Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Legend of Sword

Part 1

Feeling a mysterious warmth, Kazuki opened his eyes. It feels like he was being embraced completely by someone…he felt a sweet scent and humidity.

When he opened his eyes, there was the sleeping face of Koyuki in front of his eyes.

(This was…that Hiakari-san was hugging me while half asleep!?)

Kazuki fell into a light panic. However if he moved unskillfully he would wake her up. The outside of the window was still dark. Kazuki’s morning was early because of his habit as a swordsman to practice.

Suddenly the rabbit plush doll that was placed on top of the bed in Koyuki’s room crossed his mind. The girl might have completely mistook Kazuki as her plush doll.

“…zu, ki…”

In front of him, the girl’s lips moved slightly. Was she calling his name just now?

Koyuki was circling her hands around Kazuki’s neck, even now the distance between their lips were in almost touching range. Both of her legs were touching Kazuki’s body, she used her whole body in her embrace.

Across the thin pajamas, the undulation of Koyuki’s body and the sense of touch, everything was transmitted to him.

Kazuki’s right arm was thrust inside the triangle that was drawn from Koyuki’s thighs and nether region, there was a squishy feeling of ‘punipuni’ in his palm.

He noticed that his hand was in contact with a place that he really should not come in contact with.

He never even imagined that she would do this kind of thing. Just as he thought, she might be really lonely somewhere in her heart living in isolation.

Kazuki felt the incredible loveliness of this girl who fawned on him unconsciously, his left hand that was not being embraced moved and stroked her head.

The silver hair that was cut short felt silky in his hand each time he stroke her hairs apart, it felt very good.

“Nn…” With the small voice she leaked out, a smile floated on Koyuki’s face filled with relief.

Her white cheeks were soft and full with her smile, this time he poked those cheeks with his finger. The sleeping Koyuki was nuzzling her cheek against the poking finger. Somehow she looked so cute.

Next Kazuki pushed her nose. The girl’s noble face was warped slightly along with a strange “funya” voice that she leaked out. This girl was also really cute when she was this defenseless.

A heart mark flew out from her chest. She might have felt something about Kazuki inside her subconsciousness. Then her sleep talk before, just as he thought, perhaps she was calling his name.

When Kazuki’s finger was drifting around wondering about where he was going to poke next, Koyuki’s face that was supposed to be sleeping was reacting mysteriously, ‘paku’ in a snap the tip of the finger was held inside her lips.

While Kazuki was startled somewhere else, Koyuki sucked out ‘chuu’ Kazuki’s index finger just like a child who was sucking a pacifier.

(Uwaa…Hiakari-san’s lips, so soft…)

Feeling fretful because there was nothing coming out from Kazuki’s fingertip, Koyuki started to lick Kazuki’s fingertip.

The tip of her tongue made out watery sounds ‘kuchukuchu’. It was strangely lewd somehow….

There, Koyuki’s eyes opened.

“Kajuki?” She whispered in a half asleep voice. Her mouth was gaping open absentmindedly and the finger that was covered in her saliva was dropped from her mouth.

She started to comprehend the situation little by little, then in the blink of an eye her expression was colored with shock and shame.

However when she noticed that the ones that embraced Kazuki strongly were her own arms and legs, she could express neither her complaint nor her disparagement, only tremble in silence. She turned her back and shrank in embarrassment.

“I saw a strange dream and clung to you like that. ...Forgive me.”

What kind of dream did she see? In any case, this wasn't something she needed to apologize for.

“Liar, like this…I only did embarrassing things since yesterday…”

“That’s not true Hiakari-san…rather if I had to say, you were really cute so it’s fine.”

Kazuki said so with the intention to follow up, but with a tiny voice the girl was,

“…I don’t understand what you see from me that's fine or cute, Idiot.” She whispered.

After a while, Lotte also opened her eyes. Kazuki had long-waited for that.

Kazuki spoke his mind frankly to Lotte who was coming back from washing her face in the washroom.

“Lotte, can you teach me Telepathy magic?”

Kazuki recalled Kaguya-senpai’s scent in his mind. His yearning feeling for senpai urged a determination from Kazuki for the whole time since last night. …He had to win against Kaguya-senpai.

Lotte blinked her eyes in surprise toward Kazuki’s words.

“You could reduce the hallucination of agony by using Telepathy magic to enter a Trance right?”

Senpai used a magic that assigned her opponent a hallucination of agony.

When he saw senpai fight for the first time, he couldn’t do a thing. That magic was something he absolutely needed a countermeasure for.

“Yes. I never expected that kind of magic before, so my mind was consumed and thrown out of order completely into a wreck, but―if beforehand I could enter a state of Trance and [resolve] myself, I should be able to endure to a certain degree desu.”

Resolve…if it’s resolve, he has it.

Trance was a state where he controlled every nook and corner of his mind, including the subconscious area. A mental magic skill where [one's self] was completely in control of one’s own emotions and senses.

“Lotte, I ask you to consent to something unreasonable. I want to Trace Lotte’s method of Trance. For that I want you to remove your wall of heart for me.”

Hoshikaze-senpai had once before aligned her mind with Kazuki and Traced the way Kazuki’s body moved, with that she learned the kata of Kazuki’s sword style. That great efficiency was something one should be surprised at.

Lotte learned Japanese language by aligning her mind with the surrounding humans’ minds and Traced their emotion and the interrelation of their vocal chords’ movements. The time that she spent to learn the Japanese language was a mere period of three days.

Kazuki thought that he could learn the technique to manipulate his sense of pain with the state of Trance by aligning his mind with Lotte, in the same way Lotte learned language.

But it was difficult to Trace the depth of the mind. Because if his mind trespassed the Mind Hackbottom of the mind of other people, he would be repelled by the defense mechanism called <Wall of the Heart>.

Thus, Kazuki proposed for Lotte to remove the wall of her heart beforehand and let him Trace her completely defenseless mind.

…Normally that was a request that absolutely couldn’t be asked. For the wall of the heart to be removed, it was an action of nothing less than surrendering every nook and cranny of her own heart to other people.

Every secret of her heart would be exposed, there was even the risk of her will being hypnotized by the other party.

Even so, for the sake of victory against Kaguya-senpai, that was an absolutely needed step.

If for example he requested this from Mio, she would reject him for sure in embarrassment of getting all her shame exposed to Kazuki. That was not a problem of the high and low of the positivity level, but a problem of personality. However if it was Lotte―

“I don’t mind at all. Because I don’t have any feelings that I want to hide from Onii-san, none at all desu.”

She said so quite indifferently as though that request had nothing to do with her.

“But, if we are going to do it then let’s do it where no one can bother us.”

Lotte smiled in mischief and she pulled Kazuki inside the toilet.

“We are going to do it in this kind of place?”

Kazuki, who was the one that asked for it in the first place was bewildered.

“Kazuki-oniisan, please sit down there.”

Lotte brought down the cover of the toilet seat as she was talking and sat Kazuki there. Then she sat on top of Kazuki’s knees with her legs out to the side, only her head was facing toward Kazuki. Both their eyes drew near each other.

“By all means, go on.” Lotte closed her eyes and readily cleared her wall of the heart.

“Thank you, Lotte.”

Kazuki also closed his eyes, he poured all his concentration to synchronize with Lotte’s heart.

Several blue strings of magical light were extending from Kazuki. They enveloped Lotte completely.

Kazuki perceived all the ripples that were produced from Lotte’s heart.

{Well then, how I use the Telepathy, I’ll show Onii-san the way I control my mind, please perceive it.}

Lotte’s heart informed him so. At the same time countless idle thoughts outside of the control method also rose out in her heart.

{I like Kazuki-oniisan} {I believe you so there is no problem} {I’m so happy that Kazuki-oniisan is entering me} {Feel me more} {Only now I can monopolize Kazuki-oniisan} {This is something that Mio-oneesan cannot do} {I love you}

Lotte’s each and every thought poured into Kazuki like fierce surging waves.

Lotte’s positivity level was 106. But all these thoughts were the real contents of that number.

Her good will spontaneously grew, at the same time the heart mark that symbolizes the increase of positivity level also flew over.

{Thank you Lotte}

Kazuki accepted every one of those thoughts and conveyed his gratitude.

This was a training method that absolutely couldn’t come into existence without a partner like Lotte. He felt Lotte’s heart and Traced all the performance of Lotte’s mind’s movements.

―A little after an hour passed, Kazuki could somehow get the hang of the trick.

When the Telepathy was over, Lotte laughed “ehehe” and came flying, hugging Kazuki tightly.

“Let’s try it in practice. Please cancel Onii-san’s defensive magic power desu.”

Kazuki strongly thought of nonresistance, then his defensive magic power was cancelled.

Lotte pulled Kazuki’s cheek strongly. Sense of pain was primarily the work of the subconscious mind. But he seized it with the Trance and controlled it.

The pain was softly abating like being enveloped in silk floss.

He still couldn’t shut out the pain completely. However he had to reach the level where he could shut out the brutal agony of Kaguya-senpai’s magic and persevere through it.

“If Onii-san couldn’t deal with unexpected and sudden pain, than all this would also be in vain desu.”

When Lotte said that, she suddenly drew near Kazuki’s face and bit Kazuki’s ear in a snap.

Kazuki could even deal with that kind of sudden movement and quickly the pain was abating. Finally the pain vanished and what was left was only the sensation of Lotte’s mouth caressing his earlobe. Rather her mouth felt pleasant.

“Thank you Lotte.”

Kazuki hugged Lotte who was biting his earlobe like she was fawning at him.

“Right now I can sense Onii-san’s feelings, this is somehow enjoyable desu.”

“…How dare you pull my cheek and bite my ear huh.”

With a joking tone, Kazuki pinched Lotte’s cheek that felt like touching a smooth silk.

“Plese don’t pull my cheek~. Ehehe, Onii-san is not going to bite my ear desu?”

