Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 6 Chapter 2

Status: Incomplete

3/8 parts completed

   

Chapter 2 Sneak MissionEnemy territory Infiltration

Part 1

“Cramped! Cramped cramped the distance is too cloo―se-! I really dislike you! Despite so, how can your face stay calm even when going through this! You brute!”

Kazuha-senpai who was like that had the positivity level of 82. There was not even a single skull mark that denoted the decrease of positivity level, even her abusive remarks couldn’t be felt as anything other than one type of communication to him.

“Senpai, you only say that in your mouth but you don’t hate me don’t you? Also senpai had promised me to accompany me in a date hadn’t you?”

“Don’t treat an infiltration mission as a date you―!”

Right at that time, a slightly large wave lifted up the neck of the ship highly.

The neck of the ship rode through the wave undulation and then it was half falling with a jerk.

Kazuha-senpai was “UWAA!” surprised and her shoulder approached near Kazuki.

An endless ocean. The small boat looked like an untrustworthy leaf floating on the sea.

“It’s okay, senpai. When push comes to shove…”

“When push comes to shove…?” Kazuha-senpai who was shrinking her body looked at him imploringly.

“When push comes to shove, please stabilize the movement of the boat with Psychokinesis Kazuha-senpai.”

“You are relying on me! I looked like an idiot for thinking that you are a little dependable heree―!!”

“Of course I’m also doing my best in the boat driving. But well, inside the bay, the waves are killed by the peninsula and island making the water quite calm so it’s okay. Though the morning seem early.”

Kazuki peered through the binocular that was hanging in neck while reinforcing his eyesight using magic power.

“…Rather what scarier is human’s eyes, this is an infiltration mission after all.”

“That risk of discovery, the story is that Yamato doesn’t perform the coast security satisfactorily anyway right? If it’s just a citizen’s boat then it’s going to be overlooked even if it’s discovered, isn’t it?”

“Because the government cut the electric supply to west Japan, the emotion of west Japan’s citizen has become the worst. Something like a suspicious boat they have never seen might be reported right away to Yamato.”

“Is, is that so…this is the enemy’s territory after all…. Even though this is Mie prefecture…”

That odd way of speaking unintentionally made Kazuki floated an ironic smile. Kazuha-senpai talked even further.

“…When I studied the administrative divisions of Japan in the elementary school, among the few that I couldn’t remember no matter what was Mier prefecture you know? I wonder if I incurred a divine punishment…”

“For some reason I always jumbled up Aichi prefecture and Wakayama prefecture, I couldn’t make the distinction between them.”

“Fufufu, in that case you really like orange.”

Kazuha-senpai didn’t only insult him with abusive remarks, unexpectedly when he made stupid talk with her, she was someone who would respond in a good mood. Finally she relaxed her stiff shoulder and showed a smiling face.

Looking at Kazuha-senpai’s face from the side where her hair was fluttering from the opposing wind, Kazuki was charmed for a while.

And then Kazuha-senpai naturally leaned her shoulder and thigh unreservedly on Kazuki’s body, she became relaxed and from her mouth “~♪” a humming was starting to leak out.

“Hey, until how long we are going to keep like this?”

“Generally it might be around one hours.”

“Whaa―tt, it’s unexpectedly short. So it’s not a considerable boat trip then?”

“Is it disappointing?” Kazuki asked Kazuha-senpai whose face was full with disappointment.

Kazuha-senpai suddenly went ‘hah’ and made a face of realization, “I, it’s not disappointing at all, who in the world will want time spent together with you! I want this end quicklyy―!” She leaned her body forward in fluster.

“The boat will shake so please don’t struggle here I said.”

While Kazuki met an unexpected difficulty in operating the flap, he embraced Kazuha-senpai with his left hand.

When her waist was embraced by Kazuki’s arm, a heart mark flew from Kazuha-senpai with a plop.

“Perhaps by any chance senpai want to be like this and intentionally made a ruckus?”

