Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 5 Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Tally of Votes

Part 1

Passing through the promised one week, when the end of days of his monitoring of Karin, or it could be possibly likened as accustoming a wild animal to eat food given by humans. Anyway, when the end of those days came, Kazuki returned to his usual normal days once more.

And then in this school day that he had missed for quite long―it was also the same day for the voting of the Chief Student Council President after the election battle.

“Well then, after the distribution of the blank voting paper, write the name of the candidate that you support.”

After Liz Liza-sensei said so, she distributed the voting paper to the students in the classroom.

The paper also reached to Kazuki who was sitting in his missed chair that he hadn’t sat on for a week.

From his surroundings, he began to hear the rhythmical sounds of pen tips dancing around on the voting papers.

…Should I vote for myself? In front of the voting paper, Kazuki felt lost.

But after he became a candidate, it might be irresponsible if he couldn’t puff out his chest and claim that [I am without a doubt fitting as the Chief Student Council President]. Finally Kazuki wrote down his own name with what-do-I-care attitude.

*chon chon*, Kazuki’s back was poked. Behind Kazuki was the seat of Koyuki.

“…In the period while Kazuki took a break, the academy had gone through a serious situation you know?”

“Serious situation?” Kazuki replied without turning his head.

“Because of the Takasugi brothers, they conducted an extensive election campaign…”

After the battle election tournament ended, it wasn’t like the candidates couldn’t do any appeal anymore. Public address, pamphlet distribution…in this one week there was many things that could be done.

“Every time it was break time, the Takasugi brothers kept repeating speeches with unpleasant contents. Those days were tedious periods.”

“Ah, I can imagine it. …Though I left my election campaign to Mio and the others, did it go well I wonder?”

Kazuki entrusted the election campaign to his teammates Mio and Kohaku as his representatives.

The advocacy that Kazuki wanted to convey―[The Magic Division and the Sword Division’s equality and friendship]

[Research of tactics unbounded by Heaven and Earth Formation and the class to incorporate it]

[Flexibility of the treatment and application toward illegal summoning of Diva outside the Solomon 72 Pillar]

[Commencement of Sacred Treasure’s experimental use continuously and, tactic research to make use of it] ―those matters.

Sure enough, could the students agree with those advocacies? Including the matter of how he didn’t show his face at all in front of the students in this one week, there was no doubt that it was disadvantageous for Kazuki.

“It’s fine. Amasaki-san did it properly. She also made a poster.”

Koyuki handed him some kind of paper from behind.

When he opened the folded up poster, there was a printing of Kazuki’s illustration inside that was drawn in an awfully shoujo manga chick pattern. Painting of anime tone. Eyes that were twinkling brightly. Nose and jaw that tapered angularly. Tall and thin body proportion that looked like a walking stick…

Beside the illustration, it was accompanied with a speech balloon that said [Follow me!]. The background was the universe for some reason.

“…It became like this while I was resting? I…”

Beside Kazuki who was trembling all over, the girls who were in the neighboring seats were chuckling. “We are going to follow you until the end of the space you know, Chief Student Council President!”

The girls in the other neighboring seat were also looking this way. “Even more than Hayashizaki-kun’s advocacy, it was an election campaign that conveyed more of the fact that Amasaki-san likes Hayashizaki-kun so very much right?”

“Well, it got you favorable reputation.” Koyuki said. “It has more than just formality, there is also intimacy in it.”

Intimacy…. He had quite a feeling that to have the intimacy in it was the most important thing compared to anything else.

Noticing this side’s conversation, Mio who sat in the front row of the classroom looked back and waved her hand.

“Kazuki! That poster, I was the one that drew it you know! How is it!?”

“Shut your mouth you trashes! Don’t talk of unrelated matter!! Don’t do any discussion too!!”

Having Liz Liza-sensei’s scolding resound, Mio shrunk her shoulder in fluster and fixed her gaze back to the front.

Before long the voting paper was folded until the content couldn’t be seen and it was collected.

And then in the afternoon of that day, the student general meeting was conducted. Finally the voting result would be announced.

In the seats of the auditorium, all the students except the third years lined up. The third years of the Knight Academy were going through practical training in the form of rotation to the Knight Order of the whole country. Their appearance also couldn’t be seen in this day. It became that their vote didn’t get counted in the total tally.

The sixteen candidates including Kazuki were sitting in a row on top of the stage that overlooked the students.

Headmaster Amasaki and Board Chairman Takasugi appeared on the center of the stage in turn. They each made the greeting for their own inauguration.

And then it became the programme of the voting’s result announcement.

The auditorium returned to deadly silence. However, the presenter Headmaster Amasaki who was standing in front of the mike didn’t open his mouth.