Lotte was happily coming to pursue a skinship with Kazuki.

Part 2

“Oi Mio, wake up already. Kohaku is going to come after this you know?”

With her twintails untied slovenly when she slept, the slightly amorous Mio was “Nn…I can't wake up if there is no kiss from the prince….”, then she stuck out her shapely lips.

Her way of thinking was on the same level as Kanae….

“You, you just want to say that and are only pretending to be asleep aren’t you…”

It was not like what she asked was something Kazuki disliked, rather he was tempted to just kiss her for real, but he became aware of Koyuki’s chilly gaze so he shook Mio’s shoulder with more strength.

―It was 7 o’clock in the morning.

Kohaku showed her face at this time when the SHR would be started soon. She came here a few times a day to pass Kazuki and the others food and the like.

But this time she was a bit late.

“From today onward, it’s fine to go out from this room limited inside the grounds of the Sword Division as long as someone accompanies you.”

Suddenly Kohaku informed them of the change in the situation.

“Why is that? Isn’t it bad if Kanae and the others from the Sword Division student council found out our whereabouts?”

“The Sword Division student council that Kazuki knows doesn‘t exist anymore.”

“What did you say? Did something happen to Kanae?”

“Kanae-dono judged this one one-sidedly and came to attack and was defeated. The school tradition of the Sword Division is based on real strength doctrine, even more compared to the Magic Division. Because of that, the moment the student council president is defeated by someone, she would lose all credibility.”

“Then Kohaku won against Kanae!?”

Kazuki was struck with admiration from the bottom of his heart.

“Although you have seven Sacred Treasures, to properly win against that girl…”

“You have said enough. This one heard before that when Kazuki and Kanae crossed swords, Kazuki was the stronger one.”

Certainly he had more wins than losses with the score of 139 victories and 118 defeats. However those were not real battles.

“Because Kanae’s disposition is to fight using her instinct, she cannot make a serious effort in a contest of strength that was half playing around. If she gets really serious, in just swordsmanship she is much, much stronger than me. …I see, so you really won nicely against her.”

Kazuki displayed his heartfelt admiration, but Kohaku’s expression didn’t brighten at all.

“…Anyway this one is taking over the authority of the student council president, Kanae-dono and the others were suspended from school and underwent their penitence in their own rooms because of their crime in assaulting other students. At the same time, the Magic Division is forbidden from entering the Sword Division, all the students will enter states of high alert after school. In other words our preparations are in good order. The next time the Magic Division would appear in this ground is the moment when they come to attack right from the front in order to seriously recapture Kazuki and Lotte.”

Kaguya-senpai and the others will come to attack the Sword Division…that was the situation that he wanted to avoid the most.

“Kohaku, I have said this many times, but the Magic Division and the Sword Division shouldn’t antagonize each other. To prepare for bigger threats, the Swordsmen and the Magica Stigma have to join their strength. This is not the time to squabble with each other. Even though you won against Kanae with the use of Sacred Treasures, opponents that you wouldn’t be able to defeat without the cooperation of the Magic Division will surely appear in the future.”

This was an argument that he kept repeating each time Kohaku came to the room until now. If she wouldn’t lend her ear this time then―Kazuki intended to use all his strength to escape from this room.

He couldn’t just sit around and wait anymore.

Despite laughing off Kazuki’s argument with full confidence until now, for some reason this time Kohaku was looking down with doubt residing inside her eyes.

“…This one really doesn’t understand why Kazuki is always advocating such a claim. If we let the Magic Division do as they please, you realize that you are only going to be judged as an illegal magician right?”

“I never did anything like causing harm to any knight and trying to steal a Sacred Treasure. Those are false accusations. Inside the Magic Division, there is someone who attempted to trick me into something. Liz Liza-sensei should already tell you that there is some strange distortion going on. If this distortion is not set right, the Knight Academy’s situation will turn dire.”

“A dire situation?”

For Kazuki to claim that there was [someone who tricked him into something] by himself was a fairly lame thing to do. But it looks like Kohaku had undergone some change in her mental state, she lent her ear to Kazuki seriously.

“My contracted Diva, Lemegeton, is the Demon King that unifies Solomon's 72 Pillars. I have to become an appropriate King for her. If the situation keeps like this, all of Solomon's 72 Pillars will be disappointed in us. If Solomon's 72 Pillars wash their hands from Japan’s government, that would be the end of this country.”

I am a King. It couldn’t be helped even if he made thoughtless and outrageous remarks, however this was most likely the truth.

If he didn’t resolve himself and take action, the situation would turn dire.

“Unify Solomon's 72 Pillars, Demon King…?”

Mio who watched over the two was dumbfounded. However she knew about Kazuki’s ability. If she included that fact, what Kazuki said was not so out of the realm of possibility.

“What this guy said is the truth.”

Leme materialized besides Kazuki. Now that he thought about it, since they were confined in this room, she never appeared at all, was it because of her discretion of the other girls?

“…You, haven’t you grown a little more since the last time?”

“Are you an uncle that meets his nephew after a long time? This is the fruit of Lotte’s positivity level increase.”

Leme showed a sullen face, was she being awkward?

Leme’s figure had turned into a girl around the age of a first year middle school student. Although there was still some innocence left in her look with that squishy cheek of hers, inside her well-ordered face and figure was a hint of the budding charm of a woman.

If she kept growing like a human with this rate, she might grow into a beautiful girl that couldn’t be ignored by anyone.

“This girl is not a bad Diva. See, she doesn’t look like a bad guy at all.”

“Shop hith~, dhon’ fhull fhy sheeck~ (Stop~, don’t pull my cheek~)”

While pulling Leme’s cheeks widely, Kazuki appealed that Leme was a harmless existence. Was this a success, Kohaku was looking down and thinking for a while.

“…This matter might be something this one cannot decide. Kazuki, this one had someone this one wants you to meet.”

“A person you want me to meet?”

“This one and the other also have a power broker behind us.”

After a long time, Kazuki and the others could finally get outside led by Kohaku. The group traversed the Sword Division’s grounds. They could feel the awfully bright sunlight along with the morning air and fresh cold wind.

Different from the Magic Division, the Sword Division had a Japanese atmosphere. Gentle undulations at the ground made from the artificial hill, a long stretching road filled with lines of stepping stones, stone lanterns and pine trees were attracting their eyes.

“This one fought with Kanae-dono here.”

Kohaku said so with a sigh in the immediate area of the clubroom building. Her face seen from the side looked quite uncertain that was so unlike how she usually acted, this place gave a true account of what kind of fight had unfolded here.

Even though Kohaku owned several Sacred Treasures, she shouldn’t be able to defeat Kanae so easily.

But no matter what had actually happened in the fight, it wouldn’t be able to shake the fact of the outcome.

Even Kanae wouldn’t act like a child by insisting in protest against her defeat.

“The person you want me to meet is not in the student dormitory but inside this kind of place?”

The time was still before the start of the school class. Despite that, why would that person be here in the clubroom building and not in his room at the student dormitory?

“There is a special circumstance, she is a Sword Division student, but she spends a lot of her time secretly outside the dormitory.”

Kohaku ascended the exterior stairs of the clubroom building while talking, then she knocked on the door of the clubroom with a dirty plate that was hanged on it with the writing of [Pingpong Club]. Looking from its outward appearance, the clubroom looks abandoned already.

“<Mikohime>-sama, this is Kohaku. Coming in.”

“…I told you already, don’t call me Mikohime-sama! Someone that calls me something like Mikohime cannot come in, idiot―!”

Boos were returned from the other side of the door.

Kohaku was stunned for only a moment, then she opened the door with a key while saying “Entering.”

Peeking at the other side of the door, Kazuki’s eyes suddenly became round.

The inside of the clubroom was not a conventional high school clubroom, but it had been turned into an altar of Shinto ceremony.

The whole surface was colored brightly with vermilion and gold colors, while there was a large altar in the inside. There was not even a shadow or shape of anything ping-pong club like inside. In the middle of the room, there was a girl clad in the Sword Division’s uniform.

“Kohakuu―, I have said this so many times, but a title like miko or hime is not appropriate for me. I’m just one girl that had decided to reach success in life by the sword, a swordswoman! So stop elevating me to a weird position!”

A girl with a short-cut hair in shaggy-style that made her look energetic. With an imposing countenance that really suited a swordsman, she was sulking at Kohaku in dissatisfaction childishly.

When that girl noticed Kazuki, she thrust her index finger to him and raised a loud voice.

“A young man in the Magic Division uniform…I heard about it before, this guy is the enemy of women, Hayashizaki Kazuki! Kohaku, what is this about? Why will you take this kind of guy to this altar? Have you been corrupted by him!? En-gacho!”

(…Wait a second there, what does she mean by "enemy of women"!?)

“Mikohime-sama, first please let me introduce them. …Kazuki, in this side is Tsukahara Kazuha-sama. A senpai in the Sword Division.”

“You said Tsukahara, so she is that teacher’s…?”

“Correct, she is his daughter.”

“Stop calling me Tsukahara, I’m going to be compared with that good-for-nothing glasses father. Then Kohaku too, stop that stiff tone of yours when talking to me already. You’re my important friend after all.”

“Before you are this one’s friend, Kazuha-senpai is the mikohime of the sword.”

“I told you to quit it haven’t I―! I’m angry here, otherwise I’m going to cry!?”

Kazuha-senpai waved her arms about energetically. The long sleeves of the Sword Division’s uniform were flapping around.

“Then Mikohime-sama, these are those who were chased by the aforementioned Magic Division, Hayashizaki Kazuki and Charlotte Liebenfrau, and the additional two that were dragged into that strife.”

“Wait there, what’s with that mention of ‘additional’ you said! I’m the one with the number one charisma you know!?”

Though the mention about getting dragged into this was true, Mio was still angry because she was introduced lightly.

