Monday, 21 May 2018
Chapter 2
Relation of the Summoned
“So the hero from the Alliance which was
just in the parade...”
“Is Suimei-dono's acquaintance!?”
Lefille and Felmenia's shocked voices
resounded throughout the room. After the hero's triumphant parade, Suimei and
the others gathered in the Twilight Pavilion's guild master's room. Suimei was
making a profoundly grim expression while seated on the sofa.
“There's no mistaking that she is my
childhood friend Kuchiba Hatsumi. To think that even she would be summoned...”
Suimei answered their question as he
heavily exhaled. Felmenia and the others were completely astonished at the
extreme coincidence that the hero from the Alliance was his acquaintance.
“On top of getting swallowed into your
friend's summoning, even your childhood friend get summoned to the same world.
You've really been involved in some hapless fate there huh.”
Whether it was just unusual fate or the
guidance of the stars, Rumeya simply stared in wonder with one eye shut as she
smoked her pipe. It really was just as she said. There was no other expression
Suimei could use to describe this other than hapless fate. It only left him
with a hunch that those who were related to each other in some way were tied
together and thrown into this world. Lefille then recalled Suimei's earlier
actions.
“So that's why you were yelling like
that?”
“Yeah. That's how it is, but... just what
does it mean? She didn't react at all.”
“Could it be someone who looks similar
but is actually somebody else?”
“No, if it was just her face it would be
possible, but for her clothing to be the same is inexplicable. Not only that,
her name is the same.”
“Hatsumi Kuchiba right? Certainly that is
the hero's name, it's the same as the name you mentioned.”
“Yeah...”
Suimei was groaning at his wit's end.
Liliana then put her doubt into words.
“Could it not simply be, that Suimei's
voice, didn't reach her?”
“That may be the case, but during the
parade her eyes met mine. She faced me and I was in her field of vision. It's
doesn't make sense that she didn't notice me despite that.”
“It is also possible, that there was too
many people, and she didn't notice, right?”
“Is that so... Maybe that's all it
was...”
Suimei nodded as if to convince himself.
Just as Liliana said, with so many people around, even if he entered her field
of vision, it was possible that she did not recognize him. Nothing could be
done by just obsessively arguing whether or not she recognized him or not. At
any rate―
“I have no choice but to go meet up with
her.”
Hearing him say that, Rumeya managed to
guess what was coming next.
“You called me for a talk because of
this, right?”
“Yes. As a guild master, I thought you'd
be able to arrange a meeting with the hero.”
Even if Suimei was her friend, to the
people of the Alliance, he was nothing but a civilian. It was difficult to
imagine that he would be granted an audience with the hero easily. That's why
if he asked Rumeya, who was of rather high standing, he thought he may be able
to proceed forward smoothly. Contrary to his expectations though, Rumeya shook
her head sullenly.
“Sorry. That will be a little difficult.”
“Difficult, how?”
“It's just, according to the royal
family, that hero doesn't seem to go outside much. It hasn't been that long
since she has come to this world, so it seems she isn't used to it yet. So if
people were to meet with her it would be a burden, so holding an audience with
her has been prohibited.”
“I see. So that is why Rumeya-dono has
yet to meet the hero right?”
“That's how it is. The royal family of
Miazen is quite high strung about anything related to the hero. Even if I
poured all of my authority into it, they probably won't grant us an audience
with her.”
“It's quite the strange story after
letting her fight and making her participate in a parade.”
“Seriously. I don't know what they're
thinking either.”
Rumeya agreed completely with Suimei. She
must have also been considerably suspicious about this case as she puffed her
pipe with a dissatisfied expression. Then, for some reason, Felmenia asked a
question timidly.
“Hero-dono from the Alliance is... Um,
Suimei-dono's good friend, so... Is she, on your mind?”
“Well yeah.”
As Suimei acknowledged her, Rumeya
suddenly made an evil smile with a broad grin.
“Heeeh, what a lady killer. You've
gathered so many beauties around you already and you're still after another
woman for a new meal? You're quite sinful aren't you?”
“Ha...? Th-that's wrong! I'm not really...”
Rumeya was twirling her pipe around the
tip of her finger. Naturally, Suimei didn't have such intentions and denied her
accusation, but Felmenia and Lefille did not grasp this. Felmenia leaped
towards him while Lefille pointed an unusually tranquil yet terrifying
expression towards him.
“S-Suimei-dono!? Is that how it is!? Is
that what you're intending to do!?”
“Suimei-kun. It seems that there is a
need for us to have a careful and long talk.”
“Wai-, Menia, calm down!... Eh?
Lefi-san!? Scary!! That's scary!?”
Suimei reeled back at their sudden change
in attitude while Rumeya laughed heartily at them.
“Well let's set that joke aside.”
“You, even after throwing that kind of
bomb...”
As Suimei looked at her with a resentful
gaze, while Rumeya made an evil smile like she found a new toy to play with.
“Suimei. It's quite amusing to tease you
huh. Even in your own world, did you unexpectedly have that kind of role too?”
“Gu...”
“Hahaha! If you're like that it means I
hit the bulls-eye. Well it's just your share of hardships though.”
Rumeya laughed as she amused herself with
Suimei. While lamenting in his heart that he made a new enemy, she immediately
wiped away her joking smile and made a serious expression.
“She's on your mind, because she's your
friend?”
“Yes. I've known her since I was very
young, I want to confirm what kind of situation she is in. I can't say for sure
that she isn't being forced to fight against her will after all.”
“Fumu...”
It seemed that she did not consider this
possibility. To the people of this world, they had the one sided notion that
the hero readily consented to their requests. The speculation that one would be
forced to fight against their will didn't really click with them. However, that
line of thinking was more than common enough to consider back in Suimei's
world.
Moreover, he still didn't have an answer
as to why both Reiji and Elliot had the baffling mental state that they felt
like they had to fight. It was a situation where he couldn't feel relieved
until he lumped them all together and took a look for himself. After calming
down, Felmenia cocked her head to the side and spoke of her doubts.
“But what will you do? If we can't meet
her by just approaching them directly, does Suimei-dono have a means to come in
contact with Hero-dono?”
“Well, if it comes to that I do have one
hand I can play out...”
While stroking his chin, Suimei shifted
his focus to the window. The night, which was the time for magicians, was about
to begin. If he couldn't approach her directly, there was nothing left but the
more eccentric method.
★
―Kuchiba Hatsumi suddenly felt a jolt run
through her body.
“Hmm...?”
As she limply woke up and let out her
voice while opening her eyelids, her companion's, Selphy Fittney's face was
right in front of her.
“Please wake up, Hatsumi. It's already
evening.”
“Evening...?”
While rubbing her sleepy eyes, she
straightened herself up and looked around. She was on top of her bed in her
private room prepared for her on the fourth floor of Miazen's palace. The
furnishings were kept to a bare minimum with only a dresser and drawer for
clothing. It was the frugal room that she received from the royal family. A
dark carpet was spread across the floor and a wide courtyard could be seen from
the window. With her face still concealed by her hood, Selphy quietly showed
her appreciation.
“Good work today. Hatsumi.”
“... Selphy, did I fall asleep?”
“Yes. You were sound asleep. You must
have seen a good dream. Your sleeping face was very peaceful.”
“Auu...”
Hatsumi could not suppress being bashful
having had her sleeping face seen. She was blushing from embarrassment, but
Selphy was being somewhat affectionate. She couldn't see her face due to the
shadow, but Hatsumi felt like she was smiling under that hood.
“What kind of dream were you having? Do
you remember?”
“Dream...”
She tried to remember the contents of her
dream. Sure enough, the dream she was seeing―
“... It was a dream where I was a small
child. In a place different from here. I was racing a boy and playing like a
rascal with him.”
“The same dream as always, right?”
Hatsumi nodded back towards Selphy's
gentle voice. Having lost her memories, it was a dream she often saw. As a
small child, before swinging around a sword, she was playing around with a boy
of the same age as her. She didn't have a basis for it, but she thought it was
a memory from the past.
(It's just―)
It's just, partway through, it changed
into a strange dream where the boy recited a good luck charm and healed her
wound from falling over and of him driving away a stray dog. And at the end, he
spoke.
―Whenever you're in danger, I will
definitely come save you.
The boy's face was completely hazy and
she couldn't remember it. However, as she remembered those words, she felt a
faint desire after having lost something and her heart was somehow filled with
loneliness...