Before long Liz Liza-sensei came running from the wing of the stage. She informed the lateness of vote’s tally.

The students were noisy. For some reason it seemed that the announcement of the voting result would still take some time.

Kazuki who was on top of the stage was also feeling his own nervousness rise.

Nervousness―Kazuki was someone that was recommended by Headmaster Amasaki rather than stepping forward by his own will. Kazuki himself naturally also had a feeling like [I who just enrolled this academy for around two months am…].

But if there were people saying to him that he was fitting to become the Chief Student Council, a feeling that he wanted to answer those expectations also became stronger day by day when he went through the battle election.

Kazuki took a glance at the rivalscandidates that were sitting in a row beside him.

He wouldn’t mind if he lost to Kaguya-senpai or Hikaru-senpai.

But the other thirteen candidates were mixed with enemies that he had doubt of.

The first was of course, Takasugi Shūsui who he didn’t want to get elected.

And then those others seniors from the Sword Division―Mino Tamiya, Shiraha Sekairi, Oguma Tokaku, and Mikogami Daizen too were also dangerous characters that had a high possibility of being intimate with the new Board Chairman Takasugi.

It seemed that they were doing [Anti Magic Division] speech in the period of election campaign.

The candidates from his own Magic Division, Miyamoto Reina, Kiritani Natsuo, Yumeno Shiori, and Tsukimiya Shion, these four people were all right people. Those girls were included in the group that assaulted him in the middle of the date with Hikaru-senpai.

In short they were candidates that were brainwashed by Hayashi Shizuka. They were already released from that brainwashing.

The next was the group of delinquent students from the Magic Division. …They were not even brainwashed, having said that it were unclear what they even wanted to do if they got elected as student council president. Probably they didn’t even have any purpose when becoming a candidate, a doubtful group of students.

That Mibu Akira was [wanting to show her good side in the battle election], but the other candidates, Iwatami Reiko, Akihita Hibari, and Karino Mika were not limited to that kind of reason. They might be pawn candidates that were encouraged or bribed by Board Chairman Takasugi.

Saying it broadly, Hayashizaki Kazuki – Otonashi Kaguya – Hoshikaze Hikaru – Miyamoto Reina - Kiritani Natsuo - Yumeno Shiori - Tsukimiya Shion - Mibu Akira, these eight people were characters that were not related with Board Chairman Takasugi’s scheme for certain.

And then the remaining eight people, some were included in the grey zone, but they were Kazuki’s [political opponent] so to speak.

If he thought of it properly, Kazuki was the champion of the tournament, the second place was Mibu-senpai, third place and fourth place were Kaguya-senpai and Hikaru-senpai, so he had no need to worry. However this battle election was shadowed by suspicious happenings from the start till the end. Owing to that, even now Kazuki couldn’t wipe his uneasiness yet.

…Was there still some kind of plot remaining that would make a complete reversal of this situation….

“The tally is over!” A voice colored with exhaustion could be heard, Liz Liza-sensei came running from the wing of the stage. Headmaster Amasaki received the paper of the tally’s result and informed “Then I will conduct the announcement”. The inside of the auditorium returned to silence. Kazuki too felt dryness inside his mouth, he gulped his saliva audibly.

“I will only announce the five top names in the number of votes obtained.”

What was important was only the first place. Even if the lower rank’s vote tally were announced it was nothing more than a public humiliation.

“Fifth place, Takasugi Shūsui. Number of votes obtained, 23 votes.

Fourth place, Yumeno Shiori. Number of votes obtained, 25 votes.

Third place, Hoshikaze Hikaru. Number of votes obtained, 76 votes.

Second place, Otonashi Kaguya. Number of votes obtained, 112 votes.

First place―Hayashizaki Kazuki. Number of votes obtained, 263 votes.

That’s all, possessing the majority of the votes, Hayashizaki Kazuki is elected as the Chief Student Council President.”

After a moment of silence, the auditorium was enveloped with loud cheers. Even on top of the stage…Kaguya-senpai and Hikaru-senpai and Yumeno-san, the other candidates gave a round of applause to Kazuki.

Kazuki was being dazed and listened to the loud cheers and applause for a while. After that the self-awareness of the fact that he was being elected came late. He was being elected properly without any incident…

…Then the matter this time, could he say that he had finally reached a checkpoint where he could pause with this? Everything was over…?

“Chief Student Council President, the general policy speech.”

He was urged by Headmaster Amasaki. Kazuki brazenly walked to the center of the stage and stood in front of the mike.

He faced about the applause that reverberated through the auditorium. Already, he couldn’t act overly humble or servile anymore.

There were people that thought of him. Answering that and making great effort, gave birth to bonds―

Right now, he was standing right here.