“I understand their problems when I see them. But why would you take them to this place?”

“I wish for Mikohime-sama and Sword God-sama to hear their story.”

“I told you…don’t call me Mikohime…”

Kazuha-senpai was being fed up with how Kohaku keep calling her Mikohime.

(…Mikohime, Sword God…?)

“Kazuki, Kazuha-senpai is being contracted with a Diva outside of Solomon's 72 Pillars, she is the same as Kazuki, an illegal magician in the eyes of the law. Because of this one and my comrade’s encounter with Senpai here, we started to get really serious about overthrowing the Magic Division.”

Kazuki spontaneously faced Kazuha-senpai with shocked eyes.

“Wait, is it okay for you to reveal me as an illegal magician so lightly? Of course it’s not okay you know!”

Kazuha-senpai glowered at Kohaku. Looking at her abundance of emotion that she showed, it seems there was no unnaturalness at all in her like a person that was having their heart encroached. She was overflowing with energetic vitality, a very open and bold woman.

“Well, indeed I am an illegal magician. But my Diva is by no means an evil existence. I’ll show you the proof right now, you’ll see.”

Kazuha-senpai chanted a spell, her body was enveloped with vermillion light of magic power.

“Mine bare hands grasp the red hot ore. Ridges on the sky, blade on the earth, merge in a flash namely as the only sword. Thy inscription is <Futsunushi no Kami>! Oh god of iron and fire, show thy forge!”

Kazuha-senpai’s hands were both swallowed in burning flame.

Inside that flame, a hot red iron [sword] was created.

That sword was not a Japanese katana. It was an ancient double edged sword that was used in the era far before even the katana.

A human’s face was carved like a relief in the part of the hilt,

The avatar that was born from the spell was floating away lightly from Kazuha-senpai’s hand.

“…Mine name is Futsunushi no Kami! One of the pillar gods that had watched over the children of Yamato from ancient times!”

The rough human face that was carved into the hilt opened its eyes suddenly and widely and proclaimed to Kazuki and the others.

“Mikohime-sama is contracted with Futsunushi no Kami-sama, but she hid this matter and went through the Sword Division. …So to speak, [the Magica Stigma of Sword Division].”

In contrast with Kazuki who was the swordsman of the Magic Division…Kazuha-senpai was the Magica Stigma of the Sword Division!

“Is there no danger? If you are possessed and your mind gets hijacked then…”

Kazuha-senpai turned indignant toward Kazuki’s apprehension.

“What are you saying, you enemy of women! You’re going to be cursed by all the god-sama that had been in Japan since ancient times! I had associated with Futsunushi no Kami since I was born! If he had any intention to hijack my mind than he would have already done it a long time ago!”

“Guwahhahha!” Futsunushi no Kami laughed.

“That’s correct, I don’t have any such intention like stealing human’s flesh body. I’m also not interested in human’s faith. So to speak, I am the same as Solomon's 72 Pillars. I bind a contract only to grant strength to this frail young girl!”

“Don’t call me frail, idiot!” “Guwahhahha! Hooww cute!”

The human-faced sword―Futsunushi no Kami was laughing heartily. The expressive features of the carving in the hilt felt like a good natured uncle, Kazuki couldn’t see any lie at all from him.

There was no reason to think that just because he is a Diva, he wanted to steal human’s body from anyone. Lotte’s Prometheus was also like that.

Each Diva’s objective were different. The current law that grouped all the Diva that were not among Solomon's 72 Pillars as something to be wary of and classified those Diva’s contractor as illegal magicians might be too rough and broad. Though thinking of the risk of those Divas with evil intentions, that kind of law probably couldn’t be helped, but….

Now that he thought about it, the illegal magicians that were captured by the Knight Order was when their mind was encroached, thus losing their sanity and turning violent. Supposing that the Diva was not encroaching their mind, as long as they didn’t use their power and hid their stigmata, they could pass off as normal humans and keep living normally.

By some chance, perhaps there was a lot of [Hidden Illegal Magicians] contracted secretly with Divas from various mythologies that stay under the radar in this country outside of Kazuha-senpai.

“…Japan Mythology’s Diva!?”

Leme materialized at Kazuki’s side.

“Oooh, little girl! Are you one of Solomon's 72 Pillars?”

Futsunushi no Kami asked to Leme.

“Leme is the King of Solomon's 72 Pillars, Lemegeton. Right now most of my strength and memory are lost. This guy is the master of Leme’s contract, if he grows to become an appropriate King, Leme will also recover her strength and memory.”

Leme spoke rudely while pointing at Kazuki.

“But the government and the adults in this academy don’t trust Leme and Kazuki, they gave us designations as illegal and pursued us. On top of all that, they even created some suspicious plot by giving us false charges and treated us like criminals…”

“I see. How pitiful, even though you are just a little girl. But won’t it be okay if you just explain it through the 72 Pillars?”

Futsunushi no Kami who was floating around in the air buoyantly slanted his body and asked Leme.

Was that gesture something like someone tilting his neck in wonder?

Certainly, if a Diva like Asmodeus or Phoenix just explained to the people that [Lemegeton is our King] , all the issues would be resolved neatly.

“That’s no good. Solomon's 72 Pillars had decided not to intervene in the actions and decisions of the people in this country. We granted power freely to this country without the rule of faith so we can see with our own eyes what they will use that power for. Right now is still the stage where they need to be aware of what had awoken in this world, isn’t that right? If they make a move like eliminating the King, who are Leme and Kazuki, for their own selfish interest then…Solomon's 72 Pillars are going to forsake Japan and move to a different place.”

Leme answered with some cruelty spreading into her sentiment.

“…Eh, what’s with that! Isn’t that bad!?”

Mio who listened carefully in that place couldn’t help but raise her voice.

“In which case, in the current situation, all of you are currently in the process of running out of patience toward the government of Japan then, guhaha.”

“The situation is just like you said. In the meantime, this guy…our King, what is he going to show to us, Leme is looking forward to it in anticipation. …And then, what is the stance that Japan's Mythology is taking? I thought that Japan's Mythology didn’t plan to concern themselves with the humans proactively.”

This time Leme was the one that asked Futsunushi no Kami. Distinct color of wariness was floating in Leme’s expression towards Japan's Mythology. Suddenly Futsunushi no Kami’s face turned serious and he answered.

“True. Frankly speaking, I don’t have any trust in any of you from Solomon's 72 Pillars.”

The Diva of sword with strangely deep character, Futsunushi no Kami started his story with grave expression.

“We, the Divas of <Japan's Mythology> are a mythology that doesn’t particularly demand faith from humans. We don’t have any intention to aim for a monotheism where the gods are absolute and things like subduing the humans and basking ourselves in self-satisfaction. Having an altar built for me and also an interesting person like Kazuha as a partner for playing around with is more than enough. We are the native friends of the children of Yamato, the local friend, think of us as the localee.”

“Localee…is that vocabulary that is used by god-sama?”

“Guwahhahha, I’m happy that you can insert the tsukkomi there! When I’m the idiot someone is going to tsukkomi, just having someone accompanying me for that is enough to satisfy me! The same goes with my other comrades. But if we are neglected and become sulky, then we will go wild and bring forth calamity!!”

Harming the mood of the god-sama would cause a great disaster, that was the standard pattern for Japan’s folklore. Are they friendly or vicious….

“By the way, usually I put some offering on the altar here, chatting with Futsunushi no Kami about what happened today at school, playing some games, or other things. We are close friends see!”

Kazuha-senpai’s expression broke open slightly and she puffed up with pride.

“Mikohime-sama doesn’t have any friends in class after all”

“Kazuha doesn’t have any friends except me after all, guwahhahha!”

“Do, don’t say that I don’t have any friends! …It can’t be helped that I cannot make any friends…No wait, Kohaku is my friend right? That’s why don’t call me Mikohime-sama…”

“Bu, but senpai is the one that is contracted with Sword God-sama so no matter what it’s too auguste…”

Kohaku was flustered. When she started to call Kazuki informally before this she was also hesitating very much, it seems she had quite a reserved character against someone established as her senior.

Kazuha-senpai dropped her shoulders in dejection hearing Kohaku’s reply.

“…<Nature’s Worship> isn’t it? Even in Europe, similar mythologies that believed in spirits are not few.”

This time Prometheus’ form also appeared at Lotte’s side.

“However nature’s worship at Europe was distorted in the present era because of the censure in the middle ages that demarked them as demon’s beliefs. Japan's Mythology can be said to be a rare case because they are a primitive faith that is still continuing into the present era, don’t you agree.”

Prometheus' original form and strength had returned for a time in the middle of the fight with Beatrix.

But it seems it was nothing more than a temporary recovery using Leme’s power, he immediately returned back to the form of a young boy afterwards.

Looks like he still had to reside inside Lotte to recover his divinity from now on too.

“Hou, looks like this time a youngster came out. Are you that one, the Diva who is said to be contracted with the heretic magician Charlotte Liebenfrau…?

“Correct, Prometheus of the Greek Mythology, best regards.”

Prometheus presented his hand for a handshake, but when Futsunushi no Kami presented his sword body suddenly he drew back his hand in shock. What are they doing, these Divas?

The situation developed into a gathering of three Divas, each from a different Mythology.

Solomon's 72 Pillars also had a secrecy doctrine, so this was an exceedingly rare scene.

“We of the Japanese Mythology were not particularly concerned when Solomon's 72 Pillars started to get along with the people of Japan. Thereupon there is this feeling of us being treated lightly in recent times that make us irritated!”

Futsunushi no Kami talked with a lively tone. It seems he was irritated.

“The consensus opinion of the whole body of the Japanese Mythology is that whatever other Mythology attempts to do in Japan is inconsequential…but for me personally, recently I was entertaining doubt about whether it is okay or not to leave the people of Japan, who are my friends, to Solomon's 72 Pillars.”