Setting that aside, she only intended to
take a nap but fell into a deep slumber. Astonished at herself for falling
asleep like that, she then questioned Selphy.
“By the way, how long was I asleep?”
“Let's see, it's already evening after
all, so you slept for quite a while.”
“Uu... So I slept that much... Before I
fell asleep, I'm certain we planned to talk about our plans from now on right?”
“Yes. It was Hatsumi's suggestion.”
“Uu...”
After they had dinner right after the
parade, leaving time for a short break, they were planning to gather together
to discuss how they should move going forward with the demon subjugation. She
had designated around an hour later randomly for them to meet, but currently it
was pitch black outside the window. She had indulged herself in her afternoon nap
for well over two hours.
“It has gotten quite late, so I came to
wake you up.”
“It would have been fine to wake me up
earlier.”
“No, you seemed quite tired, I thought it
would be better not to call out to you.”
“Thank you, Selphy. So where are Gaius and
Weitzer?”
“They are waiting in the next room over.”
“I see, so let's quickly―”
Before Hatsumi finished talking, she
could hear fidgety footsteps from the hallway. This presence was Gaius. He must
have sensed that she woke up. Just as she grasped who it was, without even
knocking, the door flew open vigorously.
“Yo, are you awake? Our sleepy headed
Hero-dono.”
That door must have been nothing but a
single sheet of veneer to him. Along with the high-spirited sound of the door
opening, a burly man covered in muscles came in with his usual affable smile.
Without asking for permission, he plunked down on a chair in the room and acted
like it was his own. A reproachful glint from the eye hidden under Selphy's
hood was thrust towards him.
“Gaius-shi. What are you doing entering a
woman's room without even knocking?”
“Isn't it fine? She was sleeping in the
clothes she usually wears anyways right? Besides if Hatsumi was immodestly
dressed you would have done something about it too.”
“Yes, certainly that is true. At that
time I would start by firing magic at you.”
“Haa, what a scary woman.”
While looking at Selphy reply
immediately, Gaius grabbed both his shoulders and pretended to be scared. Even
though he didn't think that at all, he was a droll man. On the other hand,
Hatsumi did not mind Gaius' impolite behaviour at all and bowed her head
lightly from atop her bed.
“Gaius, sorry. I overslept.”
“It's rare for you to oversleep huh.”
“It seems I was tired from doing
something I wasn't used to.”
Hatsumi timidly said this. It came up
during dinner as well, but that was her first experience with a parade. For
half a day, she was riding on top of the festival float being pulled by a
cowhorn while smiling pleasantly at the citizens. It was a lot more difficult
than she had thought.
“Aaah, well it can't be helped. Even my
wonderful self has stiff shoulders from that.”
Gaius was rubbing his shoulder while
making a bitter face. Even though he was broadminded, he must not have been
used to having to do that kind of thing either. She thought he seemed to be
having quite a lot of fun during the parade, but it deep down that was actually
the case. While talking about such things, a young man wearing high grade
fabrics dressed like a knight came through the still open door. And the first
thing that came out of his mouth was...
“―Gaius. Just what are you thinking
obstinately going into Hero-dono's room on your own?”
He criticized Gaius in a threatening tone
with his head raised as he glared at him from the corner of his eye. It was
Miazen's prince, Weitzer Ryerzen. However, without acting the least bit nervous
towards that attitude, Gaius acted like he was being a nuisance while digging
around his ear with his pinky finger.
“What, you also gonna lecture me...?
Isn't it fine? I could hear them talking and all. I also want to get the
depressing talks out of the way quickly and go drink some booze.”
“Are you saying that you place a priority
on alcohol over the peace of the world?”
“Of course I do.”
Gaius revealed his intentions heartily as
he struck his chest. Watching that arrogance while pinching his brow, Weitzer
judged that any further conversation with this man would be unproductive.
Softening his expression in an instant, he turned to Hatsumi and greeted her.
“I deeply apologize for being boisterous
as your were just getting up, Hero-dono. Did you have a good sleep?”
“Yes. Thank you. Also, sorry for making
you wait.”
“No, you must still be fatigued from
subjugating the demons. Unreasonably making you do so is our responsibility.
Hero-dono, please do not pay it any mind.”
“Un...”
He was behaving modestly as to not
embarrass her, as usual, he was quite the gentleman. Now that they were moving
on to a serious discussion, Hatsumi couldn't stay on top of her bed and decided
to move over to a chair. Sensing this, Selphy went to lend her a hand, but for
some reason Weitzer held her back.
“Selphy, leave this to me.”
“... I see, understood.”
Selphy questioned Weitzer's actions for
an instant, but she suddenly realized something and gracefully resigned
herself. Seeing this exchange, it was now Hatsumi who was full of questions as
Weitzer then drew closer.
“W-Weitzer?”
“Now then, Hero-dono, please take my
hand.”
“Eh? Ah, un... Th-thank you...”
Weitzer was holding out his hand to
support her. Worrying about her, he showed a gentle expression. Hatsumi
bashfully thanked him while averting her eyes. This kind of behaviour was
fairly common for him, but this even time it was still quite embarrassing.
Still, she took his hand and stood up and...
“Oooh? So he's gone on the offensive all
at once?”
“Fufufu...”
The other two were laughing like they
found something funny. Weitzer then guided Hatsumi to her chair next to the
others, and began speaking.
“Hero-dono, how was your meal today?”
“U-un. The food was delicious but...”
“Was there something about it you were
not pleased with?”
“That's not it, dealing with that kind of
place is not my strong point. Ah, I don't mean that I hate his Majesty the King
or the Queen or anything though. Okay?”
Not limited to just those two, she got
along fairly well with the people of the palace. However, she was quite
uncomfortable having a meal in such a ceremonious place and was unable to calm
down. However, she wasn't sure how Weitzer interpreted her words, but he spoke
with the air of a know it all.
“After losing you memories, I'm sure
you'll get used to such feelings. While draped in such anxieties you won't be
able to calm down in that sort of place.”
“No, that's not really what I mean
though...”
“You'll get used to it soon. Hero-dono's
manners while you sit at the dinner table are always beautiful after all.”
“U-un...”
Hatsumi replied awkwardly to Weitzer's
praise. She didn't know what his deal was letting out such flattery in such a
straight manner. After sitting in her chair, she could see Gaius broadly
grinning. Selphy was also leaking out a stifled laugh. She didn't know what
they found so funny.
“... Hey, the two of you are like that
from time to time, but what is it?”
“No, it is nothing?”
“That's right, we're just being
pleasant.”
The two of them seemed happy, but for
some reason Weitzer was making an offended expression. However it seemed Gaius
also found that attitude strange, and his smile just grew wider. Waiting for Weitzer
to take a seat, Gaius then spoke to him.
“So, what will we do from here?”
“I don't think there's anything to do
though?”
“Oioi there's no point in just saying
that here right? Are you angry about something?”
“Not really.”
Though he said that, Weitzer did seem
angry about something. Setting aside their little exchange, Hatsumi cut into
the conversation.
“It's a matter of course that we'll be
subjugating the demons, but how will we move from here on out?”
“That kind of thing, ain't it fine to just
link up with the soldiers and march on them like usual?”
“Hero-dono, I also think that is a solid
plan though?”
In a strange turn of events, Weitzer
agreed with Gaius' suggestion to just keep doing things as they were. That
meant that it was in fact a sound theory. However, Hatsumi had different
thoughts on the matter.
“That may be the case but...”
“Hatsumi, is there something you're
thinking about?”
“Un. Since we have this kind of
independent war potential, I was thinking that there was a better way to use
it. I mean, we've already raised the soldiers' morale considerably with a big
victory, there's no need to inspire them further right? In that case, I think
it is better to leave the battlefield to the generals.”
“Ah?”
Gaius didn't quite get what she was
implying, but Weitzer seemed to understand her proposition well.
“In other words, you're saying it would
be better for us to move against the demons independently.”
“Yes. I was thinking that was something
we could possibly do. We could make a surprise attack against the demon
generals or something. Though it may be somewhat of a dangerous move.”
“That is the case isn't it? However, if
it is a success then the burden on the soldiers fighting on the battlefield
would be lightened remarkably.”
They had enough war potential to be
considered peerless. They had three people who could fight head on against the
demons and one who could support them from behind perfectly. The four of them
were also well suited for covert operations. If they could take action and
eliminate the demon generals and other influential demons, it would give an
advantage to humanity's war effort in general.
“... Of course, that is only if everyone
will fight while being aware of the dangers.”