“Tha, that’s not true! This lady killer!”

―The enjoyable time passed in the blink of eye. And then,

“…This is problematic.” Kazuki murmured while peeking through his binocular.

“There really are that many people?”

Finally they reached the distance where they could clearly see the opposite shore, but unexpectedly there were people in the shoreline of Toba where they planned to disembark.

“There are a lot of fishing ships, breeding farm of oyster or seaweed, female divers…something is visible.”

“There is also female diver? Your eyes are absurdly good huh.”

In any case the visibility was exceedingly good on top of the sea, there was no hiding place.

They must went through a route where they wouldn’t enter anybody’s line of sight and made their landing.

“Let’s make a detour slightly and search for coastline where there is no people’s presence.”

Kazuki steered the boat going side-by-side with the land.

“Ah. Oi, Hayashizaki, seagulls are coming here!”

Like a children, Kazuha-senpai shook the shoulder of Kazuki who didn’t peel his eyes off from the binocular.

“Seagull…? They might be used to human from the pleasure cruise for sightseeing that scattered feed to them.”

“So they want some feed, yosh!”

It seemed Kazuha-senpai brought some snacks inside her waist-bag, she took out a rice cracker. She stood up on top of the unsteadily shaking boat while guarding her balance, “Here-!” and threw the pieces of broken rice cracker to the sky. The seagulls took a nose dive with good momentum and caught the cracker with its beak.

“Amazing! Come on look Hayashizaki, these guys come along! They are amazingly smart!! Ahaha-”

“Geez, what is senpai making merry for…”

Separating his eyes from the binocular, he looked up at Kazuha-senpai who was standing beside him―Kazuki watched the girl’s radiant smile in fascination, he involuntarily lost the next word he was going to say. The fringe of Kazuha-senpai’s short casual Japanese clothes was turned up lightly from the strong wind, although she didn’t notice it because she was too engrossed at the seagulls and making merry.

(Well, it’s fine), Kazuki returned to his binocular while his face was slightly reddening.

In her place, he was going to pay attention seriously at their surrounding.

―When he was looking at the far away, *GATAN!* the boat shook, then he heard Kazuha-senpai’s scream.

“Waaaaaaaaa, Hayashizaki, strange birds are! They scattered the seagulls and come charging here―!?”

Kazuki took off his eyes from the binocular and looked up to the sky―tension ran through his spine.

Large flock of birds blocked the blue sky, “GEE―! GEE―!” they were revolving around the boat while raising ominous chirps. It had protruding eyes that looked as if the eyeball were almost falling out, their beaks were curving windingly like old tree stumps, they were ominous birds from what Kazuki could see.

Of course they were not a natural animal―Demon Beast.

“Damn! …This spot is a Haunted Ground!”

Kazuki suddenly realized and looked down at the sea’s surface. The sea color ten-odd meters around them became a darkish color as if a stain was gathered in one spot of ocean. Because Kazuki only watched the far away land and Kazuha-senpai only looked at the seagulls, they didn’t notice at all that they had stepped into a Haunted Ground.

Haunted Ground only broke out in a place where there was human―if it was a course where pleasure ship and fishing ship often came, then surely it was possible for Haunted Ground to be born on top of a sea. A spot where seagulls that were used to human formed a group, it was suitable to be called a dominion of human rather than nature.

However Yamato’s provisional government, weren’t they dealing with the Haunted Ground properly?

Like this the people that worked on the sea would be in danger!

“O the will of whirling heaven god…gather in my hand, grant me the authority of judgement! O radiance of the royal divine gift, become a dazzling brilliant drawn bow! Lightning Line.”

Kazuki’s both hands hosted lightning. He drew the lightning to the limit and launched on, two streak of lightning. This magic of Hikaru-senpai, even though each of its shot was inferior in power compared to Mio’s Barrett, it could be used to shot repeatedly.

One, two body of the demon birds were shot down and sank into the black water surface. With that as the start, the demon birds that were circling around to assess their prey directed their beaks at the boat and took nose dive.