“Mu, so Futsunushi no Kami has something he is unsatisfied with Leme and the others. I’ll accept your challenge then.”

Leme faced Futsunushi no Kami and took a fighting pose.

“To start with number one, the current Japan make light of the swordsman too much. I am the Sword God that was worshipped by the lineage of Tsukahara for generations, this tendency to make light of swordsman is not something pleasant for me as the Sword God.”

“Precisely, exactly like that.” Kohaku raised a voice of approval.

“That, even Leme and the others of Solomon's 72 Pillars can say we are troubled by that too. The Japanese government is the one that gives favorable treatment to the Magica Stigma on their own accord. …Well, though it might turn out differently if Solomon's 72 Pillars' magic handling are more focused on reinforcement magic like Thor of the Norse Mythology from the other day…”

“And then one more thing, the matter of the ominous ceremony that is performed in the underground of this academy. That ceremony is eerie no matter how you see it, it makes Solomon's 72 Pillars look all the more dubious.”

“Ominous ceremony? What are you talking about?”

Leme’s eyes turned perfectly round. It seems somehow she really had no knowledge of the mentioned ceremony.

“The swordsmen continue to be discriminated unjustly, and then an ominous presence can be felt from the underground of this academy. From these two primary factors, I harbor a considerable distrust toward Solomon's 72 Pillars. In that occasion, the humans of the Sword Division elevated Kazuha and I and raised a plan to aim for the restoration of the swordsman’s rights, we too were cooperating with them in this plan. Though even if I say cooperation, but it will become a problem if Kazuha fights in the center stage extensively and get the designation of illegal magician, that’s why there is nothing I can do except to bestow the <Divine Protection> indirectly to those swordsmen.”

“By earning the Divine Protection of Futsunushi no Kami-sama, we become able to draw out <Battou Kaikon> from Sacred Treasures that possessed element of <Sword>.”

“Battou Kaikon?”

After hearing that unfamiliar words from Kohaku, Kazuki interposed a question to her.

“Kazuki is still not accustomed to using Sacred Treasures right? What is called Battou Kaikon is to make a path between the mind and the Sacred Treasure, a skill to draw out the essence of strength that Sacred Treasures possess.”

Now that she mentioned it, the first time he used <Raikiri>, there was the sensation from Raikiri that tried to address him. By coming to a mutual understanding with the Sacred Treasure like that, it seems they would be able to pull out some kind of special move.

Kohaku’s group of comrades were swordsmen that each possessed special moves of Battou Kaikon. Certainly their group was fairly strong with that kind of ace. He could see how Kohaku could be so full of confidence.

“…It’s dangerous to only rely on just one sword. If these swordsmen could use the Sacred Treasures skillfully, there wouldn’t be any need for Japan’s government to depend solely on Solomon's 72 Pillars for all of its military power.”

“…By no means are we doing this for our own personal grudge against the Magic Division and the Magica Stigma.”

Kohaku whispered with a sigh.

“Leme understands in general about the matter with Futsunushi no Kami. But…what is that you mean about the ominous ceremony!?”

Leme was in the condition of taking offense. Leme didn’t have any knowledge about the [ominous ceremony] that was the crux of the matter mentioned not long ago, she looked very reluctant to be doubted because of that.

“Hmmm, sometimes there are outbreaks of ominous magic power from the underground of this academy. It made my sword bodyradar reacting, like ‘binbinbin’. And also, about this ominous ceremony, there is no doubt that it is related with a Diva. This stinks. Absolutely suspicious.”

“Ominous magic power…but I have never felt anything like that since I came to this academy. Maybe we cannot feel it because Leme-sama and my power haven’t returned completely.”

The young boy Prometheus tilted his head in curiosity. His power was still not insufficient after all.

On the other side, Leme was being angry in a huff.

“Wait right there, Leme has amnesia so she is not really clear with the situation, but Solomon's 72 Pillars are undoubtedly the ally of this country! If there is any ominous presence, then that is a separate case from Leme and the others!”

“But, in fact I really feel it.”

Futsunushi no Kami talked back with a particularly stern face.

A Young boy - a Young girl – a Sword, these three Divas that were glaring at each other made for a zlightly foolish appearance.

Was it because the Divas that gathered here were only human-friendly Divas, but there was really no dignity at all that could be seen from them.

“That is the matter at hand, but Futsunushi no Kami-sama…”

Kohaku interposed herself between the Divas.

“It seems Kazuki is being accused with groundless charges by someone in the academy’s inner circle. Someone that would trap Kazuki who is the King of Solomon…if that is the origin of the ominous magical power then…the true opponent that we ought to fight might not be the Magica Stigma.”

“…Hmmm, so that is Kohaku’s real intention of bringing these people to my location. After all Kohaku is prudent unlike with Kazuha. I’ll believe you, guwahhahha!”

“Hey wait Futsunushi no Kami, why do you put out my name there for the comparison!?”

…The one that led Kazuki into these predicaments and the ominous magic power from the academy’s underground.

Were these two event not originated from the same root?

Thanks to Kohaku lending her ear to Kazuki’s words, Kazuki could become aware about such significant facts. If they could solve this puzzle, then it might be possible for all of these problems to be resolved.

“Moreover, this one had lost confidence. This one had the conviction to defeat Otonashi Kaguya and slay the owner of the ominous magical power just because this one owned Sacred Treasures. However…”

“…The fight last night made you waver in your path. You too are an expert, but your opponent last night is also a magnificent and praiseworthy swordsman. To bear a sense of defeat against that kind of opponent is not a shameful thing.”

The swordsman that Futsunushi no Kami praised so, there was no doubt that he referred to Kanae.

“This one is still too immature to realize the ideal of Futsunushi no Kami-sama.”

Kohaku dropped her shoulders and hung her head dejectedly.

“Gahaha, there, there.” Futsunushi no Kami used his sword body and tapped Kohaku’s head lightly.

…He seems to try to comfort her, but it sure didn’t look like it….

“As I thought, this is not the situation where the Sword Division and the Magic Division can waste their time fighting each other.”

Kazuki asserted once again toward Futsunushi no Kami.

“Hmm. If Kohaku also says that much, then it seems there is a need to also take your words into consideration. Then let’s do this. Your group alone will head toward the underground of the academy and make clear about the true identity of the ominous magical power. If in the end you can prove that Solomon's 72 Pillars are unrelated with that, I will also believe in you.”

“…Do you know where the exact location of that magical power is, and also the route?”

“I do. But the entrance to the underground is locked with barrier and stigmata authentication. The barrier can be torn off by my power, but the lock of stigmata authentication can only be passed by owners of Stigmata, my cute kids from the Sword Division couldn’t even investigate that place.”

I see, if there was unknown magical power produced from a place that couldn’t be passed except by owners of stigmata, then it was not unreasonable to suspect the Magic Division and Solomon's 72 Pillars.

But owners of stigmata were not limited to just the contractors of Solomon's 72 Pillars.

Stigmata was the proof of the connection that had been tied with a Diva. Stigmata had the role of the code to allow Divas to pass through to the heart of the contractor, even in the case of possession contracts there would still be a small stigmata emerged in the body.

Wasn’t the possibility that the perpetrator who was passing through that exit and entrance was an illegal magician quite high?

“Wait a second, wait a second, is it really okay to just trust these guys that easily?”

Kazuha-senpai, who had kept quiet for a long time opened her mouth with an astonished expression.

“Mikohime-sama, Kazuki is a person that is worthy of trust.”

“I told you, don’t call me Mikohime! …After all isn’t he a happy guy who makes who knows how many women serve him? I don’t want to side with that kind of shameless guy no matter what.”

“……That’s…certainly, this one too feels deep inside that Kazuki is surrounded by a little too many girls and is quite astonished.”

(Hey wait, so Kohaku also thought like that!?)

“That’s a fair argument. …Kazuki really has no integrity against various girls. To even call someone like me cute, cute…also having bizarre obsession for maids…”

Even Koyuki also murmured her approval.

Wait a second you all, we have all come up to this point and yet the situation would change because of this kind of matter!?

“It’s hard to understand for Leme why a Harem King doesn’t have any more credence from the humans. It’s a different case don’t you agree? Harem Banzai. O Our King, more Harem is a must.”

Leme started talking about a topic that provoked even more animosity from the girls. You should just keep your mouth shut.

“Kazuki is not a shameless guy at all! He absolutely doesn’t do anything that I hate at all!”

“That’s right desu, Kazuki-oniisan is a perfect gentleman desu! Rather I’d welcome it if he do anything like that desu!”

Mio and Lotte came in Kazuki’s defense vehemently.

“Hee…they really put their faith on you huh. I’m reluctant to give in but even if the matter about the harem and so on is not included, we still don’t understand whether these guys’ strength are reliable or not. If they invaded the underground and yet they just collapse and die in a ditch without even any results to show for it, won’t it just make the situation even worse?”

“Mikohime-sama, Kazuki and the others' strength are the real thing. Besides, other than Kazuki and his friends, there is no one else that can enter that place. We don’t have stigmata.”

“That’s why there is me. After all I’m the owner of Futsunushi no Kami’s stigmata. Rather than making these kind of guys go there, I’ll go!”

“It’s dangerous to go alone Mikohime-sama!”

“That’s foolhardy Kazuha. I don’t want to lose my cute contractor, also I don’t want to expose you to danger, that’s why I made a proposal so these guys are the ones that'll go to that place you know?”

Kohaku and Futsunushi no Kami cut in while panicking to stop Kazuha-senpai who was chattering in high spirits.

“You two, don’t make that face like you are my parents! Compared to these guys, I am more…Futsunushi no Kami, give me the Magic Dress!”

“…Haahhh, what a hopeless girl.”

While breathing a long sigh, Futsunushi no Kami suddenly changed into a lump of red flame. That flame enveloped Kazuha-senpai―The uniform of the Sword Division disintegrated into Prima Material and transformed into the Magic Dress.