Just as her apprehensions indicated, it
was quite the dangerous plan. It would put a lot of pressure on Hatsumi and her
companions. However, Weitzer spoke confidently as if the answer was obvious.
“Of course, we intend to follow
Hero-dono.”
“Even if Weitzer is okay with it, you
don't know what Gaius and Selphy think right? The two of them have their own
countries to worry about, you can't coerce them. Don't speak like you're
cutting off their way out. Besides, frankly speaking, I'm not completely
decided on this plan either.”
“M-my apologies.”
After being rebuked, Weitzer panicked
uncharacteristically as he apologized. The reason he was agitated was likely
due to the harsh nature of her words. Next to Weitzer who was still stumped at
his blunder, Gaius spoke to Hatsumi with a reliable air.
“I don't mind at all. I'm tired of
getting stalled anyways, danger is just what I want.”
“I will also accompany you. I don't have
any intention of abandoning my duty after all this time.”
“Thank you, both of you.”
The two of them, or rather the three of
them, were rather promising. After Hatsumi showed her gratitude, Gaius looked
at her like he was looking at something odd.
“In any case Hatsumi, you weren't like
this before, I'm surprised you got so pumped up.”
He must have said this because she suddenly
proposed such an aggressive plan. At first she shut herself up in her room from
the shock of losing her memories after refusing to subjugate the demons. He was
likely contrasting her behaviour to that time, but...
“You promised not to talk about that
right? Geez... While we were fighting, I just thought we had to defeat the
demons is all.”
After fighting the demons for a while,
she reached the point where she thought that they were an evil that could not
be overlooked. It was obvious after seeing the strength of their malicious
intent, but she just had a feeling that they had to be defeated no matter what.
Moreover, she strongly thought that she wanted to protect not only the people
of this world, but the three companions who fought alongside her. They were
important to her.
“―Hey, Selphy. Do we have something that
we need to do in Miazen?”
“Not really. Just keep in mind that their
are evening parties that you must attend.”
“Evening parties... Why?”
She thought the parade was necessary to
soothe the citizens, but she honestly didn't think that further service was
necessary. After asking Selphy, Weitzer was the one to reply.
“It's because I would like us to deepen
our friendship.”
“If it's all of you, then I think we get
along well enough already?”
Hatsumi knew the three of them ever since
her first battle. It wasn't that long since they met, but they fought together
on the battlefield, saved each other, and became trusted companions to each
other. She thought there was nothing needed on top of that but...
“I expressed myself poorly there. By us I
mean the people of the Saadias Alliance. I believe that you must properly meet
father, mother and the leaders from Miazen and the other Alliance countries.”
“That's... If we can all get along then I
think that is fine, but it isn't something we need to rush in to...”
“No, it is urgent business to the
Alliance right now. If Hero-dono goes right away...”
“Are you saying that I should be a dish
served to put the Alliance in order?”
“N-no! That's not what I am..!”
“The demons are invading, I think that is
the more urgent need though...”
She knew it was necessary, but even so,
deep in her heart she was not convinced.
“That's wrong Hero-dono! This isn't about
using Hero-dono for our personal means...!”
Perhaps because Hatsumi was making a
complicated expression, Weitzer was frantically trying to correct himself
thinking that he had offended her. On the other hand, Gaius let out his usual
dauntless laugh and turned towards Hatsumi.
“Well, it's about you time you took a
hint Hatsumi, right?”
“Take a hint, of what?”
“Hatsumi, it's about Prince Weitzer's
good will...”
“Good will? Certainly I think that I'm
receiving too much of it and feel a little bad about it but...”
After being summoned, not just Weitzer,
but the other people from the palace took good care of her. Having been the
ones who summoned her, it could said to be obvious, but she didn't forget her
feelings of gratitude. She conveyed this to them, but Gaius let out an
astonished sigh like she was off the mark.
“... How do I put it... To put it bluntly
you're amazingly dense. You somehow remind me of that spindly lad I had a meal
with a while back...”
“...?”
She couldn't really understand what he
was saying. After calming down a fair bit, Weitzer seemed to have an idea and
spoke his honest feelings.
“Certainly it is just as Hero-dono says,
it would be of considerable help to the Alliance. However, after defeating the
demons, for you who has lost your memories to live in peace, I believe it to be
something necessary. If you are anxious, then I will support you for the rest
of your life.”
“But... I don't want to cause that much
trouble for Weitzer.”
“I-I don't particularly think of it as
troublesome!”
“But...”
She couldn't just nod so simply. No
matter the reason, she had no intention of stealing away Weitzer's life and no
intention of pushing the responsibility on him that much. Besides, she had a
world to return to, and she felt that she must return to it. Yes, that boy that
appeared in her dreams, she felt like she had to meet him no matter what.
“...”
She couldn't let the anxiety of her
amnesia occupy her mind. If she thought of nothing of but that person that she
had to remember who was concealed in the memories hidden by a misty haze in the
depth of her mind, her mind would cease functioning. Sensing the subtleties of
her heart from the colour of her face, Weitzer looked at her with a worried
expression.
“... Hero-dono.”
“Sorry. Our conversation is over, so
leave me alone for a while.”
“Hatsumi.”
“Un. I'm alright. Thank you, Selphy.”
As Selphy called out to her, Hatsumi
smiled back as if to say not to worry about her. After Weitzer apologetically
stated 'I don't mind after all,' the three of them left the room. A short while
after they left, Hatsumi stood up from her chair and threw her body onto the
bed. She then looked up at the tapestry affixed to the ceiling and suddenly
leaked her thoughts out of her mouth.
“... I must return to the place that I
came from.”
Her companions were important to her, but
she didn't want to leave her memories behind. She wanted to know who she was.
Back in the place she had to return to, there may also be people waiting for
her too. That's why―
“―And up we go.”
While in the middle of pondering, she suddenly
heard that casual voice come from outside the window. The window was wide open.
Curious about the voice, she turned her head towards the window while still
sprawled out across her bed. As if just having climbed up onto the window
frame, a young man was squatting there wearing green clothes with black hair.
“Yo!”
“Eh!? Eh!? Eeeeeh!?”
The young man appeared suddenly and
raised his hand as he greeted her intimately. Hatsumi bolted out of her bed in
astonishment.
“Wa-wait, this is the fourth floor!”
“Hm? It's not like you can't climb just
four stories if you try hard enough right? You can grip onto these protrusions
and climb. I didn't do that though.”
While gestures the action, the young man
spoke indifferently. Certainly there was a countless number of ways to climb up
here, but there was a problem that came before that.
“H-how did you get into the inner grounds
of the palace!?”
“I did that with just a little something
is all...”
Saying that, the young man put his thumb
and index finger together and separated them repeatedly. After demonstrating
that his infiltration was a simple matter with that gesture, he jumped down
from the window into the room like it was natural. Just who was he? Throwing
that question aside for the moment, Hatsumi grabbed the sword that she left
standing nearby. And then, as if she was able to cut him down at any instant,
she took a stance with the sword at her hip.
“Don't move!”
A warning. And then, as if the young man
didn't understand what she was saying, he stiffened up as if timed had stopped
for a while, and let out a hysteric voice.
“... Ha?”
“Ha? My ass! You trespasser! Do you want
me to kill you!?”
She let out a warning once more towards
the young man who was making an idiotic face. After he stood there like an
idiot for a while longer, having finally sensed her thirst for blood, he
started panicking.
“K-kill? Just what are you saying, kill?
You're not the type to make that kind of joke right?”
“Yes, I'm surprised you know. It is not a
joke.”
“I-it's not a joke, just what the hell
are you saying!? Are you seriously planning to kill me!? I-is it that? Are you
maybe angry cause I suddenly came into a lady's bedroom? That's certainly my
bad but...”
“Wrong.”
“Then what is it!?”
Hatsumi stared daggers into him as if
piercing his body. She had no idea why the young man was so surprised. Taking
into account what he was doing, it should have been obvious what would happen.
“Can you not tell without being told?
Some unknown person suddenly came into my room, normally anyone would be
vigilant.”
“Unknown, you say...?”
“At the very least, I don't recognize
you... at all.”
After coming to this world, she had not
once met or gotten to know this young man. Despite that, why was he making that
bewildered face like he was standing before an acquaintance? She couldn't
understand it at all. However, the young man was quite shaken by her words.
“D-don't joke around. This ain't the kind
of place to spout that kind of joke right?”
“Haven't I been saying that I'm not
joking? I don't know you.”