“I receive this appointment to become the Chief Student Council President because of the support from everyone.”

Even in the case that they were not elected, all the candidates were told to think of the content of their speech beforehand. Kazuki read out loud the script inside the memory of his head.

“I have enrolled in this academy for less than two months, honestly there are still many things that I don’t have any idea about. I would likely going to rely on many things to both the student council president of the Magic Division and the Sword Division. Even so I intend to understand the things that I should do by myself and the things that I want to do.

The fifteen years where magic was born in this world, along with the cooperation of Solomon 72 Pillar, this academy was established. The time has come where we should stop being in the age where we are just wielding about this new principle of the world without any idea of what we are doing. Magica Stigma has to stop being haughty of their own power. The swordsmen has to have pride of their own training. Both sides joining hands together. The strong power to cut through this [new era of sword and magic] has to be grasped within the two hands joining together.

I think it is the professional duties of this Knight Academy’s Chief Student Council President to be the keystone of that turning point.

To cause a change that had never been seen until now by our own hand is going to be accompanied with the feeling of walking inside the darkness groping about blindly. However even inside the darkness, as long as you advance without letting go of the hands of your comrades, you should be able to discover the light without fail. The Chief Student Council President as the existence that connects the Magic Division and the Sword Division, the one who stands as the vanguard inside this darkness, right here I will declare my resolve to face this challenge.”

Even while choosing decorated words, Kazuki intended to insert his own will inside those speeches.

“…For the last, to those people that reached out their warm hands, accepted, and supported this me that is of different nature when seen in various surface as far as this academy is concerned, once again I express my gratitude. With all my heart, thank you very much.”

With a lowering of his head with a bob, the applause that was stopped in the middle of the speech returned with the vigor of heavy thunder.

{Leme is going to get troubled if you don’t live up even more to Leme’s expectation okay? Shine, o future Harem King!}

Inside Kazuki’s head, Leme’s encouraging voice also rang out.

Part 2

When the student general assembly was over and it became after school, Kazuki hurriedly sprinted back to the Witch’s Mansion. He went to look for Karin’s situation for the moment.

“So the school is over, Hayashizaki Kazuki. You are slow. It’s boring playing game alone, so it’d be fine to compete against you or Charlotte.”

―Karin who swore to enter Kazuki’s circle of comrades along with Tamamo no Mae had become a NEET that got addicted to anime and game in this span of a few days.

“Also my stomach is hungry, so it’d be fine to eat your homemade snack.”

In this one week period of monitoring, this girl had experienced depending on Kazuki’s life support entirely.

Kazuki seized that kind of Karin’s scruff of the neck.

“From now on Karin will be going to school too.”

“Wha, what? Is it to the Magic Division?”

Karin’s monitoring period was already over. He also had already obtained the permission from Headmaster Amasaki about this matter.

If that had been decided then the girl must be returned to school without delay. If she kept living like this he had the feeling that she would become a NEET that was too late to be saved. The place she would be going was not the detention facility but to the place where Kazuki’s eyes could reach―the Magic Division.

Kazuki had become the Chief Student Council President, so he was able to advance the procedure for changing course speedily.

“We have to give you your own room in the Witch’s Mansion too. There are several empty rooms here.”

“Wha!? You bastard-! You are planning to cancel my monitoring!?”

Being informed of the sudden separation, Karin yelled in a shocked condition.

“Are you lonely?”

“Hmph, I’m not lonely at all.”

“I’m going to be lonely you know?”

“Fuh, what an effeminate guy. Well, if you bastard say so it’s fine even if I stay together with you.”

“But get out. Get out right now. Come on get out.”

“Wait a second! I might be coming to assassinate you again you know, this me!?”

“You are not going to do that already, I believe in you.”

“No way―! I ‘m staying here―! Snackk―kk!!” Like that, the quack assassin kicked and struggled.

While Kazuki dragged out Karin’s scruff of the neck, he hurriedly headed to <Student Council Room>.

Student Council Room―to the end the Witch’s Mansion was a place for living, so there existed a separate location purely for working in the main school building of the Magic Division.

For Kazuki who had never been helping except as the servant in the Witch’s Mansion, this was his first time entering the student council room.

“Once again congratulations, Otouto-kun!”

The instant the door opened, the smiling face of Kaguya-senpai come flying right in front of his eyes. It seemed she had been in waiting in front of the door, senpai’s forehead was real close it almost touched Kazuki’s jaw.

“Fufufu-, and also welcome to the student council room of the Magic Division! Chief Student Council President-dono!!”

Kaguya-senpai performed a bow, then she invited Kazuki to enter the room.

The student council room differed from the elegant atmosphere of the Witch’s Mansion, it had a business-like uproarious space.