Her Magic Dress was resembling the white and red miko uniform, he could feel the spirit of Japan seeing it.

At the same time, Kazuha-senpai’s hair was lengthening with a thud. A majestic appearance suitable for a Magica Stigma of Japan's Mythology, then Kazuha-senpai drew a katana from her back smoothly.

“Duel with me, Hayashizaki harem-guy! A weakling with no integrity like you, there is no way you have any character that could be relied on or any real strength!! If I win, then your harem party will be dissolved at once and I’ll be the one to lead those girls over there to search the underground!!”

“Eh, I don’t want to do that kind of thing!” “Wie bitte!? That’s tyranny desu!”

Mio and Lotte were booing from the side, but Kazuha-senpai didn’t even turn to look.

“…Don’t joke with me.” As expected, Kazuki was fed up with that proposal.

“You are going to hinder us in this kind of place with that kind of trivial reason! You have shot your mouth harshly as you please from a while ago, things like enemy of woman…Mio, and Lotte, I have decided that I’m going to protect them with my own hand! I will absolutely not do anything like entrusting them to any other person!!”

“Then…show to me the suitable strength to protect a woman―!”

Now she said it…Bring it on!!!

“…The only one suitable to become my knight is no one other than Kazuki. Get her Kazu-nii!”

“I am Kazuki-oniisan’s property desu. Onii-san, please do your best!”

For some reason the female camp were roused up in happiness.

“Somehow, you my King and even the girls are starting to get accustomed with the harem situation huh―”

Leme secretly whispered inside Kazuki’s mind using telepathy.

But…I’m not particularly saying that I want to do something shameless together with the girls like what Kazuha-senpai said.

“That duel challenge, I accept!”

{Yosh, Our King. Make this girl submit too just like in the duel with Amasaki Mio! And then make Futsunushi no Kami obey Leme together with inserting her as a member of the harem for sure―!”

Wahaha―, Leme’s loud laughter was resounding inside Kazuki’s mind.

Part 3

The place that was chosen for the duel was the Sword Division’s gymnasium.

Kazuha-senpai’s illegal magic was by no means something that could be shown to other people. For that reason, Kohaku used her authority as the student council president to secure the gymnasium.

The Sword Division had a complete facility for exercise, and there was even a martial arts stadium. This gymnasium also had the space for three fields of basketball court. This place was sufficient to perform a duel.

According to the rules for duels at the academy, Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai were separated with 50 meters between them while facing each other.

“Well then, both sides have finished their preparations.”

The one who wound up becoming the referee was Koyuki. Among them Koyuki was the one with the most experience in refereeing.

Mio tried to be the referee, but he was worried that she would make some strange miss, so he was relieved if it was Hiakari-san…Kazuki had that kind of feeling. There was some worry about unfairness with the referee coming from Kazuki’s side, but Kohaku didn’t particularly mind and accepted the referee. Looks like Kohaku was quite poor at being a referee.

“Well, I don’t have any reason to make a judgment that is partial to Kazuki. Then…begin!”

Koyuki announced the opening of the duel. It was a rare chance to hear her loud voice.

…First is to challenge her at close-quarters!

Kazuki dashed toward Kazuha-senpai while taking the Iai stance with full alert.

The Magica Stigma of the Sword Division…there was no doubt that she could use both sword skills and summoning magic skillfully.

(Then first I have to challenge her in the field I am specialized at! I won’t be defeated from any kind of opponent in sword skills!)

Kazuha-senpai chanted her spell and attacked.

“O unparalleled sword master, reshow from beyond the dream! Together with the flame of training, the sealed memory in the silver mirror is liberated right here!! Devilish Swordsman ReincarnationKenki Tensei!!”

A globe of fire burned into existence in Kazuha-senpai’s side and floated in place. From within the flame, a Japanese Katana was born. The phantom of a person was floating faintly overlapping with the katana.

“Thy name is…Yagyuu Nyounsai! Go!!”

A silhouette with grandiose physique like cumulonimbus cloud in the mid-summer. That phantom took hold of the katana in its hand and he stood in Kazuki’s way following Kazuha’s command.

(…Yagyuu Nyounsai she said!?)

Kazuki was planning to not be defeated in sword skill no matter who his opponent was, but his expression cramped.

Yagyuu clan. Chosen to be the instructor in the art of war for the Tokugawa Clan, the noble house said to have the best swordsmanship under heaven.

Even among that clan, if talked about Yagyuu Nyounsai, he was born not from the main branch of the Yagyuu in Edo but from the branch family that was called Owari Yagyuu and thus he was surrounded in obscurity. Still, his ability in the sword was said to be the best in the history of the Yagyuu, a man of high honor.

(She said this phantom was…that one Yagyuu Nyounsai!?)

There was no free time to leisurely wallow in surprise. The phantom of Yagyuu Nyounsai was immediately closing in upon Kazuki, the sword of Yagyuu that was famous in the history of swordsmanship was swung downward on him.

…He could tell just from his step-in that his skill was uncommon!

Kazuki responded with his Iai draw. Both of their katana clashed with sharp sounds, ‘GIIN!’, and their blades were locked against each other.

Kazuki read his opponent and attempted to redirect him with his <Instant Positioning>.

However the phantom of Yagyuu Nyounsai attempted the same positioning at the same time. Kazuki and Nyounsai Foresighted each other's moves respectively , katana and katana connected with each other flexibly.

Sword locking between fellow masters was not decided by the clash between power and power.

Foresighting an opponent's movements was the specialty of Kazuki, but…they were even in reading each other.

This was endless. Kazuki and Nyounsai mutually leapt back at the same time.

With the distance opened between them, Kazuki calmly surmised the strength of his opponent.

He was at an advantage in physical ability. Even though Kazuki was just a high school student, he could reinforce his body using Enchant Aura. No matter how much of a master swordsman Nyounsai was, he was still a swordsman from an era where there was no magic. His movement was the natural movement unaided by reinforcement magic.

But Nyounsai’s ability was unusual as expected. There was nothing wasted in his movements, no preliminary movements, not even mistakes in judgment. Even though Kazuki used Foresight, it was still hard to read his movements.

As expected, this famed swordsman surpassed him in pure sword skill….

“…Kenki Tensei! Thy name is…Togakure Daisuke!!”

While Kazuki was in the middle of glaring with Nyounsai, Kazuha-senpai summoned another phantom.

The katana that was born along with the flame, this time it was a somewhat straight short sword―it was a ninja sword. The phantom that picked it up in reverse grip had a small build―the founder of Togakure-style ninjutsu, Togakure Daisuke! Kazuki was once again doubting his own ears.

It looked like the magic that Kazuha-senpai chanted was a magic to summon swordsman from the past.

But certainly the last one could be called an expert in the sword, even so….this guy was a ninja right!?

“Go!"

Following Kazuha-senpai’s command, the ninja – Togakure Daisuke dashed fiercely like a gale.

The ninjato that was held in reverse grip slashed at Kazuki horizontally.

His movement was not as sharp as Nyounsai's. Kazuki blocked the slash with his katana and warded the blow.

Daisuke Togakure’s posture was broken violently when his sword was warded off―that was what Kazuki thought.

...But that was a ninja’s <Trick Movement>.

Kazuki, who was tricked by the acting, couldn’t Foresight the next movement. Togakure Daisuke’s body posture that made him thought it was disordered, was standing still like an acrobat. That body was like an unshakeable trunk.

And then from that unnatural posture, his hand that was not holding the sword was turning to Kazuki and swung with a jerk.

Something was flying from that hand―sand!

Kazuki was perfectly taken by surprise, blue light was flickering in Kazuki’s field of vision. The light was produced by the defensive magic power that protected the eyes from the foreign substances from entering. But Kazuki’s eyes were dazzled by that very light.

Despite that here was the gymnasium…where would he get the blinding sand from!?

Ninja hid various arms and hidden weapons in their hand armor and outfit, they improved their skills with the premise of using those very tools. Even the blinding sand was included as part of his kenjutsu.

Most likely, this magic was a magic to reproduce the exact kenjutsu of swordsman from the past in this world. That’s why even the gadgets that became the prerequisite for the kenjutsu was also summoned.

Togakure Daisuke returned his blade and aimed at Kazuki whose eyes were dazzled for a thrust of certain death.

It was evidently a ninja’s kenjutsu that was full of trickery and wiles, but it was brought back to the present era in this gymnasium.

But Kazuki missed nothing of the current thrust.

Their body was a phantom that was created from magic. Therefore if he sensed the magic power using Extra Sense, even with his eyes closed he could perceive all their movements.

Rather, his senses became even more sensitive with his eyes closed.

That response was something that Togakure Daisuke couldn’t even predict.

Kazuki avoided the thrust with a paper-thin difference, conversely he stabbed his katana at Togakure Daisuke’s chest. He intended to stab Kazuki in surprise but he was outsmarted and the tables turned on him, the phantom of the ninja and the ninja sword vanished. …First was one!

Yagyuu Nyounsai observed that exchange of offense and defense like he was a human with personality.

“Kenki Tensei! Thy name is…Hattori Takeo!!”

Kazuha-senpai summoned yet another swordsman.

Kazuki was not surprised anymore. He was not surprised, but…that name was enough to make him shudder.

Hattori Takeo…although he was a betrayer of the Shinsengumi, he was said to be the Shinsengumi’s strongest, a two-sword style swordsman.

His real strength was said to have surpassed even the famous Okita Souji!

Masters who left behind their brilliant name in the history of sword blocked Kazuki’s path one after another. If at all possible, he wanted to challenge them using only kenjutsu, but…this wouldn’t end if he didn’t use the power of magic.

There was no doubt that Kazuha-senpai’s aim was to buy time with the phantoms to chant her high-level magic.