“There's no way you don't! I'm Suimei!
Your, Kuchiba Hatsumi's childhood friend! Yakagi Suimei!”
“Ch-childhood friend?”
“Yeah, that's it. I'm your childhood
friend. I'm begging you, please spare me these jokes...”
The young man, Yakagi Suimei, let out an
agonizing voice at his wit's end. She wasn't expecting him to say childhood
friend, and his attitude up until now was certainly as if he was in fact that
close to her. However, his excuse had an extremely odd point.
“Just what are you saying? I'm a hero
summoned from another world you know? There's no way I would have a childhood
friend from this world.”
This stood in complete opposition to this
young man, Yakagi Suimei's words. It was an undeniable truth. It was certainly
possible that Hatsumi had a childhood friend. However since she was summoned
from another world, it was absolutely impossible for her to meet a childhood
friend in this world. He may have a reason for infiltrating this place and used
that lie as a way to get closer to her, as far as wiles go it was far too
ill-prepared. On the other hand, having that truth thrown before him, the young
man was astonished as if everything he believed in had just been betrayed.
Before long, he showed an expression like he suspected something.
“Oi, you, could it be, your memories...
are gone?”
“Certainly it is just as you say, I have
amnesia.”
“Oioi, seriously...?”
As she declared this, the young man
stared in wonder as if he just became aware of a shocking truth.
★
In the neighbourhood of Yakagi Suimei's
house, there was a kenjutsu dojo. The instructor at the dojo was a good friend
of his father. When Suimei was still a young child, at his father's
recommendation, the instructor moved to the neighbourhood and opened the dojo
there. The kenjutsu style was named the Phantom Sword of the Kurikara Dharani,
an old sword style which was passed down since long before even the warring
states period in Japan. Its origin came from its namesake, a dharani – a ritual
speech like a mantra – based on the dragon sword Kurikara wielded by the
wrathful Buddhist god Acala, which was used to make demonic spirits and
entities capitulate. Not only was it used to cut people, it was a sword style
passed down that could cut familiar spirits, apparitions and even monsters.
Naturally, the style was not only passed
down in his house, the dojo's instructor also taught kenjutsu on the side and
behind the scenes he also had the job of cutting down the monsters running
rampant in the world. His daughter―Kuchiba Hatsumi, followed after her father,
and also cut down the monsters of the world.
Due to various circumstances, she did not
actually know that Suimei was a magician or that he knew of the secret work her
family did but―setting that side for the moment. Her skill with a sword was
quite high, it was to the extent that her father Kuchiba Kiyoshiro thought that
it was a waste that she was a woman. Despite the fact that she had relatively
little real combat experience in the other world, Suimei could guess that she
was probably at the level of the Seven Swords. And that girl was right now in
front of his eyes, pushing a choice before him.
“―So, do you want me to call other
people? Or do you want me to cut you down right here?”
“I'd rather reject both option. They're
both quite troublesome after all.”
“I find the current situation
troublesome. There's some unknown man in my room after all.”
“Give me a break...”
Suimei was at his wit's end. That girl
that he played with ever since she moved to his neighbourhood, that he learned
to use a sword with, was now lowering her back slightly preparing to draw her
sword and strike at him. The thirst for blood drifting towards him was
definitely proof that she was not joking. If he did anything strange, it was
inevitable that the sword would come flying towards him.
But, to think that she would have
amnesia. To check up on her condition, he was prepared to take her along with
him if possible, but he had no clue at all what he should do in this situation.
As long as her memories of the other world were missing, no matter what he
brought up, she wouldn't believe him. Even if he relied on magic, magic to heal
amnesia didn't exist. He had spells to intervene with the brain and rewrite
memories, but if he took that path and forcefully pushed memories into her,
there was no mistake that it would put a considerable burden on her brain.
It was completely vexing. He had no way
of improving the situation. His only choice was to talk to her until she
believed him―
“Suuu...”
Suddenly, he could hear Hatsumi exhaling.
Her weapon was a blade about a hundred and twenty centimetres long. The grip
was about twenty five centimetres long. There were some strange ornaments on
it, but its shape was that of a Japanese sword or something imitating one.
Within that red scabbard, the blade was likely made of special metal from this
world.
And right now, he was standing only nine
centimetres from where the tip of her blade could reach without moving. In
other words, he was well within her range. No, in her case, even if the tip of
her blade could not reach him, he was well within her range anyways.
A sword master who passed a certain
threshold in ability was able to strike outside the range of the length of
their sword and arm. It was impossible physically, but to put it crudely, with
a horizontal slash, they could cut down anything and everything before them
like a wall of clouds split by the wind. This was also possible with this
girl's sword style. It was a sword which defied common sense.
“The Kuchiba School of the Phantom Sword
of the Kurikara Dharani. Even with amnesia, you didn't forget your sword style
right?”
As Suimei said this while wiping away
some unpleasant sweat, Hatsumi showed a slightly surprised expression.
“You know of it?”
“I've been saying for a while now that
I'm your childhood friend...”
“I can't believe that.”
“Why not?”
“Then why have you come in the way you
have? Couldn't you just ask straight up front?”
“I did it this way cause I couldn't do
that.”
“Fuu. If you couldn't do it, doesn't that
mean you had something to feel guilty about?”
“That's just splitting hairs...”
Suimei spoke in exasperation. Setting
aside the guards or the soldiers, he thought that at least his childhood friend
would believe him.
“Then can you prove it? Certainly it
looks like you know about my sword style, but it is possible to figure that out
using some kind of spell like the mages and demons. So just by knowing that, it
isn't proof that you're my childhood friend.”
“Gu...”
Suimei was at a loss for words. It was
certainly just as she said. There was no definite proof that he could show her
right away. He did have a picture on his cell phone that he took together with
Hatsumi and her family, but his cell phone's battery had died long ago and he
couldn't use it.
In that case, he could take her along by
force. But it wasn't like her memories would return if he did that. In the
first place, it would become a huge commotion if the hero was abducted. While
Suimei was hard pressed thinking of what he should do, he heard violent
footsteps from the hallway. Someone had sensed an irregularity. Without any
time for him to use magic, a woman's voice came from the other side of the
door.
“Hatsumi!? Is something wrong!?”
“Ah!? Selphy! It's an intruder!”
“Are you talking about me!?”
“Is there anyone else!?”
Along with her words, her blade flashed.
Suimei jumped back towards the window to dodge it. The tip of her long blade
then changed its trajectory at a right angle, and her slash turned into a
thrust. As her blade cut through the air, the blade was accompanied by a sharp
noise. The tip of the blade made from corroded silver was extending towards his
stomach. Suimei just barely dodged it and escaped deeper into the room.
“Are you trying to kill me!?”
“I'll just skewer you a bit. Be relieved,
I'll properly avoid your vitals.”
“That's so dangerous I can't feel any
relief at all dammit!”
Immediately following that, the door
opened with a bang. The person who came in was someone wearing a green robe. It
was likely the woman who called out to Hatsumi earlier, the mage who was
standing atop a festival float during the parade.
“Hatsumi! Are you safe?”
“Yes. This man is the intruder―Now give
up already.”
“I don't know who you are or how you
infiltrated the palace, but there's no way for you to escape anymore.”
Just as she said, she was pinning down
the door and the window was now within the range of Hatsumi's blade. Even the
place he was currently standing in that was outside of the reach of her blade
was within her actual range. However―
“If there's no way to escape then I just
have to make one!”
“Wha!?”
“―!?”
Gathering mana in hist fist, Suimei
lashed out at the wall as he invoked his magic. His fist let out a powerful
shockwave as he thrust it out and scattered ether wind into the surroundings.
As his fist crashed into the wall, it was blown away and reduced to pieces.
He could hear curses and groans behind
him. It was likely because they were forced to give their undivided attention to
protecting themselves from the shockwave. Using that opportunity, Suimei threw
his body out the hole he created. The building was four stories tall. And right
now he was on that fourth story. However, to a magician, there was no need to
worry about this kind of height, it was a simple trifle.
In the dead of the night, Suimei could
hear the sound of the wind blowing against his body from below as the ground
drew nearer immediately. After landing on the ground safely using magic, for
some reason, he could hear the voice of the woman Hatsumi called Selphy ringing
in his earlobe.
“An intruder has appeared in the palace.
It's a man with black hair wearing green clothing. After infiltrating the hero
Hatsumi's room, he jumped down to the courtyard. All guards are to go to the
courtyard... I repeat...”
