Volume 10 Chapter 3 - Encounter
Part 1
The inboard broadcasting that signaled an emergency reverberated on the fifth day’s twilight of their voyage.
According to the GPS, at that time the ship was crossing just right around the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Lotte was bringing up her discomfort to attention just before the emergency rang.
“I felt a wavelength of emotion of something mysterious but… was someone thinking about something?”
Even if she asked if there was someone thinking something strange, all present tilted their heads.
“I was thinking about Nii-sama!” “I was thinking about Kazu-nii!”
Kanae and Mio said at the same time, then they glared at each other with a mysterious rivalry. But that kind of thinking shouldn’t have any relation whatsoever with this.
Lotte also couldn’t sense that sense of discomfort for the second time and the talk was closed without finding out the true form of that feeling.
And then the first one that noticed the emergency broadcast {Emergency Situation} was Kazuki.
Kazuki who was not given any work could participate in shadowing his companions that were working, and then by forcefully learning by imitation he remembered the work they did, on that day he added himself as a lookout by his own accord.
The one with the most excellent eyesight among the ship’s members was Kazuki. While he was peeking into the lens of the telescope that was fixed on the lookout, there was a visible shadow on the horizon that was supposed to continue on forever.
The sun had already descended down and the boundary line between the twilight and the horizon was darkly vague. But when he focused reinforcement magic into his eyesight, the scenery across the lens turned clearer and he caught the sight.
A shadow was visible on the horizon. It was a silhouette with minute jaggedness. He didn’t think it was a rock.
―He thought that perhaps it could be a sail.
“Eh, isn’t that a ship’s silhouette?”
When Kazuki said that, Akane-senpai who was weak in an unforeseen situation easily tossed her usual calmness to the wind and she turned on the on-board broadcasting in panic.
“E, emergency situation occurred! All crew aboard please assemble on the bridge!”
No one had imagined this kind of situation. …With the exception of the Magic Advanced Countries and its surrounding patronage countries, the diplomatic relation of the world was completely closed between each other, that was how it should be.
There shouldn’t be any ship sailing in the middle of the Pacific Ocean like this.
To say nothing of this vast ocean, the possibility of two super tiny ships passing each other like this was like a miracle.
…That was as long as one of the two parties didn’t intentionally attempt to get in contact with the other.
It was not unreasonable for Akane-senpai to get shaken like this. There shouldn’t be anyone that had guessed that this kind of situation would happen beforehand.
“ “Wing soaring the sky, lording over eye, invading world-destroying conflagration―manifest the authority of god right here, as the agent of civilization I advance deeper and deeper! Deep Striker!!” ”
Both Kazuki and Lotte equipped [Deep Striker] and flew to the sky.
Scout―they didn’t understand whether the other ship had also sensed them or not. But they judged that even if they had to bear the risk, they should obtain information.
Kazuki and Lotte flew through the twilight sky, that was changing color from orange to deep blue, like meteors that were drawing two streaks of lines.
On the other side of the horizon, they once more confirmed the shadow of a ship with their naked eyes. Kazuki slowed down their speed just a little and carefully got closer. They should be discovered already if there was also a lookout on the other ship. But there was no action at all from the other ship. Both of them boldly got closer from the sky to the ship.
“Kazuki-oniisan, that…”
“Yeah.” Kazuki nodded. “It’s a ghost ship.”
Returning to the bridge, Kazuki and Lotte made their report to their companions.
Akane-senpai knitted her eyebrows and replied with a hard voice.
“How unbelievable, something like a ghost ship. …I’m, weak against something occult like that.”
“Akane is really a coward huh―. Don’t make that kind of scary face okay―”
Kanon-senpai poked Akane-senpai from the side while teasing.
“Rather than that, I think that ship is a Haunted Ground.”
“A ghost ship Haunted Ground… if it’s that then, I can still understand.”
In short Akane-senpai was poor with things that were outside her own understanding. Her criterion that it was okay if it was a Haunted Ground allowed Akane-senpai to relax her expression from her frown and she nodded. Kazuki continued his report.
“Its appearance is a pitch black sailing ship, its speed is slow. I couldn’t see any sign of life on the deck.”
“Nonetheless it’s really baffling. Not on land, but a ship―for a construction to be turned into a Haunted Ground and drift around. I have never heard of any precedent like this. In the first place, which country does that ship come from I wonder?”
Akane-senpai who had recovered her calmness was mumbling in low voice.
“Is it a coincidence that it is getting closer, heading to our ship?”
“Perhaps it’s not really strange if it’s a Haunted Ground. Haunted Ground and Demon Beast possess an awareness of harming humans as their objective.”
“There is also a way to take a detour and shake it off if we increase the speed of our ship. …But I wonder if it will follow us until America. That’s going to be really unbearable if that happens. It will be horrible in the end.”
“If we liberate the ship from being a Haunted Ground and it returns to normal, perhaps it’s a ship that comes from America, so maybe it can become a clue regarding America’s current situation.”
“…Then, it’s decided. Let’s line up our ship and board it.”
Kazuki and Akane-senpai nodded at each other.
“When Kazuki and Captain talk with each other, the tempo is fast and it’s hard to interject isn’t it~”
Mio leaked out her voice with a sigh. Akane-senpai said “There is no time” while shaking her head.
Even now the distance between this ship and the ghost ship was shrinking little by little.
“Kazuki, organize the members that will board the ghost ship. I will remain on this ship.”
“Because senpai is scared?”
“Don’t tease me. Someone knowledgeable about ship voyage has to be ready to protect the ship when push comes to shove. If in the case that the ship sinks… even your [Deep Striker] or [Blazing Wings] won’t be able to take you back from the middle of the Pacific Ocean until Japan you know.”
Above this vast ocean, their definite foothold was only this ship. But this ship didn’t have anything like a defensive magic power. If some kind of attack magic came flying here, its defensive power was zero. It would sink really easily.
Imagining the endlessly spreading out ocean outside the window, a shivering chill ran through his spine.
“We have to prepare defensive magic as much as possible while getting closer then.”
“Naturally. Leave behind members skilled in defensive magic here, you should board the other ship with members that are good in hand-to-hand combat.”
Kazuki wrote out the members he thought of on the whiteboard.
Kazuki, Arthur, Beatrix, Shouko, Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, Kazuha-senpai, Kanae, Karin, Kohaku.
Something like this perhaps.
“You are skilled in hand-to-hand combat right?” He exchanged looks with Arthur.
“But of course. Even though I have been thoroughly watching your fight until now, I still haven’t show any of my trump cards at all, so it’s not fair. I shall try a little bit harder here.”
“Well, of course you won’t expose everything and fight seriously though.”
“Ha-ha-ha! Naturally!”
What a honest person. This person was gazing to the future, even while he was not overlooking Loki and China trying to disturb the world order, he was still thinking calmly that he had no duty to go as far as devoting his whole strength for Japan which was currently on the verge of the danger of getting invaded.
“Oi, I ain’t any good in hand-to-hand combat or anything y’know. Why are you taking me and not Silirat?”
Shouko yelled her objection.
“Don’t tell me, are you worried that it gonna be bad if you ain’t constantly looking over my shoulder and so you ain’t gonna leave me alone, is that your thinking?”
“No, it’s a place where we don’t know what can happen so I want someone like you with excellent sharp-sight, quick-wit, and balanced intuition.”
“…What’s with you, so you are unexpectedly confident in me huh. Well, if that’s your reason then just leave it to me.”
Shouko scratched her cheek.
“Boarding a ship from another ship and rampaging, it’s really like a Viking, making me excited. As an Einhrejar, this is the greatest situation.”
Beatrix was trembling all over.
“Don’t get too wild and destroy the ship okay.”
“Fufufu! Boarding the opponent’s ship without sinking it and plunder the whole cargo of the ship is the way of the Viking!”
Was Einherjar in the same line with Vikings? What’s going to happen with Germany like this.
Anyway, no matter what kind of Haunted Ground it was, he couldn’t really imagine that with this lineup they were going to find themselves in a situation where they had to take flight.
Rather than feeling anxiety toward the unknown, the feeling surging inside his chest was rather more like [Let’s see what you’ve got].
“How unfortunate―, I also want to go but the attack magics I can use are only in the group of large scale destruction―”
Kanon-senpai said that while laughing. She had no anxiety at all towards the picked out members. She could be at ease while feeling happy.
This great senior was also a powerful person that was worthy of attention, but they wouldn’t use any large scale attack magic aboard the ship so in the end he asked her to remain on the ship.
When they gazed at the path ahead from the bridge, they finally could see the shadow of the ship with their naked eyes.
In other words this was inside the range where both sides could perceive each other―they had entered the range of attack magic.
The stay behind group began to chant defensive magic all at once.
“…I, don’t have any defensive magic that can protect a shipp―”
Kaguya-senpai waved around her hands in flutter from being on her loose end.
“I too don’t have anything like defensive magic! I cannot do anything!”
Kanon-senpai too puffed out her small chest defiantly. Putting aside Kaguya-senpai, being unable to use both hand-to-hand combat and also defensive magic, she was a great senior that was thoroughly useless in this kind of situation.
“Perhaps having peaky performance is a tradition of the Magic Division’s student council president.”
The sadist who only had pain magic that was the current student council president, and the previous student council president who only had large scale destruction magic. What a terrible duo. In contrast Hikaru-senpai and Akane-senpai had flexibility so it was interesting.
“I’ll protect this ship.” Kamimura-san who had confidence in her defensive magic said that vigorously.
“The ship is coming alongside! Prepare to jump!!”
Akane-senpai changed into manual operation and directed the ship closer to the other ship.
By operating the control panel, the acrylic panel at the left side of the bridge opened. The wind blew inside with great force. Everyone of the storming unit gathered on the edge of the panelwindow. With the reddish black twilight horizon as its background, the black shadow of the ship that looked like a speck rapidly became bigger.
It was not a ship that was really that big. A classic sailing ship that was insisting its old era’s atmosphere with a loud voice.
But surely it was because of the effect of its transformation into a Haunted Ground, that it was stained pitch black.
