /> <br /> “I wonder if something happened with Ymy.”<br /> <br /> The hope that the mateki within his body could be purified had faded and become a form of worry for Ymy at some point.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 4===<br /> <br /> Floors 276 to 280 were the five Priestesses’ respective personal training floors and floors 271 to 275 beneath that were the Sennenshis’ respective training floors. &lt;ref&gt;[T/N: I guess this has to be clarified now. 修道 is used for the Priestesses and it's the religious type of practice (or for arts) and the Sennenshi have 訓練 which is the more militaristic training.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> And floor 273.<br /> <br /> One step off the elevator and there was a dense forest which faithfully modeled the Biotope.<br /> <br /> Underfoot were very moist mud and puddles as well as fallen leaves. Overhead, countless vines hanging from the trees crisscrossed like a spiderweb.<br /> <br /> In this forest where a real bird was flying around chirping──<br /> <br /> A gunshot.<br /> <br /> The repeated ear-splitting gunfire noise shook the large trees.<br /> <br /> “──Rejected. Next?”<br /> <br /> “Y-Yes. From the Shinryoku Theory Bureau Chief, this is about the deployment of apprentice Priestesses. There are fifty apprentice Priestesses this year that passed the first training period. How many people would the third unit like……”<br /> <br /> The small boy holding a report read it aloud.<br /> <br /> “That’s based on skill; apprentice Priestesses that can’t be used are unnecessary.”<br /> <br /> The woman with a pitch black blinder spat out her answer.<br /> <br /> Her body which was as tall as an adult man was covered in a camouflaged suit and she wore a longcoat that reached to below her knees.<br /> <br /> She had a machine pistol in each hand.<br /> <br /> It was a gun that had its firepower and consecutive firing speed raised to the limits to compensate for its low accuracy. She held those casually in both hands and casually pulled the triggers.<br /> <br /> “Only choose the outstanding apprentice Priestesses.”<br /> <br /> “B-But the struggle with other units is harsh.”<br /> <br /> “It’s your job to deal with that.”<br /> <br /> With the resounding of gunfire, small target machines fell down one after another.<br /> <br /> She was shooting down the small target machines that were flying at super-high speeds in the gaps between the trees whose leaves crowded those spaces, and she was doing it without a single miss.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “Is that all?”<br /> <br /> “……Ah, n-no! S-Sorry!”<br /> <br /> With the woman’s disinterested question, the boy frantically shook his head.<br /> <br /> “Err……umm, I was fascinated by how amazing Captain Horn is.”<br /> <br /> “How so?”<br /> <br /> She asked again in a tone that had not a shred of sociability.<br /> <br /> Horn Nova ── the younger sister of the third Priestess, Viola Nova; she was also the third Sennenshi who was tasked with guarding her.<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> “I was asking what you thought was amazing.”<br /> <br /> “E-Everything……is what……”<br /> <br /> Physical strength that was trained to the point that she could handle those massive machine pistols with one hand easily. Then there were her elbows and shoulders which were pliable to handle the strong recoil from repetitive firings of those guns.<br /> <br /> Above all, there was her supernatural firing accuracy which never let her miss her target even with both eyes covered.<br /> <br /> A blinder over her eyes. In other words, Horn didn’t see the target. Without regard for that, the bullets she fired seemed to be sucked towards the center of the target machines. It was a scene that would cause normal people to doubt their eyes.<br /> <br /> “I……If I practice, will I be able to become like the Captain──”<br /> <br /> “Discard pointless thoughts.”<br /> <br /> The odd jobs boy spoke some words and Horn fired off words of rejection.<br /> <br /> “Whether it’s talent, environment, effort, time, personality or body, nothing fits. The {{furigana|mechanically armored soldiers|Ex Machina}} that you’re talking about are generalists that can handle any heavy firepower gun to suit the circumstances. What can you do when you don’t have any of the required factors?”<br /> <br /> “…………Ah……ahh……”<br /> <br /> Horn’s gunfire didn’t stop even as the boy was at a loss for words and downcast.<br /> <br /> “Is that all?”<br /> <br /> “───Yes.”<br /> <br /> The boy turned his back to her while still downcast after putting the report under his arm. He walked towards the elevator wordlessly like that.<br /> <br /> “Catria.”<br /> <br /> Without having walked several steps, Horn’s voice called the boy’s name.<br /> <br /> Silence.<br /> <br /> The two machine pistols that were still letting off white smoke from their barrels were thrown high up into the air.<br /> <br /> “Take these with you.”<br /> <br /> “Waa, wawa!”<br /> <br /> “Do the regular maintenance. I’ll come to collect it thirty eight hours later.”<br /> <br /> The boy threw aside the report and caught the machine pistols. With her back still turned to him, Horn drew out a revolving pistol from the holder at her waist.<br /> <br /> “I don’t need unskilled people in my unit. If you’re going to subject yourself to techniques unsuited for your height, leave my unit before the end of today.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> ──Bang!<br /> <br /> The gunfire in front of the silent boy shot down two target machines.<br /> <br /> They were randomly flying targets. One aside, aiming for two at the same time wasn’t possible. That’s right, it was a technique impossible unless one could see the future.<br /> <br /> “But I acknowledge your skill in maintenance.”<br /> <br /> “……I see.”<br /> <br /> “I’ll say it again: thirty eight hours later. Finish the maintenance within that time.”<br /> <br /> The boy nodded wordlessly.<br /> <br /> This time he headed to the elevator without turning around and went straight down to the ground floor.<br /> <br /> ──Ding.<br /> <br /> Passing by the elevator headed for the ground floor, another elevator stopped at this floor.<br /> <br /> “Yoo─, Horn, you here─”<br /> <br /> A boyish girl with her skin tanned brown. With light formal wear consisting of a short-sleeved shirt and short pants, shinryoku formal carved seals could be seen on her exposed limbs.<br /> <br /> “Ran.”<br /> <br /> “Ohh, you’re here. If you’re coming back, say so─. By the way”<br /> <br /> “I refuse.”<br /> <br /> “……I haven’t said anything yet.”<br /> <br /> “I can see the future.”<br /> <br /> “Liar.”<br /> <br /> Ran raised one eyebrow meaningfully.<br /> <br /> “'''You can only see future images''' but can’t hear future sounds; you said that yourself.”<br /> <br /> Celestial map drawing.<br /> <br /> It was a territorial type shinryoku spell that Horn Nova carried from birth like her older sister, Priestess Viola Nova. With this power that allowed one to view the future an instant prior, it was possible to tell where a target would move to and pull the trigger.<br /> <br /> “Then I’ll just ask for your business. What is it?”<br /> <br /> Storing the gun in her holder, Horn sighed.<br /> <br /> “All right, then let’s have a match now. It’s been a whi──”<br /> <br /> “I refuse.”<br /> <br /> “…………Eh─, what’s with that. Did Leon make a reservation first? If so, I’m fine with going after Leon.”<br /> <br /> She pulled on the edges of her coat with a childish expression.<br /> <br /> “Time is precious and I have some business after this.”<br /> <br /> “Is that soo? But sparring with me will definitely be fun and come in handy? It’s a complete loss if the Sennenshi skip out on training. Right?”<br /> <br /> “Unfortunately, business that takes precedence over everything else is awaiting me.”<br /> <br /> Glancing at Ran who was puffing her cheeks with a mu─, Horn turned towards the elevator used for the upper floors.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 5===<br /> <br /> The floor was filled to the brim with noon sunlight.<br /> <br /> In this place that was close to two thousand metres off the ground, the sunlight passing through the window’s glass could be seen without obstruction.<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 276. It was a floor made to allow a Priestess to devote herself to training.<br /> <br /> “……The floor is shining blue?”<br /> <br /> Standing in the floor Ymy was waiting at, Sheltis stared down at the view under him.<br /> <br /> A pattern spread far out on the floor’s surface. The blue pattern’s contrast with the white floor was beautiful but it was also a little eerie because he didn’t know what it was for.<br /> <br /> “''All of this is a formal carved seal.''“<br /> <br /> “……That’s amazing.”<br /> <br /> He had heard it was a facility that could also purify people corrupted with mateki. It meant that a person suffering from mateki would also directly enter and exit so measures to prevent the spread of mateki within the tower were necessary.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, are you okay?''“<br /> <br /> “I have my boots in-between.”<br /> <br /> The rejection between the mateki residing within him and the shinryoku-affixed floor. There was a numbing feeling at his toes but it wasn’t unbearable.<br /> <br /> “Come to think of it, she didn’t specify as far as the place.”<br /> <br /> “''That’s right. I wonder which room it is.''“<br /> <br /> The far end of the passage was blurry. At any rate, it had the expansiveness of an entire floor of the tower so even if Ymy had arrived, he had no idea where she was.<br /> <br /> “Over here.”<br /> <br /> To his right, a room’s mechanical door slowly opened.<br /> <br /> “……I’m glad. You came.”<br /> <br /> Her off-gold hair swayed with relief. Her expression looked more relieved than happy.<br /> <br /> “I thought it wouldn’t be possible because it was such a sudden request. ……Did you skip training to come here?”<br /> <br /> “Nope, today’s a full day of rest. Training starts tomorrow.”<br /> [[image:Eden06_089.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> Ah, so that’s it. My plans for today start in the evening so now that you mention it, that should be how it is. The Governmental Sector mission exhausted everyone ── well, let’s put that aside. Come over here and enter the room.”<br /> <br /> ……This is a Priestess’ training room?<br /> <br /> ……Well, this is.<br /> <br /> It was covered from the floor to the ceiling in pure white tiles and a formal carved seal was carved in atop that as expected. It was just the floor for the corridor but this room was covered on the walls and ceiling thoroughly, in every nook and cranny.<br /> <br /> “It’s a room specially for me. But this isn’t a training room, you know?”<br /> <br /> Ymy turned towards him at the center of the room and pointed at the formal carved seal overhead.<br /> <br /> A shadow fell over her eyes.<br /> <br /> She had remembered a painful past event ── it was that kind of expression.<br /> <br /> “It’s not for training but for actual use. ……It’s a place for Priestesses to heal those with heavy corruption that apprentice Priestesses can’t purify.”<br /> <br /> “……Ymy, do you not like this place?”<br /> <br /> “I like it.”<br /> <br /> Just that answer was clear and without doubt.<br /> <br /> “In the little under a year since I became a Priestess, there have been four. Four times that a person has been carried to this room. Those people who had a request made because there were none amongst the apprentice Priestesses who could handle it. It’s a room to save those suffering from mateki…………so I couldn’t hate it.”<br /> <br /> She bit down on her lip.<br /> <br /> The Priestess, his childhood friend, continued staring up at the ceiling.<br /> <br /> “But……it was harsh. We would forcefully lie the person afflicted with mateki mind control over on that bed and purify them. It was a procedure we would perform while watching them writhe in agony despite that. That dark red stain is from a person whose body underwent necrosis and tore from the decaying effect of mateki……the green stain on the other side is also someone’s blood. The iron within their body was morphed and their blood turned green.”<br /> <br /> “…………So what happened to those people?”<br /> <br /> “They were cured. All of those I mentioned were cured and are rehabilitating. There are also those that have been discharged so I’m really happy. ……But healing them isn’t ideal. To begin with, it’d be better if there was nobody who needed to be healed. It’d be the best if we could live in a world where we didn’t have to fear the Yuugenshu……”<br /> <br /> The mere fact that somebody would be carried to this room is something that shouldn’t happen.<br /> <br /> If the Priestesses’ Hyouketsu Kyoukai completely froze the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}, Yuugenshu wouldn’t be able to come up to {{furigana|The floating continent|Orbie Clar}}. People afflicted with the Yuugenshu’s mateki would also cease to exist.<br /> <br /> A perfect barrier.<br /> <br /> A perfect Hyouketsu Kyoukai.<br /> <br /> It was the ideal that the Priestesses had as their goal.<br /> <br /> “So! That’s not good, that’s not good. I went off on a tangent again.”<br /> <br /> Ymy slapped her cheeks with an adorable sound. She shook her head two, three times side to side and took a deep breath.<br /> <br /> “All right! Then I’ll do my best, so I look forward to working with you!”<br /> <br /> “E-Err……?”<br /> <br /> “I said it yesterday, didn’t I? You also came because you heard, right?”<br /> <br /> His childhood friend beckoned him over from the center of the room.<br /> <br /> “……About my mateki?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, I don’t have any confidence yet that it can be cured but I want to try it. ──Come on, come over to this bed.”<br /> <br /> A large bed was situated just in front of where Ymy was standing.<br /> <br /> The bed with white sheets spread over it was not a rectangular shape, but the shape of the 十 character. The patient would lie with their arms spread out and there were black belts for restraining a rampaging patient.<br /> <br /> “''Hey, hey, Ymy, let’s bind Sheltis〰?''“<br /> <br /> “It’s a pity but I won’t rampage.”<br /> <br /> He took off the pendant that <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} was attached to and placed it on the tray beside the bed. He looked down at the bed once more.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “What’s wrong?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, nothing. ……I’m kinda nervous. I feel like I really shouldn’t be lying on this bed.”<br /> <br /> It was also his first time receiving the mateki purification technique and it was a request to his childhood friend, which made him even more nervous. Lying down on the bed was like getting an examination at a hospital so he couldn’t settle down.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis has been bad with hospitals since a long time ago after all. Ymy, what will you do?''“<br /> <br /> “Eh……h-hr─m, what to do. After all, those carried to this room couldn’t stand on their own. I was never asked a question like that.”<br /> <br /> Ymy let her gaze wander through the air while silently thinking.<br /> <br /> “……I think it’ll be fine if you just sit on the bed.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, that’s a relief. That should be pretty easy.”<br /> <br /> He sat down lightly on the bed.<br /> <br /> “Then please.”<br /> <br /> “R-Right! I’ll do my best!”<br /> <br /> Ymy nodded, then──<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The air shook.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> A complete one-eighty from the gentleness that even seemed to exude a smile, it changed to a tension that seemed like it even stung the skin.<br /> <br /> …………This.<br /> <br /> ……might be…………the first time I’ve seen this.<br /> <br /> The childhood friend before his eyes ── no, with the form of the “Priestess” before him, Sheltis gulped.<br /> <br /> Priestess Ymy Ele Soufflenictole.<br /> <br /> Her jade green eyes stared unblinking at him. Crimson particles of light suddenly rose up from her entire body.<br /> <br /> …………Three years ago……the time when I returned to the {{furigana|The floating continent|Orbie Clar}}……Ymy wasn’t a Priestess yet.<br /> <br /> Ymy who had been an apprentice Priestess at the time had tried time after time to purify his mateki……and had cried herself dry when it ended in failure.<br /> <br /> And now.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Ymy was facing the purification of his mateki as a Priestess.<br /> <br /> “──I’m starting.”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [Unto me, all the wishes that of which I am able......]<br /> <br /> [ele So Phi-a-s Arma-Riris]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> A release precedent meaning the invocation of power was sung from the Priestess’ lips. Immediately afterwards, the overflowing crimson particles wrapped around her body.<br /> <br /> ……My throat’s dry.<br /> <br /> His lips, tongue and throat had dried up from nervousness and he couldn’t speak.<br /> <br /> “Don’t move.”<br /> <br /> Ymy’s fingertip that was held straight out neared the center of his chest.<br /> <br /> ……Can she actually purify it?<br /> <br /> ……Maybe it’s possible for even my mateki if it’s Ymy’s spell.<br /> <br /> The mateki of the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}. Would the cursed power that no Priestess could purify three years ago become undone?<br /> <br /> The fingertip neared his chest.<br /> <br /> The tip of the nail touched the center of his chest and touched his skin through the clothes──<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ──Bzz……zzt!……──<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “……!”<br /> <br /> “Ow…………uu!”<br /> <br /> Sparks like lightning instantly expanded into something like an aurora and seemed to be rejecting the touch of Ymy’s fingertips.<br /> <br /> Elbert Resonance.<br /> <br /> ……No……way!<br /> <br /> It used to be just sparks. That grew into this aurora-like barrier!?<br /> <br /> “''The Elbert Resonance is manifesting even more strongly than before!? Ymy, this isn’t good, you must stop the ritual──''“<br /> <br /> “Kuu……uuu……!”<br /> <br /> But Ymy didn’t stop the ritual. The shockwaves given off by the Elbert Resonance barrier stopped her breathes but she stood her ground and reached her fingers out even further──<br /> <br /> Deja vu.<br /> <br /> In that instant, the future image of Ymy collapsing with bright red blood spurting from her entire right arm surfaced clearly within the back of his mind.<br /> <br /> “Get back!”<br /> <br /> “!?”<br /> <br /> Her shoulders contracted at the sudden shout and Ymy pulled back reflexively. At the same time, the mist cleared up and the Elbert Resonance sparks also disappeared.<br /> <br /> “……Ah………………haa……a……”<br /> <br /> Ymy shoulders moved up and down and she couldn’t hide her ragged breathing. Her fingertips were dyed with a crimson different from that of the baptism type arts.<br /> <br /> “Ymy──”<br /> <br /> He jumped off the bed.<br /> <br /> He tried to run over to his childhood friend who was crouching and hugging her legs.<br /> <br /> “Don’t!”<br /> <br /> It was at the same time.<br /> <br /> When Sheltis took one step, Ymy’s shout echoed throughout the room.<br /> <br /> ……Don’t?<br /> <br /> What am I not supposed to do in this situation?<br /> <br /> “……Shel, ti…………s……you……sit there!”<br /> <br /> The girl spoke with her head still down, in a voice like a sob.<br /> <br /> “……Once……mo……re……”<br /> <br /> Once more.<br /> <br /> Sheltis doubted his ears when he heard what was conveyed to him from Ymy’s lips.<br /> <br /> ……Once more?<br /> <br /> ……It can’t be that having seen that Elbert Resonance just now, she wants to try once more?<br /> <br /> “Ha, ah……hahaa. …………Sorry, I failed. Next…………”<br /> <br /> The Preistess of Baptism stood up unsteadily.<br /> <br /> She was trying hard to hide the intense pain with a pale face.<br /> <br /> “For the next one……I’ll do my best……”<br /> <br /> “Ymy!”<br /> <br /> In order to stop the girl who was wobbly drawing nearer, he stood before her with arms held out to the sides.<br /> <br /> “I’m really……happy that you feel that way. But let’s stop here for today.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “Anybody would understand that you’re doing your absolute best from seeing what happened just now. Even I understood at a glance. That’s why I have faith that you will be able to purify my mateki in the near future.”<br /> <br /> ……Really?<br /> <br /> His own words sounded like exactly like somebody else’s sophistry.<br /> <br /> ……If Ymy trains beyond this, will she really be able to purify my mateki?<br /> <br /> Ymy’s maturing shinryoku spells.<br /> <br /> But as those spells grew in strength, Elbert Resonance would also grow stronger. To get rid of that repulsion, Ymy would try even harder but the Elbert Resonance barrier will get even stronger?<br /> <br /> An endless vicious cycle. It would undoubtedly turn into that prediction.<br /> <br /> “Th-That’s why……for today…………”<br /> <br /> It was clear when he saw Ymy’s eyes just before. She hadn’t been holding back and used all her power. With the result being the Elbert Resonance just now, it would be difficult for her to purify his mateki in her current state.<br /> <br /> “……………………”<br /> <br /> Ymy didn’t speak as she drew deep breaths.<br /> <br /> “……You’re right.”<br /> <br /> A dry smile.<br /> <br /> Different from the long silence just now, she spoke intermittently.<br /> <br /> “So it wasn’t possible again. ……How bad it is, even though I’m supposed to be the Baptism Priestess. I’ll be scolded by Horn-san like this too.”<br /> <br /> “Horn?”<br /> <br /> There was only one Guard in {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} who identified with that name.<br /> <br /> The third Sennenshi, Horn Nova. Born with a unique shinryoku spell, she was the Ex Machina who was versed in every kind of gun.<br /> <br /> “That Sennenshi? Did something happen?”<br /> <br /> “……Just a little something.”<br /> <br /> Ymy rubbed her eyes to dispel her faintly self-deprecating smile and moved her hand away from the bed.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Sheltis, I want to get some outside air so shall we go to the floor above?”<br /> <br /> Come with me.<br /> <br /> With her delicate back telling him that, Ymy’s vestments fluttered.<br /> <br /> “……I’ll remember more than necessary if we talk in this room, after all.”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 6===<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 22, the hospital in the tower.<br /> <br /> “Okay, that’s enough.”<br /> <br /> “Thank you very much.”<br /> <br /> ──Fuu.<br /> <br /> Taking a quiet deep breath, Monica let down the edge of her shirt that she’d been holding up.<br /> <br /> “The swelling from the internal bleeding is also receding.”<br /> <br /> “It looks like the hot compress I received from you worked out well.”<br /> <br /> In front of the doctor who was scribbling away at her chart, she held her flank.<br /> <br /> The battle at the Governmental Sector.<br /> <br /> The wound she had sustained when fighting the clones that <br /> {{furigana|Golden|Maha}} had summoned. When she received the blow, it had been enough to stop her breathing and even knock her unconscious but it looked like the first-aid she’d received at the Governmental Sector had been good.<br /> <br /> “……At first, I was wondering how many ribs had broken.”<br /> <br /> “That’s because the muscle density around the ribs is thin. There’s nothing to protect the bone so there are times when the pain is intense despite nothing having broken.”<br /> <br /> The old bespectacled doctor shrugged.<br /> <br /> “So, how is it? Do you still feel pain?”<br /> <br /> “……We took a break for the entirety of last evening so it’s pretty much gone.”<br /> <br /> “That is great news. Then you wish to participate in training immediately starting from tomorrow?”<br /> <br /> That’s right. It had been three days since returning from the Governmental Sector. Commuting to the hospital like this every day was all for the sake of returning to training tomorrow.<br /> <br /> “Hr─m, I recommend that you only do something like light running for the first day.”<br /> <br /> “What about practicing with a weapon?”<br /> <br /> “I’ll permit it if there’s no opponent. It gets much harsher when facing somebody else. Well, I can tell that you will exercise discretion.”<br /> <br /> The old doctor smiled wryly with a steaming cup in hand.<br /> <br /> “I’ll say this again, but only practice swings, okay?”<br /> <br /> “……Understood.”<br /> <br /> She was relieved. Practice swings and running……she originally wanted to move more for the sake of rehabilitation as well but having resolved first that training was out of the question, she couldn’t voice such luxuries.<br /> <br /> “Thank you very much.”<br /> <br /> Leaving that place, she continued down the hallway towards the elevator.<br /> <br /> “……What should I do?”<br /> <br /> Waiting for the elevator to arrive, Monica gazed absentmindedly at the corridor’s window.<br /> <br /> The weather was good so she’d finished off the laundry before coming. Cleaning her room……to begin with, her room was exceedingly empty so there was no need to clean it.<br /> <br /> Like this, there was nothing to do when she returned to the residences.<br /> <br /> It seemed that new Cadet Guards would often go on strolls in the tower. However, for she who had been living here since her time as an apprentice Priestess, going on a walk now was……<br /> <br /> “……No, isn’t that an excuse?”<br /> <br /> Walking through every floor of the tower. Let’s start from the bottom and go up in order. The goal will be the Priestesses’ floors. Entry is restricted from regular visitors but Guards who are affiliated with the tower can access the elevator leading to the Priestesses’ floors so there’s no problem.<br /> <br /> “I just thought of this while walking but that child also has faith.”<br /> <br /> It couldn’t be helped that she’d be interested in Ymy’s situation since yesterday. She hadn’t appeared when it came time to have the meeting with Cadres Guard Ishtar and she didn’t appear when the meeting ended either.<br /> <br /> ……The reason for that is that her training ran late?<br /> <br /> ……Would she fail in training after going as far as becoming a Priestess?<br /> <br /> “Though really……it’s not something I should speak about.”<br /> <br /> I wonder if I can advise her? She’s my precious kouhai from when I was an apprentice Priestess. Ymy also cherishes me as her senpai even now.<br /> <br /> “That’s decided then.”<br /> <br /> Monica nodded persuasively and walked to the elevator.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 7===<br /> <br /> Floor 287 of the tower. Having followed Ymy, what awaited Sheltis outside the elevator was the Priestess floor belonging to Ymy.<br /> <br /> “Sheltis……since I became a Priestess, there were four people that required purification and were carried over. Do you remember that?”<br /> <br /> “Since I just heard it not too long ago.”<br /> <br /> It was something pertaining to others like him who were afflicted with mateki so there was no way he could forget.<br /> <br /> “Then do you also remember their symptoms?”<br /> <br /> “Eh? Ahh, umm, they were people that were under mind control and unconscious, and”<br /> <br /> There was a patient that had necrosis occur due to the decaying effect of mateki. There was also a patient who had his or her blood color change because of the deadly poisonous effects of mateki. Both had left behind a bloodstain in the purification room.<br /> <br /> “Ah, but……that doesn’t match the number.”<br /> <br /> There were four altogether that had been brought before Ymy. One of them had mind control, one had necrosis and one had deadly poison. That was a total of three people. Then what about the last one?<br /> <br /> “There’s still one more person……there’s a child whose mateki I couldn’t purify.”<br /> <br /> At the windowsill of the giant stained glass.<br /> <br /> Placing her delicate hand upon the silver window frame, the Priestess turned towards him.<br /> <br /> “He is in a coma. There is no pain or bleeding. That child who won’t wake no matter what anybody does is sleeping in the hospital within this tower. My shinryoku is probably……no, it should definitely be strong. However, that mateki’s propagation speed is fast……for example, even if an entire division is purified, the remaining parts will replace it in that time.”<br /> <br /> “''Think of it as an extremely hardy weed. Even if you cut the leafy part, as long as the roots remain underground, it’ll grow again, right? It’s the same as that.''“<br /> <br /> “……That kind of mateki.”<br /> <br /> He had faced countless Yuugenshu during his time as an Elite Guard but he had never seen mateki like that.<br /> <br /> “Then that’s even more reason. Even if you say you failed the purification, it’s the first time I’ve heard of mateki like that too so even for Priestesses, there’s no way they would be able to immediately respond to it.”<br /> <br /> “But Sheltis, it’s because they understand that that there are people who can’t forgive Ymy. For example, friends of the one in a coma because of that mateki.”<br /> <br /> “Friends?”<br /> <br /> “……Priestess Viola and her younger sister, Horn, were raised together with many children in an orphanage in the Third Living District.”<br /> <br /> Ymy was looking at something from beside the window.<br /> <br /> That was the direction of the Third Living District which was the furthest from the tower.<br /> <br /> “They left the orphanage and became a Priestess and Sennenshi and I’ve heard from Viola that they’d like to return the favor to the orphanage that raised them. They keep the bare minimum to live and give the entirety of their wages to the orphanage.”<br /> <br /> “……That Horn is?”<br /> <br /> When he was an Elite Guard and before that, Sheltis had never been in a unit with Horn.<br /> <br /> However he had heard about her outstanding ability and ruthless disposition that forsook others. To think, she could do that for somebody she didn’t know?<br /> <br /> “It seems that for Viola and Horn who were raised in an orphanage, those that receive the same treatment are the same as family to them. There’s no way they could stay calm when their family is afflicted by the Yuugenshu’s mateki……and the direction of that anger turned towards Ymy who couldn’t purify that mateki.”<br /> <br /> “Horn-san is already disgusted that it’s impossible for me though.”<br /> <br /> Ymy showed a dry self-deprecating smile.<br /> <br /> “‘''That’s enough, I’ll do it. I’ll find that Yuugenshu and defeat it. When it’s defeated, Tessha’s mateki should be dispelled and this will all be resolved.''‘ That’s why Horn-san goes out to patrol of her own accord……even though policing the Biotope is a job nobody really wants to do.”<br /> <br /> ───Ahh, I see.<br /> <br /> He finally understood why Ymy had wanted to try purifying his mateki.<br /> <br /> “It sounds like Horn has returned. Eyriey said she saw her at the Living Districts.”<br /> <br /> “……Yeah.”<br /> <br /> The child named Tessha who was stuck in an endless coma.<br /> <br /> She had been reminded of something because Horn, who was equivalent to family for that child, had returned to the tower. She had been reminded of the mateki of the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}} which resided within her childhood friend’s body and could not be purified by the Priestesses, just like that child.<br /> <br /> ……That child and I are overlapping within Ymy.<br /> <br /> ……So that’s why she couldn’t do nothing.<br /> <br /> There were people whose mateki hadn’t been purified. She felt only guilt because of that and thought that she must at least try purifying Sheltis’ mateki.<br /> <br /> “So the reason you were running late for the meeting yesterday really was Priestess training?”<br /> <br /> “I just had them extend it as long as possible. Yours is also dangerous, but that child’s mateki is really dangerous. Horn-san says……she’ll defeat the Yuugenshu that caused this but that’s worrisome. I think it’s for the best that a Priestess purify it.”<br /> <br /> “Mm? It’s not good to defeat it?”<br /> <br /> The child named Tessha had fallen into a comatose state after being afflicted with mateki. If the Priestesses couldn’t purify it, wouldn’t it be fine if the main body of the mateki was defeated?<br /> <br /> “''If the Yuugenshu is defeated, the mateki will disappear ── that is true in the majority of cases. But the death agony of a powerful Yuugenshu’s mateki is strong. There are types where if the main body is defeated, their mateki will run out of control.''“<br /> <br /> “We Priestesses call that ‘''delayed sin type''‘ mateki. ‘''S vector, eighth class''‘……that’s the common name of the Yuugenshu that Horn-san is chasing after but if it’s a delayed sin type, then far from being cured, she’ll get worse……we also have to consider the effects it’ll have on her life.”<br /> <br /> Delayed sin type mateki.<br /> <br /> It was a rare mateki that Sheltis had only heard once or twice. If he hadn’t heard the explanation from Ymy just now, he would’ve even forgotten it existed.<br /> <br /> “……So there is that. But shouldn’t Horn know about that?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah. But she thinks that’s the only option left.”<br /> <br /> Betting on the chance that it wasn’t a delayed sin type, she would search for the S vector, eighth class hiding somewhere on this gigantic {{furigana|The floating continent|Orbie Clar}}. It was an outrageous mortification like trying to find grains of salt in a desert.<br /> <br /> “But if time passes, Ymy──”<br /> <br /> You should continue to grow as you accumulate more experience and training: just before he said that.<br /> <br /> Clack, ck……cla……<br /> <br /> Footsteps resounded from the elevator and the emergency stairs at the same time. The owners of the footsteps came across each other at the passage’s intersection and came to a stop.<br /> <br /> “A Cadet Guard?”<br /> <br /> “Ahh……g-good morning, Captain Horn!”<br /> <br /> In contrast to the stifled voice was a voice shaking with nervousness.<br /> <br /> ……This voice is Monica?<br /> <br /> ……And somebody else; could it be the person Monica’s talking to is her?<br /> <br /> “What business does a Cadet Guard have on a Priestess’ floor?”<br /> <br /> “R-Right. I have a report regarding the expedition to the Governmental Sector we traveled together on.”<br /> <br /> “……The Governmental Sector?”<br /> <br /> With those few words.<br /> <br /> Something sharp was mixed into her voice.<br /> <br /> “You just spoke of the Governmental Sector. The one who accompanied Ymy Ele Soufflenictole to the Governmental Sector was you?”<br /> <br /> “That ri…………!”<br /> <br /> Monica’s voice paused. At the same time, it felt like she gulped. At the same time came the sound of a horribly shaky breathe taken with anguish.<br /> <br /> ──What happened?<br /> <br /> “Monica-senpai!?”<br /> <br /> She probably had the same thoughts as Ymy, clothed in her vestments, ran towards the intersection.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis.''“<br /> <br /> “I know.”<br /> <br /> He ran down the corridor after Ymy and the two turned to the passage that continued on towards the intersection.<br /> <br /> What laid before them there was ── in the center of the intersection, Monica had the barrel of a revolving handgun pressed up against her brow. &lt;ref&gt;[T/N: I get the feeling this is called a revolver but whatever.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> “You can’t even react to something of this level. To think that a Cadet Guard of this caliber would be chosen as an escort to the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> “M-My apologies. It was……so sudden.”<br /> <br /> “Sudden? So you would say ‘''because it was sudden''‘ when attacked by a Yuugenshu.”<br /> <br /> “…………No.”<br /> <br /> “This is a level that can’t even be discussed. In the end, {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s Guards are just a gathering of riffraff.”<br /> <br /> Monica was downcast as she stayed silent. In contrast, Horn returned the handgun to the holder at her waist and sighed with disgust.<br /> <br /> “Horn-san!?……What……are you doing!”<br /> <br /> At the same time Ymy’s footsteps rang out as she approached, the blinder-wearing Sennenshi turned to her.<br /> <br /> “Ymy Ele Soufflenictole.”<br /> <br /> “You’re comrades of this tower, aren’t you!? Even so, you stuck a handgun up to her……what are you trying to do!”<br /> <br /> “Comrade?”<br /> <br /> The Sennenshi’s voice became even more of a sneer with Ymy closing in on her with an angry look.<br /> <br /> “It would fine if she was at least helpful in odd jobs, but this kind of hindrance isn’t fit to be called a comrade. The Sennenshi, a portion of the Elite Guards and about a third of the apprentice Priestesses are passable. They have their uses. It’s fine if the rest just maintain weapons in the corner at best.”<br /> <br /> “……Are you seriously saying that?”<br /> <br /> “Seriously? You want me to say that I’d entrust my back to useless Guards? Then first, shall we try having a Priestess pick a Cadet Guard that’s not her Sennenshi as a partner?”<br /> <br /> Facing Ymy who was standing there dumbfounded, the tall gunner drew one step closer.<br /> <br /> “Good timing; there’s something I wanted to say to you.”<br /> <br /> “……What is it?”<br /> <br /> The two were basically glaring at each other.<br /> <br /> “It looks like you went to the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> “……Is there something about that?”<br /> <br /> “Hah! Aren’t you being easygoing, going on a sightseeing trip without doing your Priestess training?”<br /> <br /> “We had a goal. It was not a trip.”<br /> <br /> “Then you have some definite achievements.”<br /> <br /> “That……was not what the meeting this time was about, it was about the aforementioned──”<br /> <br /> “The case with the attack by some third organization or something? I heard you let the ringleader boldly run away just before catching him.”<br /> <br /> Ymy bit her bottom lip.<br /> <br /> “In the first place, you──”<br /> <br /> “Hold it.”