―Nyounsai moved. Yagyuu’s kenjutsu was not a defensive style. Observing the opponent’s interaction even while preparing one’s own response, then responding with the divergence of nine secret swords, that was the innermost secret of <Tengu’s ExcerptTengushou>.

Kazuki tried to see through every movement, but to respond with that Foresight, Nyounsai’s movement too shifted with ever-changing appearance. The result, a simple clash between physical ability and skill.

It once again became the locking between swords. Hattori Takeo used that chance to attack.

The Shinsengumi's signature move was a group strategy with good efficiency. First they designated the turn of death to each member, then the sacrificial pawn started the assault, from there the regimental soldiers attacked one after another in a continuous ring of attacks, it was <Weed Attack SwordSoukouken>.

Hattori Takeo made use of Nyounsai as the sacrificial pawn, he showed the reproduction of that tactic again in this world.

But while pouring his nerve in the sword-locking, he awaited with the chanting of a spell.

“O calling voice of the ruler of flame, liberate the rage in the bottom of the earth! The creation of my rampart is here…towered in heaven and earth, isolate the impurity! Fire Wall!!”

A magic of surprise attack by raising a wall of flame from underfoot. A swordsman from the Bakumatsu period wouldn’t be able to predict it, he didn’t even have time to swing his sword at Kazuki before he was swallowed by the flames. The burning Hattori Takeo let loose a single bisecting stroke at Kazuki. With the second one, the phantom scattered as blue magical power.

On the other hand, Nyounsai was not dragged into the flame, he leapt back in a flash.

(…Do you think I’ll let you get away!)

“Scattering sparks of dancing wings. Drifting spiral wind, become the life piercing bullet! Flap and shoot! Barrett!!”

He aimed at Nyounsai who was taking distance and released the flame bullet. However―the flying bullet that was as fast as an average rifle was nimbly evaded by Nyounsai, like he was already seeing through the bullet path completely.

(…Impossible!)

Although it was a feat that even he could do, Kazuki was dumbstruck.

A swordsman from the Edo era like Nyounsai shouldn’t be able to Foresight magical power.

But a swordsmaster at Nyounsai’s level, presence and killing intent, wild instinct…the sixth sense that couldn’t be clarified by science, using that to sense the danger of incoming magic might be possible.

Nyounsai slashed in once more. Its destructive power couldn’t be compared to Beatrix’s sword, but its swordsmanship stabbed Kazuki’s gap with delicateness in the extreme, he was trying to buy time.

During that time…Kazuha-senpai chanted another spell.

This time the magic had even longer aria than before. High level magic was coming!

“O forging of artisans, scattering the flower of night performance, fill the tip of the sword with the heaven’s weave! Listen to the battle cry of the phantoms, become a thunderstorm and rain down! The Heavens Drawn Sword Lotus CannonTenkuu Battou Rengehou!”

On the ceiling of the gymnasium, a giant wind of flame was going wild. From the billowing vortex of flame, katana were born one after another. Packed endlessly above Kazuha-senpai’s head were katana, katana, and more katana….

“All bullet firing!”

―On the basis of Kazuha-senpai’s order, a hail of katana came flying to Kazuki.

Each of those katana were not just a normal katana. Those katana that were flying and cutting the sky were each clad in flame, or clad in electricity, or drawing irregular trajectories, they all had various special qualities.

This was a fusillade of Battou Kaikon!

“O undying bird soaring from dusk to dawn, grant those wings of hope on my back! Destruction for the sake of rebirth, right here…! Blazing Wings!”

Kazuki finished his spell chanting in a close call. Kazuki flew away to the air leaving behind Nyounsai on the floor. He evaded and brushed off the flying Sacred Treasures that were coming one after another with the wings of flame.

The feeling changed kind of like from a one-on-one fighting game into a shooting game.

On the other side, Nyounsai was not just watching over the flying Kazuki silently.

Aiming for the gap where Kazuki swung the wings of flame completely, Nyounsai kicked the floor and leapt off.

This time Kazuki was tangling with a swordsmaster in the air.

But this time, Nyounsai’s swordsmanship suddenly became disarrayed.

It stood to reason, even though he had polished the kenjutsu of Yagyuu to the extreme, a technique with the assumption of facing an enemy that was flying in the sky didn’t exist in it. Yagyuu Nyounsai required an improvised sword technique, that was why useless movement, preliminary motion, and a slight mistake in judgment were exposed. …Kazuki saw everything!

“Yagyuu Nyounsai, be defeated!”

Nyounsai’s single stroke slashed at empty space, Kazuki cut his way through that paper-thin difference.

Nyounsai’s phantom was bisected in two, he became like moths of light and fluttered away in the sky.

“Oou…splendid! Though you are a swordsman of the modern era, that technique was peerless in the past and present!!”

Futsunushi no Kami’s avatar was appearing and raising an enthusiastic praise.

“What are you doing, praising the enemy in the middle of a duel, Futsunushi no Kami! Cooperate properly with me!”

“Guwahhahha! A splendid thing is splendid even if he is the enemy!! Guwahhahha, how delightful!

“Don’t laugh! Don’t laugh so hard in the middle of the fight!!”

Kazuki evaded all the Sacred Treasures that came flying, finally he turned to Kazuha-senpai and took a nose-dive.

“So you have come, but from now on is the real performance of the swordsmen’s duel! I’m going to judge you with a direct clash of blades! …I become the miko of sword. Stone cleaved, root torn, sin cut through, right now in this hand that virtuous sword of crushing evil! Draw sword, Soul of Cutting ThroughFutsu no Mitama!!”

Both of Kazuha-senpai’s hands were swallowed in flame and an ancient double-edged blade was formed inside both of those hands. It was a sword that was the spitting image of Futsunushi no Kami’s avatar.

Sacred Treasures Creation Summoning Magic―what kind of power that sword had, Kazuki was on guard.

And then above all…how skilled was her kenjutsu as the [The Magica Stigma of the Sword Division] !?

Kazuha-senpai swung the sword right from the front.

Toward that attack―Kazuki felt a huge let-down. That attack was something like, ‘henyaa’

Kazuki evaded leisurely so as not to touch the Sacred Treasures whose abilities were unknown to him. And then he poured on a counter of a single stroke of katana. Blue light was scattered from Kazuha-senpai while she was blown off.

“O, only this much…not yet!”

She stood up immediately and Kazuha-senpai slashed at Kazuki once again.

But that step was shoddy as expected. Kazuki evaded with composure and returned a counter attack.

Kazuki visited a series of slashes to Kazuha-senpai. Kazuha-senpai was prevented from chanting her spell from the shock of smashed magic, naturally her sword was also blocked, she kept getting slashed one-sidedly.

“Uwaa…this sandbag situation, somehow I feel déjà vu, my trauma is…”

Mio who was watching the duel was trembling.

“That’s enough!”

When Kazuha-senpai fell onto her backside, Koyuki proclaimed the end of the duel.

“I, I can still fight, I still have magic left! Why do you stop it!”

“…Even if you fight, more than this is useless don’t you see?”

Koyuki told her straight out coldly. Beside Kazuha-senpai whose lip and shoulder was trembling all over in vexation, Futsunushi no Kami’s avatar was floating.

“…Kazuha, it’s okay for you to retreat from something like close-quarters combat. If you kept running away desperately while using my long-range type summoning magic, you still had some chance to win you know?”

“Sh, shut up! A swordsman like me cannot fight in such pathetic way!”

Kazuha-senpai raised her voice in response to her contracted Diva’s finding fault.

Kohaku, who was observing the battle, walked near Kazuki’s position.

“…Kazuki, truthfully Mikohime-sama…her sword skills are utterly hopeless. The matter about how she can use Summoning Magic is a secret except from this one and our other comrades, so she is being made fun by her classmates, because of that she became overly fixated on becoming strong as a swordsman more than ever…”

“Do, don’t say that I’m utterly hopeless! My heart is going to break you know! I mean, don’t expose even the matter of the class! There is no need for that to come out in this place right―!?”

“Guwahhahha, that’s because Kazuha is so weak in swordsmanship despite loving it so much right! Guwahhahha!”

“Don’t laugh! Don’t make fun of me!”

“But despite doing nothing but sword training, she can use Summoning Magic so skillfully to that extent, you can understand what a frightening genius she is in magic from that. If she didn’t make a contract with Futsunushi no Kami when she was little and an enigma appeared on her normally, I think she would become a rank A in the Magic Division.”

“True, even if it turned out like that I would still make a contract with Kazuha. A person who is this good in magic yet loved the sword is rare. Her kenjutsu is a totally different matter though…Guwahhahha!”

“Damn, I don’t need something like talent in magic! I wanted sword talent!!”

With her Magic Dress of miko uniform so disheveled, Kazuha-senpai made a fuss while still on her back on the ground.

This was…the Magica Stigma of the Sword Division…?

“Mikohime-sama is mortified with Kazuki who, despite being a student of the Magic Division, is also first class as a swordsman, this one thinks that’s why she challenged Kazuki to a duel intentionally. Forgive this one for going along with it Kazuki.”

“Gahaha, sorry for going along with Kazuha’s selfishness, Hayashizaki Kazuki. The new kenjutsu of the age of magic, I received some enjoyment from it. The spirit that made you oppose them with only kenjutsu until the midway is also fine.”

Both Kohaku and Futsunushi no Kami said so while giving a nod with their head (and sword body).

“You, you two, don’t act like you are my parents―!”

Kazuha-senpai was very vexed like ‘muki―’ and then she glowered at Kazuki with tearful eyes.

“Someone that can use both sword and magic so skillfully, being waited upon by lots of girls…I loathe people like you who have no fidelity so much! Don’t think I will yield even if you had won! It’s vexing but you are strong. Not only magic but also kenjutsu… Hmph, a promise is a promise so, the entrance to the underground where the magic power is occurring…I’ll guide you there properly. Follow me.”