It was similar with the [Naglfar] that Hel summoned before.
Should he feel eerie, or should he feel fortunate, but there was no attack magic coming from the other side. Even when the bows of the two ships were closing there was still nothing that came. Akane-senpai slowed down the ship.
Kamimura-san went “Nothing to protect…” with her shoulders drooped from losing her chance to be useful.
But seeing that there was a Haunted Ground, he couldn’t imagine that there would be no enemies.
“Yosh, I’ll give a count and then I’ll jump. Everyone follow after me.”
The ships were gradually passing each other. Because the window they were at was in a high place, if he jumped from here using Enchant Aura, he would surely be able to jump down on the deck of the other ship.
His companions performed Access altogether and changed into their Magic Dress.
“There is no way Kazuki should take the dangerous position in the lead, this is this one’s turn.”
“No, it’s set already that this is my place to shine!”
The easygoing duo of Kohaku and Karin competed with each other to dispute the front spot at the window.
“Wait, we don’t know what is waiting for us there, I, that can use various kind of magic, am …”
“Fufufu” Beatrix was chuckling fearlessly and smoothly cut into the front. “If it was about something like that than the guest that is me should stand in front and bear the full brunt of what is waiting for us right? No one will regret it even if you use an outsider like a sacrificial pawn.”
After Beatrix said that, everyone got quiet and nodded. By no means that they were treating her like a sacrificial pawn, however they had the feeling that the role of rushing in at the front undoubtedly suited her really well.
Her veteran back was so reliable. He felt like he understood the feelings of Eleonora who yearned for her so much.
“FUHAHAHAHA! The true identity of the opponent is unknown just mean that! I’M GOING TO ENJOY THIS!!”
As the ships came alongside each other, with tough legs and loins, Beatrix jumped to the black ship lightly.
“If she said that, then we are also guests! We have to follow after her. We are going, Shouko-kun!”
“Eh, you mean me too!Oi, don’t pull my hand!!”
Arthur pulled Shouko’s hand while stepping on the window frame. Arthur didn’t change into his Magic Dress. In a battle, there should be no merit at all for a Magika Stigma to not equip their Magic Dress. …Was there a reason he didn’t want to show his Magic Dress to other people he wondered.
Shouko gave up and matched her breath with Arthur, both of them then jumped together onto the black ship.
“Yosh, we are also following after them!”
Kazuki too jumped. His whole body cut through the salty wind and dove down aiming for the pitch black landing spot!
“I’m doing a good fight, welcoming a good death, and wish to participate in even more battles of heaven! The Divine Protection of blood color in my eye! Berserk!!”
Beatrix who was rushing ahead had already invoked her spell and swung around her large sword against someone as her opponent.
Kazuki observed his surrounding at the same time with his landing. They couldn’t see anything of the situation aboard the black ship from the bridge. Here and there atop the deck was magic power that looked like black miasma drifting around in place.
Several human shadows were there as if they were going to melt into that haze of black magic power.
“Be careful, Kazuki! They are already here!!” Beatrix aroused his vigilance.
The unidentifiable human shadow also rushed and attacked Kazuki.
“Berserk!!”
Kazuki also chanted the same magic like Beatrix and drew out <Ame no Murakumo> in an Iai slash towards the unidentifiable human shadow. At his waist was a sheath that was custom made for Ame no Murakumo’s exclusive use.
An out of place feeling. Rather than feeling like he had cut apart a Demon Beast, he felt a feedback as if he had cut a human that possessed a defensive magic power from his blade. The black shadow was repelled and blown away from the impact.
“…How can you use my magic? I have been bothered from some time ago about how you can use magic from multiple groups.”
Beatrix leaked out a surprised voice towards Kazuki who was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her at the corner of the deck with the fence behind them.
“I can use the magic of allies whose positivity level is high.”
“…Wh, what? Wh wh wh wh wh, what!? Then you mean my, my my my my my fee…”
Beatrix was at her wits’ end. Beatrix―72
Well, it was fairly, high.
“Talk later! These unknowns are coming!”
“Why didn’t you say about such important things as soon as us traveling together was decided!? EM―BA―RAS―SING―!!” Beatrix-chan held her large sword in hand while covering her face with her body fidgeting around.
When he saw from the drifting black magic power, moving like a slippery eel, a figure of a black shadow appeared, it suddenly came charging. It swung around both of its hands randomly and trying to hit at them.
Although that movement was reinforced by magic power, there was not even a single sign of martial arts presence in it.
The enemy’s behavior was similar with the zombie that he had faced before.
Kazuki and Beatrix went out to meet the enemy attack from the front. Arthur and Shouko also began a battle with the shadow in a place slightly separate from them. With Kazuki and the others going forward, a space where people could land was created. There Kanae, Karin and the others jumped one after another.
“It turns into melee. It’s not smart to swing around large swords here… O meteor leaving trail, gouge white scar on the night sky! Small White Meteor SwordCarnwennan!!”
Arthur chanted a spell and he created a silver gauntlet on his right arm with a short sword that was fixed into one into that gauntlet. Pure white magic power shone from the blade that was on the gauntlet, it spread to Arthur’s whole body―Arthur’s figure was accelerated and he vanished.
The swarm of black shadow that attempted to assault Arthur was blown away all at once.
Perhaps it was a short sword that bestowed a divine protection of acceleration. Its power was also high. Arthur dashed around the ship with a speed that couldn’t be caught with your eye cutting apart the black shadows. It was a force that could clean sweep on board the ship alone.
“Hu… hurt…”
He could hear a voice. Hurt, did it say that? Just now…
“That become the whip of god that strike the soul! Wake up the wave motion that disturb the divine element right here… Dashinben!”
Shouko too grasped in her hand a pole of white wood created from her chant. Its appearance was just a really normal stick, but she hit really hard the crown of the black shadow with it, that it made him think she might even have made a home run.
Dashinben was a Sacred Treasure that possessed the power to disturb magic power. When he saw it before, just from swinging it at empty air in the battlefield it could strongly obstruct the magic chanting of the skillful Magika Stigmas in the surroundings.
When a black shadow was hit directly at its head with that pole, it struggled, violently kicking and punching around. The magic power that it had inside its body was whirling, it behave as if rampaging around. Its whole body was trembling in convulsion, the shadow was writhing on the deck in a condition that was not fit to fight.
Its agonized condition was frightfully full of human traits.
It seemed that Shouko herself didn’t have much grounding in martial arts, when she was attacked from all direction by the black shadows, she was hit completely by those simple attacks, unable to dodge. But she repelled those with a high standard Resist, then with a look as if she took no notice of the attack she swung down Dashinben at the enemies’ heads in turns.
The shadows that were hit by Dashinben had their bodies trembling and withered on the floor without exception.
“O god Thor of heaven! Delight in my sword dance and echo the roar! Entrust the thunder of sky in this sword, without even allowing anymore resistance, consign to oblivion!! Fj?rgyn Megin!!”
Beatrix too filled her sword with lightning and mowed down several black shadows altogether.
“Hu, hurts…” “A, aa…” “Painful…”
Kazuki, Beatrix, Arthur, and Shouko who went ahead into the ship witnessed the downed black shadows leaking out painful voices while standing up unsteadily.
Kazuki finally earned some room and focused his eyes on the shadow’s figure.
That figure was―a human. All of the shadow were equally young, there were males and/or females, each of their faces and physique were also different from each other.
Their whole body was covered by black magic power, seeping into their body where the shadow should even be called [shadow human].
Something was different from them compared to Demon Beasts. These guys felt pain and possessed awareness.
They had magic power that bounced back attacks. Nevertheless they felt pain from the attack.
‘Are they human? But it feels like they are like a zombie…’
Their figures were like… humans that were ravaged by black magic power and reconstructed into something different.
His comrades were crossing near to his direction one after another and got their attack preparation ready.
“Wait!” Kazuki halted them in fluster.
“The condition of these guys are strange… they are in pain.”
“Eh?” His comrades were taken aback.
These guys were only manipulated by the black magic power, perhaps they were innocent normal humans.
With that possibility, Kazuki focused his eyes even more.
No, that was not it. When he looked carefully at the black flesh of the shadow humans, there were external wounds there.
It looked like all of their blood flow was stopped, but no matter how he saw it, fatal wounds were already inflicted on them.
They were dead bodies. His recognition that they were zombie was correct. Dead bodies were controlled by the black magic power. But their awareness as humans slightly remained and they felt pain when they were attacked.
A drifting ship fully loaded with controlled dead bodies in order to attack people…
Desecration of dead bodies. Such words floated inside his head. At the same time he recalled the time when Hel tried to manipulate his mother’s death. That instant, Kazuki’s will to fight was repulsed to the opposite direction.
“Stop the attack! I’m going to liberate these people from the black magic power!!”
“How!?” Shouko immediately yelled.
But other than her, all his other comrades surely had an uncomfortable feeling towards these enemies. When Kazuki said that, everyone stopped their attack altogether and drew back like a receding wave.
But even if they stopped their interference, the black shadow humans stood up while in agony and they once again formed a crowd and headed to this direction.
…What should he do? Kazuki and the others were slowly cornered until the corner of the deck. His comrades turned into a single clump in the corner of the deck. Kazuki, Kanae, Kohaku, and Kazuha-senpai, then after that Arthur stood in the front and bore the brunt of the attack.
The black human shadows gradually appeared from the darkness inside the ship, several dozens, no, perhaps it even passed a hundred of human shadows formed a crowd, they filled the deck completely and surrounded Kazuki and the others.
The black shadows were hitting at the swordsmen that were standing at the front.
Kazuki dodged, redirected, he was handling the assault with non-aggressive defense while chanting.
“I am the shaman of sword. Rock cleaved, root torn, that virtuous sword of destruction right now in this hand! Draw sword, Futsu no Mitama!!”
Kazuha-senpai too yelled “Futsu no Mitama!” at the same time, they cast the same magic of Futsunushi no Kami.
It seemed their thinking were the same. With this holy sword of crushing evil, they were going to tear apart the black magic power!