“I’m doing a good fight, welcoming a good death, and wish to participate in even more battle of heaven! The divine protection of blood color in my eye! Berserk!!”

Beatrix’s level 1 magic that could be invoked in short chanting tie. Light flew down from between the gap of the cloud in the sky, it became power and resided inside Kazuki. His eyes were dyed deep crimson, his reflexes and physical strength were in amplification.

Kazuki missed nothing of the demon birds’ beaks, he caught the beak of the bird that came the foremost barehanded. He swung the demon bird that he caught with all his strength, directing it to the second approaching demon bird’s beak and used it as a shield. Fresh blood scattered, he threw away the demon bird that bore a fatal wound from its fellow bird’s beak to the sea.

The flying third bird that approached him was caught by his left hand this time, and then once more he used it as a shield against the fourth bird.

He caught the birds with his two hands and used them as shields before throwing them away…he struggled hard empty handedly.

Looking at that scene from the side, Kazuha-senpai who was late in her battle preparation chanted her spell in panic.

“O peerless master, make another showing from beyond the dream! Along with the flame of transmutation, liberate the memory that is sealed inside the silver mirror right here!! Kenki Tensei!!”

Spheres of fire burst out around Kazuha-senpai, from there the phantom of famous swordsmen that left behind their name in history were summoned―the phantom swordsmen that were created from the spheres of fire landed on the water surface just like that―they were drowning while kicking and struggling. While unfortunate, there was no space for summoning on top of the cramped boat.

The mute phantom swordsman were,

{What are you doing suddenly summoning us here gozaru-} {Uwaa~, you are making fun of us~}

…They were sinking into the black sea with that kind of feeling.

“Uwaa―! You guys are useless―!”

Kazuha-senpai was completely cornered into the depths of mayhem, she screamed while gripping the edge of the boat.

“Senpai, the magic that you chose to chant was mistaken there!”

That miss was surely because the tactic of first summoning the phantom swordsmen and then using them to buy time for her to chant higher magic had already completely became a habit.

“I am the shaman of sword…rock cleaved, root torn, sin severed, that spirit sword of crushing evil right now in this hand! Draw sword, Futsu no Mitama!!”

While Kazuki was grappling with the devil birds, he managed to chant that spell in some way or other.

Flame welled out inside Kazuki’s hand where a holy ancient sword was created.

If he held a sword, than the fight was his. The nose diving demon birds were cut down one after another.

{Ooh, splendid! This is just like Tsubame Gaeshi!}

Futsunushi no Kami’s phantom appeared and said so in cheers.

“Waa―! Kazuki! This time strange wriggling things from the sea are―!?”

When his attention was preoccupied with the sky, Kazuha-senpai’s scream reverberated once again. This time it was not from the sky but from the sea―countless tentacles were extending out and entangled the limbs of Kazuha-senpai.

“Wh, why is this thing doesn’t even spare a glance to Hayashizaki, but only coming at me!?”

“Senpai, tentacles is this kind of Demon Beast! Before this when it attacked Mio it was also like this.”

“What kind of Demon Beast this is, doing something―! Uwa, stop it, don’t get inside the clothes!!”

The tentacles that were attached with suction pads on it pinned down the side of the boat while invading inside, Kazuha-senpai’s both arms and both legs were captured. It forcefully opened up the four limbs and tried to creep in through the collar and hem stimulatingly.

The boat raised a cracking sound!

But the tentacles doing whatever it wanted to Kazuha-senpai was only for an instant.

Sensing the situation, Kazuki immediately ran his sword. First he cut down the tentacles that were going to invade into Kazuha-senpai’s clothes, then next he cut down the tentacles that were binding Kazuha-senpai’s arms and legs.

Kazuha-senpai that became free leaped vigorously to Kazuki and hugged him, making the boat shook violently.