<br /> <br /> Interrupting Horn’s words, Sheltis stood between her and Ymy.<br /> <br /> “It’s not good for there to be discord between Priestesses and Sennenshi. I’ve been listening until now but only you have a provocative tone.”<br /> <br /> Their lines of sight were at about the same height.<br /> <br /> Looking at her directly on, the blinder-wearing woman wrinkled her brow.<br /> <br /> “I was wondering who it was, but another Cadet Guard? Small fry, who are you mouthing──”<br /> <br /> “Do you always speak like that?”<br /> <br /> “……Always?”<br /> <br /> “I can’t understand how you deal with the Priestesses who are your colleagues and that Cadet Guard you placed a gun to with that hostility when you’re all comrades of the same tower. Do you approach somebody dear to you with that tone too?”<br /> <br /> “──”<br /> <br /> With the same brazenly expressionless face, Horn’s mouth tightened into a line for just an instant.<br /> <br /> “What an audacious Cadet Guard. Protecting a Priestess, it’s almost like you’re under the delusion that you’re a Sennenshi?”<br /> <br /> “I simply stated what I thought. I wouldn’t like there to be discord between a Priestess and Sennenshi.”<br /> <br /> “……Discord? Who would be friendly with a Priestess that can’t even save a single child──”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “Horn? You should stop right around there.”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The elevator’s bell dinged at the same time a woman’s voice was heard.<br /> <br /> There stood a petite woman wearing a simple vestment consisting of a single piece of cloth.<br /> <br /> “……Elder sister.” &lt;ref&gt;[T/N: The variation of &quot;elder sister&quot; she uses here is &quot;ane-ue&quot;. If you'd like it in the original form from now on, comment below.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> The Sennenshi turned around nervously.<br /> <br /> “Horn, I heard that Ymy-san is tired from continuous training. I don’t know what you want to say but put an end to it already.”<br /> <br /> “……But elder sister!”<br /> <br /> “The barrier transfer ceremony is approaching. The Queen will be able to complete her mission with the barrier and take three days of rest while the Priestesses support the barrier in her stead, you know?”<br /> <br /> ──Everything was contrastive.<br /> <br /> Viola was not shaken no matter how much her younger sister strengthened her tone. Oh so quietly, her words permeated like waves upon water’s surface.<br /> <br /> “This time Syun-rei is in charge of it but even the Priestesses need to make preparations to make up for being shorthanded. Horn, do you intend to prevent Ymy-san from making those preparations?”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “Now, go back. We will not stay within the tower for long. We will be dropping by the orphanage as always tomorrow, right?”<br /> <br /> “…………Understood.”<br /> <br /> With a momentary sigh, Horn’s heel struck the floor. Without a word, she started to turn to leave──<br /> <br /> “Horn, what do you do when turning your back on someone?”<br /> <br /> “……I’ll be excusing myself.”<br /> <br /> The Sennenshi spat that out like a curse and left. Viola watched her disappear towards the elevator with a stern expression and then exhaled in an adorable manner.<br /> <br /> “Fuu. I’m sorry, Ymy-san. You two there as well, did Horn perhaps say something rude?”<br /> <br /> “Eh……n-no! I-I-I-I’m fine!”<br /> <br /> Monica denied it in a great fluster when the conversation suddenly turned to her.<br /> <br /> “Is that so? If she did, tell me and I’ll have a word with her. ……Well then, I’ll be excusing myself because I have training in the tower to undergo for the first time in a long while.”<br /> <br /> The third Priestess bowed deeply.<br /> <br /> Watching her as she left with small steps befitting her short stature, Sheltis muttered with a sigh.<br /> <br /> “They really are a contrasting pair of sisters.”<br /> <br /> The older sister would fix whatever was complicated by the younger sister who didn’t trust people. The younger sister understood that as well so her older sister was the only one that she couldn’t oppose.<br /> <br /> “……It’s been like that since long ago. Viola’s so wonderful and mature.”<br /> <br /> Maybe she’d been really nervous. Ymy drooped her stiffened shoulders, placed a hand to her chest and took repeated deep breaths.<br /> <br /> “Monica-senpai as well, are you okay? Suddenly having a gun pressed up to you.”<br /> <br /> “Ahh……that really did surprise me but it’s not like I was actually shot.”<br /> <br /> Rubbing her brow that had the gun pressed against it, Monica smiled wryly.<br /> <br /> “By the way, Sheltis, why are you on the Priestess’ floor?”<br /> <br /> “Ah……“<br /> <br /> “''Oh boy.''”<br /> <br /> <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} and Ymy both exclaimed at the same time.<br /> <br /> “Did something happen?”<br /> <br /> “N-No, see. U-U─mm……see, you said it as well. There was something to report about the Governmental Sector mission.”<br /> <br /> ……There’s no way I could talk about the real matter.<br /> <br /> He couldn’t say that he’d come to have his mateki purified. That he and Ymy were childhood friends……was a truth only known to a handful of people so it wasn’t something to be loose-lipped about.<br /> <br /> “You too, Monica, what’s up?”<br /> <br /> “Me? I……well, it’s about the same as yours.”<br /> <br /> Oh, that’s unexpected. Just when I thought she’d answer concisely, her answer’s lacking the usual clarity.<br /> <br /> “R-Rather than that, Ymy.”<br /> <br /> “Yes?”<br /> <br /> Ymy stared in wonder and inquired in response. Looking at her from the corner of her eyes, she who had been Ymy’s senpai when she was an apprentice Priestess cleared her throat for some reason.<br /> <br /> “W-Well……during the meeting, I heard from Cadres Guard Ishtar that your training was taking an unusually long time. Y-You know? I used to be an apprentice Priestess as well so it caught my interest.”<br /> <br /> “''Haha─n, I’ve figured it out.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} sparkled.<br /> <br /> “''So the senpai who’s prone to worrying was worried about whether her cute kouhai was doing well and came to take a look.''“<br /> <br /> “Ohh, so that’s what it is, Monica. You’re good at looking after people as always.”<br /> <br /> “Wha……! Y-You’re wrong, Sheltis! What I had to say was just an extra in the end.”<br /> <br /> “''Again with that. Ah, your heart rate just shot up all at once?''“<br /> <br /> “Kuu!? But I──”<br /> <br /> “Monica-senpai!”<br /> <br /> Monica was trying to take a step backwards when she was caught by Ymy whose eyes were shining.<br /> <br /> “Senpai, is that true? You were worried about me?”<br /> <br /> “N-No……well……you know, it’s a given that a Guard worries about a Priestess.”<br /> <br /> The unit leader was mumbling her words.<br /> <br /> ……Well, it looks like this will end without me needing to think up a reason for why Ymy and I are together.<br /> <br /> Secretly relieved, Sheltis walked towards the elevator.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, Eyriey and Yuto might be coming to play around now.''“<br /> <br /> “Ah, that’s right, we have to hurry. Well then, Monica, see you tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, h-hey, Sheltis, wait! I’m not done talking───!”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 8===<br /> <br /> “……What’s this, it’s awfully noisy outside.”<br /> <br /> Leon closed the book he was reading and stood up when he heard several voices coming from the hall.<br /> <br /> This was floor 287 belonging to the Priestesses. A civilian wouldn’t be able to enter and it was unthinkable for a Guard to cause such a commotion on a Priestess’ floor.<br /> <br /> So it the one causing this commotion Meimel? Or maybe it’s Ran?<br /> <br /> After he contemplated for a little while at that spot.<br /> <br /> “……I’ll leave it alone.”<br /> <br /> Leon opened the book he was reading again and sat back down.<br /> <br /> It was a usual thing for Ran to shriek because of Meimel’s pranks so he wouldn’t want to add himself to the mix. And above all, there was somebody who would be anxious if he were to move from this spot right now.<br /> <br /> “───”<br /> <br /> He looked down wordlessly at the table and there was a silent black-haired girl with her eyes shut in front of it.<br /> <br /> ……It’s about time for the barrier transfer ceremony for Syun-rei.<br /> <br /> ……She’s sure to be uneasy so I have to be by her side until then.<br /> <br /> Normally, this would be the time when he would have a spar with somebody like Ran. Horn Nova had also returned to the tower after a long absence so he had wanted to spar with her but he had to hold back for a little while.<br /> <br /> “…………Leon.”<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> Silently gazing at her, the girl whose escort he worked as opened her eyes.<br /> <br /> “…………I’ll make some tea. What do you want?”<br /> <br /> In that case, I’ll do it ─── he had reflexively gone to say that but pushed it back down when he got to his throat.<br /> <br /> “Something a little more fragrant.”<br /> <br /> “…………Okay.”<br /> <br /> She quietly headed to the kitchen.<br /> <br /> ……That’s right.<br /> <br /> ……She’ll be anxious if she’s not doing anything. There would be no meaning to it if I did it in her stead.<br /> <br /> With a smile on his face that had hints of wryness in it, Leon watched the girl’s small back as she left.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> ==Translator's Notes and References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> {{SimpleNav}}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Hyouketsu_Kyoukai_no_Eden:Volume_6_Chapter2&diff=379830 Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Chapter2 2014-08-09T04:24:50Z <p>Acolyte: B/I formatting</p> <hr /> <div>==Chapter 2 – The Resounding Horn’s Dissonance==<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 1===<br /> <br /> Sunlight that made one think of the height of summer shined down brilliantly upon the outdoor training grounds.<br /> <br /> In a corner of the grounds which had a desert that spread as far as the horizon, rocky terrain, a marsh and large roaring waterfall──<br /> <br /> “Ohh……ohhh! Ohhhhhhh!”<br /> <br /> Gripping her shining silver badge, Kagura held it high up.<br /> <br /> “A-Amazing! L-look, look. On the display in the corner, in the ‘''merit points''‘ field, there are 75 points. The points from the Governmental Sector expedition have been added!”<br /> <br /> “So noisy. Everybody got them so they know without you ranting about it.”<br /> <br /> He glanced at his own badge and tucked it away at his chest with disinterest.<br /> <br /> “You brat.”<br /> <br /> “I-It’s fine, isn’t it! One should be honestly happy in times like this. Come on, don’t put yours away and show it to me!”<br /> <br /> She held out her hands.<br /> <br /> “Haa? It’s not interesting looking at other people’s badges.”<br /> <br /> “It’s fine. Come on, quickly……mm? H-huh? Why are your points higher than mine? What’s the meaning of these 102 points? Did you go out on a mission without us knowing?”<br /> <br /> “Like I’d do such annoying stuff.”<br /> <br /> Vaiel snatched his badge from Kagura who was repeatedly tilting her head.<br /> <br /> “Ah, wait!”<br /> <br /> “Before we went to the Governmental Sector, the theme for final selection of the unit was patrolling the Nature District. Somebody got exhausted by a Yuugenshu and caused me great pains, or did you forget?”<br /> <br /> “Ah……”<br /> <br /> The redness of Kagura’s cheeks shot up under the machine helmet.<br /> <br /> It had been Vaiel who saved her at the last moment when she’d been attacked by a Yuugenshu and he had repelled it while covered completely in wounds. It was necessary to earn ‘''merit points''‘ to be promoted in {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} and other than missions, there were other ways to gain points like defeating Yuugenshu.<br /> <br /> “''Ahh, now that you mention it, the points for defeating a Yuugenshu are also included. The difference in your merit points is 27, so it’s being classified as a small Yuugenshu. You would’ve earned twice as much if it were a little larger.''“<br /> <br /> “Like I can fight something that big.”<br /> <br /> Vaiel folded his arms in response to the murmuring from {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}}.<br /> <br /> “……Come to think of it, how many points are necessary for the all-important promotion to Regular Guard?”<br /> <br /> “Think of it as being around 300.”<br /> <br /> Monica, who was cooling off in a tree’s shade, replied immediately.<br /> <br /> “You can register for the Regular Guard exam when you save up 300 points. Even if you don’t pass within a year, you can continue to take on missions and you should be exempted from the written exam at 450 points.”<br /> <br /> “If you think of it like that……I have pretty much half.”<br /> <br /> Sitting on the bench in the tree’s shade, Sheltis also took out his badge.<br /> <br /> 179 merit points. This was the sum of the Governmental Sector mission as well as the investigation mission to the {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}} with Leon. He’d also repelled at Yuugenshu that time so that was added as well.<br /> <br /> Two missions and two cases of repelling Yuugenshu. With that, his merit points had passed over the halfway point.<br /> <br /> “How about Monica?”<br /> <br /> “I have 231 points……since I was part of different units to fill the number requirements before creating this one. I have a little from that time.”<br /> <br /> “''Ohh. But that’s impressive; you’ll have 300 points with just a little more like that.''“<br /> <br /> “Th-that is……I’ve been a Cadet Guard for some years now. It normally takes just over a year to accumulate them……I’m more of a failure of a Cadet Guard.”<br /> <br /> Monica looked down with her face a little red.<br /> <br /> “Well, that’s true, it should take around a year if you seriously gather them at a steady pace. If you think of it like that, you could say the expedition to the Governmental Sector this time is receiving special treatment. For other missions, the usual is 10 or 20 points.”<br /> <br /> It looked like it really was hot standing out in direct sunlight as Kagura took off her machine helmet and wiped the sweat from her brow.<br /> <br /> “Also, by standard, even if you complete a mission unharmed, you can’t apply consecutively. You’re free to take on missions but it seems you won’t receive merit points.”<br /> <br /> “Was there such a rule?”<br /> <br /> “It’s just that you don’t know, Vaiel. This is an something from when there was no merit points system but it seems like there was a two-person group of absurdly strong Cadet Guards.”<br /> <br /> It looked like she was still hot because Kagura started fanning herself with her hand.<br /> <br /> “It was even said that there was no mission those two couldn’t complete together and they would complete a mission every week systematically, advancing to Regular Guards just like that. It should have repainted the fastest recorded promotion at the time. This became a problem further in the future.”<br /> <br /> “Mm, hey, wait. What’s the problem with that? It’s not bad, is it?”<br /> <br /> “There were no issues with those two themselves. The problem was the flood of Cadet Guards that took their success as an example and continuously submitted applications for missions.”<br /> <br /> The girl indicated the training grounds with her eyes.<br /> <br /> Amongst those several instructors were watching over were those repeating mock battles, Cadet Guards running through the hot sand with weights all over and those silently focused on muscle training.<br /> <br /> “There are many Cadet Guards with superficial experience and who are unskilled, right? Those Cadet Guards can’t succeed if they challenge a mission without minding the difficulty……as a result, there were successive cases where they failed or were wounded and hospitalized.”<br /> <br /> “So it’s about knowing your limits. Sheesh, there are morons no matter the age.”<br /> <br /> Vaiel returned to reclining on the bench.<br /> <br /> “Well, the moronic group is at fault, but the audacious group of two shares the same fault. Because of them, now it’s become a pain in the ass to take on a mission.”<br /> <br /> “……Could I say it’s the fault of youth?”<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> “Ahh, n-no, no, nothing at all!?”<br /> <br /> With the quick-eared young man’s question, Sheltis frantically waved his hands.<br /> <br /> ……I can’t say it.<br /> <br /> ……That it was Leon and I.<br /> <br /> They would take two missions in a day, return to {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} just after an all-nighter and then leave on another mission an hour later. Now that he thought of it, even he thought it was reckless.<br /> <br /> “It’s true that there are some inconveniences, but I think the current system is good.”<br /> <br /> Putting down the machine helmet at her feet, Kagura did some flexibility stretches before training.<br /> <br /> “Leaving aside that I’m busy with research work, I think that going out on a mission every week is dangerous. Fatigue would build up without your notice and it would the worst if you became too used to missions and went lax resulting in an incident. Rather than that, it’s better to properly undergo moderate training──”<br /> <br /> “Hohoh, that’s admirable, Kagura.”<br /> <br /> “Wh-wha!?”<br /> <br /> Kagura’s pointed ears stood up at the sudden appearance of somebody behind her. She turned towards the owner of the voice with trepidation and a pale expression…………<br /> <br /> “I-Instructor Yumelda?”<br /> <br /> “It’s truly admirable, Kagura; I didn’t expect you to be so admirably dedicated.”<br /> <br /> A tall woman wearing a dark blue suit that had not a wrinkle upon it. She held her preferred black whip with both hands and she was smoking a cigarette as thin as string.<br /> <br /> “You’ve been skipping my training lately with being busy with research as the stated reason. Just when I thought your research had finally calmed down, you were absent from my training because of the expedition to the Governmental Sector. For this last month, I think you’ve been absent from training more than you’ve attended. Now then, is my memory mistaken?”<br /> <br /> “Ah……n-no……that’s, well……”<br /> <br /> Her pointed ears drooped and sweat ran from her brow like a waterfall.<br /> <br /> Opposite that, the instructor looked down at her with an intrepid smile.<br /> <br /> “With all that, I didn’t think you would have such ambition to train. I’m not a demon: I’ll accept absences with valid reasons and I also very rarely hold back on the training. ──But if you want to train that badly, then it can’t be helped. It’s also hard on me to train Cadet Guards until they’re ragged but it’s different if they desire that themselves.”<br /> <br /> “Even though you look so ridiculously happyyyyy──────!?”<br /> <br /> “You talk too much; let’s go.”<br /> <br /> “N-Nooooooo!”<br /> <br /> Kagura was grabbed by the nape and started to get dragged away. She screamed like prey that had been caught by a carnivorous predator.<br /> <br /> “H-Help me! M-Monica? A member of your unit is in fatal danger! Sheltis and Vaiel too──”<br /> <br /> With that scene before them, the decisions of the remaining members were swift and correct.<br /> <br /> “……Come to think of it, I made an appointment to check up on the wound I received from {{furigana|Golden|Maha}}<br /> at the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, I-I also feel like I did that. If you’re going to the one on floor 22, let’s go together.”<br /> <br /> “……The deadline for the manuscript of my ‘''Wild Grasses Encyclopedia''‘ is coming up soon too.”<br /> <br /> Turning their backs, Sheltis and the others all sprinted away simultaneously at full speed.<br /> <br /> It felt like Kagura shouted out something behind them but the fault lay with she who had summoned the demon instructor.<br /> <br /> “Well then, Kagura, take your time with the instructor.”<br /> <br /> “So heartless──────!?”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 2===<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 21.<br /> <br /> “Uu……it was cruel.”<br /> <br /> Covered in sand and dust, her formal wear was completely worn out. Kagura returned like that with tottering steps late in the evening.<br /> <br /> “If it’s something like being trained ragged by the instructor, then going on a mission and not receiving merit points is better. Monica, please find our next mission as soon as possible.”<br /> <br /> “G-Got it.”<br /> <br /> She looked pretty tired. Slumped over the {{furigana|machine pearl|Machina}}, Kagura made no move to descend to the ground.<br /> <br /> “By the way……what is this meeting room?”<br /> <br /> Despite being dead tired, it seemed that only her curiosity was full of vigor as she looked around restlessly.<br /> <br /> It was an all-around white room.<br /> <br /> There was no table and thus no meeting-use whiteboard. There were just barely enough folding chairs for them piled up in a corner of the room.<br /> <br /> “It’s our unit’s private base. I received a message that our unit has finally received official approval and the administrative officer’s electronic registration is complete.”<br /> <br /> Monica pointed at the folding chairs.<br /> <br /> “This is our private meeting area from today onwards. The use differs from unit to unit so these are the only furnishings. They said that if we require a table or whiteboard, then we can apply for them and they will allocate them to us.”<br /> <br /> “So we’ve got a private space; it’s starting to get more like a unit.”<br /> <br /> “Vaiel, I’ll just put this out there, but don’t use this place for your naps. It looks like if it’s used for reasons outside of our goals, it’ll get confiscated.”<br /> <br /> “……Damn it.”<br /> <br /> She seemed to have hit the bullseye since Vaiel crossed his legs with the same sour face.<br /> <br /> “But you know, wouldn’t it be hard for them to find out? If it’s our private space, doesn’t that mean that only our badges’ identification numbers can unlock it?”<br /> <br /> There was no way for other people to suspect him of sleeping in this room. Only the four here could unlock the room.<br /> <br /> “That’s right, or so I’d like to say.”<br /> <br /> “''Ah, I can open this room. Rather, the only ones who can’t open this room are other Cadet Guards and Regular Guards; Elite Guards that hold the rank of Captain or higher can unlock it just like that.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} smoothly continued Monica’s words.<br /> <br /> But upon hearing that, Vaiel’s smile became even more relaxed.<br /> <br /> “Then there’s no problem. Is some great and mighty Elite Guard or above gonna even come to this lower floor? If there’s any chance, it’ll be the instructor but the instructor usually instructs Cadet Guards at the training grounds.”<br /> <br /> “''……That’s true.''“<br /> <br /> “Now that you mention it, that might be the case.”<br /> <br /> <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} blinked and Sheltis ended up agreeing without thinking.<br /> <br /> “But you know, Vaiel. If by chance a superior──”<br /> <br /> “Ahh? Just where would you find great and mighty people with such idle curiosity──”<br /> <br /> It came before Vaiel finished speaking.<br /> <br /> ──’''Unlocked''‘──<br /> <br /> With an electronic sound, the electronic doors slid to the sides slowly.<br /> <br /> “Hah?”<br /> <br /> Vaiel fell silent with his mouth half-open.<br /> <br /> There was no way someone above Elite Guard level would come to this low a floor and there was no way they would visit them. Why is it opening even though the meeting room’s door shouldn’t open?<br /> <br /> “Ah, umm……I heard that you’d be here when I asked Instructor Yumelda.”<br /> <br /> In front of the fully opened doors, a girl in pure white vestments bowed her head.<br /> <br /> “Ymy…………?”<br /> <br /> “……Why is a Priestess here?”<br /> <br /> Monica and Kagura’s eyes were spinning.<br /> <br /> “''Oh my, Ymy, welcome. We don’t have anything other than folding chairs but will you take a seat?''“<br /> <br /> “No, I just came to apologize.”<br /> <br /> Remaining diffidently near the wall, Ymy once again bowed her head deeply.<br /> <br /> “Well, I’m sorry! I didn’t participate in the meeting today and caused you problems……I heard the major points from Ishtar-san!”<br /> <br /> ……Mm?<br /> <br /> Looking closely at the expression of his childhood friend whose off-gold hair was fluttering ── Sheltis raised his brows at some thoughts that didn’t appear on his face.<br /> <br /> ……Ymy’s eyes are swollen.<br /> <br /> The area around her eyelids was slightly red and looked like she’d cried her eyes out. It was pretty much fully concealed behind her bangs so it was almost a coincidence that Sheltis had noticed. The other three hadn’t noticed.<br /> <br /> “Ymy……sama, we were told that you were in training until just prior.”<br /> <br /> “Y-yes. That’s right, and a little…………well……I was a little willful.”<br /> <br /> “Willful? With training?”<br /> <br /> Monica’s gaze narrowed. For she who had been Ymy’s senpai when she was an apprentice Priestess, she was still concerned with her kouhai’s condition even now.<br /> <br /> “N-No, it’s just a minor……thing.”<br /> <br /> Averting her eyes from Monica’s line of sight, Ymy turned around as if running away.<br /> <br /> “Well then, I’m sorry. I’ll be going now!”<br /> <br /> “Ah, wait a second! Ymy!”<br /> <br /> Monica’s outstretched hand stopped just before touching the Priestess’ vestment.<br /> <br /> “……It can’t be helped; it must be major if she’s unwilling to talk about it.”<br /> <br /> Monica shook her head weakly.<br /> <br /> “So what do we do, unit leader? I’d really like to head back and sleep right now.”<br /> <br /> “I know. We’ll disperse for today and take a day off for tomorrow. We’ll continue as usual from early morning training the day after. ……Since we haven’t had sufficient rest since returning from the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> She took a deep breath while rubbing her eyes that were heavy with fatigue.<br /> <br /> “''Waa, it’s an entire day off, Sheltis! I want to go on a picnic in the Nature District tomorrow. The weather’s supposed to be good and it’s the best time to see the mountain cherries.''” &lt;ref&gt;[T/N: You can think of these as mountainous versions of sakura trees. I didn't wanna mix two languages for it and call it mountain sakura. The tree is called Prunus donarium by genus and species.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> “That’s a pity since I was gonna to leisurely relax tomorrow too.”<br /> <br /> “''Ehhhhh!? No, no, no, let’s go somewheeere?''“<br /> <br /> Putting aside <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} who was blinking in protest.<br /> <br /> ……I’m also interested in Ymy.<br /> <br /> ……It would be nice if I could secretly check on how she is tomorrow.<br /> <br /> “Then we’ll separate here. Don’t forget that we’re meeting up in front of the training grounds’ gate at four in the morning the day after tomorrow!”<br /> <br /> Monica clapped her hands.<br /> <br /> “Fi─nally over. I’m gonna go back and sleep; see ya.”<br /> <br /> “Then so will I……”<br /> <br /> Vaiel left the meeting room quickly. Just before Sheltis followed after him, <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} flashed as if remembering something.<br /> <br /> “''Come to think of it, Sheltis, there was something this morning.''“<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> “''Come on, didn’t you make a promise with Eyriey? Eyriey said she wanted to come play and you said you’d be able to meet with her after the meeting ended, didn’t you?''“<br /> <br /> “Ah, ahhhhh! Crap!”<br /> <br /> The meeting with Ishtar present had ended and he’d completely forgotten about it until now.<br /> <br /> “''She might still be waiting in your room.''“<br /> <br /> “Uu……for the time being, let’s rush back. W-Well then, Monica, I’ll also be going now!”<br /> <br /> Spinning around in a big rush, he left the meeting room and flew out into the floor’s corridor.<br /> <br /> Beyond the windows on one side of the corridor was a surface of black. The setting sun was already hidden behind the horizon and it was too late a time to play.<br /> <br /> “……I wonder if I’ve been keeping Eyriey waiting.”<br /> <br /> He jogged down the hallway straight towards the elevator. He pushed the panel for “Floor 11″ which contained the Cadet Guard residences and sighed a little.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 3===<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 11.<br /> <br /> Just as he took one step into his room that was pretty much right at the back of the Cadet Guard residences,<br /> <br /> “So slo─w! Where were you loitering around, Sheltis!”<br /> <br /> “Shel-nii, you’re late.”<br /> <br /> Eyriey glared at him with raised eyes and Yuto was sitting properly on the bed.<br /> <br /> …………<br /> <br /> …………Well, that’s what I expected.<br /> <br /> “''Oh, this is unexpected: nobody’s here.''“<br /> <br /> “……It looks like they were waiting here before though.”<br /> <br /> The bed was ruffled and there were candy wrappers in the garbage can.<br /> <br /> Eyriey had eaten the candy she brought along and Yuto had played around on the bed. He could easily imagine those two.<br /> <br /> “It looks like they got tired of waiting and went home.”<br /> <br /> “''But it looks like they left a message.''“<br /> <br /> What {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} was talking about was an audio recording device left casually atop the desk. The small pencil-shaped device had a sound collection apparatus attached to the end. He hadn’t seen a device like it anywhere else in the tower so it was mostly likely an invention of Eyriey’s.<br /> <br /> “''That flashing part is probably the replay button.''“<br /> <br /> “This?”<br /> <br /> There was a replay button on one end of the pencil-shaped device. He timidly pushed it,<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''Eyri-nee, this button?''“<br /> <br /> “''Yup, yup. It’ll record if you talk while pressing that. Yuto, try saying something.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> It was those two’s voices as expected.<br /> <br /> “''Mm〰……What should Yuto say?''“<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, you’re so slo─w. We’ll come back tomorrow so make sure to keep some time open! ──I said it. So, Yuto, just say what you want to.''“<br /> <br /> “''O─kay! Um, umm, Shel-nii, I’ll come again tomorrow─''“<br /> <br /> “──So they say.”<br /> <br /> “''Isn’t that fine since you’re already on break tomorrow anyway? Rather than that……''“<br /> <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}}’ voice that had a suppressed laugh mixed into it quieted down a notch.<br /> <br /> “''It looks like there’s one other message from someone.''“<br /> <br /> Occupying about half of the work desk was a giant monitor and computer.<br /> <br /> The terminal which was normally in power saving mode had its electric lamp flashing blue, showing that a message had arrived.<br /> <br /> “……So this time’s by mail though I haven’t really used this terminal at all.”<br /> <br /> “''They don’t really come to this terminal; that’s rare.''“<br /> <br /> If it was for sending and receiving simple messages, their card-shaped badges had that function. It was the norm for Monica, the instructor, Leon and others to use the badge to contact him.<br /> <br /> “I wonder who it is.”<br /> <br /> “''I think it should be an administrative officer since they mailed you on this terminal. A Guard would probably use the badge to mail you.''“<br /> <br /> “Well, yeah.”<br /> <br /> Starting up the monitor, the message inbox was shown.<br /> <br /> “……Huh? The sender’s information isn’t showing up. It can’t be viewed.”<br /> <br /> “It’s not that it’s not being shown; it has an upper authority’s secret encryption applied. If it was a regular mail, then it could be inspected by the one in charge of computer processing at the General Affairs Bureau but this can’t be viewed by anybody except the recipient.”<br /> <br /> It used an uncommon frequency. Putting aside administrative staff and Elite Guard-level Guards, it was something that a Cadet Guard would rarely ever have the chance to use.<br /> <br /> “''Ohh, that’s interesting. Come on, open it quickly─''“<br /> <br /> “I got it, okay, so wait a second.”<br /> <br /> Calming down {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} who was hurrying him on, he inserted his ID into the encrypted document.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “''To Sheltis,''<br /> <br /> ''Good work today. Sorry I couldn’t attend the meeting. I also said a little about it when I interrupted your meeting earlier…………I’ve been thinking about Priestess training.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “……Ymy?”<br /> <br /> “''She’s forgotten to put her name at either end of the mail but that’s who it would appear to be from the contents.''“<br /> <br /> “''O-On top of that!''<br /> <br /> ''It’s about that which is residing in your body but……since then, I wonder if I’ve done my best in piling on training. If you have time tomorrow, could you come to floor 276 past noon?''<br /> <br /> ''Sorry for being so sudden.''<br /> <br /> ''I wanted to tell you in person but it looks like you were together with Monica-senpai for the entire day today.''<br /> <br /> ''……I want to try purifying that.''<br /> <br /> ''U-Um, just so you know. It’s okay if you can’t come!''<br /> <br /> ''It’s not like it absolutely has to be tomorrow……it’s just, the truth is……I can’t say that I have great confidence. It’s fine if you have something else to do and prioritize that.''<br /> <br /> ''But.''<br /> <br /> ''If you don’t have anything tomorrow………… “''<br /> <br /> The mail ended there.<br /> <br /> There was no name for the sender……but there was no need to think about who it was now.<br /> <br /> “She said floor 276.”<br /> <br /> “''It’s Ymy’s private training floor. There are almost ten rooms matched to Ymy’s spells and a number of those can be used to purify mateki.''“<br /> <br /> “……I see.”<br /> <br /> The mail referring to mateki as ‘''that''‘ may have been for the one in ten thousand chance that somebody saw the contents.<br /> <br /> ……The mateki that came to reside in my body when I fell to the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}.<br /> <br /> ……If this mateki is purified, I wonder if my shinryoku will return.<br /> <br /> “''Aren’t you making quite the complicated expression? Aren’t you happy about getting your mateki purified?''“<br /> <br /> “I shouldn’t be unhappy.”<br /> <br /> Whispering that as if talking to himself, Sheltis sat down on a corner of the bed. He laid down, stared up at the illuminated ceiling and took a deep breath.<br /> <br /> “But if my mateki is if purified and my shinryoku returns just like that, it feels like it’ll end with a ‘''That’s great, that’s great''‘.”<br /> <br /> It was miraculous that he had returned from the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}} alive and even had mateki reside within him.<br /> <br /> He had a feeling the passion for investigating the cause for that had finally died down and changed into “Well, you made it out so it’s all good”.<br /> <br /> ……But was that really okay?<br /> <br /> If the mateki residing within him was the key to approaching the secret of the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}, wouldn’t the chance to come close to that secret be lost along with the disappearance of his mateki?<br /> <br /> “……When we went to the Governmental Sector, that’s the feeling I had.”<br /> <br /> The Yuugenshu being bred within a water tank. They had thought it was the work of the Governmental Sector, but it was then determined to be the work of a third organization that {{furigana|Golden|Maha}} and {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}} belonged to.<br /> <br /> ……Moreover, there’s the Forbidden Crystal.<br /> <br /> ……The Governmental Sector’s treasure, Mikuva’s Crimson Eye, was also like that.<br /> <br /> The Yuugenshu, the third organization and the Forbidden Crystal as well. ……And me. Everything is connected. Everything should have the ‘''{{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}''‘ as a common point.<br /> <br /> “I feel like I’ve caught onto something. What is it……I can’t say it well but it feels like I’ve touched something extremely important. In regards to the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}’s secret.”<br /> <br /> More than any Guard and more than any Priestess.<br /> <br /> He was closing in on the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}’s secret: that’s what he felt.<br /> <br /> “If I can investigate the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}’s secret like this, we might find a more effective method of combatting the Yuugenshu and mateki.”<br /> <br /> It might also lessen the burden on Ymy as a Priestess. He might be able to become a source of strength for her in other areas as he aimed to become her guard.<br /> <br /> “''…………''“<br /> <br /> “Is it strange?”<br /> <br /> “''……I just thought about how you can think like that.''“<br /> <br /> There was a ten minute pause between her words ── <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} continued speaking with a tone like she was gazing into the distance.<br /> <br /> “Aiming to become a Sennenshi is something you have a promise with Ymy for but there’s no difference in the goal between you and other Guards in the end……but what you just said might truly be something that only you can achieve.”<br /> <br /> Being her guard was a given, but he’d found another way to become Ymy’s strength. But that was because he had mateki residing within him. If that was purified, he’d likely lose the opportunity to near the secret of the <br /> {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}.<br /> <br /> “''It’s a new complication. But you’ll accept Ymy’s invitation for tomorrow, right?''“<br /> <br /> “Yeah……I want to hear Ymy’s opinion as well.”<br /> <br /> He couldn’t become a Sennenshi with mateki residing within his body. That was also part of the reason Ymy was so concerned about him.