Kazuki sheathed Ame no Murakumo back in the scabbard and slashed with [Futsu no Mitama] in exchange.
'PACHIN!' The blade of Futsu no Mitama was bounced back with a feedback that was similar with hitting defensive magic power.
“!?” Kazuki caught his breath.
“Kazuki, it bounced back just now!?” Kazuha-senpai also raised a panicked voice.
But he remembered this feedback from before. The time when they were attached with Cloud String BindingKumo Ito Shibari from Susanoo’s barrier magic [Izumo Yaegaki], they had also failed like this when they tried to sever the cloud string. This was the same sensation with that time. This black magic power was even more superior compared to Futsunushi no Kami’s level 3 magic.
“Hayashizaki-kun! We are going to get cornered if we just defend one-sidedly like this!”
Arthur yelled while dodging the attacks of the black shadows with the quickness of the short sword’s acceleration.
The attack of the black shadow was monotone. It was simple for Kazuki whether to defend or evade them.
But the number of the black shadows itself was extraordinary.
Even if not all the shadows could attack, but by forming a crowd and pushing forward they could rob the space for moving from Kazuki and the others.
The black shadows swung around their both hands, even while dodging those they were slowly cornered back.
They were not a strong opponent but… if it kept like this they would be pushed back and crushed.
“We’ve been patient enough here. …But looks like that magic ain’t good enough huh.”
Shouko murmured while just staying still and got hit by the black shadows’ attack without looking concerned and defended all the attacks with Resist. She invoked the magic that she was chanting.
From the scale of the magic power wave it was undoubtedly high level attack magic―but it was not a power to crush evil.
“Thy voice is the pole of heaven that determine death… release the urge sleeping in mystery of enlightenment for 1500 years, the beast that reap and take life… Heaven Number Death Commandment Hermit Beast FangTensuu Sakkai Senjuu!!”
The magic power that whirled from Shouko was shot to the sky and it turned into the figure of a beast.
Countless limbs, countless eyeballs, and countless fangs that lined up in its mouth, a beast that was like [the incarnation of violence].
An ominous beast that couldn’t be imagined to be created by Taikoubou who was a sage that was also a hermit materialized, it fiercely flew into the crowd of the black shadows.
Its countless arms mowed down the black shadows altogether, it crushed the fallen shadows under its feet, and its countless fangs tore apart.
“A… AAaAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
The screams of the shadows reverberated. The blackened fleshes of the shadows were protected by the black magic power that acted similar with defensive magic power. But the protection was made to vanish in the blink of an eye by the beast’s atrocity.
The black shadows were blown away one after another like pomegranate.
It was a massacre. The black dead people that possessed a sense of pain were forced to feel the pain of death for the second time.
Because the black magic power safeguard the shadows from everything except pain, they were instead feeling a pain longer than even the pain of death…
The beast acted a pure quiet massacre without even making any howl.
“Shouko!!” Kazuki unintentionally blamed her.
But it was also a fact that Shouko’s magic cleared back the black shadows and rescued them from the predicament.
“You’re too na?ve! There ain’t no other way than this, don’t you get it! If the gentle way ain’t working, then don’t waste any time to change your sentiment!!”
Shouko disparaged Kazuki while controlling the hermit beast. The black shadows didn’t die so simply and continued to raise an intensely awful scream, it was a scenery of screaming hell that should be feared.
“It pains the heart but… it can’t be helped. We must not get stopped in this kind of place.”
Arthur too gripped back his short sword and assisted Shouko. With a high speed short sword technique he carved the shadows.
“Kazuki…” Beatrix turned to Kazuki and leaked out a troubled voice.
‘Stop. Please wait.’ He thought that but those were not words that would be fine to be said out loud without thinking.
But, was there no better way to do something about this?
When he couldn’t sever Susanoo’s barrier, what did he do at that time?
In order for the light to pierce through the darkness, an idea emerged inside Kazuki’s head. But…
“Kazuki!” There was a voice from behind.
When he looked back, Kamimura-san was leaning out her body from the window of Queen Kaguya.
“You forgot this!” Saying that, the girl threw out something that shined silver to him. When he accepted that while paying attention, so that the thing wouldn’t fall down because of the awkward throw, he noticed that it was <Yata no Kagami>.
Kamimura-san then 'pyon' jumped from Queen Kaguya to this side.
“I saw the situation from the bridge so I know what is happening. It’s going to be fine if you use this mirror.”
What Kazuki remembered was also this mirror.
When talking about something that possessed a power to crush evil that was even more powerful than Futsunushi no Kami, then it was this Sacred Treasure mirror.
These shadow humans were similar with the armored warriors in Ise Imperial Shrine.
“But I’m still, I can’t use this mirror skillfully.”
That was why he left it behind in the first place.
“It’s okay, because I will show you an example after this.”
While grasping Kazuki’s hand tightly, Kamimura-san said that and began to chant a spell.
Shouko and Arthur were also guessing that something was up and halted their attack for a moment.
“…O guiding light that illuminate the four seas and all countries! Gather inside my master’s idol, release the light that purify the impurity… Sun Flower Single FlashYata no Kagami?Youka Issen!”
Kamimura-san also created a Yata no Kagami in her hand. It was a copy product created by Amaterasu’s magic power. The Yata no Kagami that was raised on Kamimura-san’s hand emitted a light like a sun at the same time when it was raised, illuminating the dim light of the twilight brilliantly.
Kamimura-san’s left hand was still holding Kazuki’s hand. From there the flow of the magic power was conveyed to him.
―Some kind of magic was formed inside her, some kind of magic phenomenon was requestedOrdered from Amaterasu.
The black human shadows in front of Kamimura-san had the black magic powers that were clad on their body evaporated and they fell down. They recovered their original human complexion while collapsing down.
What was there was not a shadow in agony. The light embraced the soul while pulling it out from the flesh body, returning them to a normal dead body. At the same time there was a sign that the ghost ship was slightly liberated from being a Haunted Ground.
“I cannot hit them with light in too much range alone, so Kazuki too, do it together with me.”
Kamimura-san filled her hand that was grasping him with strength and said that.
“That Sacred Treasure has the feeling of goodness, so for Kazuki who don’t know any of these stranger, that they are enemies who already lost their lives, yet you still want to save them anyway, if it’s your wish then surely it will answer you. Don’t give up just because you cannot use it. It’s Amaterasu’s Sacred Treasure after all, so it’s a good child you know.”
―It would answer him. Believing those words, Kazuki strongly wished to the mirror.
‘I want to save them. As painless as possible, I want to let them rest.’
‘That’s why, lend me your strength!’
The mirror, it sought and tried to absorb his magic power as if appealing for something. It was a calling that couldn’t be translated into human language. Something like a vague blueprint of a magic phenomenon was flowing into his mind.
Kazuki responded to the calling and poured magic power into the mirror, the magic power was operated inside the mirror.
The mirror that obtained energy, shined in a flash.
“Illuminate the four seas and all countries, <Yata no Kagami>! Fuukyou Kaikon―Youka Issen!”
Kazuki too―he invoked the magic phenomenon that was invoked by Kamimura-san just now with the power of the Sacred Treasure.
The black magic power evaporated in the blink of an eye, the human shadows that had recovered their normal complexion collapsed one after another.
The jet black color also vanished from the ghost ship.
When all the black magic power had finished being purified, [Yata no Kagami] responded to Kazuki’s will by emitting a high pitch sound 'kiiiin' and it turned into a type of bracelet with a small mirror fixed onto it like a gem that twined around Kazuki’s left wrist.
He had a feeling that the mirror was telling him it wouldn’t be a hindrance like this, even if he brought it while walking around.
Part 2
A tragic stage became exposed. There was the appearance of that ship which had been returned to its original appearance.
As if a coating was peeled off, the color of ominous jet black vanished from the ghost ship and it returned into a sailing ship made from wood. The sails of the ship was still spreading out fully where it was receiving wind to wrong direction.
It didn’t have any mechanical part as its driving force. That was to say, it could be predicted that this ship was drifting from a country that had retrogressed until a degree of civilization where they were using a sailing ship.
Only the deck where Kazuki and the others were fighting was still colored pitch black even thought it had been liberated from the Haunted Ground.
Reddish black blood spread abundantly through the whole surface of the floor, this was caused by the blood that had seeped into the floor.
The tranquil dead bodies that had been purified due to Kazuki and Kamimura-san’s mirror had collapsed and covered their surroundings completely. A white person, and also the first time Kazuki saw it, a black person were also mixed among the bodies.
All of them had already bore fatal wound. There was a massacre here.
And then with some kind of magic they were then controlled by the black magic power.
“If this ship was transformed into a Haunted Ground because of that magic’s influence, then surely the one that used that magic was a Diva from the Chaos Side. The magic of the Chaos Side leads to Haunted Grounds.”
Arthur murmured that while investigating the dead bodies.
There was still faint temperature remaining in the dead bodies. It was still not that long since they died… no, their state was preserved while they were being manipulated by the black magic power.
That was why they had a feeble consciousness and s sense of pain… was it because of this?
“Kazu-nii, there is someone that is still conscious!”
Mio was grieving over the dead while adjusting their posture into a peaceful position one by one. And then, she yelled.
If there was a living witness, there was no greater information than that. The gaze of all the members gathered at Mio. While receiving the gaze of everyone on her back, Mio embraced the upper body of the male that was collapsed face up and invoked her magic.
“…O elegantly beautiful fire of reincarnation, burn the surface of life, make bud the regeneration inside… Anti Aging!”
There was a deep wound gouged on the male’s body. The flame that Mio produced moved into the male’s mind and spread, accelerating the renewal of his flesh.
The face of that white male became even paler like someone who already bled out all their blood. Just like a dry paper. There was no strength left in his eyes, it was a near miracle that he still had consciousness.
{Aa… go, goddess…} The focus of the male’s eyes were fixed on Mio, he let out a withered voice.
The words of the male was English, but he could listen to it thanks to lesson from Arthur.
{I’m not a goddess, pull yourself.} Mio also called to him with English.