It was a simple alarm. That robed woman
was a mage, and seemed to be a wind user. The wind was carrying her voice to
every nook and cranny of the palace. Because of that alarm, Suimei could hear
footsteps immediately approaching him. Suimei was running to the edge of the
courtyard, but soldiers carrying swords came out from every direction.
“I found him! Over there!”
“Spread out and surround him! Absolutely
do not let the ruffian who infiltrated the palace escape!”
“Tch... They sure came out in force.”
He must have picked a bad place to land.
He had nowhere to hide himself in the courtyard and there was quite a distance
before he could reach another building he could jump down from. After being
surrounded by the soldiers, the voice of a familiar man came from behind him.
“Ah? Aren't you that spindly lad from
before!?”
The man who let out a surprised loud
voice, was the one he met back at the restaurant, Gaius Forvan. Pressing his
back against the wall of a building, Suimei replied in a light tone without any
sense of danger.
“Aah old man, we meet again. Long time no
see.”
“It hasn't been a long time and I'm not
an old man dammit! What's going on with you being an intruder?”
“No, there are some circumstances here
deeper than the Mariana Trench you see.”
“You playing dumb? I'll give you a
walloping you know?”
“No, before you can wallop me, old man,
it looks like I'm going to be cut down by some other guy.”
The surrounding soldiers drew their
swords and he could see a glitter in their eyes. They all seemed to be quite
offended that he infiltrated not only the palace, but the hero's room. Before
long, one more person arrived. The crowd of soldiers opened up and walking out
with an air of composure, was one of Hatsumi's companions who was standing atop
one of the festival floats. If he remembered right, this was Miazen's prince,
Weitzer Ryerzen.
“Gaius, do you know this man?”
“Even if you say I know him, he's just a
passing acquaintance I shared a table with at a restaurant.”
“I see.”
After confirming that, he drew his sword
as he made a statement.
“Scoundrel. To not only perform the
foolish act of trespassing in this Calnus Palace, but to even trespass into
Hero-dono's bedroom, you understand what will happen to you correct?”
Suimei returned a grand sigh to Weitzer's
quiet yet overpowering tone.
“Just so you know... I only came here to
see an acquaintance of mine.”
“Your acquaintance you say?”
“It's Hatsumi. Though it seems she has
amnesia and doesn't recognize me at all.”
“...”
“Such nonsense. Hero-dono was summoned
from another world. There's no way she has any acquaintances in this world.”
Gaius knit his brows together while
making a curious face while Weitzer declared Suimei's words to be nonsense. Looking
at the two of them, Suimei dropped his shoulders with a sigh.
“Well that's true isn't it...”
The sound of Gaius cracking his knuckles
filled the air.
“Well, whatever the case. It looks like
we'll need to ask you about all sorts of things. Just be obedient.”
“This isn't the kind of atmosphere where
I'll be treated courteously just by being obedient.”
“Naturally. There is no need for mercy
for an intruder. Just be grateful that we won't dice you to pieces.”
Gaius' attitude was fairly gentle, but
Weitzer on the other hand was curt. The soldiers in the area were all prepared
for battle with their swords at the ready. To escape, there was no choice but
to do something about the soldiers in front of him as a well as Gaius and
Weitzer.
“No other choice huh...”
Suimei lamented with a long sigh over
this situation which kept going beyond his control. And then, in spite of the
surrounding being directly under the moonlight, his figure sank into the
shadows.
★
At the same time, the guild master of the
Twilight Pavilion's Miazen branch, Rumeya, was at the palace. Hearing that
Suimei Yakagi planned to infiltrate the palace to make contact with the
Alliance's hero, she took the opportunity to infiltrate it at the same time.
Of course, the reason she did so could be
summed up by simply saying it looked amusing. She had her position to consider,
but having been born a therianthrope, just like other therianthropes, she had a
disposition to seek out pleasure that she could not go against. Normally, due
to her fox ears and seven tails, she stood out a lot. But right now, thanks to
the transformation techniques passed down by the golden fox clan, she was
impersonating a palace guard.
Partway through, she lost sight of Suimei
in a corridor, but eventually a voice was carried by the wind informing the
palace of the existence of an intruder. As it spread through the palace, guards
carrying lamps were rushing towards the courtyard while letting out angry
roars.
“... Good grief, did that boy mess up?”
Rumeya grimaced. Suimei used magic from
another world and seemed to possess a considerable amount of power, so she
thought there was nothing to worry about, but to think he would make a blunder.
(This'll be bad if I don't go to save him
right...)
She was well aware of his true strength
after hearing about it from Lefille, but the quality of the palace guards was
quite high. There was also the hero's companions present here. Even if he was a
mage from another worlds, they would likely end up catching him. Since he was Lefille's
benefactor, she couldn't just bluntly abandon him. Letting out a breath like it
became something troublesome, she began heading to the courtyard when she
suddenly noticed something change in her surroundings.
“...?”
Noticing that her surroundings had
darkened significantly, she looked up towards the moon as clouds began to float
by in front of it. Perhaps it was because of these clouds that the area became
much darker. However, the moon still wasn't completely covered so she didn't
think it was the only factor which drove the entire area dark though―
Rather, she didn't have the time to think
of such things. Not wanting to waste any more time just standing around, Rumeya
shook off those unnecessary thoughts and hurried to the courtyard. Spread out
in the courtyard was Suimei, the palace guards, Gaius Forvan and Weitzer
Ryerzen. All actors were gathered and present. Suimei had been cornered up
against a wall and the play was reaching its climax.
“Achaaa... Isn't this just the worst case
scenario?”
After slipping in and blending with the
guards, she made a grimace at the situation before her. If he was still being
chased it would be a better situation, but the way it was it would be difficult
to save him unharmed. More guards were steadily gathering and had completely
formed an impenetrable semi-circle around Suimei.
Escaping would no longer be a simple
matter. That mysterious mage from the self governed states, the 'Snowstorm'
should have also been around somewhere. Should she barge in while the guards
try to capture him?―However, contrary to all her expectations, the second act
of the play began.
As the palace guards charged in to
capture Suimei, just as he shrugged his shoulders while watching them,
something caused the mana lamps installed in the courtyard as well as the lamps
being held by the guards to begin flickering.
They were buzzing at random intervals,
and eventually, as if they all broke down, light vanished from the area. In the
brief instant where the guards were bewildered by the unexpected event,
matching the moment the courtyard sank into darkness, Suimei's surroundings
began to sway. It was like he was covered in a heat haze. Suimei himself was
not moving. His face was hidden behind his bangs and his expression couldn't be
seen. Despite his current predicament where he was driven into a corner, he
stood completely stock still without taking any actions.
However, the moment she managed to get a
good look at Suimei through that transparent heat haze, she could feel a shiver
through her body... It didn't feel like the malice from the demons' power, but
right now, Suimei was giving off an inexpressibly eerie feeling. It was as if a
mysterious dread was right before her eyes, it felt like the darkness around
her was carrying a cold moisture.
Suddenly, all the guards who went to
capture him fell to the ground with a clang.
“Wha―!?”
Witnessing them all faint with no logical
explanation, she let out a surprised voice. This was the same for the other
guards and the hero's companions. After the surroundings darkened, they began
to show their agitation. During this confusion, even the palace guards further
in the back began to collapse as they lost consciousness.
All that was left was Gaius, Weitzer and
a few of the guards. There wasn't any abnormality with the hero's two
companions, but the other guards were dominated by that eerie atmosphere.
Rumeya felt like they were all sweating profusely. While vigilantly look around
at the fallen soldiers, Gaius turned to Suimei.
“... The hell did you do?”
“Just as you saw, I only knocked them
out?”
“Knocked them... Out?”
Gaius was completely bewildered hearing
Suimei's brief reply. On the other hand, Weitzer had much more to say.
“Doing such suspicious looking things!
Without using magic! Without even touching them! There's no way to knock down a
person! What the hell did you do bastard!?”
“Even if you ask what I did, it's exactly
as I said.”
“Do you intend to deceive me with those
words? Impossible, you're not saying that you knocked them out only by thinking
about it, are you bastard?”
“Correct. It is just that impossibility
you speak of.”
As his statement rang in the air without
any pretense, Weitzer spoke in a somewhat disgusted tone.
“Quit speaking nonsense. You can't knock
people out just by thinking about it, besides, the soldiers here are the elite
among all the soldiers of the Alliance you know? They are both physically and
mentally strong, they wouldn't just fall over from something like―”
Suimei pointed an extremely bored and
cold gaze from his red eyes towards Weitzer.