But no matter how many tentacles he cut down, the main body of the Demon Beast was squirming inside the black sea. Katana wouldn’t reach. Using Barrett would be useless because it would disappear from the sea water, facing the sea and firing lightning arrow would also endanger themselves. Then….

“O singing voice of mermaid, manifest the freezing thought. Sadness into ice flower, loneliness into light snowfall, cover the world with freezing vacuum…White Album!”

Kazuki chose Koyuki’s level 5 magic―a large scale magic that frozen the designated space in its entirety. The monster inside the sea was frozen together with its surrounding sea water. And then most likely its breath was stopped just like that.

The dusky sea that was undergoing Haunted Ground transformation quickly became clear blue color.

Haunted Ground was spreading due to the existence of Magic Beast. By defeating the Demon Beast, the original scenery would be recovered.

“Ah, how tiresome~. Sorry, I’m just completely holding you back…”

Kazuha-senpai was weakly exhausted on top of the boat, she released a deep sigh.

“Senpai…this is still not the time to be relaxed yet.”

When the tentacles were clamping at Kazuha-senpai, Kazuki heard an awful voice of something cracking.

Cracks were entering the boat that was made from wood. Under both their feet, sea water was entering little by little.

“Its flooding!?”

If the ship was broken in this place, the operation would be a failure. They wouldn’t be able to land inconspicuously.

“…Should we go back for a moment, using [Blazing Wings] back to Irago Cape?”

“Even though the opposing shore is just right there already…! It’s my fault…!”

Kazuha-senpai stared at the opposing shore mortifyingly. Even while she was doing that, the small boat kept sinking.

“That’s right! Let’s swim until the farther shore!”

“There are a lot of fishing ships. If we go across swimming while still wearing clothes, we will completely look like suspicious people, senpai.”

“Then let’s go by diving!” Kazuha-senpai faced the sea and pulled Kazuki’s arm.

“How are we going to maintain our breath!?”

“It’s okay, leave it to me! …I’ll relinquish my dishonor from before!!”

Kazuha-senpai forcibly kept pulling *gui gui* Kazuki’s arm, she was trying to make the both of them leaped into the sea together. (If she really has some idea), Kazuki hardened his determination.

“We are going! One two-!!”

Water was splashing along with a yell, the two dove into the sea.

…What in the world is Kazuha-senpai planning?

When he opened his eyes inside the sea that had high rate of transparency, Kazuki saw a miraculous sight.

Bubbles that repelled blue lights were pouring down from the surface into the water until the location of Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai.

The bubble that was as big as a person’s head followed about around Kazuki’s face and then it entered inside his mouth.

…It’s air. Kazuha-senpai was pulling air into the water using Psychokinesis.

…Amazing. Once again, he felt that Kazuha-senpai’s talent in magic was not ordinary.

Kazuha-senpai grinned broadly inside the water and pointed at the direction of the land. Kazuki nodded at that.

If oxygen was supplied like this, then it was a distance that could be traversed sufficiently.

Utilizing magic and diving with one’s own body―this was his first experience, in a transparent blue world.

Changing from seagulls this time it were fishes, they coiled about around Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai’s surrounding.

Part 2

“Puhaa―! I’m wondering for a second what’s going to happen to us there!”

Raising from the sea, Kazuha-senpai stood up on the beach unsteadily while taking a deep breath. But,

“Before we take a breather! Let’s move to a more hidden spot!”

This area was not a beach that had been developed for swimming place, there was no presence of human in the surrounding. But at any rate the unobstructed view in the beach was too good. The afternoon sun was shining down on them. Kazuki held Kazuha-senpai’s hand tightly and ran away into the natural forest that grew thickly near the beach.

“Don, don’t suddenly hold my hand like this―!”

“Somehow there is this thrill that make the heart beating fast right?”

After escaping into the darkness of the forest, finally they could take a breather.

The two let out a wry chuckle while looking at each other’s face―Kazuki spontaneously caught his breath.