{Why…} Rather than talking to Mio, it more like the male was murmuring to himself. {Even though they came to help us… why…}
Something. Like this the male would keep holding something unfinished in him.
{Tell us the circumstances. I will do what I can for your sake.}
Kazuki too called to the male with simple English. The male wouldn’t last long. He asked right to the point.
{Who, you all did this kind of thing?}
Just for an instant, strength returned in the light green eyes of the male. Regret, sorrow, fury, such emotions appeared in his eyes.
{…Coming to help us… we who are slaves… but that guy that help… why!}
{Who was it, who do you mean by that guy!?}
{RE…D……}
As if breathing the last breath from his mouth, the male’s eyelid and lips wilted powerlessly.
Mio ended her healing magic.
[Anti Aging] was not a magic that granted the flame of life, it was a magic that strengthened the flame of life.
It was powerless for those who had expired.
Mio gently closed the male’s half opened eyelids and lips.
“The English just now” Arthur opened his mouth. “It’s not something from inside the sphere of Britain’s culture, but English from America’s sphere of culture.”
“Is that something you can understand?”
“It matched with the American-English’s characteristic I learned from the literature of the past. I’m sure of it.”
Indeed, looked like it could be counted on.
“It seems that this man was a slave. So this means that in America there is a slave system then.”
Most likely it was not a rare thing in many countries outside Japan.
Even Italia that Regina ruled had a slave system from what she said.
Even Germany, whereas there were humans with the social standing of a noble like Lotte there, even if it couldn’t be said to be something like a slave, but the existence of a low class that was near such a thing existed.
“This ship is a slave ship that transported these slaves somewhere. And in the middle of that, someone came to help.”
…What they didn’t understand was why the result became like this.
“Thanks to Kazuki’s way of doing things, we could obtain information.”
Beatrix said that. After that she glanced at Shouko’s direction. Shouko was unreservedly investigating the death bodies that collapsed everywhere by rummaging them around, but she said a short sentence, “My bad”, to Kazuki.
“But I won’t say that I’m mistaken.”
“Of course, I too don’t think that it will go this well every time with my way.”
Kazuki was thinking. “Surely, I’m na?ve.” There was no feeling that he had handled this well appearing in his chest. A heavier self-reproaching feeling was settling inside him.
Depending on the conditions, he too had to be able to make a decision just like the decision that Shouko took.
Coldheartedly, rationally, the cardoption to [abandon].
“But” Kaguya-senpai who watched over the exchange interjected.
“I think this is Otouto-kun’s way. It’s not about right or wrong…”
Kaguya-senpai’s words got into his head directly.
Way. Style. He could use both sword and magic. He was able to chant a manifold of magic types compared to an average person. He was in a position where he could always select an option from many. That was exactly why―he had the feeling that he must have something inside his heart that was always consistent and straight.
‘What kind of thing do I have to be consistent on from now on?’
“Kazuki!” Hikaru-senpai’s voice came from the inside of the ship that could be entered from the stair on the deck.
“There is a person inside the ship’s hold!”
Inside the ship, there were swaying flames still remaining on the torches without being extinguished.
The condition right before a place turned into a Haunted Ground was preserved even while being a Haunted Ground.
The feeling that people lived here was remaining, it was completely like the <Mary Celeste> ship.
Descending down the stairs that were painted with blood, they entered the ship’s hold.
Ship’s hold. The thing that was called as the cargo of this ship, was it the slaves?
The ship’s hold was also dirty with blood all over the place. However that there wasn’t any dead bodies here at all, it must be because the dead bodies that fell here had crept up the stairs to the deck and assaulted Kazuki and the others.
An abundant amount of blood was covering the whole surface of the floor reddish black.
On the black floor, there was a pure white girl laying down while curling her body.
She was like the single star shining in the night sky.
Her hair and her skin were pure white like a fantasy. The T-shirt and jeans she were wearing looked out of place with how clean they were without a single stain on it. Her eyes were closed and she collapsed on the floor, but a rhythmic sleeping breath was escaping her nose.
“For her to sleep soundly in this kind of place, she really has a nerve huh!”
Hikaru-senpai that crouched beside the girl said a hysteric thing. No way it was something that stupid.
“She is not waking up?”
“I still haven’t tried it. I thought that I’m going to call Kazuki first. Can I wake her?”
When Kazuki nodded, Hikaru-senpai shook the sleeping girl calling “Ooo―ii!” with an excited look.
Hikaru-senpai… should he say that she was not a coward or something, but she was a person that was really following her own pace.
The eyelids of the girl shook and a voice as if she was having a nightmare leaked out from her pink colored lips.
{You woke up? You’re fine? No wound or anything on you?}
Hikaru-senpai asked the girl’s name with a natural pronunciation. Hikaru-senpai who strangely had some genius aspects in her was the fastest among them all who had improved in English.
The girl opened her eyes with a blink. He was able to believe once again that the girl was really alive from the light in her eyes.
{Wo… und? I’m, fine…}
Her eyes that were slightly slanted were colored blue that was so light to the degree it was slightly unnatural.
{That’s great, that’s great. Well then, what is your name then?}
Hikaru-senpai asked her with English that flowed smoothly.
{Name… my name… call me my name? My name, call me my name?}
Kazuki and Hikaru-senpai looked at each other.
{Even if you ask me to call your name, but I don’t know your name. What is your name?}
{I don’t know…} The girl whispered again with her expression unchanging.
{My name, call my name?} The girl caught Hikaru-senpai’s hand pleadingly.
Calling her the name…
{Uu―nn} Hikaru-senpai was troubled.
{Let’s change the question. Where did you come from?}
{Where…} Her empty tone answer was as if the inside of the girl’s head was pure white and she let out that pure whiteness exactly as it was from her mouth―{I don’t know.}
“This is really bad huh, Kazuki. This child, she looks like she is an amnesiac.”
The girl looked around the surroundings restlessly.
When she noticed that her surroundings was dyed reddish black with blood, she leaked out “Hyi-“ voice and she clung even stronger at Hikaru-senpai’s arm. She didn’t understand how she ended up in this kind of place.
They led the girl back to the bridge.
They quietly burned the ship where the scar of tragedy remained with Pyrokinesis, letting the ship drifted away to the sea.
The pure white girl they brought along had her eyes turned round at everything in the bridge as if looking at something rare and she looked around restlessly. When looking at her appearance that stood up and walked around, she was even smaller and younger than Lotte.
He should call her a little girl rather than a girl.
“I wonder if we cannot make her recover her memory. I think if we can do that then we will understand many things.”
Kazuki said to everyone who gathered on the bridge with Japanese. He still didn’t have the confidence to have a complicated conversation in English.
The information about the girl’s birth country, what happened on that ship, was the people killed by someone―if the girl’s memory was recovered, perhaps they could understand about all that.
―Kazuki had promised to that person just before he died, that he would do all that he could.
“Lotte. Can you pull out the memory of this child using Telepathy?”
It was a violation of privacy to use Telepathy on another person’s mind. But surely they couldn’t let this child to be amnesic like this from now on just to respect her privacy.
“That’s so desu, I’ll try. …For this power of mine that is like a peeping tom to be useful in a correct way like this is a rare chance desu.”
“Lotte is always being considerate to your surroundings, so I think you are not like that at all though.”
Lotte crouched in front of the pure white little girl and stared at her fixedly.
{Is it okay for me to peek into your heart for a little desu?}
Lotte asked in English. When the white little girl nodded, there was a string of blue magic power that lighted up faintly and connected between them.
“…She has almost no magic power desu. Her wall of the heart is… weak desu.”
Lotte murmured. What that meant was that the little girl was in a state that was mostly [security free].
When he thought that Lotte could do this, if it was Lotte then surely she could also even freely conduct something like brainwashing.
Magic power would undergo a sudden growth at the puberty period. He guessed that this white little girl hadn’t yet entered her growth period. That was why, it was possible that her magic power could be that empty in her age.
“…The inside of this child’s head, it’s pure white desu.”
“You mean she doesn’t think of anything at all? Like a thoughtless person then?”
Hikaru-senpai asked. Though mentioning about thoughtlessness, Hikaru-senpai was also quite like that though.
“No… she is thinking. Though its only in small scale. But her mental territory is mostly blank desu.”
The inside of her head was mostly pure white and only a little part of it was performing thinking activity…
“And then her old memory is not here at all desu…”
“She has no memory? If what she has is amnesia, then that kind of thing is impossible.”
Akane-senpai interjected.
“No matter what kind of memory, human preserve them all in their deep psyche. They only completely forget the way to [access] the memory that they hadn’t used for a long time. In short people just forget the way to remember.”
That’s correct. Kazuki too, long before he became aware of his surroundings―the memory of the moment where he was abandoned at the orphanage, he once succeeded in miraculously remembering that memory. From that he remembered the face of his mother.
Knowledge and memory were two different things. In a lot of cases where people lost their memory, they could still properly talk their native language and possessed the fundamental information of common sense. They even remembered the way to drive a car.
It was just that people couldn’t access [the episode memory], like when they were able to walk, it was only that.
“It’s as if… her soul was substantially damaged desu.”
“You said that her old memory is not there, then does she have the very recent memory?”
“Her new memory is… how should I say it… all of it is acting buggy desu.”
“Buggy?”
“It’s like she cannot recognize her memory as memory… or like her memory is scattered everywhere as jumbled data that is impossible to read… or like every single component is not attached with meaning that can connect to another. It’s chaos desu. To pull this out forcibly… it seems impossible for me desu.”
So it was impossible even for Lotte’s magic skill. However, this little girl’s condition was…
“…Is her hippocampus damaged?”
When the part of brain that changed recognition into memory―[hippocampus] was damaged, the person’s condition would become something like what Lotte described.
When that kind of memory bug was created like that, it was supposed to be like Yumeno-san’s double personality.
“No… it looks like even now there is no damage or anything remaining in her desu. The really new memory of her meeting with us is normally accumulated in her brain, so right now she is normal desu. The majority of her mental territory is pure white desu but… a normal activity is being carried out only in the remaining part. It’s like her mind was messed up, then her mind is trying to reconstruct itself to adapt with that messed up condition… something like that desu.”