Part 4

“Kazuha-senpai, so the entrance to that suspicious underground is located inside the site of the Magic Division?”

“Correct. You are being pursued by the Magic Division right? Don’t make unnecessary noises and advance with care.”

Kazuha-senpai said so while taking the lead. All present crossed over from the Sword Division to the site of the Magic Division.

“I’m not good at being stealthy you know…somehow I let out a uselessly loud voice before I realized it.”

When Mio whispered as such, Kohaku was nodding her head and said “I can understand that.”

“I lived my life continuously in secret before desu.” Lotte puffed her chest proudly.

The time was 9 o’clock in the morning. This is the period of time when SHR was conducted. Even though they must be careful, there were no human presences in the outdoors of the Magic Division.

“This way…is the way to the Witch's Manor.”

All present stepped into the area that was dense with thick greenery. The same direction was just a coincidence, but the Witch's Manor was also beyond these trees.

Nonetheless, the residents of the Witch's Manor―the senpais were supposed to have already left for school by this time.

“…What are you all doing in this kind of place!? This is already time for morning assembly to start you know!”

A sharp voice that was unexpected in their carelessness rang out.

They were too easy-going in their vigilance. When they turned around, a shadow of someone was running from the direction of the Witch's Manor.

The moment both sides could see each other clearly, voices were raised at the same time.

“Hoshikaze-senpai!” “Hayashizaki-kun, you guys!”

Kazuki and the others were frozen in place involuntarily. Should they run, what should they do?

But Hoshikaze-senpai could chant [Ride Lightning], so even if they tried to escape this was not an opponent they could escape from.

“Shem-ha MephorashI know thy true name…thy true name is Baalzebul, all evil was born in the Middle Ages. O corrupted god of good harvest, in accordance with my life regain that radiance!”

Hoshikaze-senpai performed Access while facing Kazuki and opening the range between them.

Her body was wrapped in a gallant Magic Dress like a knight, senpai took the posture of preparing for action.

“Hayashizaki-kun, why are you in this place!?”

“Senpai as well…what about SHR?”

“Kuu…I overslept!”

Hoshikaze-senpai’s cheek was slightly red as she replied in embarrassment.

(That serious Hoshikaze-senpai overslept!?)

“It can’t be helped okay!? It already became a custom to wake up early for sword training with you, but you weren't here so even if I woke up early I had nothing to do, finally I went back to sleep for the second time! It’s your fault my daily routine became tattered like this!”

“That kind of reason!? I mean, that’s not my fault right!?”

“A, anyway! …I have to arrest you!”

Hoshikaze-senpai pushed her way through the trees and the thickets, she was dashing towards Kazuki and the others.

“Freeze and lock, <Murasame>! Battou Kaikon―Kirisame Ranbu!!”

The one who immediately and without any hesitation intercepted was Kohaku. She liberated the power of the Sacred Treasure and pointed the blade of cold wave toward Hoshikaze-senpai.

“Howl! Civilization granted destruction to humans! The roar of wisdom burns thy body, break, shut every dignity under the rubble!! Mitrailleuse!”

Following Kohaku, Lotte too chanted her spell quickly which was the strong point of DrivePossession Summoning, she spread a barrage of bullets to try to stop Hoshikaze-senpai’s movements.

“O stream of atmosphere, converge in this body, become the storm of rejection against the people I resent! The eye of the typhoon is my throne! Wind Encampment BarrierStorm Fort!”

Hoshikaze-senpai chanted a wind defensive magic. A storm blew violently with senpai as the center.

The storm also functioned as a protective wind. Even the blades of ice and the bullets of a gatling gun were blown off by the wind and scattered to another direction. ―There was something called [affinity] in offensive and defensive magic. Both Kohaku’s Battou Kaikon and Lotte’s bullets had bad affinity against defensive wind magic.

Hoshikaze-senpai drew near becoming like the running typhoon itself. Kazuki came out in front to cover everyone. Closing in upon Kazuki, Hoshikaze-senpai converged the barrier of wind and drew out an Iai.

What was on her waist was Kazuki’s beloved katana, Doufuu, that he left behind in the Witch's Manor!

(Senpai didn’t wish for a clash of magic but crossing swords against each other!?)

“…Everyone, don’t interfere, it’s okay!”

Kazuki too drew his Iai and intercepted Hoshikaze-senpai’s katana. Blade and blade clashed and they entered a locking of swords.

Kazuki immediately flicked off Hoshikaze-senpai’s katana.

Senpai’s stance became disordered and full of openings. But right at that moment―she invoked her spell.

“Throw down the lightning on my body and grant me lightning fast wit and speed of god…call the sleeping lion and wake up! Ride Lightning!”

Senpai’s movement accelerated! Her disordered stance burst with sparks and she righted her body fiercely.

And then she came flying with lightning speed with the consecutive attacks that Kazuki taught her.

BUN! BUN! BUN! The god speed sword came flying along with terrific sounds of slicing wind.

Kazuki Foresighted the timing and the trajectory of the attacks, ‘GIIN!’ the sound of clashing swords rang out and the attack was repelled.

A sound that was unthinkable that it came from a fight between fellow humans echoed inside the forest.

“Hey…this is a joke right, how can this kind of offense and defense happen in a fight between fellow Magic Division students…”

Kazuha-senpai leaked out an astonished voice. Not to mention the swordsman of the Sword Division, even Kazuki was undoubtedly gazing at Hoshikaze-senpai’s magic sword in wonderment.

But as expected from Kazuki, he could read Hoshikaze-senpai’s movements. That was because her form was exactly like what he taught her himself.

His blade met the god speed swordsmanship, both of their swords were once again locked against each other. Kazuki concentrated his Enchant Aura in one instant and repelled Hoshikaze-senpai’s katana with all his strength. It was the end with that.

Doufuu flew away from Hoshikaze-senpai’s hand and stabbed the nearby earth straightly.

“Senpai, why didn’t you use any magic…?”

Kazuki asked the now unarmed Hoshikaze-senpai.

Hoshikaze-senpai was the Number 2 Magica Stigma in the Magic Division after all. If she turned the fight into an exchange of long-range Summoning Magic, the result would be uncertain even if she was fighting against five people.

“I…I wanted to learn more swordsmanship from you.”

Slowly, tears were flowing from Hoshikaze-senpai’s long-slitted eyes.

“You are the first male friend that I was able to make. The training every morning was fun. Even so…why did you do something that made you be pursued by the student council of the Magic Division!? I…as I thought, I don’t want to fight against you ! I am not as harsh as Kaguya after all…”

The fighting spirit had gone from senpai, her Magic Dress also changed back to her uniform.

Her shoulders sagged down making her look pitiful.

“Senpai, I am being falsely accused.”

“Even if you say that, my position doesn’t allow me to believe you.”

Hoshikaze-senpai glared with teary eyes. That was natural. However…

“That’s why, from here I plan to go look for proof. After that I will come to the Magic Division.”

“Proof? …You will find that kind of thing?”

“Senpai, there is something in the underground of the Magic Division, do you have some knowledge of it?”

“The underground, below the Magic Division?”

Hoshikaze-senpai tilted her head in wonderment. Seeing that look, Kazuki was relieved.

Hoshikaze-senpai was not connected with the [underground ceremony that released the ominous magical power].

“There is something that even all of you senpai don’t know about below this Magic Division. Something that Solomon's 72 Pillars also have nothing to do with, it is someone’s…by chance, maybe it is filled with the ill will of a different Mythology. If the situation keeps going like this, the relation between the Magic Division and the Knight Order with Solomon's 72 Pillars will be threatened. From here I am going to go investigate that location.”

“…So you are really accused with false charges? And to prove that, can you do it…?”

Hoshikaze-senpai blinked her eyes that were wet with tears.

Even in this kind of situation, she was still lending her ears to the voice of this side, she was really an honestly kind prince.

“Yes. I will definitely return to the Witch's Manor. Until then, please look after my soul as a swordsman.”

Kazuki picked up Doufuu that had fallen on the ground and handed it over to Hoshikaze-senpai.

Senpai brought this katana around because she felt that it was the symbol of her bond with Kazuki.

Once again, Kazuki entrusted his beloved katana to Hoshikaze-senpai.

“Understood, I’ll overlook you for today.”

Hoshikaze-senpai sheathed Doufuu, then she wiped her teary eyes repeatedly with the sleeve of her uniform.

“I’ll overlook you for now, but I won’t wait for you too long, okay? If you don’t return soon, there won’t be a next time!”

Senpai said her piece with a pampering tone.

“…Thank you very much, senpai.”

Senpai forced herself a little to make a smile.

“Yeah, I’m glad. This is finished with no need to doubt my friend and cute junior any further. You said that I can trust you, I’m really glad. …Well then, work hard you all.”

Senpai turned on her heel. A small heart mark flew here from her back.

‘This feeling too, I absolutely must not betray it’, Kazuki thought.

There was nothing in that place at a glance.

But for an entrance to the underground that even Hoshikaze-senpai didn’t know anything about, that was only natural.

“It was hidden by a Diva’s magic power. Looks like a seal and concealment are applied at the same time.”

The avatar of Futsunushi no Kami said.

It was in the remote place of the Magic Division’s garden where trees were growing densely. There was nothing that stood out there, but that normalcy itself was unnatural. Despite the hardship of walking about because of the abundance of trees and thickets in their surroundings, only that two or three meters of space that had its soil exposed and turned into wasteland.

“This location is the only spot where reality is distorted. Even someone like me can see it, right now, we are going to sever that seal.”

“…I become the miko of sword. Stone cleaved, root torn, sin cut through, right now in this hand that virtuous sword of crushing evil! Draw sword, Futsunushi no Kami!!”

Kazuha-senpai chanted the Summoning Magic of Futsunushi no Kami. The power of that Sacred Treasure hadn’t been shown by even a portion in the previous duel, this time for sure she held aloft the sword gallantly.