…So this is the place where Kaguya-senpai and Hikaru-senpai does their student council work.

What stole his eye the foremost was the desk that held the four personal computers in the middle of the room. Among those it looked like two were unused, it was transformed into a state where paperwork, coffee maker, and snacks were piled on it.

There was also multi-functioned machine that was equipped with printer and copy function, but papers that were printed wrongly were left alone slovenly as it were on the ejection tray.

Large numbers of paperwork files and URD that preserved electronic information was stored in the bookcase, but those that didn’t have space left in the bookcase were piled up into a mountain on the floor. The decorative plant that was put beside it was losing its vitality.

…It was a room that made him pictured Kaguya-senpai and Hikaru-senpai doing their job frantically. Kazuki felt the itch to first start from cleaning up the room and then tidying and putting everything in order.

Inside this cramped space, his usual comrades were lining up in full force.

“That was very cool! If I was the one that got elected I wouldn’t be able to say such things, ahaha.”

“Nii-sama! Kanae is filled with emotion both as big sister and as little sister in this big moment of Nii-sama!!”

“So Karin-oneesan is coming too desu-!” Lotte hugged Karin that was led here by Kazuki.

“Wha, what, I’m not playing around now!” Like that, Karin gave out a shy reaction.

“…I don’t think it’s good for the Chief Student Council President to perform his duties in the Magic Division’s student council room. It feels like he is leaning too much to the Magic Division like this.”

Kaguya-senpai murmured like she was worrying about the fellow of the Sword Division like Kanae or Kohaku.

“It doesn’t really matter doesn’t it? Nii-sama is a student of the Magic Division. It’d be troublesome if it’s not in the Magic Division student council room and Nii-sama moves away. If from now on there is a matter that the student of the Sword Division has to bring to the Chief Student Council President, at that time it’ll be fine to use the student council room of the Sword Division.”

Kanae’s expression became bitter while talking.

“…Or perhaps I should say, in the first place the school building of the Sword Division is still a wreck.”

The scar of destruction that was left behind in the Sword Division by the Quad Core Magica that Naiarlatoteph directed couldn’t be returned to its former state in just two weeks even with the use of the latest construction technique that used alchemy freely. Currently it was in the middle of construction with high praise.

Fortunately the student dormitory was safe so the students could continue their life in dormitory, but the classes were conducted in temporary prefab school building. It seemed they were in a situation that prioritized practical skill class that was performed outside as much as possible.

“Now that you mentioned it, in the end what happened with the organization of the Sword Division’s student council?”

“…Because Kohaku resigned as the student council president, in the end the voting for the election of the Sword Division’s officers was also performed today. Thereupon I became the student council president and Kohaku was the vice student council president…”

Kanae answered Kazuki’s question with her shoulders dropping very low in dejection. In contrast Kohaku’s cheek was blushing and she cheerily said things like “I’m happy that I can work with Kana-nyan-senpai”.

“If I am supported from both sides by Kaguya-senpai and Kanae, then I can rest easy.”

“Now that we are talking, what is the job of Kazuki as the Chief Student Council President anyway?”

Mio spoke of the essential question.

“The Chief Student Council President doesn’t need to takeover the work that I and Kana-chan has done until now, so what Otouto-kun going to do is [the new work that have never been done until now] or something. …Things like a totally new project design for connecting the Magic Division and the Sword Division and its implementation I wonder.”

“Hee, project! Then, how about combined Magic Division and Sword Division excursion!?”

Mio made her proposal with excited expression.

“At the very least we should do a combined athletic festival or culture festival together! If that happened I could enjoy school event together with Nii-sama!”

Kanae too talked in agreement with Mio’s opinion. Until now the Magic Division and the Sword Division were managed as if the two were separate schools. Because of that their school events were all done separately.

“We should talk about everyday classes before an event like that you know. To heighten the cooperation between swordsman and Magika Stigma even more, we should adopt a combined tactic research class. Growing out of the Heaven and Earth Formation is also one of Kazuki’s public promise after all.”

Hikaru-senpai who wore serious expression put out a proposal fitting for a senior.

“Sacred Treasures treatment too, this one will be troubled too if there is no class work for that.”

Kohaku too interjected with earnest voice. Upping the battle power of swordsman with the application of Sacred Treasure was her dearest wish.

“The things the Magic Division can do, the things the Sword Division can do…so they could mutually understand each other respectively, how about publishing school newspaper?”

Koyuki too expressed her opinion properly. Because she said newspaper, indeed it sounds fun.

“The right to sanction things like budget integration goes to Otouto-kun after all. The last responsibility is in Otouto-kun okay?”

Kaguya-senpai talked with expression that disallowed any pampering. A lot of opinion came out without even any time to take a memo.