“What are you saying? The people gathered
here are just normal people who can more or less use a sword aren't they? What
makes you think that guys like that could overcome my desires?”
Right after he fired off those words, it
felt like the air in the area cooled down considerably. Did Suimei do
something? Or did Rumeya just feel like that after hearing such a dreadful
reality from him? A freezing wind passed through which was caused by something
other than just the cold evening wind itself. As the unfamiliar wind struck her
body, her skin felt like it was being tormented.
On the other hand, overpowered by his
mysterious manner of speech and eerie aura, the remaining guards ran away.
However, it was already too late. Once more, several people collapsed to the
ground. From what she could see, it wasn't like their spirits were being struck
causing them to lose consciousness. Certainly, a bizarre atmosphere was wrapping
around their surrounding, but it didn't seem to be the cause for knocking out
those robust guards. Then was it really just as Suimei said, that they were
collapsing just because he desired it? Weitzer glared at Suimei.
“You bastard...”
“The rest of you who are left, get out of
the way. A simple human has no way of winning against a magician you know?”
As Suimei made that exasperated
declaration, Weitzer realized something as he showed a composed expression.
“However, it seems you can't knock us
down.”
“That's right. We're still all lively
like right?”
Gaius also had a fearless smile as he
bluntly told Suimei this. It was certainly just as they said, the two of them
were the cornerstones of the battlefield in this place and there were still a
few guards left. However, why was it that they were unable to sense the danger
before them? Rumeya was looking at the same man and couldn't help but be
confused. If she was in their position, before this baffling phenomenon in
their surroundings, Suimei's own eerie actions and the penetrating cold
presence, she would tuck her tail and run away immediately. The tide was
already in Suimei's favour. It was likely that no matter what plan they put in
action, this would not change.
... Because of the dim moonlight, Suimei's
figure fell into darkness. It was as if he was a citizen within the darkness
itself as a dark shadow stuck to him.
“Weitzer! Gaius!”
Suddenly, a woman's voice rang out from
behind Rumeya. It was gentle and carried concern for others, a beautifully
transparent high pitched voice. A woman with a beautiful appearance soon showed
up. She had long flowing hair and strong-willed green eyes. She used an awfully
long sword, but this girl was probably the hero.
“Is it Hatsumi!?”
“Hero-dono!”
“This is, eh―?”
As the hero Hatsumi came running over and
while replying to Gaius and Weitzer, she noticed the terrible spectacle before
her eyes. After looking at her surroundings while completely baffled, she
pointed a severe gaze towards Suimei.
“Did you do this?”
“Aah. But there's no need to worry.
They've only lost consciousness, there's nothing wrong with them other than
that.”
... A dangerous atmosphere seemed to be
building up between the two of them. From Suimei's story, they were supposed to
be childhood friends, but from her attitude it didn't seem to be the case at
all. Did something happen? Following behind Hatsumi, the mage from the self
governed states, Selphy Fittney also showed up.
“With this, all four of us have
gathered.”
The hero and her companions rallied
together. On the other hand, Suimei quietly urged Hatsumi.
“Hatsumi, I want you to listen to me.”
“If you obediently turn yourself in, I'll
consider listening to you.”
“I don't have that kind of hobby.”
Suimei completely refused. Certainly it
was a bad idea to just quietly get caught in this kind of situation. There was
no way the royal family of Miazen would treat him courteously after all this. A
slightly perplexed expression showed on Suimei's face along with his meek
attitude. Hearing this exchange between them, Gaius turned to Hatsumi.
“He's been saying it for a while but, is
he your acquaintance?”
“I don't know him. But this man has been
saying that I'm his childhood friend.”
“Haa?”
Gaius raised his voice hysterically in
confusion. He then turned an astonished gaze towards Suimei.
“Oi lad. If you're going to lie make up a
better one will you? No matter how much you want to meet the hero, even a brat
won't come up with that kind of lie you know?”
“That kind of denial right from the start
is somewhat troublesome. Hatsumi has amnesia right? There's nobody here who can
properly judge whether it is a lie or not right?”
“But no matter how you put it, being a
childhood friend to the summoned hero is strange ain't it?”
Gaius stated his opinion, but Suimei did
not say anymore. Without objecting, he simply let out a sigh like the people in
front of him were lined up like immovable statues. Selphy then questioned him
further.
“So, what will you do? Will you
obediently turn yourself in?”
“I just said that I refuse didn't I?”
“Then, is it fine to interpret that as
your intent to resist?”
“...”
Seeing his silence, Selphy then threw out
more threatening words.
“I will ask you beforehand, but do you
really think that you can win against us? The four of us broke the demon army
and defeated a demon general you know?”
“So that's why you think you're strong?
No matter how you put it, isn't that just being conceited?”
“So, do you want to test it out?”
Gaius was making light of the situation
as he spoke. If he was going to resist, it would be a fight. However, Suimei
then carelessly turned his back to them.
“Ah?”
“I'm not interested. I'll go back for
now.”
“Haa!? Oi, are you going to run away
after saying so much!?”
“I'm not interested in needlessly
rampaging around. I'll come again, so you'll have to generously overlook me
this time.”
Suimei looked back over his shoulder and
spoke modestly. Though the situation was like this, he was unexpectedly going
to quietly resign. Perhaps because his childhood friend was present, he didn't
want to resort to violence. Gaius then sprang into action.
“You think I'm going to just say 'Yeah
okay' at this point in time!?”
Along with his fighting spirit, Gaius
lunged forward with a magnificent punch. As he leaped in one step away from
Suimei, his feet gouged out the earth beneath them and his fist flew forward
carrying a tremendous amount of power along with the air around it. If Suimei
was struck, with his dainty body, he wouldn't be able to get off lightly.
However, Gaius' punch was far too reckless.
“Fuu, compared to father's fist, this is
far too slow―”
Along with a snort and an exasperated
voice, Suimei stepped in towards Gaius' chest with smooth movements. That right
foot which stepped in towards Gaius dug into the ground with more power than
when Gaius himself let out his punch and broke the ground splendidly. After
lowering his waist, a loud noise resonated through Gaius' abdomen as it
transmitted through the ground and sent the broken fragments of earth on the
ground flying. Rumeya felt like she could see a green magic circle coiling
around his extended right arm and hand.
“What... the―”
Gaius was trying to express that he
couldn't ever believe that a mage would beat him at his own game. As if to blow
away his surprised voice, Suimei's yell filled with fighting spirit resounded
through the courtyard.
“HAA!!”
Putting the martial arts instructor to
shame, Suimei drove his fist further into Gaius' abdominal muscles. As the air
trembled from the vibrations cause by the impact, Gaius' body was blown all the
way to the opposing wall in the courtyard and smashed right into it. After the
hearty sound of the collision, the sound of solid objects falling to the ground
resonated in the air.
“Ridiculous...”
“You're kidding! Gaius!?”
Selphy and the hero's surprise rang in
the air. Though he didn't raise his voice, the prince Weitzer who was standing
next to them also had his eyes wide open with shock. All that was left in that
disastrous scene was the broken earth like an explosion had just occurred, the
remnants of Suimei's mana in the air, and the figure of Suimei Yakagi with his waist
still lowered and his fist sticking out. It was like the aftertaste of that
single strike flickering in the air. Rumeya could hear him exhaling profoundly,
but like before, his face was being blocked by his bangs and she could not see
his expression, but she could guess it was a calm one. Before long, he
corrected his posture, and spoke.
“Oi old man. You alive?”
“You... weren't you... a mage...?”
“I'm a magician. It was a mistake to
think I couldn't engage in close combat you know?”
Suimei fearlessly made that declaration.
It seems that he more or less at least gave them some consideration. All the
others seemed to regain the composure they lost from that single strike after
hearing that short conversation. The mage from the self governed state, Selphy,
began to move.
“Selphy!”
“Hero Hatsumi, please step back. I will
corner that man with offensive magic.”
“Eh? But...”
“Hero-dono, this way.”
She must have though that the hero would
get caught up in it. The hero stood there bewildered after hearing offensive
magic. Weitzer then pulled her to the back. The mage nicknamed 'Snowstorm' in
the self governed states, Selphy Fittney stepped forward filled to the brim
with mana.
“Like I've been saying...”
“After doing so much do you think it'll
end so easily?”
“Haa... The ones who started it was you
guys wasn't it?”