<br /> <br /> ……But she’s gonna attempt to purify it so suddenly tomorrow.<br /> <br /> He was also thankful that it was early. However, he felt that the summons were rushed and suddenly having it tomorrow was also out of the blue.<br /> <br /> “I wonder if something happened with Ymy.”<br /> <br /> The hope that the mateki within his body could be purified had faded and become a form of worry for Ymy at some point.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 4===<br /> <br /> Floors 276 to 280 were the five Priestesses’ respective personal training floors and floors 271 to 275 beneath that were the Sennenshis’ respective training floors. &lt;ref&gt;[T/N: I guess this has to be clarified now. 修道 is used for the Priestesses and it's the religious type of practice (or for arts) and the Sennenshi have 訓練 which is the more militaristic training.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> And floor 273.<br /> <br /> One step off the elevator and there was a dense forest which faithfully modeled the Biotope.<br /> <br /> Underfoot were very moist mud and puddles as well as fallen leaves. Overhead, countless vines hanging from the trees crisscrossed like a spiderweb.<br /> <br /> In this forest where a real bird was flying around chirping──<br /> <br /> A gunshot.<br /> <br /> The repeated ear-splitting gunfire noise shook the large trees.<br /> <br /> “──Rejected. Next?”<br /> <br /> “Y-Yes. From the Shinryoku Theory Bureau Chief, this is about the deployment of apprentice Priestesses. There are fifty apprentice Priestesses this year that passed the first training period. How many people would the third unit like……”<br /> <br /> The small boy holding a report read it aloud.<br /> <br /> “That’s based on skill; apprentice Priestesses that can’t be used are unnecessary.”<br /> <br /> The woman with a pitch black blinder spat out her answer.<br /> <br /> Her body which was as tall as an adult man was covered in a camouflaged suit and she wore a longcoat that reached to below her knees.<br /> <br /> She had a machine pistol in each hand.<br /> <br /> It was a gun that had its firepower and consecutive firing speed raised to the limits to compensate for its low accuracy. She held those casually in both hands and casually pulled the triggers.<br /> <br /> “Only choose the outstanding apprentice Priestesses.”<br /> <br /> “B-But the struggle with other units is harsh.”<br /> <br /> “It’s your job to deal with that.”<br /> <br /> With the resounding of gunfire, small target machines fell down one after another.<br /> <br /> She was shooting down the small target machines that were flying at super-high speeds in the gaps between the trees whose leaves crowded those spaces, and she was doing it without a single miss.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “Is that all?”<br /> <br /> “……Ah, n-no! S-Sorry!”<br /> <br /> With the woman’s disinterested question, the boy frantically shook his head.<br /> <br /> “Err……umm, I was fascinated by how amazing Captain Horn is.”<br /> <br /> “How so?”<br /> <br /> She asked again in a tone that had not a shred of sociability.<br /> <br /> Horn Nova ── the younger sister of the third Priestess, Viola Nova; she was also the third Sennenshi who was tasked with guarding her.<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> “I was asking what you thought was amazing.”<br /> <br /> “E-Everything……is what……”<br /> <br /> Physical strength that was trained to the point that she could handle those massive machine pistols with one hand easily. Then there were her elbows and shoulders which were pliable to handle the strong recoil from repetitive firings of those guns.<br /> <br /> Above all, there was her supernatural firing accuracy which never let her miss her target even with both eyes covered.<br /> <br /> A blinder over her eyes. In other words, Horn didn’t see the target. Without regard for that, the bullets she fired seemed to be sucked towards the center of the target machines. It was a scene that would cause normal people to doubt their eyes.<br /> <br /> “I……If I practice, will I be able to become like the Captain──”<br /> <br /> “Discard pointless thoughts.”<br /> <br /> The odd jobs boy spoke some words and Horn fired off words of rejection.<br /> <br /> “Whether it’s talent, environment, effort, time, personality or body, nothing fits. The {{furigana|mechanically armored soldiers|Ex Machina}} that you’re talking about are generalists that can handle any heavy firepower gun to suit the circumstances. What can you do when you don’t have any of the required factors?”<br /> <br /> “…………Ah……ahh……”<br /> <br /> Horn’s gunfire didn’t stop even as the boy was at a loss for words and downcast.<br /> <br /> “Is that all?”<br /> <br /> “───Yes.”<br /> <br /> The boy turned his back to her while still downcast after putting the report under his arm. He walked towards the elevator wordlessly like that.<br /> <br /> “Catria.”<br /> <br /> Without having walked several steps, Horn’s voice called the boy’s name.<br /> <br /> Silence.<br /> <br /> The two machine pistols that were still letting off white smoke from their barrels were thrown high up into the air.<br /> <br /> “Take these with you.”<br /> <br /> “Waa, wawa!”<br /> <br /> “Do the regular maintenance. I’ll come to collect it thirty eight hours later.”<br /> <br /> The boy threw aside the report and caught the machine pistols. With her back still turned to him, Horn drew out a revolving pistol from the holder at her waist.<br /> <br /> “I don’t need unskilled people in my unit. If you’re going to subject yourself to techniques unsuited for your height, leave my unit before the end of today.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> ──Bang!<br /> <br /> The gunfire in front of the silent boy shot down two target machines.<br /> <br /> They were randomly flying targets. One aside, aiming for two at the same time wasn’t possible. That’s right, it was a technique impossible unless one could see the future.<br /> <br /> “But I acknowledge your skill in maintenance.”<br /> <br /> “……I see.”<br /> <br /> “I’ll say it again: thirty eight hours later. Finish the maintenance within that time.”<br /> <br /> The boy nodded wordlessly.<br /> <br /> This time he headed to the elevator without turning around and went straight down to the ground floor.<br /> <br /> ──Ding.<br /> <br /> Passing by the elevator headed for the ground floor, another elevator stopped at this floor.<br /> <br /> “Yoo─, Horn, you here─”<br /> <br /> A boyish girl with her skin tanned brown. With light formal wear consisting of a short-sleeved shirt and short pants, shinryoku formal carved seals could be seen on her exposed limbs.<br /> <br /> “Ran.”<br /> <br /> “Ohh, you’re here. If you’re coming back, say so─. By the way”<br /> <br /> “I refuse.”<br /> <br /> “……I haven’t said anything yet.”<br /> <br /> “I can see the future.”<br /> <br /> “Liar.”<br /> <br /> Ran raised one eyebrow meaningfully.<br /> <br /> “'''You can only see future images''' but can’t hear future sounds; you said that yourself.”<br /> <br /> Celestial map drawing.<br /> <br /> It was a territorial type shinryoku spell that Horn Nova carried from birth like her older sister, Priestess Viola Nova. With this power that allowed one to view the future an instant prior, it was possible to tell where a target would move to and pull the trigger.<br /> <br /> “Then I’ll just ask for your business. What is it?”<br /> <br /> Storing the gun in her holder, Horn sighed.<br /> <br /> “All right, then let’s have a match now. It’s been a whi──”<br /> <br /> “I refuse.”<br /> <br /> “…………Eh─, what’s with that. Did Leon make a reservation first? If so, I’m fine with going after Leon.”<br /> <br /> She pulled on the edges of her coat with a childish expression.<br /> <br /> “Time is precious and I have some business after this.”<br /> <br /> “Is that soo? But sparring with me will definitely be fun and come in handy? It’s a complete loss if the Sennenshi skip out on training. Right?”<br /> <br /> “Unfortunately, business that takes precedence over everything else is awaiting me.”<br /> <br /> Glancing at Ran who was puffing her cheeks with a mu─, Horn turned towards the elevator used for the upper floors.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 5===<br /> <br /> The floor was filled to the brim with noon sunlight.<br /> <br /> In this place that was close to two thousand metres off the ground, the sunlight passing through the windows glass’ could be seen without obstruction.<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 276. It was a floor made to allow a Priestess to devote herself to training.<br /> <br /> “……The floor is shining blue?”<br /> <br /> Standing in the floor Ymy was waiting at, Sheltis stared down at the view under him.<br /> <br /> A pattern spread far out on the floor’s surface. The blue pattern’s contrast with the white floor was beautiful but it was also a little eerie because he didn’t know what it was for.<br /> <br /> “''All of this is a formal carved seal.''“<br /> <br /> “……That’s amazing.”<br /> <br /> He had heard it was a facility that could also purify people corrupted with mateki. It meant that a person suffering from mateki would also directly enter and exit so measures to prevent the spread of mateki within the tower were necessary.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, are you okay?''“<br /> <br /> “I have my boots in-between.”<br /> <br /> The rejection between the mateki residing within him and the shinryoku-affixed floor. There was a numbing feeling at his toes but it wasn’t unbearable.<br /> <br /> “Come to think of it, she didn’t specify as far as the place.”<br /> <br /> “''That’s right. I wonder which room it is.''“<br /> <br /> The far end of the passage was blurry. At any rate, it had the expansiveness of an entire floor of the tower so even if Ymy had arrived, he had no idea where she was.<br /> <br /> “Over here.”<br /> <br /> To his right, a room’s mechanical door slowly opened.<br /> <br /> “……I’m glad. You came.”<br /> <br /> Her off-gold hair swayed with relief. Her expression looked more relieved than happy.<br /> <br /> “I thought it wouldn’t be possible because it was such a sudden request. ……Did you skip training to come here?”<br /> <br /> “Nope, today’s a full day of rest. Training starts tomorrow.”<br /> [[image:Eden06_089.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> Ah, so that’s it. My plans for today start in the evening so now that you mention it, that should be how it is. The Governmental Sector mission exhausted everyone ── well, let’s put that aside. Come over here and enter the room.”<br /> <br /> ……This is a Priestess’ training room?<br /> <br /> ……Well, this is.<br /> <br /> It was covered from the floor to the ceiling in pure white tiles and a formal carved seal was carved in atop that as expected. It was just the floor for the corridor but this room was covered on the walls and ceiling thoroughly, in every nook and cranny.<br /> <br /> “It’s a room specially for me. But this isn’t a training room, you know?”<br /> <br /> Ymy turned towards him at the center of the room and pointed at the formal carved seal overhead.<br /> <br /> A shadow fell over her eyes.<br /> <br /> She had remembered a painful past event ── it was that kind of expression.<br /> <br /> “It’s not for training but for actual use. ……It’s a place for Priestesses to heal those with heavy corruption that apprentice Priestesses can’t purify.”<br /> <br /> “……Ymy, do you not like this place?”<br /> <br /> “I like it.”<br /> <br /> Just that answer was clear and without doubt.<br /> <br /> “In the little under a year since I became a Priestess, there have been four. Four times that a person has been carried to this room. Those people who had a request made because there were none amongst the apprentice Priestesses who could handle it. It’s a room to save those suffering from mateki…………so I couldn’t hate it.”<br /> <br /> She bit down on her lip.<br /> <br /> The Priestess, his childhood friend, continued staring up at the ceiling.<br /> <br /> “But……it was harsh. We would forcefully lie the person afflicted with mateki mind control over on that bed and purify them. It was a procedure we would perform while watching them writhe in agony despite that. That dark red stain is from a person whose body underwent necrosis and tore from the decaying effect of mateki……the green stain on the other side is also someone’s blood. The iron within their body was morphed and their blood turned green.”<br /> <br /> “…………So what happened to those people?”<br /> <br /> “They were cured. All of those I mentioned were cured and are rehabilitating. There are also those that have been discharged so I’m really happy. ……But healing them isn’t ideal. To begin with, it’d be better if there was nobody who needed to be healed. It’d be the best if we could live in a world where we didn’t have to fear the Yuugenshu……”<br /> <br /> The mere fact that somebody would be carried to this room is something that shouldn’t happen.<br /> <br /> If the Priestesses’ Hyouketsu Kyoukai completely froze the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}, Yuugenshu wouldn’t be able to come up to {{furigana|The floating continent|Orbie Clar}}. People afflicted with the Yuugenshu’s mateki would also cease to exist.<br /> <br /> A perfect barrier.<br /> <br /> A perfect Hyouketsu Kyoukai.<br /> <br /> It was the ideal that the Priestesses had as their goal.<br /> <br /> “So! That’s not good, that’s not good. I went off on a tangent again.”<br /> <br /> Ymy slapped her cheeks with an adorable sound. She shook her head two, three times side to side and took a deep breath.<br /> <br /> “All right! Then I’ll do my best, so I look forward to working with you!”<br /> <br /> “E-Err……?”<br /> <br /> “I said it yesterday, didn’t I? You also came because you heard, right?”<br /> <br /> His childhood friend beckoned him over from the center of the room.<br /> <br /> “……About my mateki?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, I don’t have any confidence yet that it can be cured but I want to try it. ──Come on, come over to this bed.”<br /> <br /> A large bed was situated just in front of where Ymy was standing.<br /> <br /> The bed with white sheets spread over it was not a rectangular shape, but the shape of the 十 character. The patient would lie with their arms spread out and there were black belts for restraining a rampaging patient.<br /> <br /> “''Hey, hey, Ymy, let’s bind Sheltis〰?''“<br /> <br /> “It’s a pity but I won’t rampage.”<br /> <br /> He took off the pendant that <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} was attached to and placed it on the tray beside the bed. He looked down at the bed once more.<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “What’s wrong?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, nothing. ……I’m kinda nervous. I feel like I really shouldn’t be lying on this bed.”<br /> <br /> It was also his first time receiving the mateki purification technique and it was a request to his childhood friend, which made him even more nervous. Lying down on the bed was like getting an examination at a hospital so he couldn’t settle down.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis has been bad with hospitals since a long time ago after all. Ymy, what will you do?''“<br /> <br /> “Eh……h-hr─m, what to do. After all, those carried to this room couldn’t stand on their own. I was never asked a question like that.”<br /> <br /> Ymy let her gaze wander through the air while silently thinking.<br /> <br /> “……I think it’ll be fine if you just sit on the bed.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, that’s a relief. That should be pretty easy.”<br /> <br /> He sat down lightly on the bed.<br /> <br /> “Then please.”<br /> <br /> “R-Right! I’ll do my best!”<br /> <br /> Ymy nodded, then──<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The air shook.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> A complete one-eighty from the gentleness that even seemed to exude a smile, it changed to a tension that seemed like it even stung the skin.<br /> <br /> …………This.<br /> <br /> ……might be…………the first time I’ve seen this.<br /> <br /> The childhood friend before his eyes ── no, with the form of the “Priestess” before him, Sheltis gulped.<br /> <br /> Priestess Ymy Ele Soufflenictole.<br /> <br /> Her jade green eyes stared unblinking at him. Crimson particles of light suddenly rose up from her entire body.<br /> <br /> …………Three years ago……the time when I returned to the {{furigana|The floating continent|Orbie Clar}}……Ymy wasn’t a Priestess yet.<br /> <br /> Ymy who had been an apprentice Priestess at the time had tried time after time to purify his mateki……and had cried herself dry when it ended in failure.<br /> <br /> And now.<br /> <br /> This was the first time Ymy was facing the purification of his mateki as a Priestess.<br /> <br /> “──I’m starting.”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [Unto me, all the wishes that of which I am able......]<br /> <br /> [ele So Phi-a-s Arma-Riris]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> A release precedent meaning the invocation of power was sung from the Priestess’ lips. Immediately afterwards, the overflowing crimson particles wrapped around her body.<br /> <br /> ……My throat’s dry.<br /> <br /> His lips, tongue and throat had dried up from nervousness and he couldn’t speak.<br /> <br /> “Don’t move.”<br /> <br /> Ymy’s fingertip that was held straight out neared the center of his chest.<br /> <br /> ……Can she actually purify it?<br /> <br /> ……Maybe it’s possible for even my mateki if it’s Ymy’s spell.<br /> <br /> The mateki of the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}. Would the cursed power that no Priestess could purify three years ago become undone?<br /> <br /> The fingertip neared his chest.<br /> <br /> The tip of the nail touched the center of his chest and touched his skin through the clothes──<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ──Bzz……zzt!……──<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “……!”<br /> <br /> “Ow…………uu!”<br /> <br /> Sparks like lightning instantly expanded into something like an aurora and seemed to be rejecting the touch of Ymy’s fingertips.<br /> <br /> Elbert Resonance.<br /> <br /> ……No……way!<br /> <br /> It used to be just sparks. That grew into this aurora-like barrier!?<br /> <br /> “''The Elbert Resonance is manifesting even more strongly than before!? Ymy, this isn’t good, you must stop the ritual──''“<br /> <br /> “Kuu……uuu……!”<br /> <br /> But Ymy didn’t stop the ritual. The shockwaves given off by the Elbert Resonance barrier stopped her breathes but she stood her ground and reached her fingers out even further──<br /> <br /> Deja vu.<br /> <br /> In that instant, the future image of Ymy collapsing with bright red blood spurting from her entire right arm surfaced clearly within the back of his mind.<br /> <br /> “Get back!”<br /> <br /> “!?”<br /> <br /> Her shoulders contracted at the sudden shout and Ymy pulled back reflexively. At the same time, the mist cleared up and the Elbert Resonance sparks also disappeared.<br /> <br /> “……Ah………………haa……a……”<br /> <br /> Ymy shoulders moved up and down and she couldn’t hide her ragged breathing. Her fingertips were dyed with a crimson different from that of the baptism type arts.<br /> <br /> “Ymy──”<br /> <br /> He jumped off the bed.<br /> <br /> He tried to run over to his childhood friend who was crouching and hugging her legs.<br /> <br /> “Don’t!”<br /> <br /> It was at the same time.<br /> <br /> When Sheltis took one step, Ymy’s shout echoed throughout the room.<br /> <br /> ……Don’t?<br /> <br /> What am I not supposed to do in this situation?<br /> <br /> “……Shel, ti…………s……you……sit there!”<br /> <br /> The girl spoke with her head still down, in a voice like a sob.<br /> <br /> “……Once……mo……re……”<br /> <br /> Once more.<br /> <br /> Sheltis doubted his ears when he heard what was conveyed to him from Ymy’s lips.<br /> <br /> ……Once more?<br /> <br /> ……It can’t be that having seen that Elbert Resonance just now, she wants to try once more?<br /> <br /> “Ha, ah……hahaa. …………Sorry, I failed. Next…………”<br /> <br /> The Preistess of Baptism stood up unsteadily.<br /> <br /> She was trying hard to hide the intense pain with a pale face.<br /> <br /> “For the next one……I’ll do my best……”<br /> <br /> “Ymy!”<br /> <br /> In order to stop the girl who was wobbly drawing nearer, he stood before her with arms held out to the sides.<br /> <br /> “I’m really……happy that you feel that way. But let’s stop here for today.”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “Anybody would understand that you’re doing your absolute best from seeing what happened just now. Even I understood at a glance. That’s why I have faith that you will be able to purify my mateki in the near future.”<br /> <br /> ……Really?<br /> <br /> His own words sounded like exactly like somebody else’s sophistry.<br /> <br /> ……If Ymy trains beyond this, will she really be able to purify my mateki?<br /> <br /> Ymy’s maturing shinryoku spells.<br /> <br /> But as those spells grew in strength, Elbert Resonance would also grow stronger. To get rid of that repulsion, Ymy would try even harder but the Elbert Resonance barrier will get even stronger?<br /> <br /> An endless vicious cycle. It would undoubtedly turn into that prediction.<br /> <br /> “Th-That’s why……for today…………”<br /> <br /> It was clear when he saw Ymy’s eyes just before. She hadn’t been holding back and used all her power. With the result being the Elbert Resonance just now, it would be difficult for her to purify his mateki in her current state.<br /> <br /> “……………………”<br /> <br /> Ymy didn’t speak as she drew deep breaths.<br /> <br /> “……You’re right.”<br /> <br /> A dry smile.<br /> <br /> Different from the long silence just now, she spoke intermittently.<br /> <br /> “So it wasn’t possible again. ……How bad it is, even though I’m supposed to be the Baptism Priestess. I’ll be scolded by Horn-san like this too.”<br /> <br /> “Horn?”<br /> <br /> There was only one Guard in {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} who identified with that name.<br /> <br /> The third Sennenshi, Horn Nova. Born with a unique shinryoku spell, she was the Ex Machina who was versed in every kind of gun.<br /> <br /> “That Sennenshi? Did something happen?”<br /> <br /> “……Just a little something.”<br /> <br /> Ymy rubbed her eyes to dispel her faintly self-deprecating smile and moved her hand away from the bed.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Sheltis, I want to get some outside air so shall we go to the floor above?”<br /> <br /> Come with me.<br /> <br /> With her delicate back telling him that, Ymy’s vestments fluttered.<br /> <br /> “……I’ll remember more than necessary if we talk in this room, after all.”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 6===<br /> <br /> {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 22, the hospital in the tower.<br /> <br /> “Okay, that’s enough.”<br /> <br /> “Thank you very much.”<br /> <br /> ──Fuu.<br /> <br /> Taking a quiet deep breath, Monica let down the edge of her shirt that she’d been holding up.<br /> <br /> “The swelling from the internal bleeding is also receding.”<br /> <br /> “It looks like the hot compress I received from you worked out well.”<br /> <br /> In front of the doctor who was scribbling away at her chart, she held her flank.<br /> <br /> The battle at the Governmental Sector.<br /> <br /> The wound she had sustained when fighting the clones that <br /> {{furigana|Golden|Maha}} had summoned. When she received the blow, it had been enough to stop her breathing and even knock her unconscious but it looked like the first-aid she’d received at the Governmental Sector had been good.<br /> <br /> “……At first, I was wondering how many ribs had broken.”<br /> <br /> “That’s because the muscle density around the ribs is thin. There’s nothing to protect the bone so there are times when the pain is intense despite nothing having broken.”<br /> <br /> The old bespectacled doctor shrugged.<br /> <br /> “So, how is it? Do you still feel pain?”<br /> <br /> “……We took a break for the entirety of last evening so it’s pretty much gone.”<br /> <br /> “That is great news. Then you wish to participate in training immediately starting from tomorrow?”<br /> <br /> That’s right. It had been three days since returning from the Governmental Sector. Commuting to the hospital like this every day was all for the sake of returning to training tomorrow.<br /> <br /> “Hr─m, I recommend that you only do something like light running for the first day.”<br /> <br /> “What about practicing with a weapon?”<br /> <br /> “I’ll permit it if there’s no opponent. It gets much harsher when facing somebody else. Well, I can tell that you will exercise discretion.”<br /> <br /> The old doctor smiled wryly with a steaming cup in hand.<br /> <br /> “I’ll say this again, but only practice swings, okay?”<br /> <br /> “……Understood.”<br /> <br /> She was relieved. Practice swings and running……she originally wanted to move more for the sake of rehabilitation as well but having resolved first that training was out of the question, she couldn’t voice such luxuries.<br /> <br /> “Thank you very much.”<br /> <br /> Leaving that place, she continued down the hallway towards the elevator.<br /> <br /> “……What should I do?”<br /> <br /> Waiting for the elevator to arrive, Monica gazed absentmindedly at the corridor’s window.<br /> <br /> The weather was good so she’d finished off the laundry before coming. Cleaning her room……to begin with, her room was exceedingly empty so there was no need to clean it.<br /> <br /> Like this, there was nothing to do when she returned to the residences.<br /> <br /> It seemed that new Cadet Guards would often go on strolls in the tower. However, for she who had been living here since her time as an apprentice Priestess, going on a walk now was……<br /> <br /> “……No, isn’t that an excuse?”<br /> <br /> Walking through every floor of the tower. Let’s start from the bottom and go up in order. The goal will be the Priestesses’ floors. Entry is restricted from regular visitors but Guards who are affiliated with the tower can access the elevator leading to the Priestesses’ floors so there’s no problem.<br /> <br /> “I just thought of this while walking but that child also has faith.”<br /> <br /> It couldn’t be helped that she’d be interested in Ymy’s situation since yesterday. She hadn’t appeared when it came time to have the meeting with Cadres Guard Ishtar and she didn’t appear when the meeting ended either.<br /> <br /> ……The reason for that is that her training ran late?<br /> <br /> ……Would she fail in training after going as far as becoming a Priestess?<br /> <br /> “Though really……it’s not something I should speak about.”<br /> <br /> I wonder if I can advise her? She’s my precious kouhai from when I was an apprentice Priestess. Ymy also cherishes me as her senpai even now.<br /> <br /> “That’s decided then.”<br /> <br /> Monica nodded persuasively and walked to the elevator.<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 7===<br /> <br /> Floor 287 of the tower. Having followed Ymy, what awaited Sheltis outside the elevator was the Priestess floor belonging to Ymy.<br /> <br /> “Sheltis……since I became a Priestess, there were four people that required purification and were carried over. Do you remember that?”<br /> <br /> “Since I just heard it not too long ago.”<br /> <br /> It was something pertaining to others like him who were afflicted with mateki so there was no way he could forget.<br /> <br /> “Then do you also remember their symptoms?”<br /> <br /> “Eh? Ahh, umm, they were people that were under mind control and unconscious, and”<br /> <br /> There was a patient that had necrosis occur due to the decaying effect of mateki. There was also a patient who had his or her blood color change because of the deadly poisonous effects of mateki. Both had left behind a bloodstain in the purification room.<br /> <br /> “Ah, but……that doesn’t match the number.”<br /> <br /> There were four altogether that had been brought before Ymy. One of them had mind control, one had necrosis and one had deadly poison. That was a total of three people. Then what about the last one?<br /> <br /> “There’s still one more person……there’s a child whose mateki I couldn’t purify.”<br /> <br /> At the windowsill of the giant stained glass.<br /> <br /> Placing her delicate hand upon the silver window frame, the Priestess turned towards him.<br /> <br /> “He is in a coma. There is no pain or bleeding. That child who won’t wake no matter what anybody does is sleeping in the hospital within this tower. My shinryoku is probably……no, it should definitely be strong. However, that mateki’s propagation speed is fast……for example, even if an entire division is purified, the remaining parts will replace it in that time.”<br /> <br /> “''Think of it as an extremely hardy weed. Even if you cut the leafy part, as long as the roots remain underground, it’ll grow again, right? It’s the same as that.''“<br /> <br /> “……That kind of mateki.”<br /> <br /> He had faced countless Yuugenshu during his time as an Elite Guard but he had never seen mateki like that.<br /> <br /> “Then that’s even more reason. Even if you say you failed the purification, it’s the first time I’ve heard of mateki like that too so even for Priestesses, there’s no way they would be able to immediately respond to it.”<br /> <br /> “But Sheltis, it’s because they understand that that there are people who can’t forgive Ymy. For example, friends of the one in a coma because of that mateki.”<br /> <br /> “Friends?”<br /> <br /> “……Priestess Viola and her younger sister, Horn, were raised together with many children in an orphanage in the Third Living District.”<br /> <br /> Ymy was looking at something from beside the window.<br /> <br /> That was the direction of the Third Living District which was the furthest from the tower.<br /> <br /> “They left the orphanage and became a Priestess and Sennenshi and I’ve heard from Viola that they’d like to return the favor to the orphanage that raised them. They keep the bare minimum to live and give the entirety of their wages to the orphanage.”<br /> <br /> “……That Horn is?”<br /> <br /> When he was an Elite Guard and before that, Sheltis had never been in a unit with Horn.<br /> <br /> However he had heard about her outstanding ability and ruthless disposition that forsook others. To think, she could do that for somebody she didn’t know?<br /> <br /> “It seems that for Viola and Horn who were raised in an orphanage, those that receive the same treatment are the same as family to them. There’s no way they could stay calm when their family is afflicted by the Yuugenshu’s mateki……and the direction of that anger turned towards Ymy who couldn’t purify that mateki.”<br /> <br /> “Horn-san is already disgusted that it’s impossible for me though.”<br /> <br /> Ymy showed a dry self-deprecating smile.<br /> <br /> “‘''That’s enough, I’ll do it. I’ll find that Yuugenshu and defeat it. When it’s defeated, Tessha’s mateki should be dispelled and this will all be resolved.''‘ That’s why Horn-san goes out to patrol of her own accord……even though policing the Biotope is a job nobody really wants to do.”<br /> <br /> ───Ahh, I see.<br /> <br /> He finally understood why Ymy had wanted to try purifying his mateki.<br /> <br /> “It sounds like Horn has returned. Eyriey said she saw her at the Living Districts.”<br /> <br /> “……Yeah.”<br /> <br /> The child named Tessha who was stuck in an endless coma.<br /> <br /> She had been reminded of something because Horn, who was equivalent to family for that child, had returned to the tower. She had been reminded of the mateki of the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}} which resided within her childhood friend’s body and could not be purified by the Priestesses, just like that child.<br /> <br /> ……That child and I are overlapping within Ymy.<br /> <br /> ……So that’s why she couldn’t do nothing.<br /> <br /> There were people whose mateki hadn’t been purified. She felt only guilt because of that and thought that she must at least try purifying Sheltis’ mateki.<br /> <br /> “So the reason you were running late for the meeting yesterday really was Priestess training?”<br /> <br /> “I just had them extend it as long as possible. Yours is also dangerous, but that child’s mateki is really dangerous. Horn-san says……she’ll defeat the Yuugenshu that caused this but that’s worrisome. I think it’s for the best that a Priestess purify it.”<br /> <br /> “Mm? It’s not good to defeat it?”<br /> <br /> The child named Tessha had fallen into a comatose state after being afflicted with mateki. If the Priestesses couldn’t purify it, wouldn’t it be fine if the main body of the mateki was defeated?<br /> <br /> “''If the Yuugenshu is defeated, the mateki will disappear ── that is true in the majority of cases. But the death agony of a powerful Yuugenshu’s mateki is strong. There are types where if the main body is defeated, their mateki will run out of control.''“<br /> <br /> “We Priestesses call that ‘''delayed sin type''‘ mateki. ‘''S vector, eighth class''‘……that’s the common name of the Yuugenshu that Horn-san is chasing after but if it’s a delayed sin type, then far from being cured, she’ll get worse……we also have to consider the effects it’ll have on her life.”<br /> <br /> Delayed sin type mateki.<br /> <br /> It was a rare mateki that Sheltis had only heard once or twice. If he hadn’t heard the explanation from Ymy just now, he would’ve even forgotten it existed.<br /> <br /> “……So there is that. But shouldn’t Horn know about that?”<br /> <br /> “Yeah. But she thinks that’s the only option left.”<br /> <br /> Betting on the chance that it wasn’t a delayed sin type, she would search for the S vector, eighth class hiding somewhere on this gigantic {{furigana|The floating continent|Orbie Clar}}. It was an outrageous mortification like trying to find grains of salt in a desert.<br /> <br /> “But if time passes, Ymy──”<br /> <br /> You should continue to grow as you accumulate more experience and training: just before he said that.<br /> <br /> Clack, ck……cla……<br /> <br /> Footsteps resounded from the elevator and the emergency stairs at the same time. The owners of the footsteps came across each other at the passage’s intersection and came to a stop.<br /> <br /> “A Cadet Guard?”<br /> <br /> “Ahh……g-good morning, Captain Horn!”<br /> <br /> In contrast to the stifled voice was a voice shaking with nervousness.<br /> <br /> ……This voice is Monica?<br /> <br /> ……And somebody else; could it be the person Monica’s talking to is her?<br /> <br /> “What business does a Cadet Guard have on a Priestess’ floor?”<br /> <br /> “R-Right. I have a report regarding the expedition to the Governmental Sector we traveled together on.”<br /> <br /> “……The Governmental Sector?”<br /> <br /> With those few words.<br /> <br /> Something sharp was mixed into her voice.<br /> <br /> “You just spoke of the Governmental Sector. The one who accompanied Ymy Ele Soufflenictole to the Governmental Sector was you?”<br /> <br /> “That ri…………!”<br /> <br /> Monica’s voice paused. At the same time, it felt like she gulped. At the same time came the sound of a horribly shaky breathe taken with anguish.<br /> <br /> ──What happened?<br /> <br /> “Monica-senpai!?”<br /> <br /> She probably had the same thoughts as Ymy, clothed in her vestments, ran towards the intersection.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis.''“<br /> <br /> “I know.”<br /> <br /> He ran down the corridor after Ymy and the two turned to the passage that continued on towards the intersection.<br /> <br /> What laid before them there was ── in the center of the intersection, Monica had the barrel of a revolving handgun pressed up against her brow. &lt;ref&gt;[T/N: I get the feeling this is called a revolver but whatever.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> “You can’t even react to something of this level. To think that a Cadet Guard of this caliber would be chosen as an escort to the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> “M-My apologies. It was……so sudden.”<br /> <br /> “Sudden? So you would say ‘''because it was sudden''‘ when attacked by a Yuugenshu.”<br /> <br /> “…………No.”<br /> <br /> “This is a level that can’t even be discussed. In the end, {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s Guards are just a gathering of riffraff.”<br /> <br /> Monica was downcast as she stayed silent. In contrast, Horn returned the handgun to the holder at her waist and sighed with disgust.<br /> <br /> “Horn-san!?……What……are you doing!”<br /> <br /> At the same time Ymy’s footsteps rang out as she approached, the blinder-wearing Sennenshi turned to her.<br /> <br /> “Ymy Ele Soufflenictole.”<br /> <br /> “You’re comrades of this tower, aren’t you!? Even so, you stuck a handgun up to her……what are you trying to do!”<br /> <br /> “Comrade?”<br /> <br /> The Sennenshi’s voice became even more of a sneer with Ymy closing in on her with an angry look.<br /> <br /> “It would fine if she was at least helpful in odd jobs, but this kind of hindrance isn’t fit to be called a comrade. The Sennenshi, a portion of the Elite Guards and about a third of the apprentice Priestesses are passable. They have their uses. It’s fine if the rest just maintain weapons in the corner at best.”<br /> <br /> “……Are you seriously saying that?”<br /> <br /> “Seriously? You want me to say that I’d entrust my back to useless Guards? Then first, shall we try having a Priestess pick a Cadet Guard that’s not her Sennenshi as a partner?”<br /> <br /> Facing Ymy who was standing there dumbfounded, the tall gunner drew one step closer.<br /> <br /> “Good timing; there’s something I wanted to say to you.”<br /> <br /> “……What is it?”<br /> <br /> The two were basically glaring at each other.<br /> <br /> “It looks like you went to the Governmental Sector.”<br /> <br /> “……Is there something about that?”<br /> <br /> “Hah! Aren’t you being easygoing, going on a sightseeing trip without doing your Priestess training?”<br /> <br /> “We had a goal. It was not a trip.”<br /> <br /> “Then you have some definite achievements.”<br /> <br /> “That……was not what the meeting this time was about, it was about the aforementioned──”<br /> <br /> “The case with the attack by some third organization or something? I heard you let the ringleader boldly run away just before catching him.”