It was pink color―if he was asked what was pink, it was Kazuha-senpai’s underwear color.

Senpai’s remodeled Japanese clothing was wet and became see-through, making a faint pink color emerged through it.

Going after the swimsuit, it was a lovely underwear that make him felt the gap. That senpai was wearing this kind of underwear, that fact itself was cute. By any chance perhaps she put it a considerable fighting spirit into choosing that underwear.

Moreover because of her run-in with those tentacles and further with the swimming, her collar and hem was slovenly disordered.

Kazuki’s clothes too was also similarly drenched wet, it was clinging onto the skin heavily. Kazuha-senpai saw Kazuki’s state, then she noticed that herself was also in the same state, making her face boiled red.

“U, u, u, uWAA―!? Don’t look, don’t look this wayy―!!”

“So, sorry senpai! This is an act of god!!”

“I understand this is act of god or whatnot! I’m not particularly angry so just look behind―!!”

Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai turned back at the same time, making their back met.

“Senpai, let’s dry the clothes and our body with magic.”

Kazuki suggested. If they used Psychokinesis to get rid of the water and salt and then produced high temperature with Pyrokinesis, they could dry their clothes far quicker compared to let it dry naturally.

“…I got it. Then I’m going to take off my clothes. Absolutely don’t look back.”

Kazuha-senpai answered like such for the sake of getting through this quickly.

Dryness was a process where the water particles escaped to the air. Rather than letting the clothes dry while still wearing it, taking off the clothes and drying it off piece by piece would increase the surface area that came in contact with the air, making the drying-off several times faster.

…I wonder if this means that she trust me.

That Kazuha-senpai was, currently, becoming naked right behind himself.

Of course Kazuki didn’t have any intention to betray that trust. Absolutely none.

While determining his heart that he absolutely wouldn’t look behind, he himself removed the belt of his hakama and took off his remodeled Japanese clothes. Spreading out the taken-off clothes with his hands, he concentrated at his magic.

“Wa, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?”

However after only tens of seconds, Kazuha-senpai raised a scream.

“Kazuha-senpai!?”

Kazuki was immediately turning back. This couldn’t be helped.

This couldn’t be helped but, Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai too was still in their underwear appearance.

Their eyes met in a glance, shame flashed in Kazuha-senpai’s expression.

But on the contrary she didn’t continue that line of progress.

Kazuha-senpai screamed “Demon Beast!” and pointed to the direction forward.

Demon Beast she said? …This forest was real natures, it was by no meant a Haunted Ground.

Even though this place was not supposed to be a Haunted Ground―there was a single crow in the direction that senpai pointed at.

It was just a normal bird in a single glance, but thick magic power was compressed inside that small body, warping the surrounding atmosphere slightly. And then above all, it had three legs.

Kazuki embraced Kazuha-senpai’s shoulder near him and change their places, he stood in front to cover for her.

The three-legged crow was staring at Kazuki with eyes that was like black gem.

“…There is no need to be alert. I hold no hostility.”

“”The Demon Beast is talking!?”” Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai were taken aback in shock.

The situation where a crow was talking was bizarre but…the subject that he talked about was also strange.

The Demon Beast that materialized in this world because of Malignant Alternate BoundaryCancer was absolutely the enemy of human race.

It was completely the instinct, the meaning of their existence, that Demon Beast attacked only human.

…No need to be alert? That was words that overturned the concept of Demon Beast right from its root.

“What is called Demon Beast is something that is established in Mythology as the enemy of human race…”

The three-legged crow opened its beak and spun human language.

“…I am different. I am something established to be the guide of the monarch<Yatagarasu>. O King of Solomon, the Japanase Mythology welcomed you. Please head to Ise Shrine just like that somehow.”

Welcomed? …Even though we are coming here to defeat Amaterasu.

If he assumed that this was not a Diva or a Demon Beast, then what in the world is this crow?

The crow that introduced itself as Yatagarasu informed just that and then it spread its black wings with a flap and flew away.