A human even with his right brain wholly broken, he would have the adaptation ability where the left brain could take over the role of the right brain simultaneously with its own role.
“This child, what in the world was done to her…?”
Yumeno-san’s heart was broken by abuse, but for this little girl to be subjected under a condition even crueler than that…
With nothing else that could be done, Lotte halted her Telepathy. The blue string vanished quickly.
The white little girl looked around restlessly because she didn’t understand the Japanese that they used to converse, but she once more murmured out {Name…}
{Someone call me… my name…} It was a voice that somehow made them feel the tenacity.
A mind that was messed up and barely reconstructed itself by connecting its remaining parts.
A name was the symbol of identity.
Perhaps for her reconstructed heart to seek a name was only something natural.
{Let’s give her name ourselves!}
Kaguya-senpai suggested. She talked in English so that it would also get conveyed to the girl.
The blue of the white girl’s eyes felt like it became a little deeper. And then with a half shout,
{Name! I want it!! My name!!!} She yelled in succession.
“We don’t know the circumstance of this child, but it looked like she met something cruel and got reborn right? Then we are this child’s new parents, I think we have to take care of her as a family! That’s why a name is necessary!”
Kaguya-senpai talked in Japanese again. Certainly it was just like she said.
Kazuki once again faced the little girl. It was as if a fire had been lit inside the girl, {Name! Name me!} she kept yelling. She was searching for something that would define her new self.
This child was not a tool for the sake of obtaining information. She was a living human.
Even in the case that she could recover her memory in the future, for her to go back to her family and country where she had lived until now… was most likely impossible. After all this child was found on a slave ship.
Moreover she had a mind where there were traces that she had been subjected under something unimaginably cruel.
They became involved with a little girl that had no place to go. Hereafter, they had to bear the responsibility of building up [relation] with this girl.
“But even if senpai told us to think of a name so suddenly…”
The white little girl stop calling repeatedly for name and stared at them fixedly with a serious gaze.
“Ah, I cannot act stupid in this kind of flow huh?” Kanon-senpai said.
“That’s obvious.” Akane-senpai hit Kanon-senpai’s head.
“Actually, I already have an idea!”
Kaguya-senpai raised her hand energetically. “Stella, how about a name like this I wonder?”
“Stella… I see, so it means star.” Liz Liza-sensei murmured.
That was an extremely fitting name for this girl.
“Isn’t that fine?”
When Kazuki answered, everyone also nodded to each other. There was no one that felt any out of place feeling of that name.
Most likely everyone held the same impression the moment they saw this little girl for the first time. Right in the middle of a reddish black blood-stained floor, the appearance of the pure white girl that curled her body into a small figure certainly looked like a single speck of a star.
{Stella.} Kaguya-senpai called out to the girl in English like that.
{Now your name, given from us, is Stella.}
Like a flash, a radiant smile rose to the surface of Stella’s white face.
{Stella! My name is… Stella!!}
Stella jumped at Kaguya-senpai with a force as if her small body just got launched.
The short Stella buried her face around the stomach of Kaguya-senpai.
{Fufufu… your name is Hayashizaki Stella you know―} She said that while boisterously petting Stella’s head.
‘She is in Hayashizaki house?’, a wry smile floated on Kazuki’s face a little.
{Maa―ma!}
“Otouto-kun, I’m a mama she said!”
Kaguya-senpai’s face reddened with a puff.
{Yooosh, you are Hayashizaki Stella! And then I’m Madam Hayashizaki Kaguya!!}
Kaguya-senpai hugged Stella and twirled round and round. {Merry go Round} Stella laughed brightly. So it came to Hayashizaki Kaguya… Of course he intended to have this bond continue for life but, for some reason his chest throbbed hard. But for her to call herself Madam when she became like that.
“In my case, it’s Hayashizaki Mio then.” “Hayashizaki Koyuki…” “Hayashizaki Hikaru huhh.”
The girls around them were making their name into Hayashizaki family altogether and ascertained how their names rang out.
“Hayashizaki Kazuha… hehehe, I have the feeling that my name rings out the best…”
Kazuha-senpai’s expression slackened into a broad grin.
“Hayashizaki Kanae… uh huh.” Kanae murmured with a quiet face.
‘No, your history as Hayashizaki had been a long time already right? This is not a moment for you to go uh-huh.’
This time Stella rushed to Kazuki and hugged at him with {Paa―pa!}
Hayashizaki Stella. …He had created a family beyond the harem.
“Ahaha, but calling yourself Madam Kaguya even though you haven’t even kissed yet is just somehow surreal isn’t it.”
Hikaru-senpai said that kind of thing again innocently and laughed.
“My goodness!”
Kaguya-senpai who was concerned about how she was inexperienced in kissing was hit by a shock and trembled.
“…Otouto-kun!” Kaguya-senpai kissed Kazuki’s cheek in an outburst of anger.
Rather than calling it a kiss, her lips was sucking 'muchuu―' with all her power as if it changed into a suction pad.
Stella was watching that with completely rounded eyes and asked them {Paapa and maama, love-love?}
'chubon' Kaguya-senpai stop her sucking and petted Stella’s head while saying {We are love-love see~}
Otonashi Kaguya―148
Stella was caught between Kazuki and Kaguya-senpai and she showed them a smiling face that was like a blooming flower.
It looked like she was happy from the bottom of her heart from how good the relationship between Kazuki and Kaguya-senpai.
What was with this hugging act of hers?
Perhaps she was instinctively wanting for [a stable relationship] from her state that was being an amnesiac person without a single relative. Perhaps she was feeling a [need for a hug] from her instinct as a child.
She had established her self with the name and obtained the feeling of safety from the [parent and child relationship] even though it was only a mock relationship.
Even if this was only something transient, she was instinctively seeking for the most primordial happiness called [family].
And then for Kazuki and the others too―Stella’s smiling face tickled their instinctual desire to protect. The smiling face of a little girl… was super cute. It was a smiling face that was impossible to not love.
Big and beautiful eyes, smoothly lengthening bridge of the nose, cheeks that puffed up when laughing.
“Oo―kay, okay, okay.” Kazuki too got carried away in the mood and patted his daughter’s head.
{Nn… Paapa’s hand feels really good! It makes me shiver somehow! Why?}
…Was it probably because he was always caressing girls?
{Stella-chan, your clothes are dirty, do you want to enter the bath together with mama?}
{Nn-} Stella obediently nodded. Kazuki even thought that ‘I also want to go together’.
“But if she enters the bath, what will we do about her clothes?”
Lotte raised her hand saying “Heree-“.
{Onee-san will lend you a change of clothes desu-}
Lotte acted like an older sister… Kazuki received a shock.
Part 3
With Stella as an addition, their voyage through the vast Pacific Ocean continued even now.
Akane-senpai finally halted the driving force of the ship and deployed the sail.
Even though the sail looked analog at a glance, but everything was controlled by computer. In their current position they could also acquire their position information through GPS so it didn’t mean that there were more special work they had to do.
“To intend to rule over the wind with just a single button. As expected of the Japanese, Japanese are unfair.”
Beatrix who had a reluctance against civilization made a complicated face.
Among the work that the [sailor] girl on duty had to do, [looking after Stella] was added.
Staring from distance the girls crowding around Stella while going “Cute, cute!”, Kazuki had the feeling that if he who was a man was the one that tried to do the same approaching towards Stella while going “Cute, cute!” it would be looked at a little different. Kazuki secretly agonized himself what he should do in his aim of wanting Stella’s skinship very much.
{Paapa!}But when it was Stella herself that found Kazuki’s figure, she would be the one that approached him without fail, so Kazuki reflexively hugged the girl tightly from her unfair cuteness.
“Kazu-nii… by any chance, do you also have that kind of feeling for a child around this age…?”
Mio asked him with an amazed face.
“There is no way I’m looking at Stella with that kind of eye. Even though you also got affectionate to Stella like a cat, why are you making an amazed face like that when I do the same thing?”
When Kazuki grindingly stroked his hand on the head of Stella that he hugged, {Paapa’s hand feels good―} she nuzzled back at him, it was so cute to the degree that he wanted to just eat her up. He wanted to lick her all over.
Stella also learned Japanese from Arthur. With the absorbing power of children, Stella gradually learned how to talk Japanese brokenly.
And then Stella’s sense that had almost no like or dislike had her eyes shine brightly from all the recreation facilities aboard the ship. She did a fighting game with Hikaru-senpai, appreciating anime with Lotte and Kamimura-san, and had fun learning language from Koyuki’s novel and Mio’s shoujo manga that they translated for her.
Before they realized it, she had became familiar among his companions as a little girl that should be loved.
Once, when Kazuki had heard that Kaguya-senpai and Stella were playing analogue games, and he went to Kaguya-senpai’s room, he heard the muffled crying voice of Stella.
Incidentally he also heard Kaguya-senpai’s voice in great panic saying “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“What’s wrong!?” Kazuki rushed into the room in a great haste.
“Paapa! Maama is unfair~!”
When he entered the room, Stella clung at Kazuki.
“I, I’m not unfair you know~-, it was still within the category of the rule…” Kaguya-senpai was in a troubled feeling.
One of Kaguya-senpai’s analogue game collection was spread out on top of the table.
Kazuki had played it before, so he could understand the war situation in general.
In regards to Stella’s forceful attack with brute force approach, Kaguya-senpai toyed around with her with an obscenely coordinated method, and while Stella didn’t understand anything, Kaguya-senpai shut her out completely. Kazuki was amazed.
“Kaguya-senpai, your way is just too nasty there… you should be a little, discrete or something, like be more adult in Stella’s eyes or something…”
She didn’t hold back any punch even against a child as her opponent.
“I, I planned to do that you know!? But when I noticed it already became like this, like it’s impolite to go easy on your opponent…”
“Kaguya-senpai is really stoic with a match after all.”