“This kind of really new thing, so it’s my job to start a committee or something and then advancing it steadily. …The first priority might be to create a school newspaper for the point of contact between us and the students to let them know of our activity and also for us to take in their opinion.”

…Suddenly Kazuki looked around everyone’s face, he noticed the lack of someone from the usual members here.

There was no appearance of Kazuha-senpai. Senpai was not someone related to the student council of the Magic Division and the Sword Division, so she didn’t have any duty to come to this place, but….

“Kohaku, what is going on with Kazuha-senpai…?”

Kazuki quietly walked near Kohaku’s spot and whispered into her ear.

“This one invited her to come together here, but her expression darkened for some reason and she refused.”

Kohaku’s expression clouded as she answered. Kazuki felt his chest stirred unpleasantly. He hadn’t had a conversation with Kazuha-senpai after he forcibly kissed her.

“If you have business with Kazuha-senpai, this one think she is in the [altar of the sword god] ―the usual abandoned clubroom.”

In the middle of the ringing out sounds of the construction work for the rebuilding, Kazuki traversed the ground of the Sword Division that was painful to look at with the destruction that was still here and there. He walked to the abandoned clubroom where he once encountered Kazuha-senpai. Ascending the outer stairs of the clubroom building with *kan kan* clanging noise, he arrived in front of the clubroom located in the second floor. Kazuki knocked the door while feeling nervous.

“The pingpong club is abolished so we are not taking new application of club member anymore―” Kazuha-senpai’s voice came back like that.

“…I am Hayashizaki though.”

“EAA!? Hayashizaki!?”

“There is something I must talk with senpai.”

Slowly opening the door, Kazuha-senpai showed out her face.

In any case Kazuki let out a breath in relief that senpai showed her face to him.

However Kazuha-senpai that was facing him directly had her face boiled red in the blink of eye.

“…!” Kazuha-senpai caught her breath and averted her eyes from Kazuki in a snap. Then with half tackling she wrenched open the gap between Kazuki and the door *dokan* and slipped through.

“Senpai!?”Kazuki was panicked and pursued her back. There was a difference in their running ability. Kazuki caught up with her immediately around the area where Kanae and Kohaku once fought.

“Senpai, please don’t run and talk to me!” Kazuki caught Kazuha-senpai’s hand while gasping.

To chase a fleeing girl and caught her elbow forcibly…feeling of guilt welled up inside him overbearingly, but if he couldn’t talk with Kazuha-senpai in this place he had a gut feeling that he would completely lose something that couldn’t be recovered.

Without looking Kazuki’s way, Kazuha-senpai whose elbow was restrained opened her mouth.

“You…I hear the more you get closer with a girl the stronger you become.”

Kazuki’s mind froze all of a sudden.

“I want to talk about that after this but…where did you hear it from?”

“After that, Otonashi Kaguya taught me. About what you did to me suddenly, the kiss too…”

It seemed Kaguya-senpai saw the figure of Kazuki wielding Futsunushi no Kami and guessed everything.

Kazuha-senpai had already known, about how he stole her first kiss looking for power.

“…Senpai, but I” The helpless Kazuki opened his mouth to make excuse.

“That Karin too, did you help her planning to [conquer] that girl? Did you kiss me for that purpose? Helping girls for the sake of becoming closer to them…you kissed other girls for that purpose…you did that kind of thing repeatedly for that!?”

“That’s not true! I don’t have that kind of inten…!”

“…I know. Sorry, I, said something unreasonable…. I got it already, the one who said to help Karin is also me, certainly there was no other way at all before, moreover I, that time you kissed me………I don’t particularly hate it.”

“Kazuha-senpai…?”

“But I don’t like that kind of me! I don’t want to understand and accept you!”

Kazuha-senpai was shaking her head in exaggerated motion and raised an exasperated voice.

“Kazuha-senpai, forgive me. To forcibly do that kind of thing…”

“It’s fine if you don’t apologize! You didn’t do anything bad! But I cannot not say this complaint!! Because…a girl’s first kiss is really important you know!! Even me, even me even though I had imagined that my kiss would get stolen in a more romantic situation!”

Senpai’s voice, shoulders, were shaking. Even with her back turned at him, he knew that she was crying.

“Despite so…despite so, with a guy like you, that is friendly with various girls, to get kissed like this…!!”

“I’m sorry, senpai. But, I didn’t steal senpai’s kiss with a simple feeling. But certainly it was also not a pure feeling. But…even in the case that I have to do over that moment one more time, I’ll do the same thing.”

“Do you think I can consent just like that―!! Saying but but but, don’t keep repeating contradictory things―!!”