The instant it flew to the sky, that figure melted into the air and disappeared.

The left behind Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai was bewildered and stood stock still.

“…Kazuki, just now, what do you think is going on?”

Kazuha-senpai asked with voice mixed with confusion.

[Welcome]. Did it has the meaning exactly like the what word imply, or….

Yatagarasu―it was an existence that was made to be Amaterasu’s messenger in Japanese Mythology.

Both of them unintentionally faced each other. And then, they remembered once more that both of them were still in their underwear appearance.

“Waa!? I forgot, don’t look this way!!”

“I’m sorry, it’s an act of god!”

Both of them sprang up in startle and turned their back to each other again.

“…What’s with you, act of god, act of god. You keep saying that.”

While they resumed drying their clothes, Kazuha-senpai talked with a hint of complaint and then, *bump*, she threw her own back to Kazuki’s back. Kazuha-senpai’s back hair that fluttered behind tickled Kazuki’s nape.

Perhaps there ought to be some more words that he should say. Not an excuse that he said because he was afraid to be scolded. Because Kazuha-senpai was a much softer person than what her surface attitude hinted.

“Kazuha-senpai’s risqué appearance, really made my heart beat fast.”

“What are you saying, idiot!”

“The pink underwear was cute.”

“Aren’t you just thinking too simply that a girl will be happy as long as she got praised!?”

“It’s fine right, I said that was an act of god.”

“You are a pervert!” *BUMP! BUMP!* the hits to his back were strengthened.

But he had the hunch that senpai at this kind of time was not angry but rather she was enjoying herself.

“…Really, I’m finished already here.”

Behind Kazuki, there was the presence of Kazuha-senpai wearing her clothes in rustle.

“Eh, already!? That’s fast!”

“Hmph, that’s because you are saying stupid things. Idii―ot idii―ot. Magic good for nothing.”

Rotating with a twirl, Kazuha-senpai who had finished changing her clothes circled around to Kazuki’s front.

“Senpai…I’m, still in emergency here.”

Kazuki was taken aback being stared at right from the front.

“It’s doesn’t really matter right, you are man after all.”

What kind of reason was that? Kazuha-senpai bent her knees at that spot and squatted down, then her line of sight was creeping all over Kazuki’s body intently *jii―*.

“…Fuun, just as expected it’s a body with the feel of a boy. …Fuun.”

He didn’t really get embarrassed getting stared at but…for some reason he couldn’t concentrate on the magic.

When they walked from the coast to the city of Toba, the town that prospered from sightseeing and fishing industry was changed into a quite place from being put under the state of [times of war].

“First let’s settle down a little and talk about what we are going to do from now on.”

Saying that, Kazuki pointed at the eatery in the street corner. In Toba, there were a few eatery’s lining up. This eatery was called <Ama hut> where people could eat fresh maritime products that were just picked by the diver.

“Now that you mentioned it, certainly my stomach is empty.”

Kazuha-senpai was also in agreement. …Today they were having fairly rushed schedule until now. After Kazuki explained the outline of the operation yesterday they departed from Nagoya at the early morning the very next day, arriving at Irago Cape, there they sailed off after finishing the boat operation training, and then they landed at the town of Toba in Mie Prefecture right at this point of time, the time had already approaching midday. Everything was events that were happening throughout this morning.

They were in the middle of an important operation, be that as it may, it was hard to go against their sense of hunger.

If they didn’t have a meal here, they didn’t know what would happen from now on after this.

Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai sat side-by-side at the counter, then they ordered the shellfish combination platter that was the specialty here with the traveling expenses they received from Akane-senpai. At the opposite side of the counter, the auntie there lined up the shellfishes on the earthen charcoal brazier and started grilling.

With a voice so small that could only be heard by Kazuha-senpai, Kazuki confirmed the thing that he was concerned at the foremost.

“Regarding that <Yatagarasu> from before, does Futsunushi no Kami say anything at all?”