Since her childhood, Kaguya-senpai was raised by receiving education from her father to [become the strongest Magika Stigma even if you have to throw away everything else]. Rather than calling that an education, it was more like a suggestion that was imprinted into her.
At the bottom of Kaguya-senpai’s heart, her [obsession towards strength] hadn’t disappeared yet.
That was why, when she was in a match, even while playing, she tended to completely become [I absolutely mustn’t lose].
It was fine when she was against Kazuki, but it was not really mature when she did that with a little girl as her opponent.
“Uu…” Stella directed eyes that seemed to be a little scared at Kaguya-senpai.
Kazuki felt like he understood her feelings.
Kazuki too, when he was a little child, didn’t have any relative that was connected by blood around him. Because the adults around him were not his blood relatives, he couldn’t believe that he was being loved and felt anxious from even little things.
“It’s okay, Mama doesn’t hate Stella at all you know.”
“…Really?”
“It’s true. Mama is just a little bit a sadistic pervert so she just wanted to fight seriously even against an opponent that she loves, that’s all. She is not scary, see.”
“I think a pervert is scary…” Stella said out a staggeringly sound argument.
“I’m not a sadistic pervert at all…” Kaguya-senpai became teary eyed.
“Then let’s beat mama with papa and Stella’s cooperation play and cure mama from her perversion.”
“Ok-! I’ll cooperate with Paapa and lead Maama back to the path of a correct human!!”
Stella’s eyes brightened.
“I’m happy that she stopped crying but, it feels complicated somehow…”
Kaguya-senpai was turned into a common enemy for the sake of Stella’s mood, and she grumbled while setting back the game components, like the cards and everything else.
Part 4
“Soon our ship should be detected by America’s side.”
Inside their routine meeting place, Akane-senpai said that to everyone who gathered on the bridge.
Only Kanae was not here where she had the duty to be the lookout.
According to the GPS, the ship was going to finally reach the coastal waters of America.
“I think that perhaps America won’t have GPS, but exactly because of that, if they are a country with proper awareness of their country’s defense and so they will constantly conduct security surveillance.”
“So the sphere of America’s surveillance will depend on the height of their civilization then.”
The possibility was weak, but if an equal level of civilization still remained in America, then they should immediately notice this ship on the Pacific Ocean using GPS surveillance.
They should have noticed this ship at the point of time when this ship went out of Japan’s magic power cloud.
If they conducted surveillance using binoculars, then surely they would notice this ship at almost the same time with this side’s lookout noticing them.
In the case that they performed surveillance primitively only using naked eyes, then this side should be the one that would be able to find them first.
“I panicked when we encountered the ghost ship right in the middle of the Pacific Ocean because it was unexpected, but if we have come until this far then it wouldn’t be strange that we could make contact with America’s ships anytime. All members, make your preparation.”
Akane-senpai was extremely reliable when the situation was within her expectations.
“Everyone’s English has improved considerably but… we should rely on Arthur as the first voice of negotiation when we make contact.”
“My status is as a guest here but, is it fine?”
Arthur asked back, all present nodded and it was decided.
It was at that moment. Kanae rushed down from the lookout on the rooftop of the bridge.
“A shadow of a ship is visible. I think that perhaps this time it’s an American ship.”
The other ship also seemed to immediately approach to this side’s direction.
In other words they noticed each other. In the distance when they had approached where they could see with a naked eye―when they entered the <magic perception range>, both ships then would be able to aim at each other with attack magic.
“While we prepare defensive magic, we’ll count on Arthur to negotiate.”
“Understood.” Arthur climbed to the bridge’s rooftop to the lookout together with Kanae.
He directed his eyes to the window. Even Kazuki who had confidence is his eyesight reinforcement still couldn’t catch the sight of the other ship with his naked eye.
Finally they were going to begin making contact with an unknown country.
Might the other side also know about the matter regarding Stella…
“Nii-sama, they will soon get close until the distance where they will be visible with the naked eye!”
Kanae’s voice came from the rooftop. He passed through a tense time of waiting.
The outline of the ship was visible even to Kazuki’s eye. As far as they could see from the silhouette, it seemed that the other ship unexpectedly didn’t look like a sailing ship.
“Arthur! Take care of the first greeting!”
When Kazuki said that, the sonorous voice of Arthur shouted from the rooftop.
{O dear ship of America, we have come for the sake of tying a friendly diplomacy! Now, let’s sit together on the table of negotiation!!}
It was quite an elegant appeal. Would the other side give response for dialogue?
The ship’s outline began to emit blue magic power light.
“…I wonder if the other side is also making preparation for defensive magic.”
In the ship of Kazuki and co. too, his companions transformed into their Magic Dress figure one after another and began to chant their defensive magic.
Even Kazuki who was skilled at Foreseeing magic phenomenon was, as expected unable to clearly sense the magic power wave at this range.
“No, I think those are attack magic.” Shouko murmured.
“How do you know?”
“It’s an instinct that comes from real battle experience. I can’t read magic power wave so detailed like you but, I can somehow understand if there is enmity filling the magic power. A troop preparing to attack looks like that. …It’s coming y’all!”
Exactly at that timing she warned, attack magic came soaring from the ship’s outline to here.
Fire ball, electricity… and countless things that looked like bullets.
All of them were low level magic, but if those hit the ship then it would sink without a doubt.
“Is this the substitute of your response!?” Arthur raised an angry voice from the lookout.
“Burn to ash all that is touched… the scorching heat of denial without any place to go! Self Burning!”
“O rejection of absolute zero, become the armor of isolation that protect my body! Breeze Barrier!”
“O stream of atmosphere, converge in this body, become the storm that reject the hated person! The eye of the typhoon is exactly my throne! Storm Fort!”
“O piling up wisdom in human history, become an armor that protect my body in many layers! Heavily, thickly, reject all brutality! Seusenhofer!!”
“Cloud movement above the serpent, we who are the sky is the throne of the god. The oath of the country’s tutelary god is established in the steel of white cloud… the touted sword is, Ame no Murakumo! Armor of White CloudShirakumo no Yoroi!”
All the defense magic that their side had cast formed layers and protected the ship, repelling back the attack magic.
After they defended against the first wave, the attack stopped for a while. Surely this was the chanting time of the other side.
“It’s sea a battle now, you have any idea how to proceed from here!?”
Shouko asked Kazuki. In place of a reply, Kazuki gave instruction to Akane-senpai.
“Akane-senpai, please put out the full speed!!”
Akane-senpai ignited the engine and accelerated the ship. If the opponent was willing then this side also didn’t need to hide the power of civilization. They were going to approach closer for even a second faster. The ship shook fiercely.
“Everyone continue with defensive magic! As soon as the ship is adjacent, the same members like in the ghost ship will board the other ship!”
“So you ain’t intending to counterattack at all until we get closer like that!”
Shouko raised an unsatisfied voice.
“That’s obvious, we won’t sink the other ship! We’ll corner them to surrender with close quarter combat! This is a dialogue until the end!”
If they sank the ship and the crews became scattered on the sea, they wouldn’t be able to talk with them.
“You’ll only burden our side one-sidedly with the risk of sinking like that! …Just look, the second wave still ain’t coming yet. You know what this means?”
Just as Shouko pointed out, the attack from the other side had stopped. That meant…
“If they see us not attacking, that side is gonna give up defense and begin preparation of chanting high level magic that takes time instead. Those guys are used to fighting yeah.”
Next a fierce attack would come. If they couldn’t block that with defensive magic then this ship was finished.
Queen Kaguya accelerated in order for their ship to make contact for even an instant faster.
Outside the window, that ship’s silhouette was gradually looking bigger.
In order to attack this ship that was approaching them―attack magic with even larger scale than before surged at this direction from the other ship. It was a situation completely like the Titanic that crashed into an iceberg.
“Self Burning!” “Freeze Barrier!” “Storm Fort!” “Seusenhofer!” “Shirakumo no Yoroi!”
They also expanded several layers of defensive magic again. …Could they block with this…!?
“We who look down from the sky are the fatherly mastershifu, Yin Yang five elements combine in we, the god’s soldier building up the seat of honor of ten calendar signs please pile up the divine protection of six carapace… Six Shell FormationRokkojin!”
Shouko, who until just before was spouting out abusive language, invoked her magic.
Taikoubou’s avatar emerged out and light that was like divine aid poured down on Queen Kaguya from the sky. Thereupon the force of the surrounding defensive magic increased. The flame wall and the tornado towered as if reaching the sky, the protection of cold together with the white cloud armor increased in thickness, the black luster of armor had its density heightened tightly.
It was a magic that amplified defensive magic. A rare kind of magic…
The second wave of attack magic with increased force was defended by the reinforced defensive magic.
The ships finally came close to each other.
The other ship was unexpectedly a modern ship of gray steel.
…Was America not throwing away their civilization?
Perhaps he should even call it a small type military patrol boat. Its appearance was in between that of a large type boat or a small type battleship.
They could confirm that military force was deployed on the ship’s spacious deck.
Akane-senpai took the helm of Queen Kaguya. While Queen Kaguya evaded from collision, it accelerated and passed beside the other ship.
“We are boarding it!” Kazuki gave the order the moment the ships passed each other, they all leaped at the other side altogether from the window.
'GATSUN!' The sensation of steel floor reverberated on Kazuki’s sole.
At the same time black shadows assaulted him simultaneously from four directions. Fast.
He instantly made his judgment. The approaching attacks were slashes from edged tool.
Kazuki drove back the many piles of the slashing line and took some distance.
After taking some distance, the figure of the attacker came into his sight―he focused his eyes.
Most likely they were supposed to be American people. But he couldn’t make sure of that just by looking at them with one glance.
What was in front of his eyes were mechanized soldiercyborg with their whole body protected by armor of steel.
“What the hell is this!?’ Kazuki thought, but there was no time to get shocked.
The opponents were observing Kazuki with their gaze through the visor that covered the majority of their face. He could only slightly peek at their white skin at their mouth. Other than that there was no part of their skin that was exposed at all, even the joint parts were complicatedly entangled by metal that shined silver. They had a smooth streamlined silhouette.