<br /> <br /> Ymy bit her bottom lip.<br /> <br /> “In the first place, you──”<br /> <br /> “Hold it.”<br /> <br /> Interrupting Horn’s words, Sheltis stood between her and Ymy.<br /> <br /> “It’s not good for there to be discord between Priestesses and Sennenshi. I’ve been listening until now but only you have a provocative tone.”<br /> <br /> Their lines of sight were at about the same height.<br /> <br /> Looking at her directly on, the blinder-wearing woman wrinkled her brow.<br /> <br /> “I was wondering who it was, but another Cadet Guard? Small fry, who are you mouthing──”<br /> <br /> “Do you always speak like that?”<br /> <br /> “……Always?”<br /> <br /> “I can’t understand how you deal with the Priestesses who are your colleagues and that Cadet Guard you placed a gun to with that hostility when you’re all comrades of the same tower. Do you approach somebody dear to you with that tone too?”<br /> <br /> “──”<br /> <br /> With the same brazenly expressionless face, Horn’s mouth tightened into a line for just an instant.<br /> <br /> “What an audacious Cadet Guard. Protecting a Priestess, it’s almost like you’re under the delusion that you’re a Sennenshi?”<br /> <br /> “I simply stated what I thought. I wouldn’t like there to be discord between a Priestess and Sennenshi.”<br /> <br /> “……Discord? Who would be friendly with a Priestess that can’t even save a single child──”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “Horn? You should stop right around there.”<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The elevator’s bell dinged at the same time a woman’s voice was heard.<br /> <br /> There stood a petite woman wearing a simple vestment consisting of a single piece of cloth.<br /> <br /> “……Elder sister.” &lt;ref&gt;[T/N: The variation of &quot;elder sister&quot; she uses here is &quot;ane-ue&quot;. If you'd like it in the original form from now on, comment below.]&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> The Sennenshi turned around nervously.<br /> <br /> “Horn, I heard that Ymy-san is tired from continuous training. I don’t know what you want to say but put an end to it already.”<br /> <br /> “……But elder sister!”<br /> <br /> “The barrier transfer ceremony is approaching. The Queen will be able to complete her mission with the barrier and take three days of rest while the Priestesses support the barrier in her stead, you know?”<br /> <br /> ──Everything was contrastive.<br /> <br /> Viola was not shaken no matter how much her younger sister strengthened her tone. Oh so quietly, her words permeated like waves upon water’s surface.<br /> <br /> “This time Syun-rei is in charge of it but even the Priestesses need to make preparations to make up for being shorthanded. Horn, do you intend to prevent Ymy-san from making those preparations?”<br /> <br /> “…………”<br /> <br /> “Now, go back. We will not stay within the tower for long. We will be dropping by the orphanage as always tomorrow, right?”<br /> <br /> “…………Understood.”<br /> <br /> With a momentary sigh, Horn’s heel struck the floor. Without a word, she started to turn to leave──<br /> <br /> “Horn, what do you do when turning your back on someone?”<br /> <br /> “……I’ll be excusing myself.”<br /> <br /> The Sennenshi spat that out like a curse and left. Viola watched her disappear towards the elevator with a stern expression and then exhaled in an adorable manner.<br /> <br /> “Fuu. I’m sorry, Ymy-san. You two there as well, did Horn perhaps say something rude?”<br /> <br /> “Eh……n-no! I-I-I-I’m fine!”<br /> <br /> Monica denied it in a great fluster when the conversation suddenly turned to her.<br /> <br /> “Is that so? If she did, tell me and I’ll have a word with her. ……Well then, I’ll be excusing myself because I have training in the tower to undergo for the first time in a long while.”<br /> <br /> The third Priestess bowed deeply.<br /> <br /> Watching her as she left with small steps befitting her short stature, Sheltis muttered with a sigh.<br /> <br /> “They really are a contrasting pair of sisters.”<br /> <br /> The older sister would fix whatever was complicated by the younger sister who didn’t trust people. The younger sister understood that as well so her older sister was the only one that she couldn’t oppose.<br /> <br /> “……It’s been like that since long ago. Viola’s so wonderful and mature.”<br /> <br /> Maybe she’d been really nervous. Ymy drooped her stiffened shoulders, placed a hand to her chest and took repeated deep breaths.<br /> <br /> “Monica-senpai as well, are you okay? Suddenly having a gun pressed up to you.”<br /> <br /> “Ahh……that really did surprise me but it’s not like I was actually shot.”<br /> <br /> Rubbing her brow that had the gun pressed against it, Monica smiled wryly.<br /> <br /> “By the way, Sheltis, why are you on the Priestess’ floor?”<br /> <br /> “Ah……“<br /> <br /> “''Oh boy.''”<br /> <br /> <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} and Ymy both exclaimed at the same time.<br /> <br /> “Did something happen?”<br /> <br /> “N-No, see. U-U─mm……see, you said it as well. There was something to report about the Governmental Sector mission.”<br /> <br /> ……There’s no way I could talk about the real matter.<br /> <br /> He couldn’t say that he’d come to have his mateki purified. That he and Ymy were childhood friends……was a truth only known to a handful of people so it wasn’t something to be loose-lipped about.<br /> <br /> “You too, Monica, what’s up?”<br /> <br /> “Me? I……well, it’s about the same as yours.”<br /> <br /> Oh, that’s unexpected. Just when I thought she’d answer concisely, her answer’s lacking the usual clarity.<br /> <br /> “R-Rather than that, Ymy.”<br /> <br /> “Yes?”<br /> <br /> Ymy stared in wonder and inquired in response. Looking at her from the corner of her eyes, she who had been Ymy’s senpai when she was an apprentice Priestess cleared her throat for some reason.<br /> <br /> “W-Well……during the meeting, I heard from Cadres Guard Ishtar that your training was taking an unusually long time. Y-You know? I used to be an apprentice Priestess as well so it caught my interest.”<br /> <br /> “''Haha─n, I’ve figured it out.''“<br /> <br /> <br /> {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} sparkled.<br /> <br /> “''So the senpai who’s prone to worrying was worried about whether her cute kouhai was doing well and came to take a look.''“<br /> <br /> “Ohh, so that’s what it is, Monica. You’re good at looking after people as always.”<br /> <br /> “Wha……! Y-You’re wrong, Sheltis! What I had to say was just an extra in the end.”<br /> <br /> “''Again with that. Ah, your heart rate just shot up all at once?''“<br /> <br /> “Kuu!? But I──”<br /> <br /> “Monica-senpai!”<br /> <br /> Monica was trying to take a step backwards when she was caught by Ymy whose eyes were shining.<br /> <br /> “Senpai, is that true? You were worried about me?”<br /> <br /> “N-No……well……you know, it’s a given that a Guard worries about a Priestess.”<br /> <br /> The unit leader was mumbling her words.<br /> <br /> ……Well, it looks like this will end without me needing to think up a reason for why Ymy and I are together.<br /> <br /> Secretly relieved, Sheltis walked towards the elevator.<br /> <br /> “''Sheltis, Eyriey and Yuto might be coming to play around now.''“<br /> <br /> “Ah, that’s right, we have to hurry. Well then, Monica, see you tomorrow.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, h-hey, Sheltis, wait! I’m not done talking───!”<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Part 8===<br /> <br /> “……What’s this, it’s awfully noisy outside.”<br /> <br /> Leon closed the book he was reading and stood up when he heard several voices coming from the hall.<br /> <br /> This was floor 287 belonging to the Priestesses. A civilian wouldn’t be able to enter and it was unthinkable for a Guard to cause such a commotion on a Priestess’ floor.<br /> <br /> So it the one causing this commotion Meimel? Or maybe it’s Ran?<br /> <br /> After he contemplated for a little while at that spot.<br /> <br /> “……I’ll leave it alone.”<br /> <br /> Leon opened the book he was reading again and sat back down.<br /> <br /> It was a usual thing for Ran to shriek because of Meimel’s pranks so he wouldn’t want to add himself to the mix. And above all, there was somebody who would be anxious if he were to move from this spot right now.<br /> <br /> “───”<br /> <br /> He looked down wordlessly at the table and there was a silent black-haired girl with her eyes shut in front of it.<br /> <br /> ……It’s about time for the barrier transfer ceremony for Syun-rei.<br /> <br /> ……She’s sure to be uneasy so I have to be by her side until then.<br /> <br /> Normally, this would be the time when he would have a spar with somebody like Ran. Horn Nova had also returned to the tower after a long absence so he had wanted to spar with her but he had to hold back for a little while.<br /> <br /> “…………Leon.”<br /> <br /> “Mm?”<br /> <br /> Silently gazing at her, the girl whose escort he worked as opened her eyes.<br /> <br /> “…………I’ll make some tea. What do you want?”<br /> <br /> In that case, I’ll do it ─── he had reflexively gone to say that but pushed it back down when he got to his throat.<br /> <br /> “Something a little more fragrant.”<br /> <br /> “…………Okay.”<br /> <br /> She quietly headed to the kitchen.<br /> <br /> ……That’s right.<br /> <br /> ……She’ll be anxious if she’s not doing anything. There would be no meaning to it if I did it in her stead.<br /> <br /> With a smile on his face that had hints of wryness in it, Leon watched the girl’s small back as she left.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> ==Translator's Notes and References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> {{SimpleNav}}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru&diff=379656 Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 2014-08-08T18:03:05Z <p>Acolyte: /* Series Overview */</p> <hr /> <div>{{Status|Active}}<br /> <br /> [[Image:OreShura1cover.jpg|286px|thumb|Volume 1 Cover]]<br /> <br /> The light-novel series '''Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru''' (俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる short &quot;OreShura&quot;, lit. &quot;My Girlfriend and Childhood Friend Fight Too Much&quot;) is written by [[:Category:Yuuji Yuuji|Yuuji Yuuji]], illustrated by Ruroo and published by SoftBank Creative under their imprint GA Bunko.<br /> <br /> A manga adaptation drawn by Nanasuke started serialization in June 2011. A spinoff manga drawn by Inase Shinya based on scenarios provided by Yuuji Yuuji, and also a 4-koma written and drawn by Marimo, started serialization in October 2011. Early in 2013, a new manga spin-off titled drawn by Mutsutake was serialized.<br /> <br /> Also two drama CDs have been released by HOBiRECORDS in 2011.<br /> <br /> An anime adaption by A-1 Pictures consisting of 13 episodes aired between January 6 and March 31, 2013. It covered the first 4 volumes.<br /> &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;<br /> ----<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> The '''Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru''' series is also available in the following languages:<br /> <br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru - Français|Français (French)]]<br /> *[[Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_~Brazilian_Portuguese~|Português Brasileiro (Brazilian)]]<br /> *[[Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_~rus~|Русский (Russian)]]<br /> <br /> '''Note''': Translation progress varies for each version.<br /> &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Story Synopsis==<br /> Kidou Eita enters high school with the aim to attend medical school. Due to his parent's divorce and his intention to maintain his grades, he shuns anything to do with romance or love. One day, the school beauty Natsukawa Masuzu invites him to walk home with her, though he initially refuses. After she continues to do this for several days, he gives in and walks home with her. Masuzu is tired of constantly getting confessed to by boys, so she suggests that she and Eita become a fake couple. Although Eita tries to refuse, Masuzu blackmails him into becoming her boyfriend in name only. News spreads fast within the school of the new couple and Eita's childhood friend, Harusaki Chiwa, begins to confront Masuzu for Eita's affections.<br /> <br /> == Updates ==<br /> {{:OreShura_Updates}}<br /> :: '''All updates''' can be found '''[[OreShura Updates|here]]'''.<br /> <br /> ==Formalities==<br /> ===Registration===<br /> Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br /> <br /> '''Translators are asked to [[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Registration|register]] which chapters they're working on.'''<br /> <br /> ::* '''[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Registration|Registration Page]]'''<br /> <br /> ===Format Standards===<br /> '''Every chapter must after editing conform to the general format guidelines.'''<br /> <br /> *[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Registration:Names_and_Terminology|OreShura Specific Guidelines]] (must-read before editing chapters)<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;!--THE FOLLOWING CODE IS INTENTIONAL AND CHANGES MAY DAMAGE IT. SEE http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=User:Cautr FOR MORE INFORMATION--&gt;<br /> <br /> ==The &quot;''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreshura Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru]''&quot; series by Yuuji Yuuji==<br /> If you enjoyed the series, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&amp;t=4637 Feedback Thread]?<br /> &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> ===Volume 1 ([[OreShura: Volume 1 Full Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 0|#0: Childhood Friend's Confession Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 1|#1: Highschool Life begins in Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 2|#2: Confession from a Classmate ends in Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 3|#3: Girlfriend V.S. Childhood Friend = Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 4|#4: Newly formed club is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 5|#5: Light Music is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 6|#6: The Inside of a Skirt is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 7|#7: Your Past Life is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 8|#8: A Childhood Friend's Tears are Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 9|#9: A Fight Between Men is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 10|#10: The First XXX is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 11|#11: It's the Epilogue; yet, it's Merciless Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Afterword|Afterword]]: (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v01 000g.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 1]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 2 ([[OreShura: Volume 2 Full Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 0|#0: This is Obviously My House... in Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 1|#1: Childhood Friend's Love Letter? It's Mayhem.]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 2|#2: A Maiden's Poem is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 3|#3: After school with My Girlfriend is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 4|#4: When my Girlfriend Changes into a Swimsuit, it's Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 5|#5: Childhood Friend's Room is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 6|#6: The Truth About the Love Letter is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 7|#7: Beautiful Angelic Maidens Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 8|#8: Toast Attack is Mayhem!]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 9|#9: The Gloomy World Split Apart is Mayhem]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 10|#10: A New Step is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Afterword|Afterword]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v02 000g.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 2]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 3 ([[OreShura: Volume 3 Full Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 0|#0: Mayhem on the Bed]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 1|#1: It's Summer Cram School Class but Mayhem nonetheless]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 2|#2: At a Café with My Girlfriend is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 3|#3: Love Master's Laugh is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 4|#4: Believing in My Girlfriend is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 5|#5: Waiting to be Confessed to is Mayhem]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 6|#6: I Thought it was a Romantic Opportunity, but it ended up as Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 7|#7: Double Date in the Movie Theater is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 8|#8: The Disciplinary Committee Member's Secret is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 9|#9: The Remembered Promise is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 10|#10: Revive, Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Afterword|Afterword]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v03 000g.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 3]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 3.1 Booklet===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 3.1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru:Volume_3.1_Short_Story|Short Story: When I Date my Childhood Friend, My Girlfriend Gets Angry]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura_v03EX_01cov.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 3.1 Booklet]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> ===Volume 4 ([[OreShura: Volume 4 Full Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 0|#0: Announcement of the Disciplinary Committee is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 1|#1: Summer Training Meeting is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 2|#2: Love Test is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 3|#3: Game Love Mentality is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 4|#4: When my Best Friend wants to go to the Sea, it's Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 5|#5: The Elated Training on the Night Before is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 6|#6: Traveling in a Window Seat is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 7|#7: Enjoying the Flavor of the Seaside is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 8|#8: Two Women in the Kitchen is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 9|#9: Scheming an Ending is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 10|#10: Together With Girlfriend's Little Sister Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 11|#11: The Beauty Contest Pageant is Mayhem]] (Pending TLC/Proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 12|#12: The Resolution to be a Boyfriend is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 13|#13: Heading to a New World Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Afterword|Afterword]] (Pending TLC/Proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v04 000i.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 4]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 5 ([[OreShura:_Volume_5_Full_Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 0|#0: Prologue]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 1|#1: Chiwa, a Nine-Year Portion of Love]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 2|#2: Ai, Discipline and Love are Difficult to Manage]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 3|#3: Himeka, There is Someone She Likes]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 4|#4: Masuzu, Hunting the Lovestruck]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 5|#5: When Eita isn't Here, The Love Battle]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 6|#6: The End]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Afterword|Afterword]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v05 000h.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 5]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 6 ([[OreShura:_Volume_6_Full_Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 6 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 0|#0: Relationship as Fake Lovers Exposed, Leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 1|#1: The runaway Ex-Girlfriend leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 2|#2: Eighth-Grade Syndrome is Critically Ill, but it's still Mayhem (Proofread please)]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 3|#3: It's Obviously a Cooking Contest and it's still Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 4|#4: Eighth-Grade Syndrome VS. Eighth-Grade Syndrome Mayhem]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 5|#5: Eighth-Grade Syndrome VS. Disciplinary Committee President Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 6|#6: Falling from First Place is still Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 7|#7: Switching Seats to Girlfriend Leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 8|#8: Stirred Up Girlfriend's Sister Has Had Enough Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 9|#9: Receiving Guests with Girls at an Old Hotel is still Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 10|#10: Girlfriend VS. Ex-Girlfriend Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 11|#11: Masuzu's True Self]] <br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 12|#12: Witness. Mayhem. And then...]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v06 000j.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 6]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 6.5===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 6.5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 1|#1: That which the Girlfriend Said was a Lie]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 2|#2: She Appears! The 3rd Place Maiden]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 3|#3: The Drastic Jien-Otsu Club]] (teaser)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 4|#4: That which the Drenched Girlfriend Said was a Lie]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 5|#5: Childhood Friend's Caring]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 6|#6: Sympathy, Jealously, and Ferris Wheels]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 7|#7: The Real Kiss]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 8|#8: Empty Words to Become Cruel, Reality is too Cruel]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 9|#9: The Girlfriend's Return and the Boyfriends Intention]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 10|#10: Faded Love, Again Begins to Flicker Love]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 11|#11: In Order to Become an Outstanding Maiden]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v065 000h.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 6.5]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 7===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 7 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 0|#0 Masuzu's Letter]] <br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 1|#1 School Festival leads to Mayhem]] <br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 2|#2 Breaking up leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 3|#3 Mayhem aimed at Christmas]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 4|#4 Forcing someone's wife leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 7|Chapter 7]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 8|Chapter 8]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 9|Chapter 9]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 10|Chapter 10]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 11|Chapter 11]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 12|Chapter 12]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 13|Chapter 13]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 14|Chapter 14]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v07 000 b.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 7]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Project Staff==<br /> <br /> *Supervisor:<br /> *Project Manager: [[User:Cloudii|Cloudii]]<br /> <br /> ===Translators===<br /> '''ACTIVE'''<br /> :* [[User:Cloudii|Cloudii]] (schedule updates on user-page)<br /> :* [[User:Timo|Timo]]<br /> <br /> '''INACTIVE'''<br /> :* [[User:Larethian|Larethian]]<br /> :* [[User:Wildk|Wildk]]<br /> :* [[User:Starduster|Starduster]]<br /> <br /> ===Editors===<br /> '''ACTIVE'''<br /> :* [[User:Okashira|Okashira]]<br /> :* [[User:Shipin|Shipin]]<br /> :* [[User:OhHaiThar|OhHaiThar]]<br /> <br /> '''INACTIVE'''<br /> :* [[User:Alviam099|Alviam099]]<br /> :* [[User:Niall_Hamilton|Niall_Hamilton]]<br /> :* [[User:OmgNoPls|OmgNoPls]]<br /> :* [[User:cautr|cautr]]<br /> <br /> ==Series Overview==<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる (February 28th, 2011) ISBN 978-4-7973-6396-8<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 2 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる2 (June 30th, 2011) ISBN 978-4-7973-6561-0<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 3 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる3 (September 30th, 2011) ISBN 978-4-7973-6678-5<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 4 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる4 (December 31th, 2011) ISBN 978-4-7973-6815-4<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 5 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる5 (July 31th, 2012) ISBN 978-4-7973-6971-7<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 6 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる6 (January 31th, 2013) ISBN 978-4-7973-7284-7<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 6.5 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる6.5 (February 28th, 2013) ISBN 978-4-7973-7284-7<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 7 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる7 (February 15th, 2014) ISBN 978-4-7973-7555-8 <br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 8 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる8 (July 14th, 2014) ISBN 978-4-7973-7734-7<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;'''Page ID:''' &lt;section begin=id /&gt;17310&lt;section end=id /&gt; ({{PAGEID}})&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> [[Category:GA Bunko]]<br /> [[Category:Genre - Harem]]<br /> [[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br /> [[Category:Yuuji Yuuji]]</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru&diff=378972 Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 2014-08-07T00:38:25Z <p>Acolyte: /* Volume 6(Full Text) */</p> <hr /> <div>{{Status|Active}}<br /> <br /> [[Image:OreShura1cover.jpg|286px|thumb|Volume 1 Cover]]<br /> <br /> The light-novel series '''Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru''' (俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる short &quot;OreShura&quot;, lit. &quot;My Girlfriend and Childhood Friend Fight Too Much&quot;) is written by [[:Category:Yuuji Yuuji|Yuuji Yuuji]], illustrated by Ruroo and published by SoftBank Creative under their imprint GA Bunko.<br /> <br /> A manga adaptation drawn by Nanasuke started serialization in June 2011. A spinoff manga drawn by Inase Shinya based on scenarios provided by Yuuji Yuuji, and also a 4-koma written and drawn by Marimo, started serialization in October 2011. Early in 2013, a new manga spin-off titled drawn by Mutsutake was serialized.<br /> <br /> Also two drama CDs have been released by HOBiRECORDS in 2011.<br /> <br /> An anime adaption by A-1 Pictures consisting of 13 episodes aired between January 6 and March 31, 2013. It covered the first 4 volumes.<br /> &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;<br /> ----<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> The '''Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru''' series is also available in the following languages:<br /> <br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru - Français|Français (French)]]<br /> *[[Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_~Brazilian_Portuguese~|Português Brasileiro (Brazilian)]]<br /> *[[Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_~rus~|Русский (Russian)]]<br /> <br /> '''Note''': Translation progress varies for each version.<br /> &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Story Synopsis==<br /> Kidou Eita enters high school with the aim to attend medical school. Due to his parent's divorce and his intention to maintain his grades, he shuns anything to do with romance or love. One day, the school beauty Natsukawa Masuzu invites him to walk home with her, though he initially refuses. After she continues to do this for several days, he gives in and walks home with her. Masuzu is tired of constantly getting confessed to by boys, so she suggests that she and Eita become a fake couple. Although Eita tries to refuse, Masuzu blackmails him into becoming her boyfriend in name only. News spreads fast within the school of the new couple and Eita's childhood friend, Harusaki Chiwa, begins to confront Masuzu for Eita's affections.<br /> <br /> == Updates ==<br /> {{:OreShura_Updates}}<br /> :: '''All updates''' can be found '''[[OreShura Updates|here]]'''.<br /> <br /> ==Formalities==<br /> ===Registration===<br /> Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br /> <br /> '''Translators are asked to [[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Registration|register]] which chapters they're working on.'''<br /> <br /> ::* '''[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Registration|Registration Page]]'''<br /> <br /> ===Format Standards===<br /> '''Every chapter must after editing conform to the general format guidelines.'''<br /> <br /> *[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Registration:Names_and_Terminology|OreShura Specific Guidelines]] (must-read before editing chapters)<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;!--THE FOLLOWING CODE IS INTENTIONAL AND CHANGES MAY DAMAGE IT. SEE http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=User:Cautr FOR MORE INFORMATION--&gt;<br /> <br /> ==The &quot;''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreshura Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru]''&quot; series by Yuuji Yuuji==<br /> If you enjoyed the series, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&amp;t=4637 Feedback Thread]?<br /> &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> ===Volume 1 ([[OreShura: Volume 1 Full Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 0|#0: Childhood Friend's Confession Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 1|#1: Highschool Life begins in Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 2|#2: Confession from a Classmate ends in Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 3|#3: Girlfriend V.S. Childhood Friend = Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 4|#4: Newly formed club is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 5|#5: Light Music is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 6|#6: The Inside of a Skirt is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 7|#7: Your Past Life is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 8|#8: A Childhood Friend's Tears are Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 9|#9: A Fight Between Men is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 10|#10: The First XXX is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 11|#11: It's the Epilogue; yet, it's Merciless Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Afterword|Afterword]]: (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v01 000g.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 1]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 2 ([[OreShura: Volume 2 Full Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 0|#0: This is Obviously My House... in Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 1|#1: Childhood Friend's Love Letter? It's Mayhem.]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 2|#2: A Maiden's Poem is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 3|#3: After school with My Girlfriend is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 4|#4: When my Girlfriend Changes into a Swimsuit, it's Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 5|#5: Childhood Friend's Room is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 6|#6: The Truth About the Love Letter is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 7|#7: Beautiful Angelic Maidens Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 8|#8: Toast Attack is Mayhem!]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 9|#9: The Gloomy World Split Apart is Mayhem]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 10|#10: A New Step is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Afterword|Afterword]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v02 000g.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 2]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 3 ([[OreShura: Volume 3 Full Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 0|#0: Mayhem on the Bed]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 1|#1: It's Summer Cram School Class but Mayhem nonetheless]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 2|#2: At a Café with My Girlfriend is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 3|#3: Love Master's Laugh is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 4|#4: Believing in My Girlfriend is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 5|#5: Waiting to be Confessed to is Mayhem]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 6|#6: I Thought it was a Romantic Opportunity, but it ended up as Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 7|#7: Double Date in the Movie Theater is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 8|#8: The Disciplinary Committee Member's Secret is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 9|#9: The Remembered Promise is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 10|#10: Revive, Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Afterword|Afterword]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v03 000g.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 3]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 3.1 Booklet===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 3.1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru:Volume_3.1_Short_Story|Short Story: When I Date my Childhood Friend, My Girlfriend Gets Angry]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura_v03EX_01cov.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 3.1 Booklet]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> ===Volume 4 ([[OreShura: Volume 4 Full Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 0|#0: Announcement of the Disciplinary Committee is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 1|#1: Summer Training Meeting is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 2|#2: Love Test is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 3|#3: Game Love Mentality is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 4|#4: When my Best Friend wants to go to the Sea, it's Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 5|#5: The Elated Training on the Night Before is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 6|#6: Traveling in a Window Seat is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 7|#7: Enjoying the Flavor of the Seaside is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 8|#8: Two Women in the Kitchen is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 9|#9: Scheming an Ending is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 10|#10: Together With Girlfriend's Little Sister Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 11|#11: The Beauty Contest Pageant is Mayhem]] (Pending TLC/Proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 12|#12: The Resolution to be a Boyfriend is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 13|#13: Heading to a New World Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Afterword|Afterword]] (Pending TLC/Proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v04 000i.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 4]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 5 ([[OreShura:_Volume_5_Full_Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 0|#0: Prologue]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 1|#1: Chiwa, a Nine-Year Portion of Love]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 2|#2: Ai, Discipline and Love are Difficult to Manage]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 3|#3: Himeka, There is Someone She Likes]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 4|#4: Masuzu, Hunting the Lovestruck]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 5|#5: When Eita isn't Here, The Love Battle]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 6|#6: The End]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Afterword|Afterword]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v05 000h.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 5]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 6 ([[OreShura:_Volume_6_Full_Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 6 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 0|#0: Relationship as Fake Lovers Exposed, Leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 1|#1: The runaway Ex-Girlfriend leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 2|#2: Eighth-Grade Syndrome is Critically Ill, but it's still Mayhem (Proofread please)]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 3|#3: It's Obviously a Cooking Contest and it's still Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 4|#4: Eighth-Grade Syndrome VS. Eighth-Grade Syndrome Mayhem]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 5|#5: Eighth-Grade Syndrome VS. Disciplinary Committee President Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 6|#6: Falling from First Place is still Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 7|#7: Switching Seats to Girlfriend Leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 8|#8: Stirred Up Girlfriend's Sister Has Had Enough Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 9|#9: Receiving Guests with Girls at an Old Hotel is still Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 10|#10: Girlfriend VS. Ex-Girlfriend Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 11|#11: Masuzu's True Self]] <br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 12|#12: Witness. Mayhem. And then...]