Kazuha-senpai yelled out in order to spit out the feeling that she didn’t have an outlet to express.

“I, had changed my feelings from how I hated you. …I had fun fighting together with you. I had a feeling I can become strong without limit. …But, right now I don’t want to see your face already.”

The words that came from senpai’s back were―the words of parting.

And then senpai tried to run away once more. Kazuki panicked and caught her arm once more.

“Senpai, please wait!”

“Do, don’t touch me, let go!”

“I, I don’t want to break off my relationship like this with senpai. Can’t we somehow return to how we were before?”

“…Doing thing like kissing already, of course there is no way we can go back to before…!”

To make a kiss they had done once already as if into nothing, that was something impossible to do.

If he thought of the weight of that act…that was really obvious.

“Senpai said to me to not apologize. But, because of that I hate to part with senpai quarreling like this. Please let me atone in some way. Whatever it is I’ll do it, this kind of thing is unpleasant.”

Finally Kazuha-senpai turned to look at him. Senpai’s face from her nose to her cheek, even further until her ear had become bright red. Her glaring eyes that was shining with tears looked completely like a flipped blade of a knife.

“………Then, take responsibility.” Kazuha-senpai said while sniffing *gusu* from her nose.

“In what way I could take responsibility?”

“………Kiss me over again, this time in a romantic situation that could make me content.”

“Eh?” …Romantic, she said?

“In this one month! If in this one month you cannot kiss me in a romantic situation that I can approve, on top of that if you do it unnaturally, then its permanent break-off!!”

“Please wait a second senpai! Aren’t you just saying some earth-shattering things because you got carried away with the momentum!?”

“Idiot! Womanizer!! If you are just going to back away…then why did you restrain me like this! As I thought someone like you, is someone I hate the most!!”

She shook off Kazuki’s hand that unintentionally slackened. Then as if to hide her bright red face, Kazuha-senpai turned her back and dashed away in full speed. This time unable to chase after her, Kazuki recovered from his daze. The inside of his head was dizzy. An unthinkable difficult problem came flying that he never even imagined.

Romantic she said…what is the meaning of romantic?

“…E, even though I thought that she hated me, I really have no idea of what happened.”

Tsukahara Kazuha―62. By reflex the display of the positivity level floated in front of his eyes.

“Puh, kukuku…this is, I happened to witness an unexpected scene of carnage just now.”

Suddenly, a voice came from the shadow of the tree beside him. …Appearing in unexpected places and unexpected moments, a voice he remembered hearing before…

“Kaya!?”

“Long time no see huh. As always Onii-chan looks like you are getting along well with girls, making me laugh unintentionally that one.”

A silver haired girl dressing her body in punk fashion of T-shirt and damaged jeans.

The companion that always caused a foreboding premonition inside Kazuki’s chest was here.

“We didn’t meet recently, so I come to give my blessing after Onii-chan became the boss of this academy. And then when I sneak around, I happened to meet this kind of farce. Kukuku…”

Kaya laughed arrogantly. But what she saw was not something like a farce for the person concerned. Also what is called the Chief Student Council President was something that tied everyone together, it was nothing like a boss.

He noticed a girl accompanying Kaya beside her.

A black figure like a shadow―the moment their eyes met, Kazuki felt indescribable chill.

She was a girl in the age around middle schooler with black hair and black skin. In order to match with Kaya’s punk fashion, she was wearing black no-sleeve parka with hood that was worn low over her eyes and a miniskirt tied with belt decorated with studs. The legs that extended from there were also long, slender and well proportioned black legs.

It should be their first time meeting each other. Despite so he felt a chill that was carved into his heart from somewhere….

“I also thought of introducing this child. Come on, take off your hood when you are introducing yourself.”

Kaya reached out her hand from the side and removed the parka’s hood from covering the girl.

A long ear leaped out with a ‘pyon’ along with jet black hair.

“No-!” With that she shook her head and the girl fixed back the hood to cover her head again.

The ears just now was elf…no, but this color of hair and skin was….

“The name of this kid is, Naiarlako you know.”

Kaya called that name with good mood as if she was singing. The girl was “That’s not true!” and raised an angry voice.

“I, I’m not something like Naiarla or whatever! I am Maya. That’s the name that Kaya named me, so call me properly with that…!”

“Fufufu, sorry okay, Naiarlako♪”

Kaya called her like that again without correcting herself, she stroked Maya’s head over the hood and made fun of her.

The black girl was “Uu―” and she looked down with teary eyes.

…Naiarlako. Kazuki’s whole body got a goosebumps. It couldn’t be, no, what was going on?