“I too asked inside my head what is that about but…”

A Telepathy directed at Astrum, it was that kind of thing.

“…That guy, he doesn’t give any reply and is ignoring me.”

So it was No Comment. Despite making frivolous talk like commenting someone’s sword skill as Tsubame Gaeshi or what else.

That crow called Yatagarasu, according to the myth it was the messenger of Amaterasu.

“What in the world does it mean with [Welcome]? Even though we are coming here for Japanese Mythology’s chief god…Amaterasu’s defeat. In the first place isn’t Amaterasu supposed to lose her sanity from becoming a Wild God?”

There was something strange that he felt from Futsunushi no Kami’s story that was supposed to be the operation’s premise.

During the operation where they were infiltrating enemy’s territory that required caution, it was a terrifying matter for a doubt to rise to the surface toward the premise of the operation in the first place.

When Kazuki exposed Futsunushi no Kami’s insincerity, Kazuha-senpai made a sad face.

“Bu, but Futsunushi no Kami is…”

“Of course it’s not like I’m thinking that Futsunushi no Kami is Yamato’s spy or something like that.”

When Kazuki said so, Kazuha-senpai released a breath in relief.

“If Futsunushi no Kami and Yatagarasu are trying to set a trap for us, there is no need at all to make that kind of greeting to us.”

Of course he was doubtful whether he really could accept that [Welcome] Yatagarasu said at face value, but wasn’t what Yatagarasu meant to declare at that time was that [this is not a trap].

“…I feel some doubt that this operation can proceed just as planned, but for the time being there is nothing we can do except going to Ise Shrine to see what’s happening there.”

What awaited them at that place, was it really [a battle against Amaterasu] or…. If by some chance that was not what going to happen, then for what kind of reason Futsunushi no Kami called Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai here.

…If he was called to the enemy territory here because of some ill will though, then that was the worst situation.

“Here, our specialty the large manilla clam! You two are whispering secretly there, but this is not delicious when it’s not freshly baked. Chuck the food to your mouth quickly and eat up!!”

The auntie presented the large plate piled up with clams from across the counter.

The moment they saw it, Kazuha-senpai went “Wha, this is different with the clam that I know!?” and raised her voice. What they saw was something excessively large to be called clam, its size was almost as big as a palm of a child. Adding to its plump body, soup was pooling in plenty on its shell, the nice aroma of salt rising up.

Next the auntie handed over a big serving of rice. Kazuha-senpai immediately ate a mouthful of the clam, after that she gulped down the rice heartily, “Delicious-!” her expression brightened.

The auntie laughed in a good mood seeing at that scene.

“I’m still grilling lot and lot here! There is turban scallop, or this yesso scallop!”

Kazuki looked around inside the shop once more. It was a snug eatery, but its wall was decorated with autographs of celebrities that even Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai knew. There was even the picture of the auntie in a wet suit as a diver hung on the wall. …Inside that mundane atmosphere, it made them felt a peace of mind somehow.

It appeared that even when this place changed from Japan into Yamato, the life of the normal people didn’t changed at all.

“…Kazuha-senpai, your [Delicious!] just now is not good. You don’t look like a local.”

Kazuki lowered his voice and whispered on her ears. “Ah, I see!” Kazuha-senpai pressed her own mouth.

“Senpai, let’s make our setting as a bakaple that doesn’t read the atmosphere even in this kind of emergency and still come to sightseeing.”

Kazuha-senpai went “Eeeehh!?” and lost her presence of mind.

“I have heard that it’s difficult to get exposed in infiltration mission when the spies act like a couple.”

While Kazuki was whispering, he embraced Kazuha-senpai’s waist and brought her closer to him.

Kazuha-senpai twitched for a moment in hesitation, but perhaps she immediately judged in her reasoning that such method could work, she meekly reclined on Kazuki’s shoulder.

“…But, I don’t understand what should we do to act as a couple you know.”

Her cheeks was slightly colored and she whispered weakly.