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v06 000j.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 6]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 6.5===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 6.5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 1|#1: That which the Girlfriend Said was a Lie]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 2|#2: She Appears! The 3rd Place Maiden]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 3|#3: The Drastic Jien-Otsu Club]] (teaser)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 4|#4: That which the Drenched Girlfriend Said was a Lie]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 5|#5: Childhood Friend's Caring]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 6|#6: Sympathy, Jealously, and Ferris Wheels]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 7|#7: The Real Kiss]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 8|#8: Empty Words to Become Cruel, Reality is too Cruel]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 9|#9: The Girlfriend's Return and the Boyfriends Intention]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 10|#10: Faded Love, Again Begins to Flicker Love]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 11|#11: In Order to Become an Outstanding Maiden]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v065 000h.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 6.5]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 7===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 7 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 0|#0 Masuzu's Letter]] <br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 1|#1 School Festival leads to Mayhem]] (teaser)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 2|#2 Breaking up leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 3|#3 Mayhem aimed at Christmas]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 4|#4 Forcing someone's wife leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 7|Chapter 7]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 8|Chapter 8]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 9|Chapter 9]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 10|Chapter 10]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 11|Chapter 11]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 12|Chapter 12]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 13|Chapter 13]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 14|Chapter 14]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v07 000 b.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 7]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Project Staff==<br /> <br /> *Supervisor:<br /> *Project Manager: [[User:Cloudii|Cloudii]]<br /> <br /> ===Translators===<br /> '''ACTIVE'''<br /> :* [[User:Cloudii|Cloudii]] (schedule updates on user-page)<br /> :* [[User:Timo|Timo]]<br /> <br /> '''INACTIVE'''<br /> :* [[User:Larethian|Larethian]]<br /> :* [[User:Wildk|Wildk]]<br /> :* [[User:Starduster|Starduster]]<br /> <br /> ===Editors===<br /> '''ACTIVE'''<br /> :* [[User:Okashira|Okashira]]<br /> :* [[User:Shipin|Shipin]]<br /> :* [[User:OhHaiThar|OhHaiThar]]<br /> <br /> '''INACTIVE'''<br /> :* [[User:Alviam099|Alviam099]]<br /> :* [[User:Niall_Hamilton|Niall_Hamilton]]<br /> :* [[User:OmgNoPls|OmgNoPls]]<br /> :* [[User:cautr|cautr]]<br /> <br /> ==Series Overview==<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる (February 28th, 2011) ISBN 978-4-7973-6396-8<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 2 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる2 (June 30th, 2011) ISBN 978-4-7973-6561-0<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 3 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる3 (September 30th, 2011) ISBN 978-4-7973-6678-5<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 4 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる4 (December 31th, 2011) ISBN 978-4-7973-6815-4<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 5 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる5 (July 31th, 2012) ISBN 978-4-7973-6971-7<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 6 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる6 (January 31th, 2013) ISBN 978-4-7973-7284-7<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 6.5 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる6.5 (February 28th, 2013) ISBN 978-4-7973-7284-7<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 7 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる7 (February 15th, 2014) ISBN 978-4-7973-7555-8 <br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;'''Page ID:''' &lt;section begin=id /&gt;17310&lt;section end=id /&gt; ({{PAGEID}})&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> [[Category:GA Bunko]]<br /> [[Category:Genre - Harem]]<br /> [[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br /> [[Category:Yuuji Yuuji]]</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru&diff=378971 Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 2014-08-07T00:37:12Z <p>Acolyte: /* Volume 6 */</p> <hr /> <div>{{Status|Active}}<br /> <br /> [[Image:OreShura1cover.jpg|286px|thumb|Volume 1 Cover]]<br /> <br /> The light-novel series '''Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru''' (俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる short &quot;OreShura&quot;, lit. &quot;My Girlfriend and Childhood Friend Fight Too Much&quot;) is written by [[:Category:Yuuji Yuuji|Yuuji Yuuji]], illustrated by Ruroo and published by SoftBank Creative under their imprint GA Bunko.<br /> <br /> A manga adaptation drawn by Nanasuke started serialization in June 2011. A spinoff manga drawn by Inase Shinya based on scenarios provided by Yuuji Yuuji, and also a 4-koma written and drawn by Marimo, started serialization in October 2011. Early in 2013, a new manga spin-off titled drawn by Mutsutake was serialized.<br /> <br /> Also two drama CDs have been released by HOBiRECORDS in 2011.<br /> <br /> An anime adaption by A-1 Pictures consisting of 13 episodes aired between January 6 and March 31, 2013. It covered the first 4 volumes.<br /> &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;<br /> ----<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> The '''Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru''' series is also available in the following languages:<br /> <br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru - Français|Français (French)]]<br /> *[[Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_~Brazilian_Portuguese~|Português Brasileiro (Brazilian)]]<br /> *[[Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_~rus~|Русский (Russian)]]<br /> <br /> '''Note''': Translation progress varies for each version.<br /> &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Story Synopsis==<br /> Kidou Eita enters high school with the aim to attend medical school. Due to his parent's divorce and his intention to maintain his grades, he shuns anything to do with romance or love. One day, the school beauty Natsukawa Masuzu invites him to walk home with her, though he initially refuses. After she continues to do this for several days, he gives in and walks home with her. Masuzu is tired of constantly getting confessed to by boys, so she suggests that she and Eita become a fake couple. Although Eita tries to refuse, Masuzu blackmails him into becoming her boyfriend in name only. News spreads fast within the school of the new couple and Eita's childhood friend, Harusaki Chiwa, begins to confront Masuzu for Eita's affections.<br /> <br /> == Updates ==<br /> {{:OreShura_Updates}}<br /> :: '''All updates''' can be found '''[[OreShura Updates|here]]'''.<br /> <br /> ==Formalities==<br /> ===Registration===<br /> Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br /> <br /> '''Translators are asked to [[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Registration|register]] which chapters they're working on.'''<br /> <br /> ::* '''[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Registration|Registration Page]]'''<br /> <br /> ===Format Standards===<br /> '''Every chapter must after editing conform to the general format guidelines.'''<br /> <br /> *[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Registration:Names_and_Terminology|OreShura Specific Guidelines]] (must-read before editing chapters)<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;!--THE FOLLOWING CODE IS INTENTIONAL AND CHANGES MAY DAMAGE IT. SEE http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=User:Cautr FOR MORE INFORMATION--&gt;<br /> <br /> ==The &quot;''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreshura Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru]''&quot; series by Yuuji Yuuji==<br /> If you enjoyed the series, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&amp;t=4637 Feedback Thread]?<br /> &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> ===Volume 1 ([[OreShura: Volume 1 Full Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 0|#0: Childhood Friend's Confession Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 1|#1: Highschool Life begins in Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 2|#2: Confession from a Classmate ends in Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 3|#3: Girlfriend V.S. Childhood Friend = Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 4|#4: Newly formed club is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 5|#5: Light Music is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 6|#6: The Inside of a Skirt is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 7|#7: Your Past Life is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 8|#8: A Childhood Friend's Tears are Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 9|#9: A Fight Between Men is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 10|#10: The First XXX is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 11|#11: It's the Epilogue; yet, it's Merciless Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 1 Afterword|Afterword]]: (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v01 000g.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 1]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 2 ([[OreShura: Volume 2 Full Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 0|#0: This is Obviously My House... in Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 1|#1: Childhood Friend's Love Letter? It's Mayhem.]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 2|#2: A Maiden's Poem is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 3|#3: After school with My Girlfriend is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 4|#4: When my Girlfriend Changes into a Swimsuit, it's Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 5|#5: Childhood Friend's Room is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 6|#6: The Truth About the Love Letter is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 7|#7: Beautiful Angelic Maidens Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 8|#8: Toast Attack is Mayhem!]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 9|#9: The Gloomy World Split Apart is Mayhem]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 10|#10: A New Step is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 2 Afterword|Afterword]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v02 000g.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 2]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 3 ([[OreShura: Volume 3 Full Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 0|#0: Mayhem on the Bed]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 1|#1: It's Summer Cram School Class but Mayhem nonetheless]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 2|#2: At a Café with My Girlfriend is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 3|#3: Love Master's Laugh is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 4|#4: Believing in My Girlfriend is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 5|#5: Waiting to be Confessed to is Mayhem]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 6|#6: I Thought it was a Romantic Opportunity, but it ended up as Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 7|#7: Double Date in the Movie Theater is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 8|#8: The Disciplinary Committee Member's Secret is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 9|#9: The Remembered Promise is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 10|#10: Revive, Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 3 Afterword|Afterword]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v03 000g.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 3]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 3.1 Booklet===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 3.1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru:Volume_3.1_Short_Story|Short Story: When I Date my Childhood Friend, My Girlfriend Gets Angry]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura_v03EX_01cov.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 3.1 Booklet]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> ===Volume 4 ([[OreShura: Volume 4 Full Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 0|#0: Announcement of the Disciplinary Committee is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 1|#1: Summer Training Meeting is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 2|#2: Love Test is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 3|#3: Game Love Mentality is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 4|#4: When my Best Friend wants to go to the Sea, it's Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 5|#5: The Elated Training on the Night Before is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 6|#6: Traveling in a Window Seat is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 7|#7: Enjoying the Flavor of the Seaside is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 8|#8: Two Women in the Kitchen is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 9|#9: Scheming an Ending is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 10|#10: Together With Girlfriend's Little Sister Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 11|#11: The Beauty Contest Pageant is Mayhem]] (Pending TLC/Proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 12|#12: The Resolution to be a Boyfriend is Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 13|#13: Heading to a New World Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 4 Afterword|Afterword]] (Pending TLC/Proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v04 000i.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 4]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 5 ([[OreShura:_Volume_5_Full_Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 0|#0: Prologue]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 1|#1: Chiwa, a Nine-Year Portion of Love]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 2|#2: Ai, Discipline and Love are Difficult to Manage]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 3|#3: Himeka, There is Someone She Likes]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 4|#4: Masuzu, Hunting the Lovestruck]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 5|#5: When Eita isn't Here, The Love Battle]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 6|#6: The End]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 5 Afterword|Afterword]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v05 000h.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 5]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 6([[OreShura:_Volume_6_Full_Text|Full Text]])===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 6 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 0|#0: Relationship as Fake Lovers Exposed, Leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 1|#1: The runaway Ex-Girlfriend leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 2|#2: Eighth-Grade Syndrome is Critically Ill, but it's still Mayhem (Proofread please)]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 3|#3: It's Obviously a Cooking Contest and it's still Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 4|#4: Eighth-Grade Syndrome VS. Eighth-Grade Syndrome Mayhem]] (pending TLC/proofread)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 5|#5: Eighth-Grade Syndrome VS. Disciplinary Committee President Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 6|#6: Falling from First Place is still Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 7|#7: Switching Seats to Girlfriend Leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 8|#8: Stirred Up Girlfriend's Sister Has Had Enough Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 9|#9: Receiving Guests with Girls at an Old Hotel is still Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 10|#10: Girlfriend VS. Ex-Girlfriend Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 11|#11: Masuzu's True Self]] <br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 12|#12: Witness. Mayhem. And then...]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v06 000j.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 6]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 6.5===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 6.5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 1|#1: That which the Girlfriend Said was a Lie]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 2|#2: She Appears! The 3rd Place Maiden]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 3|#3: The Drastic Jien-Otsu Club]] (teaser)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 4|#4: That which the Drenched Girlfriend Said was a Lie]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 5|#5: Childhood Friend's Caring]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 6|#6: Sympathy, Jealously, and Ferris Wheels]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 7|#7: The Real Kiss]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 8|#8: Empty Words to Become Cruel, Reality is too Cruel]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 9|#9: The Girlfriend's Return and the Boyfriends Intention]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 10|#10: Faded Love, Again Begins to Flicker Love]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter 11|#11: In Order to Become an Outstanding Maiden]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 6.5 Chapter Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v065 000h.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 6.5]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:100%;&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; margin: 5px 20px&quot;&gt;<br /> &lt;hr style=&quot;width: 90%; margin-left: 5%;&quot; /&gt;<br /> &lt;br/&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Volume 7===<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:470px;&quot;&gt;<br /> *[[Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru:Volume 7 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 0|#0 Masuzu's Letter]] <br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 1|#1 School Festival leads to Mayhem]] (teaser)<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 2|#2 Breaking up leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 3|#3 Mayhem aimed at Christmas]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 4|#4 Forcing someone's wife leads to Mayhem]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 7|Chapter 7]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 8|Chapter 8]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 9|Chapter 9]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 10|Chapter 10]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 11|Chapter 11]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 12|Chapter 12]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 13|Chapter 13]]<br /> *[[OreShura: Volume 7 Chapter 14|Chapter 14]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;float: left; width:200px;&quot;&gt;<br /> [[File:Oreshura v07 000 b.jpg|thumb|x200px|Volume 7]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;/div&gt;<br /> &lt;br style=&quot;clear: both;&quot; /&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Project Staff==<br /> <br /> *Supervisor:<br /> *Project Manager: [[User:Cloudii|Cloudii]]<br /> <br /> ===Translators===<br /> '''ACTIVE'''<br /> :* [[User:Cloudii|Cloudii]] (schedule updates on user-page)<br /> :* [[User:Timo|Timo]]<br /> <br /> '''INACTIVE'''<br /> :* [[User:Larethian|Larethian]]<br /> :* [[User:Wildk|Wildk]]<br /> :* [[User:Starduster|Starduster]]<br /> <br /> ===Editors===<br /> '''ACTIVE'''<br /> :* [[User:Okashira|Okashira]]<br /> :* [[User:Shipin|Shipin]]<br /> :* [[User:OhHaiThar|OhHaiThar]]<br /> <br /> '''INACTIVE'''<br /> :* [[User:Alviam099|Alviam099]]<br /> :* [[User:Niall_Hamilton|Niall_Hamilton]]<br /> :* [[User:OmgNoPls|OmgNoPls]]<br /> :* [[User:cautr|cautr]]<br /> <br /> ==Series Overview==<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる (February 28th, 2011) ISBN 978-4-7973-6396-8<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 2 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる2 (June 30th, 2011) ISBN 978-4-7973-6561-0<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 3 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる3 (September 30th, 2011) ISBN 978-4-7973-6678-5<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 4 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる4 (December 31th, 2011) ISBN 978-4-7973-6815-4<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 5 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる5 (July 31th, 2012) ISBN 978-4-7973-6971-7<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 6 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる6 (January 31th, 2013) ISBN 978-4-7973-7284-7<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 6.5 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる6.5 (February 28th, 2013) ISBN 978-4-7973-7284-7<br /> *Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru 7 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる7 (February 15th, 2014) ISBN 978-4-7973-7555-8 <br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;'''Page ID:''' &lt;section begin=id /&gt;17310&lt;section end=id /&gt; ({{PAGEID}})&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> [[Category:GA Bunko]]<br /> [[Category:Genre - Harem]]<br /> [[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br /> [[Category:Yuuji Yuuji]]</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=OreShura:_Volume_6_Full_Text&diff=378970 OreShura: Volume 6 Full Text 2014-08-07T00:36:46Z <p>Acolyte: Created page with &quot;==Novel Illustrations== {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Illustrations}} {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_0}} {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_1}} {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_2}} {{:OreShura...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>==Novel Illustrations==<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Illustrations}}<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_0}}<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_1}}<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_2}}<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_3}}<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_4}}<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_5}}<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_6}}<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_7}}<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_8}}<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_9}}<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_10}}<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_11}}<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Chapter_12}}<br /> {{:OreShura: Volume_6_Afterword}}<br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> ==Translator notes and references==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> <br /> {| border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;5&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; style=&quot;margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;&quot;<br /> |-<br /> | Return to [[Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru|Main Page]]<br /> |-<br /> |}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=User_talk:Tasear&diff=378156 User talk:Tasear 2014-08-05T05:17:46Z <p>Acolyte: /* Antimagic Academy */</p> <hr /> <div>==Comments/Support==<br /> Happy birthday mate~, wishing you all the best. --[[User:Krytyk|Krytyk]] ([[User talk:Krytyk|talk]]) 18:29, 16 January 2014 (CST)<br /> <br /> ==Editor==<br /> ===MA Series===<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ===Madan no Ou to Vanadis===<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Rakuin no Monshou===<br /> <br /> With regards to your edit &quot;... Asking me ‘How is Orba-kun doing?’ and such.” to &quot;..., asking me &quot;How is Orba-kun doing...and such.” The comma and sentence merge is fine, but I believe the changes to the quotes should be undone. The original was the correct way to indicate a quote (single quotation marks) within regular dialogue. And the edit changes what Doug said: in the original, &quot;and such&quot; was not part of what Doug actually said, it implied other similar statements, but now it is part of his quote. --[[User:Cthaeh|Cthaeh]] ([[User talk:Cthaeh|talk]]) 21:21, 4 August 2014 (CDT)<br /> <br /> ===Mushoku Tensei===<br /> Dear Tasear,<br /> <br /> Thank you for your interest in Mushoku Tensei, <br /> <br /> You are more then welcome to the project, it would especially helpful if you can start with the chapters that are labelled with &quot;editing&quot;, &quot;Editing in progress&quot; or &quot;need...editing&quot;. You can pretty much see a lot of them at the moment! haha.<br /> <br /> Anyway, thank you for volunteering and i look forward to your contributions.<br /> <br /> Best Regards,<br /> <br /> Onizuka-GTO 01:21, 4 August 2014 (CDT)<br /> <br /> ===Antimagic Academy===<br /> Replied to you in the Antimagic Academy v4c6 talk section. !? is different than ! in terms of novel writing. Agreed that it's not something common with English text but with Japanese text it's more than common. Partially due to manga influence. I didn't undo your change however as I can't TLC. [[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] ([[User talk:Acolyte|talk]]) 17:23, 4 August 2014 (CDT)<br /> <br /> Thanks for your explanation! I have never seen interrobang before, so the concept feels foreign to me. However, in manga the !? is used for a lot of silliness, so that's why I was familiar with it. I must say it's the first time I've heard the concept when I read the talk page. [[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] ([[User talk:Acolyte|talk]]) 00:17, 5 August 2014 (CDT)<br /> <br /> ==Translator==<br /> <br /> ===Mahouka no Rettousei===</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=User_talk:Tasear&diff=378029 User talk:Tasear 2014-08-04T22:23:15Z <p>Acolyte: </p> <hr /> <div>==Comments/Support==<br /> Happy birthday mate~, wishing you all the best. --[[User:Krytyk|Krytyk]] ([[User talk:Krytyk|talk]]) 18:29, 16 January 2014 (CST)<br /> <br /> ==Editor==<br /> ===MA Series===<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ===Madan no Ou to Vanadis===<br /> <br /> <br /> ===Rakuin no Monshou===<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ===Mushoku Tensei===<br /> Dear Tasear,<br /> <br /> Thank you for your interest in Mushoku Tensei, <br /> <br /> You are more then welcome to the project, it would especially helpful if you can start with the chapters that are labelled with &quot;editing&quot;, &quot;Editing in progress&quot; or &quot;need...editing&quot;. You can pretty much see a lot of them at the moment! haha.<br /> <br /> Anyway, thank you for volunteering and i look forward to your contributions.<br /> <br /> Best Regards,<br /> <br /> Onizuka-GTO 01:21, 4 August 2014 (CDT)<br /> <br /> ====Antimagic Academy===<br /> Replied to you in the Antimagic Academy v4c6 talk section. !? is different than ! in terms of novel writing. Agreed that it's not something common with English text but with Japanese text it's more than common. Partially due to manga influence. I didn't undo your change however as I can't TLC. [[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] ([[User talk:Acolyte|talk]]) 17:23, 4 August 2014 (CDT)<br /> <br /> ==Translator==<br /> <br /> ===Mahouka no Rettousei===</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=CubexCursedxCurious:Volume14_Epilogue&diff=378027 CubexCursedxCurious:Volume14 Epilogue 2014-08-04T22:20:11Z <p>Acolyte: Undo revision 378023 by DarkeKyuubi (talk) Yeah it doesn't seem to be a typo, it's like using the small 'tsu' to repeat the consonant. Technically you can fix it to be 'Kote-cchan'</p> <hr /> <div>==Epilogue==<br /> <br /> ===Part 1===<br /> <br /> She watched that scene silently without saying a word.<br /> <br /> The soil of the garden dyed red. Bleeding from his head, he was lying there unmoving.<br /> <br /> Back then, what she had felt was—<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> In order to deceive herself about that feeling, she had thought to herself.<br /> <br /> (I-Is he an idiot...?)<br /> <br /> In order to rescue her from jumping off the tree, he had jumped without hesitation at all.<br /> <br /> The gesture sounded very touching, but it was completely futile. Of course. An ordinary child could not possibly rescue her. They would simply get entangled and fall to the ground together. He was only going to serve as a human cushion to soften the impact&amp;mdash;no, even becoming a cushion completely was not possible. In other words, it was no different from ordinary suicide by jumping off a building.<br /> <br /> Too foolish&amp;mdash;She could not help but think that.<br /> <br /> She glanced at his face, whose eyes still seemed to be slightly open. He was still conscious?<br /> <br /> At this time, she remembered. A possible reason why he would do this kind of thing.<br /> <br /> &quot;&amp;mdash;Thou didst this for the contract? Because thou wanted to help me, thereby becoming a true master-servant relationship?&quot;<br /> <br /> However, the answer he gave in a tiny voice was not the one she was expecting.<br /> <br /> &quot;What is a... contract...?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;!&quot;<br /> <br /> He had forgotten. She was stunned speechless.<br /> <br /> But at the same time, she understood in the bottom of her heart.<br /> <br /> He had forgotten. This was the answer. He had truly forgotten. More than likely&amp;mdash;he had even forgotten she was a cursed tool.<br /> <br /> (How utterly... foolish...!)<br /> <br /> Even if he had forgotten, she still remembered. The promise made as a joke. An oath akin to playing games with words.<br /> <br /> However much thou helpest me, I shall repay thee accordingly&amp;mdash;She had certainly said that.<br /> <br /> In that case, how should she repay this level of folly?<br /> <br /> This folly of putting himself on the line to save her, for the sake of rescuing a cursed tool from an insignificant fall. Confronted with such massive folly, did she have anything to repay him&amp;mdash;?<br /> <br /> &quot;Urgh... Nnnnnn...&quot;<br /> <br /> Then&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> With his head bleeding, he moved his body slightly. The blood became even clearer in view.<br /> <br /> She noticed the fluttering of her heart. This was not worry about whether he could be saved. Absolutely not.<br /> <br /> Precisely because she harbored such lofty pride, she was unable to deceived herself regarding the thoughts in her heart.<br /> <br /> Admit it.<br /> <br /> Right now, I am...<br /> <br /> Stirring under the effects of ''passion''.<br /> <br /> (Ooh...)<br /> <br /> Originally forgotten, her headache reawakened. At the same time, she understood.<br /> <br /> This was the unsettling answer to that unanswered question.<br /> <br /> Even when in the possession of a human who was immune to curses, her cursed &quot;nature&quot; remained unchanged. The desire to ''see fresh blood'' did not disappear. She had been subconsciously sealing this desire away. But now, she had passed her limit. The headache was proof of that.<br /> <br /> Wanting to leave this home was possibly due to this reason as well. As the desire to see blood increased, higher and higher, she subconsciously suppressed it, but unable to suppress it fully, it was manifesting in the form of a headache&amp;mdash;Which was why her only choice was to leave this home.<br /> <br /> &quot;H-Haha, truly... shameful.&quot;<br /> <br /> Holding her head, she felt an uncontrollable urge to laugh, so she laughed. At the same time, her lower abdomen ached from the color of his fresh blood, causing her to laugh.<br /> <br /> Truly, shameful was the only apt description. Who? Of course her cursed self. After seeing the fresh blood of this kind of child, she was feeling aroused.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ha... Clearly I was the one who put forward the contract... How is this a proud sword...? How is this weary of chopping people? Seriously... simply a wild beast. A wild beast that is satisfied so long as there is food...!&quot;<br /> <br /> How ugly&amp;mdash;She could not help but think.<br /> <br /> She could feel so poignantly how pure he was and how filthy she was.<br /> <br /> Truly&amp;mdash;a total mismatch.<br /> <br /> To the point that she felt ashamed.<br /> <br /> (Well then... What exactly... ought I do...?)<br /> <br /> Somewhere deep in her heart, she seemed to know the answer already.<br /> <br /> ===Part 2===<br /> <br /> After Satsuko and Un Izoey's groups departed the scene&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> Haruaki and Konoha were gazing at each other. Currently, she had already picked up and wore the kimono she had dropped. Because it was only one piece of clothing, there was a sense of vulnerability but at least it was better than being naked.<br /> <br /> For some reason, Haruaki could feel a very oppressive pressure coming from Konoha's eyes and could not look away.<br /> <br /> &quot;Although she deceived you into believing that sword was poisoned, Haruaki-kun, did you really have the resolve to kill Nirushaaki?&quot;<br /> <br /> Lying was not permitted. He answered honestly.<br /> <br /> &quot;&amp;mdash;Yeah.&quot;<br /> <br /> Konoha's eyes wavered for an instant, as though losing strength, as though she could cry any moment.<br /> <br /> &quot;Haruaki-kun... You must absolutely not be cursed. Because you are... our goal.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I'm... not that special, okay.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;You are very special. Compared to us... you are absolutely not the same!&quot;<br /> <br /> Konoha added more pressure to her tone of voice then quietly looked down at her hand. The hand that had pierced Haruaki's shoulder.<br /> <br /> &quot;We... have sinned. The sin called a curse. We... are already cursed&amp;mdash;all covered by curses, cursed all over...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;That's...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Not only that! I-I also have this curse of an unattainable wish. Actually, I really, really, really want to lift this curse...!&quot;<br /> <br /> I've never seen Konoha this emotional before, Haruaki thought. The reason was definitely the hand she was staring at. The hand that had nearly taken his life, still with lingering traces of red right now.<br /> <br /> &quot;Although I don't quite understand everything, if you want to lift a curse, I'm willing to do anything to help. I've already said this before and I'll continue to say it. I will always stand by your side, all of you.&quot;<br /> <br /> Despite Haruaki saying that, Konoha still hung her head for a while as though enduring something.<br /> <br /> &quot;I have done something irrevocable. This has brought me to realize once again how close I actually am to curses. I still remember the sensations on my hands, the taste of the blood splashing into my mouth, the screams entering my ears. I have no wish to know them at all. If only I could forget them, if only I could pretend none of that ever happened!&quot;<br /> <br /> Murmuring emphatically, her words instantly turned into a screaming tone of voice.<br /> <br /> But then she continued quietly.<br /> <br /> &quot;Even so&amp;mdash;They still won't disappear. These memories will hassle me incessantly, I will be helplessly crushed by them. No, I am thinking to myself, hurry and be crushed. This is my rightful punishment for excessively ugly sins. This is the malevolence I harbor towards myself. It's the curse I have cast upon myself. Already... I have no choice but to curse myself...!&quot;<br /> <br /> Haruaki felt that she seemed to be exerting force on her hand.<br /> <br /> &quot;...It's no good already. I can't... keep relying on what you said about standing by my side. Because I cannot forgive myself, to an uncontrollable extent. To pretend not to see, to suppress and endure&amp;mdash;I absolutely cannot do that. So...&quot;<br /> <br /> Then she looked up with a smile resembling despair and resignation.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, she was giving off unusual vibes&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> Raising her hand, she aimed her knife hand at her own neck.<br /> <br /> &quot;I want to... end all this&amp;mdash;&quot;<br /> <br /> Seeing that, everyone gasped in surprise. No way. Impossible.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wait... K-Konoha!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Konoha-kun! Don't do something foolish!