“Fufufuu♪ This child is also an elf. No, I wonder if she should be called a dark elf. The debut in this country, Dark Elf! Well, if the secret of the trick is disclosed, it’s just because [a certain black thing] was inserted into the mind of the girl that her skin and hair became black though. This kind of phenomenon, does Onii-chan happen to know about it?”

He knew. The time when a certain Diva took over the flesh body of Koyuki temporarily―Koyuki’s body transformed into black like this. The name of that Diva was…!

“That’s right, inside the mind of this child, a <fragment of Naiarlatoteph> is residing.”

…Naiarlatoteph was supposed to be defeated already! Without even a fragment left in this world!

“A nobody but also a somebody, <The Faceless God> Naiarlatoteph can split his mind in great number. What a plainly awesome ability, his power of existence is not something half baked. As his insurance when push comes to shove, Naiarlatoteph entrusted a piece of his smallest ego that he divided to me you know?”

Kazuki was dumbfounded from that shocking revelation. He was not destroyed…that evil god was….

“Why are you with Naiarlatoteph do…?”

“At first I…Loki noticed that the headmaster of this academy was Naiarlatoteph. That was why we made a contact asking if he could become our comrade. That negotiation failed, but in exchange the guy entrusted his fragment of existence to me. In exchange for sheltering his fragment, in the time of ruin of Naiarlatoteph’s main body it’d be fine to add this mini Naiarlatoteph as our comrade…that was what the guy said, he exchanged promise with us.”

Kaya pulled off Maya’s hood once more and exposed the elf ear.

“Then joyously Naiarlatoteph’s main body died, so I picked one of the elfexperimental body Naiarlatoteph stocked, and there I planted the fragment of Naiarlatoteph. That’s why this child is Naiarlako-san.”

“I’m Maya I said! …I am, going to master this power’s factor…!”

But Maya’s expression immediately distorted in pain and she held her own head.

“Inside this child, Naiarlatoteph is trying to recover his power slowly. In reverse this child is trying to not lose against that, while his power is weak she is attempting to tame Naiarlatoteph and make him into a mere power supply. What a super interesting sample right, this child. If she could break Nairlatoteph thoroughly while he is weak, this child might be able to control him.”

“I am not Naiarla-whatever! I’m Maya!”

While holding her head, Maya raised a scream that was the proof of her existence.

“For that reason, this is my comrade Naiarlako-san.”

“…Why are you trying to revive that kind of Diva? That worst Diva!!”

“Naiarlatoteph was going through weakening and was a worthless Diva, but a Diva that specialized in mental pollution until that degree is valuable so I want to add him into my comrade by all means. Something like [Psycho Noise] that could obstruct a large number of Magika Stigma altogether from chanting without a doubt will be useful in a fight against humans after all.”

Psycho Noise―producing sound wave that obstructed spell chanting and making Magika Stigmas powerless.

The one who could break through the effect and continued to chant at that time was only Kaguya-senpai.

“Moreover Onii-chan said things like the worst Diva but…I wonder if Naiarlatoteph is really that bad? Isn’t that nothing more than Onii-chan’s own opinion? That guy is played around by the logic of the world and got weakened. He was desperately trying what he could do in the middle of unblessed environment with all his power. That’s all there is to it. Using all he could for the sake of his existence…there is nothing bad with that right?”

Like how human domesticated animal and pushed them into cramped cage in order to procure the stability of their food…could that be said to be righteous, or was it something that should be called evil? If the angle of the ethics was changed it would go through an upheaval.

“Rather aren’t the ones who dragged Onii-chan’s feet behind are the incompetent government of this country and the incompetent adults of this academy!?” Kaya yelled as if spitting out.

“It was that Headmaster Otonashi that used Naiarlatoteph that was just desperate to live for his own interest! Onii-chan…how long are you going to be loyal for the sake of all these low-life?”

“I am…being loyal to them?”

“Even Onii-chan is just being used you know? Isn’t it absurd? Using that power not just for your sake, but for the sake of those fools!”

“…I don’t think like that. I use my own power by my own will. …In short what is it Kaya want to say?”

“Just become my comrade. Cast away those foolish adults behind.”

Then Kaya’s mouth warped and she talked to give a speech.

“People is creating groups guided by the gods <Order>, the weak human’s chance of survival increase with the creation of group!”

Order―there was two types of element that were Order and Chaos that each Diva belonged to, Kaya once said.

The one who aimed for Lotte’s life was the gods of Order of the Norse Mythology that pushed severe commandment to the people.

“However as the group become organization of Order, degeneration will appear without fail. When a hierarchical relation is born, the human that had experienced the top position will think only about his self-protection and neglect the benefit for the whole body. A weak ideal will only get defiled and smeared all over by the poop of those sleazebags!”

The degeneration of the human that stood at the top―certainly there was people like that in the reality that Kazuki faced in his way until now.