Perhaps it was even something like a <strengthening exoskeleton> that often came out in SF anime or manga.
Blue blade was stretching out from their right arm―those blades were vibrating 'BUUUUUN!'
High Frequency Blade!?
An uncomfortable feeling. He didn’t understand what was the meaning of it. There was no meaning in this kind of weapon.
Kazuki’s companions that boarded this ship one after another together with him were also perplexed with their eyes turning round.
Their feeling was like an explorer that discovered a rare animal on an unknown island.
'BUSHUU―!' Smoke came out from the cyborgs’s body… they are coming !
Their strengthening exoskeleton was not a mere armor. The electrically operated actuator inside the exoskeleton converted electricity into movement energy and it was transmitted to the movements of the four limbs―in other words it was [reinforcement].
The opponents came slashing at them with terrific speed.
With their momentum as it was they swung down the HF blade lengthening out from the gauntlet of their right arm. That blade had its friction and heat quantity magnified due to the vibration. It was not hard to imagine that the blade hid a cutting and heat ability that should be feared.
They had an unknown nature, but it was not worth fearing when he Foresighted their movement.
Kazuki composedly parried a single attack and slashed back in counterattack.
'BACHIN!' Along with recoil of a strong defensive magic power, the body that was overflowing with the heaviness of the cyborg was blown away to the back. The cyborg was endowed with defensive magic power.
That should be something impossible.
In addition that strengthening exoskeleton the opponent wore was covered by blue Enchant Aura that reinforced their body. On top of being reinforced by machine, the cyborg was further reinforced by magic power.
This was the source of his uncomfortable feeling. Magic power that was human’s mental energy was an energy that was exhibited by one’s own consciousness, which meant that it couldn’t be endowed to anything other than <human strength>.
He had seen before cavalries that endowed even their beloved horses with magic power by heightening their horse riding technique until they reached the extreme territory of unity of rider and horse but…
To do something like spreading through Enchant Aura into the power assist due to electrical booster device and a blade that vibrated at high frequency, that was something that couldn’t be imagined using common sense.
That was exactly why modern weapons should have disappeared from the battlefield.
Beatrix also blew back the opponent that assaulted her and then she murmured to Kazuki.
“A single attack from them is fast and heavy. But these guys’ sword technique is amateur. I don’t know what kind of trick they are using but… there is no way we will lose to this bunch. It would be a warrior’s disgrace.”
Improvised soldiers born by means of power assist.
Standardized strength that could be mass produced in a really short time.
They were existences that were the antithesis of an Ikkitousen warrior.
Wasn’t this age of magic the age of heroes?
The force of Kazuki and co. that had aboard the ship consisted of ten names that were skilled in hand to hand combat. And the number of cybrogs in front of their eyes were double their number, twenty cyborgs in total.
The opponents were also taking a formation that was similar with Heaven and Earth Formation, there was the indication that Magika Stigmas were performing chanting inside the ship.
“Beatrix, we two are going to break through these guys and aim for the Magika Stigmas inside. Let’s bet our pride as warriors.”
“…Right!”
When Kazuki whispered back to Beatrix, her cheeks reddened with a puff and a heart mark flew from her.
So this girl had her heart flutter in this kind of situation. …But certainly this was a situation that made a person’s heart dance.
“Thunder fall on my body, obtaining lightning thought and god speed… wake up the sleeping lion! Ride Lightning!”
“O divine protection of military man, whirl in my body and double the divine powerMegin! The will of god that urge to unlimited battle, in this body! …Meginjord!!”
Kazuki and Beatrix stood shoulder to shoulder and went out in offense. They had left behind their companions that were bad in close quarter combat back on the ship, so they were able to rampage as they pleased without having any awareness to protect anyone.
The cyborg soldiers stood in their way in order to protect the Magika Stigmas inside.
Their speed and power from the assistance of their device were led around by the nose by Kazuki who Foresighted them. While Beatrix overwhelmed the cyborgs right from the front using Thor’s reinforcement magic.
Both of them beated and knocked down the opponent in front of them with a single blow and broke through the opponent’s formation. The other cyborg soldiers tried to stop Kazuki and Beatrix, but Kanae and Arthur obstructed them from both sides.
The path before Kazuki and Beatrix was clear.
Inside the long and narrow ship, the enemy Magika Stigmas were chanting magic. Before Kazuki and Beatrix could be allowed to approach them, the magics that they chanted were invoked earlier.
Against the approaching magic, Kazuki by Foresighting the magic power, and Beatrix with her reinforced reflexes evaded them and ran to the inside.
There were five Magika Stigmas that were chanting magic, being protected by the cyborg soldiers.
That meant that there was a unit of 25 people in total here. And there Kazuki and co., ten people boarded the ship and the situation turned into an unfolding battle aboard the ship that couldn’t be called as wide.
Two people among the five enemy Magika Stigmas intercepted Kazuki and Beatrix as if to proclaim that they could also fight in close quarter combat. It was as if they were forming back Heaven and Earth Formation with five people.
The two who came intercepting were wearing strange Magic Dresses that didn’t lose to or was inferior to the cyborg soldiers on their bodies.
One was a black girl with a toned body build like a warrior. She gave an impression like a black panther that leaped toward their prey with her gallant and handsome features. Her body was wearing Magic Dress that looked like bikini with red-white-blue color scheme and gloves on both her hands―saying it in a single word, she was like a <boxer>.
The other one was a white girl with an expression as if it was made from ice somewhere. Sharp looking eyes and quirky blond hair could be peeked at through her cowboy hat and scarf, both her hands were holding silver handguns, and a figure that was almost naked was exposed from her long coat Magic Dress―she was like a <gunman> that came out from an old western film genre.
…What’s with these girls!?
But what he could say without mistake was… that these girls were American people!
They were through and through, from their whole aspect, no matter where he saw them from, from the crown of their head until the tips of their toes, they had the feel of American people! It was as if they were taken blatantly from inside a skit!
The black boxer girl yelled. She yelled in English that even Kazuki could follow.
{Jeremy and I are each going to take one of these two! Ginny will cover us, the rest of you all will aim for the ship to hold them in check!!}
Following that instruction, the five Magika Stigmas moved.
The boxer girl headed at Kazuki and the gunman girl headed to Beatrix. The two Magika Stigmas at the back dispersed deeper inside to get away from Kazuki and Beatrix and directed the brunt of their magic power to the ship. The last one whirled a large magic power and entered her chanting of some kind of powerful magic of support type.
{Shih-} The boxer girl struck at Kazuki.
It was a sharp straight left jab. Because the jab came flying in a straight line, its movement was hard to catch and it looked excessively fast. Kazuki didn’t rely on his eye and read the destination of the magic power flow to evade.
{!?} It seemed she didn’t think that her jab would be evaded, the boxer girl had her eyes widen in surprise while swinging her right fist at him. But her agitation was expressed in her movement.
Kazuki easily evaded and slashed with Ame no Murakumo.
But at that moment, the boxer girl showed that she was not a mere fist fighter but a <magic fist fighter>.
{Attack like the wind, uncatchable like the smoke, fluctuation is exactly the height of rule! … Battle God of SmokeSmoke Work!}
The black boxer’s body vanished as if it dispersed into Origin ParticlePrima Materia.
She disappeared. Kazuki’s slash cut empty air.
“!?” This time it was Kazuki that was surprised from having his attack evaded.
The next instant, he received an impact to his face.
Most likely it was a left jab. And then in barely no time at all he was hit consecutively by a right straight with a flash like speed.
Kazuki staggered from the recoil of his defensive magic power. It was just a blow, but it was heavier compared to a slash.
The figure of his opponent vanished―he could only sense the presence of her magic power flowing like a smoke.
Was her fist the only thing materializing when she struck him?
The attack from him passed through her, but her attack hit him completely.
He could feel his opponent’s magic power creeping up at him accompanied by a presence of killing intent.
Even without seeing it, if he could sense the flow of magic power than it was enough for Kazuki.
Kazuki dodged the unseen punch with a sway of his body.
{!?} The invincible boxer let out a surprised indication from his evasion.
“The wings flapped, what is scattered is spark. Trail behind the spiraling wind, become the bullet that pierces life! Flap and shoot out! Barrett!!”
Physical attack hit only empty air, but he wondered how a flame bullet would fare.
When Kazuki shot out a level 1 magic, the invincible boxer’s presence showed that she easily dodged it. This girl was different than the cyborg soldiers! She possessed an excellent skill on the level that could evade if it was a simple attack magic, that came from piling up training!
But the fact that she evaded meant that even though she had turned into a smoke of magic power she still could be hit by attack magic.
Kazuki reflexively let out a smile. She was an interesting opponent. He wanted to fight her one-on-one slowly.
But he couldn’t do that.
{Rhythm give ardor to fighting spirit, singing voice light courage, melody is changed into the brilliance of blade… bring the stage of victory into our battlefield! Song of Promised VictoryFight Song?}
The Magika Stigma that chanted support magic from the depth of the ship invoked that magic.
―That girl also had a staggering appearance. The white girl with glamorous blond hair wore a Magic Dress in the form of a costume with stars and stripes pattern decorated with glittering spangles―her appearance was exactly like that of an [idol].
It made him wanted to doubt whether what she wore was really a Magic Dress.
Guitar and mike were created in her hands, the idol girl suddenly started to sing.
While strumming her guitar, her singing voice echoed loudly through the battlefield.
{~?} The singing voice in English had an upbeat tempo, Kazuki couldn’t make out the lyrics of the song.
Instantly the movement of all enemy troops on the battlefield accelerated and their power amplified.
The cyborg soldiers that were located at a more distant location and also the boxer in front of his eyes, all were affected.
All member support magic. It was a magic that could possibly change the war situation in a big way. It would be bad if that song was not stopped…
“O undying bird that soar from dusk to dawn, please grant that wing of hope on my back! The destruction for the sake of rebirth right here…! Blazing Wings!!”