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Kono-san, hold on, wait first! Reconsider this!&quot;<br /> <br /> Rather than surprised, Fear seemed more angry than anything. Frowning intensely, she leaned forward.<br /> <br /> &quot;Cow Tits...! You great big dummy! What the heck are you thinking!?&quot;<br /> <br /> Fear was tightly clutching the chains of cubes extending from her palms. Because they were still being used to restrain the unconscious Kotetsu, she was unable to use the Rubik's cubes. She could only glare at Konoha and say:<br /> <br /> &quot;You are the first fellow cursed tool that I met&amp;mdash;like a rival competitor. The sight of you pisses me off. Yeah, that's right, the sight of you pisses me off a lot. But exactly because of that, I want to win against you. That's why, in order not to lose to you, I'm trying hard to do beneficial things for people&amp;mdash;&quot;<br /> <br /> Her words were probably failing to keep up with her changing emotions. At this time, Fear swallowed her voice back into the depths of her throat.<br /> <br /> &quot;But in spite of that... You want to run away on your own instead! You're going to give up first!?&quot;<br /> <br /> Fear screamed from her heart. Her intense emotions could be felt. The words of her true and definite feelings.<br /> <br /> <br /> &amp;mdash;But in spite of that... Even with Fear's words...<br /> <br /> The swing of Konoha's hand, chopping at herself, still could not be stopped.<br /> <br /> ===Part 3===<br /> <br /> On the roof, she was looking at the night sky. A beautiful starry sky. Although visibility was low, she thought to herself, this sky of stars truly remains unchanged over hundreds of years. Just at this time&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> &quot;What are you doing~?&quot;<br /> <br /> A laid back voice. He poked his little head out towards the roof. He had probably prepared a ladder to come up here after discovering her.<br /> <br /> He was still showing a face that rivaled his voice in silliness.<br /> <br /> His head was wrapped in bandages.<br /> <br /> &quot;Thou hast clearly fallen from a height only recently. Yet thou art climbing up to this sort of place again. Art thou a fool?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;It's not like I can fall from this roof. It's very wide here.&quot;<br /> <br /> Clearly the roof was very wide, but for some reason, he was sitting tightly next to her. Then he looked up at the stars.<br /> <br /> She sighed and murmured quietly. She also knew she was being incoherent.<br /> <br /> &quot;I desire the sight of fresh blood. 'Tis a curse even thou art helpless against.&quot;<br /> <br /> Without feeling afraid, he gave a surprising response again.<br /> <br /> While cocking his head, he extended his arm towards her.<br /> <br /> &quot;I see. Then do you want to try slicing me? Maybe the body of a person who can't be cursed might be different from an ordinary person's.&quot;<br /> <br /> This was the final straw.<br /> <br /> &quot;Aha...&quot;<br /> <br /> She could not suppress the urge to laugh. So this was what was meant by bursting with laughter.<br /> <br /> &quot;Haha... Haha... Hahaha! Kukukuku... Uhahahahahahaha!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;W-What's wrong?&quot;<br /> <br /> She could feel his surprised gaze. Twisting herself around, slapping the roof tiles repeatedly, she continued to laugh.<br /> <br /> Too funny. So funny that she wanted to curse.<br /> <br /> This boy&amp;mdash;surely, he must be standing in a place so far away from curses that he ought to be cursed. That sense of distance made her want to curse him. However, whether cursing others or getting cursed, both were probably equally natural things in his perspective. Just like pebbles facing the sun, he simply noted their presence.<br /> <br /> &quot;Fufu~... Mmmph... Fu... Heehaha...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Hmm... Are you someone who likes laughing?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Uku, no no no. 'Tis been a very long time since I last laughed in this manner. Several centuries ago.&quot;<br /> <br /> She finally calmed down. While wiping tears of laughter from her face, she looked at his face from the side.<br /> <br /> &quot;Hey&amp;mdash;Wouldst thou like us to form a true master-servant relationship? No, a relationship that surpasses that between masters and servants?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Huh?&quot;<br /> <br /> Asking him was really too underhanded. Because clearly that was what she wanted.<br /> <br /> She wanted to become one with him. She wanted to be surrounded by that kindness and strength that allowed him to laugh off curses. She wanted to let that happy foolishness belong to herself. She wanted the two of them to become one in all respects.<br /> <br /> &quot;Thou asked earlier what I was doing, yes? Thinking would be the answer. Then because of what happened earlier, I have prepared myself.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What do you mean?&quot;<br /> <br /> She brought her face slightly closer to him.<br /> <br /> &quot;Let us establish a true contract. I shall lift my curse. In return&amp;mdash;&quot;<br /> <br /> That was the time when she had truly made her decision.<br /> <br /> Forming the core of her current self, a new meaning of existence.<br /> <br /> To lift her curse.<br /> <br /> To become an ordinary human.<br /> <br /> To live together with him henceforth.<br /> <br /> That was why the price she demanded from him in a whisper was exceedingly simple.<br /> <br /> <br /> &amp;mdash;Stay by her side, forever and ever.<br /> <br /> ===Part 4===<br /> <br /> Then Haruaki saw it.<br /> <br /> Konoha had resolutely severed her hair by her own hand.<br /> <br /> &quot;Eh...?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I&amp;mdash;&quot;<br /> <br /> At the same time, tears burst out from Konoha's eyes. One drop, two drops. Rolling out one after another, the teardrops were countless.<br /> <br /> &quot;I... absolutely cannot forgive myself for hurting you, Haruaki-kun. However... I also cannot give up on these feelings. This extremely powerful curse, known as a wish that cannot be fulfilled. As quickly as possible, I want to lift this wish that leads to the future. Because if I have to continue enduring it, I might end up crushed by my curse from the past... the truth of my bloodstained hands...&quot;<br /> <br /> Her hair, her rolling tears, they all fell.<br /> <br /> However, her eyes remained focused straight on Haruaki, never shifting away at any point.<br /> <br /> &quot;I know... This is only my willfulness. But my curse from the past, together with the curse I have brought upon myself now, they really make me very dangerous. Hence, I want to move forward, no longer being my past self... I want to overwrite my past self completely!&quot;<br /> <br /> Mixed with sounds of sobbing as though her throat was twitching&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> &quot;Like this... Cutting my hair... It's just a kind of psychological effect similar to comforting myself... But I still want to... be able to relax slightly more. I want to feel less burdened... by the weight that restrains my feet and the curses of past and present.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Konoha...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I can't endure any longer. It's definitely to late if I have to lift my curse first, create a barrier to prevent myself from hurting others, then move forward. Therefore... I don't want to endure any longer...!&quot;<br /> <br /> Her voice continued, sounding like it was forced out. A voice that was trembling and hoarse but carrying incredible vigor at the same time.<br /> <br /> &quot;...I can only change into a new self, one that no longer needs to endure. I am currently being eaten away by an unprecedentedly powerful curse. In order to resist that curse, this is the only thing I can do. Although I know this is only my willfulness, I still want to do this...!&quot;<br /> <br /> Haruaki could not be sure if he fully understood what Konoha was talking about. But he wanted to understand. Because Konoha had never laid her emotions bare like this before.<br /> <br /> &quot;What are you enduring?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;The ultimate goal... I want to lift... this curse of an unattainable wish. Namely... Namely, it's&amp;mdash;&quot;<br /> <br /> Konoha's voice and expression collapsed in form completely, almost like a child's.<br /> <br /> Then&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> &quot;I... love you, Haruaki-kun!&quot;<br /> <br /> In a sobbing voice, as though screaming, as though roaring, she confessed her feelings. Haruaki felt an impact as though the world had suddenly started shaking. Konoha continued to speak with her face crumpled:<br /> <br /> &quot;Whether as a woman towards a man, or as a sword towards its master! Either identity is fine! Although I don't want you to call me Kono-nee anymore, if you really want to say it, that's fine too. That's totally fine too! Nothing else matters, I just want to become one with you&amp;mdash;To fulfill that promise, I want to stay forever by your side!&quot;<br /> <br /> Konoha took a step forward.<br /> <br /> &quot;I want to talk to you, Haruaki-kun, laughing together, drinking tea together, I wish you could touch me&amp;mdash;&quot;<br /> [[image:C3 14-355.jpg|thumb]]<br /> <br /> Then she took another step.<br /> <br /> &quot;Because you're very oblivious, Haruaki-kun... I'll explain it even more bluntly! I want to... do many more things with you, Haruaki-kun. I wish you could hold my hand, I also wish you could touch my head. I also wish for you to praise me, to scold me, to take baths together with me, and also&amp;mdash;&quot;<br /> <br /> Her shoulders shook particularly violently, apparently from clenching her fist forcefully.<br /> <br /> &quot;I also want... to have relations with you, Haruaki-kun!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ah&amp;mdash;&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Of course... Haruaki-kun, I also want to have... your babies...&quot;<br /> <br /> By the time he regained his senses, Konoha's face was already before his eyes.<br /> <br /> Eyes brimming with tears, glasses, lips, all approached him even closer&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> <br /> Then on his own lips, he felt a very soft sensation.<br /> <br /> <br /> It was anyone's guess how much time actually passed.<br /> <br /> Only then did the soft sensation finally leave his lips.<br /> <br /> &quot;...This is... my new self from now on.&quot;<br /> <br /> Konoha used both hands to hold his face in place by the cheeks, still keeping her face before his eyes. Although all covered in tears, her expression seemed refreshed as though all gloom had been swept away, it was Konoha's usual smiling face. Hence, what just happened made him feel even more embarrassed.<br /> <br /> &quot;Haruaki-kun, you said that you're willing to do anything to help if it's for lifting a curse, didn't you? Since you said so... You must prepare yourself. So, I am also counting on you regarding this curse of mine...&quot;<br /> <br /> Then she giggled.<br /> <br /> Haruaki could only stare at her in shock. Suddenly, he felt all of his blood gathering towards his face. What was that just now? So it was basically ''that''? Why? Although he understood, but why? What to do? Lips. Konoha's lips&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> &quot;E-Eat&amp;mdash;this&amp;mdash;&amp;mdash;!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Gah&amp;mdash;!&quot;<br /> <br /> Haruaki felt a blow to the side. Fear had pounced, attacking him with a flying cross chop. She was also flushed red in the face, waving her hands meaninglessly with the chains of cubes attached.<br /> <br /> &quot;Too... T-T-T-T-T-T-T-Too shameless! Truly shameless to the extreme, this shamelessness! What are you thinking? I'll curse you both, I'll absolutely curse you both!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;This is yet another mistake of a lifetime for me! After all, bringing a camera was definitely impossible given today's situation!&quot;<br /> <br /> As usual, Kuroe was speaking a tone of voice impossible to tell whether she was serious or not. But speaking of hysteria, it felt like Kirika was almost the same as Fear. Flushed red in the face, she was striding over, speaking incoherently in broken sentences for some reason.<br /> <br /> &quot;Konoha-kun! This is! Cheating, you! Stealing a march&amp;mdash;A-Absolutely... Absolutely ridiculous! Truly, absolutely ridiculous!&quot;<br /> <br /> Looking at Kirika, Konoha smiled calmly in composure for some reason and even tilted her head mischievously.<br /> <br /> &quot;Even when you've clearly won the race for the face already, Ueno-san?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ugh!&quot;<br /> <br /> Kirika backed away in shock. Haruaki was totally lost but apparently there was something that only the two girls knew.<br /> <br /> &quot;Y-You saw it huh...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I won't hold back anymore. Because we are in the same position now.&quot;<br /> <br /> Konoha smiled while she spoke. Kirika sighed deeply, at a loss for words.<br /> <br /> &quot;Is that so? Hmm, you're right, that is the case... That's exactly the result I wanted. If we could compete openly, fair and square... That's right, it's not absolutely ridiculous...&quot;<br /> <br /> She was murmuring softly. Haruaki also began to understand the complicated relationship between the two girls.<br /> <br /> That said, the biggest issue was apparently himself, the one stuck in the center of chaotic disputes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Muu... What's with the atmosphere in this shameless space...?&quot;<br /> <br /> Only Fear was pouting, her intently scrutinizing gaze moving back and forth over everyone.<br /> <br /> ===Part 5===<br /> <br /> Kotetsu suddenly woke up in alarm. He was currently being moved, carried on someone's back.<br /> <br /> &quot;Wha&amp;mdash;&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;You've woken up?&quot;<br /> <br /> The back of her head was in front of his eyes, her hair slightly shortened.<br /> <br /> &quot;What is going on&amp;mdash;?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I am taking you back to my home.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Truth be told... What nonsense are you spouting?&quot;<br /> <br /> He swiftly surveyed his surroundings. Yachi Haruaki, Fear-in-Cube, a doll and the girl in the leather bondage suit. All of them were walking together nearby. Although they glanced at him, none of them took particular action. If he wanted to escape, he should be able to. However&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> &quot;This is not nonsense, Kotetsu. You are like a younger brother to me. Hence&amp;mdash;&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Hence?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...Well, borrowing the Draconians' style, allow me to tell you why I am this strong and powerful. There are many other reasons, but if I had to pick one, it is for you to witness personally with your own eyes the final fates for existences like us.&quot;<br /> <br /> She turned her head to look at him sideways while speaking. Simply from the sight of her profile, Kotetsu understood. The person in front of him was her pathetic self he had seen in the beginning, yet at the same time, she was also the same person he had been living with for the past few days.<br /> <br /> &quot;Cursed swords such as us, how should we live in this era and how are we supposed to live on... You are also living in the current era. Even if you have been fixated on becoming stronger all this time, this matter can't possibly have never crossed your mind, right?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...&quot;<br /> <br /> He refused to answer. Instead, he asked a different question.<br /> <br /> &quot;Have you considered the possibility that I might avenge Nirushaaki-sama?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;The way I see it, please be my guest if you're capable of doing that. However, you should already understand, yes? My current self is not quite the same as who I was until now.&quot;<br /> <br /> She turned her head again. That glasses-wearing profile. Shining brightly between the gap&amp;mdash;familiar eyes.<br /> <br /> &quot;Simply stated... Since you lost, just shut up and obey, Kotetsu.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...Truth be told, that's so unfair. I really have no idea what attitude I should use to face you...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Any is fine. Both sides are still me.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Guh... Such tyranny.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I have decided to allow myself to think this: it's fine to be a little tyrannical towards a little brother. Please don't worry. A vacancy happened to open up for that position after a promotion.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...?&quot;<br /> <br /> Although completely lost&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> No matter what, resistance was already pointless&amp;mdash;Kotetsu resigned himself.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> She was holding two Indulgence Disks in her hand. These were discovered together with «Bartolomey Oblivion»'s remains in the trash can after searching the western mansion using the information Nirushaaki had provided Haruaki. To Fear, these were items of the highest value. Having decided to collect Indulgence Disks actively, to think she would obtain two together this time, it was definitely a very happy occurrence. However, there were other things bothering her at the moment.<br /> <br /> Playing with the Indulgence Disks in her hand, Fear chatted with Kuroe while paying attention to Haruaki walking in front.<br /> <br /> &quot;Ficchi, I think you suffered more injuries this time than usual. Are you okay? Does it hurt anywhere?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I'm totally fine, don't worry. At least in my current condition, I still don't need to depend on you who's so out of energy that white hair is appearing.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;It's not like my hair has turned all white, so I was thinking I could still spare a little life force~&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Yeah, I guess I did suffer relatively more injuries this time, it's like I didn't perform very well in battle either, but that's&amp;mdash;that's because I simply wasn't in best condition! Because there were too things going on in my mind, and basically, there's those eyesores waving before my eyes all the time, drawing my attention controllably, that's why my concentration kept getting interrupted!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...Yeah, me too, I guess it was the same for everyone. Just seeing Kono-san standing there in the enemy camp was enough to feel agitated. Overall, it was a very difficult battle to go all-out.&quot;<br /> <br /> This kind of conversation continued for a while&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> Finding the right moment, Fear lowered her voice and whispered to bring up the main topic.<br /> <br /> &quot;By the way, umm&amp;mdash;basically that. Everyone... has kissed before...?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh my~ Kono-san's boldness really took me in for quite a shock~&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Let me try asking, just in case, umm, Kuroe... Don't tell me you've kissed Haruaki too&amp;mdash;&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Speaking of which, yes. But it was just on the forehead.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What!? I don't really get what kissing the forehead represents, but... Really...? N-No wait, I've done it too! Kissing is very normal, right? Yeah, although at the time, I was in the form of a cube.&quot;<br /> <br /> In any case&amp;mdash;Fear recalled how Konoha had shouted her feelings without any pretense at all.<br /> <br /> That was what people called a confession, right? As intense as a storm. Requiring astounding energy, it felt like it was the biggest one-time event in a woman's life. But this was what Kana or someone said in the past.<br /> <br /> Furthermore, that confession also seemed to have brought some kind of strange change to her.<br /> <br /> As soon as she recalled the image of those two together, a strange phenomenon would happen for no reason.<br /> <br /> (Ugh...)<br /> <br /> A sharp pain in the depths of her heart.<br /> <br /> Like feeling sad, like wanting to cry, like wanting to scream out&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> It made her feel that way.<br /> <br /> (Hmph, that damn Cow Tits... As expected, the shameless brat is the shameless brat too...)<br /> <br /> The storm of Konoha's confession had blown tiny razor fragments, flying in the aftermath, stabbing into the depths of her unguarded heart&amp;mdash;That was the kind of feeling.<br /> <br /> Due to the razor fragments lingering behind, they probably were not going to disappear so easily. They were not something that would disappear with time.<br /> <br /> A wound almost like a curse.<br /> <br /> While walking, Fear pretended to cross her arms while secretly rubbing her chest.<br /> <br /> If this wound had to be healed...<br /> <br /> If these razor fragments stuck in the bottom of her heart had to be plucked out, what exactly should she do?<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Adjusting her pace fluently, Kuroe walked over to Kirika's side.<br /> <br /> &quot;According to my predictions, aren't you also waiting for a reply, Kiririn?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Fufu&amp;mdash;It's useless lying to you. Although I think I've said it before already.&quot;<br /> <br /> Kirika admitted it readily, shrugged and said quietly:<br /> <br /> &quot;I have already conveyed my feelings to him concretely.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oho~ Nice. Then I guess I'll say this first. If you feel it's unfair&amp;mdash;''that'' would be fine too.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What are you referring to?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Basically what I said earlier... roughly around Valentine's. Kono-san is always together with Haru in our home, Kiririn, but you're not. So there's a way to level the playing field in this area. Even with Kotecchan as the latest addition, we still have spare rooms at home.&quot;<br /> <br /> After hearing Kuroe's suggestion&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> &quot;Well... what should I do...&quot;<br /> <br /> Kirika simply responded ambiguously.<br /> <br /> Right now, that was all she could do.<br /> <br /> ===Part 6===<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh my, things have ended peacefully. Wonderful, wonderful&amp;mdash;Let's conclude with that.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Lab Chief, can you follow up on your promise? I demand prize.&quot;<br /> <br /> In the same Lab Chief's room as last time, Un Izoey and Amanda were facing Pakuaki.<br /> <br /> This time, I really was just an observer, Un Izoey thought.<br /> <br /> It felt like she still owed them many favors but was unable to return them.<br /> <br /> Hence&amp;mdash;this would serve as meager atonement.<br /> <br /> She intended to ask the ''unknown'' that those girls would want to find out the most, rather than her own, as the prize for her adhering to the promise of staying behind the scenes at all times without intervening at all. She originally wanted to ask them directly but upon further thought, she realized there was no need to ask. She immediately understood the issue they cared about the most.<br /> <br /> &quot;Sure, please go ahead. Ask whatever you want. What kind of unknown would you like elucidated?&quot;<br /> <br /> Well then&amp;mdash;Un Izoey spoke up and asked:<br /> <br /> &quot;&amp;mdash;Can their curses be lifted?&quot;<br /> <br /> This was like a kind of concept, an unknown that could even be described as consolatory in nature. However, this should be what they needed to know the most. If the leader of the Lab Chief's Nation asserted the fact that their curses could be lifted, it would serve as powerful motivation, driving them forward to progress without hesitation. That said, there might be someone among them who might feel displeased towards the Lab Chief's guarantees.<br /> <br /> As expected, Pakuaki answered assertively&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> But the answer was completely opposite to what Un Izoey predicted.<br /> <br /> &quot;If your use of 'their' includes Fear-in-Cube...&quot;<br /> <br /> Pakauaki crossed his slender fingers as he held his hands together over his desk.<br /> <br /> With an extremely amused smile on his face, he said:<br /> <br /> <br /> &quot;&amp;mdash;''Her curse is impossible to lift. Absolutely.''&quot;<br /> <br /> ===Part 7===<br /> <br /> Haruaki's group finally returned to the Yachi residence.<br /> <br /> However, Haruaki suddenly felt something was wrong. Because the front gate was unlocked.<br /> <br /> &quot;I did lock up when setting off... Could it be a burglar...?&quot;<br /> <br /> The group cautiously entered the premises, only to find that even the entrance was open.<br /> <br /> &quot;There's some kind of sound in the house. Be careful.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;This is... the television, right...? Hey Kotetsu, time for you to get down.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I don't recall asking you to carry me on your back...&quot;<br /> <br /> The group tiptoed across the corridor and stopped temporarily in front of the living room. Then they exchanged glances. Coordinating their timing, then all at once&amp;mdsah;<br /> <br /> &quot;Who is this&amp;mdash;!?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;...Eh?&quot;<br /> <br /> They charged into the living room. As expected, the person inside was a stranger Haruaki had never seen before, a beautiful woman of unknown age. Judging from her face and figure, she looked to be in her twenties or possibly thirties. At this time, Kirika's face suddenly showed great alarm.<br /> <br /> &quot;Yachi, that's her! The person I saw in front of this home last time!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What did you say!?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Uh... Hmm, anyway, now that you're all home, why don't you sit down first?&quot;<br /> <br /> Completely laid back, the mysterious woman patted a nearby seat cushion. As a side note, only now did they realize, not only was she watching television without consent, she had also brewed tea and even&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> &quot;Ahhhh! My precious Kyoto limited edition rice crackers that I hid away&amp;mdash;! Th-This&amp;mdash;Haruaki! She must be an ultimate villain, we have to defeat her right away! Then violate her so that she'll regret being born in this world! Attack!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Attack!? That's too dangerous! By the way, who exactly&amp;mdash;are... you?&quot;<br /> <br /> Haruaki's voice grew tinier and tinier because he suddenly felt a sense of dissonance about that face. There was an inexplicable sense of kinship. Clearly he did not know her but he felt like he did.<br /> <br /> She had unlocked the door naturally, entered the house and was watching television and drinking tea in a relaxed manner. Could she be someone whom he had never met, but used to visit this home in the past? For example&amp;mdash;like before his birth.<br /> <br /> With a crunch, she bit into a rice cracker she was holding (&quot;Ah&amp;mdash;!&quot; Fear screamed again) and pressing her hand next to her mouth as though in shock, she fluttered her long lashes.<br /> <br /> &quot;You're asking who I am... no way, right? That really breaks my heart! Could you have forgotten me?&quot;<br /> <br /> Indeed. No way. Could it really be true?<br /> <br /> This woman was his mother&amp;mdash;<br /> <br /> At this time, the woman suddenly extended her index finger and pointed at Haruaki's nose.<br /> <br /> Then puffing her cheeks in a very deliberate manner to act cute, she said in a huff:<br /> <br /> <br /> &quot;I can't believe you forgot what ''your father'' looks like. What a terrible son you are, Haruaki!&quot;<br /> <br /> <br /> &quot;...Huh?&quot;<br /> <br /> &lt;noinclude&gt;<br /> {| border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;5&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; style=&quot;margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;&quot;<br /> |-<br /> | Back to [[CubexCursedxCurious:Volume14_Chapter6|Chapter 6]]<br /> | Return to [[CubexCursedxCurious#Volume_14_.28Full_Text.29|Main Page]]<br /> | Forward to [[CubexCursedxCurious:Volume14_Afterword|Afterword]]<br /> |-<br /> |}<br /> &lt;/noinclude&gt;</div> Acolyte https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Kenshin_no_Keishousha:Volume_2_Chapter2&diff=378026 Kenshin no Keishousha:Volume 2 Chapter2 2014-08-04T22:17:37Z <p>Acolyte: If you want to take it that way, 'due to' will sound even better</p> <hr /> <div>=The Maidens' Day Off=<br /> <br /> <br /> On that day, Hinako was sitting on a bench within the school’s courtyard while leisurely reading a book.<br /> <br /> It was three days after the battle royal ended. The normalcy of nothing in particular happening was still in effect.<br /> <br /> Currently it was three in the afternoon. Class had just concluded and it was quite rowdy in the direction of the school building. Kurou and Sefi should be back soon.<br /> <br /> Although Hinako would routinely follow Kurou to class, she was allowed to roam freely after Kurou was enrolled into the school. She normally sits in when class is in session, but occasionally reading outside like this while taking in the breeze was fine.<br /> <br /> As she was about to flip the page, Hinako suddenly stopped in her tracks. It seemed she was ill at ease every time she flipped a page.<br /> <br /> Hinako’s attire was not her typical cosplay wear, instead it was the Sword Academy’s uniform. There was some basis for wearing the uniform despite not being a student. However, the cosplay attire felt heavier compared to the school uniform and that was likely due to the uniform being mobile for combat.<br /> <br /> So I prefer wearing lighter clothes? It was not until just now that Hinako learned of her own preferences.<br /> <br /> For Hinako, she had been living in imprisonment within the sun cult’s facilities since her childhood. Back then she would only wear what was assigned to her.<br /> <br /> The room she stayed in until she was fifteen was comfortable, but she completely lacked freedom. Of course, going outside was prohibited.<br /> <br /> The Maiden of the Sun————<br /> <br /> Hinako appeared to be referred to as that within the sun cult. Despite that, she had never even set foot under the sun.<br /> <br /> Hinako’s imprisonment was ordered by her parents who were the cult leaders. Furthermore, she was surrounded by many companions who were tasked with her surveillance.<br /> <br /> Perhaps those well-acquainted companions of hers also cared for her dearly. They must have heard her request to be brought to the outside world. Through their assistance, Hinako was finally successful in escaping from the room where she stayed for ages.<br /> <br /> However, Hinako and her helpers were caught soon after and she was prepped to return to the facility once again. Right when that happened, the sun cultists and the police were caught in a chaotic scene. She then fell under Kurou’s protection as he was pursuing the sun cultists.<br /> <br /> Hinako believed that not one of her helpers remained alive.<br /> <br /> The sun cult have their normal practices that they do on the streets and they were not a covert organization either. However, a portion of the cult was armed and rebelled against the Swordies. Betraying the government and using banned weaponry, these guys could not be left alone unattended.<br /> <br /> Hinako still remembers the gratitude she held towards those who helped her. She also believed that she did something unforgivable to them.<br /> <br /> Nevertheless, there were no regrets from her regarding the decision to come to the outside world.<br /> <br /> The splendor of the outside, everything she had desired was out here.<br /> <br /> Hinako pondered these thoughts while taking in the breeze, calmly passing the time.<br /> <br /> “Ara, Hina, why are you here?”<br /> <br /> The one who struck a conversation was Sefi, who was carrying a backpack with her. It would appear that she had just returned from her classes.<br /> <br /> Due to being the one who “monitors the two humans”, Sefi was now able to casually converse with Kurou and Hinako. However, she would never show her good relations with them in public. With Kurou’s coarse attitude, it was not like he cared about what they were perceived as in front of other people.<br /> <br /> “The weather has been quite good today.”<br /> <br /> Summer was fast approaching; right now it was not too cold or hot, the perfect season for being outdoors.<br /> <br /> “That said, this is my first time experiencing summer.”<br /> <br /> “Huh? The first time……”<br /> <br /> “Because I was always locked within a room, even though there was air conditioning and it felt comfortable, in the end I was completely detached from summers and winters.” <br /> <br /> “I-I see……”<br /> <br /> Sefi was slightly taken aback. Although, Hinako had no intention to shock her.<br /> <br /> “Well, besides that…...why are you wearing that uniform?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, you mean this?”<br /> <br /> Hinako gently grabbed her own skirt hem. <br /> <br /> “An academy faculty gave me this. I can’t be enrolled into the school, but at least I won’t stand out while wearing this uniform.”<br /> <br /> “I see, well, I suppose this would be the least attention grabbing.”<br /> <br /> There were many human faculty members within the academy. However, they were only allowed in due to being part of the workforce. For a human student like Kurou, or Hinako, who was not enrolled or working on the premises, the students would find their existence to be quite an eyesore. <br /> <br /> To avoid drawing attention, putting on the uniform should be ok.<br /> <br /> “However, why are you still wearing the katyusha? Isn’t that something you wore with your maid outfit?”<br /> <br /> “I am here to serve Kurou. Hence, this is so I don’t forget my original task.”<br /> <br /> “I’m pretty sure that original task or whatever was long forgotten……”<br /> <br /> Sefi made an exasperated expression.<br /> <br /> In fact, despite Hinako forgetting a long time ago, wanting to do something in return for the person who risked his life for her————that sort of intention does exist. Except, she has not really acted on it.<br /> <br /> “Hina, may I sit next to you?”<br /> <br /> “Go ahead.”<br /> <br /> Sefi sat down next to Hinako.<br /> <br /> “Say, you didn’t stay with Kurou?”<br /> <br /> “Why must I return with him after class?”<br /> <br /> Supposedly this was the so-called girl-talk. Hinako was also picking up some common trends of life.<br /> <br /> “Never mind that, what are you looking at?”<br /> <br /> “This is a shoujo manga. There is a handsome boy on the school stage that all girls are swooned by.”<br /> <br /> “What a crude description…...Well, I suppose that pretty much sums up all shoujo mangas.”<br /> <br /> “Do other girls my age live lives like this?”<br /> <br /> “Who knows, it’s just a manga.”<br /> <br /> Hinako understood what fiction was.<br /> <br /> However, as depicted in the manga, it was of course normal for girls around Hinako’s age to be going to school every day, playing with friends, and liking boys.<br /> <br /> Hinako had finally realized the extent of her abnormal living conditions.<br /> <br /> Although it was not normal to be surrounded by Swordies in her current situation, at least her lifestyle was fine. She was able to happily read a book outside and choose her own clothes.<br /> <br /> “Hey, Hina.”<br /> <br /> “......Hmm?”<br /> <br /> “For you, due to the complications regarding the sun cult, it would be tough to say for certain right now…...but after things calm down, you should probably plan on going to school normally.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, this sort of thing……?”<br /> [[File:Kenshin v02 113.PNG|thumbnail|right]]<br /> “I don’t think it would be difficult since Hina hasn’t done anything bad. If I issue a request to my mother and sister, it should definitely be possible.”<br /> <br /> It was said that Sefi’s mother was one of the four generals. For something of this caliber, it should be quite simple.<br /> <br /> However, for the daughter of one of the four generals to be going out of her way for a human…...<br /> <br /> “Sefi is a good person.”<br /> <br /> “What, what are you suddenly blabbing about……!”<br /> <br /> Sefi’s face was flushed red as she turned her head aside. <br /> <br /> By sudden chance, Hinako thought to herself that a government official position would probably not suit Sefi despite her being the daughter of the four generals. She was too kind for that. Even Hinako clearly knew that you cannot just rely on kind words to be a politician.<br /> <br /> “By the way, I’m a good person too.”<br /> <br /> “Huh!?”<br /> <br /> “......What are you doing Kuro?”<br /> <br /> At some point Kurou made his way towards the back of the bench where the two were sitting.<br /> <br /> “Good person? You’re clearly a harassment demon.”<br /> <br /> “That’s just instinct. It has nothing to do with my kindness.”<br /> <br /> “That’s nothing to be boastful about!”<br /> <br /> “It’s sad that you fail to understand me. Well, meeting you guys here was perfect timing. There’s something I need to say to you two.”<br /> <br /> As Kurou spoke, he purposefully squeezed between Sefi and Hinako as he sat down.<br /> <br /> Sefi’s expression appeared to be saying “what is it”, however, there was nothing she could do besides make way for him in silence.<br /> <br /> “Due to some circumstances, I was called forth by Sylphy.”