“Then what do you think human should do?”

“That’s why, it’s <Chaos>. The Chaos that humankind once abandoned, now is the time that it should be revived. Obtaining the power called magic, human is not weak anymore. The current us should realize that we have no need of things like group anymore. Things like rule is unneeded. Live doing things that you want to do as you please. Crush the degenerated hierarchical relationship to the dust, seek for happiness as you please inside the Chaotic world! Before long Onii-chan too is going to break away from the stupid chain binding you, then let’s come together with me, that’s what I’m saying!”

“Isn’t that just a mere survival of the fittest? What difference is there between your Chaos and this degenerated hierarchical relationship?” He understood instinctively that their opinions were mutually exclusive with each other. He returned a question in order to oppose her.

“A world where a human who is not even strong without any worth to speak of greedily monopolized the ruling class, and a world where a human with worth always get recognized at the top position, both of them are totally different things.”

“But with that way of doing things in the end oppressed weak people will always appear!”

“Don’t you know, the humankind would abandon the word called equality before they even realized.”

Kaya talked with cruel expression. The girl’s logic was―whatever happened as long as myself is fine then it doesn’t matter, it was that kind of logic. Her own self was strong, that was why she could be so haughty….

“Then I cannot be together with you.”

The smiling Kaya twitched her eyebrow and trembled. “…Recently Onii-chan is getting along well with someone like Beatrix. I wonder if Onii-chan even got indoctrinated by that girl?”

“That kind of girl had nothing to do with this. I don’t have any intention to make friends or anything with her.”

“Then, why is Onii-chan sticking to the side of Order.”

“It’s not the case that I went along with the side of Order or whatever. Right now I…am together with my important companions. I am living together with everyone in a small place called the Witch’s Mansion…occasionally there are also times when our thinking comes to a head with each other. Even so we considered each other’s feelings…”

Particularly Lotte.

“making rules…”

Kaguya-senpai despite appearances skillfully restricted the conduct of everyone nonchalantly and brought them together.

“with compromise for each other…”

Even though Mio was making Hikaru-senpai to look more like a girl, Hikaru-senpai was cooperating.

“With that everyone can obtain happiness. The rule that is created from thinking of each other, tying bonds and bringing them together, I am in no way rejecting Order. That is the civilization and society itself.”

“It’s going to rot someday. The last stop of the bonds between people is degeneration.”

“I don’t think I will become happy doing only the things that I want to do. No matter how strong a human I become, I cannot feel happy alone. If I live doing whatever I please, I will join hands together with someone only at that moment where our interest match…ultimately that will keep me in solitude.”

“It’s okay for strong human to be in solitude you know? I like Onii-chan, but it’s not a reason to always want to be together forever. Surely there will be things thought to be troublesome, moments where we mutually despaired. If we are only doing the thing that we both want to do, then we can only see the good side of the other party.”

“If it’s with someone that is truly precious for you, you can actually feel happy with human relationship that is troublesome or so. Just like how there is worth in doing team battle compared to fighting solo even though it’s more complicated. Just because you said human had become stronger compared to the past by using magic, there is no need to go as far as throwing away the being together with other people. Magic is for the sake of understanding other people, alchemy make the world plentiful, it’s fine to use strong power for the sake of other people.”

“What Onii-chan saying is just a mere pipe dream. Things like using strong power for other people’s sake is impossible. What is called power is more fun to be used for trampling other people underfoot compared to using it for other reason just so you know!”

In this world humans who enjoyed trampling weak humans even without any reason at all, certainly existed.

However that kind of people, why in the world they became human with that kind character….

“Even so I believe in people.”

“For me, I don’t believe the likes of people.”

Kazuki and Kaya glared at each other.

“…Why are me and Onii-chan who originated from the same orphanage can have this much difference in thinking?”

Because at that time when you were trembling from loneliness, there was no one that reached out his hand for you….

Kaya turned her back to Kazuki abruptly.

“Got it. I’m going to make Onii-chan regret it. If I cannot obtain Onii-chan then I don’t need you. I’ll trample Onii-chan down and make you cry. I who is stronger than Onii-chan will teach you despair. Because I am rapidly collecting strong allies even other than Naiarlako. I still have an even more great surprise you know? With Onii-chan’s crushed and pitiful figure that is exposed because of my power, everyone around you will leave. At that time Onii-chan will know of degeneration…”

“…Kaya…don’t you feel any loneliness?”

Kazuki asked that back. Kaya turned back and directed at him eyes without any doubt in it.

“Since I got my hands on Loki’s strong power, I never felt any loneliness for even once.”

That became the conclusion of everything and the decisive failure of the two.

Translator's Notes and References

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