“This sword possesses the power to sever the flow of magical power and seals!”

A flash. Releasing light, Futsunushi no Kami released a beam of light in the air with its slash, a crack was running in that space where there was nothing. It resembled the moment where Cancer was appearing.

The space was smashed up into bits from where the crack formed.

―And then from down there, a totally different scene was appearing.

In the space where there was nothing until just now, a cube made from metal became visible.

Its size was not really considerable, even compared to a single house it was small, a gate was installed in its entrance. At the side of the gate, there was a lens protruding out that looks like some kind of mechanism.

“This is an instrument device to confirm the stigmata. If it confirms the owner of the stigmata, then the gate will be opened. Just once, we tested it with my stigmata on Kazuha and it confirmed and opened.”

When Futsunuhi no Kami said so, Mio who didn’t have any cowardly character at all touched the gate repeatedly.

“This gate is…Adamantite. It’s impossible to break it apart even with Summoning Magic huh. It looks like there is no other way than to make the device confirm our stigmata.”

Adamantite was a new type of steel that was produced by alchemy. It boasted a hardness unthinkable by current science, but its creation needed an advanced magic technique.

The present alchemy couldn’t form anything other than a single simple sheet of metal, moreover because of the ultra weight it boasted, it couldn’t be made into material for weapons, armor, or vehicles. The merit of its utility was small.

“Fabricating a stigmata cannot be done, so from here on only Magica Stigma can enter.”

The present era’s security technique, because of the development of alchemy, new kinds of problems were exposed.

Once <living body confirmation security> like using finger print or retina had the most reliability, but in recent years, various risks of magic forgery were identified.

Copying finger print and retina using magic was not impossible as long as someone was making an effort for it.

In the level of common households, a system using keys and alarms developed using complicated refining alchemy was enough, but the security for the level of insuring the secrets that corporations and the country had was viewed as a problem.

Security using stigmata as confirmation was solid because currently at this point it was impossible to be faked, but it was still an imperfect technique because it couldn’t be used except by Magica Stigma. Perhaps before long a system that would be using the difference of magic power wavelength between each individual would be born, but…

“This device, does it also have an arrangement to record the shape of the confirmed stigmata into some storage?”

“Hmm, it probably does. When it confirmed my stigmata, it didn’t have any knowledge of it so there was no problem at all. But it’s a different story with the stigmata of Solomon's 72 Pillars that you all have. You will be specially considered as intruders the moment you opened the gate. There is a risk, so your confidence is going to be tested here.”

Futsunushi no Kami said with a serious face and tone.

“…However Amasaki Mio, it looks like you are only getting dragged into this, is it really okay for you?”

“N―. According to what all of you said, there is a possibility that the top brass of the Knight Order and the Knight Academy are connected to this gate, so we couldn’t report this to the Knight Order and the Knight Academy right? Then the only fighting power in Japan that can deal with the thing beyond this gate, right now in this place, are the four of us.”

From Kazuki and Lotte, Mio also glanced at Koyuki, then she said four people.

“There is no mistake something rotten is being performed behind this gate. We can't possibly do something like overlooking this. We have to prove Kazuki’s innocence too.”

“…Guwahhahha! You are really a bold girl with a sense of justice!! I've come to think that it’s fine to trust you all unconditionally even without testing you like this!”

Toward Mio who said bluntly without hesitation, Futsunushi no Kami was laughing admiringly.

“…It was unexpected for Amasaki-san to also count me in.”

Koyuki whispered absent-mindedly.

“You are at least as strong as me, after all, so it’s a fact that you can be relied on.”

Relied―Koyuki’s eyes turned wide slightly hearing those words.

But she was embarrassed after all, immediately she averted her sight from Mio and faced aside.

“Is Hiakari-san coming too?”

“…I have already come this far so is that something you need to ask? Things like Kazuki’s innocence is inconsequential for me, but for there to be something like this so near to the Witch's Manor, it cannot just be left alone like this.”

“Thank you, Hiakari-san.”

“Even though I have said that whatever happened to you is inconsequential, why are you still saying thanks?”

“Eh, because you are actually worried about us right?”

“Please listen carefully to what someone is saying.”

This exchange looks like a promise.

“Kazuki, this one cannot accompany you because of the lack of stigmata. But this one’s heart will always be together with you. That’s why when you return safely, marry this one.”

“That’s why I told you I don’t want to marry for the sake of kenjutsu.”

“N, no Kazuki, this one, that is not all…”

“…Don’t just keep making a stir in front of the gate, how about you all just go quickly?”

Kazuha-senpai forcefully slipped between Kazuki and Kohaku.

“If the SHR is over, the Magic Division’s students will come outside for class. Then it will become hard for us to return to the Sword Division, don’t you know? Hush!” She waved her hand with a spiteful gaze.

“…In the case that we haven’t returned after half a day, it’s probably pointless but report it to the Knight Order. The fact is, the only ones who could do anything about what is beyond this gate is only all of you. I’m counting on you somehow.”

Futsunushi no Kami gave those words for the last time.

“Yosh, then let’s go everyone!”

The stigmata confirmation system itself looked like the entrance of the Haunted Ground.

The essential was the same with that time, Kazuki made the back of his hand emit the light of magic power and held it aloft before the device.

―The adamantite door opened with a grave sound. Behind it was stairs that continued underground.

“From the cross-section of that door also functioned as the construction to read the light of the magic power. If you don’t go through it one by one, it will close on its own accord. It will close the moment you go through, you couldn’t try to be sneaky.”

Kazuha-senpai explained how the opening of this door worked.

When Kazuki went through the door, the door closed immediately just like what Kazuha-senpai said.

Even with the door closed, the surrounding was bright. It was a stairway continuing to the underground, but the electric lights in the ceiling emitted bright light.

This side of the door also had the stigmata confirmation device. It looks like they could return when they came back here.

Before long, Mio, Lotte, and Koyuki came through the door in turn after going through the same procedure.

“Hiakari-san, are you nervous by any chance?”

Kazuki noticed that Koyuki’s expression was stiff. It was quite unexpected. The one that was the most accustomed with this among them should be her who often performs solo quests.

“…Nothing, I'm fine. All of us are here already, so let’s advance.”

After they had descended underground for about two floors, they finally reached a corridor that was level.

The walls and the floor were made from concrete, but the more they advanced, the state of their vicinity changed. The hard concrete wall was, ‘dokun’, starting to pulse weakly.

Like entering the inside of a living thing which had its own will….

Even the light of the electric lamp that should be made of inorganic matter turned pale, transitioning into a suspicious tint.

“It looks like Haunted Ground transformation doesn’t it? Even something like Demon Beasts might also come out. Perhaps there are also traps prepared by the owner of this place. In every sense, we really don’t understand what is going on here.”

Mio performed Access, she talked while her body was wrapped in the Magic Dress while also keeping her vigilance.

Next Lotte also changed her clothes into her Magic Dress.

“Kazuki-oniisan, this is something I understood just now desu, but it looks like I can use my magic until level 5 desu. I think it was the influence from Prometheus remembering his own name.”

“Level 3 to level 5…Lotte’s chant is fast, so it is quite a considerable power up.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best!”

When Kazuki was patting Lotte’s head who was grinning happily, Koyuki also replaced her clothes with her Magic Dress. …Somehow her expression was stiff.

“Hiakari-san, perhaps your physical condition is bad?”

“Ah, no…please don’t mind me. Let’s keep advancing forward.”

Her condition weighed a little on his mind, but Koyuki was a solo player with an abundance of experience that Kazuki couldn’t compare with.

That fact made him hesitate to meddle and ask her.

“Then I’ll stand as the vanguard. Mio and Hiakari-san are the rearguard, while Lotte who can fight flexibly shall move to the middle.”

Mio and Koyuki didn’t have any objection, Lotte too replied “Okay, desu” and accepted the special role obediently.

The width of the corridor was around three people standing side by side. When Kazuki who went as the vanguard saw this, he could say that the terrain made it easy for him to protect the back. It made his role as the vanguard even more important.

But, at that time…a rift entered the path of the corridor smoothly.

(Rift?)

And then ‘GAKUN!’, their footing shook. The floor where Kazuki and the others stood started to slide off diagonally, the rift was widening like a big mouth opening wide.

“TRAP!?” Mio yelled. “Everyone, jump!” Kazuki raised his voice.

The floor didn’t fall and opening a hole immediately, the dull concrete where they stood tilted vertically little by little. In that slight time, jumping to the other side of the rift was not a hard thing to do for the magician of this era because they could use Enchant Aura.

Kazuki, Mio, and also Lotte made blue light shine on their feet simultaneously and leapt to the other side of the rift. However―for some reason only Koyuki was still remaining at that spot.

Koyuki was standing stock still on that spot with an uncertain expression. Strangely, there was no flow of magic power that could be sensed from her body. Koyuki’s body was stiff and her face was white as a sheet.

“Hiakari-san!?”

He didn’t understand what her reason was, but right now she couldn’t use magic.

And then the floor tilted rapidly. It went towards the hole where its bottom couldn’t be seen.

Kazuki immediately leapt back to the tilting floor. And then his arms caught Koyuki’s body that was sliding down in the nick of time. And now―they were falling down together.

“Kazuki!?” He could hear Mio’s scream.

―With their postures as it was, there was no method to return to where Mio and Lotte were. The floor had already finished tilting down, there was no more place he could kick off with his foot. He couldn’t do anything other than to just let his body fall down.

Their bodies were falling down…Mio and Lotte’s figures were becoming farther rapidly….

‘zuzuzu’, The floor started to move once again after dropping off Kazuki and Koyuki, the dropping hole started to get blocked.

“Kazu, ki…”

Inside Kazuki’s arms, a scared moan of Koyuki’s voice was leaking out.

The two keep falling down just like that toward the unknown depth.

Translator's Notes and References

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