Suimei let out a sigh while remaining
still. Even though Selphy was already moving forward, for some reason he only
sluggishly turned his body towards her. He wasn't gathering his mana, chanting
a spell, running away, or even preparing any countermeasures. Selphy then
pointed her large staff towards him.
“―Oh wind! Thou art the power of
eternity, become a circle.”
She started her chant, and working
together with her, the jewel installed at the tip of her black wood staff began
to shine. Meanwhile, Suimei began speaking.
“The turbulent tyrant right? Fuu? Seems
the scale is quite large too.”
Just from the beginning of the chant, it
seemed he grasped not only the magic but also its scale. He let out his breath
briefly in admiration, but even still he didn't move. Was he just slow? Or
perhaps he didn't need to hurry in the face of that magic.
“―Such is a circle of tyranny. The
uncountable destruction born from the air, rush towards my enemy with your
righteousness. Noise Tyrant!”
Her chant finished and her keyword was
released from her mouth. With Selphy's body as its centre, whirlpools of wind
burst forth. They gathered and swayed in the air as they lingered in place. The
total number was ten, no, twenty. They were gathering up in even greater
numbers. And then, the intense wind blew fiercely as they all rushed towards
Suimei at ounce.
But at that moment, he began to mumble
something and held up his hand. Several red lights in the shape of red string
shot out. Drawing a perpendicular trajectory and bending many times repeatedly,
they pierced through the wind at a terrifying speed. And as the red strings
pierced all the way to Selphy's position, the wind vanished as if it was never
blowing in the first place.
“Wha!?―Ugu!”
Selphy's surprised voice rang in the air
followed by her gasp of anguish. She seemed to be surprised by the fact that
the wind was completely erased instead of counterbalanced. However, the reason
she was making such a severe face right afterwards was likely due to pain.
Seeing that anguish, Suimei spoke up.
“You should prepare counter measures for
getting a 'return over.' If you neglect it, it turns out just as it did.”
“Wh-what did, you do!?”
“I simply understood the spell. I've seen
that magic before after all. And so the reason you're in pain right now, is
because before you could fully establish the spell, I forcefully cancelled it.”
After saying this, Suimei raised his
right arm over his head. And with that action, the earth and sand that was
broken to pieces when he defeated Gaius suddenly starting blowing into the sky.
Not just the earth and sand, even other objects on the ground began to peel
off. Quite a large quantity of debris gathered in the air coiling into a
whirlpool, and then, it all rushed in towards Selphy to pay her back.
“―Ku! Oh wind. Thou shall become a firm
shield to protect me. Repel everything before that severe vortex. Vortex
Obstacle.”
Selphy calmly chanted her spell and wind
from all directions formed a vortex before her. That violent wind repelled and
scattered the debris into the surrounds.
“Magic without even chanting a spell!?”
“That right now could hardly be put on
the level of a spell right? All I did was lift up some earth you know? If you
had something like a bulldozer or power shovel it's simple to do without a
spell.”
Rumeya couldn't understand the expression
he used, but she could tell from his manner that he was implying that this
level of skill was nothing special. There was a brief pause in the fighting,
but Suimei did not move. He defeated Gaius. If she remember correctly, that
punk was supposed to be able to attack incessantly in a chain of continuous
strikes regardless of magic. Nevertheless, the reason Suimei wasn't being
assertive, was perhaps due to the fact that he was just uninterested in the
fight. He simply stood there waiting. Even after demonstrating his power,
Selphy seemed to have no intent to give up.
“Very well. I will also get serious.”
“If you try that hard I'll also be
troubled, but―Oh, she's not even listening.”
“―Oh wind. Thou art the evil wind who
receives the blessing of the frozen glacier. Blow violently, become a gust,
trap my enemy within a superb cage. No one at all is permitted to crawl out of
the icy prison which swoops down upon them, the baptism of the
snowstorm.―Ephemerally Razed!”
It was the magic which she arrived at to
be bestowed the name of 'Snowstorm'. When she used it, within an extensive
range, a storm mixed with snow and ice filled with hostility took form and
became a whirlpool. Suimei still remained still as he was wrapped up by the
snowstorm like it was perfectly natural. The ice pebbles coiled around Suimei
Yakagi like a vortex and formed a massive prison. Everything within the
snowstorm had become pure white in an instant.
“It's over.”
Selphy's voice mercilessly rang through
the air.
“Wait, Selphy! No matter how you put it
that's going to far!”
“Please do not worry about it. I held
back to the level where he shouldn't die.”
“B-but...”
“When the snowstorm clears up, that man's
crawling figure will surely be there. All that's left is to capture him.”
Selphy declared that it was over.
However, even after being displayed this scene, just what was causing a cold
sweat to still run down Rumeya's back? And as if to validate her doubts, deep
within that violent gust of wind and ice, a faint voice could be heard.
“―Fiamma. Est Lego vis Wizard.” (Assemble
flames. Like the cry of the magician's resentment)
“!?”
“No way!? He shouldn't even be able to
move his mouth within all that ice and snow!?”
The hero turned and looked in surprise
while Selphy let out a surprised yell, and Suimei's chant did not stop.
“Hex agon Aestua Sursum. Impedimentum
Mors.” (Give form to the agony of death and burst into flames, bestow the one
who obstructs me with a dreadful destiny.)
Many red magic circles formed in the
surroundings. At the point where Suimei should be standing as its centre, a
large magic circle was revolving. Before long, Rumeya could spot a faint shadow
deep within the snowstorm, and that shadow grasped a bright flame within its
right hand.
―Fiamma. O Ashurbanipal. (Shine. Oh
Ashurbanipal's revolving stone.)
An explosion of fire. Fire burst out of
the smaller magic circles towards the centre and a bright red flame blew up
from the large magic circle which was revolving at high speed. The moment the
fire from the smaller circles mixed with the bright red flame, they reacted
together and detonated, blowing away the white snowstorm and dying everything
within the black night red.
Including Rumeya, who was still posing as
a guard, the heat waves from the aftermath assaulted the bodies of the hero and
her companions. However, even that was being held back by that man. The gale
born of the shockwave and the intense temperature that should have accompanied
the fire decayed into nothing but a warm wind.
And then, as the crimson mist cleared
away, standing there as if nothing happened, was Suimei's figure. The ground at
his feet was bubbling as it boiled, it was like he was standing atop a sea of
melted iron. Despite being in the centre of that explosion, the fact that he
stood there perfectly composed on top of the land which was unable to endure
the heat could only be described as terrifying.
“Ku...!”
Selphy let out an unpleasant groan after
watching the single strike that was her life's pride get erased without any
sense of jeopardy. Towards that woman, Suimei began speaking like he was
praising her.
“You're called Selphy right? You're quite
the capable mage huh? The amount of mana loaded into that magic was quite
substantial, and it's destructive power was good. It has the power to restrain
the target and even seal chanting. Among all the mages I have met so far,
you're quite good.”
“... Is that supposed to be a
compliment?”
“Not at all. Even so you're not at the
level of Menia as she is now or that dangerous princess from the Empire. You've
still got a long way to go before you reach us―”
A short time after Suimei finished
speaking, he seemed to be playing his next hand. Suddenly, the fallen bodies of
the palace guards began to move.
“Wha―”
Shortly after Selphy's surprised voice
rang in the air, the floating bodies of the palace guards soared towards her.
―The guards were her allies. Being
conscious of that fact, her judgment was dulled. The few seconds she spent
trying to decide how to stave off her unconscious allies proved to be fatal.
As a result, choosing to escape instead
of using magic, she could only throw her body to the ground. Selphy rolled on
the ground in an attempt to evade. She dodged one, then a second body. Selphy's
movement weren't particularly graceful, but because the flying bodies weren't
all the fast, they didn't hit her.
“Do you think such an attack would be
able to defeat...”
“Aah, I don't think it at all. This isn't
an attack.”
“Eh―?”
After dodging and dodging, Selphy made it
all the way to Suimei's right flank. However, the place she reached was still
within the range of his trick. As if he was guiding her escape himself, Suimei
thrust out his right hand in her direction. His right hand was shaped just like
he was about to snap his fingers. And then, just like that, without even
looking at her, a snap rang through the air.
Suimei's middle finger brushed against
his thumb, and a benevolent sounds resounded throughout the nighttime
courtyard. The air in front of Selphy's eyes exploded. Perhaps due to the
vibrations shaking her head, she collapsed in place as she lost consciousness.