<br /> <br /> “By Onee-sama?”<br /> <br /> “Yup, remember how I won the battle royal from before?”<br /> <br /> “After you won, it did seem you were still quite troubled by something.”<br /> <br /> “......Is that so?”<br /> <br /> Kurou played dumb towards Hinako’s statement.<br /> <br /> After his bout with the third-year student council president, Kurou spent the entire night locking himself up in his room and was breathing heavily. He could not even swallow his food. It must have been quite the damage dealt to him.<br /> <br /> “Setting that aside, I was told that there would be a prize for the winner and I was able to collect it from Sylphy-sama.”<br /> <br /> “I see, the student council president did talk to Onee-sama in regards to this……”<br /> <br /> “Compared to what the school gives out, Sylphy-sama can provide a much grander prize. The student council president must have been very keen on this as well.”<br /> <br /> “So what’s this prize then? What does it have to do with us?”<br /> <br /> Kurou smiled as he nodded.<br /> <br /> He patted Hinako on the shoulders.<br /> <br /> “Be happy Hinako, you get to go outside.”<br /> <br /> “Outside……?”<br /> <br /> “Yup, Sylphy-sama found a way to issue this order. This Sunday you can go shopping along the streets.”<br /> <br /> “Shopping…..along the streets……”<br /> <br /> Hinako blankly muttered.<br /> <br /> Hinako had always been placed in confinement, even now, she was kept within the Sword Academy.<br /> <br /> Just as she was able to move freely within campus, this time she was able to step out onto the streets.<br /> <br /> The world was slowly expanding for her.<br /> <br /> For Hinako, there must have been a bit of apprehension————<br /> <br /> “I want to go Kuro, I want to go.”<br /> <br /> A rarely seen shine in Hinako’s eyes lit up as she nodded non-stop towards Kurou.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Currently it was Sunday. Kurou had brought Hinako out to the streets as promised.<br /> <br /> With an assured manner, Sefi came along as well. When it came to shopping, having a female companion was probably better. That was what Sefi brought up when coming along.<br /> <br /> After departing from the Sword Academy, the car ride took about twenty minutes. These streets were teeming with the youth of Swordia.<br /> <br /> Tokyo Swordia was noticeably divided into two portions, the Specialized Central Region and the Outer Human Region. <br /> <br /> The government and economic capabilities were gathered in the Specialized Central Region. It was the Swordie’s sphere of influence.<br /> <br /> On the other hand, the Outer Human Region was predominantly occupied by humans. <br /> <br /> There were no police checkpoints, walls, or anything of the sort between the boundaries. Basically, humans and Swordies were able to travel between the two regions at will.<br /> <br /> However, even though there were no issues from a legal standpoint, there truly exists an invisible barrier at the borders. As a result, no one would particularly want to cross the borders.<br /> <br /> The three of them were of course within the Specialized Central Region.<br /> <br /> It was a clear sunny morning. It was halfway into May and although the temperature was a bit high, there was a nice breeze that made it a comfortable day.<br /> <br /> After getting out of the car that Sylphy had assigned to them, they instantly followed Sefi’s instructions as they set out shopping. Following that, their first target was the department store which Sefi frequents. Compared to the fashion boutiques that teens generally go to, Sefi seemed to prefer the plain stores. Although to Kurou, he did not have the slightest clue as to the difference between the types of stores.<br /> <br /> “Hey hey, Kuro, take a look at this.”<br /> <br /> Hinako, who always maintained that stoic expression, had sparkles in her eyes as they entered the department store.<br /> <br /> “What are you doing standing by the entrance?”<br /> <br /> “Look at the stairs…...they’re moving!”<br /> <br /> “......”<br /> <br /> Kurou followed Hinako’s line of sight, which led to an upward moving escalator.<br /> <br /> “......Can I go back?”<br /> <br /> “Hold it right there. You said you would bring her here right?”<br /> <br /> “Perhaps that might have been the case……”<br /> <br /> Sefi stared intently at Kurou who was feigning stupidity.<br /> <br /> Common sense was clearly out of the scope of this ojou-sama. Kurou and Sefi understood this point very clearly.<br /> <br /> However, who knew her inexperience could reach these levels.<br /> <br /> “First let me clarify, I was just kidding. Automatic escalators and such, even I know about that.”<br /> <br /> “......Right.”<br /> <br /> “S-Sure.”<br /> <br /> Kurou looked thoroughly frustrated while Sefi put on a superficial smile.<br /> <br /> “W-Well I guess we should be going. Let’s start with clothing. How about we go to the store that I regularly go to?”<br /> <br /> “......About that Sefi, I have a question.”<br /> <br /> Hinako had her eyes fixed on the floor layout sign near the entrance.<br /> <br /> “It says there are food stands underground? Perhaps it's just the psychological effect, but there is a sweet smell.”<br /> <br /> “Suddenly wanting to eat already? Alright, please keep up with us.”<br /> <br /> After she finished speaking, Sefi grabbed Hinako’s hand and marched off.<br /> <br /> Although Hinako gazed downwards with a reluctant expression, she did not resist Sefi as she followed her.<br /> <br /> Kurou wryly smiled while staying behind the two of them.<br /> <br /> As they entered the women’s clothing store level, Sefi led the way, treading through the place in a well-versed manner.<br /> <br /> “Oh yeah, Hinako, what kind of clothing style do you like?”<br /> <br /> Sefi scanned around in excitement. Even though today was a rest day, she was still wearing her school uniform.<br /> <br /> On the other hand, the only proper clothing Hinako had for going outside was her school uniform. Sefi specifically came with them to go buy clothes for that reason.<br /> <br /> Of course, Kurou was also wearing his uniform. To him, he preferred wearing his uniform. Although the laws did not prevent humans from roaming within the Swordie region, issues would arise if others noticed he was a human. It would probably be difficult to suspect that he was human while wearing the Sword Academy’s uniform.<br /> <br /> On another note, Kurou kept the katana he always used by his waist. Sefi also had a sword on her. Since the sword she normally uses, the Starbreaker, was too conspicuous, she kept a spare double-edged sword. That said, Kurou planned on acting alone to counter any threats that might arise. There were no plans for having Sefi battle at all.<br /> <br /> “Oh yeah, we should probably buy some spring wear for you as well. Even though it's already summer, there will be times when the weather turns cold.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, I see. Then I’ll leave it up to you Sefi.”<br /> <br /> “......You should put some thought into it as well.”<br /> <br /> Hinako was quite intrigued by the urban environment, but not so much when it came to fashion.<br /> <br /> “Jeez, if it isn’t a maid, it’s a nurse. Always with the cosplay. That’s why I have a peculiar impression of Hina. Even I have a tough time choosing for you……”<br /> <br /> Sefi grumbled as she entered a nearby women’s clothing store and proceeded to browse the clothing selection. Despite her complaints, she seemed to be giving it her all.<br /> <br /> “.....By the way Kuro.”<br /> <br /> “What is it?”<br /> <br /> “It is most fortunate that you were able to get permission for me to come outside, but isn’t this just being placed under house arrest by the Sabers?”<br /> <br /> “It’s unpleasant to hear you calling it house arrest. It's supposed to be protection. Well, it seems not only the sun cult, but even the Blazes are after you. It would be quite dangerous to go outside.”<br /> <br /> In truth, the Sabers did not even consider guarding Hinako as a top priority. Despite HInako being the daughter of the cult leaders that lead a terrorist group, she was not considered a criminal herself. However, tossing her aside was out of the question so she was captured just for the sake of protection by the Sabers.<br /> <br /> In order for Hinako to head out elsewhere, Kurou went to Sylphy for permission. However, it would be more accurate to say that she requested it from the Sabers and then gave permission to him.<br /> <br /> Surprisingly, the Sabers knew going into this that having Hinako head out may attract the sun cult or Blazes. If that were to happen and Kurou was able to capture the enemy, it would be a nice bonus.<br /> <br /> Most importantly, this was in the name of the prize for winning the battle royal. Since there were no issues with the law and budget, Sylphy giving permission for such a thing was to be expected.<br /> <br /> After Kurou elaborated to this extent, Hinako responded with an “I see” while nodding her head.<br /> <br /> “However, it’s quite unexpected that they trust Kuro so much.”<br /> <br /> “There’s nothing to it. Even if I fail and die, Hinako will just be taken away unharmed.”<br /> <br /> “What a dull society we live in.”<br /> <br /> Hinako was not particularly mindful of Kurou dying.<br /> <br /> “Well, more importantly, the annoying part of being given this permission is……”<br /> <br /> As Kurou was speaking, he cast a quick glance towards Sefi. Sefi seemed to be chatting with a store employee that she knew.<br /> <br /> “Sefi will also be targeted by the Blazes.”<br /> <br /> “Don’t say it was as you had predicted. Although Sefi doesn’t want to be enclosed within the school either. Furthermore, who knows when the Blazes will be wiped out.”<br /> <br /> Sylphy would also disapprove, but she likely knows her sister’s tendencies. Being netted within the school, always being protected by others, that would certainly be against Sefi’s nature.<br /> <br /> “Anyways, I am here for the time being.”<br /> <br /> Kurou patted the katana by his waist.<br /> <br /> No matter who attacked, Kurou planned on buying enough time for Sefi and Hinako to escape. Sefi’s abilities have risen. Even if the opponent was a Blaze, she could probably also accomplish something to this extent.<br /> <br /> “Over here Hina! Come over!”<br /> <br /> “Yes, I’m coming.”<br /> <br /> Hinako briskly walked towards Sefi.<br /> <br /> Kurou watched as the two of them were beginning to try on clothes within the store. There was nothing to fret about, as long as they were able to have fun that would be great. <br /> <br /> It would be quite a mundane life if one were to be apprehensive all the time.<br /> <br /> “However, to be shopping with the girls and such, Kurou must really be fearless.”<br /> <br /> “......”<br /> <br /> All of a sudden, there was a pat on his shoulders that stupefied Kurou. His mouth opened in shock.<br /> <br /> Over there was————<br /> <br /> “Lars? Why are you……?”<br /> <br /> “Doesn’t your cellphone have a GPS installed in it? All I did was requested the Sabers’ electronics division to pinpoint your position……”<br /> <br /> “N-no no, I wasn’t referring to that. I meant you should stop suddenly appearing out of nowhere.”<br /> <br /> The person who appeared was Kurou’s fellow disciple and partner from the Sabers——Lars. Currently he is enrolled in the Sword Academy for his studies with Kurou. Even though he was not accompanying Kurou, he was still dressed in his uniform. The Beastslayer was hanging by his waist.<br /> <br /> “Well, it looks like you just got yourself another guard. The deputy sure likes to indiscriminately order people around considering I just got discharged from the hospital.”<br /> <br /> “......Yeah.”<br /> <br /> Despite being a bit startled, Kurou had no intention to complain. Lars had the successor’s mark for the Sword Saint too and his abilities were basically on par with Kurou’s. With him here, they could probably even buy enough time against an opponent like Manaka. Furthermore————<br /> <br /> “Hey, Sefi, Hinako, look who is here to foot the bill!”<br /> <br /> “Cut it out Kurou!”<br /> <br /> “You are the son of the four generals. For things like money you guys should have stacks of it right?”<br /> <br /> “That’s not the case since I’m already independent. I have nothing to do with my parents’ wealth.”<br /> <br /> “Perhaps you could even buy the whole department store. We don’t even have to pay attention to the prices.”<br /> <br /> “Kurou…...are you even listening to me?”<br /> <br /> Sefi and Hinako leisurely walked over after they were done selecting clothes.<br /> <br /> “So Lars, you were discharged from the hospital too?”<br /> <br /> “Looks like you’re still alive Lars.”<br /> <br /> “What a warm welcome.”<br /> <br /> Lars grinned in response to Sefi and Hinako’s comments.<br /> <br /> “They all look great. Although, right now I am a tad short on cash. After taking a quick glance, no matter which piece it was, I began to want them all.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? Sefi, isn’t your family loaded with cash?”<br /> <br /> “It’s because my family comes from a long line of upright politicians. Just based on the salary of the four generals, it isn’t anything extravagant. Although, I can’t say we would ever experience poverty and such. However, after the war, Lars’ family went into the real estate business and made a fortune. Their business is very successful.”<br /> <br /> “In other words, using one’s status to make money. What an upstart.”<br /> <br /> “......No, I certainly did not strike it big.”<br /> <br /> Lars looked a bit befuddled as he tried to explain.<br /> <br /> His family was similar to Sefi’s family as they were all part of the four generals. Being an only child, he would one day rise to the pinnacle of the country assuming nothing drastic happened.<br /> <br /> However, who knows if Lars was thinking about his succession situation. At the very least, Kurou knew that Lars was not someone who would care about his family’s power or wealth.<br /> <br /> “Now is not the time for this. Hina, let’s continue.”<br /> <br /> “Yes.”<br /> <br /> Sefi seemed to have lost interest in Lars as the two of them went back to the clothing store.<br /> <br /> The remaining two boys looked each other in the face.<br /> <br /> Afterwards, the two of them did a fist pound and laughed.<br /> <br /> Humans and Swordies, despite being different races, a greeting like this was all that was needed for the two disciples that have grown up with each other.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “Seems like this one is still the best eh?”<br /> <br /> Sefi held up a cherry colored dress for Hinako to see.<br /> <br /> “If it were up to me, I still think this dress is better……”<br /> <br /> “Eh? But isn’t that one a tad short?”<br /> <br /> “No worries. Since Kurou’s sexual harassment is entirely limited to Sefi, I’ll be fine.”<br /> <br /> “It isn’t just me!”<br /> <br /> Sefi angrily complained towards Hinako’s reply.<br /> <br /> “......They look quite happy.”<br /> <br /> “That’s good and all, but just how many stores have we went to already……”<br /> <br /> Kurou spoke to Lars while revealing his frustration. <br /> <br /> Starting from the first department store that Sefi went to, they had already visited many other department stores and fashion boutiques. It was just as Lars stated, going shopping with girls was like asking for a death sentence.<br /> <br /> “Maybe it would be best to pretend today never happened.”<br /> <br /> “How strange, shouldn’t going out with girls be fun?”<br /> <br /> Kurou heavily sighed.<br /> <br /> The two of them were in a corner a bit away from the girls with numerous shopping bags around them. They were all filled with Hinako’s clothes.<br /> <br /> “Isn’t it great for you though Kurou? You’re just here to accompany them, while I have to pick up the tab.”<br /> <br /> “Can’t you let me buy some clothes and shoes while we’re at it? Maybe even a watch.”<br /> <br /> “What kind of sorry state are you in?”<br /> <br /> Kurou got a menacing glare from Lars. Although the two of them were bounded as fellow disciples, it seemed that was not case when money was involved. <br /> <br /> “Rou, come over here for a sec.”<br /> <br /> “Eh? Alright.”<br /> <br /> Sefi waved him over and Kurou obliged. It would be stupid to waste precious time by refusing.<br /> <br /> “Rou, between this dress and that dress, which one do you think is better? I feel like the one Hinako is holding is a little short.”<br /> <br /> “I-I see…..”<br /> <br /> Having Sefi and Hinako both try out the dresses for him to see, that was what Kurou contemplated over.<br /> <br /> Kurou did not believe a short dress made for a great dress. Even if it went down to the ankles, it could still make for a great H scene depending on the situation.<br /> <br /> “Well then, just buy both.”<br /> <br /> “Whose money do you think it is!?”<br /> <br /> Hearing Kurou make his judgment, Lars quickly objected.<br /> <br /> “That said Sefi, you’re only buying clothes for Hinako right? Why not buy some for yourself?”<br /> <br /> “Eh? That’s because today was meant for buying Hinako some clothes……”<br /> <br /> “Don’t worry about it. This and…...this would match nicely right?”<br /> <br /> Kurou quickly grabbed a revealing sweatshirt and dress and held both in his hands. If the shopping time was going to be dragged on, he hoped to at least have a feast for his eyes.<br /> <br /> “Yeah, I feel bad for Sefi having to solely buy clothes for me.”<br /> <br /> “Can I get a bit of sympathy too?”<br /> <br /> Lars had already been completely reduced to a snarking role.<br /> <br /> “Well…...then I guess I’ll try it on even though I don't really intend on buying it.”<br /> <br /> Towards Kurou’s recommendation, it seemed like Sefi could not outright say she would buy it. Even so, she would try it on to not appear opinionated. Clothes in hand, she went into the changing room.<br /> <br /> “Let me try this one too.”<br /> <br /> Hinako held on to the dress and some other articles of clothing as she entered the changing room next to Sefi.<br /> <br /> “My head kind of hurts, I guess I’ll be taking a seat on that bench.”<br /> <br /> “I hope you feel better.”<br /> <br /> Kurou waved at Lars as he exited the store. He waited in front of the changing rooms for the two of them with his hands crossed. He decided to turn a blind eye towards the “Ah——” and “Mmm——” moaning sounds coming from Hinako’s room.<br /> <br /> “Sefi, what shirt was supposed to be paired with this dress?”<br /> <br /> “Wha!”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, the curtain to the changing room was pulled aside and Hinako’s figure appeared.<br /> <br /> The front of her uniform shirt was open and her dress was down by her feet————in short, it was practically like she was just in her undergarments. <br /> <br /> “Ah, Sefi is currently changing too.”<br /> <br /> “Enough, go back already!”<br /> <br /> Just as the curtain to the changing room was about to be closed back…..<br /> <br /> “Eh, are you two……!”<br /> <br /> Kurou stated as such.<br /> <br /> This time, the curtain was half peeled back as Sefi exited. Now she was not in that undergarment-only state.<br /> <br /> Although she was wearing a dress, she was still essentially half-naked. She did not even have her bra on.<br /> <br /> “......Amazing Sefi, looks like the Kurou seduction expert has already made this her trade.”<br /> <br /> “Ha……? Ahhhhhhh!”<br /> <br /> With the agility of a Swordie, Sefi swiftly turned her body around in the changing room. Following that, she immediately stuck her head out of the gap in the curtains and stared at Kurou.<br /> <br /> “D-Did you see?”<br /> <br /> “Now that you mention it, I have seen your appearance after coming out of the shower before.”<br /> <br /> “Don’t bring up the past! Just how many times do you have to see it before being satisfied!?”<br /> <br /> “But, you’re the one who showed me this time……”<br /> <br /> “Y-You’re right…...sorry.”<br /> <br /> Sefi slightly lowered her reddened face. Knowing when the error was on her behalf was one of her strong suits.<br /> <br /> “Hmm, why are you completely undressed other than your panties Sefi?”<br /> <br /> “T-That’s because…...lately my bra has become tight again…...plus I was just about to put it back on again.”<br /> <br /> “I see.”<br /> <br /> A Swordie’s puberty stage was basically identical to a human’s. Nothing can really be done if the undergarment size is off.<br /> <br /> “Since it was convenient, you let Kuro have a peek right? Which dress do you think matches better?”<br /> <br /> Hinako presented the shirt and dress to Kurou.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean ‘convenient’? Go back already! Rou, don’t look!”<br /> <br /> “I guess there’s no other choice.”<br /> <br /> With a reluctant response, Hinako dragged across the curtain to her changing room. Kurou thought it might be better if Hinako had more of a bashful side. As he was contemplating this trivial matter, he walked away from the curtains.<br /> <br /> “Jeez…...I let him see me like that again…...am I an idiot?”<br /> <br /> With tears welling up in her eyes, Sefi muttered as she put her bra back on again. The changing room was very narrow. It would likely feel quite cramped with two people in at the same time.<br /> <br /> “Hey, would you like me to help you snap it on?”<br /> <br /> “Thanks.”<br /> <br /> Kurou nodded his head and buckled the light green bra.<br /> <br /> “......Why are you in here!?”<br /> <br /> Sefi finally caught on and instantly turned her head. Due to the changing room being very narrow, Sefi’s soft breasts pressed against Kurou’s body the moment they faced each other.<br /> <br /> “Umm……”<br /> <br /> “Hehe.”<br /> <br /> “What are you chuckling about? And what are you doing!?”<br /> <br /> “Nothing, I was just thinking about whether or not I needed to help the princess-sama change.”<br /> <br /> “I don’t need help you moron!”<br /> <br /> Kurou was forcefully shoved by Sefi as he was shooed out of the changing room. After some time, the sexual harassment came to an end.<br /> <br /> Kurou walked out of the store. He headed back towards the bench that Lars was sitting on.<br /> <br /> “I thought I heard Sefi scream. What did you do this time?”<br /> <br /> “Oh just our usual fun and games.”<br /> <br /> “As a matter of fact, Sefi sounded quite excited at the same time. I really don’t understand what’s going on between you two.”<br /> <br /> “That’s because the only thing I do is to the extent of harassment and that’s all I will do.”<br /> <br /> Kurou laughed and sat down next to Lars. He did not say anything after that.<br /> <br /> For someone like Lars who was also a descendant of the four generals, what Kurou wanted to express was already adequately understood.<br /> <br /> “Oh right, I just remembered. Kurou, did you take a hit from the student council president?”<br /> <br /> “You’re as sharp as always. How come you even know about these minor details?”<br /> <br /> Kurou wryly smiled as he knocked on the spot where he got struck by the student council president with his index finger.<br /> <br /> “The student council president seemed a bit peculiar…...Although it was just for an instant, I wasn’t able to sense her attack.”<br /> <br /> “For that to happen to Kurou……? That is quite strange.”<br /> <br /> In past cases, Kurou could predict his opponents based on their killing intent. High speeds could counteract this, but to be completely unable to sense the attack was practically impossible.<br /> <br /> However, when he suffered that blow from the student council president, there was indeed a moment where he could not sense her aura.<br /> <br /> Kurou sat down with his back leaned against the wall.<br /> <br /> “Jeez, we’re nothing but successor candidates for the Sword Saint aren’t we? Unable to match up against the Seven Swords, and we can’t even win against the top Sword Princesses.”<br /> <br /> Even some Swordies are mistakened with the process. The successor’s emblem is basically only given to potential successors, but it does not automatically ensure them a Seven Sword title. A better way to put it would be that a “successor” is basically a step up from a “disciple”. Training as a successor, gaining the approval of a Seven Sword, and only at the very end will they become the Seven Swords of the next generation. <br /> <br /> Kurou and Lars are definitely not on par with the current Seven Swords right now.<br /> <br /> There are also strong individuals like Isyuto among the Sword Princesses. Although they are not on the Seven Swords’ level, many powerful Swordies do exist.<br /> <br /> “......Hey, Kurou, how stringent did Manaka go on us? Back then, there would be no way we would have the leisure time to shop with girls……”<br /> <br /> “She seemed to be filled with revenge towards me.”<br /> <br /> There was sufficient reason for Manaka to be seeking Kurou’s life. Even if Kurou was killed by her he would have no complaints. Although, he never intended on dying there.<br /> <br /> Lars snickered as he placed his hand on the back of his head.<br /> <br /> “Speaking of Manaka, both of us have known her since we were kids. She was always by our master’s side, she could even be described as our second master. She also let us witness her finishing move, the Chaos Dancer. No matter how careless Manaka is, she wouldn’t allow her secret move to be seen by those she didn’t trust. Perhaps, Manaka……”<br /> <br /> “Are you saying that it wasn’t just hatred that drove her?”<br /> <br /> Kurou spoke while looking on in a daze.<br /> <br /> Battling against Manaka was like walking a tightrope, any mistake would have led to death. However, it was just as Lars said, it would not be hard to kill Kurou based on Manaka’s abilities.<br /> <br /> “Kurou, I think Manaka isn’t such a heartless woman.”<br /> <br /> “......I don’t know about that.”<br /> <br /> Kurou gave a perfunctory reply.<br /> <br /> Due to his battle against Manaka, it was not something that could be easily explained.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Displayed on the TV screen in the corner of the room was some type of entertainment channel.<br /> <br /> Although it was mainly about entertainment broadcasts, it appeared to be about some sort of mundane scandal. It was just some boring celebrity relationship news.<br /> <br /> This was the room of a certain abandoned tower. It was a five story building and there were probably numerous companies stationed here in the past. Because of the lack of guests, this place is currently at a standstill.<br /> <br /> “Haaa…...so boring.”<br /> <br /> The person sitting on the sofa in front of the TV was Manaka. Today she was wearing her Sabers uniform as she lazily crossed her legs.<br /> <br /> Once the entertainment news ended, the next program began to play. The subject of it was————”Sword General Manaka, the truth behind her mysterious betrayal.”<br /> <br /> “Oh my.”<br /> <br /> Manaka could not help but smile.<br /> <br /> The makings of this program was most likely a human production.<br /> <br /> Swordies established discriminatory social patterns towards humans. However, the freedom of press was still permitted to everyone. There was also no thorough cornering of human behavior.<br /> <br /> If humans were to take up arms, the Swordies would instantly defeat them. On the flip side, they did not care what kind of resistance the humans implemented as long as they were not armed. It could be said that the freedom of press for humans was used as an outlet for their unequal treatment. <br /> <br /> Precisely due to this, it was alright for them to gossip about a top swordsman such as Manaka.<br /> <br /> Starting from when Manaka was fourteen she was taken in as a disciple by the previous Sword General. It took her just three years to inherit her title, battle style, superb skills, and even her habits of eating and drinking were passed on.<br /> <br /> The news channel even announced topics that Manaka had already forgotten about.<br /> <br /> “......What is it?”<br /> <br /> “Onee-sama, what are you watching?”<br /> <br /> Neena opened the door to the room and entered. She wore the academy’s dress with her white shirt.<br /> <br /> Neena was not a disciple, but rather a Blaze who looked up to Manaka as her older sister.<br /> <br /> For Manaka and Neena who were the instigators of the incident at the Sword Academy, they both went into hiding.<br /> <br /> “What is this, some sort of entertainment channel? Although I don’t particularly watch these things…...oh, right now they are broadcasting about the past Sword General.”<br /> <br /> “Yup, that’s my master.”<br /> <br /> The previous Sword General was no longer within this world.<br /> <br /> She was also very young, but she faced an aviation accident during her travels outside the country and did not return. No matter how robust a Swordie was, it would be impossible to survive an airplane explosion.<br /> <br /> “She was a good person, loved to drink, even to the point where she’d do it right before her battles. What was ridiculous was that she’d only get stronger through her drinking.”<br /> <br /> “To be honest, Onee-sama resembles her master.”<br /> <br /> Neena wryly smiled as she spoke. Although she did not mention Manaka’s excessive drinking, it was best to keep Manaka under control since it was unclear when a battle may occur.<br /> <br /> “She was truly strong. Even right now, if I was asked ‘could you beat her’, it would cause a headache for me. She was someone worthy of respect.”<br /> <br /> “However…..even if you say that, she was a Swordie.”<br /> <br /> “There’s nothing you can do about who you resent. Don’t you like Sefi as well?”<br /> <br /> “Umm……”<br /> <br /> In order to take Sefi’s life, Neena infiltrated the Sword Academy. Although she became close to Sefi, it seemed that she became overly close and became attached to the princess of the four generals.<br /> <br /> “That said, Neena, wouldn’t it be great if you could just continue going to school like you did before?”<br /> <br /> “Don’t joke around please!”<br /> <br /> Neena’s face turned red as she stepped forward to speak.<br /> <br /> She had also heard about the hardships within the Blaze reservation. They were from the complaints of her grandparents who were survivors of the Blaze cleansing. It must have influenced her greatly.<br /> <br /> “I intend to fight for the Blazes till the very end. Of course, if Sefi-sama were to hinder me then————”<br /> <br /> “Don’t get overly courageous. Based on what we were doing, it’s safe to say that it hasn’t been very constructive. So try not to expect too much out of it.”<br /> <br /> Manaka spoke with excitement as she changed the channel. The special broadcast on Sword General Manaka had ended and a new TV drama just started.<br /> <br /> “Even so, it’s hard for us to take action. Our identities have been completely exposed.”<br /> <br /> “Then please don’t go near the academy. It’s too dangerous if you encounter the Absolute Sword. Although, there’s no way Onee-sama could lose.”<br /> <br /> “Is that so? Well, looks like it’d be best if I don’t go there meaninglessly. Based on what I have ascertained from Syunaku’s abilities, her wire sword is capable of battling against groups of people. It would cause a bit of trouble.”<br /> <br /> “The only ones who would take action are————Sefi-sama’s sister and the Absolute Sword. The other Seven Swords will……”<br /> <br /> “No way, the Swordie government isn’t stupid. They wouldn’t let their precious Seven Sword fighting force be used against us. If there was an injury to the Seven Swords because of this, the loss would be too great. Syunaku was personally sent by Sylphy. The government will only use those that are dispensable to them. Just to have a guy like Kurou is already remarkable.”<br /> <br /> “......But our enemy isn’t humans.”<br /> <br /> “The government doesn’t have the obligation to send us our desired enemies to face.”<br /> <br /> Manaka shrugged her shoulders while smiling.<br /> <br /> Within her expectations, wanting to draw out the Seven Swords would take quite some time. She became the target of everyone from the start due to her position as the past commander of the Sabers. The size of the organization was small, although the vast majority were many male workers, their battle force was not anything to look down on. There were also a couple of Sword Princesses along with Kurou and Lars.<br /> <br /> “For now we’ve been quite relaxed. It’s just been drinking and sleeping the days away.”<br /> <br /> “What’s the plan for our other comrades? A lot of them are moving out for assassination attempts.”<br /> <br /> “Assassinations that result in intimidation and nuisances. Even though the results have been mostly favorable, it doesn’t mean much based on my expectations of the government. Our boss…...seems to have let that person take action.”<br /> <br /> “That person…...you mean the Death Sword!?”<br /> <br /> Neena’s eyes opened widely while pressing her hands against her chest.<br /> <br /> Death Swords————Neena was not very fond of them. For someone who harbored kind feelings towards Sefi, who was her enemy, yet ironically loathed her own partners, Manaka felt Neena was hopeless.<br /> <br /> “Well then, that kid should be around here…...is she here to help Onee-sama?”<br /> <br /> “Helping me? Well let’s see her abilities first.”<br /> <br /> Manaka suspended the conversation and focused on the TV screen once again.<br /> <br /> It was hard enough to be released from the burdening task of being a Seven Sword and the director of the Sabers. During this down time, just let me rest a bit————Manaka wanted to drink another can of beer.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The shopping came to a standstill for now as Kurou and the others went to a Japanese restaurant that Sefi was familiar with.<br /> <br /> Although Kurou would have felt awkward being in a courtyard or banquet of a high class restaurant, the atmosphere here was very comfortable. The prices of the lunch menu were within normal scopes. Kurou ate some delicious tempura. Quantity wise it was a bit lacking, but he did not have room for complaints considering someone else was treating him. That person was of course Lars.<br /> <br /> Backtracking for a bit, by “for now”————that meant that the shopping was going to continue.<br /> <br /> “Alright, let’s go shopping again!”<br /> <br /> Sefi was highly energetic after replenishing her strength. It already felt like Hinako became a test subject for her.<br /> <br /> Sefi and Hinako once again took off shopping while Lars followed them.<br /> <br /> As for Kurou, he was just aimlessly wandering the streets.<br /> <br /> “Haaa——ah.”<br /> <br /> Kurou deeply sighed.<br /> <br /> Since Sefi had said “it will be girls only from here on out!” As a result, Kurou was not allowed to continue with them. However, having no guards for them was out of the question. Lars would have the dual role of being the bodyguard and the one that picks up the tab<br /> <br /> Kurou realized that he could move around normally for once. Sefi and Hinako were probably going to buy undergarments and such. Kurou wished he could go with them.<br /> <br /> “Well, it’s nice to freely move around occasionally.”<br /> <br /> Nothing could be done about this situation which he was forced into. After coming out of the mountains, Kurou worked for the Sabers for a year. Due to the elimination matches, hospital stay, and the battle royal, he had been very busy. To be by himself again and leisurely passing the time was a nice change of pace.<br /> <br /> Supposedly he was to receive a text when the shopping spree ended. In other words, from now till then, this was his time of freedom.<br /> <br /> Bookstores, CD stores, and such, despite just glancing around and not buying anything, Kurou truly enjoyed his time strolling around alone. Buying something would be fine, but he did not feel the need to. Moreover, there was nothing in particular that he was interested in so he ended up being the type of kid who did not really like to spend money.<br /> <br /> “Eh.”<br /> <br /> Kurou stopped to take a look at a certain shop. The vendor had two crane games lined up at the entrance of the shop. Swordies were also keen on entertainment. At a gaming center like this, all kinds of individuals were around.<br /> <br /> “It’s been quite a while, let’s have a go at it.”<br /> <br /> After stepping out of the mountains and working for the Sabers, these games have been rare to come by. Starting from when he became a disciple of the Sword Saint, he grew up in an environment with no modern civilization. Although, he would occasionally skip out on patrol duty to play with Lars.<br /> <br /> Kurou entered the store and sequentially glanced around at the neatly organized games. Because it was a Sunday afternoon, there were many guests here. Among them, the teenage males were the majority.<br /> <br /> At the Swordie gaming centers, there seemed to be a melee game that was currently trending while a swords battle game was popular in human gaming centers. It was quite strange.<br /> <br /> As a result of the Sun Cult’s frequent activities, there has not been much free time for him. For the time he had been away, a portion of the games were swapped out.<br /> <br /> “Darn, lost again!”<br /> <br /> A piercing voice resonated within the arcade.<br /> <br /> Kurou looked in the direction of that sound and noticed a girl sitting in front of an arcade machine. It seemed like that leather guitar case leaning against the machine was hers as well.<br /> <br /> The girl had her pinkish-red hair tied into two strands on the sides of her head with a feather hair clip that gave off a childish tone. She wore a cream-colored baggy sweater along with a red plaid miniskirt. It was likely some high school's uniform.<br /> <br /> Her purple eyes stared at the console with resentment.<br /> <br /> She was someone who would attract anyone’s gaze. Those ample breasts protruded from under her sweater. Her waist was thin and so were her legs. She possessed superb proportions and an exceptional figure.<br /> <br /> Kurou could not help but be fixated on her.<br /> <br /> “Hey, I haven’t seen you before. Welcome.”<br /> <br /> After the girl noticed Kurou’s lapse, she revealed a smile. It was as if the entire dimly lit store shined the instant she smiled.