“I think it’s fine if we use Mio’s words as reference.”

“…I see. It’s that kind of feeling…”

Mio who could made someone understand in one mention was really Mio. Kazuha-senpai nodded slightly. And then she was nuzzling herself on Kazuki’s top of the shoulder like a small animal. “…Kazu-kun, aa―n.” Like so, she whispered with sweet voice while presenting a large clam with a chopstick. Kazuki received a shock in his chest. …Kazu-kun, she said?

What in the world was this throbbing inside his chest? [This is gap moe desu, Kazuki-oniisan!!] He had the feeling that Lotte’s voice was reverberating inside his head.

After Kazuki accepted that clam with his mouth and eat it, this time he returned the favor to Kazuha-senpai.

“Kazuha, aa―n.” Like that the two of them turned in their seat while flirting and fed each other with clams.

“…Thi, this is too embarrassing…”

“But Kazuha right now, is awfully cute. I’m having a throbbing I have never felt until now.”

“Sto, stop it you idiot! Geez…stupid Kazu-kun…”

This person, wasn’t she get too carried away with the mood?

“Ooaa~! You two suddenly become really intimate! You know this clam, when fellow lovers eat this there is this legend that you will be able to marry your companion perfectly, eat a lot!!”

The auntie in the counter lined up a lot of grilled clams one after another in front of Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai.

Somehow it just like what they aimed for, it seemed they could finish this without looking suspicious.

“…I’m doing this, only for the sake of the mission so…”

Kazuha-senpai whispered subduedly.

“Then I will fully enjoy this situation while it last. Her Kazuha, aa―n.”

Kazuki embraced her waist even stronger and gave the newly arriving clam to senpai with ‘aa―n’. Kazuha-senpai too helplessly cuddled her body closer and obediently chewing the food.

“…However I really have never thought it would become something this outrageous.”

―A voice from behind.

Even while flirting with Kazuha-senpai, Kazuki didn’t miss that voice of the local customer.

When he took a glance behind, there were two male customers around their thirties sitting in the back table seat.

“Those brats are thinking that it’s interesting, but to say such thing like a war with Japan. They are thinking such unbelievable idea. Saying things like the Solomon 72 Pillar is trying to take over the country, thought I think there might be some truth in that.”

“But those guys in the new government of Yamato become too eager in war with that Japan, they are completely apathetic with the life of we the common people, it’s really vexing ze. Even when a Haunted Ground appear they just leave it alone, when it’s still Japan such thing is unthinkable.”

“The Haunted Ground has spread until the sea around here huh, recently. When we are going fishing we have to be careful not to carelessly step into that area. …Even though this sea of Ise is Amaterasu-sama’s important kitchen don’t you agree?”

“This is because they just leave alone the Ise Shrine as that stupidly huge Haunted Ground in the first place. With such atrocious accursed things going on…are we really tying contract with the Divas of Japanese Mythology here?”

“Who knows, no matter which shrine all of it become under construction or something that we cannot even pray to god. Really this situation really stinks. When push comes to shove us the men of sea might just use the ships to make off from here!”

“…Kazu-kun, you heard?”

Kazuha-senpai whispered into his ears while continuing their act as couple.

There was some part of him that became mushy in his chest when ‘Kazu-kun’ was whispered on his ear, but this was not the time to think about such thing.

…They said that, Ise Shrine had become a stupidly huge Haunted Ground?

Anyway, for the time being they had no other choice except to go to Ise Shrine and saw it with their own eyes.

Hardening his heart like that, the moment they exited the store Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai put themselves on guard.

Because right before the store, Yatagarasu was perching on the ground and was waiting for Kazuki and Kazuha-senpai.

Yatagarasu silently directed its beak to the direction of the west, and then it flapped its wings and went flying heading to the west.

It didn’t say anything, but its intention was obvious.

There was a distance around 10 kilometers from this harbor of Toba until the Ise Shrine in the west.

Translator's Notes and References

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