“Selphy...”
Seeing her trusted companion completely
defeated, Hatsumi held her breath. She was seized by the surprise for a brief
moment, but she eventually turned a sharp gaze towards Suimei and stood in his
way. Seeing her turn her sword towards him, Suimei's cold expression that he
had been wearing up until this point suddenly turned bitter.
“I said that I don't want to fight you.”
As if weighed down by a difficult
problem, Suimei put his hand to his brow and grimaced. Without sympathizing
with his sentiment to respect his childhood friends' safety, Hatsumi spoke to
him filled with anger.
“Do you think I'll stay quiet after my
companions were defeated?”
“That just now? That was self-defence
right? They were the ones to start fighting and their attacks had a
considerable amount of killing intent behind them. I was just trying to leave
you know?”
“That's... But!”
It seemed she did sympathize with
portions of what he said, but perhaps because the fact that her companions were
defeated resonated more strongly within her, Hatsumi once more pointed a severe
glare towards him. However, this time Suimei did not seem to be able to keep
silent, and his troubled expression changed to a stern one like he was rebuking
an unreasonable child.
“So, you'll kill me? Even though the
sword you're wielding right now does not have a hint of that unshakable path of
righteousness? If Instructor Kiyoshiro saw that sword wielded in direct
opposition to the Kuchiba School's teaching, you'd be punished immediately you
know?”
“Uu... But, I am...”
“Do you intend to use amnesia as an
excuse? Stop it, the you that I know isn't that kind of woman.”
Was she overpowered by Suimei's spirit,
or was she just unable to say anything back? Hatsumi's face warped like she was
in pain. At some point she even pulled back her stance. As she did, Weitzer
forced himself between Suimei and Hatsumi.
“Silence. A mere intruder has no right to
instigate Hero-dono.”
“I'd like the outsider here to be quiet
though, seriously...”
As Suimei stated this with exasperation,
his strict attitude crumbled slightly, but in the next instant he gazed at the
hero and Miazen's prince sharply. However, just as those in the surroundings
guessed, it seemed that it would be somewhat difficult for him to continue.
―The time to force their way out was
about now. Judging this was the perfect opportunity, Rumeya leaped out from the
group of guards.
“Excuse me for a bit.”
“Who's―Ku!?”
She ran in with a flash. While running
she swung her sword out to restrain Weitzer. As he kept his distance, Rumeya
took a position like she was in opposition to the hero and the others.
Weitzer's angry voice immediately rang through the courtyard.
“You're not a palace guard! Are you also
that bastard's companion!?”
“I wonder~?”
“What!?”
Rumeya shrugged her shoulders as she
clowned around and teased Weitzer. She then locked eyes with Suimei.
“Oi... Ah?”
He looked at her with bewilderment, but
it seemed that he more or less realized who she was. Looking at her like he was
asking why she was here with a surprised expression, she then cut straight to
the point.
“Step aside Suimei. I'll buy you just
five seconds. While I hold them back get up on the roof and skillfully pull me
up. You can do it right?”
“... Understood.”
After Suimei obediently nodded, Weitzer
lunged towards them in no time at all.
“You think I'll let you!?”
With an angry roar, he unleashed his
sword with skill that was appropriate for one given the title of one of the
Seven Swords. However, his single vertical slash was strange. Despite having
only one sword, after a brief pause, the lines drawn in the air by his sword
multiplied as they swooped in. Vertically, horizontally, diagonally, slashes
came in freely from all directions. A normal swordsman would not be able to
even react and would only be able to sadly have their neck depart from their
torso, but with a forty year age gap, Rumeya was also one of the Seven Swords.
“What an aggressive sword... Yoh! Hou!”
Letting out a voice like she was fooling
around, she carefully parried all the strikes from his attack. And then, as if
to pay him back with exact change, she struck back with the exact same number
of strikes with the exact same trajectories.
“Ku! Such an underhanded sword style.”
“That sounds good coming from you who is
called the Cloud of Death―HAAAAAAAAAA!”
Letting out her fighting spirit, in a
complete change from her sword handling filled with finesse up until now, she
used the physical prowess of a therianthrope and unleashed a strong strike at
Weitzer. The man known as the Cloud of Death was unable to parry the power of
the blow straight from the front and his sword drew a blue arc in the air and
landed exactly where Rumeya pictured it would in her mind.
“Ridiculous... Bastard, just who are
you?”
Weitzer was unable to conceal his
surprise at having his sword flicked away by a mere soldier. Unable to believe
what occurred before his eyes, he was looking at both his sword in the distance
and at Rumeya while keeping on guard. As he did, it seemed the preparations
were complete, Suimei's voice came down into the courtyard from the rooftop
with the moon to his back.
“I'm pulling you up.”
“I'll leave it to you.”
After giving a casual reply, Rumeya's
body began floating. An invisible power pulled her all the way to the rooftop.
Weitzer's voice immediately chased her from below.
“Wait!”
Pretending not to hear him, Rumeya turned
her head. And then, just before jumping to the next roof and parting with them,
Suimei turned around just once, and looked down at Hatsumi in the courtyard.
“Hatsumi, I'll come again. At that time,
don't try to kill me like you did today, alright?”
“I'm...”
“See ya.”
After saying his farewell in a worried
manner, Suimei jumped to the next rooftop. Following after him, Rumeya also jumped.
While still running along the sloped roof to exit the palace grounds, Suimei
gave his thanks to Rumeya.
“Rumeya-san, you have my gratitude for
providing your assistance... However, why are you here?”
“It's because it ended up with talks that
you were going to infiltrate the palace. It looked amusing so I came to watch.”
“... Are you making fun of me?”
“Call it supervision. It's paints my
respectability poorly if you treat me like a rubberneck.”
“What are you saying after just admitting
it yourself...”
Suimei let out an astonished voice as he
grimaced. The reason his face had gotten so bitter was likely because of the
years of unreasonableness that had piled up on him throughout his life. Having
caught a glimpse of his worries up to this point, Rumeya brought up what she
had just heard earlier.
“But really, just as I was thinking that
you had failed, to think it was amnesia.”
“Yeah, I was careless. I didn't think it
would turn out like this.”
“So, what will you do from here? Even
though she doesn't have any memories, you can't just leave it like this right?
Or rather, doesn't the fact that she has no memories just increase your
worries?”
“Yes. But, like I thought, the only thing
I can do is talk to her. There's also something else that I'm curious about,
I'm thinking of investigating it before coming back here.”
“I think it'll be quite difficult to get
back in though?”
Rumeya warned him as if she was
threatening him, but Suimei replied like it was nothing at all.
“That's probably true, but none of them
seem to be able to handle a magician, if all they do is increase the number of
guards, then infiltrating again won't be difficult.”
“That's quite the confidence you got
there... Well, after being shown the way you fight, I can't help but just nod
back.”
“I can't really fail at entering these
grounds when there doesn't seem to be the presence of even a single trap.”
As Suimei declared that he wasn't just
being prideful, he added on a short 'my dead father would be shocked,' quietly
like it was something he had to do. Before leaving the grounds, Suimei turned
back to the courtyard one last time. He must have been regretful. He gazed at
the opposite side of the roof like he was reminiscing.
“You're quite fixated huh. Even if she's
an acquaintance, she's just a friend right?”
“Is it weird?”
“Well, it's not like I don't understand a
solid friendship, but it seems to be weighing on your mind significantly is
all. It's not like she's your special lady, so I'm just a bit curious.”
Seeing that she was simply curious,
Suimei made a complex expression and explained it to her.
“Hatsumi, is my cousin.”
“I see, so she's family... Well in that
case it's normal to worry huh.”
“Yeah...”
Suimei's figure as he cast his gaze
downwards didn't give off a sense of a boy his age like when she saw him in her
office. In the shadow behind those sorrowful narrowed eyes was a pitiful image
like an old soldier who had lost their hometown. For this man who was unable to
return to his hometown, this wasn't far off the mark. However, while she
admired the back of his head as he shook off those thoughts and began running
once more, she felt compelled to call out to him.
“Hey?”
“Yes?”
“Aren't you, living a bit too
recklessly?”
Hearing her words, Suimei came to a stop
and turned around.
“It's not to the extent that you have to
question it. For the sake of protecting what I want to protect, isn't it
logical that I would only fail if I didn't live recklessly?”
“... That's right isn't it... I of all
people threw out quite the foolish question there didn't I?”
As she laughed it off, Suimei leaped into
the darkness.
★