While Kazuki was evading the unseen boxer’s prickling jabs, he invoked a large scale attack magic. Wings of flame spread out largely on Kazuki’s back and he directed it to the presence of the boxer’s magic power, Kazuki rotated his body and wing in order to swallow that presence.
An approaching curtain of flame. It was a large scale attack magic that couldn’t be avoided and gave no room to escape.
But the boxer girl also chanted her magic.
{My daring knows no retreat and become a storm in the ring! Awaken the infinite great power… Carnage Tornado Whirlwind FistDempsey Hurricane??}
She invoked that just before the curtain of flame approached, a fierce wind burst forth in the surroundings of the girl’s presence.
Something rotated fiercely and disturbed the air.
Kazuki sensed from the magic power what the girl was doing―she was giving rise to a fierce wind by doing boxing’s characteristic upper body rotation movement, <weaving> while further swinging around both her hands 'bun bun'.
From the rotation of her upper body and both arms, she became a three pronged tornado and just like that she plunged into the curtain of flame.
―The wind had the power to blow away the flame.
The wind that rotated at high speed stirred the flame. The flame got enfolded and scattered away everywhere before disappearing.
Like that the girl slipped into the flame curtain. The Blazing Wings―were breached.
The boxer girl went through the flame curtain and leaped into Kazuki’s bosom.
{I got you!! Double Hurricane Cockscrew!!}
The boxer girl raised a satisfied voice while thrusting forward both her arms that were conceived with tornado at Kazuki.
Such development could be predicted beforehand.
“Zekorbeni!!”
Kazuki created a small Magic Dress of pendant shape on his neck and strongly thought of his bond with Mio.
Kazuki’s body was enveloped in dress of flame. At the same time he poured magic power into [the circuit of positivity level] and pulled out Phoenix’s power directly.
Instant chanting―because the boxer girl had just invoked a large scale attack magic she became completely careless and leapt at him with her movement already entering an attack motion.
Because he had already lured her enough, he invoked Zekorbeni. It was a timing where dodging was impossible.
“O bird of paradise where the light of heaven reside in that body, respond to my accusation and burn to ash the sins on the earth! Israel Judgment!!”
{Wh, WHAT!? How can that kind of magic, this fast…!?}
If she was taken completely by surprise, than she wouldn’t be able to even use Resist.
The avatar of Phoenix emerged, a light that was as if the sun itself was compressed was fired in a straight line. It was a magic that would have its power decreased in proportion depending on the distance because it was light, but if one got hit from zero distance it would have a power outside the norm.
The boxer girl who was greeted by flying fire as if she was the one who jumped into it herself was blown away to the sea while her form was made to materialized.
{What happened!?}
Splash! The sound of someone falling into the sea could be heard. But for a possessor of magic power and physical ability of that level, she would surely able to climb up the ship again soon.
Kazuki immediately stopped pouring magic power into Crest of SolomonZekorbeni and vanished the flame dress. He must not display more power than what was necessary towards an opponent with unknown power.
And then when he was going to hurry to head towards the idol who was singing the song of reinforcement magic, he paid attention to how Beatrix was doing with a glance.
{No people that can escape against the law of the wilds… Dancer of Throwing RopeRoping & Jitterbug?}
“Nuwaa―!!”
The gunman girl with a bad look in her eyes threw a rope that was permeated by magic power and bound Beatrix hands and feet. When the rope was pulled tightly, Beatrix rotated like a spinning top.
It was as if a cowboy was controlling a ferocious bull with a rope.
What in the world was she doing! Was the opponent really that powerful!?
The gunman girl directed a sharp look at Kazuki.
{I won’t let you go… shoot fate to death, magic bullet of black death! Death Flying StarGhost Snipe!}
She turned the two silver handguns in her hands at him and pulled the triggers in succession.
A total of seven bullets were fired―all of those bullets were enchanted with magic power.
The bullets vanished in the middle of its firing line.
Right after that―vortexes of magic power were created at Kazuki’s surroundings and the bullets came flying, tearing apart the space.
Bullets that warped and came attacking from all directions―'gin gin!' Kazuki repelled the bullets with Ame no Murakumo and his body dodged.
{My bullets were blocked…!?}
‘I see’, Kazuki understood the situation. Beatrix who was the type that blocked attacks using her reflex had bad compatibility with this attack.
“Barrett!”
Kazuki shot back at the gunman with Phoenix’s level 1 magic.
{Shoot down all shots… Reaction FiringQuick Aegis!}
With a speed that far surpassed human’s reflex speed, the gunman shot back with her guns.
Defensive magic―it was not the girl’s own reflex but a creation of [interception’s cause and effect] from the magic, it created the result of his Barrett getting shot by her gun. The bullet that was fired magically surpassed the speed of sound, collided with Barrett without any deviation, and it annihilated Barrett’s magic power.
All of her chanting was fast like a quick draw gunman.
But it was enough to just make her awareness directed to him for only an instant.
Beatrix had already escaped from the rope with brute strength “Fun-!” and approached the gunman’s back. The large sword of the Einherjar swung down without letting escape the good chance, making the gunman went ‘hah’ in realization and turn back.
{Something like your sword or whatever is useless no matter what you do… O cloud of iron dust, curse and become the blessing that wrap my body… Cloak of WastelandDesperado!}
Cloud of sand sprang forth around the gunman. The sand cloud was whirling while gluing closely to the girl’s body and the iron content that was strangely included in it solidified, forming a black coat.
“The same method to defend won’t work the second time against the Einherjar! …O the god of Asgard Thor! Delight in my sword dance and let your roar resound! Entrust the thunder of sky into this sword, already even the exchange of attack is not allowed, consign to oblivion!! Fjorgyn Megin!!!!”
His catchphrase was copied…!
Lightning fell onto Beatrix’s raised sword and the sword that was wrapped by lightning was swung down as it was,
“It’s difficult for a blade to affect that coat, but electricity will go through that really well!!”
Blue sparks scattered on the body of the gunman who was protected by black clothing. It was the light of defensive magic power that resisted the rushing about electricity. “Guh.” The girl leaked out her voice and stepped back.
Looks like Beatrix was fine.
Kazuki turned to the idol wind magician that continued to sing the troublesome song in this battlefield and rushed at her.
His eyes met the gaze of the idol girl. She further invoked another magic while she was singing. She chanted not using her mouth but by telepathy towards Astrum so it was something possible.
It was high level attack magic. The idol girl was convinced that her attack magic would be invoked faster than Kazuki’s attack and she grinned broadly.
Certainly he wouldn’t make it in time. But Kazuki kept running without trying to defend or dodge and raised Ame no Murakumo. …That was because he had noticed the magic power surge that happened quite far behind.
“Dashinben!”
While Shouko who according to her personal statement was bad in hand to hand combat was performing opposition to the cyborg soldiers, she kept watching over the battle state of this side and she invoked that magic at a perfect timing.
A stick of plain wood that fiercely disturbed magic power. If that got swung down on empty air, it could emit wave that obstructed the chanting of all Magika Stigmas in the surrounding.
'DOON!' Even though there was no such sound but along with such a sensation echoing inside her head, the idol girl groaned “Uu-!?”. A moment of delay was created in the chanting that was almost completed, Kazuki stepped close to her.
“Haa!”
A flash of a diagonal slash along with his fighting spirit, and then a second strike further with the returning blade, he had no worry of anyone becoming a hindrance so he continued to give pursuing attack with large swings. He hacked to pieces the idol girl who seemed to have weak skill in fighting at the front lines.
Kazuki directed his gaze at Arthur’s direction. ‘Please’, he informed with his eyes.
Arthur also sensed the balance of the battle and nodded in understanding at his gaze’s meaning.
{This battle is decided already! We are not coming to fight, sheath your weapons!!}
Arthur who had the role of negotiating yelled in English.
The gazes of the enemies gathered altogether at the collapsed idol girl in front of Kazuki.
It seemed that this idol was the one with the highest position among them.
The idol girl replied with a tense and awe inspiring look.
{Visitors from other country! We the, Americans have adopted isolationism! We will intercept any who come from the outside, no matter who it is!!}
As expected they were really American.
“Arthur! What is the meaning of [isolationism]!?”
Not understanding the word that was too technical, Kazuki asked to Arthur in a large voice using Japanese language.
Arthur too replied back to Kazuki using Japanese language with a loud voice. “It means isolation doctrine!!”
At that time, the momentum of the enemy shook.
{ { { {Ja, Japanese!?} } } }
{Time, time, tiiimee!! Wait, waitt―!!}
The idol girl swung around both her hands up and down. But this side had already stopped attacking since a while ago.
The cyborg soldiers gathered around the idol girl in great panic and they began to discuss something in whispers as if in a huddle.
Kazuki was taken aback by the sudden human reaction that they showed.
{Who’d have thought that they are Japanese…} {They were talking in English so I thought that they might be British…} {Britain is no good, but Japan is fine, this is fantastic.} {No wonder I thought that their skins are yellow…} {But this is the first time I have seen the yellow monkey…} {Oi, stop it with the improper calling.}
At that moment from the edge of the ship, the boxer girl that Kazuki had thrown into the sea just before climbed up onto the deck. Looking at the battle that was halted, her eyes turned circle while saying {What happen?} and she got added into her comrades huddle. Only the gunman girl was outside the circle alone waiting for the conclusion of the discussion to come out.
{Yes, ohh~, yes!}
The idol girl yelled. It seemed that something like a conclusion had been decided.
The huddle was dissolved and the idol girl went a step forward to Arthur’s direction. She took a glance at Kazuki, and after hesitating which one was the representative, she talked in Japanese.
“Please forgive the sudden rudeness. We misunderstood that all of your are envoys from British because you negotiated using English. We are adopting isolation doctrine, but only Japan is the exception. We had been anticipating contact from Japan. Even now our heart is burning with the soul of Japan-America alliance. Once again, we welcome the arrival of all of you from the bottom of our heart. Welcome, to the USA!”
The cyborg soldiers raised their fist all at once and yelled “USA!” “USA!” repeatedly.
Kazuki and the others became even more dumbfounded.
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