<br /> <br /> “Yeah, thanks……”<br /> <br /> Kurou was unwittingly captivated by that smile and simply returned a proper greeting.<br /> <br /> “Ah, do you want to play this? You can play in my place.”<br /> <br /> The girl cheerfully stood up and grabbed Kurou by the shoulders, pushing him towards the front of the arcade console. Following that, the girl’s sweet fragrance wafted over.<br /> <br /> What should I do? Kurou stressed over the situation, which was a rare occurrence for him.<br /> <br /> “What the, do you address people with ‘chan’?”<br /> <br /> “Alright, hurry and have a seat. Let me knock you down a peg.”<br /> <br /> Sitting in front of the console that was across from Rinne was a brown-haired boy and a friend of his who had short hair standing close to Kurou. The two of them were approximately the same age as Kurou.<br /> <br /> Rinne seemed to be this girl’s name.<br /> <br /> “Hmm? Hey, aren’t you…...a human?”<br /> <br /> “He might be. He even has a katana or something on him.”<br /> <br /> Towards the brown-haired boy’s statement, the short-haired boy revealed an astonished expression. Afterwards, he looked towards Kurou intently as if he was surveying him.<br /> <br /> “So what if I’m human? I didn’t see anything that said ‘humans can’t enter.’”<br /> <br /> Kurou returned to his senses and smirked. He was very adept at dealing with these kinds of people.<br /> <br /> “What did you say!? You sure have some nerve to make a Swordie your enemy!”<br /> <br /> The brown-haired guy was aggravated. He did not carry a sword on him, but being a Swordie, he had sufficient strength to kill humans with just his bare hands. Normally, it wouldn’t be a good idea to incite him————<br /> <br /> “You’re clearly weaker when compared to Swordie girls. Please don’t scare humans.”<br /> <br /> “What are you blabbing on about!? You're just a human, don’t forget your place.”<br /> <br /> The short-haired boy lunged towards Kurou, wanting to grab him.<br /> <br /> “Don’t think so highly of yourself! That’s right…...are you one of those cultists who have been wandering around here lately?”<br /> <br /> “Cultists? You mean the Sun Cultists?”<br /> <br /> Kurou was a bit surprised as he asked.<br /> <br /> “Ah, is that the name? Did they get the wrong location? Always trying to persuade others, yet no one even bats them an eye.”<br /> <br /> “Yeah.”<br /> <br /> Kurou once again felt shocked at what the short-haired guy said.<br /> <br /> Although Kurou had known about the Sun Cultists taking to the streets trying to reach out to people, it was the first time he heard about them doing this in the Specialized Central Region.<br /> <br /> “Well, I’m definitely not a Sun Cultist. As you can see I’m just a student.”<br /> <br /> “What do you mean ‘just a student’? Tch, to be wearing what seems to be the Sword Academy’s uniform, don’t kid us.”<br /> <br /> It would appear that they know about the Sword Academy. Never in their dreams would they suspect Kurou was a student there.<br /> <br /> “That said, this guy seems to have a high temper. Wanna take it outside?”<br /> <br /> “You…...even though you have a sword, do you really think you can win against a Swordie?”<br /> <br /> “Winning or losing and such, don’t get ahead of yourself.”<br /> <br /> Kurou gave off a smile as he spoke. He was not trying to find trouble, but after seeing these types of men, Kurou had a bad habit of joking around.<br /> <br /> “Alright alright, that’s enough.”<br /> <br /> Following that beautiful clear voice, Rinne clapped her hands.<br /> <br /> “If you guys are going to fight here, then do it with games. That way there will be no bad blood regardless if you win or lose. That’s the rule around here.”<br /> <br /> “......Is there such a rule?”<br /> <br /> The short-haired boy tilted his head.<br /> <br /> “I made the declaration just now. You have a problem with it?”<br /> <br /> Rinne also tilted her head. She was clearly replicating his movements, but the level of cuteness was on a completely different level. Although, suggesting that the boy was cute was hard to accept.<br /> <br /> “W-Well, if Rinne says so then……”<br /> <br /> “Defeating a human through games is also interesting……”<br /> <br /> The brown and short-haired guys seemed to understand even though they felt perplexed.<br /> <br /> At some point in time, a crowd gathered around Kurou and the others nodded in approval.<br /> <br /> From the looks of it, Rinne was treated as the princess-sama of this arcade.<br /> <br /> “Then let us four engage in an elimination match. Who will be my opponent?”<br /> <br /> Rinne wryly smiled as she once again sat in front of the arcade machine.<br /> <br /> Kurou could not help but feel that his rhythm was disrupted.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> “Ah, haha.”<br /> <br /> Rinne was skipping around as she was heading forward. Her hair, dress, and the guitar case she carried on her back were swaying around as she moved.<br /> <br /> How did it end up with the two of them walking together after Kurou left the arcade?<br /> <br /> “What an exciting day. It was my first time winning like this.”<br /> <br /> “Must be very gratifying for you……”<br /> <br /> Kurou was not really interested in Rinne’s excitement.<br /> <br /> After proposing that Kurou, the brown-haired kid, and short-haired kid engage in alternating elimination matches, Kurou lost every match, including the numerous matches afterwards against the arcade regulars.<br /> <br /> This was especially true when it came to the dozen or so matches against Rinne. Despite them being competitive matches, he still lost them all.<br /> <br /> The matches against the arcade regulars could not even be considered battles. However, since his losses against Rinne were out in full view, it was even more aggravating. <br /> <br /> “Who would have thought there’d be someone in this world who would consecutively lose to me.”<br /> <br /> Rinne’s eyes were sparkling.<br /> <br /> Referring to herself with “boku”, this extremely sprightly girl seemed to be inept at playing these arcade games. Although she appeared to be a regular at the arcade, her ranking must have always been at the bottom. Furthermore, she had never relinquished this spot to anyone else before. Solely due to her clumsiness and cuteness, she was treated as a princess within that arcade.<br /> <br /> “Oh.”<br /> <br /> Rinne suddenly composed herself. The sides of her hair fluttered for a moment and following that she lowered her head.<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry. There’s nothing amusing about me being overly excited. Since I haven’t even been able to beat even a novice before, I was very ecstatic when I won.”<br /> <br /> “No worries.”<br /> <br /> After receiving her frank apology, Kurou finally regained his focus. He could clearly predict his opponents’ attacks in battle, but he had absolutely no grasp of that when it came to a video game character’s movement. Speaking of which, Lars was very strong in this regard and always had Kurou pay for the arcade fees.<br /> <br /> “By the way, why are you following me?”<br /> <br /> Since he was continuously losing, Kurou decided to leave but for some reason Rinne tagged along.<br /> <br /> “That’s because I’m very happy today.”<br /> [[File:Kenshin v02 145.PNG|thumbnail|right]]<br /> Rinne said that without hesitation. Although it was not quite a valid answer, Kurou displayed a “well, whatever” kind of expression. Plus there was nothing wrong with taking a walk with Rinne.<br /> <br /> “Oh right I forgot. My name is Rinne, you can call me by name directly since everyone else does the same. What about you?”<br /> <br /> “Kurou, although my original name was Katsuragi Kurou. Just call me Kurou.”<br /> <br /> “Alright, Kurou-chan it is.”<br /> <br /> “K-Kurou-chan?”<br /> <br /> Rinne completely ignored Kurou’s dissatisfaction. She appeared to really like this type of address as she nodded her head excessively. <br /> <br /> “I’m hungry after an exciting day of playing. Kurou-chan, want to go try that out?”<br /> <br /> Rinne pointed toward a small stand by the sidewalk. A barbecue aroma drifted from that location.<br /> <br /> It had rotisserie consisting of numerous thinly cut up pork slices folded up with shredded cabbage mixed together. That was then added to some pre-baked bread. In the end, it looked like a type of sandwich. It was apparently a popular item in the Swordie homeworld. For Sefi to be routinely visiting that Japanese restaurant, it could be said that Swordies had already been integrated into the Japanese food culture. However, they had not forgotten about the cuisine of their own culture.<br /> <br /> Kurou grabbed one that had spices added to it while Rinne selected the one with a sweet flavor. After buying some juice from the vending machine, the two of them sat together at a nearby park bench as they ate their food.<br /> <br /> “Wow, this is great. Their seasonings are quite excellent.”<br /> <br /> Rinne took a seat right next to Kurou. She was joyfully munching on the sandwich. Since Kurou did not eat enough during lunch, he felt this was fine. Moreover, the seasoning was indeed pretty good.<br /> <br /> However————, Kurou squinted at Rinne.<br /> <br /> “What’s wrong Kurou-chan?”<br /> <br /> “Are you…...a Swordie?”<br /> <br /> “Yup.”<br /> <br /> “......I’m a human you know.”<br /> <br /> “Ah, you think I mind that? Those two just now weren’t bad individuals. For humans to be on a lower standing than oneself————it’s those who taught them that who are in the wrong.”<br /> <br /> “......”<br /> <br /> At a quick glance, Rinne looked as if she was not putting much thought into her words, but she was surprisingly pondering over this situation. At the very least, it was because of one’s identity and arrogance that those who look down on humans would even draw a dividing line.<br /> <br /> “To me, I don’t see other people as Swordies and humans. The only difference I see is there are those who are good at gaming, and those who aren’t.”<br /> <br /> “Isn’t that a bit too rash……?”<br /> <br /> In the end, it really did feel as if she did not put much thought into it.<br /> <br /> “Don’t worry, don’t worry. Besides Kurou-chan, to me you are a very special existence.”<br /> <br /> “We’ve only known each other for thirty minutes.”<br /> <br /> “That’s because————you’re an opponent who is on the same level as me in combat. That’s very valuable.”<br /> <br /> “......Is that so.”<br /> <br /> On the topic of being on similar levels, Kurou did not quite understand that after having frequently lost to some foolish tactics. In truth, a battle against an opponent that is too strong or weak lacks significance.<br /> <br /> However, being on the same level, well……<br /> <br /> Kurou surveyed Rinne from head to toe. Since it was Kurou we were talking about, it was understandable. Perhaps she————<br /> <br /> “I always eat sweet foods so I was wondering how the spicy one tastes?”<br /> <br /> “Hmm? Oh, it’s pretty good. It isn’t even that spicy.”<br /> <br /> “Is that so……well, let me have a taste.”<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> Before Kurou could recover, Rinne suddenly lunged out to grab a bite of his sandwich. Kurou had no time to react to this surprise attack.<br /> <br /> “Mmmm……that’s tasty. It’s truly delicious.”<br /> <br /> “Mhmm.”<br /> <br /> Without hesitation, she bit off half of Kurou’s sandwich. If it were Sefi, this sort of maneuver could never be accomplished.<br /> <br /> “Kurou-chan, try some of mine this time————eh?”<br /> <br /> While Rinne was chewing on the roasted meat, she suddenly became tongue tied.<br /> <br /> Her eyes gradually welled up with tears as she covered her mouth with her hands. She seemed to be muttering something indistinctly.<br /> <br /> “What is it? Is something wrong?”<br /> <br /> “……Waaaaah, it’s too spicy! Kurou-chan you liar! This is way too hot!”<br /> <br /> Rinne tearfully glared at Kurou.<br /> <br /> So it was like that huh. Kurou’s gaze fell on his sandwich. Although he did not feel the spiciness was to that extent, it might just be a matter of personal tolerance.<br /> <br /> “Wuu, I’m going to cry……”<br /> <br /> “No, you’re already crying.”<br /> <br /> No matter how robust a Swordie’s body was, it seemed there were also those who feared spicy food.<br /> <br /> “Jeez, you idiot.”<br /> <br /> Rinne knocked on Kurou’s shoulder. Despite having held back her strength to a great extent, it was still painful.<br /> <br /> “Ouch, that hurts. Hey.”<br /> <br /> Kurou instantly grabbed hold of Rinne’s fist. Even though she was just lightly waving around her fist, it did feel quite heavy.<br /> <br /> Having had her fist grabbed by Kurou, Rinne revealed a stupefied expression.<br /> <br /> “……Huh?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, my bad.”<br /> <br /> Kurou unwittingly released Rinne’s tightly clenched fist.<br /> <br /> Even with that, Rinne still stared intently at Kurou————no, she seemed to be looking towards the empty space behind him.<br /> <br /> “……What?”<br /> <br /> “Umm——……”<br /> <br /> The blankly staring Rinne gradually started to break out in a blush. It must have been an indication of her embarrassment. Could it be due to the spicy food?<br /> <br /> Rinne reverted back to normal as if nothing happened. She drank the rest of her juice in one go. Was she embarrassed after having her hand held just now?<br /> <br /> “……Ha, looks like my preference is still sweet foods.”<br /> <br /> “That seems to be the case.”<br /> <br /> Kurou wryly smiled and then quickly ate the rest of his sandwich. Even for an innocent child like Rinne, who would have thought that all it would take was holding her hand to make her shy.<br /> <br /> “……Kurou-chan, want to try mine as well?”<br /> <br /> “No thanks, I’d rather not.”<br /> <br /> Kurou shook his head when Rinne was passing him her sandwich.<br /> <br /> After turning her focus away from Kurou, she nodded and began to wolf down her sandwich.<br /> <br /> Kurou slowly started to take a liking to this girl.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> It was already past three in the afternoon.<br /> <br /> Kurou was still with Rinne.<br /> <br /> “Hey.”<br /> <br /> Rinne was walking across the overpass.<br /> <br /> As he gazed at her near dangerous levels of revealing dress, he suddenly recalled the suspicion he had before.<br /> <br /> “Rinne, do you play the guitar?”<br /> <br /> “Eh? Oh, I guess you can call it a hobby.”<br /> <br /> Rinne nodded while gently knocking on the guitar case that she carried on her shoulders. She then proceeded to do an air guitar maneuver. For the Swordies who were fully integrated into earth’s————Japanese culture, there were quite a few musicians.<br /> <br /> “By the way, is it ok for you to be so laid back? Even though I have some down time, but what about you Rinne?”<br /> <br /> “I’m practically the same. Although I do have a job, there just haven’t been any tasks for me lately.”<br /> <br /> “What kind of job is it?”<br /> <br /> “Hehe, that’s a secret.”<br /> <br /> Rinne sheepishly smiled.<br /> <br /> “Today is a rest day. Afterwards all that is left to do is go back home and sleep.<br /> <br /> “That sounds quite boring.”<br /> <br /> “Yeah, it truly is. Fortunately I was able to meet Kurou-chan today.”<br /> <br /> Rinne reached the stairs and began to aimlessly walk along the overpass.<br /> <br /> “Oh yeah, Kurou-chan let’s exchange emails. I already did the same with the group of arcade goers. If there’s a new game or someone new I can win against, be sure to tell me.”<br /> <br /> “Ok, will do.”<br /> <br /> After Kurou retrieved the phone from his pocket, the phones underwent an infrared connection to exchange emails and phone numbers.<br /> <br /> “Alright, here it is. Actually, I’ve never sent emails or anything before.”<br /> <br /> “Same with me. I’ve only had a cellphone since the past year or so.”<br /> <br /> That should be obvious. Since the Sword Saint and her disciples resided in the mountains, it was impossible to get a cellphone signal. Even if a signal could reach, it was not like he had anyone to talk to.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Kurou’s cellphone ringtone sounded. He pressed the talk button.<br /> <br /> “Hello?”<br /> <br /> [Hello, Kurou-chan can you hear me?]<br /> <br /> Rinne had her elbow set against the overpass railing. She was talking into the phone while glancing at Kurou with a devilish expression.<br /> <br /> “Yes I can, even if you didn’t call I could……”<br /> <br /> [I’m just making sure whether or not this would actually go through. I’m quite the worrier.”]<br /> <br /> Rinne gave a quick smile and placed her cellphone back in her pocket.<br /> <br /> Something was wrong, Kurou suddenly felt uneasy about her. Despite her outgoing nature, she was not just any ordinary cute girl. <br /> <br /> An uneasing aura manifested around her.<br /> <br /> Just what is it about her that is causing this? She was clearly an optimistic one, yet she gives off an unsettling feeling. Perhaps there was the possibility that Kurou was overthinking this as well.<br /> <br /> “Ha.”<br /> <br /> Rinne gently rose on her tippy toes on one leg while standing on the railing. The width of the railing was about 15 cm at best. Below the overpass was heavy traffic. Normally speaking, one would never step on there, but for a Swordie, even toddlers could pull off this trick.<br /> <br /> “......By the way Rinne.”<br /> <br /> “Hmm?”<br /> <br /> “Your panties are revealed if you stand there.”<br /> <br /> Actually, that happened whenever her miniskirt fluttered in the wind.<br /> <br /> “Ahh, hey, that’s not right, who said you could peek.”<br /> <br /> “I’m not even trying to peek.”<br /> <br /> “Umm…...do you want to look?”<br /> <br /> Rinne grumbled while pressing down on her miniskirt.<br /> <br /> “Well, honestly speaking I do want to see.”<br /> <br /> “You’re such a pervert. So aggravating, men are really……”<br /> <br /> Rinne was shaking her head nonstop while wryly smiling.<br /> <br /> “All the boys in the arcade would always look at my legs. That’s not right at all. You shouldn’t let anyone catch your line of sight.”<br /> <br /> “That’s nothing, it’s not like it’s a battle.”<br /> <br /> The regulars at the arcade were Swordies so it was obvious that they practiced their swordsmanship at school.<br /> <br /> However, Kurou felt that there was absolutely no one threatening there. Well, besides one person.<br /> <br /> “Jeez, it’s so boring. My panties were seen without me detecting it. Now there’s nothing left to see. This is quite aggravating as well.”<br /> <br /> Rinne spoke with a smile on her face. She maintained her tippy toe posture as she hopped along forward.<br /> <br /> Kurou followed behind Rinne. Although it was impossible for her to fall from there, Kurou did not plan on leaving her unattended.<br /> <br /> Once they reached the bottom of the overpass, Kurou’s ringtone sounded. However, this time it was Sefi.<br /> <br /> “What is it?”<br /> <br /> [Hello, Rou? Sorry for the sudden call, but things have turned for the worse.]<br /> <br /> Sefi’s tone sounded a bit anxious.<br /> <br /> “What turned for the worse?”<br /> <br /> [I was a bit immersed in shopping…...plus Lars was waiting outside so……]<br /> <br /> “Did Hinako get lost?”<br /> <br /> [Yeah…...you guessed right. I’m so sorry, I was being too careless……]<br /> <br /> It would seem that Sefi admitted to her mistake.<br /> <br /> Since she was a girl, there was not much that could have been done for her shopping immersion. However, for Lars to not notice was quite unusual. <br /> <br /> Perhaps Sefi did not let him come near the undergarment shopping area? If that was not the case, it should have been impossible for that guy to lose sight of the person he was supposed to guard.<br /> <br /> “What about her cellphone? Did you try giving Hinako a call?”<br /> <br /> [Now that I think about it, Hina still doesn’t have a cellphone……]<br /> <br /> “Oh.”<br /> <br /> Darn it, Kurou finally realized what happened. For Hinako who was always within the school grounds, this was an unnecessary device. Thus, she was not given a cellphone.<br /> <br /> “We should have given her a cellphone from the start. That was way too negligent for me as well.”<br /> <br /> [For now, I’ll be searching around over here. Kurou you should converge with us.]<br /> <br /> “Got it.”<br /> <br /> After setting up a meeting point, Kurou hung up. <br /> <br /> In the end, this situation was nothing to be surprised about. Hinako always walked about aimlessly. For that to happen when she was brought out on the street was to be expected.<br /> <br /> “Sorry Rinne. Something came up——”<br /> <br /> Just as he ended the conversation with Rinne…..<br /> <br /> Rinne, who was originally walking ahead, stopped in her tracks. She was blankly staring at something.<br /> <br /> “Please support us! Please support us!”<br /> <br /> Following this imposing manner of calling out to others, something like a flyer was extended towards Kurou.<br /> <br /> The crest of arms and logo which he had seen countless times, was printed at the top of the leaflet.<br /> <br /> “The Sun Cult……”<br /> <br /> “Please sup——K-Kurou!?”<br /> <br /> The person who handed Kurou the flyer was a girl wearing a white cloak and a blue nun outfit.<br /> <br /> Her name was Kido Akari, a Sun Cult girl whom Kurou had met many times before during their terrorist activity encounters.<br /> <br /> “These people were the Sun Cult members that were mentioned before I bet. Kurou-chan, do you know her?”<br /> <br /> “I suppose I do…..”<br /> <br /> After responding to the blankly staring Rinne, Kurou displayed an agonizing expression.<br /> <br /> He had work to attend to still, yet there was even more trouble————all he could do was let out a deep sigh.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Kurou and Rinne were currently next to the station’s entrance.<br /> <br /> Although Kurou was unaware, after running around he ended up near the station.<br /> <br /> In this crowded place, there were three nuns from the Sun Cult and ten male cultists in uniform. They were all holding leaflets and distributing them to pedestrians.<br /> <br /> However, the cultists were completely overlooked. The pedestrians————were practically all Swordies and they paid no attention to the cultists. None of the Swordies even seemed to bat an eye at them.<br /> <br /> “Jeez, you guys……”<br /> <br /> Kurou ruffled his head while speaking.<br /> <br /> “What are you guys doing here……?”<br /> <br /> “You still don’t know after seeing us!? We are promoting the Sun Cult’s teachings!”<br /> <br /> Akari responded in a provocative tone. She had always been like this. Kurou had even seen her in a half crying state when she became angry.<br /> <br /> “No way. To be doing that in the Specialized Central Region, I’m not buying it. No one would trust a human religion since everyone here is a Swordie.”<br /> <br /> Rather, usually Swordies do not follow any religion. It was said that in Swordia there were numerous kinds of religions, but the number of people holding on to those beliefs after coming to this world were quite scarce.<br /> <br /> “You have no right to say that! There are even Swordies among us!”<br /> <br /> “But aren’t they just guards?”<br /> <br /> Kurou had battled against many Swordie fighters employed by the Sun Cult. Most of those were just mentally insane people who did not care who they fought so long as the opponent was strong.<br /> <br /> “All in all, you guys are here in this kind of place to gather more believers……Oh yeah, Akari, did you leave the combat division?”<br /> <br /> “Guh……!”<br /> <br /> Akari had infiltrated the Sword Academy with other Sun Cultists in the past. When they were driven out by Kurou that time, she said she did not wish to continue fighting. Despite being opponents on the battlefront, there was no way Kurou could ever resent her. He honestly did not want her to engage in any perilous activities.<br /> <br /> “T-This is also an important practice! Even though we don’t have any weapons right now, we can still kill you right away!” <br /> <br /> “You don’t have the guts……”<br /> <br /> “Haha, Kurou-chan and this girl sure have a good relationship.”<br /> <br /> Rinne happily jumped into the conversation.<br /> <br /> “What do you mean by ‘good relationship’!? Who are you anyways!? Kurou, you must be quite lucky to be going out on dates with girls on Sundays!”<br /> <br /> “The time is right for a date precisely because it’s Sunday!”<br /> <br /> Rinne purposefully said something that added oil to the fire.<br /> <br /> She easily admitted to a date, leaving Kurou feeling a bit awkward.<br /> <br /> “Y-You……this date……”<br /> <br /> Akari clenched her fists while quivering.<br /> <br /> “Then how about Akari goes on a date with me next time?”<br /> <br /> “How can that even be possible!? You’re in the Sabers so you’re my enemy!”<br /> <br /> “I suppose so.”<br /> <br /> Kurou was playing dumb. However, the Sun Cultists were in no mood to play along.<br /> <br /> The male cultists displayed a rather grave expression as they surrounded Kurou. Incidentally, even Rinne was caught in the encirclement.<br /> <br /> “Akari, you said this guy is from the Sabers, is that true? He even has a katana on him. Is he the rumored human within the group?”<br /> <br /> “Ah, about that……”<br /> <br /> A suspicion surfaced within Kurou. Why did Akari hesitate in admitting to that? Kurou could not even recall how many Sun Cultists he had slain. Even right now, it was not surprising that rumors about Kurou were floating around within the Sun Cult. There must have been many who despised Kurou. Even if there were no implications behind this, Akari should still have no reason to do such a thing.<br /> <br /> Akari focused herself once again and eyed her fellow cultists.<br /> <br /> “Everyone, today our mission is preaching our beliefs. There’s no point in getting into an useless dispute with this guy.”<br /> <br /> “……In that case, there’s been something on my mind from a while ago.”<br /> <br /> “Shut up.”<br /> <br /> Akari interrupted Kurou while sharply glaring at him.<br /> <br /> “Actually, despite Akari always putting on airs, you're just part of the cadre or what? And you’re just a high school student right?”<br /> <br /> “That’s what’s on your mind under these circumstances……?<br /> <br /> Akari, who was at wits end, glanced over.<br /> <br /> Having been surrounded by the widely known armed division of the Sun Cult, this was perhaps not even an issue for him. However, Kurou displayed no fear at all.<br /> <br /> “Who cares about that! You know we’ve lost a couple members! If that guy is truly Kurou from the Sabers, there’s no way we can just stay silent!”<br /> <br /> “Yup yup, I am Kurou from the Sabers.”<br /> <br /> “W-What are you……”<br /> <br /> Kurou easily admitted to it. Following that, Akari just looked at him in silence.<br /> <br /> The Sun Cultists were not armed. Although they hold a lot of smuggled contraband firearms, it was not like even the flyer handout guys would be armed. Even if they were, Kurou would not be troubled at all.<br /> <br /> “A fight for our lives, this way there’d be no resentment left……even though that’s what I wish for, it probably can’t be done.”<br /> <br /> “Don’t give me that crap!”<br /> <br /> A male cultist yelled out.<br /> <br /> “Except, today I still have work. Furthermore I have a girl with me as well.”<br /> <br /> Kurou shot a quick glance at Rinne and noticed that she was smiling and waving towards the cultists. She was not shaken at all.<br /> <br /> “If possible I’d like to try to avoid any blood being shed. Since I won’t bring out my sword, you guys can come at us with your fists.”<br /> <br /> “Are you a hooligan or what?”<br /> <br /> The person who ridiculed him was Akari.<br /> <br /> “Fine with us. Once we defeat him let’s send him back to headquarters!”<br /> <br /> One of the cultists came at him with a punch. Surprisingly his movements were quite good, befitting of such a scary terrorist group. Despite being a religious organization, they seemed to have some variety of battle training as well.<br /> <br /> “However, you still have a long way to go.”<br /> <br /> Kurou saw through the cultist’s movements, avoided his punch, and then backhanded him in the face. After the sound of the punch, the man toppled down onto the ground.<br /> <br /> After seeing that display of technique, the other cultists clearly felt afraid.<br /> <br /> Kurou could not be compared to a Swordie, but as a human he had already trained over his limits. Even when using his heavy katana, he was able to freely manipulate it with his arm strength. If a human was hit with such strength, they would easily be knocked into a daze.<br /> <br /> “What? No need to mention it, it’s just a quarrel among humans!”<br /> <br /> Kurou intentionally said out loud. At a quick glance, it would be hard to believe that Kurou was a human.<br /> <br /> “Whether it’s a Swordie or the police, no one would bother interfering. So hurry up and come at me!”<br /> <br /> Indeed, on this street there was no one who would intervene in a struggle among humans. Swordies had no interest in these matters. The police would only get involved if it was between Swordies.<br /> <br /> Kurou slayed Sun Cultists in the past due to his missions. However, he felt he was not in the wrong for doing so. If there were people who carried a grudge against him, there was nothing wrong with having a playful fight. Nevertheless, he did not plan on taking a beating and staying silent over the issue.<br /> <br /> The Sun Cultist men came at him all at once. Humans were different from Swordies and their preference for one-on-one battles. There was no hesitation in attacking as a group.<br /> <br /> Moreover, Kurou would not hesitate either.<br /> <br /> For someone who was used to seeing a Swordie’s sword, a human’s movements were like witnessing slow motion. The Olden Style was not even needed. Kurou dodged the punch that came swinging at him and began his counterattack. He grabbed another person’s shirt, which lowered his opponent’s head, as he kneed him in the face. After that he elbowed the guy who attacked from behind in the abdomen.<br /> <br /> “Ah, that looked like it’d hurt.”<br /> <br /> Rinne raised her brows and used her hands to cover her face. She was probably very at ease.<br /> <br /> “Capture that girl!”<br /> <br /> The first person to suddenly rush at Kurou issued an order to the other cultist. After seeing his comrades fall one after another, perhaps the current battle method was not enough to take out Kurou.<br /> <br /> The cultists who were given the order immediately charged at Rinne.<br /> <br /> Damn, those guys do not know Rinne is a Swordie.<br /> <br /> When Kurou remembered that it was already too late.<br /> <br /> “Eh?”<br /> <br /> Rinne was stunned. The cultists reached out to her, wanting to capture her————<br /> <br /> “Hey hey, how dare you touch a Swordie girl.”<br /> <br /> Rinne smiled as she spoke. She nimbly turned her body and avoided their hands. After that, the other cultists wanted to come from behind to reign her in.<br /> <br /> “Oh.”<br /> <br /> Following that tone of disappointment, Rinne swiftly swung her right hand.<br /> <br /> Right when that happened————the cultist was sent flying.<br /> <br /> “What!?”<br /> <br /> “Huh!?”<br /> <br /> The same thing happened to the guy who came from the front trying to grab her and the other guy who was trying to trap her from behind. They were gently lifted in the air and then blown a couple meters back. Their backs violently crashed against the ground.<br /> <br /> “That was……”<br /> <br /> Kurou could not help but be stunned as he looked towards Rinne who was smirking.<br /> <br /> What did Rinne do? Kurou was not sure. No, she must have just lightly swung her arms. Even Swordies cannot just blow two muscular guys away. In that case————<br /> <br /> “Kurou-chan, behind you.”<br /> <br /> “……Got it.”<br /> <br /> Kurou turned his body halfway after hearing Rinne’s warning and unleashed a roundhouse kick. His kick landed on the guy trying to do a grapple move from behind him.<br /> <br /> The cultist started bleeding from his nose and fell down————that was the last of them. All the male Sun Cultists had already fallen flat on their backs.<br /> <br /> “Well, I guess that’s it.”<br /> <br /> Kurou satisfactorily clapped his hands. Although it was a clean win for them, none of the Sun Cultists were actually dead. Tentatively, they had taken the fight to an appropriate degree.<br /> <br /> Akari and the other two nuns just stood there stupefied.<br /> <br /> The situation afterwards can just be passed on to them perhaps. Of course, Kurou never planning on assaulting human girls.<br /> <br /> “Hey hey, what’s going on? Rolling over like a dead fish. So much for me helping out, it even looked quite interesting around here.”<br /> <br /> “……?”<br /> <br /> Kurou followed the sound of that voice and turned his head.<br /> <br /> Coming out of the station was two figures.<br /> <br /> One of them was a muscular male who was wearing a cultist uniform just like his fallen comrades. He had short hair and wore glasses. He was probably about twenty years-old, but his hair had already turned white. From a quick glance at the insides of his left sleeve, it was casually wrapped by bandages.<br /> <br /> Walking next to him was a petite girl. She looked like a little student, perhaps at most she was in middle school. Her height was approximately 140cm. Although she was wearing the same nun outfit as Akari, her dress was rather short and sleeveless.<br /> <br /> The two of them walked up to Kurou and then stopped.<br /> <br /> “The one holding the katana is a human right? He has a rather cute face as well.”<br /> <br /> “Umm…….”<br /> <br /> Kurou was quite startled at his words.<br /> <br /> He seemed to be a Sun Cultist as well, however he sensed that he was quite dangerous.<br /> <br /> “I’m only kidding. It’s just as you see, I’m a lolicon.”<br /> <br /> “Please tell me you’re joking about that as well.”<br /> <br /> A truly dangerous man. There was nothing more bizarre than just the two of them being together.<br /> <br /> “Well, that doesn’t matter. The pink-haired girl is a Swordie? What a strange grouping, a human male with a female Swordie.”<br /> <br /> “Your group is also very strange.”<br /> <br /> “I suppose you’re right.”<br /> <br /> The bulky guy laughed after he spoke. He leisurely closed in on Kurou and Rinne.<br /> <br /> He very casually closed the distance. Moreover, it did not seem as if it was a technique from any swordsman or wrestling.<br /> <br /> However————<br /> <br /> “…….!”<br /> <br /> Kurou hurriedly backed off and pulled out his sword.<br /> <br /> He felt a chill run down his back as cold sweat trickled down nonstop.<br /> <br /> What is it with this guy————!<br /> <br /> The bulky man was not a Swordie. Based on his aura and movement, one could predicate that he was human.<br /> <br /> Even so, warning signs were going off in Kurou’s head. It may just be intuition, but he had no doubt that it was right.<br /> <br /> “Lay down your arms, I’m not planning on doing anything.”<br /> <br /> The bulky guy smirked while shaking his head.<br /> <br /> “I was only coming here to help hand out flyers. Those guys appear to be still alive. Fighting will only make the situation worse for us.”<br /> <br /> “……I agree.”<br /> <br /> Kurou nodded and proceeded to return the sword to its scabbard.<br /> <br /> “Well then, let’s head back Snow White. Can you please take care of those two over there? The remaining guys can just walk on their own.”<br /> <br /> After that, the girl named Snow White approached the two cultists who were passed out. With one person in each hand, she picked them both up. The moment her hands were placed on their backs, she gently lifted them up as if she was lifting up a tray.<br /> <br /> As if nothing had happened, the bulky guy and Snow White headed off towards the station. It did not really matter, they were probably just going to carry the knocked out cultists on the tram with them.<br /> <br /> “……I hope our next encounter can be more peaceful Akari.”<br /> <br /> “I don’t want to hear that from someone as reckless as you Kurou.”<br /> <br /> After Akari coldly stated as such, she began calling out towards the fallen cultists.<br /> <br /> Kurou was completely serious about what he just said. No matter the circumstances, he always seemed to be very mindful of this Akari girl. Wanting to meet her in peace was a sincere desire of his.<br /> <br /> “……Hmm? Eh?”<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Kurou noticed something. Rinne’s figure was nowhere to be found.<br /> <br /> Just a moment ago————when the bulky guy was approaching them, she was without a doubt still around. Once Kurou was not paying attention, she disappeared.<br /> <br /> Kurou instantly forgot about the Sun Cult situation and ran off. As he ran, he took out his cellphone to make a call.<br /> <br /> “……Is this the Electronics Operating Division? There’s something I need to ask.”<br /> <br /> Kurou dialed the number that directly connected him to the Sabers’ Electronics Operating Division. After telling them his affiliation and ID, he told them Rinne’s phone number.<br /> <br /> “Can you track the cellphone location for this number? It should have a GPS in it.”<br /> <br /> Within a short period of time, the Electronics Operating division transferred the coordinates to Kurou’s cellphone. He stopped in his tracks and opened up a special Sabers’ map from his cellphone. Two bright dots were displayed on the screen.<br /> <br /> One was at Kurou’s current location while the other one was————<br /> <br /> “It’s moving.”<br /> <br /> The other bright dot was rapidly moving away from Kurou’s location. It would be best if he hurried.<br /> <br /> Wait, hold on. First I should get in touch with Sefi————these two options surfaced in his mind.<br /> <br /> “What’s moving?”<br /> <br /> “A girl. I’m going to try and track————eh?”<br /> <br /> Kurou suddenly looked to his side.<br /> <br /> Standing over there was a familiar black-haired girl.<br /> <br /> “……Hinako?”<br /> <br /> “Yes, it is Hinako.”<br /> <br /> She had her usual stoic expression while she was slowing eating a crepe-like treat.<br /> <br /> It was just one thing after another————From the looks of it, the time to feel at ease for Kurou seemed to be far away.</div> Acolyte